Petty Officer Cruel Kev

MERGER!

2006-02-17T00:03:00.000-06:00

CLICK HEREAs of today Petty Officer Cruel Kev's Military Blog will merge with the Sailors & Mariners League blog to become "SAILORS, MARINERS & WARRIORS LEAGUE" I would like to thank all of my readers for your patronage, And welcome you to the League!

Army Looking For Physician Assistants

2006-02-15T00:03:00.000-06:00

The Army is short about 100 physician assistants and is stepping up attempts to recruit both civilians and Soldiers to do the job. This is the first time that the Army Medical Department, or AMEDD, has recruited certified civilian physician assistants to join the Army, said Capt. James Jones, Interservice Physician Assistant Program manager. He said the Army’s modularity and high operations tempo contributed to this change. “We have a recruiting mission to obtain 20 civilian physician assistants this year, but this is likely to rise to 60,” he said.The Army offers qualified officers, warrant officers and enlisted Soldiers an educational opportunity to become a physician assistant through the IPAP located at the AMEDD Center and School, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. The Army trains alongside candidates from the Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, U.S. Army Reserve, National Guard, and U.S. Public Health Service, said IPAP officials. “The Army plans on filling the shortages by increasing the number of students in the IPAP - this year we are training 92 Army students versus 60,” Jones said. Upon completion of the program, graduates earn a master’s degree from the University of Nebraska and receive a commission in the Army Medical Specialist Corps as a second lieutenant. Officer students receive constructive credit for their commissioned service in accordance with DOD Instruction 6000.13. Graduates must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam before they can provide healthcare to Soldiers, AMEDD officials said.There is also a new program called the Requirements Completion Course that is designed to help Soldiers complete the program’s prerequisite courses. “This is another way that we are working to reduce the shortages while still maintaining the highest quality medical provider possible,” said Jones. Army physician assistants are frontline medical responders, said Jones. “They are usually the first medical care that Soldiers receive before being transported to a hospital,” he said. “They are a critical component of the Army.”Applications for the IPAP must be sent by March 1 to the program manager at:
HQ, USAREC
RCHS-SVD-PA
1307 Third Ave.
Fort Knox, KY 40121-2726

Navy Religious Program Specialists

2006-02-14T00:03:00.000-06:00

As the only members in military service who are not authorized to carry weapons, Chaplains must rely on their religious programs specialists for protection in theaters of operation. Although, the primary mission of an RP is to provide administrative and technical support for the chaplain, while forward deployed RPs also provide personal protection for the chaplain. "RPs are the right arm of the chaplains," said Lt. Cmdr. James H. Pittman, station chaplain. "They are able do things that the chaplain may not.Religious Specialist 1st Class (SW/AW) Rita Hurts, shown here in the Chapel of Hope at Yokosuka Navy Base in Yokosuka, Japan.They are administrative support and personal security managers." Chaplains, whether they are members of the United States Army, Navy or Air Force, according to the Geneva Convention and military regulations, are designated noncombatants. While other noncombatants, such as medical personnel, may carry weapons for self-defense, chaplains are not allowed to carry weapons and must rely upon their RPs for protection. "The RP rating is the only rating in the Navy tasked with protecting a noncombatant," said Senior Chief Dino C. Medler, an RP for the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. To become Fleet Marine Force qualified, RPs must attend the Chaplain and Religious Program Specialist Expeditionary Skills Training Course, a sixweek training program, similar to Marine Combat Training and the School of Infantry, which gives the Sailor a rating equivalent to that of a Marine infantryman.As part of the training, FMF RPs must qualify with the M-16 service rifle and the service pistol. They must also be humvee qualified. They also earn their Marine Corps martial arts tan belt during CREST. Basic Marine Corps history and general knowledge are also required. "To be FMF qualified, we have to pass an oral board and be able to recite information about any aspect of Marine Corps life from memory," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Dana Saunders, an RP for Marine Aircraft Group 14. A large part of CREST is conditioning training and instruction from Marines explaining how things work in the Marine Corps, said Medler. "While assigned to Fleet Marine Forces, we have to be able to do everything that the Marines we serve with can do," said Medler. "We are required to do things like pass a Marine Corps physical fitness test." "My experience is that, to seniors, RPs are seen as Marines and are expected to perform like them," he said. "One of the ways we are encouraged to interact with the Marines is to PT regularly with them." Interacting with Marines on a regular basis while in garrison allows the Marines to see that the RPs want to be involved and are genuinely concerned about them. This helps when they all get deployed together. The Marines already know who the RPs are and they are comfortable working with them.Unlike chaplains, who minister to a particular faith group, RPs must be able to work with every faith group. They are trained to provide for special religious needs such as religious dietary needs or specific religious materials. Occasionally, Marines will approach an RP with a specific problem or need. RPs maintain the same confidentiality privileges as chaplains. "Junior Marines, especially, tend to be more comfortable talking to an RP, who is enlisted, rather than a chaplain, who is an officer," said Medler. "Marines can go to an RP who will act as a liaison to a chaplain. RPs cannot act as a counselor, but they can help send them to the right place." "Being an RP presents more unique opportunities and responsibilities than any other rating in the Navy," said Medler. "But the most important thing is being able to go visit and minister to the troops."

When The Going Gets Rough, Call In The Navy

2006-02-10T00:03:00.000-06:00

The U.S. Navy will try to lift some of the burden off U.S. Army troops in Iraq this year by increasing the number of Sailors inside that country and taking on duties soldiers have been doing, according to the Navy's top sailor. The move is designed to ease the pressure on the stressed and stretched Army in Iraq, which has soldiers doing everything from combat, medical and security duties to countless support operations. In a briefing to Pentagon reporters , Adm. Michael G. Mullen, the Chief of Naval Operations, said the Navy will start playing a bigger role in Iraq by adding to the 4,000 Sailors already operating in the country. About 138,000 U.S. troops are in Iraq; the Army makes up about 99,000. Mullen would not say how many Sailors he is expecting to put into Iraq or when they will start filling the various duties. He did say the number of Sailors would be less than 12,000.
The additional Sailors will take on existing roles in the combat arena as medical corpsmen and in special operations roles, with more SEAL teams in some cases, he said. Other duties will include security roles, with some 500 sailors expected to take over operations at a prison inside the country, Mullen said. He would not say which facility the sailors would take over. While not giving specifics, Mullen said sailors with expertise in disposing of explosive ordnance will also be brought in. Such teams are used in disposing of the countless weapons caches found in the country as well as assisting in roadside bomb removal. The increase in Sailors in Iraq comes as the Army struggles with rotating troops multiple times into the country, trying to give soldiers a break back in their home bases before deploying again to Iraq or Afghanistan. Air Force airmen are already heavily used in convoy security and other security and logistical roles on the ground in Iraq. The Air Force took more of that role over so Army commanders could use soldiers in needed combat roles.The Navy has some 10,000 sailors in the southwest Asia region, Mullen said, including the 4,000 already in Iraq. In all, the Army has about 130,000 soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait, according to Army officials. Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Also told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Guard and Reserves will play a decreased role in the next year. "When we first went into combat, we had about 40 percent of the total force was Guard and Reserve," he said. "It is 30 percent now." "The force that is deploying over the next year, from March of this year to March of next year, will be about 19 percent Guard and Reserve," he said. "So the size of the force is coming down, and the need for contribution from the Guard and Reserve is coming down." A Pentagon-commissioned study last month warned that the Army needs more troops for Iraq and Afghanistan. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld disputed the study, saying the service was nowhere close to its breaking point. The study by Andrew Krepinevich, a military analyst and former Army officer, found that the Army's manpower needs for those conflicts "clearly exceed those available for the mission."

QDR Directs Air Force Future

2006-02-08T23:21:00.000-06:00

The Department of Defense released the results of the quadrennial defense review Feb. 3 here. "The QDR guides and supports Air Force transformation in pursuit of key joint, interdependent combat capabilities that enable us to deliver more sovereign options for the defense of the United States of America and its global interest," said Lt. Gen. Stephen G. Wood, Air Force deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and programs. The QDR is a congressionally mandated review of how the armed forces plan to fund current and future projects specific to each service.“The QDR was an exhaustive look at how each service operates and supports the combatant commanders now, as well as how they will support them in the future,” General Wood said. “The studies and analyses provide us a guidepost that will improve the capabilities and sovereign options the Air Force provides the president.” The QDR re-affirmed the strong role the Air Force plays in special operations and irregular warfare. Furthermore, it added strength to that effort with increased combat aviation advisors, dedicated Predator units and recapitalization of the special operations fleet. In addition, the QDR reinforced the Air Force importance in emerging missions and strengthening the Air Force’s role in space and cyber operations. To underwrite investment in new capabilities, the QDR calls for easing restrictions so the Air Force can trim the number of older aircraft it operates such as the C-130 Hercules, KC-135 Stratotankers and B-52 Stratofortresses, he said. General Wood is positive about the Air Force’s future based on the initiatives in the QDR. “The QDR process was a reaffirmation we’re headed in the right direction,” he said. "Several credible and independent agencies both in and outside DOD examined the needs of the Air Force and came to the same conclusions we have -- that flexibility, stealth, speed and new advanced technology are necessary for our ability to project airpower and support our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen.”

Other additions the QDR calls for are:

-- A new long-range bomber in the next 12 years

-- A significant increase in the fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles

-- More special operations forces

-- Fielding more battlefield Airmen to support our sister services on the ground

-- Airmen trained to fight with emerging technologies, such as protecting the nation through cyberspace

“The Air Force is focused on the global war on terror and we’ll continue to transform the force to provide combatant commanders with the tools they need,” General Wood said. Those transformations will affect the total force -- from added weapon systems to a decrease in manpower. The Air Force will further reduce its strength by roughly 40,000 Airmen; 88 percent will come from active duty. “This is a team effort and the Guard and Reserve are part of that team,” General Wood said. “So while 12 percent of our manpower cuts will come from them, the future of the Air Force will also see Guard and Reserve Airmen in our newest missions and equipment. All in all, the QDR process was lengthy and drew input from a number of sources. “It really is a credit to the Secretary of Defense as well as Air Force leadership that we were able to voice our opinions about how the Air Force should evolve for the future,” General Wood said. “Tough decisions had to be made, but what’s most important now is that we’re all on the same page and we know what we have to do. Now we just have to get out there and do it.”

National Guard Predicts Growth

2006-02-03T00:03:00.000-06:00

National Guard officials said Monday that recruiting has accelerated so much in recent months that they expect to expand the Guard even as the Bush administration proposes to shrink it. The National Guard Bureau said the Guard is "aggressively working" to reach the 350,000-troop level by the end of the current budget year Sept. 30, it said. The Guard now has about 333,000 soldiers, which is the number the administration proposes to pay for.In his 2007 budget proposal to be sent to Congress on Feb. 6, President Bush is expected to propose a Guard of 333,000 soldiers, compared with its congressionally authorized limit of 350,000. Administration officials say that is not a cut because 333,000 reflects the actual number of soldiers now in the Guard, which has experienced a deep recruiting slump.

Humongous Blimp

2006-01-31T00:03:00.000-06:00

Remember the Walrus? That's the Darpa project to build a humongous blimp that can haul 500-1000 tons' worth of soldiers and gear halfway across the world in less than a week. A reporter profiles Worldwide Aeros, the small firm run by ex-Soviet engineers, which is going toe-to-toe with Lockheed Martin for the $100-million contract to build a Walrus prototype. "The winner then has a chance to bid on a blimp production contract potentially worth $11 billion over 30 years."Lockheed farmed out the blimp job to its Skunkworks unit, the legendary aircraft design house in Palmdale that has developed many of the nation's most advanced aircraft, including the SR-71 and U-2 spy planes. By contrast, Worldwide Aeros, with 40 employees, expects $10 million in revenue this year from selling blimps for advertising, including promoting MasterCard and Spalding sporting goods... But Pasternak said he had faced bigger challenges than outwitting Lockheed, including persuading six of his employees and their families to flee Russia with him in 1993... After getting a degree in civil engineering, he formed his own company in 1988 and began working on a Soviet project to develop mammoth airships to transport cargo to the remote Siberian oil fields... When the Soviet Union collapsed, Pasternak's investment capital dried up. With growing anti-Semitism in his country, Pasternak said, he and his colleagues fled Russia and emigrated to the U.S. Eventually, he was able to persuade several investors to fund his aerospace company based on his experience making blimps in Russia... Win or lose, Pasternak sees the project as a means to a different end: to build commercial versions for carrying business cargo or even paying passengers. His "cruise ship in the sky" would have hotel-like rooms, vast lobbies with viewing areas, a restaurant and space for about 180 passengers.

Army To Test New Super Gun

2006-01-26T00:03:00.000-06:00

Next month a new high-explosive munition will be fired in Singapore and then tested again by the U.S. Army, heralding what may be a sea change in weaponry: a gun that can fire 240,000 rounds per minute. That's compared to 60 rounds per minute in a standard military machine gun. Metal Storm Inc., a munitions company headquartered in Virginia but with its roots in Australia, has been developing a gun that can shoot at blistering speeds, albeit in short bursts as each barrel is reloaded. A Metal Storm gun of any size -- from a 9 mm hand-gun up to a machine gun size or a grenade launcher -- has no moving parts other than the bullets or munition inside the barrel. Rather than chambering a single slug for each shot - very quickly in the case of machine guns -- the bullets come pre-stacked inside the barrel and can be shot all at once, or one at a time, as the shooter decides through the electronic controls.Because there are no moving parts, the weapon is less likely to jam, and will presumably need less maintenance. Lashing many barrels together increases the number of rounds per second. Once fired, however, each spent barrel has to be reloaded. Starting in 2006 the company will demonstrate its prototypes with applicability that is especially likely to interest the U.S. military. The weapon system can be mounted on an unmanned ground combat vehicle, an unmanned aerial vehicle, and might be used as a defense against rocket-propelled grenades and mortars. Metal Storm's speed allows it to lay down a blinding wall of slugs that can intercept and pulverize incoming enemy fire, according to company CEO David Smith. As long as the grenade or mortar is fired from outside a range of about 50 meters or 162.5 feet and a Doppler radar is in use, a Metal Storm system could be an effective defense, he told reporters. Closer than that and there is just not time to react. "But if you are from 50 meters and beyond, if everything can work fast enough -- the radar -- there is enough time mathematically" to shoot down incoming fire, Smith said. At least 153 U.S. troops have been killed in Iraq by enemy rockets and mortars since the start of the war. Nearly 2,000 have been wounded. The grenade launcher barrel can also carry less-than-lethal munitions, like small bean bags, sponge grenades or smoke. On Jan. 16, the Army awarded Metal Storm a $975,000 contract to further develop its non-lethal rounds. "Our so-called competition is (the) Mk19 - grenade machine gun," Smith said. "It's enormously heavy. It takes six people to carry it into a battlefield scene. It's not mobile. "But the military has had this transition out of big system warfighting into much lighter, higher firepower that can be carried into battle by individuals or light vehicles. Our guns have no moving parts -- so they have the same amount of fire power at significantly reduced weight ratio." Metal Storm technology has been under development for about a decade, but a series of small-business innovative research contracts awarded recently by the Department of Energy and the Army mean prototypes are now being produced and demonstrated. "We are to the point we can start providing prototypes. The Army is very, very parochial in how they buy weapon systems," Smith said. "But now we can put it into an actual environment."The company is also studying whether it can mount a Metal Storm weapon on a small helicopter, particularly looking at the recoil effect from the gun. Smith said such a system - deployable down to the squad level -- could be useful in a place like Iraq, where it's a common tactic for insurgents to launch a mortar and then run. By the time soldiers on foot or in a vehicle get to the launch site, the shooters are long gone. But a UAV quickly launched can see where the shooters run to, and if a gun is on board, can shoot at them. The Australian military is testing a Metal Storm gun of its own, the Advanced Individual Combat Weapon (AICW). The AICW combines both an assault rifle and a 40 mm grenade launcher in a single unit with a common trigger, allowing the shooter to choose which munition he wants to fire without having to refit his weapon. It also allows three grenades to be fired at once, whereas one is the only option in the current generation of weapons. Metal Storm Inc. will demonstrate a high-explosive munition with a 10-meter (32.5 feet) or burst radius in Singapore on Feb. 6, Smith said, and for the Army's Picatinny Arsenal and Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center later that month.

US Army Raises Enlistment Age To 40

2006-01-23T00:52:00.000-06:00

The US Army said it has raised its maximum enlistment age from 35 to 40 years old and is doubling signing up bonuses to a high of 40,000 dollars. The measures are the latest in a series of steps the army has taken over the past year to offset a slump in recruiting as it faces ongoing campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.The army failed to hit its recruiting goal of 80,000 new recruits in fiscal 2005. Recruiting figures have since improved but the the war in Iraq has made it difficult to meet the demand for fresh soldiers. Army Secretary Francis Harvey, however, denied charges that the army is a "broken force," telling reporters it has met its recruiting goals in the last seven months with the help of bonuses and other incentives. But he acknowledged that recruiting remains "a month-to-month thing". "As I said, the rest of the year looks promising. But we're certainly not going to sit on our laurels," he said. Raising the maximum age for enlistments "expands the recruiting pool, provides motivated individuals an opportunity to serve, and strengthens the readiness of army units," the army said in a statement. The army is raising the maximum cash enlistment bonuses to 40,000 dollars for the active duty army, and 20,000 dollars for the army reserve, doubling the current maximums. Older recruits are entitled to the same signing bonuses as younger ones, the army said. "Experience has shown that older recruits who can meet the physical demands of military service generally make excellent soldiers based on their maturity, motivation, loyalty, and patriotism," the army said.

Enlisted Strength Declines

2006-01-20T00:03:00.000-06:00

Drug use, weight problems and parenthood have been taking their toll on the military in the past three years since the war on terror began, according to newly released Pentagon data. Documents released to The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act indicate the number of enlisted personnel leaving the military each year has increased from 8.7 percent in 2002 to 10.5 percent last year. Enlisted losses — including people whose enlistments had expired — increased from 118,206 in 2002 to more than 137,465 last year, while officer losses have increased from 5,619 in 2002 to more than 7,500 last year.The subset of those leaving before their term was up, for reasons ranging from disability to drug abuse, increased from 58,214 in 2002 to 60,406 last year among enlisted personnel and from 1,011 in 2002 to 1,280 for officers. “Service members leave the military for a variety of reasons,” said Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke. “This is an all-volunteer military, which is dedicated to defending its country. We appreciate their service and respect their reasons for leaving the service.” Krenke said the military met and in some cases exceeded its retention goals this year. None of the 1.4 million soldiers, sailors and Marines on active duty today is allowed to simply quit the military, but they can be kicked out, or in certain cases receive special discharges. The reasons for leaving the service differ in each branch, though general misconduct — a term which can mean anything from petty theft to brawling with colleagues — has consistently been the most common explanation. Pentagon data going back 10 years shows that service losses last year are still below overall levels in the mid-90s, when the Defense Department struggled with both retention and recruiting. But in recent years, some categories reached 10-year highs. Pregnancy and parenthood, for example, have steadily increased as a reason for personnel losses, especially in the Army, where last year 4,238 soldiers were discharged from the Army for pregnancy and parenthood, up from 2,862 in 2002 and 2,565 in 1996. This reflects what military officials say is a baby boom, especially at bases with high deployments. Pregnancy used to mean an automatic discharge; these days, it’s an option but not a requirement. Even so, increased numbers of service members are asking to get out because they have children. “These days military parents are finding it very complicated to serve, because a lot of people are being deployed, many are being deployed multiple times, and these deployments have proved to be unpredictable in length and frequency,” said Shelley M. MacDermid, director of the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. MacDermid said she has even heard of instances where soldiers “use pregnancy as a way to get out of a situation they don’t like.” Drug use is also an increasing reason soldiers are being discharged from the Army, up 40 percent since 2002; last year 1986 soldiers were kicked out of the Army for using for using marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and other illegal drugs. By contrast, soldiers thrown out for alcohol dropped from 251 in 2002 to 164 last year. Rod Powers, a retired Air Force sergeant who writes advice an advice column on the Web about military service and has written books on the subject, said the drug use discharges probably reflect more sophisticated drug testing policies in all military branches. “The military is getting smarter about drug testing, with better science and more random tests,” he said. “I hear from a lot of young recruits thinking they can beat a urinalysis, but I tell them it’s not so easy.” Powers said the reduction in alcohol-related discharges is likely because most troops are not allowed to drink while they are deployed because they are posted in Muslim countries, and with longer and more frequent deployments there are simply fewer opportunities to imbibe. Another issue that is prompting increased discharges is a failure to meet weight standards. The Army, which has the most stringent weight standards of all the military branches, kicked out more than 3,285 soldiers last year because they were too heavy.

Here's to the Heroes

2006-01-17T00:03:00.000-06:00

Anheuser-Busch announced that the "Here's to the Heroes" program has been extended through 2006. The program provides a single day's free admission to any one of the SeaWorld or Busch Gardens parks, Sesame Place, Adventure Island or Water Country USA for active duty, active reserve, Ready Reserve servicemembers, National Guardsmen, and up to three of their direct dependents. Servicemembers can register online at www.herosalute.com or at the entrance plaza of a participating park, and show a Defense Department photo ID.
Inactive, standby and retired reserve members, and military retirees are ineligible for the program.

Marine Corps Jobs

2006-01-14T00:03:00.000-06:00

Administration includes the operation and management of administrative and clerical functions in the areas of general and personnel administration. There are a wide variety of billet assignments available for Marines in this career field. Specific specialties in the career field include Personnel Clerk, Administrative Clerk and Postal Clerk.

Intelligence conducts the collection, processing, and dissemination of intelligence information. They use a variety of electronic and manual means to collect information. Specialties include: Analysis, Counterintelligence, Imagery interpretation, Geographic intelligence and Interrogator/ translator.

Infantry train in the core competencies of gunnery, combat operations, and battlefield awareness. They make up the primary scout, assault, and close combat forces of the Marine Corps. These Marines serve in a variety of specialties relating to specific duties and equipment. Some of the equipment include the Light Armored Vehicle, heavy machine guns, mortars, anti-tank missiles, and small arms. Specialities include: Rifleman, Machine gunner, Assaultman, Mortarman, Reconnaissance man, Security forces (including presidential security) and LAV crewman.

Logistics is the science of planning and carrying out the maintenance of forces. It includes the storage and distribution of material, maintenance of facilities and movement of personnel. Logistics Occupational Specialties include: Maintenance Management Specialist, Logistics/ Embarkation Specialist, Air Delivery Specialist and Landing Support Specialist.

Marine Air Ground Task Force Plans manages the planning and execution of the deployment of forces. This field plans, executes, validates, employs, mobilizes, sustains and redeploys forces.

Command and Control Systems includes the design, installation, interconnection and operation of communications networks and information systems. The hardware and software used by Marines in this field includes telephone, radio, switching, cryptographic and computer systems. Occupational Specialties include: Field Wireman, Construction Wireman, Circuit Switch Operator, Field Radio Operator, Mobile Multi-Channel Equipment Operator, High Frequency Communications Center Operator, Satellite Communications Terminal Operator, Defense Message System Specialist and Data Network Specialist.

Field Artillery is made of three main functional areas: the firing battery, field operations, and observation/liaison. Duties include maintaining, moving, and employing artillery weapons systems, operating, moving, and protecting equipment, and coordinating the firing of artillery and naval gunfire with maneuver forces. Occupational Specialties include: Artillery Cannoneer, Radar Operator, Meteorological Man, Artillery Operations Man and Fire Support Man.

Utilities includes Marines who maintain, install and operate water supply, sewage, electrical, plumbing, refrigeration, hygiene, air conditioning and heating systems, as well as repair fabric. A basic utilities Marine will be assigned one of the following specialties: Electrician, Electrical equipment repair, Refrigeration mechanic and Fabric repair specialist.

Engineer, Construction, Facilities and Equipment is comprised of Marines who perform metal-working, welding, operation and maintenance of heavy equipment, construction, emplacing, and removing obstacles. Specialities within this field include: Metalworker, Engineer equipment mechanic, Small craft (boat) mechanic, Engineer equipment operator, Engineer assistant and combat engineer.

Tank and Assault Amphibious Vehicle operates, employs, maneuvers and maintains tracked armored vehicles in amphibious assaults and operations ashore. Skills learned included gunnery, maintenance and driving skills. Specialties include: Tank Crewman and Amphibious Vehicle Crewman.

Ordnance assures the Marine Corps that serviceable ordnance materials are available. This includes the inspection, repair,and maintenance of most weapons systems. Specialties include: Small Arms Repairer/technician, Towed Artillery Systems Technician, Assault Amphibious Vehicle Repairer/technician, Main Battle Tank Repairer/technician and Light Armored Vehicle Repairer/technician, Machinist and Electro-optical Ordnance Repairer.

Ammunition and Explosive Ordnance Disposal manages and conducts the handling, transportation and storage of ammunition, explosives and missiles. They also determine the suitability of ordnance for use, repair and destroy ordnance, conduct ordnance technical intelligence and dynamic explosive entry. The one entrylevel Specialty is Ammunition Technician.

Motor Transport operates and maintains tactical and commercial motor vehicle services. Specialties include: Organizational and Intermediate Automotive Mechanic, Fuel and Electrical Systems Mechanic, Motor Vehicle Operator and Logistics Vehicle Systems Operator.

Signals Intelligence/ Ground Electronic Warfare Operator operates intelligence collection and communications equipment, conducting collection, analysis, production and dissemination of data. Specialties include: Special Communications Signals Collection Operator/Analyst, Special Intelligence System Administrator/ Communicator and Cryptologic Linguists.

Ground Electronics Maintenance includes the diagnosis, repair, adjustment, and calibration of electronic equipment. Specialties include: Electronic Switching Equipment Technician, AN/TRC-170 (multi-channel communications equipment) repairer, Ground Communications Organizational Repairer, Ground Radio Intermediate Repairer, Telephone System/Personal Computer Repairer, AN/TSC120 (Radio) Technician, Test Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment Technician, 2M/ATE (circuit card) Technician Ground Radar Repairer, Artillery Electronic Systems Repairer and Artillery Electronics Technician.

Supply Administration and Operations is responsible to warehouse, preserve, package, handle, purchase, contract and account for supplies and equipment. Specialties include: Supply Administration and Operations Clerk, Warehouse Clerk and Packaging Specialist. Food Service handles food, supplies and equipment, menu and recipe planning, meal preparation and serving, sanitation, and operation and management of garrison and field food services.

Financial Management encompasses budgeting, auditing and finance. Specialties include: Finance Technician and Fiscal/Budget Technician.

Data Systems include computer systems analysis, software design, and computer equipment operation. Primary specialty: Small Computer Systems Specialist Programmer.

Legal Services is comprised of Legal Services Specialists. They provide services in operational, managerial and clerical areas necessary for the proper functioning of a Legal Services Support Section, Law Center, or Office of a Staff Judge Advocate.

Visual Information includes graphic arts, photography, videography, video editing, training devices and visual library loan services. Specialties include: Combat Illustrator, Combat Lithographer, Combat Photographer and Combat Videographer.

Music field provides music to support ceremonies, official functions, community relations and troop esprit de corps. A secondary mission is to augment headquarters defense in combat environments. Applicants for these programs will have an audition and must be able to play and read music. Musician Specialties include: Oboe/English Horn, Bassoon, Clarinet, Flute/Piccolo, Saxophone, Baritone Horn/Euphonium, French, Horn, Trombone, Tuba/ Sousaphone, String Bass/Electric bass, Percussion, Piano and Guitar.

Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defense includes the detection, identification, warning, reporting and decontamination of nuclear, biological and chemical decontamination on the battlefield. The Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defense Specialist is the only occupational specialty.

Military Police and Corrections provide law enforcement services, including dog handling, physical security, emergency response, investigations, and prisoner supervision. Specialties include Military Policeman, Working Dog Handler and Correctional Specialist.

Electronics Maintenance maintains, operates and repairs organic communication and electronic equipment in the Marine Aircraft Wings. Specialties include: Avenger System (Anti- Air), Maintainer, Aviation Radio Repairer, Aviation Radar Repairer, Air Traffic Control Navigational Aids Technician, Air Traffic Control Radar Technician, Air Traffic Control Communications Technician, Tactical Data Systems Equipment Repairer and Tactical Air Operations Module Repairer.

Public Affairs gathers, prepares, publishes and disseminates news and feature materials about the Marine Corps. Specialties include: Combat Correspondent and Broadcast Journalist.

Aircraft Maintenance provides direct and indirect support of airframes, powerplants and all aircraft weapons systems. Specialties include: individual material readiness, list asset manager, aircraft maintenance administration specialist, flight equipment technician, aircraft hydraulic/pneumatic mechanic, aircraft maintenance support electronic equipment mechanic Aircraft Maintenance Support Equipment Electrician/Refrigeration Mechanic, Cryogenics Equipment Operator, Aircraft Structure Mechanic, Helicopter/ Tiltrotor Mechanic, Powerplants Mechanic, Helicopter/ Tiltrotor Dynamic Components Mechanic, Airframes Mechanic, Crew Chief, Enlisted Aircrew/ Aerial Observer/ Gunner Fixed Wing Mechanic, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Mechanic, Fixed Wing Aircraft Flight Engineer, Fixed Wing Transport Aircraft Specialist and Crew Chief Aircraft Safety Equipment Mechanic.

Avionics performs direct and indirect support of all aviation weapons systems. Specialties include: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Avionics Technician, Aircraft Electrical Systems Technician, Aircraft Electronic Counter-Measures Technician, Aircraft Navigation Systems Technician, Aircraft Cryptographic Systems Technician, Aircraft Communications System Technician, Aircraft Weapons System Technician and Aircraft Radar Technician, Consolidated Automated Support System Technician (radar, infrared, test equipment), Aircraft Meteorological Equipment technician, Aviation Precision Measurement Equipment Calibration and Repair Technician and Aviation Logistics Tactical Information System Technician.

Meteorological and Oceanographic Services is unique in that it is the only earth science-related field in the Marine Corps. Marines in this field provide meteorological, oceanographic and space environmental observation and analysis. The only entry-level specialty is METOC Observer.

Aviation Ordnance Marines handle aviation ammunition issues including safety, procurement, storage, delivery, loading and downloading. Aviation Ordnance Systems Technician is the primary Military Occupational Specialty for this field.

Aviation Logistics includes the areas of aviation supply and information systems. Specialties include: Aviation Supply Specialists, Automated Information Specialist Computer Operators.

Airfield Services includes rescue firefighting, equipment recovery operations, and aviation operation duties. Military Occupational Specialties include: Expeditionary Airfield Systems Technician, Aviation Operation Specialists Airfield Firefighting and Rescue Specialists.

Air Control, Air Support, Anti-Air Warfare and Air Traffic Control manages the operation of air command and control functions associated with the Marine Aircraft Wing. Occupational Specialties include: Low Altitude Air Defense Gunner, Air Control Electronics Operator, Tactical Air Defense Controller, Air Support Systems Operator, Air Traffic Controller and Radar Approach Controller.

Navigation and Enlisted Flight Crew plan and execute tactical inflight refueling and assault support operations, perform navigational duties, and operate loading and unloading equipment in aircraft. Specialties include: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operator, Airborne Radio Operator/ Refueling Observer/Loadmaster, Aerial Navigator.

Army Jobs

2006-01-13T00:03:00.000-06:00

ADMINISTRATIVE

Administrative Specialists record, store, organize and maintain files. They type letters, reports and official orders, and schedule training and leave for unit personnel.

Finance Specialists compute payroll and prepare payments for Army personnel. They also record details of financial transactions and plans budgets for future expenses.

Aviation Operations Specialists prepare and provide flight information for air and ground crews. They keep flight logs and plan flight schedules and aircrew assignments.

Legal Specialists assist judges, lawyers and unit commanders with legal matters and judicial work. They also process legal claims and appeals, and research court decisions and Army regulations.

Chaplain Assistants support the Unit Ministry Team programs, worship services and crisis intervention. They also provide support to chaplains during missions and everyday activities.

CONSTRUCTION

Interior Electricians install and repair electrical wiring systems in office, repair shops, airplane hangers and other buildings on military bases.

Heavy Construction Equipment Operators use bulldozers, cranes, graders and other heavy equipment in the construction of airfields, roads, dams and buildings.

Crane Operators operate crawler and truck-mounted cranes and crane shovels during construction projects, as well as install, rig and remove crane attachments.

Concrete and Asphalt Equipment Operators operate all equipment used in concrete and asphalt production and paving.

General Construction Equipment Operators work with air compressors and special purpose construction machines engaged in compaction, ditching, pumping and augering.

Construction Equipment Supervisors supervise construction equipment, quarry, paving and plant equipment operations and crew maintenance of equipment.

Carpentry and Masonry Specialists build foundations, floor slabs and walls with brick, cement block, mortar or stone. They erect wood framing for buildings using hand and power tools, such as hammers, saws, levels and drills.

Construction Engineering Supervisors oversee the construction, repair and utilities of buildings, warehouses, fixed bridges, port facilities and petroleum pipelines, tanks and related equipment.

Plumbers install and repair plumbing and pipe systems.

COMBAT SPECIALTY

Cannon Crewmembers start and maintain wire and radio communications. They also identify target locations while working on howitzer cannons.

Tactical Automated Fire Control System Specialists serve on teams that operate Tactical Fire Direction Systems equipment and are responsible for recording and transmitting firing data.

Field Artillery Automated Tactical Data Systems Specialists operate field artillery tactical data systems on a Multiple Launch Rocket System Team.

Cannon Fire Direction Specialists lead, supervise or serve as a member of a field artillery cannon unit.

Fire Support Specialists lead, supervise or serve in intelligence activities such as target processing, division artillery and maneuver brigade.

Multiple Launch Rocket System Crewmembers drive, operate and maintain the self-propelled MLRS launcher and re-supply vehicles. The MLRS launches various missiles and ammunition in quick strikes during combat.

Multiple Launch Rocket System Automated Data System Specialists record and transmit the firing data for the MLRS.

PATRIOT Fire Control Enhanced Operators place the PATRIOT system in the field. They evaluate target data, as well as identify and engage targets.

Air Defense Tactical Operations Center Operators detect, track and identify aircraft. They broadcast early warning information as members of an early warning team.

Man Portable Air Defense System Crewmembers prepare and fire portable air defense systems while serving as members of the field artillery team.

Bradley Linebacker Crewmembers operate the Bradley Linebacker, a tracked vehicle capable of neutralizing air targets through firing missiles and other ammunition. Avenger Crewmembers serve as members of the Avenger operations team. The Avenger system is a lightweight, highly mobile and transportable surface-to-air missile/gun weapon system.

Patriot Launching Station Enhanced Operator/Maintainers place, supply and maintain Patriot launching stations. The Patriot missile system teams are used to launch missiles capable of neutralizing multiple air targets.

Combat Engineers construct trails, roads and field fortifications such as shelters, bunkers and gun emplacements. They also place and detonate explosives and assemble floating and fabricated bridges.

Bridge Crewmembers build and provide bridges and rafts for wet and dry gapcrossing operations and also assist in rafting operations.

Quarrying Specialists operate all equipment used in drilling, crushing, grading and cleaning gravel and rock. They're also involved with the detonation of explosives to blast rock in quarries and construction sites.

Infantrymen train to defend our country in peacetime and capture, destroy and repel enemy ground forces during wartime.

Indirect Fire Infantrymen are members of a mortar squad, section or platoon.

Special Operations Weapons Sergeants operate and maintain a wide variety of U.S., Allied and other foreign weaponry as a part of a special operations team.

Special operations soldiers in the Army conduct offensive raids, demolitions, intelligence, search and rescue and other missions from air, land or sea.

Special Operations Engineers are specialists across a wide range of disciplines, from demolition and construction of field fortifications, to topographic survey techniques.

Special Operations Medical Sergeants are primarily trained with an emphasis on trauma medicine, they also have a working knowledge of dentistry, veterinary care, public sanitation, water quality and optometry.

Special Operations Communications Sergeants operate every kind of communications gear, from encrypted satellite communications systems to old-style high-frequency Morse key systems. They also have computer/networking skills.

Cavalry Scouts perform reconnaissance and act as the "first front" in combat. They engage the enemy with anti-armor weapons and scout vehicles in the field.

Armor Crewmen work as part of a team to operate armored equipment and fire weapons to destroy enemy positions.

ELECTRONIC/ ELECTRICAL REPAIR

Aircraft Electricians ensure the electrical systems on airplanes and helicopters are properly maintained and repaired.

Avionic Mechanics perform maintenance on tactical communications-security, navigation and flight-control equipment.

AH-64A Armament/Electrical Systems Repairers perform aviation unit, intermediate and depot maintenance on the electrical, electronic, mechanical and pneudraulics systems associated with the AH-64A Apache helicopter.

AH-64D Armament/Electrical/Avionic Systems Repairers supervise, inspect and perform maintenance on the armament, electrical and avionic systems of the AH-64D helicopter.

Avionic Communications Equipment Repairers perform intermediate and depot maintenance on aircraft communications equipment.

Aircraft Armament/Missile Systems Repairers supervise, inspect and perform maintenance on armament, electrical and avionics systems of the OH-58D, a light-armed scout helicopter.

Radio/Communications Security Repairers maintain radio receivers, transmitters, communication security equipment, controlled cryptographic items and other associated equipment.

Military Intelligence Systems Maintainer/ Integrators maintain and repair command/control subsystems, receiver subsystems and related equipment.

Air Traffic Control Equipment Repairers maintain and install air traffic control communications, navigation aids and landing systems.

Special Electronic Devices Repairers perform maintenance and repair on special electronic devices such as night-vision equipment, electronic distance and azimuth-orienting devices, battlefield illumination devices, and nuclear, biological and chemical warning and measuring devices.

Electronic Maintenance Chiefs supervise, monitor and direct the electronics mission of the Army.

Quartermaster and Chemical Equipment Repairers perform maintenance on chemical equipment, quartermaster machinery, forced air-heaters and special purpose equipment.

Test Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment Maintenance Support Specialist calibrate and repair test, measurement and diagnostic equipment.

Integrated Family of Test Equipment Operator/ Maintainers maintain the base shop test facility.

Medical Equipment Repairers service and maintain all mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electronic, digital, optical and radiological medical equipment.

Radar Repairers install, maintain, repair and keep up a working knowledge of how to operate military radar equipment.

Avionic Radar Repairers perform maintenance on manual and semiautomatic switchboards, telephones and associated wire instruments and equipment.

OH-58D Armament/ Electrical/ Avionics Systems Repairers maintain electrical, electronic, mechanical and pneudraulics systems associated with aircraft armament, missile and fire control systems.

Land Combat Electronic Missile System Repairers maintain the TOW (M-220 Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wireguided missile) anti-missile system, the Dragon anti-tank guided missile systems and the Bradley Fighting Vehicle system.

Test Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment Maintenance Support Specialists calibrate and repair test, measurement and diagnostic equipment.

Integrated Family of Test Equipment Operator/Maintainers maintain the base shop test facility.

Medical Equipment Repairers service and maintain all mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electronic, digital, optical and radiological medical equipment.

Radar Repairers install, maintain, repair and maintain a working knowledge of how to operate military radar equipment.

Avionic Radar Repairers perform maintenance on manual and semiautomatic switchboards, telephones and associated wire instruments and equipment.

OH-58D Armament/ Electrical/ Avionics Systems Repairers maintain electrical, electronic, mechanical and pneudraulics systems associated with aircraft armament, missile and fire control systems.

Land Combat Electronic Missile System Repairers maintain the TOW (M-220 Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wireguided missile) antimissile system, the Dragon antitank guided missile systems and the Bradley Fighting Vehicle system.

Land Combat Support System Test Specialists supervise, operate and maintain Land Combat Support Systems.

Automatic Test Equipment Operator/ Maintainers maintain the Electronic Equipment Test Facility in support of the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.

Multiple Launch Rocket System Repairers manage support-level maintenance on the Multiple Launch Rocket System, a self-propelled launcher-loader artillery weapon system that s used in the field during combat.

Patriot Systems Repairers support-level maintenance on the Patriot System, a combat missile system that features a phased-array radar set and control station.

Avenger System Repairers manage support- level maintenance on the Avenger System, a lightweight, highly mobile and transportable surface-to-air missile/gun weapon system that provides short-range air defense against air and land attacks.

Electronic Maintenance Chiefs supervise, monitor and direct the electronic weapons maintenance mission of the Army.

Small Arms/ Artillery Repairers perform maintenance and repairs on small arms and other infantry weapons.

Fire Control Repairers perform maintenance on combat vehicle, infantry and artillery fire control systems and equipment, as well as related test equipment.

Armament Repairers perform maintenance and repairs on the mechanisms and systems of tank turrets, tank weapons, fighting vehicles, small arms and other infantry weapons.

ENGINEERING, SCIENCE & TECHNICAL

Radio Operator/ Maintainers handle all maintenance checks and services on assigned radio communication equipment.

Network Switching Systems Operators perform maintenance on electronic switches, control centers, combat radios and other equipment associated with networks. They also use computers to troubleshoot the system when errors occur.

Cable Systems Installer/ Maintainers install, operate and perform maintenance on cable and wire communications systems, communication security devices and associated equipment.

Microwave System Installers install, operate and maintain microwave communications systems. They also work with associated antennas, multiplexing and communications security equipment.

Multi-channel Transmission Systems Operators work directly on communication devices and equipment that communicate through more than one channel. They handle installation, repair, operation and maintenance check of these devices, antenna and associated equipment.

Satellite Communications Systems Operator/ Maintainers install, operate, maintain and repair strategic and tactical multi-channel satellite communications.

Satellite/ Microwave Systems Chiefs plan and supervise the configuration, operation and maintenance of microwave communications.

Signal Support Systems Specialists work with battlefield signal support systems and terminal devices.

Telecommunications Operations Chiefs are primarily responsible for planning and supervising the installation, operation and maintenance of telecommunications systems and networks.

Information Systems Operator/ Analysts are responsible for maintaining, processing and troubleshooting military computer systems and operations.

Telecommunications Operator/ Maintainers supervise, install, operate and perform maintenance in telecommunications centers.

Divers perform such tasks as reconnaissance, demolition and salvage, all while being underwater. They specialize either as a scuba diver, who works just below the surface of the water, or as a deep sea diver, who usually works for long periods of time in depths up to 300 feet.

Veterinary Food Inspection Specialists inspect food designated for consumption, while also supervising food inspection and combined veterinary service activity.

Preventative Medicine Specialists conduct preventive medicine inspections, surveys and laboratory procedures.

Psychological Operations Specialists supervise, coordinate and participate in the analysis, coordination and distribution of tactical, strategic and consolidation psychological operations.

Intelligence Analysts supervise, coordinate and participate in the analysis, processing and distribution of strategic and tactical intelligence.

Common Ground Station Operators detect, locate and track ground targets, ships, submarines, missiles and aircraft.

Ground Surveillance Systems Operators operate ground surveillance systems that are engaged in intelligence and information gathering.

Counterintelligence Agents conduct counterintelligence surveys and investigations of individuals, organizations, installations and activities in order to detect, assess and counter threats to national security.

Signals Intelligence Analysts listen to and intercept foreign radio transmissions and relaying that information by producing combat, strategic and tactical intelligence reports.

Communications Locator/ Interceptors detect, acquire, locate and identify foreign communications using International Morse Code and radio-printer (non- Morse), as well as signals intelligence/electronic warfare collection and location equipment.

Electronic Intelligence Interceptor/Analysts perform and supervise the detection, acquisition, location and identification of foreign ELINT.

Signal Collection/ Identification Analysts are primarily collect, identify, exploit and analyze foreign radio-teletype, facsimile and data communications.

Field Artillery Meteorological Crewmen monitor weather conditions and patterns so artillery units can fire and launch missiles accurately.

Ammunition Specialists transport, store, inspect, prepare and dispose of weapons and ammunition.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Specialists locate, identify and dispose of foreign and domestic explosive devices.

Field Artillery Firefinder Radar Operators use Firefinder radar, a highly specialized machine that detects mortars, planes and other objects by using radio or sound waves to determine their location to detect opposing forces and alert units in the Army.

Technical Engineering Specialists conduct land surveys, make maps and prepare detailed plans and drawings for construction projects. They occasionally provide surveys and maps that are used to locate military targets and plot troop movements.

Topographic Analysts perform cartographic and terrain analysis duties. They're also involved in collecting and processing military geographic information from remote sensed imagery, digital data, intelligence data, existing topographic products and other collateral data sources.

Field Artillery Surveyors monitor field conditions and give progress reports on maneuvers during combat.

Topographic Surveyors conduct surveys to provide control data for mapmaking and artillery support. They also supervise and perform topographic or geodetic computations.

Imagery Analysts analyze aerial and ground permanent record imagery developed by photographic and electronic means.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operators operate the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Mission planning, mission sensor, payload operations, launching, remotely piloting and recovering the aerial vehicle are all part of this position.

HEALTH CARE

Dental Specialists assist Army dentists in the examination and treatment of patients, while also helping to manage dental offices.

Operating Room Specialists assist the nursing staff in preparing patients and operating rooms for surgery.

Animal Care Specialists provide care, management, treatment and sanitary conditions for Army animals under the supervision of a Veterinary Corps officer.

Respiratory Specialists assist with management of a respiratory unit. Mental Health Specialists under the supervision of an Army psychiatrist, social worker, psychiatric nurse or psychologist, provide mental health treatment to patients.

Medical Laboratory Specialists help diagnosis, treat and prevent diseases and other medical disorders by performing blood banking procedures and examinations of biological and environmental specimens.

Patient Administration Specialists perform administrative duties in the patient administration division of an Army hospital or other medical facilities.

Health Care Specialists provide emergency medical treatment, limited primary care and health protection and evacuation from a point of injury or illness.

Optical Laboratory Specialists assemble eyeglasses that utilize pre-surfaced single-vision lenses.

Pharmacy Specialists prepare, control and issue pharmaceutical products and supervising pharmacy activities.

Radiology Specialists operate fixed and portable radiology equipment, as well as supervising radiology activities.

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

Personnel Administration Specialists help soldiers develop their careers, but also provides personnel support and assistance to all divisions of the Army.

Personnel Information System Management Specialists operate and manage the information systems for field personnel, as well as train and assist all system users.

Personnel Services Specialists supervise the manpower resources of the Army.

MACHINE OPERATOR AND PRODUCTION

Machinists handle the fabrication, repair and modification of metallic and non-metallic parts.

Lithographers operate printing equipment like presses and binding machines in order to make finished copies of printed materials.

Water Treatment Specialists install and operate water purification equipment, as well as deal with water storage and distribution operations and activities.

Metal Workers perform repairs and maintenance on metal body components, radiators, fuel tanks, hulls and accessories of Army watercraft and amphibious vehicles.

MEDIA AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Visual Information Equipment Operator/Maintainers work with equipment such as Teleconferencing VI, and are primarily responsible for supporting Army operations with visual information equipment and systems.

Combat Documentation/ Production Specialists primarily responsible for supervising, planning and operating electronic and film-based still, video and audio acquisition equipment in order to document combat and non-combat operations.

Civil Affairs Specialists supervise, research, coordinate, conduct and participate in the planning and production of civil affairs related documents.

Multimedia Illustrators supervise, plan and operate multimedia imaging equipment in order to produce various kinds of visual displays and documents.

Human Intelligence Collectors use aerial photographs, electronic monitoring and human observation in order to gather and study required information to design defense plans and tactics.

Translator/Interpreters convert written or spoken foreign languages into English and other languages. They usually specialize in a particular foreign language.

Cryptologic Linguists detect, acquire, locate and identify foreign communications using signals equipment.

Journalists write and photograph the Army s activities for use in internal and external news media.

Broadcast Journalists operate radio or television broadcast teams or Armed Forces Radio Television Service.

Air Force Jobs

2006-01-12T00:03:00.000-06:00

Airfield Management Apprentices assist a pilot's ability to land, take-off and taxi on runways and taxiways at airfields worldwide, checking flight plans, en route weather and transmitting flight plans and flight movement messages to air route traffic control centers, flight service stations and control towers.

Aviation Resource Management Apprentices work with pilots, flight engineers, pararescuemen and aerial gunners to schedule air-refueling, bombing, airlift and fighter missions.

Supply Management Apprentices manage, administer and operate supply systems and activities to provide equipment and supplies for Air Force operations.

Supply Systems Analysis Apprentices are responsible for the day-to-day software maintenance of the supply computer systems used to track all aspects of operation.

Traffic Management Apprentices receive training to ensure that shipments are ready for transport, inspecting freight for damage, keeping accurate records and in operating forklifts, pallet trucks and hand trucks.

Vehicle Maintenance Control and Analysis Apprentices schedule and coordinate vehicle maintenance for the entire motor pool. They use the latest computer technology to keep track of the maintenance of all the vehicles on base.

Radio Communications Systems Apprentices operate radio and satellite communications equipment that form invaluable lines of communication between the president, the Air Force and other critical airborne and ground agencies of the Department of Defense.

Radio and TV Broadcasting Apprentices are cameramen, scriptwriters, announcers, directors and equipment operators who use tape recorders, turntables, video switchers, dimmers, radio consoles and other broadcasting equipment.

Regional Band Apprentices perform in a variety of musical groups. These groups, which will vary from region to region. Most include a symphonic concert band, marching band, jazz band, rock group, country band and reception combo.

Personnel Apprentices assist those people and their families in making decisions that affect their military life, including career development, special assignments, training and other personnel issues.

Chaplain Service Support Apprentices help chaplains by preparing places of worship and organizing counseling as well as working in field conditions.

Postal Apprentices see that those longawaited letters from home reach their final destination. A Postal Apprentice also computes shipping charges, operates service centers and distributes personal mail to USPS lockboxes.

Aerospace Ground Equipment Apprentices service, inspect, troubleshoot, repair and perform preventive maintenance on motor and engine-driven generator sets, air conditioners, hydraulic test stands, air compressors, bomblifts, heaters and other similar support equipment.

Aerial Gunners operate airborne weapon systems and associated equipment, including pre- and postflight inspections of weapons equipment. They also perform inflight maintenance of airborne weapons systems to ensure maximum availability and utilization of weapon systems.

Tactical Aircraft Maintenance Apprentices see that aircraft are in operationally ready condition, performing scheduled inspections, functional checks and preventive maintenance both before and after flights, and ensuring that the aircraft has been properly serviced with fuel, hydraulic fluid and liquid oxygen.

Aerospace Maintenance Apprentices ensure aircraft are in operationally ready condition, performing scheduled inspections, functional checks and preventive maintenance both before and after flights, and ensuring that the aircraft has been properly serviced with fuel, hydraulic fluid and liquid oxygen.

Helicopter Maintenance Apprentices repair, maintain and perform operational checks of the rotor, transmission and drive, landing gear, fuel, hydraulic and electrical systems, assisting specialists as required.

Aerospace Propulsion Apprentices keep turboprop aircraft in the air, removing the propeller and the engine from the aircraft, disassembling and inspecting it, then repairing or replacing defective components as required.

Aircrew Egress Systems Apprentices maintain emergency escape systems used by aircrews to escape disabled aircraft, working on emergency escape and survival systems used in aircraft, such as ejection seats, escape hatches and capsules, warning lights, emergency oxygen systems, canopies, lap belts and shoulder harnesses.

Aircraft Fuel Systems Apprentices remove, repair, clean, inspect, install and modify aircraft fuel systems, including integral fuel and water cell tanks, bladder cells and external tanks.

Aircraft Metals Technology Apprentices measure, maintain and test aircraft metals to include machine tool cutting, engine lathe cutting, precision grinding and the various methods and processes of welding.

Aircraft Structural Maintenance Apprentices classify damage to aircraft structures before they are repaired to their original strength, weight and contour using powered and nonpowered tools and equipment, including precision measurement equipment.

Survival Equipment Apprentices inspect, repair and repack aircrew survival equipment, determining the serviceability of the equipment and evaluating any problems.

Communications Cable and Antenna Systems Apprentices install cable systems that look like a tangled mess of wires to the average person. They splice, seal, pressurize and repair all types of cables, as well as how to use testing equipment for troubleshooting cable systems.

Fuels Apprentices receive, store and issue petroleum products for Air Force vehicles, aircraft and support equipment.

Missile and Space Systems Maintenance Apprentices assemble, repair, maintain, modify, inspect and service missiles, missile subsystems and related support equipment.

Vehicle Operations Apprentices operate everything from passenger cars to huge prime movers with trailers for transporting personnel and materials.

Air Transportation Apprentices load, sort and document air cargo.

Special Purpose Vehicle and Equipment Maintenance Apprentices inspect, troubleshoot and repair vehicles, including dump trucks, bucket loaders, crawler and wheeled tractors, cranes, motor graders, snow removal equipment, sweepers, aircraft cargo loading vehicles, forklifts and aircraft servcing vehicles.

Coast Guard Jobs

2006-01-11T00:03:00.000-06:00

Boatswain's Mates perform almost any task in connection with deck maintenance, small boat operations, navigation and supervising all personnel assigned to a ship's deck force.

Quartermasters are navigators who are assigned to all types of cutters. Their duties include all aspects of voyage planning, maintaining nautical charts and publications and the proper use and care of navigation equipment.

Operations Specialists receive, process and distribute both tactical and administrative data over communication systems worldwide. They also handle the point-to-point voice and data communications, as well as distress radio frequency monitoring and interpretation.

Gunner's Mates operate, inspect, maintain and repair all gunnery equipment and its weapons systems components.

Information Technicians operate, maintain and repair complicated electronic, hydraulic and mechanical equipment.

Damage Controlman is an extremely diverse rating. Welding is a primary trade and skill. Firefighting is another one. Construction and building maintenance and repair and maintenance of ship watertight closures are additional responsibilities.

Machinery Technicians become knowledgeable in all areas of machinery operation and maintenance from internal combustion engines (gas/diesel gas turbines) to environmental support systems (heating/ventilation/air conditioning), hydraulics, basic electricity and areas of hazardous material recovery and control.

Electronics Technicians maintain and repair sophisticated electronics equipment, radio receivers and transmitters, radars, navigation equipment and computer equipment.

Telephone Technicians install and maintain many types of telecommunications equipment ranging from towers, antennas, pole lines and underground cable installations to state-of-the-art computer-based data communications and processing systems, as well as telephone and data switching systems and networks, public address, security and remote control systems.

Electrician's Mates know the fundamentals of electricity, alternating and direct currents, switchboards and other electrical equipment on board.

Yeomen handle payroll certification and delivery; preparing military travel orders and arranging transportation, including shipment of household goods; preparing correspondence; and maintaining files and administrative records.

Storekeepers are responsible for providing and accounting for supplies, clothing, commissary items and spare parts.

Navy Jobs

2006-01-10T00:57:00.000-06:00

Aviation Boatswain's Mates play a major part in launching and recovering naval aircraft from land or ships. This includes preparing and fueling planes prior to takeoff and after landing. They may specialize in launching and recovering aircraft on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier, aircraft fueling and fuel systems, or aircraft handling, fire fighting and salvage and rescue operations.

Air Traffic Controllers perform duties similar to civilian air traffic controllers and play a key role in the effective use of Naval airpower throughout the world in operational and training environments.

Aviation Machinist Mates keep naval aircraft power plants and related systems, armament and ordnance systems, and aircraft ground support equipment in operational condition.

Aviation Electrician's Mates maintain electrical and navigational equipment in aircraft including power generators, power distribution systems, lighting systems, flight instrument and fuel systems, temperature and pressure indicating systems.

Aerographer's Mates are the Navy's meteorological and oceanographic experts, trained in the science of meteorology and physical oceanography.

Aviation Storekeepers ensure materials and equipment needed for naval aviation activities are available in good order.(this rating has merged with another)

Aviation Structural Mechanics (Safety Equipment) maintain and repair utility systems throughout the aircraft. They work on systems such as air conditioning, heating, pressurization and oxygen, plus multiple safety devices.

Aviation Structural Mechanics (Hydraulics) maintain all aircraft main and auxiliary hydraulic power systems, actuating subsystems and landing gear.

Aviation Structural Mechanics handle maintenance on the aircraft fuselage (mainframe), wings, airfoils and associated fixed and moveable surfaces and flight controls.

Aviation Ordnancemen inspect, maintain and repair aircraft mechanical and electrical armament and ordnance systems, and stow, assemble and load aviation ammunition.

Aviation Support Equipment Technicians keep naval aircraft power plants and related systems, armament and ordnance systems, and aircraft ground support equipment in top operational condition.

Aviation Electronics Technicians repair advanced electronics systems. Repair jobs can range from flight deck trouble-shooting of the electronic weapons system on an F-14 aircraft to changing computer circuit cards in an air-conditioned shop.

Aviation Warfare Technicians operate airborne electronic equipment detect, locate and track submarines, and operate radar to provide information for aircraft and surface ship navigation.

Aviation Maintenance Administrationmen perform a variety of clerical, administrative and managerial duties necessary to keep aircraft maintenance activities running efficiently.

Boatswain's Mates keep exterior surfaces of ships in good condition, maintain machinery and equipment on ships' decks, and handle cargo and operate small boats.

Builders make up a large segment of the Navy's Construction Force. They work as carpenters, plasterers, roofers, concrete finishers, masons, painters, bricklayers or cabinetmakers.

Navy Construction Electricians build, maintain and operate power production facilities and electrical distribution systems for naval installations.

Construction Mechanics repair and do maintenance on heavy construction and automotive equipment such as buses, dump trucks, bulldozers, rollers, cranes, backhoes, pile drivers and other heavy equipment and vehicles.

Cryptologic Technician (Administrative) performs technology-based administrative functions using software applications within a global information environment; perform personnel and physical security duties.

Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) analyzes foreign naval developments, radiotelephone communications and preparation of statistical studies and technical reports requiring knowledge of a foreign language.

Cryptologic Technician (Communication) operates telecommunications systems that exist across the global communications spectrum. Advanced networking and information management skills support the movement of huge volumes of data to operating forces ashore and afloat.

Cryptologic Technician (Collection) collects and analyzes state-of-the-art communication signals using sophisticated high-powered computers, specialized computer-assisted communications equipment, video display terminals and electronic/magnetic recorders.

Cryptologic Technician (Technical) processes airborne, shipborne and landbased radar systems and associated signals.

Culinary Specialist are cooks, bakers, dining area and living quarters managers in the Navy.

Damage Controlmen do the work necessary for damage control, ship stability, firefighting, fire prevention and chemical, biological and radiological warfare defense.

Disbursing Clerks maintain pay records and process travel claims for the Navy.

Dental Technicians perform duties as assistants in the prevention and treatment of oral disease and injury and assist dental care professionals in providing dental care to Navy people and their families.(this rating has merged with another)

Engineering Aids assist construction engineers in developing final construction plans.

Electrician's Mates manage a ship's electrical power generation systems, lighting systems, electrical equipment and electrical appliances.

Enginemen operate, service and repair internal combustion engines used to power some of the Navy's ships and most of the Navy's small craft.

Equipment Operators are construction workers who operate heavy transportation and construction equipment such as trucks, bulldozers, backhoes, graders, forklifts, cranes and asphalt equipment.

Electronics Technicians repair, adjust and calibrate a broad spectrum of electronic equipment, and analyze performance of electronic equipment, replacing or repairing parts.

Electronic Warfare Technicians operate and conduct preventive maintenance on computer-controlled electronic equipment used for detection, analysis, and identification of radar emissions.

Fire Controlmen repair, adjust and calibrate sophisticated electronic search systems, and align weapons control systems.

Gunner's Mates operate and maintain guided missile launching systems, gun mounts and other ordnance equipment, as well as small arms and magazines.

Gas Turbine Systems Technicians operate, repair and perform organizational and intermediate maintenance on electrical components of gas turbine engines, main propulsion machinery, auxiliary equipment, propulsion control systems, and assigned electrical and electronic circuitry up to the printed circuit and alarm warning circuitry.

Hospital Corpsmen assist in the prevention and treatment of disease and injury and assist health care professionals in providing medical care to Navy people and their families.

Hull Technicians do the metal work necessary to keep shipboard structures and surfaces in good condition. They also maintain shipboard plumbing and sanitation systems, repair small boats, operate and maintain ballast control systems.

Illustrators are draftsmen who prepare original art, technical illustrations and graphics for briefings, training aids and publications at Navy and joint service commands.

Interior Communications Electricians install, maintain and repair the equipment needed for interior communications within ships and shore facilities.

Intelligence Specialists analyze intelligence data.

Information Systems Technicians operate and maintain the Navy's global satellite telecommunications systems, mainframe computers, local and wide area networks, and microcomputer systems used in the fleet.

Journalists gather news about people, places and activities in the Navy, and communicate it to the military and civilian communities through radio, television, military publications and hometown newspapers.

Lithographers run Navy print shops and are responsible for the production of printed material used by the Navy.

Machinist's Mates operate and maintain steam turbines and reduction gears used for ship propulsion and auxiliary machinery such as turbo generators, pumps and oil purifiers.

Minemen detect and neutralize underwater mines. They test, assemble and maintain underwater explosive devices (mines).

Machinery Repairmen make replacement parts and repair or overhaul ship's engines and auxiliary systems.

Missile Technicians (Submarines) receive extensive training in the operation and maintenance of advanced electronic equipment and computers and electro-mechanical support systems used in submarine strategic weapons systems.

Musicians are involved in the vibrant tradition of performing at Navy ceremonies, parades, concerts, festivals, dances and many other events. Musicians perform in a variety of ensembles ranging from ceremonial band to jazz band to small ensembles, playing all styles of music.

Operations Specialists function as plotters, radio-telephone and Command and Control sound-powered telephone talkers and maintain Combat Information Center displays of strategic and tactical information. They operate surveillance and altitude radars, identification, Friend or Foe, and serve as air traffic controllers for helicopters and fixedwing supersonic jet aircraft. They also serve as watch supervisors and section leaders; interpret and evaluate presentations and tactical situations and make recommendations to supervisors during watch conditions.

Postal Clerks operate the Navy postal system.

Photographer's Mates serve as the Navy's professional photographers.

Personnelmen provide enlisted people with information and counseling related to Navy occupations, opportunities for general education and job training, requirements for promotion, and rights and benefits.

Aircrew Survival Equipmentmen keep parachutes, life rafts, personal flight gear, and other aviation survival gear in proper working condition.

Quartermasters stand watch as assistants to officers of the deck and the navigator; serve as helmsman and perform ship control, navigation and bridge watch duties.

Religious Program Specialists support Navy chaplains in developing programs to meet the needs of Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel and their families.

Ship's Servicemen manage and operate shipboard retail and service activities.

Storekeepers are responsible for ensuring that all repair parts and general supplies for the ship, squadron or shore base are accurately ordered, received and issued through computer systems.

Signalmen stand watches on signal bridges and send/receive messages by flashing light, semaphore and flights. They prepare headings and addresses for outgoing messages; process messages; encode and decode message headings; operate voice radio; maintain visual signal equipment; render passing honors to ships and boats; and display ensigns and personal flags during salutes and colors.(this rating has merged with another)

Sonar Technicians operate sonar systems, underwater fire control systems, as well as support equipment on surface ships such as frigates, destroyers and cruisers.

Steelworkers rig and operate special equipment used to build metal structures.

Torpedoman's Mates maintain underwater explosive weapons, such as torpedoes, rockets and missiles and the systems used to launch them.

Utilitiesmen maintain plumbing, heating, steam, compressed air, fuel storage, and distribution systems.

Yeomen perform administrative and clerical duties.

Choose The Right Military Occupation

2006-01-10T00:06:00.000-06:00

Not all Military jobs are fox holes and Desert warfare. Over the next week we are going to give you a overview of what the different branches of the Military have to offer you.MON.-NAVY TUE.-COAST GUARD WED.-AIR FORCE THUR.-ARMY FRI.-MARINE CORPS
Some qualifications are required by all five services:

* You must be a U.S. citizen or resident alien.
* You must be at least 17 years old (17-year old applicants require parental consent).
* You must (with very few exceptions) have a high school diploma.
* You must pass a physical medical exam.
There are thousands of good reasons to join the military, including:

* Answering the call to serve your country
* Taking a stand against terrorism
* Educational and monetary benefits that can last a lifetime
* Personal satisfaction and pride
* Family tradition
* Honor
* Devotion to duty
* Learning useful new skills
* Full-time employment
* Job security
* Personal improvement

Soldiers Get X-Ray Vision

2006-01-10T00:03:00.000-06:00

Troops conducting urban operations soon will have the capabilities of superheroes, being able to sense through 12 inches of concrete to determine if someone is inside a building. The new "Radar Scope" will give warfighters searching a building the ability to tell within seconds if someone is in the next room, Edward Baranoski from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Special Projects Office, told the American Forces Press Service.By simply holding the portable, handheld device up to a wall, users will be able to detect movements as small as breathing, he said. The Radar Scope, developed by DARPA, is expected to be fielded to troops in Iraq as soon as this spring, Baranoski said. The device is likely to be fielded to the squad level, for use by troops going door to door in search of terrorists. The Radar Scope will give warfighters the capability to sense through a foot of concrete and 50 feet beyond that into a room, Baranoski explained. It will bring to the fight what larger, commercially available motion detectors couldn't, he said. Weighing just a pound and a half, the Radar Scope will be about the size of a telephone handset and cost just about $1,000, making it light enough for a soldier to carry and inexpensive enough to be fielded widely. The Radar Scope will be waterproof and rugged, and will run on AA batteries, he said. "It may not change how four-man stacks go into a room (during clearing operations)," Baranoski said. "But as they go into a building, it can help them prioritize what rooms they go into. It will give them an extra degree of knowledge so they know if someone is inside." Even as the organization hurries to get the devices to combat forces, DARPA already is laying groundwork for bigger plans that build on this technology. Proposals are expected this week for the new "Visi Building" technology that's more than a motion detector. It will actually "see" through multiple walls, penetrating entire buildings to show floor plans, locations of occupants and placement of materials such as weapons caches, Baranoski said.Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency expects the portable Radar Scope to look similar to this model and to be fielded as soon as this spring to help patrols conducting urban operations to sense if someone is inside a building."It will give (troops) a lot of opportunity to stake out buildings and really see inside," he said. "It will go a long way in extending their surveillance capabilities." The device is expected to take several years to develop. Ultimately, servicemembers will be able to use it simply by driving or flying by the structure under surveillance, Baranoski said.

Entrepreneurs Pin Hopes On Blimp Hybrid

2006-01-09T00:03:00.000-06:00

Two former co-workers and friends who started Ohio Airships Inc. in 1999 are putting a lot of time, effort and money into a business concept they hope will fly. Brian Martin and Robert Rist think they are close to testing a prototype of their patented Dynalifter hybrid. They announced last week that their airship — part blimp and part airplane — has been completed, and they hope to conduct a test flight this spring. The vehicle is stored in a plastic-sheeted hut near a cornfield in Lexington Township, about 50 miles southeast of Cleveland.Dynalifter“Edison tried his light bulb a thousand times. I don’t want to do this (prototype) a thousand times,” Martin said. The 120-foot-long, two-seat aircraft has a nylon cover over the patented interior structure. It will get lift from 16,500 cubic feet of helium and two small ultralight engines. Martin said he and his partner have raised and spent $500,000 to get this far on the Dynalifter. Most of the money went to feasibility studies and engineering work. “We’ve done everything on paper and everything on a computer and everything in a wind tunnel that you can do,” Martin said. Martin and Rist hope the Dynalifter will help bring in a new transportation era. They see it as a way to move materials at a lower cost than jets and at a higher speed than ships. They think it could be used in emergency situations, such as Hurricane Katrina, to transport supplies. It might have military uses, such as delivering equipment and supplies to sites that might not be easily reachable. Martin said he and Rist have had meetings with Pentagon officials. Their prototype is about one-eighth the size of their plan for a 990-foot-long Dynalifter Heavy Freighter. They also have plans for a smaller version at 761 feet. The two met while working at Mount Union College’s computer department. They don’t have an aeronautical background. But what they do have, Martin said, is a willingness to experiment. “The Wright Brothers did it, too,” he said. A test pilot, Forrest Barber, will be seated in an exposed cockpit under the belly of the Dynalifter when the test is conducted. “It will be quite an experience,” he said.

Sub-Launched Unmanned Flying Drone

2006-01-05T00:03:00.000-06:00

Introducing the Cormorant, The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) idea for a sub-launched flying drone. Reader DS points us to the agency's quick write-up of the 19-foot "multi-purpose unmanned aerial vehicle," or MPUAV.The CormorantThe idea is that the drone could handle "all-weather reconnaissance, battle damage assessment, or specialized mission support (e.g., special forces re-supply)" for the sub. The Cormorants would be kept in the sub's ICBM launch tubes, and released into the water as needed. From there, they'd be launched into the air "using two Tomahawk missile-derived solid rocket boosters." Upon mission completion, the turbofan engine-powered MPUAVs return to a designated retrieval point at sea, initiate engine shut down, and splash down to await recovery. During recovery, the submerged [sub] would deploy a remotely operated vehicle to secure an in-haul cable from the [sub] to the recovery tether deployed by the MPUAV. The [sub] would then haul the MPUAV to its designated launch tube [with a] saddle mechanism, where it would be docked and retracted into the missile tube. Aircraft operating off submarines is nothing new... [During World War II], the Japanese built 44 subs that could carry a small float plane for reconnaissance. This idea was fine in theory, but much less successful in practice... Someone may read a history book before that, or remember that the United States has plenty of other satellite and long range UAVs that could provide air reconnaissance needs of U.S. subs. And Darpa admits there are a whole bunch of technical hurdles to leap before the Cormorant would begin to make sense. The launch and recovery procedure -- including that "saddle" thingy -- would have to go through "key risk reduction demonstrations." So so would the drone's high-pressure turbofan engine.

Congress Passes Bill For Hybrid Electric Military Vehicle Research & Development

2006-01-01T00:03:00.000-06:00

Raser Technologies, Inc. a technology licensing company that develops and licenses advanced electric motor, electronic motor drive and related technologies, today acknowledged the passage of HR2863. With this final bill approved by Congress, it is anticipated that the President will sign it into law. Included in HR2863 is $2.1 million of a proposed $12 million multi-year program for the development of Hybrid-Electric Military Vehicles, including Integrated Starter Alternator research and development. The funding will be administered by the Department of Defense. In 2005, Raser was active in developing integrated starter alternator designs for the US Military for potential use in Future Combat System vehicles including a hybrid HMMWV (Humvee) under a Small Business Innovation Research grant ("SBIR"). "An electric hybrid vehicle using integrated starter alternators and other advanced electric drive systems will present our military with more options in increased fuel economy, onboard power generation and in-field tactical advantages which may help to facilitate our military's rapid deployment strategies," said Brent M. Cook, CEO for Raser. "Building on the success of our Phase I SBIR grant, we have supported Senators Bennett, Hatch and other key legislators in introducing a program for Hybrid Electric Military Vehicles. Congress acknowledged the need and the potential for incorporating new hybrid vehicle technologies in their truck fleet to help the military in terms of economy of operation, rapid deployment, stealth tactics on the ground and promoting the safety of our troops."

U.S. Army Education Plus Program

2005-12-29T00:03:00.000-06:00

Success in Army depends on a good education, and a high school diploma is most desirable. Individuals who currently do not possess the proper education requirements and wish to enlist may receive assistance in acquiring a GED. The Army may cover fees for class attendance, books, and the GED test. To be eligible for Army enlistment you must:

* Have been withdrawn from high school for at least 6 months prior to application for enlistment
* Must meet the state minimum age requirement for GED testing
* Achieve a qualifying score on the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT)

To find out more information, Contact your Local Recruiter.

Blue Angels Taking Enlisted Applications

2005-12-28T00:03:00.000-06:00

The Navy Blue Angels are currently accepting applications for the 2007 season. Applications must be postmarked before April 1, 2006, and selection results will be available no later than June, 2006. Personnel with PRD's of September, 2006 through April, 2007 are being considered, but others may apply with command and detailer approval. Personnel selected will normally detach from their present command in October and report in November. There are open billets at the E5 and E6 levels within certain ratings. Outstanding performers at the E4 level will also be considered. For further information, contact AZC(AW) R. Sadak from January to March at DSN 658-2941 OR COMM (760) 339-2941, and after March at COMM (850) 452-2583 EXT 130, DSN 922-2583 EXT 130 OR E-MAIL:
ROBERT.SADAK@NAVY.MIL.

Defense Secretary Rumsfeld Serves Up Christmas Dinner

2005-12-25T00:03:00.000-06:00

US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, garbed in a white chef's hat, served up a sumptuous Christmas repast for US troops at their base in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. "What can I get you?" he asked the soldiers who had a choice between lobster, steak or crab and were proud to have their picture taken with the secretary."Let there be no doubt," he said to them later as they sat at their tables. "If the United States was to withdraw from Iraq today, the terrorists -- emboldened by victory -- would attack us elsewhere in this region and at home in the United States." He warmly thanked the soldiers for their service in Iraq and to their country. "In the long struggle between freedom and tyranny, freedom ultimately prevails. It prevails because of the dedication and perseverance of those wearing America's uniforms," he said. Rumsfeld arrived in Iraq on Thursday. He announced Friday that United States would be reducing its troop strength in Iraq by two brigades, around 7,000 soldiers, during the spring of 2006. With the conclusion of the meal, Rumsfeld was scheduled to leave Mosul for the United States.

Pain Ray Possibly Headed to Iraq

2005-12-23T00:03:00.000-06:00

It's been talked about for years. But the Pentagon's microwave-like pain ray may finally be headed to Iraq, Inside the Army reports. Developed by the Air Force, the "Active Denial System" (ADS) fires out milimeter waves -- a sort of cousin of microwaves, in the 95 GHz range. The invisible beams penetrate just a 64th of inch beneath the skin. But that's deep enough to heat up the water inside a person. Which is enough to cause excruciating pain.Active Denial System (ADS)Seconds later, people have to run away. And that causes mobs to break up in a hurry. It's no wonder, then, why less-lethal weapon guru Charles "Sid" Heal calls the ray the "Holy Grail of crowd control." Raytheon has been developing a Humvee-mountable ADS for the Pentagon over the last couple of years, as part of an ACTD, or "advanced concept technology demonstration." By now, the system was supposed to be in the field. But there have been concerns that the ADS tests weren't sufficiently realistic. The Pentagon ordered additional trials. More than 2,370 ADS shots were fired during a pair of "military utility assessments" over the fall. Now, the head of the Army's Rapid Equipping Force -- the unit in charge of getting gear to the troops in a hurry -- is saying: enough. The system's "capabilities have, to date, been sufficiently demonstrated in the ACTD [advanced concept technology demonstration] to prove its value to the solider," Col. Robert Lovett notes in a memo, obtained by Inside the Army. And the 18th Military Police Brigade has requested ADS "to help 'suppress' insurgent attacks and quell prison uprisings." ADS' technical manager, Diana Loree, said the system "now meets all of the ACTD performance parameters," Inside the Army notes. "Because the system is a hand-built, one-of-a-kind technology demonstrator, it does not meet conventional humvee curb weight requirements... However, the technology team worked closely with [Humvee manufacturer] AM General to ensure the safety of the system and its occupants." There has also been talk, at least, of building an airborne model of ADS -- as well as putting together a Hummer with both pain rays and sonic blasters. Needless to say, neither project is as far along as the basic Active Denial System.

The Personnel Complement Of The Different Military Units

2005-12-22T00:03:00.000-06:00

A troop has different specific meanings in different armed forces, Generally a single soldier is referred to as troop

Squad: 4 to 10 soldiers depend on mission

Platoon: 3 to 4 squads about 16 to 40 soldiers usually led by 1st or 2nd lieutenant

Company: 3 to 4 Platoons 100 to 200 soldiers usually led by captain
And if you're Cav (Cavalry) this level is called a "Troop"

Battalion: 3 to 5 companies 500 to 900 soldiers usually led by lieutenant colonel
And if you're Cav (Cavalry) this level is called a "Squadron"

Brigade: 3 to 5 battalions 3000 to 5000 soldiers usually led by colonel
And if you're Cav (Cavalry) this level is called a "Regiment"

Separate Brigade: A separate brigade is a standalone, self-sustaining unit capable of carrying out certain missions totally on its own. It is usually led by a one-star general. A one-star is called a Brigadier General, hence the reference to brigade.

Division: 3 brigades 10,000 to 18,000 soldiers led by two-star general who is called a Major General

Corps: 2 to 5 divisions 20,000 to 90,000 soldiers led by three-star general who is called a Lieutenant General

Field Army: between 2 and 5 corps 100,000 to 250,000 soldiers led by four-star general who is simply called General. When referring to a specific service different words are used (singular or plural):

* United States Navy - Sailor
* United States Air Force - Airman
* United States Army - Soldier
* United States Marine Corps - Marine
* United States Coast Guard - Coast Guardsman
* United States National Guard - National Guardsman

Why Is The Fag Patch Worn Backward On The Shoulders Of Members Of The U.S. Military

2005-12-21T00:03:00.000-06:00

A United States Flag patch always has the union of the flag to the viewer's left. This works well when looking at the left side of the vehicle or person, but when looking at the right side, if the union is to the viewer's left, it appears as though the flag is flying backward when the vehicle or person is in motion. Also, it would place the flag in a position of being in retreat as the vehicle or person moves forward.To alleviate this problem, the International Civil Aviation Organization decreed that flags painted on aircraft must face the direction of the flight to be aerodynamically and aesthetically correct. For consistency, the Flag Foundation decided to recommend that flags or flag decals on vehicles, as well as flag patches on uniforms, should be so oriented. The foundation therefore recommends that the flag patch on the left sleeve of a uniform should have the union to the viewer's left, while a patch on the right sleeve should be displayed with the union to the viewer's right, so that in both cases the flag is facing forward and is streaming to the back as the person moves forward.

Camp Lejeune, Marine Regiment Welcome Corps’ Newest Member

2005-12-19T00:03:00.000-06:00

From privates first class to sergeants major to lieutenant colonels, all Marines who saw the newly promoted sergeant walking through their work areas were quick to render the appropriate military courtesies. After all, Brandon Rasnick had accomplished what no one else in the 2nd Marine Division had, made the rank of sergeant in one day. Sergeant Brandon RasnickIt’s a success the Lehigh Acres, Fla., native did not tout as he made his rounds throughout the base. Rather, the Marines and sailors smiled and waved as the shortest noncommissioned officer they had ever seen walked through their midst. On Dec. 12, Marine Corps Community Services and 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment welcomed Brandon here as he commenced his trip, made possible by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. All that six-year-old Brandon, a boy afflicted with the genetic lung disease cystic fibrosis, asked for was that his dream of training alongside the nation’s elite fighting forces be fulfilled. It was a request those he came in contact with were all too glad to make happen. His father, Joseph; mother, Deanne; and half-sister, Marissa, first accompanied Brandon to the Main Exchange Annex, where he received a set of Marine digital utilities, suede combat boots and sergeant chevrons. Now a fully-fledged “devil pup,” Brandon and his family were next welcomed aboard by Lt. Col. Brad Vickers, 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment’s commander. “This was a great opportunity for us, and we were all very excited to support Brandon’s wish coming true,” said Vickers, whose battalion provided escort for Brandon as he toured several training grounds on base. “This was something any unit in the 2nd Marine Division could have done well, but we were fortunate enough to be chosen.” He added that this was a welcome break from the intense training his unit has been undergoing to prepare for the ever-present possibility of deployment. Vickers then presented Brandon with a Marine Corps-theme Monopoly board game and a red baseball cap emblazoned with the Marine Corps’ emblem. “All of my Marines were impressed by how smart six-year-old Brandon was; his obvious knowledge over the Corps and his love for the same,” Vickers said. “He was a very spectacular young man and we were all very pleased to be able to take part in this.” The positive attitude carried over into the evening when a squad from the battalion’s A Company met Brandon inside a local mess hall. There, Sgt. Steven Dattilo, several of his Marines and a Navy corpsman presented Brandon with military mementos. These included uniform items, a commemorative Marine Corps ring and a deployment photo yearbook. “As a former recruiter, it’s really amazing for me to see someone who wants to be a Marine from that early on,” said Dattilo, a 35-year-old native of Madison, Ind. “You have to give it up for a kid with that much desire. I feel like we (Marine Corps) are being cheated out of a good Marine.” “For all of us who have kids or nephews that age, it felt especially good to be able to make this day special for Brandon and the rest of his family,” Dattilo said. “We’re just doing our part to show them that we care.” After Brandon finished his chow, he marveled at his new souvenirs, thumbing the Marine Corps ring that now hung from a golden chain on his neck. “I feel like a Marine already,” Brandon said. “I’ll bet it’s really fun being a Marine.”

Rumsfeld Seeks Cuts In Military

2005-12-16T00:03:00.000-06:00

Hampered by an increasingly combative relationship with Congress, the Pentagon is expected to seek savings from its payroll rather than making deep cuts in major weapons programs in its next long-range plan.Defense Secretary Donald H. RumsfeldThe blueprint for military restructuring that Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld is to release early next year - an exercise the Pentagon undertakes every four years - is the first one fully conceived since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The review is expected to confirm Rumsfeld's views that the military must be lighter, more agile and better equipped to fight terrorism and confront weapons of mass destruction. Officials said Rumsfeld is considering several options for cutting personnel costs, including:

- Eliminating 40,000 Air Force jobs over the next six years, including active duty, civilian and reserves.

- Cutting up to three National Guard brigades, each of which generally has about 3,500 troops.

- Scaling back plans to increase active Army forces.

"All proposals for cutting weapons systems have, one by one, been shot down, so in the end the savings are achieved by minor cuts in many places, rather than big decisions," said Loren Thompson, defense analyst with the Lexington Institute think tank in Arlington, Va. "Rumsfeld has lost most of his following on Capitol Hill, so any bold moves were likely to be rebuffed," said Thompson, who has close ties to the Pentagon. Weapons systems from the high-tech Joint Strike Fighter to the Navy's expensive new DD(X) destroyer had been mentioned as possible targets for cuts during early discussions on the long-term plan, known as the Quadrennial Defense Review. President George W. BushPresident Bush's proposed budget sought $111 billion for personnel costs this year, more than one-fourth of the $420 billion he requested for the Pentagon, not including wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As of September, the Defense Department had about 1.4 million troops in the active-duty military and 671,000 civilian employees. The Army is looking at cutting National Guard brigades to find savings that will enable it to keep weapons programs on track, according to Thompson and a military official and a second defense analyst, both of whom did not want to be identified because decisions have not been announced. Air Force Secretary Michael W. Wynne said Tuesday that much of the job cuts would be done through attrition and that there also will be efforts to control the number of recruits coming in. Rumsfeld has refused to talk about possible cuts in the defense review or the 2007 budget, which will be released in February. The Pentagon's last quadrennial review was released on Sept. 30, 2001, but largely completed before the Sept. 11 attacks. The new review, expected to be finalized this month, maps the people, equipment and structure the military wants for its 21st century wars. Thompson said the review would discuss the military's need to focus on emerging threats, such as terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. He said it would seek to reduce dependence on traditional weapons systems, but by looking for savings in personnel and not arms, the Pentagon will not reflect such changes in the program budgets. "There will be a mismatch between the words and the numbers," Thompson said. President Bush proposed spending $147 billion researching, developing and buying weapons systems in the 2006 budget year, which runs through September.Some lawmakers have urged the Pentagon to find savings from weapons costs, which are projected to rise to $180 billion by 2011. Bitter political battles over the war in Iraq, efforts to ban inhumane treatment of prisoners, and the massive growth in spending for the war and military programs have caused divisions in Congress and between lawmakers and the administration, including Rumsfeld, one of the war's architects. "The relationship between Rumsfeld and Congress is pretty poisonous," said Winslow T. Wheeler, a former Congressional budget analyst now with the Center for Defense Information think tank.

November Recruiting Goals Surpassed

2005-12-15T00:03:00.000-06:00

The US military exceeded its recruiting goals in November, with the Army and Marine Corps each surpassing their monthly targets by five percent, the Pentagon said.The monthly recruitment figures mark an improvement for the army and Marines after struggles over last fiscal year to attract prospective soldiers and marines. Lawrence DiRita said it was hard to tell what accounted for the upswing in November but noted efforts by the services to persuade parents, teachers and other "influencers" of the value of military service. "There will be bad months. There will be months when won't meet all our goals. But in this case in the recruiting area we met all the goals, and exceeded them," he said. The army failed to reach its recruiting goal for fiscal 2005, but has exceeded its goals for each of the past six months for the active duty force, and for the past three months for the reserves. Despite good news on the recruiting front, the army fell short eight percent short of its goal for re-enlisting active duty soldiers, the Pentagon said.

Insurgents Using Chem Weapons - On Themselves?

2005-12-12T00:03:00.000-06:00

This has to be the most bizarre twist in the WMD saga yet. Insurgents in Iraq could very well have chemical weapons. And they may be using them - on themselves.The story starts over a year ago with a Marine blogger in Iraq. On June 2nd 2004 "The Green Side" - we’ll get back to the signficance of this source later - describes suicidal attacks by insurgents in Fallujah: “We could not understand why they kept coming but they did.” The reason, it turned out, was drugs: “…these ‘holy warriors’ are taking drugs to get high before attacks. It true, as we pushed into the town in April many Marines came across drug paraphernalia (mostly heroin). Recently, we have gotten evidence of them using another drug BZ that makes them high and very aggressive.” BZ is not your typical substance of abuse. It’s a hallucinogenic chemical weapon. This weird concept originated in the 1950’s when “better living through chemistry” was a slogan to live by and warfare without blood was the goal. As the Washington Star noted in 1965: New chemical weapons that win by creating confusion rather than death and destruction have proved so successful that they have been quietly added to the Army's arsenal. The latest and best, a gas called BZ by the Army, put a number of soldier guinea pigs out of action during field tests at a Utah Army base last November, and did it without harming a man.” BZ or "Agent Buzz" is the military name for 3-quinuclidinyl benzillate, an extremely powerful hallucinogen. After experimenting with a whole stash of mind-altering substances including cocaine, heroin and LSD, the Pentagon selected BZ for weaponizing. Its major advantages are that it can easily delivered in an aerosol cloud, and it is very safe. With many substances, the effective dose can be dangerously close to the amount needed to kill - ask any anesthetist. With BZ, the tiny effective dose (maybe two milligrams) is around one-thousandth the lethal dose. It is also odorless and invisible, and there is currently no means of detecting it. 3-quinuclidinyl_benzilate.pngAgent Buzz was tested between 1959 to 1975 on some twenty-eight hundred US soldiers at several locations. It proved extremely effective as an incapacitant. The physical effects are increased heart rates, pupil dilation, blurred vision, dry skin and mouth, increased temperature, and flushing of skin – as a med school mnemonic has it “blind as a bat, dry as a bone, hot as Hades, red as a beet.” But the psychological effects are more important than the physical ones, as the subject is also rendered “mad as a hatter.” It also produces uncontrollable aggression, Wouter Basson, the man behind South Africa’s chemical and biological warfare program, notes. His version of BZ, in fact, was modified with CB (Carboxy-Methoxy-Benzoxytropane) specifically to reduce this effect. The Serb army manual on their BZ munitions implies a violent reaction: “it can be expected that such individuals or groups will subsequently, under the effects of [this chemical agent], inflict great damage and losses on their own forces.” Over a hundred thousand pounds of BZ were produced by the US. However, it fell out of favor because its effects were considered to be too unpredictable. Destruction of the BZ stockpile commenced in 1988 and was reportedly completed in Pine Bluff in 1990. Could any be in Iraq? In 1995, the British reported that Iraq had produced Agent 15, similar or identical to BZ, and possessed ‘large stocks’ of it. A later CIA report discounts this and concludes that "Iraq never went beyond research with Agent 15—a hallucinogenic chemical similar to BZ—or any other psychochemical.” The British do not agree and as of the last updated in 2004, the MoD maintains its claim. This would appear to be the most likely source of any insurgent supplies. Lt.Col.Bellon in Fallujah.jpgI did not initially take the report from The Green Side too seriously. Posted in the form of letters home from a Marine to his Dad, it looked like just keeping in touch with the folks at home and recording a piece of personal history, not an intel report. But the blog turns out to be the work of Lt Col Dave Bellon (right), not just another Marine but intelligence officer for the First Regimental Combat Team. The blog can no longer be easily accessed as it has now disappeared behind a USMC security screen. Given Lt Col Bellon’s access to inside information, his rather specific claim about BZ becomes more serious. Other US sources do not mention BZ by name but do describe drug use by insurgents. The account of the November 2004's "Fall of Fallujah" by Bing West in the Marine Corps Gazette mentions “crazies” rushing out in suicidal attacks as well as others “sustained by drugs.” Elsewhere, Dan Senor, a Senior Advisor from the CPA stated: “Our delegation has been told by Fallujan leaders that many of the individuals involved with the violence are on some - are on various drugs. It is part of what they're using to keep them up to engage in this violence at all hours Other drugs were clearly involved as well, and Lt Col Bellon’s information about BZ may simply be wrong. But it’s quite possible than coalition troops are facing a number of aggressive, paranoid insurgents, unable to tell friend from foe and unable to realize that there was anything wrong with them, beyond control and hallucinating their worst fears. Could the guerillas be taking BZ -- sometimes called “the ultimate bad trip” – willingly? This seems unlikely: blurred vision, paranoia and hallucinations are not assets in a firefight. But the British Navy traditionally issued a half-pint ration of rum before action and there were always plenty of takers. In Iraq, cynical leaders might dole out BZ to unwitting cannon-fodder. A homicidally aggressive fighter, even an impaired one, is more useful than one who won’t fight against insane odds. This may remind some people of the fabled assassin cult, but don’t believe everything you read in Dan Brown. Back during the first Gulf War, some in the tinfoil-hat crowd tried to argue that the US used BZ on Iraqis. Wouter Basson even claims to have found traces of BZ in the urine of supposed victims. As with the other alleged BZ attacks mentioned above there is no independent confirmation of this. And reading the incredible story of Basson’s involvement in the whole area of chemical and biological weapons – mind-boggling only begins to describe it – you can assess his credibility yourself. Anyone making such claims will need solid evidence.

A Message From The Chief of Naval Operations

2005-12-07T00:03:00.001-06:00

Navy Prior Service Rate (Rank) Determination

2005-12-07T00:03:00.000-06:00

Below are the rules for rank retention for prior service members who enlist in the United States Navy:

Prior Service Navy Members (NAVETS)

Navy Veterans who meet the below criteria, and enlist into their previous ratings, usually enlist in the grade they held at time of discharge (up to E-6). Those who must enlist in a different rating (PRISE III) program enlist in the grade of E-3, except for AECF, CTI(N) or Nuclear Program, who enlist in the grade of E-4 (if E-4 or above was held during previous enlistment).

In order to enlist at their previous grade, the following criteria must be met:

* E-2 --Must have 2 or less years of total active federal service, and no more than 6 Years broken service (time since last discharge).

* E-3 (with proof of passing E-4 advancement exam) -- Must have 5 or less years of total active federal service, and no more than 6 years of broken service. * E-3 (with no proof of passing E-4 advancement exam) -- Must have 2 or less years of total active federal service, and no more than 6 years of broken service.

* E-4 --Must have 6 or less years of total active federal service, and no more than 5 years of broken service.

* E-5 --Must have 8 or less years of prior service, and No more than 5 years of broken service.

* E-6 -- Must have 12 or less years of total active federal service, and no more than 3 Years Broken Service.

In addition to the above qualifications, Navy Veterans must be able to meet the service obligation (term of enlistment) without exceeding the HYT for the grade.

Non-Navy Veterans

If the Veteran holds a skill that is directly covertable to a Navy Rating, they are usually enlisted at one paygrade lower than they held at time of discharge, but not lower than E-3. If the veteran does not have a skill directly covertable to a Navy rating, they enlist at the grade of E-3, regardless of previously held rank, in most cases (there are a few exceptions).

For those who hold a skill that is directly convertable to a Navy Rating, the following criteria must be met:

* E-1 through E-3 --Must have 6 or less years of prior service, and no more than 5 Years Broken Service.

* E-4 --Must have 6 or less years of prior service, and no more than 3 Years Broken Service.

* E-5 -Must have 8 or less years of prior service, and no more than 3 Years Broken Service.

* E-6 - Must have 12 or less years of prior service, and no more than 3 Years Broken Service.

In addition to the above criteria, all prior service must be able to complete 20 years of service by age 55. No waivers are authorized.

Anthrax Shots Could Be Required In The Military

2005-12-05T00:03:00.000-06:00

The Bush administration asked a federal appeals court to reinstate mandatory anthrax inoculations for many military personnel, while a lawyer for soldiers who refused the shots said anti-anthrax vaccine was never intended for the purpose the Pentagon is using it. The government is appealing a decision by U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, who suspended anthrax vaccinations after he found fault in the Food and Drug Administration's process for approving the drug. Half a dozen unnamed members of the armed forces are challenging the Pentagon's program.Labeling for the anti-anthrax vaccine says it is for individuals with high-risk exposure such as veterinarians and certain industrial workers. Why isn't the portion of the definition regarding high-risk exposure broad enough to cover members of the military? asked Appeals Judge David Tatel. Because the government originally sharply restricted its use, replied John Michels, an attorney for the six members of the military who refused the shots. "Nobody thought that this stuff was licensed for inhalation anthrax," said Michels. At issue is whether federal regulators limited the vaccine's use to combating anthrax spores transmitted by touch. "The labeling does not include any limitation," Justice Department attorney Michael Raab told the judges. Since 1998, 1.2 million troops have been vaccinated against anthrax in six-shot regimens. Hundreds of service members had been punished or discharged for refusing them. In April, Sullivan said the Pentagon can resume giving anthrax vaccinations, but only to troops who volunteer for them. The vaccine is being given primarily to troops who are serving in Korea, the Middle East and South Asia, the Pentagon says. It will also go to soldiers who work in counterterrorism roles related to defense against biological weapons inside the United States. About one person in 100,000 has a serious adverse reaction to the vaccine, according to the Pentagon. Over the past six years, the vaccination program has been plagued by manufacturing problems and troop protests. Started in 1998 with the goal of vaccinating all 2.4 million members of the active and reserve military, the program was radically reduced after factory violations by the nation's sole anthrax vaccine manufacturer left a dwindling supply of the drug. Saying troops should not be used as "guinea pigs," Sullivan ruled in December 2003 the FDA had never approved the vaccine and issued an order stopping its use on troops. A week later, the FDA approved the vaccine, and the shots were resumed only to be halted again by Sullivan 13 months ago.

US Air Force Unveils Hand-Held Laser Gun

2005-11-30T00:03:00.001-06:00

The US Air Force has unveiled its first hand-held laser weapon that gives security forces a non-lethal option for controlling crowds and protecting areas like checkpoints, according to service officials. While only in prototype form and years away from fielding, the weapon, known as the Personnel Halting and Stimulation Response (PHaSR) system, holds great promise, they said. The PHaSR is about the same size and weight of a fully loaded M60 machine gun - around 9 kg - but shoots a low-power beam of laser light instead of bullets. The light it generates is capable of temporarily impairing an individual's vision, much like the disorienting glare one sees when looking into the sun, said the officials. Upon completion of testing, one prototype will be handed over to the Department of Defense's Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate (JNLWD) and the second to the National Institute of Justice (NIJ): the law enforcement arm of the US Department of Justice. Both organisations support the programme, with the latter interested in its civil applications.

Military Recruiting Demographics

2005-11-30T00:03:00.000-06:00

The U.S. military is not a "poor man's force." That's the conclusion Defense Department officials reached following examination of enlisted recruiting statistics gathered over the past year. "There is an issue of how representative of America is the force," said Curt Gilroy, the director of DoD's accessions policy in the Pentagon. DoD tracks "representativeness" - as Gilroy calls it - very closely. And representativeness can take a whole host of forms - race, education, social status, income, region and so on. "When you look at all of those, you find that the force is really quite representative of the country," he said in a recent interview. "It mirrors the country in many of these. And where it doesn't mirror America, it exceeds America." The data shows the force is more educated than the population at large. Servicemembers have high school diplomas or the general equivalency diploma. More servicemembers have some college than the typical 18- to 24-year-olds. "To carry representativeness to the extreme, we would have to have a less-educated force or we would want a lower-aptitude force," Gilroy said. The study is part of DoD's focus to bring the best recruits into the military. The services - who are responsible for manning, equipping and training the force - take this data and apply it to recruiting efforts. The force is a volunteer force; no one is coerced into serving. The military is one option young people have after high school. Military service offers money for college - money a large segment of the population doesn't have. For those people, the military is an attractive option. Many young people who don't yet know what they want to do see the military as a place to serve and decide what they want to do for the rest of their lives, rather than take a low-paying job or do nothing. Critics say the U.S. military has too many African-Americans as compared to the population and not enough Hispanics or Asian-Americans. "We don't recruit for race," Gilroy said. "We have standards, and if people meet those standards, then should we say they are not allowed in because of race? That would be wrong." The statistics show the number of African-American servicemembers is dropping. That concerns Gilroy and his office. The military is a leader in equal opportunity in the United States, he said, adding that few, if any, Fortune 500 companies can match the equal employment opportunity record of the military. The office is studying why young black men and women are not signing up. The office also is studying the Hispanic population in America. Census records say Hispanics are the largest minority group in the United States. Young Hispanic men and women have a strong tendency to serve in the military, though so far, only the Marine Corps has been "able to break the code" to get significant numbers of recruits, Gilroy said. On the socioeconomic side, the military is strongly middle class, Gilroy said. More recruits are drawn from the middle class and fewer are coming from poorer and wealthier families. Recruits from poorer families are actually underrepresented in the military, Gilroy said. Other trends are that the number of recruits from wealthier families is increasing, and the number of recruits from suburban areas has increased. This also tracks that young men and women from the middle class are serving in the military. Young men and women from urban areas are not volunteering, Gilroy said. In fact, urban areas provide far fewer recruits as a percentage of the total population than small towns and rural areas. DoD and the services will use these statistics and more to craft their recruiting policies, Gilroy said.

My Apologies

2005-11-21T00:03:00.000-06:00

Due to computer & internet problems my blogs will TEMPORARY be out of commission. I hope to have all the bugs worked out early this week

''Growler'' Officially A New Name In Anti-Radar Warfare

2005-11-17T00:03:00.000-06:00

The Navy’s new airborne jamming aircraft will be known officially as the EA-18G “Growler,” its informal moniker for the last several years, the Pentagon has announced. EA-18G GrowlerThe designation comes two years after the Navy petitioned the Air Force Materiel Command, which assigns aircraft names and numbers for all the service branches, for the title. About 30 names, including “Shocker,” “Demon ” and “Gator,” also were considered, said Chuck Wagner, a spokesman for the Naval Air Systems Command. The plane, which is to enter service beginning in 2009, replaces the EA-6B “Prowler,” a Vietnam War-era workhorse that is being retired. The Growler will be based on the Navy’s F/A-18F Super Hornet, a two-seat fighter-bomber, but equipped with radar jammers and HARM anti-radar missiles rather than the Super Hornet’s complement of bombs and missiles. EA-18G GrowlerThe first two Growlers, both test models, are expected to roll out of Boeing Inc.’s Super Hornet assembly plant in St. Louis next year. The Navy expects to buy 90 of the planes by 2013 and spread them among 10 electronic warfare squadrons. Each operational Growler will cost about $66 million, the Navy estimates, and the service is spending an additional $1.5 billion on research and development. All the Growlers are expected to be based at Whidbey Island, Wash., home of the Prowler.

Recruiters Top Goals In October

2005-11-16T00:03:00.000-06:00

After a spring and summer of missed marks, Reserve recruiters topped 100 percent of their goals in October, the second straight month of making mission. Headhunters for the Regular Army beat the numbers, too, as they have for every month since June. The National Guard, meanwhile, met recruitment goals for the first time this year. The Army released the October recruiting results. The active Army exceeded its goal of 4,700new soldiers by 225people, beating mission by 5 percent. The Reserve tallied an impressive 21 percent above the goal of 1,242 sign-ups by getting 1,505 people to join. The National Guard topped mission by 2 percent, bringing in 4,050 new soldiers. The Guard goal was 3,970 enlistments. The Army pushed a family focus in 2005 with ads aimed at countering a trend among parents and other “influencers” to counsel against military service. Michael Goldstein, spokesman for recruiting for the Western Region, said talking to family members is a tool that works in Las Vegas. “I think we have a better idea now as to what kind of resistance there has been to our possibilities by family members and friends,” he said. “We’re asking the influencers to be more a part of our decision-making process.”

Air Force Makes Significant Changes To Basic Training

2005-11-15T00:03:00.000-06:00

The Air Force is making significant changes to Air Force Basic Training, beginning with recruits who report to Lackland on November 9th. Instead of waiting until week #5 to get into the "war-fighting mode," new recruits will begin concentrating on becoming warriors, right from day one. In the past, much of the first couple of weeks of basic training were taken up by class-room studies in such areas as financial management, customs and courtesies, military law, and other such subjects. War-fighting skills, such as M-16 training, field tactics, and self-aid/buddy care weren't' covered until Warrior Week, during the 5th week of training. Additionally, M-16 training in Air Force Basic Training has been minimal. Recruits typically didn't handle an M-16 until "Warrior Week," receiving one day's worth of class room training, followed by a few hours on the firing range. At other times during basic, recruits would fake rubber M-16s, called "Rubber Duckies." Rubber Duckies are no more. Now, each new recruit will be issued an M-16 replica on the very first day of training. The replica is exactly like the M-16 they will be expected to use in combat, except it won't fire. The replica is the same size, same weight, and has the exact same parts. The rifle-replica can be stripped and cleaned just like the real thing. It's an exact same replica, down to the small springs. To avoid confusing the replica with the real thing, the stocks on the replicas will be painted blue. Recruits will begin instruction on the M-16 from day one, and will carry their "weapon" with them, throughout basic training. Recruits will have several chances (instead of just one, as under the previous system) to exhibit knowledge about safe weapons handling, identifying components, field stripping and cleaning the weapon, and carrying the weapon in formation and close order drill. To free up more time for weapons training, the Air Force is changing it's long-standing basic training policy about folding T-shirts and underwear into little 6-inch squares. Instead, the Air Force will be adapting a Navy boot camp practice of rolling underwear up. Officials at Lackland estimate that eliminating the underwear folding classes and the folding time opens up 18 extra hours for weapons training. Another significant change is moving "Warrior Week," where recruits "deploy" to a simulated forward-operating Air Base in a combat zone, from the 5th week to the 4th week of training. Additionally, the Airman's Coin, which was previously presented to each recruit upon completion of Warrior Week, won't be presented until a ceremony, shortly prior to graduation. The new course-outline is designed so that the first half of basic training focuses primarily upon war-fighting skills and preparation for Warrior Week, and the final two weeks of basic training will focus on classroom instruction in areas such as financial management, customs and courtesies, military law, and Air Force history. According to Chief Master Sergeant Steve Sergeant, superintendent of Air Force Basic Military Training at Lackland Air Force Base, these changes are just the start. In the future, the Air Force wants to add a 7th week to basic training. Unfortunately, because of funding, and the requirement to build additional facilities, the earliest this could happen is in 2008. Also under consideration is a new complex for Warrior Week. The changes are a result of the Triennial Basic Training Review, which occurred in March.

Marines Honored On Postage Stamp

2005-11-10T00:03:00.000-06:00

Marine Corps hero "Chesty" Puller would have been proud to be honored with a postage stamp, but he would have wanted to include the face of every Marine he served with, his daughter said Tuesday. Lt. Gen. Lewis B. "Chesty" PullerLt. Gen. Lewis B. Puller and three other Marines - Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone, Sgt. Maj. Daniel J. Daly and Lt. Gen. John A. Lejeune - are on a set of four 37-cent stamps is being unveiled Thursday in ceremonies at the Marine Corps Barracks in Washington and Camp Pendleton, Calif. The stamps go on sale nationwide the same day The Postal Service gets thousands of proposals for stamps every year and selects only about 30 for production. "Father would like those odds, and he beat them," said Martha Puller Downs of Alexandria, Va., the general's daughter. Indeed, during the Korean War, when surrounded by more than 100,000 Chinese soldiers at the Chosin Reservoir, Puller is reported to have said: "They're on our right, they're on our left, they're in front of us, they're behind us; they can't get away from us this time." Marines still leave mementoes at Puller's grave. "They knew he took care of them," Downs said. Yet growing up, she said, "I really didn't know him as a legend or hero. I knew him as a magnificent father ... he was fun." A native of West Point, Va., Puller was a battalion commander and regimental commander with the 1st Marine Division during World War II and the Korean War. During his 37-year career, he was awarded 14 personal decorations in combat, five Navy Crosses, one Army Distinguished Service Cross plus a long list of campaign medals, unit citation ribbons and other awards. Being honored on the other three stamps in the set are:

*Basilone, who won the Medal of Honor in World War II. Basilone was cited for holding 3,000 Japanese soldiers at bay for 72 hours during the battle of Guadalcanal with only 15 men, 12 of whom died in the fight. Sent home to promote the sale of war bonds, Basilone requested to return to combat and again distinguished himself in the battle for Iwo Jima, where he was killed. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross and Purple Heart.

*Daly, who received the Medal of Honor twice for separate acts during combat in the Chinese Boxer Rebellion and in Haiti protecting American lives during an uprising in 1915.

*Lejeune, who is remembered as a wartime commander and the first Marine to command at Army division in combat. Lejeune led the Army's 2nd Infantry Division in World War I. He is credited with establishing Marine Corps institutions and traditions and the Marine base located near Jacksonville, N.C. bears his name.

Post-Battle Tattooing Ritual 'As Old As War Itself'

2005-11-09T00:03:00.000-06:00

He prayed that every Marine entrusted to his care would make it out of Iraq alive. But a roadside bomb claimed one of his men, then two more fell in Fallujah. Now, almost a year after Capt. Michael Pretus returned from the war, he said, "There's not a day, not an hour that goes by that I don't think of them." So, on a Sunday afternoon last month, he walked into a Fredericksburg tattoo parlor and had their names etched into his right shoulder in precise lettering fit for a plaque. Above each is the symbol of a fallen warrior: a pair of empty boots and an erect rifle, adorned with a helmet. In the background, silhouettes of 20 other Marines represent the surviving members of Pretus's platoon. Behind them is the orange-red glow of a sunset -- or a sunrise. Pretus, a 30-year-old from Fredericksburg with a Marine's muscular build, a sniper's intense gaze and a scholar's sense of history, hasn't decided which. "This is my tribute to them," he said, as the artist's buzzing tattoo machine injected ink into his arm. "They are my heroes. . . . As a platoon commander, these parents look at you and say, 'Take care of my son.' It eats at you. I wish I could have brought them all home alive." Commemorating combat experience with a tattoo is a warrior ritual that stretches back centuries, a practice "as old as war itself," said C.W. Eldridge, a historian for the National Tattoo Association and owner of the Tattoo Archive, a Berkeley, Calif., tattoo studio. Like their counterparts in past wars, Iraq veterans are choosing traditional patriotic symbols -- U.S. flags, eagles, names of units -- for their tattoos. But some images are strikingly personal. Aided by improved pigments and more sophisticated equipment, they reveal in graphic detail the pain and permanence of war. Mike Ergo, 22, a former Marine, had specific instructions for his tattoo artist. The enemy's hair had to be curly and dark, the beard thick. This was part of a face etched into his memory, that of the first insurgent he killed during the battle of Fallujah last November. Ergo wanted it to come out just right. In the tattoo, inked onto the inside of his left forearm in April, the enemy fighter is being slain by Saint Michael, the archangel, who stands, sword drawn, with his foot on the back of the man's head. The image is a reminder, Ergo said, that he survived one of the deadliest, bloodiest battles of the war -- and the other guy didn't. "The tattoo kind of just helps me to see that this guy got what was coming to him," said Ergo, who lives near San Francisco. His unit was going house to house when it came across a group of insurgents hiding in a small room underneath a stairwell. As soon as the Marines opened the door, the enemy fighters slammed it shut and started firing. "Bullets were everywhere," Ergo recalled. "I couldn't believe they missed us." The Marines unloaded scores of rounds into the door, Ergo said, and just when they thought all the insurgents were dead, one popped out and threw a grenade at them. After it went off, Ergo charged. "Thinking, 'Oh, I'm going to die,' doesn't help the situation," he said. But he "was definitely scared that I'm going to get shot in the face." He kicked open the door and found himself standing just a few feet from a man who raised his gun and yelled "Allahu Akbar!" -- God is the greatest! Ergo fired eight to 10 shots into his chest, he said. "It's one of those things you can't really forget, you know?" Ergo said. "I see his face every day anyway. It just flashes through my mind when I go to sleep." Matthew Brown's tattoo begins with a bluish-green N just below his knee, followed by the letters O-V-E-M-B-E, descending to the R inked above his ankle. Instead of numerals, the 11 is spelled out by a pair of bullets. It's the day Brown was shot by a sniper in Fallujah. So much blood spilled from his sliced femoral vein he turned a ghostly white, and a chaplain read him his last rites as he lay in a morphine daze. " 'God be with you, son,' " he remembers the chaplain saying. "I'll never forget it," said Brown, 21. That's why he decided to have the date tattooed on the side of his right calf. He and several other Marines were holed up in a former convenience store when he was hit in the upper thigh. Medics quickly put a tourniquet on his leg and evacuated him to a field hospital, where the priest blessed him. When the doctors sedated him, he said, he went into a coma and didn't wake up until almost a week later and thousands of miles away at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda. Brown, who was a lance corporal, has since received a medical discharge from the Marine Corps and has returned to his home outside Carlisle, Pa. Not long after Carmine Castelli returned from Iraq, he turned his back into a shrine for his fallen friends. In ornate script between his shoulder blades, the 20-year-old Marine Corps lance corporal carries the words, "Rest In Peace U.S. Marines." The names of five of his buddies flank the empty boots of the fallen warrior. Remembering the dead was not enough for Castelli, who is based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.; he wanted to make them part of him. So in May he decided to have their names inscribed into his skin. "They were my best friends," he said. "I'll never regret it. These are guys I'll always have in my heart. . . . They should have their names shown off. They earned that right." At the bottom of the tattoo, near his waist, are the words, "Burn Down Fallujah." That was, he said, a Marine mantra as they went block by bloody block, rooting out insurgents during intense urban combat. Last year, when members of the 101st Airborne Division were first coming back from the war, many of them stopped by Donna Vinge's tattoo parlor, not far from the front gates of Fort Campbell, Ky., to get tattoos commemorating the war. But as the 101st headed back to Iraq for another tour recently, the soldiers wanted talismans, symbols to give them strength and protection in battle. Vinge's artists have been busy inking angels fighting off demons with swords, names of loved ones, horseshoes and centaurs, she said. One soldier, shipping out the next day, said he wanted a four-leaf clover. "I better get something that'll give me good luck."

Recruit Loses 230 Pounds In Order To Enlist

2005-11-08T00:03:00.000-06:00

When a recruiter stopped by to talk to his son, Roderick Evans was the one sold on the military. A home health care specialist in Detroit, Mich., Evans had a passion for helping others and a desire to make a difference. A military medical career sounded like a perfect fit. Pvt. Roderick Evans carries a picture of himself at 418 pounds to remind himself to never give up. He lost 230 pounds in order to enlist.The recruiter, on the other hand, saw a different picture. He took one look at Evans and said, “You’re just too big.” At 5 feet, 7 inches and 418 pounds, Evans could hardly disagree. But instead of easing the rejection with his usual overdose of comfort foods, the self-proclaimed Snickerholic “went on a crusade.” Fueled by sheer willpower and a determination to join the military, the 36-year-old finally conquered a lifelong battle with his weight. Three years and 230 pounds lighter, Evans again saw a recruiter. This time, he was met with a much different reception. “He had me come down to his office for a (fitness) test,” said Evans, now 39 years old and a svelte 165 pounds. “I passed with flying colors and signed up for the Reserves on the spot.” As a 91W combat medic student at the Army Medical Department Center and School, Evans now serves as a motivator for his fellow Soldiers, a role he never anticipated when growing up on the streets of Detroit. “It was rough,” Evans said. “You had to either be the big guy so no one messed with you or you had to know how to fight. I was the big guy.” Evans’ mother, a single mother of four, worked at two jobs to keep a roof over their heads. Evans became “papa” at home, cooking and cleaning for his siblings. As a teen, his size was an advantage in football. That and his passion for the marching band kept him fairly fit and out of trouble, he said. He continued with both in college at Grambling University, La., then signed on as a trombone instructor and vocal teacher at his alma mater. Evans taught there for 14 years. Over the years, a love of sweets turned the 260-pound teen into a 418-pound man. When his brother became sick, Evans and his wife, La Tanya, moved back to Michigan to help with his brother’s three children. Evans took a job as a sales manager at a clothing store and a night job in home health care. Despite his weight, Evans was healthy but frustrated by his physical condition. At 36, “I couldn’t walk from the couch to the door without sitting down,” he said. “But I didn’t want to push back from the table.” Although he worked in a clothing store, his own shopping trips were a dreaded nightmare. When he went shopping, he didn’t ask the salesman to show him where the jeans were or for a style tip, he asked for the largest size in the store. Sometimes even the largest size wouldn’t fit. “That’s when my wife would turn to me and just say, “It will be OK,’” Evans said. “She knew how bad I felt.” But it wasn’t until the recruiter walked in that Evans pushed his plate away. He got up from the couch and started walking, then running. With smaller portions and a steady diet of gym trips, the weight flew off. “I never lost sight of my goal (joining the Army),” Evans said. “Even at 418 pounds I never gave up. That’s just who I am.” A much slimmer Evans enlisted in July and traveled to Fort Sam Houston to start combat medic training. He is once again a father figure, but this time for the younger Soldiers, who call him “pops.” Pvt. Roderick Evans, from C Company, 232nd Medical Battalion, learns the fireman’s carry as part of combat medic training.“I watch over them and try to keep them motivated,” Evans said. “I’m up early and running and yelling and keeping the Soldiers going at PT.” “Pvt. Evans motivates me every time I see him in front of the company,” said 1st Sgt. Armand Fermin, C Company, 232nd Medical Battalion first sergeant. “His performance and attitude are phenomenal. He energizes me and the cadre and provides the younger Soldier medics a positive role model.” Evans said his fellow trainees always ask him where he gets his energy. “I tell them I do it because I couldn’t at one time,” he said. “If I could fly, I’d fly.” Right now he is flying through training, and his leadership is helping him to obtain a few other goals – become an active duty officer and a nurse. “I feel like a different person,” Evans said. “I’m the same on the inside, but now my energy level matches my inner drive. I have the energy to do what I want to do.” Regarding his surgery- and prescription-free weight loss, “If you get it in your head that you can and will beat this, you will,” he said. “Say today, not tomorrow. I won’t cut off, but cut back. Try not eating sweets for a week, anything that will motivate you.” Evans still avoids Snicker bars and most sweets, but doesn’t give them a second thought. His primary focus is on his military future. “I’m aiming for 20 years in the Army,” he said. “It took me a long time to achieve this goal and I’m going to keep going until I can’t.”

Yokosuka Bracing For Protests

2005-11-03T00:03:00.000-06:00

No one around Yokosuka Naval Base clutched their chests in surprise at the news that the USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) was to be replaced in 2008. USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63)
People have known that the 44-year old, conventionally-powered aircraft carrier — the Navy’s oldest active-duty ship — is entering its twilight years. But that some Japanese object to the Kitty Hawk’s replacement running on nuclear power caused eyebrows to knit. The announcement likely will translate into more protests at the gate, said Susan Murphy, a former surface warfare officer and Navy wife. “I’ve never seen as many protests as I have in Japan,” she said. “I’m not worried about nuclear power — we have that down to a science — I’m more concerned about the Japanese reaction.” Some Japanese people may not understand that the Navy has operated several nuclear ships for years, said Jen Negishi, a Navy Exchange store clerk. Reports that a nuclear-powered carrier is to be based in Japan aren’t “really going to impact the base but I think we’ll see more protests,” Negishi said. “People worry about terrorist attacks even though that isn’t likely in Japan. The Japanese people won’t like it but everyone is going nuclear.” Others cited the economic benefits of a nuclear carrier. It’s less expensive to operate than the Kitty Hawk, which the Navy has said can use 1,000 barrels of fuel a day when under way. But others speculated that the new ship and new technology may leave the base’s Ship Repair Facility and local work force feeling some economic repercussions. Still, said Seaman Recruit Jose Lopez, while bringing a nuclear-powered carrier to Japan may spark more confrontations in the short term, it will bolster security in the long term. “It will make us stronger on this side of the world to have a better carrier,” he said.

Tuskegee Airmen Return To War Zone

2005-11-02T00:03:00.000-06:00

The Tuskegee Airmen know about war. They battled the Nazis abroad and racism at home. Now they’ve made their way back to the front lines to show their support for Airmen fighting the war on terror. Five members arrived here Oct. 25 to interacting with military members, sharing their stories and offering words of encouragement. “We’re here to lend support to the troops,” said retired Tuskegee pilot Lt. Col. Bob Ashby. “It’s a rare opportunity for us to show them that their hometown, their home state supports them -- and that their fellow Tuskegee Airmen wish them well.” Airman 1st Class Charles Hernandez said he’s glad the famous Airmen made the visit. They’ve helped give him a better understanding of his mission. “It gave me a newer perspective on what we’re doing here; not just at Balad, but as an Airman in today’s air force,” said Airman Hernandez an electrical power production troop with the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron. “They fought a battle both overseas and one in the states because they were black,” the Airman said. ”Yet they did what they needed to do for the greatness of our country and our freedom.” Airman Hernandez said, “They reminded me that we’re here for a good reason and there are people back home who believe in what we’re doing -- and believe in our cause. The Tuskegee Airmen are heroes and patriots and I was honored to sit and eat with them.” The Tuskegee Airmen formed in 1941 when the Army Air Force began a program to train black Americans as military pilots at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. “It was an experimental program and we were expected to fail. But our primary objective was to finish the program and prove them wrong,” said Colonel Ashby, an original Tuskegee Airman. Lt. Col. Lee Archer, also an original Tuskegee Airman -- and the only documented African-American ace -- said the men wanted to do more than that. “All we wanted was to fly for our service,” he said. “We wanted to do it for our country.” Colonels Archer and Ashby and many others did just that, and so was born the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. It continues to thrive in today’s Air Force, especially at the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, home of the Tuskegee Airmen’s alma mater, the 332nd Expeditionary Operations Group. “The Tuskegee Airmen paved the way for future generations,” said Col. Dick Toliver. He is a second generation Airmen who joined the Air Force and the Tuskegee Airmen after the Korean War. “The legacy is right here, but it doesn’t look like the original group. It’s a collection of people of color and different nationalities. It’s what it’s always been, a reflection of America.” Just by being in the military, Airmen are part of the legacy, he said. And they have a responsibility to live up to. “The challenge is to continue to improve because when you become complacent it opens the door to regress,” Colonel Toliver said. “Don’t assume racism is dead and the challenges are gone. Racism is about more than color so the challenge is to improve relations and build upon what’s already been done.” During their Balad visit, the Tuskegee Airmen will see today’s Airmen are following in the footsteps that have been left for them, wing commander Brig. Gen. Frank Gorenc said. “(The Tuskegee Airmen’s) work, their accomplishments, their collective experiences laid the very foundation of our wing,” he said. “They should be proud of what they see because the Tuskegee Airmen of today are writing another chapter in the already distinguished history. “For the Tuskegee Airmen,” the general said, “the legacy continues in the air and on the ground.”

Japan Party OKs Draft Of Constitution

2005-11-01T00:03:00.000-06:00

The ruling party approved its final draft of a proposed revision of Japan's pacifist constitution that would drop a clause outlawing war and give the military a greater role in international security, officials said. Article 9 of Japan's current constitution — drafted by U.S. occupation forces and unchanged since 1947 — bars the use of military force in settling international disputes. It also prohibits maintaining a military for warfare, though the Japanese government has interpreted that to mean the nation can have armed troops to protect itself, allowing the existence of its 240,000-strong Self-Defense Forces. The Liberal Democratic Party's final draft cuts the "no war" clause from Article 9, and outlines an expanded role for the military. In the approved draft, released on the party's Web site, the section currently titled "Renouncing War" will be renamed "National Security." The change is part of a general push by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's government to give Japan a larger military and diplomatic profile in the world. Koizumi's party has also long campaigned for replacing the U.S.-drafted constitution with Japan's own. Koizumi said he hoped the draft would draw public attention and promote debate on a Constitutional revision. "The constitution is an important issue, and we need to get support and understanding from other parties and the public," Koizumi told a group of reporters. "We'll never wage a war, but we should clearly state a possession of troops for self-defense so they're not misunderstood as unconstitutional." Ruling lawmakers will present the final draft to an LDP general assembly in late November, then plan to discuss it further with the party's coalition partner New Komei Party and opposition leaders, an LDP official said on condition of anonymity citing party rules. The approved draft says, "In addition to activities needed for self-defense ... the defense forces can take part in efforts to maintain international peace and security under international cooperation, as well as to keep fundamental public order in our country." The draft also calls for the establishment of a military court. In addition, it proposes to weaken the division between religion and state, a change that could give the prime minister greater freedom to visit a war shrine — a practice that has enraged China and other Asian countries that suffered under Japan's wartime occupation. Critics say the shrine visits glorify militarism. The draft says the state may engage in religious activity "in cases within the boundary of social customs." The present charter totally bans the state from religious activity. The draft leaves intact the status of the emperor as "the symbol of the state" who has no political power. In an effort to calm worries about a resurgence of Japanese militarism, the draft said Japan remains a pacifist nation and renounces the use of military force to settle international disputes. It also limits overseas troop deployment to activities involving international cooperation for global peace and safety. "The draft completely overturned the pacifist principle of the current constitution," said opposition Social Democratic Party leader Mizuho Fukushima, calling it a "serious challenge to postwar democracy and totally unacceptable." But Former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, a member of the party's constitution revision committee, praised the outcome. "Well done ... but there is a room for improvement," he said. "We should produce (a constitution) that passes along Japan's history, culture, tradition and pride to our descendants." Public support for amending the constitution's pacifist clause has grown as Japan tries to raise its international standing. Opinion polls indicate that a majority of Japanese want the constitution changed to more clearly define the military's role and its right to aid allies — but also that most Japanese want to keep the pacifist clause.

Secrets To Visiting A Recruiter

2005-10-26T00:03:00.000-05:00

Recruiters are generally honest and trained professionals, but keep in mind they need you to sign up to meet their goals. Meeting a recruiter should be an informative, stress-free experience. Print these 10 secrets, take them with you, and make sure you're prepared for your interview.
1. Get it in writing. There is no such thing as a verbal promise. Guarantees such as MOS, bonuses, GI Bill, and duty station must be reflected in the enlistment contract.

2. Don't make emotional decisions. Never make the decision on your first or second visit. Take your time. Don't make a snap decision and don't let your emotions influence it.

3. Go with a buddy. Talking to a recruiter by yourself is a bad idea. Take a friend, your parents or someone else you trust. Remember they will try to recruit your buddy too.

4. Can I have the job I want? Most likely. Score well on the Armed Service Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) and you can get the job you want, assuming you meet any other specified criteria, such as physical or security requirements. Keep in mind, however, that certain jobs may not be available due to over manning. In that case, you may want to wait until there is an opening for the job you want. Depending on how important the choice of a particular branch is to you, consider the possibility that another service may be able to offer you the job you want. Practice and take the ASVAB. Consider retesting if you believe you can achieve a better score and qualify for the job you want. Make sure that any guarantees are in the enlistment contract.

5. Can I be stationed where I want? Military people move, but recruiters sometimes offer programs for qualified candidates to start at the base or in the region of their choice.

6. Can I get paid more? If you have special training or education, you could qualify to go in with higher rank and pay than others. Ask the recruiter, as these high-demand specialties change.

7. Can I choose when to start? The delayed entry program is often used to allow high school students to graduate, but it can be used for other reasons, such as training in the spring or fall to avoid extreme weather.

8. How long should I sign up for? The length of your commitment often determines the amount of benefits (like money for college) you'll receive. Make the recruiter spell these out for you. Remember the shortest term possible is generally two years but some job training requires a longer commitment. The service will give you plenty of opportunities to re-enlist, extend your term, or make it a career. Enlisting for two years also makes you eligible for re-enlistment bonuses later and lets you keep your options open down the line.

9. Correct the contract before signing. Typos and errors can cost you money, put you in the wrong job or send you to the wrong place. Get the contract perfect before you sign it. Don't let anyone tell you it can be corrected later.

10. Remember you're signing up to be a soldier, airman, Sailor, Marine or Coast Guardsman. It is important that you are candid and frank with your recruiter. Don't hesitate to ask questions. You should work to get the job you want, but understand that your role as a servicemember comes first. Don't sign up just to get money for college or a job. Be honest with yourself. Serving in the military is not like a regular job. You cannot just quit when the going gets tough. The military requires diligence, dedication and a commitment to teamwork. Remember, your actions could potentially cost or save lives.
Bonus Tip: The Buddy Deal. Services have programs where friends who sign up together can go through training together, be stationed together or even start with advanced rank and pay just because you sign up together.

Are You Ready?

2005-10-20T00:03:00.000-05:00

Click below to take the practice ASVAB test

Provided by Cruel Kev's Military Page

New Tattoo Rules for U.S. Coast Guard

2005-10-18T00:03:00.000-05:00

The Coast Guard has tightened its rules for tattoos for the first time in 30 years in response to the increased popularity of permanent body art. The goal is a more professional appearance for the military branch that has the most contact with the public. "The 1940s, party-hard sailor is not the image we're going for," Chief Petty Officer Keith Alholm, a spokesman in the Coast Guard's Seattle-based 13th District, told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Recruiters have found an increasing number of applicants with "near 100 percent coverage on their arms and/or legs," according to the new policy, which went into effect over the summer. Under the new rules, applicants whose tattoos cover more than 25 percent of an exposed limb will be turned away, the Coast Guard said. The previous standards were more general, prohibiting offensive tattoos but not naming a permissible amount. So far, at least 26 applicants have been rejected under the new policy. There won't be repercussions for most Coast Guard members who already have tattoos. "Our standards dated back to a time when tattooing was restricted to a very small portion of society ... Consequently, there was little need to spell out, in detail, the dos and don'ts of body art," said Cmdr. Wayne Muilenburg, the Washington, D.C.-based chief of the Coast Guard's Policy & Standards Division. Other military branches also have tattoo policies. The Army has long prohibited tattoos that show when the soldier is in uniform. Last spring, it also banned offensive markings "regardless of location on the body." The Navy also bars visible tattoos.

Compare Military Job Choices

2005-10-12T00:03:00.000-05:00

What do you want to do? The military offers many thrilling and rewarding careers within all the branches. While you may think you want to work in one particular branch, you should keep an open mind and know that many of the same jobs are offered within multiple branches.
U.S. Army
212 Military Occupational
Specialties (MOSs) for active duty personnel in such fields as:
Administrative Services

Combat Operations

Electronic Maintenance

Engineering and Construction

Health Care

Intelligence and Electronic Communications

Mechanical Maintenance

Media, Public and Civil Affairs

~*~ ~*~ ~*~
U.S. Navy
Over 100 careers in
such fields as:
Arts and Photography

Aviation

Business Management

Computers

Construction

Education

Electronics

Engineering

Finance and Accounting

Information Technology

Intelligence, Law Enforcement

Legal

Medical and Dental

Music

News and Media

Special Operations

Transportation and Logistics

World Languages
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
U.S. Air Force
Over 150 careers in
such fields as:
Administration

Avionics

Base Operation

Communications

Electronics

Engineering

Flying/Navigation

Information Technology

Intelligence

Medical

Professional

Special Forces

Weapons Systems

~*~ ~*~ ~*~
U.S. Marine Corps
Over 300 MOSs in 35
career fields, including:
Personnel & Administration

Intelligence

Logistics

Engineering

Data/Communications

Transport

Public Affairs

Legal Services

Electronics and Aircraft Maintenance

Avionics

~*~ ~*~ ~*~
U.S. Coast Guard
Over 20 jobs for enlisted personnel in:
Deck and Ordnance

Engineering

Administration

Science

Aviation

Port Security
~*~ ~*~ ~*~

A Excellent Military Opportunity

2005-10-07T00:46:00.000-05:00

Army Secretary Noel Harvey and Gen. Richard Cody, the vice chief of staff, said that the Army is using looser Defense Department rules that permits it to sign up more high school dropouts and people who score lower on mental-qualification tests, but they denied that this meant it was lowering standards. Until Army recruiters began having trouble signing up enough recruits earlier this year, the Army had set minimum standards that were higher than those of the Defense Department. The Army has had a recruiting shortfall of 6,000 to 8,000 soldiers during the past 12 months. It hasn't fallen so short of its annual goal since 1979, several years after the Vietnam War. Harvey and Cody addressed the recruiting issue in news conferences during the annual convention of the Association of the U.S. Army. The Department of Defense "standards on qualification tests call for at least 60 percent Category 1 to 3 [the higher end of testing] and 4 percent Category 4," the lowest end, Harvey said. "The other services follow that standard and the Army National Guard always followed it as well. But the active Army chose a standard of 67 percent in Categories 1-3, and 2 percent Category 4." It now will use the Defense Department guidelines. Cody said that increasing the number of people with General Education Diplomas allowed to enlist in the Army wasn't really a lowering of standards. GEDs are certificates granted in lieu of high school diplomas to dropouts who can pass an examination. The Army's figures show 6.5 percent of all enlisted soldiers held GED certificates at the end of 2004, the last year statistics were available. The Army plans to keep its limit on new soldiers with GEDs at 10 percent in any year. He said the number of soldiers on recruiting duty is increasing from 9,000 to 12,000, and the Army is asking Congress to increase enlistment bonuses from a maximum of $20,000 to a new limit of $40,000 for some who choose branches where there are shortages. The advertising budget for the Army was being boosted by $130 million.

US Pushes Japan To Break Deadlock Over Relocation Of Air Base

2005-10-03T00:03:00.000-05:00

The United States prodded Japan to break a deadlock over the relocation of a key US air base so that an accord on the realignment of American troops in Japan could be forged by November when President George W. Bush visits the country. The relocation of the Futenma Air Base in the southern Japanese island chain of Okinawa is at the center of prolonged negotiations under what is being proposed as a defense transformation realignment pact between the United States and its top ally in Asia. A senior Pentagon official involved in the negotiations told reporters that to break the deadlock, Japan should consider the overall interest of its half a century military alliance with the United States. “The replacement of the Futenma capability is an alliance issue, not an American issue. It is an alliance issue,” stressed Richard Lawless, the deputy undersecretary of defense for Asian and Pacific affairs. He said the United States had rejected a Japanese relocation proposal but did not give details. It is believed that the Japanese wanted to shift the Futenma operations inside Camp Schwaba, a major US Marine base in the Okinawa city of Nago. The Americans sought a smaller facility inside a reef in Henoko district, also in Nago. “We have made our feelings known. We have asked for more information but at the present time, the opportunity that we’re being offered by the Japanese government is not acceptable to us, so the discussions are continuing,” Lawless said. He said both sides knew that “it is absolutely essential” to find a solution based on a promise made by Japan nine years ago -- ”something that is of quality replacement that allows us to sustain that presence for the alliance. “That is why we are saying to the Japanese government -- you undertook this obligation in 1996 to replace Futenma, we’ve been waiting. “It is not our fault, we want you to help us replace Futenma for the benefit of the alliance because the alliance needs this capability, as simple as that,” Lawless told reporters after testifying in the US Senate on US-Japan relations. Okinawa, which accounts for less than one percent of Japan’s land mass, remains the base for 65 percent of the 40,500 US troops in the country, and is next to the potential conflict area of the Taiwan Strait. Okinawa sees frequent protests against the US troops, who are stationed in officially pacifist Japan by treaty, blaming them for noise and crime. Lawless defended the US option, saying it “gives us more in the way of capabilities.” He said the issue must be resolved by November through an interim report containing an “agreement in principles” on all the major issues -- including military “roles, missions, capabilities as well as realignment” of American troops in Japan. “We would like to have it done in an October/November time frame and the final report done no later than four to six months,” he said. “That would suggest that we finish everything up no later than in Spring. “We can’t have an agreement on the major principles without resolving the Futenma issue,” he said. President Bush is widely expected to visit Japan in the middle of November before attending a summit meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum on November 18-19. Relations between Japan and the United States have strengthened considerably since Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi took office just after Bush was elected to his first term in office in 2000. The two key pending bilateral issues are Japan’s reluctance to lift a 21-month-old ban on US beef imports, and the relocation of the air base. Aside from providing logistics support to US troops in Iraq, Japan is a key participant in the US-led Proliferation Security Initiative and is involved in a US ballistic missile defense project.

Famous Veterans

2005-09-30T00:03:00.000-05:00

Alan Alda
Actor, Director, Screenwriter
Former Army Reserve Gunner

Former President Bush
Former Naval Aviator Lieutenant
(j.g.), U.S. Navy

Tony Bennett
Singer
Former Private, U.S. Army

Drew Carey
Comedian, Actor
Former U.S Marine

Johnny Carson
Host of the Tonight Show
Former Ensign, U.S. Navy

Bill Cosby
Actor
Former Hospital Corpsman,
U.S. Navy

Clint Eastwood
Actor, Director
Former Instructor, U.S. Army

Jocelyn Elders
Former Surgeon General
Former Second Lieutenant
Army Medical Specialist Corps

Malcolm Forbes
Publisher, Multimillionaire
Former Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army

R. Buckminster Fuller
Inventor/Engineer
Former Ensign, U.S. Navy

Rocky Marciano
Heavyweight Boxing Champion
Former Enlisted, U.S. Army

Chuck Norris
Actor, Martial Arts Champion
Former U.S. Air Force

Shaggy
Reggae/Pop Superstar
Former U.S. Marine

Fred W. Smith
CEO FedEx
Former Comminsioned Officer,
U.S. Marine Corps

George Steinbrenner
Baseball Executive, Businessman
Former General's Aid,
U.S. Air Force

Dave Thomas
Founder & CEO of Wendy's
Former Staff Sergeant,
U.S. Army

Charles Walgreen
Pharmacist, Drug Store Chain
Owner, Former Enlisted,
1st Illinois Volunteer Cavalry
(Spanish-American War)

George Westinghouse
Inventor, Engineer, Businessman
Former Engineer, Union Navy
(Civil War)

Montel Williams
Talkshow Host, Motivational
Speaker
Former Lieutenant, Naval
Security Fleet Support Division

Marines in Spaaaaaace!

2005-09-23T00:03:00.000-05:00

"After three years of being laughed out of meetings, the U.S. Marine Corps' futuristic plans to deploy through space may finally be getting some traction," notes Aviation Week's spunky new spin-off, Defense Technology International. Although the chuckle factor hasn't altogether disappeared, the Air Force Research Laboratory and Darpa are beginning a study of options for a reusable upper-stage space travel vehicle -- the same kind of technology that the Marines might need for a ride halfway across the globe. The effort is called "Hot Eagle," and it could be the first step forward in the Marine Corps' hopes for space travel. Within minutes of bursting into the atmosphere beyond the speed of sound -- and dispatching that ominous sonic boom -- a small squad of Marines could be on the ground and ready to take care of business within 2 hours. [One presentation muses that the capsule might later be picked up by a Osprey or by a "balloon cable and C-17" transport plane. Or, the Marines might "hike out," and "leave [the] crew capsule behind." -- ed.] The Marine Corps calls the concept the Small Unit Space Transport and Insertion Capability (Sustain). This plan, a growing group of Marine supporters say, is the natural evolution of the service's proclivity for expeditionary warfare that began decades ago with amphibious landings... The concept is to deliver strategic equipment or a small squad of soldiers to any point on the globe -- even the most hard-to-reach location -- within hours of need. Once on the ground, those soldiers can carry out strategically critical missions like reconnaissance or destroying a specific target.

Merger Of Dental Techs Into Navy's Hospital Corpsman Field Set For Oct. 1

2005-09-21T00:03:00.000-05:00

Oct. 1 has been set as the date to merge the dental technician rating into the hospital corpsman field rating, the Navy has announced. Dental Technician 3RD Class Petty Officer / Hospital Corpsmen 3RD Class Petty Officer Combining the fields shifts some 2,800 dental technicians into the more than 23,000-strong hospital corpsmen field, according to Navy Bureau of Medicine Force Master Chief Petty Officer Jackie DiRosa. With the merger comes new training, DiRosa said, providing sailors with the two ratings’ basic skills and knowledge. Now, hospital corpsmen and dental technicians learn the manuals for each others’ jobs from recruits through petty officers first class. Senior enlisted ranks have additional Web-based training. Active-duty and full-time support personnel have until July 30 to complete the training; those in the Reserves have until July 30, 2007. “Dental technicians are going to have the most to learn,” DiRosa said. “But this training is going to bridge the gap between the two ratings … give them the foundational skills of being a hospital corpsmen. They’ll have to show they are proficient in basic lifesaving skills." DiRosa said the dental assistant job still will be there; it’s just now one of 46 specialties within the hospital corpsman field. To make a smooth transition, she said, training at the Navy’s schools had to be revamped. The new 14-week hospital corpsman “A” school with a dental assistant training package kicked off at Naval Hospital Corps School, Great Lakes, Ill., in early August. A new six-week dental school for those who wish to specialize in the field was designed; the first class should start in November, DiRosa said, adding the Navy will train about 250 dental-assistant corpsmen each year. Training for Navy dental technicians was held at a joint military school at Shepherd Air Force Base, Texas. Seaman April Rogers, a dental technician at U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa, said the merger means “it will be easier for current dental techs to transfer to other specialties — say biomedical — that would have been a little more challenging under the current system. … I will still be working as a dental tech but will have more exposure to medical training.” Petty Officer 2nd Class Stephanie Santiago, a laboratory technician at the hospital, said the change gives more options but also will make getting promoted more difficult. “The merger will allow more diversity for new corpsmen coming into the career field,” she said. “As HMs, we are already required to have dental training and will be learning more to be competitive for advancement. Petty Officer 2nd Class Stephanie Santiago, U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa laboratory technician, prepares a sample of blood for testing. Santiago will be affected by the dental technician and hospital corpsman rate mergers.
… The merger will probably be hardest on the current dental technicians who will be required to train more in depth on medical procedures. Regardless, it will be more difficult competitively.” DiRosa said corpsmen who study and meet their requirements will be competitive and have equal opportunities for promotion. “It’s a win-win overall,” she said. “The Navy and Marine Corps benefit because we will now have greater flexibility and utilization of all our manpower assigned to the Marine Corps. … This increases our pool of available deployable corpsmen.”

Air Force Microsatellite Passes Key First Tests

2005-09-16T00:03:00.000-05:00

XSS-11 successfully completes series of orbital rendezvous maneuvers Orbiting Earth for six months, the U.S. Air Force XSS-11 (Experimental Satellite System-11) has achieved an early objective—to rendezvous with other space hardware. The small, low-cost spacecraft was developed by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Space Vehicles Directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. The XSS-11 is shaking out technology and techniques for future military space purposes, be it for in-space servicing and repair of other satellites to up-close inspection of objects in space. The XSS-11 was rocketed into space on April 11 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California atop an Orbital Sciences Minotaur booster. Launched in April, the Air Force XSS-11 microsatellite is testing technologies useful for space servicing and inspection — capabilities helpful for both military and civilian objectives.Maneuvers to upper stage
XSS-11 has flown repeat rendezvous maneuvers with the Minotaur upper stage that deposited it into orbit, reported Harold “Vern” Baker, AFRL’s XSS-11 program manager. “The satellite is doing outstanding,” and has accomplished “a significant milestone.” Baker told SPACE.com that the XSS-11 is carrying out “passively safe trajectories” to repeatedly reach the Minotaur upper stage. The Air Force experimental spacecraft approached the spent stage, maneuvering to as close as about 1,640 feet (500 meters) distance. “We do have some imagery” of the upper stage taken by XSS-11, Baker said. That data is still being reduced and reviewed, he added. The up-close look-see produced no surprises, Baker said, but there was “a lot of excitement when it happened.” XSS-11 is outdoing an earlier shakeout test satellite, the XSS-10. That spacecraft flew a 20-hour mission in January 2003, inspecting and navigating around the Delta 2 second stage that placed XSS-10 into orbit.
Next objective
Baker said that the XSS-11 may remain in its present phase of testing over the next 8 to 12 weeks before controllers plan for the next rendezvous. Its next operation depends on the completion of its current work, and what space hardware is reachable given fuel efficient maneuvers, Baker said. “Our fuel consumption has been extremely good,” Baker explained. “We’ve used about 10 percent of our fuel so far” after being in orbit for six months, he said. Baker said that the propellant onboard the XSS-11 should allow the vehicle to accomplish its mission. “We expect to go for another year,” he explained. Orbiting space hardware that might be reached by XSS-11 includes derelict rocket bodies and several old satellites. Selected objects are all dead or inactive property and U.S.-owned. For example, XSS-11 operators were considering a rendezvous in the near-term with an old Thor upper stage. “That was within the next three weeks, so we probably won’t go see it. We’ll wait for another one,” Baker said.
Air Force space technology
Baker said that XSS-11 is the best satellite he’s ever flown. The comment is made all the more sweeter given the total project cost: $82 million, including launch, operations, the spacecraft itself, and all the ground control hardware, Baker noted. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company near Denver, Colorado is AFRL’s structure, propulsion and systems support contractor for XSS-11. The groundwork for an XSS-12 mission – still to be fully defined – is already in motion. Perhaps by year’s end, Baker explained, the duties of such a follow-on satellite may be clear. To further hone Air Force space technology, not all progress depends on XSS-type satellites. “We’re a lab dedicated to developing technologies needed by the Air Force for future missions,” Baker said. Those needs could mean anything, he said, from docking, servicing, inspection to imaging.
RoadRunner and DSX
One such project in the works is RoadRunner, an experimental satellite that will have gone from concept to launch ready within 18 months. Loaded with hardware, RoadRunner equipment would collect radio, radar, and handheld communication signals. It would also tote a telescope to demonstrate low-cost, high-quality photography for use by war fighters in the field. This experimental satellite would show off autonomous operations attributes using a sophisticated autopilot system. Along with RoadRunner is the Demonstration and Science Experiments (DSX) satellite, once dubbed the Deployable Structures Experiment. Areas to be advanced by DSX involve conducting persistent global and tactical radar operations from medium Earth orbit; try out enhanced military satellite-based communication; and chart out how future Department of Defense responsive satellite platforms can best be protected from space weather phenomenon. Both RoadRunner and DSX are AFRL efforts.

Pentagon Overestimated Base Closing Savings

2005-09-14T00:03:00.000-05:00

A federal commission approved all but 14 percent of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's recommendations for closing or consolidating U.S. military bases _ but it also took issue with the plan in a final report sent to President Bush. The nine-member panel said the Pentagon overestimated savings by $30 billion and that some of the proposals for streamlining the Army, Navy and Air Force might have made the services less efficient.Also, the commission questioned whether the restructuring should have been postponed until a major review of the national defense strategy was finished. The president now must decide whether to accept the panel's plan. Last month, Bush, using the commission's nickname, told reporters: "In order for the process to be nonpolitical, it's very important to make it clear that the decision of BRAC will stand, as far as I am concerned." Bush could reject the report altogether or send it back to the commission for more changes. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman would not say whether Rumsfeld, who has expressed reservations about some of the commission's changes, will recommend approval or rejection of the report. Overall, the commission signed off on roughly 86 percent of what Rumsfeld recommended. That's on par with previous years, when commissions changed only about 15 percent of what the Pentagon proposed. After Congress receives the report from the president, lawmakers have 45 days to block it. The report will become law unless the House and the Senate pass a joint resolution objecting to it. That has never occurred in previous base-closing rounds. The Pentagon has claimed its plan would save about $49 billion over 20 years, but the commission said in its final report that the Pentagon wrongly attributed most of the savings to the relocation of 26,830 military personnel to other facilities. Agreeing with an earlier assessment by the Government Accountability Office, the commission said taxpayers would not see actual savings simply by moving personnel from one base to another. Those workers' jobs would have to be eliminated for savings to be realized, it said. If the personnel "savings" were not included, the commission said, the Pentagon plan would save only $19 billion. While the Pentagon aimed to increase "jointness" among the service branches by streamlining operations and support across the Army, Navy and Air Force, "very few of the hundreds of proposals increased jointness, and some actually decreased or removed joint and cross-service connections," the panel said in the report. It said Rumsfeld's recommendations "will not move the ball across the jointness goal line" but that the commission's changes "will help move the ball down the field." The commission also said the completion of the upcoming report on national defense strategy, called the Quadrennial Defense Review, "may have better informed and assisted the commission in making its final decisions." The panel suggested that future rounds of base closings should be done only after such major strategic reviews are finished.

Navy Pilots Told To Stick To Supply Mission After Rescuing Storm Victims

2005-09-12T00:03:00.000-05:00

Two Navy helicopter pilots who rescued more than 100 civilians in New Orleans last week were reminded, but not reprimanded, by their commander that their primary mission was to resupply rescuers on the ground, a Navy spokesman said. Two women are rescued by a US Navy helicopter 05 September 2005, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Two navy helicopter pilots who rescued more than 100 civilians in New Orleans last week were reminded, but not reprimanded, by their commander that their primary mission was to resupply rescuers on the ground, a Navy spokesman said The New York Times reported that the pilots, Lieutenant David Shand and Lieutenant Matt Udkow, were chided by their air operations commander for rescuing civilians when their assignment was to resupply military operations along the gulf coast. The Times said Udkow was temporarily taken out of the flying rotation and assigned to oversee a kennel that was set up to take care of pets of service members evacuees from hurricane damaged areas. A Navy spokesman at the Pensacola Naval Air Station, where the pilots were based, said they had flown eight missions since the incident last Tuesday. Udkow "was never taken off any mission," Lieutenant Jim Hoeft said by telephone from Pensacola. He said the pilot had volunteered to oversee the kennel as a side duty. "Our number one focus is to save lives, and these pilots are to be commended for what they did. In fact the air operations boss commended them for what they did. Nobody was reprimanded for their participation in these rescue efforts," Hoeft said. "What he did do -- and this is important for everybody in the military -- is he reminded them of what their primary mission was," he said. "We have search and rescue teams in place, and those teams are going out and performing rescues. Those guys have to be resupplied, and that was the primary mission of these helicopters," he said. The incident occurred August 30, the day the levees gave, flooding New Orleans. The military has since come under fire for being slow to respond in the days immediately after the flooding. Shand and Udkow were returning in their Navy H-3 helicopter from delivering supplies to the Stennis Space Center near the Mississippi coast when they heard a Coast Guard radio transmission calling for helicopters to help with a rescue mission at the University of New Orleans. Out of radio range with Pensacola, they responded to the call without getting permission from their air operations commander. Soon they were plucking civilians off the roof of a house; then they landed on an apartment building to pick up other stranded people. They ferried to safety others who had gathered on a bridge. During a refueling stop at a Coast Guard station, they called Pensacola and received permission to continue the rescue operations, the Times said. The next morning, though, the Navy air operations chief at Pensacola, Commander Michael Holdener, told them that while rescuing civilians was laudable the lengthy rescue effort was an unacceptable diversion from their main mission, according to the Times. "We all want to be the guys who rescue people," the Times quoted Holdener as saying. "But they were told we have other missions we have to do right now and that is not the priority."
Thanks to Michael Krulik for the heads up on this story.

Joining The Military

2005-09-10T00:03:00.000-05:00

Your Decision
Your decision to join the U.S. Military will have life-changing implications. The lessons you learn in the military about yourself and the world around you will make an indelible impression on you for life. Below are a few facts, observations, musings, and more to help you in your decision about joining the military.
Background
The U.S. Military is charged with protecting the United States of America, and protecting the interests of the U.S. worldwide through the use of military force and persuasion. By joining the U.S. Military you will be part of that effort.

The military, of course, is not a civilian job. If you join, you should be prepared to take up arms against enemies of the United States. For example, the basic mission of the Marine Rifle Squad is "TO LOCATE, CLOSE WITH, AND DESTROY THE ENEMY BY FIRE AND MANEUVER, OR REPEL THE ENEMY'S ASSAULT BY FIRE AND CLOSE COMBAT. Not exactly like working in a cubicle! Many reservists and military personnel in support roles are finding out in Iraq that you don't have to be in a Marine Rifle Squad to find combat action.
Reasons for Joining
There are many good reasons to join the military:
Duty to Country
The anti-communist writer Robert Heinlein, in his book Starship Troopers (the original book, not the movie), commented on the differences between a citizen (civilian) and a soldier: "The difference lies in the field of civic virtue. A soldier accepts personal responsibility for the safety of the body politic of which he is a member, defending it, if need be, with his life. The civilian does not."
Personal Development
A Marine recruiting poster says it best: "MARINES MAKE MEN - BODY, MIND, SPIRIT."
Get an Education
The military academies provide a college degree free of charge. Enlisted personnel can earn up to $50,000 in financial assistance towards a college degree and other post-high school education. Benefits
VA home loans, veteran's franchise programs and other benefits will help you throughout life.
Travel
A popular U.S. Navy recruiting slogan says "JOIN THE NAVY - SEE THE WORLD."
Career
Join at age 18, serve twenty years, and retire at age 38!
Career Development
Gain valuable experience for civilian jobs. From military police to space science applications in the U.S. Air Force, you can gain valuable job experience in a wide variety of fields. Many officers use their military experience as a springboard to the corporate world or specialized government positions such as those in the ATF, CIA, FBI, State Department, etc.
Learn Life Lessons
Thomas E. Ricks, a civilian reporter for the Wall Street Journal, followed a group of Marine recruits from boot camp to graduation. These experiences formed the basis of his book Making the Corps. He found that the military does a better job in teaching life's important lessons than does for example the average American high school:
- Tell the truth
- Do your best, no how trivial the task
- Choose the difficult right over the easy wrong
- Don't pursue happiness, pursue excellence
- Money isn't the measure of a man, a person's real wealth is his character. Preparing for the Military
One of the many words of wisdom you may hear in the military are the "Seven Ps": "Prior Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance." This statement should certainly be heeded in preparations for the military. A few hints:
1. Find the right military job for you. There are hundreds of military occupational specialties to pick from. Do your research, then talk to a recruiter. And then get it in your contract.
2. Realize that military jobs are military jobs, not civilian jobs. Remember Pauly Shore in the movie In The Army Now? His movie character's experience at cleaning swimming pools in civilian life didn't exactly translate into his military job of water purification in the desert!
3. Double check the info you receive from your recruiter with someone you trust who has served in the military. Recruiters have been known to "stretch the truth" from time to time.
4. Prepare yourself physically. Don't waste your time, and the military's, by reporting to boot camp or military school out of shape. If you are too out of shape to train with the others you may be placed in a separate remedial physical fitness program. In boot camp, placement in such a program will delay your graduation. Boot camp is generally not a fun place to be, and you will want to graduate in the shortest possible time.
5. Prepare yourself mentally. To maximize your opportunities in the military you will want to score as high as possible on military entrance examinations such as the ASVAB. Many jobs in the military require certain minimum scores on these exams. There are many study guides available - do your homework before taking the test(s).
Surviving Basic Training
Seven tips to help you make it through boot camp.
1. Have a positive attitude. Your time at boot camp will be one of the defining moments of your life. Make the best of it. Make yourself proud - do the right thing and you'll have something positive to remember for life. Moreover, inevitably there will be a few who develop bad attitudes about the situation. Don't buy into their negativity.
2. Just do it! Believe it or not, there's a purpose for every silly thing you do in boot camp. Diligently comply with all of your instructor's commands. U.S. military drill instructors/sergeants are consummate professionals - the best in the world at what they do.
3. Remember, it's not personal. Your drill instructors/sergeants will find some of the most obscenely funny things to say about you. But they don't really mean it, usually. At first, you will probably hate your instructors/sergeants, not believing that God could have created such vile persons. However, by the end of training, you might just have a grudging admiration for their efforts.
4. Don't eat anything you have been ordered not to eat, or you'll be eating a lot of it! Example: A private was caught eating the candy bar from an MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) during field training. Since the recruits had already been ordered not to eat candy bars, and the forbidden candy bars had already been collected by the drill instructors, there was a ready supply at hand for punishment. "So you want to eat candy, well here's a few hundred bars - start eating." The rest of the platoon had to watch while the poor guy had to eat candy bar after candy bar until there was chocolate oozing from his mouth and running down his khakis. After that, he was known simply as "the candy man."
5. Don't draw undue attention to yourself: Unless you're a glutton for punishment or like living on the edge, do not volunteer for anything. (Attention at basic training is rarely good.)
6. Help your buddies: In basic training, you'll probably hear about the importance of teamwork in the military and that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. If your buddy is struggling in a particular area, give them a hand.
7. Don't Worry: Though basic training may seem impossibly hard at first, remember that it is a process that has been successfully completed by millions of other people before you. In fact, as hard as it may seem, the drill instructors/sergeants want you to succeed and graduate - the military needs people and they don't bring people to boot camp just for harassment. Also, some people prior to boot camp are worried that their fellow recruits will all be six foot four inch blonde Marine killing machines. Although there is sometimes such a person in each recruit platoon, you'll be relieved to know that most recruits are average Americans - short, tall, overweight, underweight, country, city, bright, dumb - and most of them will be just as scared or concerned as you are about what faces them at basic training.

Military Crack Down On Internet Shenanigans

2005-09-04T00:03:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Army is warning soldiers that posting photos on their Web logs may inadvertently reveal "vulnerabilities and tactics," and "needlessly place lives at risk." Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker circulated a memo to all Army personnel last week saying that "we must do a better job" at operational security -- "OPSEC" in military parlance."Some soldiers continue to post sensitive information" on the Internet and especially on their Web logs or online diaries, wrote Schoomaker, giving as examples "photos depicting weapon system vulnerabilities and tactics, techniques and procedures. "Such OPSEC violations needlessly place lives at risk and degrade the effectiveness of our operations," he wrote. Schoomaker promised that amendments to Army regulations would be promulgated within a month, and that officers would have access to new training materials on the issue by Sept. 2. In the meantime, he ordered Army staff at the Pentagon to "tracks and report, on a quarterly basis, (such) OPSEC violations." "Get the word out and focus on this issue now," Gen. Schoomaker concluded. "I expect to see immediate improvement." A copy of the memo was posted on the Web by Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists, who edits the e-newsletter Secrecy News. Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col. Tracy O'Grady-Walsh told United Press International it was Department of Defense policy that military personnel, "while acting in a private capacity ... have the right to prepare information for public release through non-Department of Defense forums or media" so long as they did it in their own time and with their own equipment, and did not use "information generally not available to the public." But, she added, parts of the military "are permitted to issue additional guidance to their personnel as long as it doesn't conflict with" Pentagon policy. In Iraq, for instance, soldiers already have to register their blogs, as the popular online diaries are called, and are forbidden from revealing classified data, naming casualties until after their families have been informed, or writing about incidents that are being investigated. At least one soldier has already fallen afoul of the current restrictions. Arizona National Guard Spec. Leonard Clark was last month fined $1,640 and demoted to private for violating two provisions of the Uniform Military Code of Justice by posting what the military said was classified material on his blog. Other U.S. military personnel who have Web logs reacted in different ways to Schoomaker's announcement, with some applauding the move and others more cautious, fretting that this might herald a new era of restrictions. The Army intelligence officer who blogs as Blackfive wrote on his site that he had seen little in the way of descriptions of tactics "that could not be found in an Army manual from an Army-Navy surplus store or on E-Bay." Nonetheless, he warned that "Military bloggers must now be very, very aware that one mistake might, at best, get all of the MilBloggers shut down, and, at worst, cost lives," Blackfive concluded, using the shorthand terminology for military online diarists.The retired military blogger who calls himself "John, the armorer and master of Castle Argghhh," advises fellow bloggers to check with senior officers if they have any doubt about posting something. "We can talk all day about the pros and cons of what's more important, the flow of information, or the hoarding of it," John wrote in a post last week, "but the point is that the active duty milbloggers (and those of us who hold clearances, regardless) need to keep an eye on what we post and how it's sourced -- because the Chief just told all our bosses to keep an eye on it...." "Remember," he continued, "the (chief of staff of the Army) just kicked your bosses in the teeth, which means the weaker of them are going to go overboard in erring on the side of caution, which means pressure on you. Maintain a 360 scan guys, and when in doubt - don't post it. Ask," he concluded. Army spokesman Lt. Col. Paul Pierett told UPI that battalion security officers, or in smaller units, the unit commander, had the authority and the training to review blog posts and other communications before they were sent, to make sure there were no violations of OPSEC. O'Grady-Walsh said blogging was only one of the ways that troops were using new technologies innovatively. Others included cell phones with cameras and the establishment of unit Web sites. She said the department was trying to exploit "the communications technologies (that) are changing the very fabric of our societies ... and the way our young people think and interact." She added that the use of official blogs as a "collaborative tool" had "become an integral part of current practices at all levels of the department." But Blackfive suggested that the unprecedented access troops had off-duty to the Web was part of the "experiment in expeditionary force theory" represented by Operation Iraqi Freedom. He gloomily predicted that "in the future, military blogging will be severely restricted" with senior officers deciding that the experiment was "risking much more than they are gaining." A note from Schoomaker's deputy, Gen. Richard Cody, circulated with his memo, spells out that risk. Cody's note says that Iraqi insurgents and foreign jihadists are using pictures -- of roadside bomb strikes, firefights, injured or dead U.S. soldiers or enemy and destroyed or damaged vehicles and other equipment -- "as propaganda and terrorist training tools.""The enemy is actively searching the unclassified (computer) networks for information, especially sensitive photos, in order to obtain targeting data, weapons system vulnerabilities, and (tactics, techniques and procedures) for use against the coalition," he wrote. He gave as an example the fact that "annotated photos of an Abrams tank penetrated by (a rocket propelled grenade) are easily found on the internet." "By showing the effect on a vehicle that way, you are revealing its vulnerabilities," Pierett said. "NETCOM tracks who is on the (military's public computer) networks," wrote John, referring to the Army's Network Enterprise Technology Command, "and the Jihadis are there, reading, sharing, learning."

Base-Closing Panel Wraps Up Work

2005-08-31T00:03:00.000-05:00

A federal commission wrapped up its review of the Defense Department's plan to close and consolidate domestic military bases, having made changes that it acknowledged would save billions less than the Pentagon's nearly $50 billion estimated savings. Chairman Anthony Principi said the panel successfully balanced "proposals to restructure military infrastructure against the human and painful impact of those proposals." Commissioner Harold Gehman added, "We worked really hard to find the right answers." Only five of the nine commission members were present to make closing remarks on the final day of four days of deliberations. The Saturday session, simply a formality, lasted only 30 minutes. The hard work was completed Friday, as the panel took up two of the Pentagon's most contentious proposals. It dealt the Pentagon setbacks in both cases. Rejecting Air Force proposals, the commission crafted its own shake-up of the Air National Guard and voted to keep open Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. By Sept. 8, the panel must send its final report to President Bush, who can accept it, reject it or send it back for revisions. Congress also will have a chance to veto the plan in its entirety, but it has gone along with four previous rounds of base closings. If ultimately approved, the changes would occur over the next six years. The Pentagon proposed closing or consolidating a record 62 major military bases and 775 smaller installations to save $48.8 billion through 2025, make the services more efficient and reposition the armed forces. But the commission - which cast doubt on the Pentagon's savings projections - said its changes would lower the estimated savings to $37 billion over two decades. Commissioners said the estimate could be as low as $14 billion when dollars the Pentagon says would be saved by the transfers of military personnel from one base to another were excluded. The commission has long questioned that accounting method, saying it didn't free up real dollars that could be spent elsewhere. Principi called the numbers "very preliminary." He and his panel worked into the evening Friday as members concluded the high-stakes decisions that brought sighs of relief or exasperation from communities across America. Dealing with Air Guard proposals, commissioners shuffled personnel and aircraft around dozens of units - both large and small - in states from coast to coast as they saw fit. They said their plan distributed aircraft around the country more evenly to ensure homeland security is not hampered. "We have established more flying units than the secretary recommended, but we still could not get a flying unit in every state," Gehman said. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's plan had called for nearly 30 Air Guard units scattered around many states to lose their aircraft and flying missions, prompting howls of protests from governors and a few lawsuits. The commission's proposal restored planes to some units, and in doing so, kept open some Air Guard and Reserve bases that would have closed under the Pentagon plan. Weeks ago, the panel - worried about negative impacts on homeland security - asked that an alternative plan be crafted jointly by the Air Force, the National Guard and state adjutants general who oversee Air Guard units on behalf of governors. When that effort failed, commissioners said they had no choice but to come up with a solution on their own. The panel began work on the Air Guard plan just as a federal judge in Philadelphia ruled that the Pentagon lacks the authority to close a unit located at the Willow Grove Naval Air Station in Pennsylvania without Gov. Ed Rendell's approval. The judge declared the plan for that unit "null and void." Aware of the ruling, the commission labored on anyway - and twice voted on the fate of Willow Grove. Ultimately, it decided to close the base, but to keep intact the Air Guard unit that was subject to the lawsuit and create an Army Guard and Reserve center. However, that unit would have no aircraft. Commissioners denied that the lawsuit affected their ruling. The decision to spare Ellsworth Air Force Base was a blessing for South Dakotans, who feared losing some 4,000 jobs, and a victory for Republican Sen. John Thune and the state's other politicians, who lobbied vigorously against closure. Thune unseated then-Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle last year partly on the strength of his claim that he would be better positioned to help save the base. "This fight was not about me," Thune said after the vote. "This whole decision was about the merits. It had nothing to do with the politics." The commission found that closing Ellsworth wouldn't save any money over 20 years and actually would cost nearly $20 million to move the planes to the Texas base. The Pentagon had projected saving $1.8 billion over two decades.

One-Year Open Enrollment For SBP

2005-08-26T00:03:00.000-05:00

The Department of Defense announced today that military retirees, who opted out of some or all their Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) coverage, will have another opportunity to elect coverage during a one-year open enrollment period from Oct. 1, 2005 through Sept. 30, 2006. Upon a retiree’s death, SBP provides an annuity of up to 55 percent of the military retired pay. Until recently, the annuity for a surviving spouse age 62 or older was reduced to 35 percent to reflect the availability of Social Security benefits. This reduction will phase out by April 2008, and the full 55 percent benefit will be paid regardless of the spouse’s age in accordance with the Fiscal 2005 National Defense Authorization Act. Current non-participants will be able to elect any coverage they could have elected previously upon retiring from active service or upon receiving notification of eligibility for reserve retired pay at age 60. If they have a reduced election, they may increase their coverage. A participant with child only coverage may add a spouse or former spouse to their coverage, and a member may add child coverage to spouse or former spouse coverage. But those who took SBP coverage and later elected to terminate that coverage are not eligible to make an open enrollment election. Open enrollment elections require a lump sum buy-in premium as well as future monthly premiums. The lump sum equates to all back premiums, plus interest, from the date of original eligibility to make an election plus any amount needed to protect the Military Retirement Fund. The latter amount applies almost exclusively to those paying fewer than seven years of back payments. The lump sum buy-in premium can be paid over a two-year period. Monthly premiums for spouse or former spouse coverage will be 6.5 percent of the coverage elected, the same premium paid by those currently enrolled. Reserve component members under age 60 and not yet eligible for retired pay do not pay back premiums or interest, but must pay a monthly SBP premium "add-on" once their retired pay starts. Elections are effective the first day of the month after the election is received, but no earlier than Oct. 1, 2005. An election is void if the retiree dies in the two years following an election and all premiums are refunded to the designated survivor. To make an open enrollment election, a retiree must complete and submit a DD Form 2656-9, "Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) and Reserve Component Survivor Benefit Plan (RCSBP) Open Enrollment Election." The form is available electronically at www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/infomgt/forms/eforms/dd2656-9.pdf For assistance with the form, members should contact the retiree activities office for their service. Mail the completed form to the address specified on the form. Applicants will be formally notified of their cost and have 30 days from the date of the notice to cancel the election by notifying the Defense Finance and Accounting Service or the reserve component, as applicable, in writing.

Coast Guard Special Missions Training

2005-08-22T00:03:00.000-05:00

Coast Guardsmen of the Special Missions Training Center at Camp Lejeune, N.C. recently trained servicemembers from throughout the Coast Guard on Maritime Security tactics to prepare them for possible real-world endeavors both in the United States and abroad. A port security instructor for the SMTC said they are trying to transition these people from doing their normal day-to-day jobs, such as being mechanics and electricians, into becoming operational port security Coast Guardsmen. It was not exactly a smooth transition in the beginning, but it turned out well in the end. “It is a difficult task to take your everyday Coast Guardsman whose background is law enforcement or a job in the mechanic field and make him or her think about topics such as locating, closing with, and destroying the enemy,” said PS2 Emilio Quintana, Port Security Division, SMTC. Other training given at the SMTC included an Over The Horizon course and a Transportable Port Security Boat course. This TPSB course is the first of its kind handled by the SMTC. Until recently, the majority of the courses put on by the training center have been Coast Guard courses with Coast Guard students, taught by Coast Guard instructors. However, due to some drastic changes in today’s world, the idea of using force protection and antiterrorism tactics has become more frequent, and interoperability between services has become paramount while operating in a real world environment. “Our number one rule here is ‘all of us are better than one of us,’” said BM1 Bill Eppright, lead TPSB instructor at SMTC. “The Navy guys, like the Coast Guard guys, want to be the best at what they do.” “I believe that we here at SMTC feel that interoperability is the key to the military’s future. It’s a crucial aspect of our efforts to effectively guard our assets both within the United States and abroad,” said BM3 Scott Brown, SMTC. “More likely than not, we [Coast Guard/Navy] will be running into each other in the future and it’s important to be on the same sheet of music so we can accomplish the mission.” The Over The Horizon course wrapped up with students from two West Coast-based cutters, the CGCs Munro and Sherman. “One of the most important things these people can take away from this training is to know how to execute any mission they’ll be given,” said BM2 Robert Truttier, Fast Boat Division, SMTC. “More importantly, this course is about confidence building, not only for the guys driving the boat, but for the entire crew including the engineers, the gunner’s mates and the other crewmembers.” “The training we received here is top of the line,” said BM3 Corey Bradshaw, CGC Sherman. “As for the rest of the students and for myself, I can guarantee that we all now have the ability to chase down a fast mover in any condition.”
Coast Guard Enlisted Job

AMT -
Aviation Maintenance Technician

AST -
Aviation Survival Technician

AV -
Avionics Technician

BM -
Boatswain's Mate

DC -
Damage Controlman

EM -
Electrician's Mate

ET -
Electronics Technician

FS -
Food Service Specialist

GM -
Gunner's Mate

HS -
Health Services Technician

IT - Information
Systems Technician

IV -
Investigator

MK -
Machinery Technician

MST -
Marine Science Technician

MU -
Musician

OS - Operations
Specialist (OS)

PA -
Public Affairs Specialist

PS -
Port Security Specialist

SK -
Storekeeper

YN -
Yeoman

Base-Closing Panel Struggles With Plan

2005-08-15T00:03:00.000-05:00

The Pentagon does not need the consent of governors to move Air National Guard units in their states, the Justice Department has concluded, less than two weeks before an independent commission must decide which parts of the Defense Department's base-closing plan to change. Giving governors what would amount to veto power over the Pentagon's plans, at least with respect to National Guard units, would undermine a process created by Congress to reduce the role of politics in deciding which bases to close, the department said in response to a lawsuit filed by the state of Pennsylvania. Illinois has filed a similar lawsuit, arguing that the Pentagon doesn't have the authority to move units without the approval of the governors, who share control with the president over the units' use. In siding with the Pentagon, Justice lawyers said Pennsylvania is asking to return "to a system in which local politics, rather than national planning, determined which facilities were closed and which were spared." The proposed Air Guard changes have emerged as the most contentious part of the base-closing plan. When the nine-member commission meets later this month, Chairman Anthony Principi said it "will be compelled to exercise its best judgment" on whether to sign off on the plan to shake up dozens of Air Guard units. During a hearing Thursday, Principi questioned whether the Air Guard plan would mean new risks for the United States' domestic security. "We're proposing taking aircraft out of a number of states, eliminating all of the assets out of certain states and dramatically reducing them in other states," he said before asking Pentagon officials to consider the consequences to security on the homefront. Defense officials tried to reassure Principi and other skeptical commissioners. "Our responsibilities to support the Department of Homeland Security in their homeland security mission are not impacted adversely by this beyond a level of acceptable risk," Peter Verga, a deputy assistant secretary of defense, told commissioners. Adm. Timothy Keating, commander of the U.S. Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, said: "It poses no unacceptable risk." Commissioners appeared unconvinced. "That's not exactly a wholehearted endorsement," Harold Gehman, a retired Navy admiral, said. The Air Guard proposal has emerged as the most contentious part of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's proposal to close, shrink or expand hundreds of military bases and other installations nationwide. So Principi gave the Pentagon and states one last chance to argue their cases about it before the panel sends its final report to President Bush next month. The plan calls for shifting people, equipment and aircraft among at least 54 sites where Air Guard units now are stationed. Roughly two dozen sites would expand, while about 30 would be closed or downsized. In many cases, units would continue to exist but no planes would be assigned to them. The Air Force says units without planes would receive new non-flying missions and also would retain their roles in supporting the needs of governors during statewide emergencies. For their part, state adjutants general, who oversee the Air Guard in the states, argued that the plan would prevent units from fulfilling their homeland security missions, including protecting the skies and supporting governors in state emergencies. Maj. Gen. Roger Lempke, president of the Adjutants General Association of the United States, said the proposal would take the Air National Guard down an uncertain path, leading to a "ripple effect on personnel, readiness and an inability to support homeland security needs, which in our view would be irreversible." He urged the commission to review an alternate proposal the group offered. The Pentagon says the Air Guard changes are part of an overall effort to reshape the Air Force - which is to have a smaller but smarter aircraft fleet in the future - into a more effective and efficient force by putting active duty, Air Reserve and Air Guard units to work alongside one another.

Navy LST Was Island In Ocean Of Racism

2005-08-12T00:03:00.000-05:00

As an African-American during World War II, Vernon Thompson felt he had a haven from racism aboard the Navy ship where he served as cook. The prejudice Thompson experienced off ship -- such as having his Naval service delayed until enough eligible blacks enlisted or being shooed from places that served his white colleagues but not blacks -- wasn't allowed on board by his captain, Gordon Moore, of Vicksburg. ``The guys I was with on the LST (landing ship tank) 529 had no prejudice,'' said Thompson, now 80 and a resident of the Kalamazoo area for nearly 60 years. ``They would eat with you, talk with you,'' he said. ``I never experienced racial problems.''
Moore was part of setting that tone, and the two forged a friendship that lasted decades until Moore died in 1990. But whatever camaraderie individuals might have had during World War II, Thompson and others experienced the limits placed on blacks and other minorities by the military establishment. The segregation that pervaded civilian life was also prevalent in the armed forces. There were separate units for black soldiers. Or, depending on the branch of the service, blacks were often limited to menial jobs. At the time Thompson joined the Navy in 1943, minorities ``could be stewards, cooks, domestic workers, things like that,'' he said. Of 130 people aboard the 529, Thompson was one of five blacks. Though he loved to cook and wanted that job, the imposition of such strictures ``would concern me now, but there was nobody to fight for you then, so you accepted that and you tried to make the best of it,'' he said. The war hit during a time when America was also ``a domestic battleground where arrests and riots occurred simultaneously with foreign service,'' according to Christopher Paul Moore's 2005 book ``Fighting for America: Black Soldiers -- The Unsung Heroes of World War II.'' Moore's book called the participation of blacks in the country's wars ``one of the richest veins of historic contributions to be mined by supporters of equal rights.'' In the 1940s, black leaders of the day campaigned for a ``double V'' victory, urging ``African-Americans to support the war effort as a way to fight racism,'' according to Moore. Thompson, who is from Baltimore, waited months after enlisting before there were enough other eligible black enlistees to train together. The Navy didn't mix racial groups during training of servicemen, he said, and afterward only reluctantly. Twenty-five was the magic number, and Thompson was told, ```When we get 24 more, you can come in.' ... That was their rule.'' In the book ``The Invisible Soldier,'' author Mary Penick Motley writes, ``The black soldier was invisible in the U.S. Army during World War II because he was not mentioned; he was invisible in the Navy because, until President Roosevelt's Executive Order 9279 in December 1942, the black American was hardly there.'' Following the order, the Navy began to accept an increasing number of black enlistees and draftees, according to Motley's book. In 1939, fewer than 4,000 blacks served in the military, according to Moore's book; by 1945, the number had swelled to 1.1 million. Thompson doubts whether today's men and women in the military know their history. Go ``in the service now and you mix with whites, everybody,'' he said. ``... The younger people don't realize what we went through to make it that way. (Now) you can follow your education wherever it will take you.''

Military Idol

2005-08-10T00:03:00.000-05:00

The first round of "Military Idol" competition began this week on U.S. Army installations around the world. The program, based on Fox Television's "American Idol" series, will select the inaugural Military Idol after a final week of singing competition Oct. 17 through 23 at Fort Gordon, Ga. To reach the finals, military vocalists must first win a competition on one of 36 installations. Depending on the number of local competitors, that process could take from one to eight weeks, competition officials said. The Military Idol program is the brainchild of Coleen Amstein, who works in business programs for the U.S. Army Community and Family Support Center, and Victor Hurtado, artistic director for the U.S. Army Soldier Show, one of several programs offered by Army Entertainment Division. "I had been working with the ('American Idol') folks for a while, and in the back of my mind I had wondered how we could put something together for our soldiers," Hurtado said. "I got an e-mail ... from Coleen Amstein asking what I thought about doing an Idol promotion and asking if I could help. She had no idea about my connections with 'Idol.'" While visions of Soldier Idols were forming in Hurtado's head, Amstein and the CFSC business programs team were brainstorming events for Morale, Welfare and Recreation facilities. "We thought: 'Wouldn't it be great if we could bring something like 'American Idol' into our clubs?' Amstein said. "But we didn't really have the talent or the connections to do something like that." She sent an e-mail to Hurtado, who contacted officials at FremantleMedia, which holds the rights to "American Idol." "The concept of what we could do was the easy part," Amstein said. "The reality of the execution was certainly much more difficult than what we had expected." A licensing agreement was contracted with FremantleMedia, and the idea evolved into a program within a year. "It was a matter of working with legal and business affairs, making sure that 'Idol' leadership and the legal arm agreed that we could go forward and do 'Military Idol,'" Hurtado said. "My role in this has been to make sure that the soldiers and the Army got the most out of this project." During the first round of "Military Idol" installation-level competition, contestants must sing without musical accompaniment. Three judges, who may include garrison commanders, command sergeants major and local celebrities, will narrow the field of talent. In the second round of local competition, judges and audiences will determine who advances. Spectators will submit written ballots after the performers are finished and judges have completed their critiques. The audience vote and judges' vote each will count 50 percent in determining who advances. During the local semifinal and final rounds, judges will critique each performance but will not vote, leaving determination of the installation winners to the audiences. When entering the venue, everyone will receive a ballot to vote once. An additional ballot can be obtained with each purchase of an appetizer or meal during the event. The number of local rounds of competition - not to exceed eight weeks - will be determined by the installation's MWR director based on the number of contestants. Installation-level prizes for the winner at each participating location include $500 and temporary duty costs covered by USACFSC to compete in the Armywide finals. The winning vocalist's unit also will receive $500. Second-place contestants will receive $250, and third-place performers will receive $100. Army wide finals prizes include $1,000 to the winner, who Hurtado hopes will become an ambassador for Army entertainment. "If they can represent the Army in a positive way with something that's exceptional, it just reflects on the Army as a whole," he said. During the finals, which are scheduled for a live, 90-minute telecast on the Pentagon Channel, the runner-up will receive $500 and the third-place performer will receive $250.

Rumsfeld Applauds Air Force Progress In Adapting To Fight Terrorists

2005-08-07T00:03:00.000-05:00

Airmen worldwide have been filling nontraditional roles to contribute to the fight against a multifaceted, adaptive insurgency, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said. Addressing a meeting of the Air Force Sergeants Association, Secretary Rumsfeld highlighted the different jobs Airmen have been doing in the war on terrorism including manning gun trucks, escorting supply convoys and working on Army vehicles.On a recent trip to Balad Air Base, Iraq, Secretary Rumsfeld said he was impressed by the work of these Airmen, especially the Air Force doctors and nurses who treat coalition forces and Iraqi civilians. This change in the Air Force is part of the overall military strategy needed to combat the insurgency there, which is unconventional and does not face the same limits coalition forces do, he said. "We face enemies (who) have no territory to defend," he said. "They have no treaties to bind; they're unencumbered by laws, by bureaucracy, by regulations. They have a significant advantage -- they need to succeed only occasionally." To defend against this insurgency, the coalition must be on the offensive and be successful all the time, Secretary Rumsfeld said. "Our coalition must be on the attack, rooting out the terrorists wherever they are," he said. Besides fighting the terrorists directly, the coalition needs to help other countries develop tools to fight them as well, Secretary Rumsfeld said. These countries must be strengthened so they do not become havens for terrorists, he said. Iraqis continue to make significant progress toward democracy, Secretary Rumsfeld said, adding that the resolve of the Iraqi people and the dedication of coalition troops will ensure a victory. "Let me say that I have every confidence in the world that we will win this test of wills (in Iraq)," he said.

How to Survive Boot Camp

2005-08-05T00:03:00.000-05:00

Boot camp can be a scary experience. Here's how to make that once-in-a-lifetime experience a little easier:*Start getting into shape before you leave. Boot camp is physically intensive. Work especially on running and pushups.

*If you know someone who's been in the military, ask him/her to teach you some simple marching and facing movements.

*Memorize your particular service's rank structure (both officer and enlisted) before you leave.

*Inform your family and friends that it's very important that they write often. Boot camp can be very lonely.

*Practice making your bed with "hospital corners."

*Don't arrive "standing out in the crowd." Cut your hair short, and wear conservative clothes. You don't want the D.I.s to remember you.

*Bring ONLY what is on the list. Anything extra will be confiscated and will give the D.I. an excuse to chew you out.

*Go in with the right attitude. Remember, EVERYONE messes up in boot camp, and EVERYONE gets chewed out. The "real military" won't be this way.

*Never, ever, make excuses.

*Do exactly what you're told to do, when you're told to do it, and how you're told to do it. Don't be inventive.

*When speaking to a D.I., always stand at rigid attention, eyes locked forward.

*Don't volunteer. You're much better off in boot camp if the D.I. hardly remembers your name. Those who are "remembered" often get "special attention."

*If you're "on time," then you're late. Always be where you're supposed to be five minutes early.
*Remember, boot camp is mostly a mind-game. It's designed to tear-down your civilian self and replace it with a military sailor, airman, soldier or marine.

*Read everything you can about the military service you're going into. The more you learn before-hand, the less you'll have to learn in boot camp (where you'll be tested).

U.S. Territories Hotbed For Army Recruits

2005-08-03T00:03:00.000-05:00

The United States Army recruiters, facing dwindling enlistment numbers in the states, are finding success in U.S. territories. High school graduates from places like Micronesia and the Philippines are signing up in droves, looking for a good paycheck. The Army has a $5,000 minimum signing bonus and starting pay for a private is over $17,000. Per capita income in Micronesia is about $2,000, $8,000 in American Samoa and $12,500 in the Northern Marianas. Based in Guam, First Sgt. Olympio Magofna oversees Pacific recruiting. He sees his counterparts in the states hurting for recruits while he has time to play golf every other day. Per capita, Guam, Saipan and American Samoa have the highest enlistment numbers in the nation.

Military Policy On Tattoos

2005-07-27T00:03:00.000-05:00

No more split decisions for sailors — because in the Navy, forked tongues are out. As are other forms of self-mutilation, sexually explicit tattoos, some forms of body piercing, and another trend gaining popularity called branding or scarification, which involves the application of a hot object or cuts made to the skin to create a permanent mark, according to a naval administration message. “Navy grooming and personal appearance policy is intended to ensure that Navy personnel set and maintain the highest standards of professional appearance in uniform,” reads a portion of Naval administration message 021/03. “Due to the increasing popularity of body art and ornamentation, Navy policy is being revised to provide clearly defined guidance.” The new policy bans “tattoos/body art/brands that are excessive, obscene, sexually explicit or advocate or symbolize sex, gender, racial, religious, ethnic or national origin discrimination,” the policy reads. Also prohibited are symbols denoting any gang affiliation, supremacist or extremist groups, or drug use. The changes won’t keep any more people out of the Navy than in past years because recruiters already were dismissing those with unacceptable body art, said Lt. Bill Davis, a spokesman for the Navy Recruiting Command in Millington, Tenn. “We’ve been using these as defining measures of disqualifying physical conditions,” Lt. Davis said. The message clears up for uniformed personnel the guidelines recruiters have been using, he said. “We needed something to help clarify what we meant because it’s so prevalent,” Lt. Davis said. “We had to define body mutilation as a forked tongue, for example, and we needed to have it this detailed.” Some servicemembers have asked for exemptions based on religious practices. Those requests generally are approved by commanders, but only when the exemptions do not adversely effect military readiness, unit cohesion, standards or discipline, according to a Defense Department directive. There are options for servicemembers who disagree with commanders’ decisions when they deem a certain tattoo or scarification practice is not supported by a military-recognized religion. The options include re-assignment, reclassification or separation.

The Navy isn’t the only service to tighten rules on body art.
The Marine Corps uses naval administration messages as guidelines to form some of its own regulations. The Corps regulations apply to both on- and off-duty Marines, and stipulates that males will not wear earrings and neither sex is permitted “eccentricities,” said spokesman Capt. Jeff Landis, citing a few examples. When in civilian clothes, “Marines will ensure that their dress and personal appearance are conservative and commensurate with the high standings traditionally associated with the Marine Corps,” the regulation reads. Tattoos or brands on the neck and head are prohibited and “attaching, affixing, or displaying objects, articles, jewelry or ornamentation to or through their skin, tongue or any other body part” is banned in the Corps. In general, clothing cannot be used to cover unauthorized tattoos or brands. Removing tattoos will be done at the servicemember’s expense. Members failing to comply are subject to Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and face the maximum penalty of a dishonorable discharge or dismissal, two years’ confinement, total forfeiture of pay and allowances and a reduction to the lowest pay grade. The military does not have a specific category to log voluntary or involuntary discharges based on failure to remove or modify tattoos and body art, and therefore has no way of tracking it, a Pentagon spokeswoman, Maj. Sandra Troeber, said. However, there are cases that have been grandfathered. In the Air Force, for example, members with existing tattoos that violate the regulation can keep them, if they are not excessive or offensive, so long as they can be covered with the uniform.

Existing Army and Air Force regulations are similar and ban tattoos or brands visible in the dress uniforms, tattoos and body art that are extremist, indecent, sexist or racist, regardless of body location and whether in or out of uniform.

The Air Force
The Air Force defines “excessive” as tattoos or brands that exceed one-fourth of the exposed body part or those above the collarbone and readily visible when wearing an open collar uniform. Senior Airman Shannon Mc-Kean, stationed at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., got his Viking warrior tattoo on the side of his neck before he enlisted in the service in 1999 — which also means before the 2001 regulation banning it. “I was told to make sure it was not visible while in uniform — any uniform other than the P.T. uniform,” said McKean, 26. He understands the need for the detailed regulations and thinks some ornamentation, specifically a forked tongue, “is a bit extreme.” “As long as it lends itself to a professional image and does not detract from the uniform, I don’t have a problem with it,” he said.

The Army
In the Army, decorations not deemed extremist, indecent, sexist or racist, but are visible in dress uniforms, are authorized for soldiers who enlisted before the policy started. A tattoo on a woman’s calf or ankle is permissible, so long as it’s in good taste, Army officials have said. Recruiting hasn’t suffered because of the ban, said Capt. Tom Alexander Jr. “We allow an applicant to enlist with small, innocuous tattoos as we have in the past,” he said, adding, however, that Army leaders are reviewing the policy. “We have denied entry to applicants who cannot meet the tattoo requirement, but with very minimal impact. Those we denied were gross violations of the regulation or the tattoo led us to the fact that the applicant was a member of a racist or extremist organization. All tattoos that are questionable must have a battalion commander’s review.”

Happy Birthday Airman Sean

2005-07-26T00:03:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Airman SeanFrom your proud Father

Uncle Sam Wants You – Even If You’re 42

2005-07-22T00:03:00.000-05:00

The Defense Department quietly asked Congress on Monday to raise the maximum age for military recruits to 42 for all branches of the service. Under current law, the maximum age to enlist in the active components is 35, while people up to age 39 may enlist in the reserves. By practice, the accepted age for recruits is 27 for the Air Force, 28 for the Marine Corps and 34 for the Navy and Army, although the Army Reserve and Navy Reserve sometimes take people up to age 39 in some specialties. The Pentagon’s request to raise the maximum recruit age to 42 is part of what defense officials are calling a package of “urgent wartime support initiatives” sent to Congress Monday night prior to a Tuesday hearing of the House Armed Services military personnel subcommittee. At that hearing, David S.C. Chu, under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said he felt the military’s recent problems with recruiting were improving, but that additional incentives would help. Chu mentioned the age change in passing during the hearing but gave no other details, such as whether any of the services were seriously considering recruiting 42-year-olds. Most of the initiatives in the package were previously requested by the Bush administration as part of the 2006 defense budget, which is pending before Congress.They include raising the maximum re-enlistment bonus to $90,000; maximum hardship duty pay to $750 a month; special pay and incentive bonuses for nuclear qualified officers to $30,000; assignment incentive pay to $3,000; and increasing accession and affiliation bonuses for reservists. The request, not yet approved by the White House, also asks lawmakers to revise some benefits proposals already before Congress. For example, the Bush administration originally asked Congress to increase enlistment bonuses to $30,000, but the Pentagon now wants bonuses of up to $40,000. The administration also asked for an Army-only test of a $1,000 referral bonus that would be paid to current soldiers if they get someone to enter the Army and make it through basic and advanced training. Now, the Pentagon wants that payment to be $2,500. The request also includes a new Army initiative that officials are calling the Army Home Ownership program. It would set aside money for new recruits that could be used to buy a home at the end of an enlistment, an idea that Army officials believe will help convince parents and other “adult influencers” of service-age youths about the benefits of joining the military.Lawmakers are sympathetic to the need to do more. Rep. John McHugh, R-N.Y., said he is willing to look at new pay-and-benefits initiatives, although he personally believes that what the Pentagon needs is an increase in personnel to cut the workload on active and reserve service member. Rep. Vic Snyder of Arkansas, the subcommittee’s ranking Democrat, also vowed to help. “Recruitment is a challenge right now,” Snyder said. “Both the military and Congress are working on solutions, but I expect these challenges will be with us for some time. Military service is honorable and can be a real growing opportunity for a young man or woman.”

US Navy Planing To Increase Counter-Insurgency Role

2005-07-21T00:03:00.000-05:00

The US Navy is planning to create an expeditionary Sailor battalion, three riverine squadrons, a civil affairs battalion and additional intelligence units. The aim is to increase the navy's relevance in the US fight against Islamist extremism, while relieving the burden that the US Marine Corps (USMC) and Army are bearing in Iraq and Afghanistan. The riverine squadrons would consist of about 220 Sailors and 20 boats, though the precise numbers are still under consideration. The official said that Iraqi insurgents are using the rivers to transport supplies and people and that the navy needs a better means of patrolling those areas. The USMC has a riverine company, but it is being phased out this year. The navy is looking at the Special Operations Craft - riverine boats in use now by US Navy SEAL commando teams, the USMC Riverine Assault Craft or possibly another boat. The service would like to stand up one active duty squadron by the middle of 2006 and two reserve squadrons in the two years after that.

Osprey Will Join Fleet In 2007

2005-07-18T00:03:00.000-05:00

The Marine Corps hopes to start replacing its fleet of Vietnam-era Helicopters with the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft by 2007, the Marines' top air commander said Wednesday. The announcement came about a month after the $71 million aircraft successfully completed a safety evaluation ordered in the wake of two crashes that killed 23 Marines in 2000. The crashes led to a 17-month suspension of the Osprey program, as well as an investigation that resulted in changes in the design of the unique aircraft. Lt. Gen. Michael Hough, chief of Marine Corps Aviation, acknowledged the Osprey - which takes off like a helicopter but flies like an airplane - developed a bad reputation after the crashes. But, he insisted, "This is a safe airplane." "It will be the war machine we want it to be," Hough said. And even though Congress has yet to approve the $50.5 billion program, The Corps is already training pilots and ground crews. "The process of fielding (the Osprey) has already begun," said Col. Craig Olson, the joint program project manager from the Air Force. The cost of the aircraft has risen from an original estimate of about $40 million each, but officials say the price should drop to about $58 million if they reach full production of about 48 units a year. The Marine Corps wants 360 of the aircraft, while the Air Force wants 50 for its special operations troops. The Navy also is considering the aircraft. The Marine Corps took several dozen journalists on rides along the New River and the Atlantic coast bordering Marine Installations. The flights included maneuvers aimed at showing off the aircraft's ability to take off quickly, achieve high speeds and bank sharply in flight. This air base, which shares part of the New River shoreline with Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, has 25 Ospreys that are under the command of a special test and evaluation squadron that reports to a Navy Admiral. During the final testing, eight Ospreys were tested at sea level and at landing zones at 10,000-foot altitudes and in conditions simulating the fine desert sand of Iraq, said Col. Glenn Walters, commander of VMX-22, the test squadron. The Osprey can carry more troops - and for a longer distance at a higher speed - than the CH-46 helicopter it is designed to replace, Walters said. In addition, the Osprey requires less maintenance time for each hour of flight. Evaluation flights have taught the squadron's pilots that by tilting the engines slightly, they can avoid the kind of turbulence that destroyed lift and contributed to a crash, Olson said. The key to acceptance of the Osprey by Congress and critics, though, is to stop comparing it to helicopters, Hough said. "This is not a helicopter," Hough said.

Recruiting and Retention Statistics

2005-07-14T00:03:00.000-05:00

The Department of Defense has announced its recruiting and retention statistics by the active and reserve components for the month of June.
Active duty recruiting. The Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force met or exceeded their recruiting goals in June.

The Navy’s recruiting goal was 4,529, and it enlisted 4,566 (101 percent).

The Marine Corps’ goal was 4,051, and it recruited 4,156 (103 percent).

The Air Force goal was 2,370, and it recruited 2,400 (101 percent).

The Army's goal was 5,650, and it recruited 6,157 (109 percent).

Active duty retention. All services met or exceeded their overall retention goals for June and are projected to meet their retention goals for the current fiscal year.

Reserve forces recruiting. Four of the six reserve components, the Army Reserve, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve met or exceeded their June recruiting goals.

Army National Guard: Goal: 5,032 Recruited: 4,337 (86 percent)
Army Reserves: Goal: 3,610 Recruited: 3,651 (101 percent)
Air National Guard: Goal: 753 Recruited: 798 (106 percent)
Air Force Reserves: Goal: 768 Recruited: 773 (101 percent)
Navy Reserves: Goal: 1,336 Recruited: 1,233 (92 percent)
Marine Corps Reserves: Goal: 1,194 Recruited: 1,196
Reserve forces retention. For June, Army National Guard retention was 105.9 percent of the cumulative goal of 23,647, and Air National Guard retention was 110 percent of its cumulative goal of 8,860. Losses in all reserve components in May were lower than projected, and that trend is expected to continue into June.

Army Re-Upping on Track

2005-07-08T00:03:00.000-05:00

Even though the Army appears likely to miss its goal of recruiting 80,000 new soldiers this year, it's ahead of the pace needed to reach its goal of convincing 64,162 soldiers to re-enlist.Sgt. Jonathan Jacobs joined the Army to get away from his part-time jobs as a telemarketer and a cargo handler. He ended up in Iraq, but that didn't stop the 24-year-old 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper from signing up in March for another hitch, even though that could mean another tour in the Middle East. He has a newborn son and says the Army offers him a career as a communication specialist and his family a secure future. At a time when the Iraq war has made it tougher for the Army to recruit new members of its all-volunteer force, there's no hesitation to re-enlist among soldiers like Jacobs and other members of the Army's elite airborne units. "The Army gives you a chance to see life," said Jacobs, of Bay Shore, N.Y. "You're secure. You have food. You have shelter. You have a paycheck." Even though the Army appears likely to miss its goal of recruiting 80,000 new soldiers this year, it's ahead of the pace needed to reach its goal of convincing 64,162 soldiers, from privates to top sergeants, to re-enlist by the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. Through the end of May, 45,333 soldiers had re-enlisted, said Lt. Col. Pamela Hart, an Army spokeswoman at the Pentagon.That's 70 percent of the Army's full-year goal. Nearly 11,000 soldiers from the elite 18th Airborne Corps, which includes four of the Army's 10 active divisions, have "re-upped" this year. That's about 86 percent of the corps' full-year goal, said the corps commander, Maj. Gen. Virgil Packett. "The 18th Airborne Corps is carrying the Army right now in retention," Packett said. And leading the corps is the 82nd Airborne, which has reached 97 percent of its annual goal, even though it has deployed regularly to Iraq and Afghanistan.The 82nd's paratroopers are "a special cut of American society," Packett said. "It takes a cut of a different person to jump out of an airplane." Staff Sgt. Daniel Metzdorf decided to re-enlist even though a roadside bomb blew off part of his right leg last year while he was in Iraq with the 82nd Airborne. "It's my life," said Metzdorf, 28, of Altamonte Springs, Fla., who uses an artificial leg and still must requalify as a paratrooper to remain with the division. "It's where I need to be." Metzdorf was in the crowd last week when President Bush spoke at Fort Bragg, refusing to set a specific timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. "I thank those of you who have re-enlisted in an hour when your country needs you," Bush told the audience of 700 soldiers and airmen. Many of the military personnel said they were glad Bush made that point. The president's comments "made me proud of what I am doing," said Pfc. Reese Combs, a 19-year-old paratrooper from Tampa, Fla. "It keeps me motivated." To be sure, there are soldiers who choose not to re-enlist.Some even try to get out of their original service commitments, said Chuck Fager, director of Quaker House in nearby Fayetteville, whose organization counsels unhappy members of the military. Before the Iraq war started in March 2003, Quaker House's record for calls in a year was 3,128 in 2001. It took nearly 6,000 calls last year. "People not wanting to go to Iraq was a very common concern," Fager said. That attitude isn't shared by many of the paratroopers of Fort Bragg, even among those who have not yet served in the Middle East. Spc. Daniel Torres, 28, plans to re-enlist later this year, calling life in the Army more stable that when he worked all hours as a materials handler for a biopharmaceutical firm. "I know I want to re-enlist," said Torres, a married father of two from East Brunswick, N.J. "It's a better lifestyle. I'm comfortable."

Army Set For Independence Day Celebrations

2005-07-04T00:03:00.000-05:00

Army installations worldwide have scheduled activities from fireworks to freedom fests and patriotic salutes to celebrate the nation’s birthday this weekend. Soldiers in Baghdad will compete in a number of sports activities July 4 on the grounds of Saddam Hussein’s former palace near the embassy. Teams will battle each other in horseshoes, a tug of war contest, water balloon toss, pool volleyball and a basketball free throw competition in the palace pool. Independence Day celebrations are also planned in Afghanistan where the Indiana National Guard’s 76th Infantry Brigade will celebrate the holiday with a 5K run, softball and horseshoe tournaments, barbeque cookout and Tatar Tot eating contest at Camp Phoenix, near Kabul. The camp will also hold a casino night in which the proceeds will go toward a local orphanage. Army installations have been asked to take part in a national bell-ringing at 2 p.m. July 4 to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence 229 years ago. The Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution will host the traditional “Let Freedom Ring” observance in Philadelphia, as four young descendants of the declaration’s signers will ring the historic Liberty Bell 13 times, in honor of the 13 original U.S. colonies. Soldiers at Fort Hood will partake in their annual Freedom Fest, which will include 5K and 10K runs, carnival rides at Hood Stadium and live performances by the 4th Infantry Division’s show and Iron Horse bands. The post will also host a parachute club demonstration jump and a fireworks show to conclude the day-long celebration. Fireworks displays are also set to take place at Fort Benning, Ga.; Fort Belvoir, Va.; and Fort Knox, Ky., to name just a few of the installations. Fort Myer, Va., will fire a 50-gun salute at noon, to reverberate across the nation’s capital. Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, thanked the men and women of the military for their service to the nation in a July 4th message. “Every 4th of July we celebrate the values that bind us together as Americans and make our nation great—freedom, tolerance, and justice,” Myers said. “Whether you are serving in CONUS, Iraq, Afghanistan or elsewhere, the Joint Chiefs and I thank you for your selfless service to America.” While visiting Fort Bragg, N.C., for a nationally televised address June 28, President Bush thanked the Soldiers and other service men and women serving throughout the world, and asked that the nation honor them during the national holiday. “This Fourth of July,” Bush told the public, “I ask you to find a way to thank the men and women defending our freedom by flying the flag, sending a letter to our troops in the field, or helping the military family down the street.” The president said that civilians can learn ways to support troops during the 4th of July by visiting the Department of Defense’s “America Supports You” Web site at www.americasupportsyou.mil. Support messages can be sent to the troops via the Web site. “You can go there to learn about private efforts in your own community,” Bush said. “At this time when we celebrate our freedom, let us stand with the men and women who defend us all.”

Veteran Wears Fake Medal Of Honor In Photo

2005-07-01T00:03:00.000-05:00

A World War II Navy veteran photographed wearing a Medal of Honor at a Memorial Day event could face federal charges because it was a fake that he bought for $500, authorities say. William Kovick, 76, acknowledged he bought the medal and four other military honors, and he surrendered them last week. FBI investigators say Kovick acknowledged that he bought the Medal of Honor in 1977 for $500. He also said that he mail-ordered a Navy Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals and wore them along with the Medal of Honor. Ordering and owning unearned medals is legal, but wearing or selling them is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. "The intent of the federal law ... is to maintain the integrity of all the military awards and medals," said FBI Agent Thomas Cottone Jr. "People in our military _ particularly our veterans _ pay such a high price. Some pay with their lives." The Justice Department will decide whether to bring charges. Kovick told reporters that he served in the Navy in 1944-46 and 1950-53. He said the only medals he earned were an Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal from World War II and a United Nations Korean Medal from the Korean War. Kovick came under investigation after his photo appeared on the newspaper's front page on May 31, showing him wearing the Medal of Honor at a Memorial Day event. Vietnam veteran Doug Sterner of Pueblo, Colo. who operates the Web site a Web site dedicated to Medal of Honor recipients, contacted Cottone at the FBI's New Jersey office. In 1996, Cottone led an investigation that discovered that a Defense Department supplier, Lordship Industries of Hauppauge, N.Y., made and sold hundreds of fake Medals of Honor. The company pleaded guilty to illegally selling 300 of them and paid a $80,000 fine. On Thursday, FBI Agent Steve Flattery from the bureau's Bay City office and Caseville police Chief Jamie Learman knocked on Kovick's door and asked to see the Medal of Honor. "I spoke with the gentleman and confronted him about the issue. I showed him the photograph, and explained it was illegal to wear a Medal of Honor you did not earn," Flattery said. "I asked for the contraband items, and he gave them to me." There are 122 living Medal of Honor recipients. Cottone said most recipients get them posthumously. It is given "for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty, in actual combat against an armed enemy force." Cottone said people pretend to be Medal of Honor winners for a variety of reasons, both financial and personal. "They all know what they're doing," he told reporters. "There should be absolutely no sympathy for these guys."

Guaranteed Jobs In The Military

2005-06-27T00:03:00.000-05:00

The Navy offers two programs: Guaranteed Job, and Undesignated Seaman. While both programs are available, most enlist under the Guaranteed Job program. Whether or not you will be offered the job you want depends upon your qualifications, and the needs of the service. Undesignated Seaman can "strike" for a job after basic training. The Navy also has some "special" enlistment programs whereby you can enlist knowing what "area" you are going into, but not your specific rating (job). An example would be the Nuclear Program. These programs generally require higher ASVAB line scores, and require a longer service commitment, but offer accelerated promotions, greater training opportunities, and higher enlistment bonuses.

The Air Force has two enlistment options: Guaranteed Job, and Guaranteed Aptitude Area. Under the "Guaranteed Job" program, the applicant is guaranteed training in a specific AFSC (Air Force Job). Under the Guaranteed Aptitude program, the applicant is guaranteed that he/she will be selected for a job that falls into one of the designated aptitude areas. The Air Force has divided all of their jobs into four aptitude areas (General, Electronic, Mechanical, and Administrative). It is unfortunate, but true that a majority of Air Force jobs (approximately 60 percent) are are reserved for individuals joining under the Guaranteed Aptitude program. Therefore, many of the available jobs are not released to the Air Force Jobs Counselor at MEPS. Instead, they are "reserved" and offered to recruits in basic training, who enlisted under the Guaranteed Aptitude Program.

Of all of the services, The Coast Guard offers the fewest guaranteed jobs. One normally enlists in the Coast Guard, undesignated, then "strikes" for a job after a period of on-the-job training in "basic coastguardmanship" at their first duty station. A few schools (and therefore jobs) are offered during basic training. While this system may seem (on the surface) disadvantageous, there is something to be said about having the chance to spend some time scoping out the situation "on the job," before deciding what job you're going to "strike" for.

The Army is the only service that offers a guaranteed job (MOS) to everyone. The Army has no such thing as an "open" or "undesignated" enlistment. However, the MOS's (jobs) offered to you, might not be the one(s) you wanted. It depends upon your qualifications and what jobs have current/projected openings. If the job you want is not available, your only choices are to choose a different job, or not enlist.

The Marines offer two basic enlistment programs: Guaranteed Job, and general field. Very, very few Marine applicants get a guaranteed job (mostly those with college degrees or extremely high ASVAB scores, applying for certain, designated technical specialties). A vast majority of Marines are enlisted in a general field (such as Avionics), and will have their actual job (MOS) designated during basic training. One must remember, in the Marines, one is expected to want to be a MARINE, first & foremost. MOS (job) is a distant second.

Japan Promises Fewer U.S. Troops

2005-06-26T00:03:00.000-05:00

Japan's prime minister promised to reduce the number of U.S. troops stationed on Okinawa as he marked the 60th anniversary of the bloody battle there. Junichiro Koizumi attended a memorial service Thursday at the Peace Memorial Park in Itoman, Kyodo News Service reported. "The concentration of U.S. military facilities is still a big burden on the lives of residents of the prefecture," Koizumi said. About 200,000 people died in the three-month battle of Okinawa, with resistance ending on June 23, 1945. Koizumi said he is negotiating with the U.S. government on cutting the number of bases on Okinawa while maintaining the presence needed in a post-Cold War world.

New Air Force Utility Uniform Design

2005-06-23T00:03:00.000-05:00

The Air Force finalized the design of their proposed new utility uniform.The Air Force has pretty much finalized the design of their proposed new utility uniform. Blue and green tiger stripes are out; the digitized pattern with subdued green, tan, blue and gray is in. After reviewing more than 150,000 bits of feedback throughout the initial seven-month wear test of the proposed utility uniform, Air Force leaders recently decided to eliminate the original color scheme and conduct a limited field test of the new pattern. This field test will be conducted by Special operations and survival, evasion, resistance and escape Airmen, who will conduct a limited wear test of the new design at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Hurlburt Field, Fla., and Fairchild AFB, Wash., in June. “The sole purpose of the test will be to see if we can add any features to the uniform to make it a better uniform in the field and to determine if the new colors (and) pattern provide camouflage protection they need in the field,” said Senior Master Sgt. Dana Athnos, Air Force uniform board superintendent. Airmen who participated in the initial wear test stopped wearing the more vibrant blue-green uniform March 1. The original wear test involved more than 700 Airmen at 32 bases worldwide who kept detailed daily logs annotating likes, dislikes and wash-and-wear problems. They also completed three surveys. “Throughout the test, Air Force leaders actively solicited feedback from testers and observers alike to ensure this uniform developed into one that fit the needs of today’s Airmen,” Sergeant Athnos said. “There were several avenues for feedback, ensuring that the (Air Force) chief of staff had realistic facts when making the final decision on the uniform,” she said. Those avenues included a survey sent to 45,000 Airmen, a Web site and direct e-mail to the uniform board. “Some comments were positive, some were negative -- all of them were provided directly to the chief of staff,” Sergeant Athnos said. The new uniforms are going to cost more -- about $70.00 per set, compared to the current $50.65 - $53.05 for current Battle Dress Uniforms. However, airmen are expected to save money in the long run. In a recent interview, Air Force Chief of Staff General John Jumper estimated that airmen spend an average of $21 million per year in dry cleaning costs and removing and replacing organizational patches. The new uniform is wash and wear, and organization patches will no longer be allowed. The only items which will be sewn onto the uniform are rank insignia, the Air Force and name tapes, and a functional area (job) badge, worn above the Air Force tape.

Some of the features of the new uniform are:
*numerical sizes to fit
*button-fly pants with three inches of elastic on the sides
*more storage pockets
*fewer patches
*no-shine boots
*nylon and cotton twill, rip-stop, wash and wear material
The uniform is scheduled to be procured in mid-2005, officials said. Airmen can expect to purchase the uniform sometime in fiscal 2007. The proposed uniform will be phased in over four or five years before they become mandatory for wear. When the new uniform is made mandatory, annual clothing allowances will be readjusted to reflect the new cost.

The Future Of Air Combat

2005-06-21T00:03:00.000-05:00

The Boeing X-45A J-UCAS (Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems) program received the prestigious Flight International Aerospace Industry Award for 2005 in the category of Missiles and Military Aviation.Held in conjunction with the Paris Air Show, the awards cover twelve categories representing military and commercial aerospace. Darryl Davis, program manager during the majority of the X-45A flight test program, and now vice president of Boeing Global Strike Solutions, accepted the award on behalf of the Boeing/DARPA/Air Force/Navy J-UCAS team. “We met the challenge to develop an autonomous unmanned aircraft capable of handling complex combat missions,” said Davis. “We’ve set a very high mark in the unmanned arena and I believe that together with our DARPA, Air Force, and Navy teammates we’ve charted a clear path for the future.” Ever since its first flight on May 22, 2002 the X-45A has accumulated a series of unprecedented aviation milestones. As the first autonomous unmanned aircraft designed from inception for weapons capability, the X-45A has ushered in a new era of aviation. The two X-45A demonstrators have flown coordinated simulated combat missions and recently surpassed 52 total flights. Also acknowledged during the awards ceremony was George Muellner, vice president and general manager of Boeing Air Force Systems. Muellner was president of Boeing Phantom Works when the X-45A program was initiated. “This award also recognizes Boeing’s advanced research and development organization, Phantom Works, which has been tasked to take on high-risk projects and bring them to fruition,” said Muellner. “Clearly, the X-45A is an excellent example of concept development and flight test, followed by a seamless transition to our Air Force Systems business unit.” During its remarkable flight test program, the X-45A:

* Flew with a T-33 X-45A surrogate aircraft to successfully demonstrate integration of an unmanned X-45A with a manned aircraft in air-traffic-controlled airspace.

* Demonstrated the first autonomous release of a 250-pound inert Small Smart Bomb, which scored a direct hit from an altitude of 25,000 feet.
Operated together with another X-45A unmanned aircraft, under the control of a single pilot-operator in a coordinated flight, successfully completing the first ever multiple air vehicle control flight demonstration.

* Demonstrated increased sophistication in a test where two X-45As departed in succession and entered coordinated flight over the test range. The air vehicles flew successfully in several different multi-vehicle flight configurations, verifying their ability to autonomously enter and exit in coordinated flight based on pre-identified points.

* Confirmed “beyond-line-of-sight” control after an autonomous takeoff from Edwards AFB, with an X-45A controlled by a pilot-operator in Seattle, Wash., nearly 900 miles away using UHF SATCOM.

* Demonstrated dual vehicle flight mission capability in February 2005 when two X-45As flew a simulated combat mission during their ‘milestone’ 50th flight. The X-45As flew a simulated combat air patrol profile and determined how to deal with pop-up ground threats in a reactive Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses mission.

Under a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency contract, Boeing is currently building three larger X-45C aircraft capable of cruising at 0.85 Mach at 40,000 feet, with a 4,500-pound payload. The ‘C’ version will have an increased mission radius of 1,300 nautical miles. Future mission scenarios could evolve with unmanned aircraft complementing manned strike aircraft. Unmanned aircraft would be capable of eliminating preplanned targets as well as previously unknown threats, clearing the path for manned aircraft and thus saving lives and assuring mission success.

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Israeli's Sonic Blaster

2005-06-16T00:03:00.000-05:00

Israel is considering using an unusual new weapon against Jewish settlers who resist this summer's Gaza Strip evacuation - a device that emits penetrating bursts of sound that leaves targets reeling with dizziness and nausea. Security forces could employ the weapon to overcome resistance without resorting to force, their paramount aim. But experts warn that the effects of prolonged exposure are unknown. The Army employed the new device, which it dubbed "The Scream," at a recent violent demonstration by Palestinians and Jewish sympathizers against Israel's West Bank separation barrier. Protesters covered their ears and grabbed their heads, overcome by dizziness and nausea, after the vehicle-mounted device began sending out bursts of audible, but not loud, sound at intervals of about 10 seconds. An Associated Press photographer at the scene said that even after he covered his ears, he continued to hear the sound ringing in his head. A military official said the device emits a special frequency that targets the inner ear. Exposure for several minutes at close range could cause auditory damage, but the noise is too intolerable for people to remain in the area for that long.

Support Rising for Near-Space Blimps

2005-06-13T00:03:00.000-05:00

Good news, blimp boys: the Air Force is slowly starting to line up behind a plan to put airships on the edge of the atmosphere. According to Inside Defense, a 90-day Air Force study has concluded that there would be "military utility" in putting blimps, balloons, and drones in near space -- between 65,000 and 350,000 above sea level. Up there, they could serve as cheap substitutes for satellites, relaying communications and snooping on foes. They might be able to carry equipment, effectively becoming giant U-Hauls in the sky. And this could be done, at least in the balloons' case, without "significantly strainexisting infrastructure or requir large amounts of equipment or personnel to operate the balloons," Inside Defense says. The Air Force has conducted a number of near space demonstrations in recent months. Three tests, carried out last November, December and January, placed tactical radios on balloons, which then operated between 65,000 and 80,000 feet above sea level... In March, the Air Force Space Battlelab conducted a proof of concept demonstration for a radio relay system with Combat SkySat I in Arizona. That [system] can now be used in theater operations [places like Iraq, in otherwords]. SkySat II, which the service hopes to test in FY-06 [fiscal year 2006], will demonstrate a payload return system. Such a system would permit heavier, more expensive and more sensitive payloads than were placed on the SkySat I, which utilized payloads that were destroyed after leaving the coverage area.

Japan, U.S. See Base Deal By Year-End

2005-06-08T00:03:00.000-05:00

Japan Defense Agency Director General Yoshinori Ono reached a basic agreement with U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to achieve a deal on the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan by the end of this year. In a meeting held in a hotel in Singapore, Ono and Rumsfeld also agreed to release as soon as possible an interim report on the sharing of security roles by the Self-Defense Forces and U.S. troops. Ono told reporters after the meeting that the report could be issued in one or two months. During the meeting, the defense chief said that as it would take time to gain the understanding and support of communities hosting U.S. bases for the realignment plans, it would be difficult for Japan to incorporate specific plans in the report for the redeployment of U.S. miliary bases. He also asked the U.S to work toward reducing the burden on local governments, particularly in Okinawa Prefecture, saying it was very important to do so.Japan Defense Agency Director General Yoshinori OnoA high-ranking defense official said Ono reiterated his call for the burden to be lightened on Okinawa because failure to do so when U.S. forces were realigned would spark anti-U.S sentiment, making it difficult to ensure a prolonged stay for U.S. troops. Rumsfeld cautioned against reducing U.S. troops in Okinawa, saying maintaining a military deterrent was essential. However, Rumsfeld also cited the importance of understanding, cooperation and support from local governments, saying the redeployment of U.S forces had to lighten the burden on the communities affected while meeting the demands of the security environment in the 21st century. He said the U.S. government spent about 3.2 percent of its gross domestic product on defense--about three times Japan's level of spending. Regarding the role-sharing of SDF and U.S. troops on the basis of common strategic objectives agreed in a two-plus-two security meeting in February, Ono praised Japan-U.S. cooperation in helping victims of the Dec. 26 Asian tsunami. "We have to keep in touch with each other regarding contingencies. Now the contingency law has been passed, Japan can speed up talks on cooperation," he said. Rumsfeld said the U.S. government greatly appreciated Japan's cooperation in rebuilding Iraq and the fight on terrorism, saying Japan's contribution was important. U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld

WE Keep Gutting Our Own Military! And Here We Go Again

2005-06-07T00:03:00.000-05:00

A Marine Corps lieutenant cleared of murder charges for riddling two Iraqis with bullets and hanging a warning sign on their corpses says he now plans to ask for a discharge. Second Lt. Ilario Pantano said Thursday his fight against the charges was tiring and heartbreaking. The former Wall Street trader had returned to the Marines after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. "This is the best thing for my family, and I think it is the best thing for the Marine Corps, too," he said. Pantano, 33, did not deny shooting the men or hanging the sign that said, "No better friend, no worse enemy," a Marine slogan. But Pantano said he shot them in self-defense after the men disobeyed his instructions and made a menacing move toward him. Last week, Maj. Gen. Richard Huck, commander of the 2nd Marine Division based at Camp Lejeune, dropped the charges against Pantano. His action had been recommended by a Marine officer who presided over the military equivalent of a grand jury hearing.

If we keep running our Brave Volunteer Defenders out of the Military for doing thier job, Sooner or later we will have to go after people who do NOT want to protect our country to fill those positions or start studying the koran.

2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano in Fallujah last year.

Senators Threaten To Subpoena The Defense Department

2005-06-03T00:03:00.000-05:00

Two senators said Saturday that they plan to subpoena Defense Department documents on base realignment and closure recommendations if Pentagon officials do not hand them over willingly. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., the chairwoman and ranking member on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said they have had no success with "repeated requests" to the Defense Department. On Friday, the senators sent a letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld again demanding the documents. They also wrote to President Bush, asking for his assistance gaining the release of the papers. The senators say members of the BRAC commission and congressional staffers need the Pentagon documents in order to thoroughly examine - and perhaps challenge - the realignment and closure recommendations. A spokeswoman for Collins said Tuesday that Defense officials have promised to hand over some documents in the near future. The spokeswoman said that congressional staffers will review those documents and decide whether they are sufficient. The senators might still be compelled to issue a subpoena, she added. Defense spokesman Glen Flood said that BRAC documents would soon be available to members of Congress. "The bottom line is that this evening or by tomorrow, we will have a special location somewhere," Flood said Tuesday. Lawmakers, congressional staffers with security clearances and members of the BRAC commission "can go and look at that information." Flood said that Defense officials "will continue to do a security review and hopefully by the end of the week, we will make that information available to the public." Collins and Lieberman represent states that would be among the hardest hit by the base realignment and closure process. Under the plan, Connecticut would lose 8,586 civilian and military jobs, and Maine would lose 6,938. The senators demanded a wide range of data, including "e-mails, memoranda, spreadsheets, analyses, raw data, handwritten notes and telephone logs," according to a press release. The letter to Rumsfeld said the Pentagon is legally obliged to turn over the information. "We are writing to demand that the Department of Defense comply with its statutory obligation to disclose to Congress all the information underlying its recent recommendations for military base closures and realignments," Collins and Lieberman wrote. They said that the 1990 BRAC legislation allows Congress access to "all information used by the secretary to prepare the recommendations". The letter said that if the Pentagon remains in violation of the law, the committee will investigate the Defense Department and subpoena the relevant documents. The senators said also that the delay in providing the information is hurting the chances that bases in New England will be removed from the BRAC list. They alleged that recent visits by the BRAC Commission to sites in New England are incomplete without the Pentagon data. "The integrity of the BRAC process depends on the release of these documents," the senators said. "In addition, it is unfair to bases that have early visits from BRAC commissioners, such as those in Connecticut and Maine, to not have immediate data available to them." Senators Susan Collins and Joseph Lieberman

Japanese Soldiers Still Fighting World War II

2005-05-31T00:03:00.000-05:00

Tsuzuki Nakauchi, shown in this undated photo, is believed to be one of two ex-Japanese soldiers who have been hiding in the mountains of a southern Philippines island since World War II. Japanese efforts to contact two World War II soldiers reportedly hiding in the southern Philippines have created a security nightmare with the presence Saturday of dozens of Japanese journalists in a region notorious for rebel attacks and kidnappings. Japanese diplomats in General Santos city, meanwhile, waited for a second day Saturday to interview the two men, who were reportedly separated from their division and fear they would face court-martial if they returned to Japan. A Japanese trader living on the southern island of Mindanao spread the word to Japanese officials as early as January, embassy spokesman Shuhei Ogawa said. He confirmed reports that the businessman hasn't seen the men and was relying on a Filipino contact, who himself got word of the mystery men from yet another Filipino. "You should know this type of information comes in all the time," he said. "We really have no idea if these two people exist." Ogawa said the diplomats were in contact with the Japanese businessmen "trying to work out (the details of) a meeting." On Friday, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's spokesman, Yu Kameoka, told The Associated Press in Tokyo the men were apparently reluctant to meet because of the large crowds, including about 100 Japanese journalists, waiting to see them. On Saturday, even more Japanese journalists showed up, some flying in from Manila on chartered planes and booking many hotels in this bustling port city 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) south of the capital. The Japanese Embassy posted a notice in Japanese warning reporters not to venture out of town in search of the men and not to follow anyone offering to guide them. Philippine police issued a similar warning, saying the area is notorious for ransom kidnappings and attacks by Muslim and communist guerrillas, who have waged war for three decades. Japan's Kyodo News agency said the two missing soldiers might be Yoshio Yamakawa, 87, and Tsuzuki Nakauchi, 85, from the 30th Division of the Imperial Japanese Army.One Japanese news report claimed the two were seen by a Japanese lumber businessman in the mountains around General Santos last September, but were afraid to return home for fear of a court-martial because they had abandoned their unit. Beyond the unconfirmed reports, there was little else to suggest that the men are real. There was speculation they might have married Filipino wives and even adopted Filipino names. Years after the war, there were reports of Japanese soldiers still in the hills. A few surrendered as late as 1948, then in March 1974, intelligence officer Lt. Hiroo Onoda came out of hiding on northern Lubang island. He refused to give up until the Japanese government flew in his former commander to formally inform him the war was over. There have been rumors of other soldiers hiding out, but never substantiated and thought to be a hoax. Last September, a Japanese national in the lumber business ran into the men in the mountains, the Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun (search) reported. It was learned later that they wanted to go back to Japan but were afraid of facing a court-martial for withdrawing from action, the newspaper said. Another source told the paper that there may be more than 40 other Japanese soldiers living in the mountains and that they all want to return to Japan, the Sankei said. Japan's Kyodo News agency said the two may be Yoshio Yamakawa, 87, and Tsuzuki Nakauchi, 83. But the health ministry declined to confirm the report, saying they could not disclose any information until officials have identified them.

Army Leaders Offer 2005 Memorial Day Message

2005-05-29T00:03:00.000-05:00

To the men and women of the United States Army:
On May 30th, our country will celebrate a sacred holiday--Memorial Day. On this day we pause to reflect upon the extraordinary men and women who understood the nobility of service to country, answered the call to duty, and made the ultimate sacrifice. They came from all walks of life, from every state across America, and they pledged to cherish and protect our country from all enemies. In each conflict throughout our history, they stepped forward in the Nation's time of need, prepared to sacrifice their life in service to our Nation. Memorial Day is set aside so that one day each year we may formally give thanks to the servicemen and servicewomen who paid the price of our liberty with their blood. It is a solemn day when we recognize that we live in a great Nation where brave men and women have fought and died to preserve freedom for all of us. It is our duty to protect that freedom through our own honorable citizenship and service. American Soldiers march through time in a ghostly column from Lexington to Gettysburg, from the hedgerows of Europe to the islands of the Pacific. In cemeteries around the world, rows of white marble headstones mark the final resting place of our comrades. Their lives were cut short, and we mourn with their families. Yet we celebrate their spirit, for they placed service to our Nation above personal safety. Their sacrifices to protect freedom embody the noblest attributes of humankind. Today we are again involved in a struggle against the forces of extremism and violence. As Soldiers, you have answered the call to duty, and you are performing magnificently. America supports you as you go in harm's way. You reflect America's values as you serve our society, and are the best citizens our Nation has to offer. Remember each day as you do your duty that you stand on the shoulders of those who served before you. The legacy of our fallen comrades lives on through your actions.
God bless each and every one of you and your families, and God bless America.
Francis J. Harvey, Secretary of the Army

Petery J. Schoomaker, General, United States Army, Chief of Staff

Kenneth O Preston, Sergeant Major of the Army

Images The Media Does Not Want To Show You

2005-05-26T00:03:00.000-05:00

Marines Run Devil Pups Through Boot Camp

2005-05-24T00:03:00.000-05:00

The Marines of 6th Communication Battalion gave Navy Junior Recruit Officer Training Corps(NJROTC) cadets a look at life as a recruit during the this year's Mid-Hudson NJROTC Area Four Basic Leadership Training (BLT) recently. More than 200 high school cadets attended the week-long mini-boot camp, which was held at the U.S. Military Academy's Camp Natural Bridge. Marines of 6th Comm. Bn volunteered as acting drill instructors for the program and coordinated with the North Rockland High School NJROTC Unit to bring the annual program to life. According to NJROTC representatives, the goal of the program is to enhance the cadets' introduction to the military within a controlled stress environment. Under the direction of the Marines, the cadets experienced intense physical training, drill, martial arts, and uniform maintenance, among other training. "The 6th Comm. Bn Marines and cadets put forth outstanding effort, and this was reflected in the accomplishments of the NJROTC cadets and Marines. The cadets gained an understanding of active duty life," said Staff Sgt. Jeffery E. Fisher, who was the staff non-commissioned officer in charge of the program. According to Fisher, the program's benefit was two-fold, because as the cadets learned from the Marines, the Marines exercised their skills as leaders.

Air Force Seeks Bush's Approval For Space Weapons Programs

2005-05-21T00:03:00.000-05:00

The Air Force, saying it must secure space to protect the nation from attack, is seeking President Bush's approval of a national-security directive that could move the United States closer to fielding offensive and defensive space weapons, according to White House and Air Force officials. The proposed change would be a substantial shift in American policy. It would almost certainly be opposed by many American allies and potential enemies, who have said it may create an arms race in space. A senior administration official said that a new presidential directive would replace a 1996 Clinton administration policy that emphasized a more pacific use of space, including spy satellites' support for military operations, arms control and nonproliferation pacts. Any deployment of space weapons would face financial, technological, political and diplomatic hurdles, although no treaty or law bans Washington from putting weapons in space, barring weapons of mass destruction. A presidential directive is expected within weeks, said the senior administration official, who is involved with space policy and insisted that he not be identified because the directive is still under final review and the White House has not disclosed its details. Air Force officials said yesterday that the directive, which is still in draft form, did not call for militarizing space. "The focus of the process is not putting weapons in space," said Maj. Karen Finn, an Air Force spokeswoman, who said that the White House, not the Air Force, makes national policy. "The focus is having free access in space." With little public debate, the Pentagon has already spent billions of dollars developing space weapons and preparing plans to deploy them. "We haven't reached the point of strafing and bombing from space," Pete Teets, who stepped down last month as the acting secretary of the Air Force, told a space warfare symposium last year. "Nonetheless, we are thinking about those possibilities." In January 2001, a commission led by Donald H. Rumsfeld, then the newly nominated defense secretary, recommended that the military should "ensure that the president will have the option to deploy weapons in space." It said that "explicit national security guidance and defense policy is needed to direct development of doctrine, concepts of operations and capabilities for space, including weapons systems that operate in space." The effort to develop a new policy directive reflects three years of work prompted by the report. The White House would not say if all the report's recommendations would be adopted. In 2002, after weighing the report of the Rumsfeld space commission, President Bush withdrew from the 30-year-old Antiballistic Missile Treaty, which banned space-based weapons. Ever since then, the Air Force has sought a new presidential policy officially ratifying the concept of seeking American space superiority. The Air Force believes "we must establish and maintain space superiority," Gen. Lance Lord, who leads the Air Force Space Command, told Congress recently. "Simply put, it's the American way of fighting." Air Force doctrine defines space superiority as "freedom to attack as well as freedom from attack" in space. The mission will require new weapons, new space satellites, new ways of doing battle and, by some estimates, hundreds of billions of dollars. It faces enormous technological obstacles. And many of the nation's allies object to the idea that space is an American frontier. Yet "there seems little doubt that space-basing of weapons is an accepted aspect of the Air Force" and its plans for the future, Capt. David C. Hardesty of the Naval War College faculty says in a new study. A new Air Force strategy, Global Strike, calls for a military space plane carrying precision-guided weapons armed with a half-ton of munitions. General Lord told Congress last month that Global Strike would be "an incredible capability" to destroy command centers or missile bases "anywhere in the world." Pentagon documents say the weapon, called the common aero vehicle, could strike from halfway around the world in 45 minutes. "This is the type of prompt Global Strike I have identified as a top priority for our space and missile force," General Lord said. The Air Force's drive into space has been accelerated by the Pentagon's failure to build a missile defense on earth. After spending 22 years and nearly $100 billion, Pentagon officials say they cannot reliably detect and destroy a threat today. "Are we out of the woods? No," Lt. Gen. Trey Obering, who directs the Missile Defense Agency, said in an interview. "We've got a long way to go, a lot of testing to do." While the Missile Defense Agency struggles with new technology for a space-based laser, the Air Force already has a potential weapon in space. In April, the Air Force launched the XSS-11, an experimental microsatellite with the technical ability to disrupt other nations' military reconnaissance and communications satellites. Air Force's XSS-11Another Air Force space program, nicknamed Rods From God, aims to hurl cylinders of tungsten, titanium or uranium from the edge of space to destroy targets on the ground, striking at speeds of about 7,200 miles an hour with the force of a small nuclear weapon. A third program would bounce laser beams off mirrors hung from space satellites or huge high-altitude blimps, redirecting the lethal rays down to targets around the world. A fourth seeks to turn radio waves into weapons whose powers could range "from tap on the shoulder to toast," in the words of an Air Force plan. Captain Hardesty, in the new issue of the Naval War College Review, calls for "a thorough military analysis" of these plans, followed by "a larger public debate." "To proceed with space-based weapons on any other foundation would be the height of folly," he concludes, warning that other nations not necessarily allies would follow America's lead into space. Despite objections from members of Congress who thought "space should be sanctified and no weapons ever put in space," Mr. Teets, then the Air Force under secretary, told the space-warfare symposium last June that "that policy needs to be pushed forward." Last month, Gen. James E. Cartwright, who leads the United States Strategic Command, told the Senate Armed Services nuclear forces subcommittee that the goal of developing space weaponry was to allow the nation to deliver an attack "very quickly, with very short time lines on the planning and delivery, any place on the face of the earth." Senator Jeff Sessions, a Republican from Alabama who is chairman of the subcommittee, worried that the common aero vehicle might be used in ways that would "be mistaken as some sort of attack on, for example, Russia." "They might think it would be a launch against them of maybe a nuclear warhead," Senator Sessions said. "We want to be sure that there could be no misunderstanding in that before we authorize going forward with this vehicle." General Cartwright said that the military would "provide every opportunity to ensure that it's not misunderstood" and that Global Strike simply aimed to "expand the choices that we might be able to offer to the president in crisis." Senior military and space officials of the European Union, Canada, China and Russia have objected publicly to the notion of American space superiority. They think that "the United States doesn't own space - nobody owns space," said Teresa Hitchens, vice president of the Center for Defense Information, a policy analysis group in Washington that tends to be critical of the Pentagon. "Space is a global commons under international treaty and international law." No nation will "accept the U.S. developing something they see as the death star," Ms. Hitchens told a Council on Foreign Relations meeting last month. "I don't think the United States would find it very comforting if China were to develop a death star, a 24/7 on-orbit weapon that could strike at targets on the ground anywhere in 90 minutes." International objections aside, Randy Correll, an Air Force veteran and military consultant, told the council, "the big problem now is it's too expensive." The Air Force does not put a price tag on space superiority. Published studies by leading weapons scientists, physicists and engineers say the cost of a space-based system that could defend the nation against an attack by a handful of missiles could be anywhere from $220 billion to $1 trillion. Richard Garwin, widely regarded as a dean of American weapons science, and three colleagues wrote in the March issue of IEEE Spectrum, the professional journal of electric engineering, that "a space-based laser would cost $100 million per target, compared with $600,000 for a Tomahawk missile." "The psychological impact of such a blow might rival that of such devastating attacks as Hiroshima," they wrote. "But just as the unleashing of nuclear weapons had unforeseen consequences, so, too, would the weaponization of space." Surveillance and reconnaissance satellites are a crucial component of space superiority. But the biggest new spy satellite program, Future Imagery Architecture, has tripled in price to about $25 billion while producing less than promised, military contractors say. A new space technology for detecting enemy launchings has risen to more than $10 billion from a promised $4 billion, Mr. Teets told Congress last month. But General Lord said such problems should not stand in the way of the Air Force's plans to move into space. "Space superiority is not our birthright, but it is our destiny," he told an Air Force conference in September. "Space superiority is our day-to-day mission. Space supremacy is our vision for the future."