Archive for the ‘Military News’ Category
July 1, 2009 By CJ
Posted in Military News
But who will oversee the victory parade?
Yesterday, Iraq regained complete control of its cities under a policy instituted in the final months last year of the Bush administration. The Iraqi government declared it “National Sovereignty Day” and held a parade to mark the holiday.
This is good news for us that should have resulted in large banner, headlines, and news stories about VICTORY being plastered all over the country. We should be having parades in every major city at most, but our nation’s capital at LEAST. Unfortunately, our leaders in D.C. are planning no such thing that I’m aware of.
Instead of tasking the VP with overseeing the honorable return of our troops from Iraq or hailing the ones responsible for making “National Sovereignty Day” a possibility, President Obama instead tapped Vice President Biden with the task of overseeing overseeing the US departure from Iraq and Washington’s effort to promote internal political reconciliation there. Yes, the same man who so foolishly thought it would be a brilliant idea to split Iraq into three autonomous nations or zones.
The President yesterday recognized this event and praised the troops responsible for the security situation in Iraq that made this possible.
“[T]he very fact that Iraqis are celebrating this day is a testament to the courage, the capability, and commitment of every single American who has served in Iraq. (Applause.) That’s worth applause. Through tour after tour of duty, our troops have overcome every obstacle to extend this precious opportunity to the Iraqi people. These women and men are not always in the headlines, but they’re in our hearts and prayers, and we will forever honor their selfless service and sacrifice, as well as the service and sacrifice of their families. There is more work to be done, but we’ve made important progress in supporting a sovereign, stable and self-reliant Iraq. And everyone who has served there, both in uniform as well as our civilians, deserves our thanks.”
Of course, he didn’t mention that his campaign and rhetoric in the past two years was one of the “obstacles” our troops had to overcome, but the sentiment of this statement is welcome and needed. I extend a challenge to the President to take these words and put them into action. When our troops came home in 2001, Washington, D.C. held a HUGE parade celebrating the successes of our troops in Desert Storm. Our troops deserve another victory parade and the Command in Chief who made it all possible should be invited to attend as grand marshal!
The Desert Storm Victory Parade in Washington, D.C. on June 8, 1991, included the above battalion-size formation of 3AD troops representing various units from throughout the Division. At the lead is Maj. Gen. Jerry R. Rutherford (third from right), followed by his staff. Rutherford had taken command of the 3AD from Maj. Gen. Paul E. Funk in Kuwait following Desert Storm. The above Spearhead troops had flown from Germany for the event and are shown after crossing D.C.’s Memorial Bridge (with the Lincoln Memorial in distant background). About 9,000 U.S. troops took part in the parade, which included Constitution Ave. and ended at the Pentagon.
I wanted to add a quick update. Concrete Bob, a true and patriotic American, tried hard to have a victory in Iraq day. Unfortunately, he only met with friction from EVERYONE! Trying to drum up support was impossible, even among conservatives. A lot of people should really be ashamed of themselves for crapping on this man’s efforts to recognize our troops. The excuses and naysayings were just astounding.
7 Comments »
June 30, 2009 By Claire
Posted in Military News, Spouse and Family
I found the following article on the Army.mil site and wanted to pass it along here. After all the only useful resource is the one we KNOW about.
Expanded Homeowners Assistance Program could help with BRAC hardships
Excerpt
Jun 29, 2009
By Rob McIlvaine, FMWRC Public Affairs
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Army News Service, June 29, 2009) — While the Base Realignment and Closure decisions of 2005 are causing upheaval for some families, help is available through the Department of Defense National Relocation Program, the Homeowners Assistance Program, and soon, the Expanded HAP, thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Besides standard Permanent Change of Station or PCS entitlements, the Department of Defense National Relocation Program provides relocation services, including a guaranteed home buyout process, to eligible DoD civilian employees so they can sell their homes at the prior-duty station and locate housing at the new duty station.
Its primary benefit, known as Guaranteed Home Sale, offers an alternative to the PCS reimbursement process. It also offers other valuable services such as the Home Marketing Incentive Payment, a financial-incentive-bonus payment that may be authorized for employees who successfully market their homes.
Since its inception in 1987, the relocation program has helped thousands of employees sell their homes through the Guaranteed Home Sale Program, rent their homes through the Property Management Program, and purchase or rent in a new town through Destination Services. The complete DoD National Relocation Program Handbook, revised December 2008, explains in detail the services available and the process required to obtain these services.
The traditional HAP program provides benefits for transferring Soldiers and civilian employees only when an economic impact study determines that the depreciation of home values is specifically linked to the closure of a nearby military installation, according to David Gage, chief of the National Relocation Program Office for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, “In that case,” Gage said, “HAP guarantees all or a portion of the difference between the price a property sells for and the estimated value of the property prior to the base closure announcement.”
Expanded HAP will help even more.
On May 14, Vice President Joe Biden announced DoD’s plan to add $555 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to expand the HAP to help offset the effects of the country’s struggling housing market.
“The recently passed economic stimulus program that expanded the HAP eligibility guidelines to provide some financial benefits for BRAC-affected servicemembers and civilian employees who sell their homes at prices less than their purchase price or less than the mortgage balance owed, without requiring any economic impact study,” Gage said.
This temporary expansion, which includes the payment of closing costs to transferring servicemembers and civilian employees affected by BRAC 2005, was possible through the efforts of the Army Family Action Plan committee members who played a positive role in reviving the PCS issue.
**SNIP**
“When the implementing guidance (from DoD) is issued, employees who are eligible for HAP benefits who have already sold their homes can still file for HAP benefits after the fact,” Gage said.
Employees who are or will be moving due to BRAC can use the DNRP for the home sale at current market value, and file for HAP benefits to provide any additional benefit (e.g., loss-on-sale or negative equity payments) for which they may be entitled.
The DNRP Web site, http://www.nab.usace.army.mil/dnrp.htm, includes info and a link to the HAP Web page.
The guidelines for eligibility for expanded HAP benefits are already established, and can be found at the HAP Web site: http://hap.usace.army.mil/
READ ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE
No Comments »
By Marcus
Posted in Military News
Those opposed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have tried to discredit the military for the last seven years by making claims that recruitment standards are being relaxed in an effort to keep enough recruits going through basic training to keep the ranks full. BGen Angela Salinas, Commanding General of Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and the Western Recruiting Region, set the record straight in an interview with Military.com.
Formerly, a recruit who fails a drug test merited a 30-day postponement to allow the recruit to pass a new drug test. No longer. Fail a drug test now and the Corps isn’t interested.
The Marine Corps has zero tolerance for Marines who use illegal drugs. Now we’re expending that zero tolerance to our potential recruits. We don’t need those that have drug problems serving in the Marine Corps and possibly spread their addictions to those around them.
The Corps is also taking a harder line on tattoos. Too much ink, especially on a recruit’s forearms, could keep a potential Marine out of boot camp.
In short, if you’re serious about wearing the eagle, globe and anchor don’t even think about hitting that joint at the after-prom party and save the tattoos for well after your first combat deployment.
There was a time in the Marine Corps when it didn’t matter how many tattoos were decorating your body, but that time has passed. Marines have an image in the American mind that we must uphold. Would you be receptive to your son or daughter speaking to a Marine about possibly joining while he has ink up and down his arm? Not having tattoos on the forearms presents a much more professional appearance.
The most popular job in the Corps remains combat infantry – military occupational specialty 0311 – and that job has a lengthy wait, Salinas said.
“In the past, anywhere from 30 to 90 days was the average wait once you enlisted, if you are physically able,” Salinas said. “Now, if a high school graduate walks in the door right now, many [recruiters] don’t have a place for him until November or December.”
Another lie from the antimilitary camp is that young men are being forced into ground combat jobs. That is simply not true! I can’t tell you how many Marines I’ve talked to that WANTED to join the infantry, but couldn’t because all of their slots were full when the young man enlisted.
Recruiting Command is doing such a great job that a young man or woman that enlists today may have to wait until the end of the year to actually attend recruit training. If you’ve seen the size of a graduating company aboard MCRDs Parris Island and San Diego, you know that this much of a backlog is amazing. Even more amazing is Recruiting Command was able to complete mission for the month of June during the first week of the month!
I would love to see IVAW come out and attempt to refute how well Marine Corps Recruiting Command does their job in getting the best, brightest, and most highly qualified young men and woman to begin the journey to earn their Eagle, Globe, and Anchor. Their arguments are based on misinformation, twisting of facts, and all around illogical thought.
Great job, Marine recruiters. Keep it up!
No Comments »
June 29, 2009 By Marcus
Posted in Military News
Tobacco use is pretty common within the military. Many service members have used from a young age while others start after joining. I was a half a pack a day smoker until two weeks ago and I’m proud to say that I’m doing a pretty good job at quitting. The decision to quit was my own, and my family and coworkers encouraged me for a long time before I made the decision to kick the habit. In the end, I had to quit for me and not anyone else. That may not be the case for many service members in the future. Emphasis below is my own.
DOD should gradually phase in a ban on tobacco use in the military, starting at military academies and officer training programs and among new recruits, the report says. DOD should also stop selling tobacco products in Army and Air Force commissaries — Navy and Marine Corps commissaries already do not sell them — and should stop selling them at a discount in military exchanges and other stores. In addition, Congress should allow VA to establish tobacco-free medical centers.
The report was requested by DOD and VA, who asked the Institute of Medicine to identify policies and practices that could lower rates of smoking and help soldiers and veterans quit.
The DoD and the VA asked for polices and practices to lower rates, not complete eliminate tobacco use from the military. In typical nanny-state fashion, the Institute said let’s just force them to quit and completely ignore the actual request from DoD! Those men and women in the military that are able to make life and death decisions on the battlefield are unable to make decisions regarding their own health. Let’s just force them to do what we want!
It gets worse. As if the military doesn’t have enough bureaucracy, we’ll add several more layers. Emphasis once again mine.
The Defense Department should set a date by which the military will be tobacco-free and require each of the four services to develop and enforce a timeline for achieving this goal, the report says. Recognizing that immediately banning tobacco use in deployed personnel is not realistic, the committee urged an incremental strategy, starting with closing the pipeline of new tobacco users entering the military. Smoking should be banned at military academies, and the current ban on tobacco use during basic training should be extended to include subseqent technical training. That ban could eventually be extended to all new enlistees, who would be informed during recruitment that they would be expected to remain tobacco-free during their entire military careers.
I really can’t imagine each service having the time, manpower, and funds to develop a timeline on banning the use of tobacco. Additionally, what makes anyone believe it is realistic to ban use in the states if it isn’t realistic to ban use in deployed areas? What effect would a ban on those who smoke from enlisting have on recruiting commands?
Even more worrisome is enforcement of this new ban. Do they plan to now test for cotinine during unit urinalysis? What would result from a positive test? I can’t see asking a Marine why he was subject to NJP and having him respond, “I smoked a cigarette.” It is complete absurd.
The issue that weighs the heaviest on my mind is free will. If I want to smoke or use dip as an adult, why can’t I? Tobacco is not an illegal substance as marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. Yet, we are going to put cigarettes in the same class as these illegal drugs, ban them from the military, and punish service members for breaking the ban?
In the defense of the DoD and the VA, encouraging service members to quit is the right thing to do. It is bad for your health, costs a ton of money for both the smoker and the military health system, and is an incredibly nasty habit. I support the military’s current methods of cessation and do not support any type of ban or limiting the ability to purchase tobacco on base. In the end, service members are more than able to make their own decisions concerning their health. The military is welcome to encourage them to make better decisions, but not require it.
1 Comment »
By Troy
Posted in Life in the Military, Military History, Military News
The Story below hit the wire today. This is a long time coming, in fact it is about 37 years too late. I could never understand how CSMs could be commandants of NCO academies on military posts world-wide but we had an officer in charge of the Sergeant Major Academy. I don’t know if oxy-moron or conflict of interest are the right descriptions, but either way it was just wrong. I am glad to see it has been corrected.
www.military.com/news/article/nco-to-head-bliss-sgt-maj-academy.html
FORT BLISS, Texas — The next commandant of the Sergeants Major Academy here will be an enlisted Soldier, breaking a 37-year tradition.
Command Sgt. Maj. Raymond Chandler is scheduled to take charge of the academy today. The school provides the Army’s highest level of education for noncommissioned officers.
It had been commanded by an officer since it was created in 1972, but Chandler’s appointment changes that.
"Having a command sergeant major in charge of the academy is just indicative of how much trust and faith we put in our noncommissioned officers," said Col. Donald Gentry, who commanded the academy for the past two years. "It also is indicative of how far noncommissioned officers have progressed in their education."
Gentry, described officers as "architects" who make the plans, and noncommissioned officers as "engineers" who get things done.
The change in command structure will be accompanied by a retooling of the school’s curriculum to provide enlisted leaders with a strategic understanding of battlefields, something that had been reserved for officers.
"As the complexity of this persistent conflict we’re in continues to grow, we as senior noncommissioned officers have to understand the bigger picture," Chandler said.
Urban battlefields faced by Soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world demand that leaders of squads and other small units be able to make quick decisions. The consequences of a bad decision can easily be recorded on a cell
phone and broadcast to the world, creating a propaganda opportunity for the nation’s enemies, Gentry said.
"It’s the complexity and speed of things," he said. "There’s no time to report, have a decision made somewhere else and then have that decision travel back down."
In the past, academy students, each with a decade or two of Army service, would gather to share their experiences. They were looking for problem-solving ideas not found in field manuals. In the future, the studies will be more academic with courses similar to those offered to Army officers, Gentry said.
Within three or four years, Gentry said, the academy should be providing master’s degrees.
"Not only will our graduates be able to speak the same language as their officers, they will be able to translate strategic and operational goals down to the Soldier," Gentry said.
In 1981, as the all-volunteer Army was establishing itself, the average educational level for a noncommissioned officers was eighth grade, Chandler said. Now, 94 percent of those who graduate from the Sergeants Major Academy have some type of college degree and more than 50 percent of those are bachelor’s or master’s degrees, he said.
"It indicates a willingness and understanding of how to learn," Gentry said. "Those are the traits that have made them the backbone of the Army."
No Comments »
June 27, 2009 By Marcus
Posted in Military News
I saw a sign on the Camp Lejeune 7 Day Store during a visit last fall that made me roll my eyes and wonder what they’ll come up with next. The sign had two messages, one I don’t quite remember, the second said, “say and speak my name correctly: Luh-jern.” I couldn’t believe it. Was someone really making a fuss on the correct pronunciation of Lejeune? Why in the world does this even matter?
By the time I finished shopping and left, I had forgotten all about the sign until last Wednesday when I attended the graduation ceremonies for Drill Instructor School aboard Parris Island, SC. The narrator would read off the prior assignment for each new Drill Instructor as they marched across the stage to receive their campaign cover. Each time a Marine from Camp Lejeune would cross the stage, the narrator pronounced it Luh-jurn. One of my friends sitting next to me nudged me and expressed the same feelings I had last fall when I saw the sign at the 7 Day Store. Why is it all of a sudden Luh-jurn and not Leh-june?
The Lejeune family, who are natives of Baton Rouge, La., prefer the French-Creole pronunciation and Brent said they “cringe” when they hear it pronounced otherwise.
“At all times, General Lejeune and his while family, for the last couple of hundred years have said Luh-jern,” he said. “To honor the man we should pronounce his name appropriately.”
Well, if the family of General Lejeune would rather me say Luh-jern, I guess I could do that. It’ll be a difficult change to make since all I’ve known for almost seven years is Leh-june. We’ll see if other Marines are able to break the habit themselves.
No Comments »
June 22, 2009 By Marcus
Posted in Military News
Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) has added an amendment to the FY2010 defense authorization bill that aims to improve the response and investigation of allegations of sexual assault. The amendment was a direct result of the murder of Lance Corporal Maria Lauterbach. I’ve covered her death, the subsequent manhunt for ex-Corporal Cesar Laurean, and his court appearances over at A Soldier’s Perspective and I high encourage you to read those articles for background on why the case strikes very close to home.
Here is one portion of section 592 that grabbed my attention.
(2) INFORMATION TO MEMBERS- The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that, when a military protective order is issued to protect a member of the Armed Forces, the member is informed of the right of the member to request a base transfer from the command.
The language is a bit vague on what constitutes a “base transfer from the command.” I am going to assume that the base transfer does not have a minimum distance from the previous base since it is not listed specifically in the bill. This could lead to many problems.
For example, Lauterbach was stationed at Camp Lejeune. Literally down the road is New River, and within 30 minutes of Camp Lejeune is Cherry Point. The point of an MPO is to prevent contact between the alleged victim and perpetrator of a crime. Will the DoD decide what is an appropriate distance or will each branch?
I’m certain there are other areas of the amendment that will be flushed out and explained if it does in fact become law. Sexual assault is a serious matter and hopefully this amendment will help prevent future cases.
No Comments »
June 14, 2009 By Marcus
Posted in Military News
For nearly 35 years, Marines, civilian employees, and their family members aboard Camp Lejeune drank, cooked with, and bathed in contaminated water. The contamination came from two chemicals, Trichloroethylene (TCE) and Perchloroethylene (PCE), mostly supplied by Dow Chemical. Water wells in the area were closed after detection of the contamination, but the harm was already done. According to those affected by the contamination, many people have suffered from various forms of cancer and other aliments.
For many years, the Navy and Marine Corps funded studies to determine the extent of the damage done to those that used the contaminated water and the effects on their health. One report, released yesterday, is astonishing.
The study released Saturday is one of two the Navy was awaiting to determine whether exposure to the water could be linked definitively to birth defects, childhood leukemia and adult illnesses such as liver damage and breast cancer.
“On the one hand, several lines of scientific reasoning suggest such effects are unlikely to have occurred … ” the report concludes. “On the other hand, the possibility that health effects have been produced by the contaminant exposures at Camp Lejeune cannot be ruled out.”
The report has basically concluded that the various diseases victims of the contaminated water are not related to the water, but it is still possible.
Over 1,000 people have filed claims with the Navy Jag seeking almost $44 billion dollars, but none has been paid. Additionally, the VA has denied medical benefits for those that believe their illness relates to the contaminated water.
Tim King of Salem-News.com has written an article about the study and hasn’t held back any punches. I wouldn’t have taken such a confrontational stance, but he makes many good points. His article is fairly long and fair use won’t allow me to quote all the parts I would like to. Instead, go read his article.
My personal belief is the contaminated water has beyond a shadow of a doubt made many people horribly ill and killed many others.
According to Wikipedia, “California EPA regulators consider it [TCE] a known carcinogen and issued a risk assessment in 1999 that concluded that it was far more toxic than previous scientific studies had shown.”
Also according to Wikipedia, PCE is dangerous as well.
Results of animal studies, conducted with amounts much higher than those that most people are exposed to, show that tetrachloroethene can cause liver and kidney damage. Exposure to very high levels of tetrachloroethene can be toxic to the unborn pups of pregnant rats and mice. Changes in behavior were observed in the offspring of rats that breathed high levels of the chemical while they were pregnant.
I would like to see the Navy and Marine Corps reevaluate the study released and continue to research the effects the contamination had on the 1 million people that could have been exposed. Too many people have died and become very ill that lived and worked in the Camp Lejeune area from the 1950’s to the 1980’s for there not to be a link.
No Comments »
June 10, 2009 By CJ
Posted in Military News, Top Posts
The Department of Defense today released statistics for all the services in recruiting and retention. The numbers make it clear that the services are meeting or exceeding their recruiting goals for active duty, but the reserve forces aren’t doing as well.
The Navy and the Air Force both made 100% of their recruiting goals for the month of May. The Army brought in over 140 more Soldiers than their goal. The Marine Corps did much better, recruiting 142% of their goal to bring in 1,516 new Marines. They recruited 2,146!
Retention continues to be very strong as all four active component services met or exceeded their May retention goals. The Marine Corps has met its year-end first and subsequent goals and Army has met its year-end initial, mid-career and career goals.
Three of the six reserve components met or exceeded their accession goals for the month of May. While the Army National Guard, Army Reserve, and Air National Guard figures were less than their planned monthly goal, all three are well above their fiscal 2009 annual recruiting goals to date.
Army National Guard - 3,026 accessions with a goal of 3,649; 83 percent
Army Reserve - 3,178 accessions with a goal of 3,326; 96 percent
Navy Reserve - 574 accessions with a goal of 574; 100 percent
Marine Corps Reserve - 1,196 accessions with a goal of 565; 212 percent
Air National Guard - 766 accessions with a goal of 805; 95 percent
Air Force Reserve - 770 accessions with a goal of 718; 107 percent
Attrition losses in all reserve components were within acceptable limits.
I think the reason that the Reserve forces aren’t doing as well as the active forces has a lot to do with the economy. Americans are looking for more than a one weekend a month income. The military is being seen as a safe place to find job security. I have a feeling that with the influx of people who aren’t necessarily as dedicated to the military lifestyle, but merely looking for a steady paycheck, we’ll start seeing more “conscientious objectors” and war refusers. We’ll also start seeing more disciplinary problems.
1 Comment »
By Marcus
Posted in Military News
The US military has learned a lot of valuable lessons over the last eight years of war. The biggest of those lessons is predeployment training can sometimes lack the realism of the battlefield and convoy training is difficult to execute. The Marine Corps has taken steps to better train Marines preparing for deployment without the hassle of arranging training on actual roads using a system called Virtual Combat Convoy Training.
Virtual Combat Convoy Training has made it possible for Marines to conduct pre-deployment training in a controlled virtual environment where everything from the vehicles they will operate while on deployment to the weapons they will fire is perfectly replicated.
The basic VCCT unit consists of a modular trailer containing four octagonal rooms. A humvee replica sits inside each room, and a computer-generated scene is projected onto the walls around the
Marines inside the humvee for a 360-degree view.
The Marine Corps owns eight VCCT simulators, costing $1.5 million each. Four are operated at Camp Upshur; the other four are located in Twentynine Palms, Calif.
At a cost of $1.5 million, the system isn’t cheap. However, the cost of this system is well worth the advantage of better training that can and will save lives once a unit arrives in country. Any type of combat situation can be simulated, and Marines experience a higher level of safety that could not be achieved on the open road.
During training prior to my deployment in 2007, our security folks spent days on the roads around Camp Lejeune practicing convoy operations. I specifically remember gripes and complaints about how hard it was to train for desert operations in an area that was lined with dense forests. With this system, the terrain, buildings, and environmental elements call be better simulated to match the area of operations a unit will operate in. The sense of familiarity and confidence this system imparts to Marines is invaluable.
The technology involved with this system could also lead to better training in the future. Full virtual reality training is quickly becoming possible in the upcoming years as new advances arrive. Future wars will see our forces train in completely simulated environments without many risks that they experience now. Better training will prepare our Marines for the fight.
No Comments »
