Saturday, April 16, 2011

Soldier Mentors Kids on Drug Dangers


By Rick Scavetta 
U.S. Army Garrison-Kaiserslautern
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany:  As Army Sgt. Mark Arnett wraps up his tenure here teaching kids about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, he can look back knowing he made an impact on children's lives.
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Army Sgt. Mark Arnett and Army Spc. Kathy Ogburn, military police officers assigned to U.S. Army Garrison-Kaiserslautern, Germany, examine a lesson plan for the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program. National D.A.R.E. Day was April 7, 2011. U.S. Army photo by Rick Scavetta
 
For the past two years, Arnett has taught the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program in the Kaiserslautern Military Community's fours elementary schools.
"It's been great for me to see the difference D.A.R.E. is making in kids' lives," Arnett said. "The light bulb goes on and the wheels are turning," he said of how quickly children understand the message about the risks of drug and alcohol use.
Since 1983, D.A.R.E. has taught millions of students worldwide about the dangers associated with using alcohol and drugs. National D.A.R.E. Day is observed each April in the United States by a presidential proclamation, community events and other activities. This year, President Barrack Obama declared April 7 as National D.A.R.E. Day.
It's been a few weeks since Arnett taught his final D.A.R.E. class here. He departs Kaiserslautern soon for Fort Knox, Ky., where he'll serve with the 1st Infantry Division.
Meanwhile, Arnett said when kids see him in the Kaiserslautern community, they ask him to come back.
"That's rewarding, to know that they learned and that it was a fun experience for them," he said.
During a previous duty tour at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va., Arnett donned the McGruff the Crime Dog suit and shook hands with kids. He had never been in front of a classroom, but in becoming Kaiserslautern's D.A.R.E. instructor, Arnett learned the subtleties of teaching.
"As a soldier, you instruct your peers," he said. "It's totally different in front of fifth graders, trying to get them to listen to you."
Department of Defense Dependents Schools students here complete 10 lessons over several weeks, working from D.A.R.E. planners, Arnett said. Weekly lessons include students acting out skits on peer pressure and watching videos about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
In Europe, where beer and wine are often part of the local culture, alcohol is easier to obtain at a younger age. Children living overseas know that, Arnett said.
"We stress the impacts alcohol has on young bodies, the adverse effects that it can have," he said. "Kids are pretty smart. They know it's bad for you, just not how bad it can be."
What kids learn in D.A.R.E. can have a ripple effect within their families, Arnett said. One Kaiserslautern fifth-grader recently brought her lessons home and helped her mother quit smoking, he said.
Staffing a D.A.R.E. officer for Kaiserslautern Military Community schools make sense, as police in military communities mirror the work of their civilian counterparts, said Master Sgt. Kenneth Pryor, U.S. Army Garrison-Kaiserslautern's provost sergeant.
"It gives us an opportunity to have an officer go into the classroom, so the kids don't just see a police officer as a cop," Pryor said. "It humanizes the individual."
In February, Lt. Col. Kevin Hutchison, commander of U.S. Army Garrison-Kaiserslautern, spoke at the Kaiserslautern Elementary School graduation. He thanked Arnett for his efforts in making the D.A.R.E. program a success.
"He is the face of D.A.R.E. in our community," Hutchison said.
Arnett will pass the D.A.R.E. teaching reins to Army Spc. Kathy Ogburn. In less than four years as a military police officer, Ogburn has served at Fort Hood, Texas, and helped train local police in Afghanistan. She said she's excited about taking on new challenges here.
"I've worked the road and I've deployed," Ogburn said. "Now, I get a chance to do something completely different."     (Issued on: April 12, 2011)

Monday, April 11, 2011

Women in France Banned From Wearing the Veil in Public


Women in France Banned From Wearing the Veil in Public, says Amnesty International 

Organization Condemns Arrest of Protesters, Calls for Law to be Scrapped

Washington, D.C.:Monday, April 11, 2011:Amnesty International condemns the detention of several people, including two women wearing the full-face veil, who were protesting against the law banning the wearing of any form of clothing concealing one's face in public. Amnesty International understands that those taken in for questioning by police have subsequently been released. 

The law came into force today. Police said the people were detained for joining an unauthorized protest in central Paris. 

"Women in France have the right to freedom of religion and expression. They must also be free to protest when this right is violated," said John Dalhuisen, Europe and Central Asia Program director at Amnesty International. "This law puts France to shame – a country that prides itself on the human rights it claims to promote and protect, freedom of expression included." 

"The law preventing women in France from expressing their values, beliefs and identity should be scrapped," said Dalhuisen. 
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Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied. 
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First Lady Cites Military Children's Resilience


By Elaine Sanchez
American Forces Press Service
ARLINGTON, VA, April 8, 2011 - Melissa Howland, a high school senior, was diagnosed with a blood-clotting disorder the year her Navy father deployed to Iraq.
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First Lady Michelle Obama thanks military children for their contributions during her remarks at Operation Homefront's 2011 Military Child of the Year award ceremony in Arlington, Va., April 7, 2011. 
Unable to pursue the sports she loved, and with her father away, Melissa easily could have become discouraged. Instead, the 17 year old refocused her efforts on community service.
Last year, she donated nearly 500 volunteer hours to 12 causes, including the hospital where she was treated.
Howland was one of the five military children –- one from each service -- honored last night for their resilience, strength of character and leadership during Operation Homefront's 2011 Military Child of the Year award ceremony here.
First Lady Michelle Obama, keynote speaker for the event, called Howland and the other recipients "shining examples" of what youth can accomplish with "a little will, a little passion, and a little determination."
Obama said Howland could have chosen to feel sorry for herself, instead, "she decided –- and these are her words -– 'You can't go wrong giving back.'"
"Each of you young people already knows that your families are proud of you. You know that your communities are proud of you. Your parents' services are proud of you," the first lady said. "But tonight I want you to know that my husband and I are proud of you -- very proud."
Obama said she and her husband know of the honorees' achievements in school -– "they're amazing" -- and the countless hours they've spent volunteering in their communities and caring for their families.
"I'm here tonight because I want our country to know about you all, as well," she said. "I want our country to know about the five of you and about all the military kids and families all across this country."
Obama said it's time for every American to step up and show gratitude for military families. Next week, the first lady and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, plan to launch a nationwide campaign that will call on all Americans to honor, recognize and support military families.
"Our message is very clear: It's that every American has the ability -- and the obligation -- to give something back to our military families," she said.
Obama said she and Biden will hit the road in the coming months to highlight the nation's stand-out businesses, nonprofits and community efforts.
"We're going to be doing everything that we can to tell the stories of our military families," she said.
Most people are aware of the sacrifices military members make, Obama said, but may be less aware that the military force is "largely a force of families." More than half of the active-duty force is married, she noted, and there are nearly 2 million military children.
"A lot of folks don't realize that when our troops are called to serve, their families serve, too," she said. "A lot of folks simply don't know the stories of our military families and their kids."
Obama shared the story of 17-year-old Nicole Goetz, the Air Force's Military Child of the Year. Goetz tutors her younger brother, cheers him up while their father is deployed, and has performed 500 hours of community service -- all while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average, the first lady said.
Obama pointed out that the teen's father, Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Michael Goetz, traveled here from Afghanistan to see his daughter get her award in person.
Military children shoulder additional responsibilities not only when their parents are deployed, but when they return home as well, the first lady said.
"And when a parent comes home wounded, the result can be a real role reversal," she said. "It can mean taking care of Mom or Dad who once took care of you; taking on responsibilities that would be overwhelming for most adults, let alone for most kids."
That's exactly what 17-year-old Taylor Dahl-Sims, the Marine Corps' Military Child of the Year did, Obama said.
Dahl-Sims' baby brother was injured at birth and her house flooded –- all while her stepfather was on his fifth deployment. She helped care for the baby, clean up the house and, when her stepfather returned home with a traumatic brain injury, she continued to pitch in to care for her family.
"So when we talk about service to our country, when we talk about all that sacrifice for a cause, when we talk about patriotism and courage and resilience, we're not just talking about our troops and our veterans," Obama said, "we're talking about our military families, as well."
And military children, she said, "play their own very unique role in keeping our country safe and preserving the freedoms that we all hold dear.
"I think we could learn a thing or two from a couple of our honorees tonight," she added.
Following the first lady's remarks, top military leaders presented an award to their service's award recipient. The recipients include:
-- For the Army, 16-year-old Kyle Hoeye, of Tucson, Ariz., who worked to help other military children become more resilient during each of his father's three deployments. He's one of only two teens in Arizona certified to teach military kids how to use advanced technology through the 4-H program. He was instrumental in putting together Operation Military Kid's Hero Packs and has handwritten hundreds of letters to local military children, thanking them for their service.
-- For the Navy, Howland, of Millis, Mass., volunteers in the local hospital's maternity ward every Sunday. Her father was deployed to Iraq in 2009 and stationed, unaccompanied, in California in 2007 and 2008. Howland keeps her spirits up during her father's absences by doing community service. In 2010, she donated 498 volunteer hours to 12 causes.
-- For the Air Force, Goetz, of Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., volunteered at the local youth center, her church, veterans and nursing homes, and joined a variety of high school clubs. She also organized 21 local schools to create and send hundreds of homemade Christmas cards, cookies and care packages to troops overseas. At home, she helps her 10-year-old brother with his school work. And when he's feeling down and missing their dad, who is deployed in Afghanistan, she takes him to the movies.
-- For the Marine Corps, Dahl-Sims, of Oceanside, Calif., helped her mother with her baby brother's medical care after an injury. Her stepfather returned home from his fifth deployment with a traumatic brain injury and, again, she stepped in to help during his recovery. She also pitches in with her parents' nonprofit, The North Star Group, helping to host baby showers on base and provide pampering for pregnant spouses whose husbands are deployed.
-- For the Coast Guard, 17-year-old Margaret Rochon, of Jacksonville, N.C., organized a seminar about the stresses of wartime deployment on students and the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder on families. The seminar was required for all teachers in her county and included a panel of six nationally known experts, including a retired major general. School administrators taped the session and have made it part of the formal annual training for teachers in her county.
A committee of active-duty service members, family readiness support assistants, teachers, military mothers and community members chose the award recipients. The winners received $5,000 and a trip to Washington, D.C., for the ceremony.
Related Sites:
Operation Homefront 
Related Articles:
Army Child of Year Develops Deployment Kit 
Tyndall Teenager Selected as Air Force Military Child of the Year 

Click photo for screen-resolution imageFive military children -– one from each service –- are honored for their resilience, strength of character and leadership during Operation Homefront's 2011 Military Child of the Year award ceremony in Arlington, Va., April 7, 2011. The honorees are, bottom row, from left, Taylor Dahl-Sims for the Marine Corps, Margaret Rochon for the Coast Guard, Melissa Howland for the Navy, Nicole Goetz for the Air Force, and, top row, Kyle Hoeye for the Army. DOD photo by Elaine Sanchez 

Conducting maintenance

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Mathew Harrington, a precision measurement equipment laboratory journeyman with the 57th Maintenance Squadron, conducts maintenance on a 53-plugin unit, used to calibrate an oscilloscope, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., April 5, 2011. (DoD photo by Senior Airman Michael Charles, U.S. Air Force/Released)