Blogger Prosecuted by Military Court---Amnesty International Urges Egypt to Release

Washington, DC : Amnesty International today called for the Egyptian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release a blogger and prisoner of conscience facing up to nine and a half years in prison after he published a post alleging nepotism within the armed forces. 
Ahmad Mostafa, 20, is set to face a military trial in Cairo on March 7 over a post published on his Matha Assabaka ya Watan (What happened to you, oh nation?) blog in March 2009. He is the first Egyptian blogger to face a military trial for his alleged activities. 
“Ahmed Mostafa has been prosecuted solely for exercising peacefully his right to freedom of expression on his blog,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, deputy director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa program. 
“He is now facing bogus charges that reveal the determination of the authorities to control the Egyptian blogosphere, which has become a pocket of free expression in the country.” 
The post recounted the story of a student who had allegedly been forced to resign from a military academy in order to leave room for another applicant amid accusations of nepotism. 
Mostafa, an engineering student at the university of Kafr El Sheikh, has been accused of publishing military secrets online, publishing false information about the army and of insulting officers involved in the recruitment process at the military academy. 
According to lawyers from the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, he was first arrested by military intelligence officers on February 17 and was questioned about his blog. 
He first appeared before a military tribunal on March 1, although lawyers representing him from the Hisham Mubarak Law Center and the Association for the Freedom of Thought and Expression told Amnesty International that they only received his case file from the authorities on March 2. 
“The use of military courts to try bloggers is a shocking new development. Egypt has consistently been criticized by U.N. human rights bodies for this misuse of military justice. Rather than addressing the unfairness of trials of civilians by such courts, the Egyptian authorities are now seeking to widen their use,” said Hadj Sahraoui. 
Ahmed Mostafa is not the only Egyptian blogger in jail for his writing. 
Karim Amer, an Amnesty International prisoner of conscience, was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment in February 2007 for criticizing President Hosni Mubarak and Egypt’s al-Azhar religious authorities on his blog. 
Hani Nazeer, another prisoner of conscience, has been held in administrative detention since October 2008 for posting on his blog the cover of a book deemed insulting to Muslims. 
Amnesty International also urged the Egyptian authorities to accept key U.N. recommendations on freedom of expression and peaceful dissent. 
On February 19, 2010, during a U.N. examination of Egypt’s human rights record,  the Egyptian authorities rejected a recommendation calling on them to “release bloggers and activists currently detained under the Emergency Law and cease its arrests and detentions of political activists,” as factually incorrect or inaccurate. 
Background 
In line with international law, Amnesty International opposes the trial of civilians by military courts. Such trials violate the right to a fair and public hearing before a competent, independent and impartial tribunal established by law as guaranteed in Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Egypt is a state party. 
Military courts were established in Egypt under the Code of Military Justice (Law No. 25 of 1966). The Law was amended in April 2007, but the changes did not address the fundamental flaws inherent in trying civilians before military courts. 
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 2.2 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. 

According to Zeinobia an Egyptian girl and blogger said in her post it seems that the online campaign has did something already despite I can't categorize that something as good or bad especially now local blogs are not only speaking about the matter but also the human rights watch is speaking about itwith the rest of the world.

Again Mustafa did not breach any military secret but rather defending the rights of all citizens to apply and serve their country's army. He wants his army to be free from corruption as much as possible.

River security patrol

 U.S. Sailors with Riverine Squadron 1 simulate a river security patrol at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek - Fort Story, Va., March 1, 2010. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Paul D. Williams, U.S. Navy/Released)

U.S. Marines conduct training

U.S. Marines conduct training on setting up, operating and disassembling a BGM-71 Tube-launch, Optically-tracked, Wire-guided Missile Weapons System aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) while under way in the South China Sea Feb. 28, 2010. The Marines are assigned to Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Geronimo Aquino, U.S. Navy/Released)

setup up of an antenna, Haiti

Army Pfc. Paul Garland and Pfc. Sean McCall check the setup up of an antenna for voice and data tactical communications in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Feb. 28, 2010. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Robert J. Fluegel    Read Full Story

Communications in Haiti

Army Pfc. Paul Garland checks the set up of an antenna for voice and data tactical communications in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Feb. 28, 2010. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Robert J. Fluegel.  Read full story




Related Sites:
Special Report: Haiti Earthquake Relief 

Face of Defense: Son Inspires Marine to Succeed

 

By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Daniel Boothe
Special to AFPS 

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.:Inspired by his son, a noncommissioned officer here shattered the glass roof of his dream by wrestling his way to the top.  "It's pretty hard to be a single dad in the Marine Corps," said Gunnery Sgt. Ignacio Ramirezlazos, training staff noncommissioned officer for the Installation Personnel Administration Center. "I did it to set the example for my son and to show him that the patience and discipline wrestling teaches you will get you a long way." 
    Ramirezlazos's championship journey began in February 2007, after criticism from his son rekindled his childhood gold medal aspirations. Seven-year-old Marco was competing in a local tournament when his father expressed disappointment in his performance.
   "I remember telling him to stop slacking and give it more effort," Ramirezlazos said. "He had pinned the kid several times before, and was close to beating him again." 

After the match, Marco stopped, turned to his father and said, "You are not the one out there wrestling." Ignacio fell silent. From then on, Ramirezlazos said, he knew he would have to lead by example.   Ramirezlazos joined the Marine Corps right out of high school, and was now returning to the mat 15 years later. The former high school wrestler began competing at local tournaments and found nothing less than discouragement. "To tell you the truth, I didn't want to show up to the next match," he said. "I was wrestling college students that were fresh from high school." He pushed forward though, and spent a majority of 2008 competing at local tournaments, fine-tuning his techniques. At the urging of his friends, Ramirezlazos registered for the 2009 USAA National Wrestling Championship in Las Vegas the following year. He entered the 152-pound weight class and competed in the Veteran Freestyle and Greco Roman categories. Contenders were scored on the best of three matches. Ignacio lost his first match. With victory now unlikely and nothing to lose, he dominated his next opponent. Ramirezlazos continued into the finals, and after a riveting first-round rematch, he won the wrestling championship for his weight class. This win qualified him in both categories for the Olympic World Wrestling Championship competitions in Turkey and Sweden. Ramirezlazos was unable to attend the Olympic wrestling competitions, but the 34-year-old NCO is OK with that. Just being able to say he made it, he said, was enough for himself and his son. "It's awesome that my dad made it to the world championship," Marco said. "I hope one day I can make it there too." (Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Daniel Boothe serves at Camp Pendleton, Calif.)

Also watch the full Story on another link 

Rohbock Finishes Sixth in Olympic Bobsled Event

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:12:00 -0600

By Tim Hipps  Special to  AFPS


WHISTLER, British Columbia :  Army National Guard Outstanding Athlete Program bobsled pilot Sgt. Shauna Rohbock teamed with Michelle Rzepka to finish sixth in the Olympic women's bobsled event Feb. 24 at the Whistler Sliding Centre here.

Rohbock, of Park City, Utah, finished 1.78 seconds off the winning pace at the treacherous, 16-turn venue with a four-run time of 3 minutes, 34.06 seconds in USA 1. Canadians Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse broke the track record in their first three heats en route to winning the gold medal in 3:32.28. Helen Upperton and Shelly-Ann Brown took the silver aboard Canada 2 with a time of 3:33.13. Erin Pac, 29, of Farmington, Conn., and Elana Meyers, 25, of Douglasville, Ga., claimed the bronze with a time of 3:33.40 in the USA 2 sled. "It wasn't the Olympics that I dreamed of for four years, but the U.S. got a medal today, and that's amazing," said Rohbock, a silver medalist at the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin, Italy. "That's awesome. That's all I want to see is the U.S. on that medal stand. I didn't drive the four runs to be on the medal stand and Erin did, so she deserves it. I didn't put together the runs to be on the podium anyway." Bree Schaaf of Bremerton, Wash., and Emily Azevedo of Chico, Calif., teamed to finish fifth in USA 3 with a time of 3:34.05. Although North Americans filled the podium and had five of the top six sleds, Team USA competitors struggled to find the fastest lines. "I figured it out a little too late," said Rohbock, who held the women's track record of 53.53 seconds prior to the games. "It would have been nice to have more runs on this track. You have two of the best drivers in the world, Sandra Kiriasis and [Cathleen] Martini [of Germany] are probably the best drivers in the world, and Martini crashed. So it's a very, very difficult track. It's just a tough one." Martini's driving mistake in the complicated 11-12-13 curve combination flipped Germany 2. Brakeman Romy Logsch was ejected from the sled and sent sliding down the track on her back. They were disqualified. "I feel like if I had 10 more runs I could have figured a lot of stuff out," Rohbock said. "Every run I was just trying something different. "That last run, I tried something different in 11 and almost dumped it," she added with a laugh. "It didn't work out, so I wouldn't do that again." Team USA bobsledders estimated that they made about 40 runs down the Whistler track, compared to 160 or more by the Canadians. "Definitely, home-field advantage gave them that edge, for sure," Rohbock said. "They drove four great runs. Every run, I was just trying something new, because what I did before wasn't working. We tried to figure some stuff out, and everybody put their two cents in during the week." By the same token, Rohbock found it interesting that North Americans were the primary beneficiaries of the track the Europeans found too tough to tame. "I think it speaks volumes how difficult the track was to have no Germans on the podium," she said. "They've dominated the sport since it started, really. For them not to be on the podium, I think, speaks volumes about the difficulty of the track." Despite the track's degree of difficulty that drew media scrutiny, the lady bobsledders expressed little fear of one of the most exciting rides of their life. "We're in the spotlight right now because of the Olympics, but there were 15 crashes when the World Championships were in Altenburg, Germany," Rohbock explained. "I separated my shoulder, and people were breaking their backs and stuff like that. It is in the limelight, and of course the tragedy that did happen here, that's horrible, but it does happen at other tracks, and nobody really hears about them. "Because it is the Olympic Games," she continued, "everybody wants to build it up. Our sport is dangerous, that's the down part of it, and everybody is aware of it." Rohbock represented the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program when she struck silver at the 2006 Winter Olympics. She delivered another worldwide boost of military morale from Whistler. "I'm in the National Guard," she said. "I definitely would not have the silver medal without them, and I wouldn't have had such an amazing year. I had a great season this year, and I've had amazing seasons leading up. "It's sad that one race defines you to the world, because this is all they really see," she added. "There are a lot of amazing drivers that didn't get on that podium today, and they've been amazing for years, and nobody will know this because they only see this one day." Although these likely were Rohbock's last Olympic runs, she is not ready to slide off into the sunset just yet. "I'd like to maybe end in Konigssee, Germany, next year," she said. "I race really well there. Maybe get a world championship, since I missed one in Lake Placid [winning silver in 2009]. It would be awesome to get a world championship on a German track, because I've won there before and I know I can drive very well there." So she's not ready to park the sled. "I don't think this year, no, but I don't know about four more," Rohbock concluded. "I don't want to say 'no,' because I don't want to be that person that says I'm done." (Tim Hipps works in the Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command public affairs office.)

Related Sites: Special Report: Military Olympians

Journalist Captured in Somalia by Al-Shabab Must be Released, Says Amnesty International

Posted on 23 Feb 2010 at 10:11 PM


Washington : Amnesty International is calling for the immediate release of a Somali radio journalist held by the armed group al-Shabab, apparently after a report was broadcast alleging the group had killed a man in the Wanleweyn district.
Ali Yusuf Adan, a 47-year-old correspondent for Radio Somaliweyn, is being held by the armed group in the port city of Merka, in southern Somalia.

“Amnesty International fears for the safety of Ali Yusuf Adan, given the numerous human rights abuses committed by al-Shabab against civilians, including journalists”, said Erwin van der Borght, Africa director at Amnesty International. 

“Al-Shabab must immediately release him without harm, stop threatening journalists and respect the right of all Somalis to freedom of expression.”

Ali Yusuf Adan was captured on February 21 in Wanleweyn, a town northwest of the capital Mogadishu controlled by the armed group,

Al-Shabab has said that the journalist was held because he made a “mistake.”

In the past few months the group has imposed drastic restrictions on journalists in an attempt to stifle information in areas they control.

They have closed down radio stations, banned the airing of reports mentioning Somalia’s government and made intimidating statements against journalists.

Many journalists who fled Somalia reported to Amnesty International that they did so after receiving death threats from individuals claiming to be members of al-Shabab.

Nine journalists were killed in 2009 in Somalia; at least three of them were deliberately murdered.

Two radio directors, Said Tahlil Ahmed and Mukhtar Hirabe, were killed in Bakara market last year, an area of Mogadishu controlled by al-Shabab militia.

Although al-Shabab spokespeople have denied involvement in these killings, the group’s leaders have failed to publicly condemn attacks against the media and order their forces not to target journalists. 
Background

Al-Shabab currently controls vast areas of south and central Somalia, including major cities such as Merka, Kismayo and Baidoa, as well as districts of the capital Mogadishu.

The internationally-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia, which exercises authority only in part of the capital, is repeatedly attacked by al Shabab and other armed groups and has not been able to establish a national justice system.

Al- Shabab armed groups have grown out of the Islamic Courts Union, a movement that temporarily established control over Mogadishu and other areas in 2006.

The Islamic Courts Union was militarily defeated by Ethiopian troops who intervened in Somalia in late 2006 to assist the Transitional Federal Government.

After Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, a former Islamic Courts Union leader, was appointed President of the TFG in January 2009, and Ethiopian troops left Somalia, al-Shabab and other armed groups have continued fighting against the TFG, claiming that it is allied to Western nations.
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 2.2 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. 

Meanwhile the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) is deeply concerned about the arrest of Radio journalist in Wanlaweyn district of lower Shabelle region on Sunday 21 February 2010. According to NUSOJ  the arrest follows a report filed on 20 February by the journalist about Al-Shabab militias who shot a man over prayer delay in Wanlaweyn. It is believed that this report might be behind his arrest.

Mystery of life

Some of us don't grow old gracefully, 


some are not so smart,

some are tall, large & big, 


some bald, some physically challenged.......!


It is good or bad...?


what we can do and what we should do when we feel ourself as a cracks or unfit or defaulter or unlucky etc...!


Ms Priya Deelchand suggests an extra beautiful way for all of us and also solves the mystery of life...!

During an army mission in Afghanistan

U.S. Soldiers converse during a mission to search a location where an improvised explosive devise cache was found in the Paktika province of Afghanistan Feb. 15, 2010. The Soldiers are assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. (DoD photo by Sgt. Jeffrey Alexander, U.S. Army/Released)

DoD of USA Adds Blog to Military Science Dialogue

Power and popularity of web media increasing with fast speed. Even Department of Defense in USA taking it seriously and accepting the truth in a positive way. According to a recent report of Ian Graham who is Special to American Forces Press Service DoD Adds Blog to Military Science Dialogue. 
          Report with Washington dateline says that

Science has seized the popular imagination. There are magazines, popular books, Web sites, webcasts, blogs, documentary films, and even television channels devoted to science and technology. The practical applications of science and technology also can be found in almost every aspect of military operations, a topic that is discussed in great detail in the award-winning weekly webcast "Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military," produced by the Defense Media Activity. The popularity of the Armed with Science webcast in its first year has prompted the Defense Media Activity to expand its on-line presence. A new Armed with Science blog, http://science.dodlive.mil, premiered in late January. The new blog includes articles, archived webcast episodes, transcripts, images, and videos. "Expanding into the blogosphere will allow us to develop a dialogue between our listeners and the scientists, engineers, operators and administrators who are involved in DoD science," said Brian Natwick, general manager of The Pentagon Channel and acting director of DoD's Emerging Media Directorate. The new blog will provide a better forum to highlight the critical role of science and technology in military operations, Natwick said, while demonstrating how research conducted to meet military requirements often benefits society as a whole. Les Benito, director of the Defense Media Activity's Public Web Directorate, said the blog also will provide an opportunity to experiment with emerging social technologies and implement strategies that better engage the public. It will bolster a social media portfolio that already includes efforts on Twitter, Facebook, and BlogTalkRadio. "We hope to develop a more user-centric and interactive Web site that evolves over time to meet the needs of our audience," Benito said. "Consider this is an experiment in progress." John Ohab, a new technology strategist at the Defense Media Activity's Public Web Directorate and host of the weekly webcast, said the blog will place specific emphasis on the men and women who are involved in research, development, and education at the Defense Department. By focusing on their individual stories, Ohab hopes the blog will help break down traditional myths about science and technology that hinder some people from pursuing related careers. "Science isn't just for scientists," Ohab said. "Not only does science and technology help make our servicemembers safer and more effective, they also impact virtually everything we do in civilian life." (Ian Graham is assigned to Defense Media Activity's Emerging Media Directorate)

Related Sites: Armed with Science Armed with Science on Twitter Armed with Science on Facebook

Jeremy Teela shoots

WHISTLER, British Columbia : U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program biathlete Sgt. Jeremy Teela had the best American performance at the Winter Olympics in biathlon history here.He shoots to a ninth-place finish in the Olympic men's 10-kilometer sprint at Whistler Olympic Park in British Columbia, Feb. 14, 2010. Teela, a member of the Vermont National Guard, led four Team USA competitors with a ninth-place finish in the men's 10-kilometer sprint race at Whistler Olympic Park.U.S. Army photo by Tim Hipps.Don't forget to read full story...!

Related Sites: Special Report: Military Olympians

U.S. Sailors at White Beach in Port-au-Prince, Haiti

U.S. Sailors from Naval Beach Group (NBG) 2 discuss the next phase of roll-on, roll-off procedures at White Beach in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Feb. 13, 2010. The Department of Defense and the U.S. Agency for International Development are in Haiti supporting Operation Unified Response, a multinational, joint-service operation to provide humanitarian assistance to Haitians affected by the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck the region Jan. 12, 2010. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kim Williams, U.S. Navy/Released)

U.S. Airmen with the Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

 U.S. Airmen with the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron conduct preflight services on an RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle at an undisclosed base in Southwest Asia Feb. 12, 2010, prior to a combat mission. The UAVs are assigned to the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing and are deployed from Beale Air Force Base, Calif. (DoD photo by Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol, U.S. Air Force/Released)

Show the World--Power of Love....Amnesty International

Every Valentine's Day, women in Zimbabwe take to the streets to spread a message of love. They are met by club-swinging anti-riot police intent on silencing them. Stand up for their rights. Show Zimbabwe the power of love. Now Amnesty has issued a fresh call to Show the World--The Power of Love. Letter sent by Amnesty has been given below...--Rector Kathuria


Dear Rector,

Valentine's Day is recognized the world over as a day of love. For the women of Zimbabwe, however, it can mean a day of terror.

The Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) commemorate Valentine's Day by peacefully taking to the streets to spread their message of love: "love of self, of family, of community and of country."

Their message is not welcomed by authorities.

Instead, club-swinging anti-riot police beat the members of WOZA to intimidate activists and deny them their right of free expression and assembly. Just this month, 14 people were arrested, some with violence, as WOZA marched for education reform.

Show the world the power of love. Send Valentines to Zimbabwe.

Later this year Zimbabweans are expected to vote on a new constitution, but the process of constitutional reform has been contentious. The voices of human rights defenders like WOZA are needed now more than ever.

Urge the Zimbabwe authorities to respect human rights and demonstrate their love and care for the people of Zimbabwe. Let WOZA know that they are not alone in their struggle for human rights in Zimbabwe.

Send your Valentines cards, photos and videos to the members of WOZA. Boost their spirits and overwhelm them with love!

From all of us at Amnesty International, we wish you peace, love and dignity this Valentine's Day and every day of the year.


In Solidarity,

Michael O'Reilly
Campaign Director, Individuals at Risk
Amnesty International USA

Face of Defense: Airman Reaches Out to Ethiopian Children

By Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Sean Stevenson Special to American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON: For one Air Force family stationed at Osan Air Base, South Korea, the service's focus on the Year of the Air Force Family means providing an even greater impact by meeting the needs of others through adoption.

Air Force Col. John Marselus and his wife, Kim, pose for a photo with their adopted 5-year-old son, Caleb, Feb. 1, 2010, at Osan Air Base, South Korea. The Marselus's adopted Caleb from Ethiopia . Marselus is the 607th Air and Space Operations Center commander.  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

The Year of the Air Force Family is an initiative focused on enhancing the support and care provided to those who firmly stand behind our airmen on a daily basis.

Air Force Col. John Marselus, commander of the 607th Air and Space Operations Center, and his wife, Kim, traveled to Addis Adaba, Ethiopia, in January where they picked up their newest son, Caleb, a 5-year-old orphan whom they adopted.

"The adoption process took about two years, but in reality this journey started well over two decades ago," Marselus said. The couple's trip to Ethiopia opened yet another opportunity to meet face-to-face with one of the many children they had sponsored worldwide for almost three decades.

As a cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy, the colonel started sponsoring needy children across the globe. The Marselus family was able to provide food, clothing and school supplies for dozens of children over the past 27 years. One of the children they sponsored was an Ethiopian girl named Meseret.

"We first started sponsoring Meseret about a decade ago when she was only 8 years old," Marselus said. "Here was this poor little girl, literally living on the other side of the planet in an environment we couldn't even begin to comprehend, and we were getting these touching letters from her thanking us and telling about the difference our involvement was having in her life."

After 25 years of sponsorship of multiple children, the Marselus family decided it was time to have an even greater impact on a needy child. It was at that point they decided to pursue the option of adoption.

"Sponsoring needy children like Meseret is great, but we were convicted to see if there was a child who needed a family," Marselus said. "We strongly felt that the right thing to do was provide an orphaned little boy or girl the love and nurturing they so desperately deserve."

After contacting an adoption agency and beginning the adoption process, the Marselus family was pleasantly surprised to discover the many programs and benefits the Air Force has in place to support adoptive parents. The National Defense Authorization Act provides for reimbursement of up to $2,000 of expenses per adoption with a maximum of $5,000 reimbursement per year. Additionally, AFI 36-3003, Military Leave Program, allows upward of 21 days of permissive temporary duty for travel associated with qualified adoptions.

"These are exactly the types of benefits needed for airmen who are pursuing adoption," Marselus said. "We are extremely pleased to see this commitment from the Air Force to help anyone who would pursue this option."

While in Ethiopia finalizing the adoption of their new son, the couple met Meseret, the girl they started sponsoring 10 years ago.

"It was an incredible experience getting to finally meet this amazing young lady who has changed our lives in so many ways," the colonel said. "We were able to celebrate her 18th birthday with her and were quite impressed with her and how well she was thriving in such an impoverished environment. Sponsorship had obviously had a positive impact as she recently completed high school and now has her eyes on becoming a doctor."

Reflecting on the whirlwind of emotional and life-changing events over the past few weeks, the Marselus family gives the Air Force great credit for their successful adoption of Caleb.

"Beyond the financial support and permissive TDY time provided by our Air Force, several on-base agencies such as the chapel, Aarman and family readiness center, the military personnel section and medical group have been amazing in helping Caleb transition from being an impoverished orphan into a healthy, cared-for and truly happy Air Force dependent," the colonel said. "Without a doubt traveling to Ethiopia, meeting Meseret and having Caleb become a part of our family was the adventure of a lifetime."

Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Sean Stevenson is assigned to the 607th Air and Space Operations Center.)

'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Repeal Demands Study, Gates Says

By Donna Miles of American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON : The Defense Department's review of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law, which bans gays from serving openly in the military, will help to ensure readiness and unit cohesion remain intact if Congress repeals it, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in an interview aired last night. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates speaks with Greta Van Susteren, host of the Fox News program "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren," during an interview in Rome, Feb. 7, 2010. DoD photo by Cherie Cullen  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Gates also discussed the close cooperation he and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton have forged between their two departments during an interview with Fox News Channel's Greta Van Susteren, conducted last week as he visited Rome. Expressing his personal support for a repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law -- support shared by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen -- Gates emphasized the need for a full review to ensure it's done right if it happens. "This is a force that's been under stress for eight years, been at war for eight years," he said. "And I don't want to do anything that makes the situation more difficult for those men and women in the fight." Gates conceded that some consider the review a stalling tactic, but he called it critical to the process. "The review that I am launching is to help inform the legislative process of some facts about the attitudes of our men and women in uniform, what they think about a change in the law, [and] what their families think," he said. "The truth is, we don't have any facts." The ramifications go beyond the level of acceptance within units, the secretary explained. "We need to understand all of the different things that have to be dealt with in terms of housing and benefits, and regulations and fraternization rules, and conduct and training, and so on," he said. This way, if Congress does change the law, "we can inform that process and offer some suggestions on mitigation if there are going to be negative consequences so we can figure out how to mitigate those consequences," he said. "And if the law is passed," he added, "then we're in a much better position to be able to go forward and implement those changes in a way that doesn't undermine unit cohesion and readiness." Gates emphasized the need for a careful, deliberate process. "The military culture is a very strong one. It's a very different culture than a civilian culture," he said. "These people do not have choices about who they associate with. They can't just up and walk off the job if they don't like somebody that they're working with. And so we have to take all that into account." Turning the discussion to enhanced Defense-State cooperation, Gates said the tone he and Clinton are setting at the top will affect both agencies so they're better able to partner to address challenges and threats. The goal, he said, is to use all elements of the interagency process to prevent conflicts from happening in the first place so U.S. troops don't have to take action. "So building the capabilities, both civilian and military, of governments around the world who are our friends and partners, is key," he said. "And we've got to cooperate to do that." Gates pointed to the way former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker and Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, when he was commander of Multinational Force Iraq, worked together toward shared goals in Iraq. "I think Ph.D. dissertations should be written about the relationship between Ambassador Ryan Crocker and General David Petraeus, because it is a model of a relationship between the senior civilian and the senior military officer," Gates said.

Biographies: Robert M. Gates Related Articles: Gates: Afghan Strategy Bears Fruit, Iraq on Track

Singing Army Wife Meets Leno Between Recording Sessions

Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq.....Bomb blasts, firing, suicide attacks, hangings, air attack....news are full of violence, hate, worry and tension.....but recently I received a different news which was posted to me on Feb 4, 2010 at 01:23 AM. This news item came to me as a fresh air which is still full of sweet smell. This news of Army Capt. Matt Pratt and his songstress wife, Lisa. Report of Tim Hipps Special to American Forces Press Service is given below as it received. --Rector Kathuria

ASADENA, Calif.:Army Capt. Matt Pratt and his songstress wife, Lisa, lived the dream in southern California Feb. 1, thanks to an Army morale and recreation program that supports soldiers and their families. Joey Beebe of Army Entertainment Division supports 2009 Operation Rising Star winner Lisa Pratt while her husband, Capt. Matt Pratt, watches from outside the recording booth at DMI Music's Firehouse Studios in Pasadena, Calif., Feb. 1, 2010. Army photo by Tim Hipps  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Lisa Pratt earned an all-expenses-paid trip to record a three-song demonstration CD at DMI Music's Firehouse Recording Studios here after winning the 2009 Operation Rising Star singing contest. Rising Star is one of hundreds of programs the Alexandria, Va.,-based Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command provides for soldiers and their families. After her first session in the recording studio, Pratt sang the praises of the Army Family Covenant, which supports soldiers and their families with resourced programs that deliver a quality of life commensurate with their service and sacrifice to the nation. "The Army Family Covenant; this is what it is," Lisa said, before departing the recording studio to attend "The Jay Leno Show" in Burbank, where she got to meet one of the world's most- famous comedians. "I never knew that Operation Rising Star was going to open all these doors for me," she said. For Lisa, the journey to serve as an ambassador for FMWRC's Army Entertainment Division had just begun. For Matt Pratt, who redeployed from Mosul, Iraq, last autumn and accompanied his wife from Fort Carson, Colo., to Hollywood, the Operation Rising Star winner's journey reaffirmed his belief in the Army's promise to support soldiers and families. "I'm trying to take it all in, but it's an emotional time for me because I get to see Lisa do what she absolutely loves doing," said Pratt, a 2006 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. "For the past year while I was in Iraq, she was supporting me and what I was doing. Now the Army has provided me the opportunity to sit here and support her with what she does." Pratt never had the opportunity to sit back and watch his wife of nearly four years perform until she took the stage to compete in Operation Rising Star, a program best described as "American Idol" for the military. "In church, I play the guitar and she sings," he said. "But to see her under the lights and me be on the receiving end as part of the audience, I'd never had the opportunity to do that. Pratt knew that his wife had won a recording session, but he had no idea what level of professionalism awaited them in Pasadena. "That's part of the magic. It's overwhelming to see the level that she's at and to see her basking in it. It still seems very surreal," he said. "I asked her, 'Is this really happening?'" Pratt recalled. "And she said, 'I don't think it is.' So, I think both of us are sort of caught in some sort of hyper-reality right now." Capt. Pratt, too, is praising the Army Family Covenant program. "So, here we are in sunny Los Angeles right now," he said, "and the Army Family Covenant is the reason we're here, and I couldn't be more grateful." The trip to California with his wife, Pratt said, ranks among his best-ever family experiences. "The only thing I would compare this to, as far as the level of emotion I feel, was walking into the gym and seeing Lisa for that first time after I came back from Iraq," he said. "This is up there. It's on par with that sort of feeling of surreal. This is one of the most exciting times since Lisa and I have been together." Pratt then sped away to drive his wife to meet Leno. (Tim Hipps works with Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command public affairs.)  (Issued on Feb. 3, 2010)

Operation Rising Star winner Lisa Pratt, wife of Army Capt. Matt Pratt who is stationed at Fort Carson, Colo., records a song at DMI Music's Firehouse Recording Studios in Pasadena, Calif., Feb. 1, 2010. Army photo by Tim Hipps  Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution Operation Rising Star winner Lisa Pratt and husband Capt. Matt Pratt leave DMI Music's Firehouse Recording Studios in Pasadena, Calif., to drive to Burbank to meet comedian Jay Leno and attend the Feb. 1, 2010 taping of The Jay Leno Show. Army photo by Tim Hipps  Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution