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| Summer Edition, 2007 Website Updated 07 / 26 / 2007 |
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U.S. Army News!
July, 2007
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| Welcome Fellow Screaming Eagles! |
| USA ThroughThe Eyes Of A Soldier TM |
Posted As of July 26, 2007
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| Work Zone Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Krishna M. Gamble July 09, 2007 Spc. Matt Vanleeuwen, an aviation mechanic with the 82nd General Aviation Support Battalion, prepares to remove the blades of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. |
| T U.S. Army Photo |
Posted
As of July 22, 2007
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| Army Working to Ensure
Terror Plots Against Homeland Fail Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel N. Woods July 19, 2007 A National Guard civil support team responds to simulated terrorist threat during an exercise scenario for Alaska Shield/Northern Edge 2007. The Army and National Guard work with other intelligence agencies and all levels of first responders to prevent terrorist attacks and to give a quick and appropriate response should one occur. |
| Army Working to Ensure
Terror Plots Against Homeland Fail Jul 19, 2007 BY Donna Miles WASHINGTON (Army News Service, July 19, 2007) - The Army and U.S. Northern Command are "keenly aware" of information within the newly released National Intelligence Estimate and are committed to working to ensure terrorists don't succeed in attacking the United States, a NORTHCOM official said. A declassified version of the report released July 17 notes that Islamic terrorist groups, particularly al Qaeda, are likely to remain a persistent threat to the U.S. homeland over the next three years. The report paints a picture of terrorists' "undiminished intent to attack the homeland." "We assess that al Qaeda's homeland plotting is likely to continue to focus on prominent political, economic and infrastructure targets with the goal of producing mass casualties, visually dramatic destruction, significant economic aftershocks and/or fear among the U.S. population," the report states. NORTHCOM, the Defense Department's lead agency for homeland defense, is working closely with the Department of Homeland Security and other partners to "deter and disrupt, and if necessary, confront any planned attack against the homeland," said Michael Kucharek, a spokesman for NORTHCOM and North American Aerospace Defense Command. The command is "focused on ensuring that we disrupt and defeat those who wish to kill innocent civilians by any means possible," he said. NORTHCOM maintains a representative in the National Counterterrorism Center and is connected to more than 150 operation centers throughout the United States, Mr. Kucharek explained. This network continuously evaluates all credible intelligence information to establish appropriate response-force posture levels and force-protection levels for Defense Department installations nationwide, he said. Meanwhile, "U.S. Northern Command has directed all subordinate commands to increase their vigilance, to take precautionary actions and to review their local force protection procedures," he said. Due to security considerations, the command does not discuss the specific types of security measures it is taking. NORAD, the U.S.-Canadian command that provides aerospace warning and control for North America, is a key player in that effort. NORAD is "standing vigilant to protect our homelands from any emerging threat by working in close cooperation and coordination with our partners in the U.S. and Canada and their respective government agencies," Mr. Kucharek said. In addition to the Army, seven other intelligence organizations within the Defense Department contributed to the National Intelligence Estimate: the Defense Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, and Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps intelligence. (Donna Miles writes for the American Forces Press Service.) |
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| Answering the C.A.L.L. to
fight a killer Photo by Art McQueen July 19, 2007 USAG Heidelberg's chief of plans and integration, MaryPat Begin-Ortiz, is a cancer survivor. |
| Answering the C.A.L.L. to
fight a killer Jul 19, 2007 BY Art McQueen HEIDELBERG, Germany - There is a killer lurking among us. Every 10 days, it takes as many American lives as the events of 9/11 and the global war on terrorism combined. The fight against this killer has involved billions of dollars and millions of research man-hours. It began long before the Cold War, and the battle continues today. Heidelberg residents will have an opportunity later this summer to remember those who have been lost and to celebrate those who have survived. The event is Answer the C.A.L.L. (Cancer Awareness Laps for Life) and it starts the evening of Sept. 14 at the high-school track in nearby Patrick Henry Village. It will allow everyone, especially those who have shared this fight, to get together for education and support. MaryPat Begin-Ortiz, U.S. Army Garrison Heidelberg, chief of plans and integration, certainly plans on participating. She first battled cancer 15 years ago. The Pittsburgh native is known best for her striking turquoise eyes, which seem to flash as she recalls dealing with the disease. "I was devastated; I had high hopes and plans for the future. It's frightening because you don't know what is going to happen ... you deny it, you are angry, and it is intimidating when you have no medical background." Glance around Begin-Ortiz' office and you'll quickly notice it reflects her life priorities. Her Army Civilian Service award is positioned low and behind a monitor, while photos of her children, five grandchildren and eight step-grandchildren are placed at eye level for visitors to see and admire. "When you are diagnosed with cancer, it's not just you, it's a family situation," she said. "My son and daughter were teenagers at the time; they were terrified." "Cancer affects the whole family, you aren't just a man or a woman, you are a son or a daughter or a spouse, a supervisor or a co-worker ... your circle of influence goes pretty wide, and everyone needs some sort of care, support and hope," Begin-Ortiz said. Continuing to live a regular life while getting well is a message she repeatedly emphasizes. "It takes so much focus. No matter what the treatment plan is, you don't want to drop any of your professional or personal commitments, and it weighs a lot on your head and your heart." As she reflects, there's another flash of turquoise. "There are moments where you are angry," she breathes, "where you say 'why didn't someone else get it?'" "You have to find some way of channeling your anger into your treatment plan, into your need to be well in as many ways as you can ... to tell yourself 'this is not going to stop me, not going to slow me down, not going to keep me from all the goals and the things I want to do.'" Begin-Ortiz recovered after her surgery and several months of treatment. "I had great medical care and great support from the chaplain," she said, adding that support groups and knowledge are critical tools. "Just talking to someone who understands what you are feeling and what your fears are helps," she said. "It is drastically important to have good information. Nowadays, you can sit right at your computer at home and find support groups and information without going to an intimidating library." She credits her knowledge with a change in lifestyle: losing weight; eating healthy; realizing each day is precious. This prepared Begin-Ortiz for her next - and ongoing - test. Begin-Ortiz is fighting the killer again. Six months after re-marrying, she was diagnosed for the second time in 2005. The blue-green pools are more liquid now, but her voice is still strong. "This time was a little rougher," she said. "I had just been married, and here I was starting life over in middle age with all these same bright hopes. "I cried, and my husband said to me, 'I seem to remember something in our vows about 'in sickness and in health.'" Her half-laugh drips irony. "I said: I just didn't expect it so soon." Her particular cancer has a high-survival rate according to the American Cancer Society, but her cousin died of breast cancer at age 39, and the knowledge rattled her before steeling her resolve. "You still have to be able to laugh, to live, and to love. You can't let any one of those slip down," she said, her voice hardening. "I won't give in. I have a life to live and I'm not going to let it hold me back." "I have control over my lifestyle," she continued, "I don't have control over cancer. I don't know what this week brings, but I can face whatever it is, feeling healthier." Answer the C.A.L.L. is open to everyone, and is designed to let people show support and to learn about resources available to fight cancer. Teams of walkers and runners will complete laps, keeping one member on the track throughout the night, from 6 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. "No matter where you are on the journey (of treating cancer)" Begin-Ortiz said, "the idea is to keep on moving. We want this event to focus on the survivors, to focus on the hope." Begin-Ortiz understands that cancer remains an uncomfortable thing for some people to discuss, and hopes Answer the C.A.L.L. can change that. "Getting this out into the open, teaching people about the tests they need to be doing (to detect cancer early) without making a big negative. These are the goals," she said. And as for the significance of the evening start, Begin-Ortiz says: "Cancer never sleeps." For more information about participating in Answer the C.A.L.L. in Heidelberg, contact the team captain liaison, Capt. Rhonda Centuolo at DSN 371-2399/2846, civilian 06221-17-2399/2846, or e-mail: rhonda.centuolo@us.army.mil . Volunteers can contact Marrisa Zuniga, volunteer pool coordinator, at DSN 370-1770/6883, civilian 06221-57-1770/6883, or e-mail: marissa.zuniga@eur.army.mil (Armed Forces Press Service at Army.Mil Editor's note: More than 500,000 Americans die of cancer every year. For more information on prevention and treatments, visit the American Cancer Society Web site: www.cancer.org ) |
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| Plus-Up Progress May Lead
to Troop Reductions in Northern Iraq, General Says Photo by Marine Corps Sgt. Bobby J. Segovia July 16, 2007 Sgt. Jeff Woodford speaks with an Iraqi man waiting to receive medical care during a cooperative medical engagement in Al Madinah As Siyahiyah, Iraq. Sgt. Woodford is attached to the 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward). |
| Plus-Up Progress May Lead
to Troop Reductions in Northern Iraq, General Says Jul 16, 2007 BY John J. Kruzel WASHINGTON (Army News Service, July 16, 2007) - Now at full strength, the U.S. troop plus-up in Iraq is showing "definitive progress" and the number of forces serving in Iraq's Multinational Division North could be halved by summer 2009, Maj. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon said July 13. A reduction of U.S. forces under the general's command could begin as early as January 2008, he told Pentagon reporters via videoconference. Maj. Gen. Mixon, commander of both Multinational Division North and the U.S. Army's 25th Infantry Division, is responsible for six Iraqi provinces in northern Iraq, including the city of Baqubah - site of the ongoing Operation Arrowhead Ripper. He said he has given Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, commander, Multinational Corps Iraq, a plan indicated a possible reduction of force in Multinational Division North during 2008. Maj. Gen. Mixon said the current debate over troop withdrawal should revolve around reaching a strategic "end state." "It seems to me that we should first decide what we want the end state to be in Iraq, and how is that end state important to the United States of America, to this region and to the world, and then determine how we can reach that end state, and how much time that will take," he said. "To me, that seems to be the most important thing, because there will be consequences of a rapid withdrawal from Iraq. "It cannot be a strategy based on, 'Well, we need to leave,'" he added. "That's not a strategy, that's a withdrawal." U.S. forces that remain in the region after a reduction could focus on training and assisting their Iraqi counterparts as needed, Maj. Gen. Mixon said. "Over time, in a very methodical and well thought out way," he said, Multinational Division North could be drawn down to "a minimum force that would continue to work with the Iraqi forces in a training and assistance mode, have the capability to react and assist the Iraqi if required, and provide them those capabilities that they don't have, like attack aviation, Air Force fixed-wing support, and medical support," he said. Speaking about Iraq's Nineva province, the general said the provincial government and security forces there continue to grow and improve. Maj. Gen. Mixon said he has observed the 2nd and 3rd Iraqi Army Division and Iraqi police providing security to provincial residents requiring scant coalition assistance. "Based on this assessment, I have recommended that Nineva province go to provincial Iraqi control in August," he said. Though a handover to the provincial government is a sign of progress, Maj. Gen. Mixon added that it alone won't usher in a reduction of U.S. troops, who will continue to partner with Iraqi security forces there, he said. As part of the troop plus-up, which reached full strength in mid-June, Maj. Gen. Mixon received two brigades based out of Fort Lewis, Wash. The general credits the additional forces with helping to improve security in Diyala province, and cited Operation Arrowhead Ripper that was launched last month. "Operation Arrowhead Ripper kicked off on June 19 with the arrival of 3/2 Stryker Brigade and will continue until Baqubah is secure and the government center there is functioning," he said. "We have had to clear numerous complex obstacles, including 24 houses booby-trapped with explosives ... and 100 other types of improvised explosive devices." In the ongoing operation, troops are clearing Baqubah's city blocks in an "intentionally slow" fashion to reduce the number of casualties. To date, coalition and Iraqi security forces have killed more than 90 al Qaeda operatives, discovered 45 weapons and munitions caches and detained about 130 suspected al Qaeda operatives, Maj. Gen. Mixon said. During raids in Western Baqubah neighborhoods, troops also have uncovered al Qaeda safe houses, torture houses, medical clinics and bomb-making factories. Local leaders, tribal sheikhs and the Western Baqubah's citizens are cooperating with combined forces, providing them valuable information about al Qaeda, Maj. Gen. Mixon said. "These people are coming forward because they have increased confidence in their security forces and they are simply tired of al Qaeda dominating their lives and terrorizing their neighborhoods, as they have done over the last several months," he said. Maj. Gen. Mixon specified that al Qaeda operatives in his area of responsibility primarily are Sunni Iraqis, some of whom received weapons and explosives training as members of the former Iraqi regime or army. The 1920s Revolution, composed "principally former Ba'athists" and others who oppose the new Iraqi government, is one of the multiple groups comprising the greater insurgency, he said. Listing signs of progress in Baqubah, Maj. Gen. Mixon said Iraqi forces are beginning to take responsibility for security, and that a "small influx" of residents are returning to the city which they had previously fled. The city's municipal employees also are working to repair the water and power infrastructure, the general said. "We still have a long way to go in Baqubah and Diyala," he said, "but with the influence of al Qaeda diminished, the security situation will now allow Iraqi security forces and government officials to re-establish basic securities for the citizens of Baqubah." (John J. Kruzel works for the American Forces Press Service.) |
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| The Honorable Pete
Geren became the 20th Secretary of the Army Friday... Here (second from left) he visits a Soldier memorial at the 25th Infantry Division headquarters during a visit early this month. Photo by U.S. Army Pacific |
| The Army Now Sec. Geren Confirmation |
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| New Prosthesis May Allow
Soldiers To Remain On Active Duty... Army Spc. Charles Parker looks on as Sven Zarling demonstrates the capabilities of a prototype prosthesis July 17 designed to give above-the-knee amputee servicemembers the mobility they need to remain on active duty if they choose. The prosthesis uses a microprocessor to control the knee's hydraulic functions and can anticipate the wearer's actions and make changes in real time. Mr. Zarling is from Otto Bock HealthCare, the company developing the new prosthesis. Photo by Fred W. Baker III |
| New Prosthesis Could Help
Keep Troops in the Fight Jul 19, 2007 BY Fred W. Baker III WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- A new prosthesis under development will give servicemember amputees more flexibility and help them better perform their military jobs if they choose to stay on active duty. A preview of the new technology July 17 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here drew key staff and several servicemember amputees. The open forum allowed users to see improvements in prototype form and ask developers questions or offer suggestions. In 2006, Otto Bock HealthCare, a global provider of prosthetic components that started out providing devices for German World War I veterans in 1919, began developing a prosthetic knee system that is an upgrade to its already popular C-Leg. It was awarded a three-year $1 million contract to develop a leg that will allow more servicemembers to stay on active duty if they choose to. The prosthesis is for above-the-knee amputees and uses a microprocessor to control the knee's hydraulic functions and anticipate the wearer's actions and make changes in real time. This will give servicemembers greater flexibility to change speeds or directions without sacrificing stability. The project began in 2006 and developers are through the prototype development. Barring any technical problems, the new prosthesis should be available to servicemembers in 2009. Mobility will be improved, allowing more movement without the user having to concentrate on the knee, said Hans-Willem van Vliet, the program manager. The new system will have more sensors, a faster hard drive, more memory and will provide smooth transitions between movements such as level-ground walking, climbing stairs and running. It also will allow servicemembers the ability to turn around while walking and walk backward in one fluid movement, something that is not possible with the current C-Leg. It will adapt automatically between walking speeds and gaits, Mr. Vliet said. He emphasized that engineers have not simply improved the C-Leg, but have completely rebuilt the technology on the inside. Engineers also are working to stretch battery life to 50 hours on one charge. This will give servicemembers on long road marches the duration they need to reach a power supply for recharging. Requirements also call for making the system salt-water resistant, a difficulty with the onboard computer systems. They also are planning a remote control, about the size of a car-lock remote, that will allow the user to switch among as many as 10 modes with the click of a button. The current C-Leg allows servicemembers two operating modes: one for walking and one for bicycling or other activity. To switch between modes, the wearer has to swing the leg forward in a jerky fashion. In some instances the user may not be able to switch modes because of limited movement. Reprogramming a mode requires a visit to a technician. Air Force Lt. Col. Andrew Lourake, a pilot at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., is the first above-the-knee amputee to return to active duty as a pilot. He was fitted with a C-Leg five years ago. Colonel Lourake said he could not do his job without the C-Leg because it allows him to switch between walking and flying modes. Still, he said, he is impressed with the new design and plans to be one of the first to own one, even if he has to pay for it out of his own pocket. The current C-Leg costs about $30,000. The new system is expected to cost about the same. "I'm excited," Colonel Lourake said. "It has a lot of the stuff that I asked for a couple of years ago. It's huge in functionality and active living." Right now, he has to reprogram his second mode from flying mode to bicycling or running. With the new leg, he won't have to make as many visits to his prosthetic technician. "I'll have everything right in the leg, and I'll never have to touch the computer again," he said. |
Posted As of May 13, 2007
 The MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle is a medium-altitude, long-endurance, remotely piloted aircraft. The Predator's primary mission is interdiction and conducting armed reconnaissance against critical, perishable targets. When the Predator is not actively pursuing its primary mission, it acts as the joint forces air component commander-owned theater asset for reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition in support of the joint forces commander. U.S. Air Force photo |
| LOCKHEED
MARTIN AWARDED $40 MILLION RADAR CONTRACT FROM UNITED
STATES ARMY Radar to Deliver
Imagery from UAVs in Phoenix,
Ariz., May 7, 2007 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT]
announced today that it has been selected to provide a
Tactical Reconnaissance and Counter-Concealment Enabled
Radar (TRACER) capability to the United States Army.
Under this contract, Lockheed Martin will work with the
Army to incorporate low frequency synthetic aperture
radar systems into Predator class unmanned aerial
vehicles. The total value of the TRACER contract is
approximately $40M. |
 Silent
eye in the sky: Predators keep constant vigil U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Michael R. Holzworth |
 BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq -- In the cool of a hardened aircraft shelter, a Predator unmanned aerial vehicle is stored between missions here at the largest Predator operation in the world. Flying missions that last an average of 20 hours, Airmen from the 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron provide ground commanders "persistant stare" by following suspected insurgent activities for long periods of time. This persistance increases reliability of intelligence leads and helps ground commanders avoid collateral damage. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jim Croxon |
 An MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle basks in a desert sunset at Balad Air Base, Iraq, ready for nighttime operations on Sunday, July 9, 2006. Assigned to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, the Predator is the most requested weapons system in the U.S. Central Command theater. Balad is home to the largest Predator operation in the world, providing real time "eyes in the skies" to ground commanders for identifying enemy activities. U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Jonathan Doti |
 An MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle from the 46th Expeditionary Strike and Reconnissance Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., sits ready at Balad Air Base, Iraq, before a mission launch July 8, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Jonathan F. Doti |
Posted
As of May 10, 2007
 Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating speaks at the Hawaii Military Appreciation Month kickoff at the Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island May 2 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Admiral Keating is the commander of U.S. Pacific Command. (U.S. Air Force photo) |
| Hawaii
kicks off Military Appreciation Month by Army Sgt. Catherine Talento Air Force News Agency 5/2/2007 - PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AFNEWS) -- "Ohana" or family is a concept that runs deep in Hawaii. Ohana includes not only one's personal family, but also their community. In Hawaii, ohana extends to the military. For the 22nd year in a row, Hawaii's business and government leaders came together to thank U.S. servicemembers during the kickoff celebration for Hawaii's Military Appreciation Month. "Many communities have a military appreciation day, or a military appreciation week, but you have military appreciation month," said Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command. "That is a visible expression of the 7/24/365 ohana that each of you provide to those of us in uniform and more importantly to our families, and it is greatly appreciated." More than 56,000 active-duty Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine, Coast Guardsmen and their families are stationed in Hawaii. Nearly 10,000 of them are deployed around the world with more joining their ranks every day. With so many military members "off-island," Military Appreciation Month is an opportunity to not only give thanks, but acknowledge the challenges faced by the families left behind. "We're very appreciative to the families who sacrifice the time they have alone with their spouses," said Duke Aiona, Hawaii's lieutenant governor. "We're very thankful of the children of the men and women of our military who each and every day cry and pray and think about their mom or dad who is serving, whether it is in Iraq, or Afghanistan, or some other part of the world." This month, servicemembers and their families will be treated to a combined Military Band Concert in downtown Honolulu, a Living History Day at the Army Museum on Fort Derussy in Waikiki, a Military Recognition Luncheon at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, and a day at the zoo, sponsored by Honolulu's mayor and the County of Honolulu. |
As
of April 30, 2007
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 04/10/07 - U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, second from left, salutes the colors as he inspects the troops during the U.S. Army Chief of Staff change of responsibility ceremony at Fort Myer, Va., April 10, 2007. Army Gen. George W. Casey took over as Chief of Staff from Schoomaker in a ceremony hosted by Acting Secretary of the Army Pete Geren. DoD photo by Cherie A. Thurlby. |
Beats
Hiking Those Hills Photo
by Tech.
Sgt. Cecilio M. Ricardo Jr. |
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