By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, July 15, 2012 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff yesterday welcomed the men and women representing USA Basketball as they held an open practice here for service members, their families and fans from the metropolitan area.
"We're happy to have USA Basketball here, both [the] women's and men's teams," Dempsey said. "We're awful proud of you, [and] we've got great expectations. I know you know that." Dempsey introduced the coach of the Men's National Team "on behalf of the 2.4 million men and women serving and their families," and described the former Army officer as a "great friend" and "one of the finest leaders of our time in any profession." "It's an honor for me to be here," said Coach Mike Krzyzewski, noting his family had accompanied him. "We belong to the Army. It's a tremendous honor for me to coach our nation's team." Krzyzewski noted he'd graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in 1969. "I was an Army captain when I got out of the military to become a coach," he said. Krzyzewski expressed his gratitude in being able to give back to the nation and said it's an honor to entertain troops and their families. "The thing that we, as a group -- USA Basketball, is [most] proud of is that at some point we can give back something to our country ... during this Olympic period," the coach said. "We want to thank all of you for a lifetime of service to our country." "And it's our goal, today, to honor you and to thank you for that great service," Krzyzewski added. Dempsey also introduced Coach Geno Auriemma, who manages the USA Basketball women's national team. |
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| Biographies: Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey Related Sites: USA Basketball |
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Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey,,
center, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, his wife, Deanie Dempsey,
left, and Navy Adm. James "Sandy" A. Winnefeld Jr., vice chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sit courtside and watch the U.S. Men's
National basketball team during an open practice for troops and their
families at the District of Columbia National Guard Armory in
Washington, D.C., July 14, 2012. DOD photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class
Tyrone C. Marshall Jr. |
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By Army Sgt. 1st Class Eric Pahon
82nd Combat Aviation Brigade KHOWST PROVINCE, Afghanistan, June 26, 2012 - Army Sgt. Koku Adzoble joined the U.S. Army to make a better life for himself.
Adzoble won one of 3,777 visas offered in Togo. He graduated with a degree in physics from the University of Lomé in 2006 and was teaching high school until he moved to the United States a year later. "I had a chance," Adzoble said. "Some countries don't get that chance [to award U.S. visas], so you play every year you're eligible, and if you win, you get to come to the United States and get a visa. I was very lucky." Adzoble was working as a stock clerk in a New York City department store when a co-worker suggested that he join the U.S. Army. "I was working for this one guy, and he joined the Army," Adzoble said. "He left, and when he came back to visit, I listened to what he told me [about the Army]. What he was doing was better than what I had going at the time, so I decided to follow him. He's the reason I joined." In basic training, Adzoble faced difficulty understanding English. He said his drill sergeant wanted to hold him back for additional English language training, but the company commander let him stay on and work toward graduation. "French is our official language," Adzoble said. "We went to school and took English as a second language, but no one really takes that seriously. We have two or three hours of English class, but no one pays that much attention to it so they don't speak English that well." Adzoble improved his English skills and graduated with honors as an automated logistical specialist at Fort Lee, Va. Following a two-year tour in Korea, Adzoble was stationed with Task Force Wolfpack, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, Fort Bragg, N.C., in December 2010. Eleven months later he deployed here to Forward Operating Base Salerno. Army Sgt. 1st Class James Crews, Adzoble's supervisor,says an unfailingly-positive attitude has allowed him to become a model soldier. "He's a hard worker," said Crews. "He had some great leadership before he came to me in 2010. He's one of those guys who goes straight to work when you ask him to do something. He doesn't ask why; he just does it." Adzoble is a supply clerk at the base's motor pool, keeping track of the parts inventory and monitoring deliveries. His job is critical to keeping the unit's vehicles on the road, requiring attention to detail and the ability to keep track of dozens of components. "He's an encyclopedia," Crews said of Adzoble. "He's that type of guy who'll pretty much look over something once or twice and he's got it memorized. It comes in very useful. When I'm trying to find a part, I ask him, and he knows what I'm talking about and where to find it right away." Adzoble has a wife and a daughter in West Africa. His daughter, he said, is too young to leave Africa right now, but he hopes to establish a permanent home in the United States so his family can join him in a few years. First, he wants to explore the country and find a place he'd like his family to settle. "I don't want to bring them, then, the next day we have to move again," Adzoble said. "It's not like I don't enjoy Fort Bragg, but I want to see more of the United States and see if there's somewhere I might like even more." Adzoble hopes to earn a physics degree in the United States. He re-enlisted for three more years of Army service, and he's looking to earn a promotion before he leaves Afghanistan. "He got pinned E-5 [sergeant] in December, and we're probably going to send him to the E-6 [staff sergeant] promotion board before we leave Afghanistan," Crews said. "He's just that type of worker and has that type of leadership style." As for his daughter, Adzoble has no plans to push her into following in his footsteps. "I'll try my best to guide her on her own way," he said. "She might want something different. The thing I can do is provide for her and do my best to support her. The one thing I want for her is to succeed and do something better with her life." |
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American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, June 22, 2012 - Defense Department officials today held a
director-level meeting at the Pentagon with officials from the Japanese
Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide an
update on MV-22 and CV-22 Osprey aircraft issues, according to Pentagon
Press Secretary George Little.Today's meeting, Little said, was led by Christopher Johnstone, Director for Northeast Asia, Office of the Secretary of Defense (Policy) and Air Force Brig. Gen. Terrence O'Shaughnessy, Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs for Asia, the Joint Staff. The meeting also included representatives from the U.S. Marine Corps and other U.S. Air Force members who provided updates on the status of the investigations into recent mishaps involving Osprey aircraft, Little said. Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon yesterday, Little described the meeting as an effort to address concerns about the aircraft by the governor of Okinawa. DOD is planning to deploy the MV-22 -- the Marine Corps variant of the Osprey -- to the Asia-Pacific region. The CV-22 Osprey is the Air Force's special operations variant. The tilt-rotor Osprey can fly like an airplane and land like a helicopter. The Department of Defense takes the inquiries made by the Japanese government very seriously and provided relevant information to the extent currently possible, and will continue to do so, Little said. The Osprey is a highly capable aircraft with an excellent operational safety record, which includes more than five years of worldwide deployments and 140,000 flight hours, he said. |
| Biographies: George Little Related Articles: U.S., Japanese Defense Officials to Meet to Discuss Osprey Issues |
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service STUTTGART, Germany, June 13, 2012 - Two new task forces being stood up by U.S. Africa Command have set their sights on one of the biggest killers on the continent: the mosquito.
And beyond the pure humanitarian toll, there's an operational one, too. Last year, during Africom's World Malaria Day observance, a soldier from an African partner nation told Andrus malaria is one of the biggest concerns among his troops deploying for peacekeeping operations across the continent. "This was a real eye opener to us," he said. Africom incorporates malaria prevention into much of its theater engagement, distributing mosquito nets and teaching new diagnostic techniques during training events throughout Africa. But at the African soldier's suggestion, Africom went to work to establish regional task forces to help partner nations create a unified front against the problem. The command stood up the East African Malaria Task Force in December with plans to form a similar task force in West Africa by the year's end, Andrus reported. The East African task force includes Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda and Tanzania. The United States is a member, but has no leadership role, Andrus said. "The task force is led by the African partners who are members," he said. The task force plans to meet in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in late July to discuss their battle plan for combating the disease, Andrus said. They're expected to identify ways to encourage self-protection while promoting improved surveillance, diagnosis and treatment. "This will give them an opportunity to move forward against a very challenging disease in a very positive way," he said. Meanwhile, the first meeting of the new West Africa Malaria Task Force is scheduled for November. Andrus called the task forces an example of the command's goal of helping African nations confront African problems. "This is a wonderful example of what it means to work with our partners, assist them in coming up with solutions to their own challenges, and then to be a partner with them as we move toward addressing those challenges," he said. Ultimately, this supports the concept of "stability through health," Andrus said. Helping partner nations protect their military forces against disease supports the bigger goal of establishing professional militaries that are trusted by their populations and able to respond to crises, he explained. It also builds confidence within partner-nation militaries that they will be taken care of when they are called on to carry out their missions, he said. "If they can deploy forward, knowing that they are able to receive the health care they need, it gives them confidence they need to be able to perform in a way that promotes stability on the continent," he said. While helping partner nations confront malaria, Africom also ensures U.S. service members who deploy to Africa are protected, Andrus said. The Kelley Health Clinic here recently celebrated its one-year anniversary as a one-stop shop for Africom members traveling to the continent. It provides health screenings, immunizations, malaria prophylaxis and mosquito repellents. "The first step is to get to know who you're fighting," said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Steven Baty, a veterinary epidemiologist for Public Health Command Region -- Europe. "If we can identify the mosquitoes in the area that are going to carry malaria, then we can look at prevention programs." Because Africom personnel often travel in small groups to the continent, officials recognize the importance of keeping them healthy. "Each person is critical," said Army Lt. Col Jose Nunez, chief of the command's health protection branch. "If you have one person go down, that person can't do his or her job." (Jan Wesner Childs of U.S. Africa Command headquarters contributed to this article.) |
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| Related Sites: U.S. Africa Command | ||
By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, May 23, 2012 - Service members and their families will have free entry into more than 1,600 of the nation's museums this summer through a joint venture between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families.
"It was really our idea along with Blue Star Families to give back to active-duty service members who defend this country and sacrifice every day, along with their families," Landesman said. "This is a way for museums to say 'thank you,' and also a way for them to build their partnership with DOD." Landesman said he hopes that partnership will continue to grow and offer more of the arts to military families. The free-admission program, known as Blue Star Museums, also "builds an audience of the future" for museums, Landesman said. "Early exposure [to museums and art] is a critical element for building future exposure in the arts," he said. More than 300,000 service members and their families took part in the program last summer, Landesman said. Participating museums, including many children's museums, can be found in every state, he said, noting the program is ideal for service members and their families seeking entertainment on a limited budget. Participating museums underwrite the waived fees, Landesman said, and it is unclear how much money they lose. Museum entrance fees range from more than $25, to some that have only nominal fees with suggested donations, he said. In those cases, he said, service members "could go in without paying, but I think they feel more welcome by knowing the fee is waived for them." Service members can simply show up at a participating museum with their military identification card, and spouses may visit without the service member provided they show their ID card. Here's a snapshot of museum offerings: -- The Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience in Seattle's Chinatown is a Smithsonian affiliate that claims the nation's only museum devoted to the Asian Pacific American experience. -- Reiff's Gas Station Museum in Woodland, Calif., is a circa 1950s gas station complete with antique gas pumps, a vintage tow truck, gas station signage and diner memorabilia. -- Napa Valley Museum in Yountville, Calif., offers all the flavor of the valley, from wine tastings and tours to explorations of the region's history, culture and arts. Family Fun Days are held the second Saturday of each month and reservations are recommended. -- The World Figure Skating Museum and Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo., honors the world's greatest skaters, from Dick Button and Scott Hamilton to Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov. -- The American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in Amarillo, Texas, showcases the western lifestyle and art, along with all things quarter horses. -- The Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History in Columbus, Ga., which honors the 19th-century educator and other African American heroes from Georgia. -- The Merry-Go-Round Museum in Sandusky, Ohio, displays original carousel animals dating from 1895 to the present. -- Cooperstown, N.Y., hosts The Farmer's Museum with its 19th-century village and surrounding farm animals, toys and foods, and The Fenimore Art Museum, on the shores of Otsego Lake, which includes an array of American landscape, history and genre paintings, American folk art, photography and American Indian art. Stephanie Himel-Nelson, a spokeswoman for Blue Star Families, said the organization started the program with NEA based on feedback from its annual military family surveys. "We found that military families are really concerned about the up tempo they are facing and the effect on their children," she said. "We teamed up with the National Endowment with the hope that this would give military families the opportunity to bond, to reconnect, to spend a little more time together, to be part of something bigger than themselves and help ground them." The program has become one of Blue Star Families' most popular, Himel-Nelson said. "We hear from families that they've made this part of their annual routine," she said. "It's part of their annual battle rhythm as they travel across the country, either relocating or visiting family, that they work in visiting the museums." The program is open to active duty military, and Guard and Reserve members. For more information or to locate a participating museum, go to www.bluestarmuseums.org. |
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| Related Sites: Blue Star Museums National Endowment for the Arts |
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