Guardsmen Prepare for Second Major East Coast Storm

By Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke  Special to American Forces Press Service ARLINGTON, Va.: Schools are closing, weekend activities are being cancelled and the federal government here will shut down four hours early today, but the National Guard is on duty in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia in anticipation of a major winter storm. About 660 Guardsmen have been activated for a storm that is expected to dump up to 28 inches of snow and bring high winds to the northern and western parts of Virginia and then continue north up the East Coast this weekend. "This storm will bring severe weather to many parts of Virginia," said Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. "As the storm affects your area, please stay off the roads and contact local authorities if help is needed." McDonnell declared a state of emergency Feb. 3, and the state's Department of Military Affairs is staging more than 400 personnel from the Virginia Army and Air National Guard and Virginia Defense Force at key locations in the commonwealth. If needed, the DMA will bring an additional 100 personnel on duty when the weather picture and state and local support requirements become clearer, according to a news release from the state. "We are moving DMA personnel into position in order to be on standby for possible missions to assist state and local emergency response organizations with rescue and transportation operations," said Army Col. Rob McMillin, a Virginia National Guard joint operations officer. Personnel were expected to be in place yesterday and to be ready for duty this morning, Guard officials reported. McMillin stressed that the Virginia National Guard receives its missions through the Virginia Department of Emergency Management to assist state and local emergency response organizations and is not able to respond to direct support requests from the public. "During the winter storm in December 2009, we received calls directly from citizens, and we are not able to respond to those requests." McMillin said. "We urge people who need assistance to make a request through their local dispatcher or 911 services, and that request will be forwarded to the DMA when appropriate." McMillin said the initial plan is to place Virginia National Guard personnel with Humvees on duty at locations throughout the commonwealth. This is the third time since the middle of December the DMA has called up Guardsmen for weather-related duty. The DMA had nearly 250 soldiers, airmen and members on duty throughout southern Virginia on Jan. 29 and 700 on duty after a storm that began Dec. 18. In Maryland, the National Guard has pre-positioned its forces and equipment to provide support to civil authorities. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is expected to declare a state emergency later today. "The Maryland National Guard always stands ready to support the governor and the citizens of Maryland," said Army Lt. Col. Charles Kohler, the state public affairs officer. "We provide essential, lifesaving services when local and state response capabilities are overwhelmed, including the capability to provide transportation, shelter, food, water and medical support. He added that the National Guard has 34 armories across Maryland that also will be used to support this ongoing operation. In the District of Columbia, Washington Mayor Andrew Fenty declared a snow emergency this morning. The National Guard will provide 12 Humvees and 60 soldiers to help in implementing the district's Snow Emergency Management Plan. In Delaware, Gov. Jack Markell is prepared to declare a state of emergency, his spokesman said. If needed, the Delaware National Guard will be mobilized. In South Dakota, 16 Guardsmen are still on duty helping to re-establish road and utility infrastructure and conduct search-and-rescue operations as required by local authorities. The state experienced strong winter storms with high winds, snow, and freezing rain on Jan. 23, and more than 2,000 residents are currently without power throughout the state. National Guard missions normally performed during snow operations include assisting local law enforcement with transportation and evacuation, distribution of supplies, road clearing and snow removal, search and rescue, security and law enforcement airspace coordination, aircraft support and patient evacuations, airspace coordination, and sheltering assistance. (Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke serves at the National Guard Bureau. Army Maj. Cotton Puryear of the Virginia National Guard contributed to this report.)

Related Sites: National Guard Bureau

Face of Defense: Wounded Soldier Continues Service

By Kari Hawkins
Special to American Forces Press Service


REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala., Feb. 4, 2010 - A chance meeting with Army Lt. Gen. Kevin Campbell in June led to a dream job for Iraqi war veteran and Purple Heart recipient Army Sgt. Sophia Malone.

The Alabama National Guard soldier, assigned to the community-based warrior transition unit here, is continuing her service to the nation as a human resources administrative assistant at the Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command. She takes care of administrative requirements for awards, appraisals, in-processing actions and other personnel actions. "General Campbell wanted to bring wounded warriors on here," Malone said. "I met him at the wounded warrior Army birthday bash they had here in June. ... General Campbell is the best general I've ever met. He and his wife are awesome." Malone, a former military police soldier, said her co-workers have eased her transition. "The people here work with me," she said. "I know I've found a home here." In 1989, at age 19, Malone joined the active Army, serving a four-year stint that took her to Operation Desert Storm to support multiple-launch rocket system maintenance. With her enlistment, she continued her family's tradition of serving in the military. Her grandfather served in World War II, and her father was a Korean War and Vietnam War veteran. Her brother is in the reserves, and other family members also serve. Malone left the Army for nine years, during which she married and had three children – twin daughters Lacy and Lexy, now 15, and son E.Z., who's 10. But 9/11 led her to recommit to national service. "I had to do something. I had to get back in," she said. "I joined the National Guard so that I could be a part-time soldier and a mom at the same time. But I've been on active duty orders since 2005 as a battalion career counselor with the 203rd Battalion out of Athens. I've done more with the National Guard than I did while on active duty." Her full-time Guard service included hurricane relief efforts following hurricanes Ivan, Rita and Katrina, during which she participated in military police security activities. In October 2006, she deployed with the 128th Military Police Company for a year to Iraq, during a time that was extremely volatile in the war-torn country. "Our squad would get hit all the time. The 3rd Platoon became known as the IED magnets," she said, referring to improvised explosive devices. "We were rolling so much outside the wire that we took a lot of hits and we lived through a lot of ambushes. We were ambushed twice while crossing the Tigris [River}. Once, we rolled up on an IED attack on a unit where a guy with the Air Force was killed by shrapnel. We saw other convoys attacked and a lot of other stuff." In one situation, when a mosque was blown up with a vehicle-borne bomb, Malone and several other soldiers from the 128th put their training as combat lifesavers to work. They assisted Army medical personnel in providing first aid to Iraqi civilians injured in the attack. Malone served as a truck commander and team leader in a military police training force. She and her fellow soldiers helped to reduce the violence by training the Iraqi police force. "I was part of a police transition team that trained Iraqi police," she said. "We left our base every day to travel to Iraqi police stations in the different cities." Each day, upon arrival, her team, consisting of nine to 12 soldiers, would set up a security perimeter around the police station. Then they would assess the station's training and equipment needs, meet with police chiefs and establish working relationships with the police station personnel. "We started from scratch at every station," she said. "At some of these stations, they had never seen an American soldier before. Ours was such a new mission, the rules of engagement were changing all the time, and we were all learning about the Iraqi society and culture. So it was a real challenge." Malone and her team worked at police stations in Muqdadiyah and Tikrit. At times, Malone's unit went on patrols with Iraqi police officers and interacted with Iraqi civilians in the marketplaces. They also went on special missions with the 82nd Airborne Division, including a surprise visit at an Iraqi jail to search for contraband. Malone said her gender met with varying results. "Some Iraqi police chiefs wouldn't even talk to me or work with me at all," she said. "Others were very friendly. It depended on how Westernized they were. To many Iraqi police and civilians, I was a novelty. They were curious about me. They wanted to take pictures of me on their cell phones. "But with the soldiers of the 128th," she continued, "I was very well respected. They knew me and how I reacted to certain situations, and they knew I wasn't afraid to do what I had to do. They knew I wouldn't expect them to do anything I wouldn't do." There were plenty of intense situations that called on Malone to be at her best as her unit's lead soldier. Twice, Malone's convoy took direct hits as the lead vehicle traveling through Tikrit. The impact of the attacks left her with shoulder, neck and back injuries that cause her daily pain, and that she hopes to overcome through surgery and physical therapy. The first direct hit with an IED happened in November 2006, when two anti-tank mines wired together exploded and damaged the front right corner of Malone's Humvee. "The IED was set off by a command wire," she said. "The enemy panicked and set off the command wire too early. If he had waited, the IED would have been directly under my seat, and I wouldn't be here right now." The explosion left Malone's Humvee severely damaged in the "kill zone." Malone, her driver, gunner, interpreter and Iraqi police logistics officer were evacuated by a quick readiness force. The attack left Malone with occasional tingling in her right arm. In August 2007, a second direct attack occurred as Malone's Humvee, which was the lead vehicle carrying the platoon sergeant, was traveling on a main supply route. As they crossed a bridge, the Humvee traveled over a pressure plate, with the IED exploding directly on the passenger side of the vehicle. "My arm was resting on the window," Malone said. "Some kind of slivers went into my arm, and it was injured. We were only 12 minutes outside the gate. The third truck in our convoy pulled us home. My gunner also had shrapnel injuries. We both went to the [combat support hospital]. But I was more upset that they blew up my truck than I was about what happened to me. I had just gotten it out of the shop." After two days of recuperation, Malone was back out on missions. She safely returned to her family in October 2007. But instead of taking time to focus on recuperating from her experience and addressing physical ailments caused by the impact of the two IED explosions, Malone accepted an instructor position at Camp Shelby, Miss. Her days were filled with training other National Guard soldiers for deployments through various simulation exercises. "I was still in Humvees rolling around," she said. After the instructor assignment, Malone was required to go through a medical screening before she could return to her National Guard position with the 128th. Her shoulder and neck injuries were identified, and she was sent to Fort Gordon, Ga., in January 2009 for further medical evaluation. "I was having numbness and tingling in my fingers and arm. I had neck and shoulder pain," she said. "But when you are out the wire and have all that adrenaline flowing, you don't think about that. And there was no way I was going to let my guys roll without me. In that situation, if you take one piece out of the unit, everyone else has to work twice as hard. There was no way I was going to do that to my guys. "Then, when I was at Camp Shelby," she continued, "the workload was twice that of the students. As instructors, you spend a lot of time preparing and then a lot of time training. I didn't have time to think about what had happened to me and what was going on with my neck and shoulder." But her time at Fort Gordon made Malone aware that she did need to address her physical issues. In April, she was assigned to the community-based warrior transition unit here, which has worked with her to develop a plan of surgical treatment, physical therapy and pain management that will get her back to 100 percent health. The unit allows soldiers to live at home and work at local armories and installations while undergoing medical treatment. "This is the best thing that ever happened to me," Malone said. "I am able to be with my children while at the same time I am getting healthy and I am able to work. It was like a sigh of relief for me when I got this assignment, because I can see a future here for myself as a civilian while still serving in the National Guard. I want to get healthy. I want to return to duty with the 128th." Malone said she expects the 128th will be deployed again, possibly to Afghanistan. And she plans to be with them. "That unit is filled with my brothers and sisters. We went through hell together. We have a very close camaraderie," she said. "I think we still have another deployment in us. I know I have another one in me. Serving my country, being with my guys -- it's kind of hard to explain." Even with a Purple Heart to her credit, Malone brushes off any suggestions that she is a national hero. "I wasn't the only one in a truck that got blown up," she said. "And there were the guys who risked their lives to pull us out of those situations. We all signed up. We knew what we were doing, what we were getting into. You do your job and keep going." (Kari Hawkins works in the U.S. Army Garrison Redstone public affairs office.)

Army Sgt. Sophia Malone spends time getting to know a group of Iraqi youths during her deployment in 2006 and 2007. U.S. Army photo

Army Sgt. Sophia Malone

Wounded Warrior: Blind Soldier Becomes Company Commander

By Tommy Gilligan Special to American Forces Press Service West Point, N.Y. : Soldier, infantryman, Airborne Ranger, combat diver, mountain climber, skier, tri-athlete, surfer, husband and father are just a few words to describe Army Capt. Scott M. Smiley. Army Capt. Scott M. Smiley salutes 1st Sgt. Deon E. Dabrio after returning the guidon during the U.S. Army Warrior Transition Unit change of command ceremony at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., Feb. 1, 2010. Smiley is the first blind officer and second wounded warrior to hold a position of command. U.S. Army photo by Tommy Gilligan  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Yesterday, the title of company commander was added to Smiley's distinctive resume, as he became the first blind officer to lead a company as he assumed command of the Warrior Transition Unit at the U.S. Military Academy here. Smiley was wounded and permanently lost his vision during his 2005 deployment to Iraq. He attributes his strength and drive during his recovery to his family, faith and friends. "It was my wife, my family and friends who were in my hospital room singing songs and reading the Bible that gave me the strength during my recovery," said Smiley, a member of the USMA Class of 2003. "It was all of this which allowed me to put one foot in front of the other," he continued, "and has allowed me to accomplish everything that I have done to get to where I am today." Over the past six months, Smiley had been an instructor with the academy's Behavioral Sciences and Leadership department, teaching a leadership course to third-year cadets. Smiley's "endurable spirit and character are traits that the cadets can just relate to," said West Point instructor Lt. Col. Eric Kail. "He has overcome so much, through his attitude and desire to excel in life. Scott is a great teacher." After receiving medical attention following his tour in Iraq, Smiley was transferred to the Ft. Lewis, Wash., Warrior Transition Unit, where he began his recovery and journey to return to active status. "There were some very long dark days, physically and mentally, but I just had to keep pushing on," Smiley said. Smiley said he'd looked at what had happened to him in Iraq and made the decision that he was not going down the same path as the character Gary Sinise played in the 1994 movie Forrest Gump. Sinese's character of Army Lt. Dan had been grievously wounded in Vietnam and was initially portrayed as bitter and self-destructive. "The decisions that Lt. Dan made after his injuries never came into my mind. I wanted to take care of myself -- physically, mentally and spiritually," Smiley said. "I just did not want to give up because of something that negatively happened to me." Smiley transitioned back to active duty, working at the U.S. Army Accessions Command at Ft. Monroe, Va. After being there for some time, Smiley's commander told him he had been selected to go to graduate school. "I thought he was kidding me. I was absolutely shocked," Smiley recalled. "Then, they are going to let me go teach -- that was awesome." Smiley attended Duke University where he received his Masters of Business Administration. While there, he cultivated a friendship during the summer of 2007 with legendary Duke University basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, a 1969 graduate of the Military Academy. This was just before the men's basketball world championships and Olympics, Smiley recalled, noting his brigade commander had approached him and asked if he'd like to speak to the premier U.S. men's basketball squad. "Why would the national basketball team want me to talk to them?" Smiley said he wondered to himself at the time. "The first time I met him, he spoke to the Olympic team in Las Vegas. We were trying to teach the team about selfless service," Krzyzewski said. "They not only heard what Scott had to say, but they truly felt what he had to say. "When I think of Scotty, I think of ultimate service, especially selfless service," Krzyzewski added. After completing his master's degree, Smiley returned to start a new chapter of his life at West Point, where his military career began in the summer of 1999. Smiley's former commander at Accessions Command and present U.S. Army Chief of Engineers and commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lt. Gen. Robert Van Antwerp, shared his thoughts on the occasion. "Scott brings a whole new dimension to soldiering and leadership," said Van Antwerp, a 1972 graduate of the Military Academy. "When you are around him, you can't help but want to do your best -- without complaining -- because he gives his best every day." About Smiley being the second Wounded Warrior to hold a command position, Van Antwerp said, "Scotty will be a great commander. He will lead from the front like he has always done. I am proud of him and proud of our Army for giving him this opportunity." Krzyzewski seconded Van Antwerp's pride and confidence in Smiley. "He may not have the eyes to see, but he sees more things than most leaders could ever see," he said of Smiley's leadership abilities. At West Point, Smiley now takes command of a company that he personally understands. "I know what they are going through. I understand the dynamics of the company, how it works and areas of concern that need to be improved," Smiley said. With only half of his command based on West Point's grounds, Smiley will travel from the rocky shorelines of Maine to the rolling hills of Pennsylvania to ensure his troops are being taken care of and doing what they need to do to recover. "It is now my responsibility to inspire them and to continue to help them get the job done," Smiley said. (Issued on Feb 02, 2010) (Tommy Gilligan is the assistant editor for The U.S. Military Academy's "Pointer View")

Army Capt. Scott M. Smiley speaks briefly as cadre stands in formation after he accepted command during the U.S. Army Warrior Transition Unit change of command ceremony Feb. 1, 2010 at West Point, N.Y. U.S. Army photo by Tommy Gilligan  Army Capt. Scott M. Smiley passes the guidon back to 1st Sgt. Deon E. Dabrio during the U.S. Army Warrior Transition Unit change of command ceremony at West Point, N.Y., Feb. 1, 2010. U.S. Army photo by Tommy Gilligan  Related Sites: Warrior Care Web Portal Warrior Care News Tiffany Smiley holds her youngest son while watching her husband, Army Capt. Scott M. Smiley, salute the colors during the U.S. Army Warrior Transition Unit change of command ceremony, Feb. 1, 2010, West Point, N.Y. Smiley is the first blind officer and second Wounded Warrior to hold a position of command in the Army. U.S. Army photo by Tommy Gilligan

Transport to a medical station in Haiti

U.S. Coast Guardsmen from Port Security Unit 307 take a Haitian man with multiple gunshot wounds to a small boat in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, for transport to a medical station Jan. 31, 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 Petty Officer 1st Class Adam Eggers, U.S. Coast Guard/Released)

Missile Defense Agency Requests Bigger Budget

By John J. Kruzel of American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON :  The Defense Department agency responsible for U.S. missile defense systems has requested $8.4 billion for fiscal year 2011, an increase of about a half billion dollars. Video

Missile Defense Agency Executive Director David Altwegg conducts a press conference to discuss the fiscal year 2011 defense budget request and the fiscal year 2010 supplemental war funding request at the Pentagon, Feb. 2, 2010. DoD photo by Cherie Cullen  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

The request comes after an announcement last September that the United States would move away from a ground-based missile defense system to defend against Iranian and North Korean threats, to a sea-based platform.

"The budget supports continuous emphasis on development, testing, fielding, sustainment," David Altwegg, the executive director of the Missile Defense Agency, told Pentagon reporters yesterday.

"We have shifted our emphasis from the ground-based defense against intercontinental ballistic missiles to the regional threat, short- and medium-range missiles, which comprise about 99 percent of the ballistic missile threat extant," Altwegg said.

When Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced plans to move from ground-based components in Poland and the Czech Republic, the rationale he offered was that the new sea-based approach is better suited to intelligence on Iranian threats and would provide protection sooner.

Going a step further, Gates -- a former CIA director -- said the new arrangement is preferable even if intelligence that Iran is more focused on developing short-range missiles over long-range capabilities prove incorrect.

But Gates emphasized that the United States would continue working with European allies on developing a system to defend against threats to the continent.

"We are starting the four-phased approach to fielding a capability in Europe against the emerging Iranian threat, initially against the short- and medium-range threat that exists," Altwegg said, "and hence our initial emphasis will be on southeastern Europe."

The Missile Defense Agency briefing fell on the same day the department released its first Ballistic Missile Defense Review, slated to take place every four years.

The review released yesterday aligns U.S. missile defense posture with near-term regional missile threats, and sustains the ability to defend the homeland against limited long-range missile attack, said Michele Flournoy, undersecretary of defense for policy.

Speaking to Pentagon reporters yesterday, Flournoy said the review identified six major priorities that will shape the U.S. missile defense approach: enhancing the country's ability to

defend against a ballistic attack, defending against growing threats, execute realistic tests, develop new capabilities, being adaptable to changing threats and leading international missile defense cooperation.

"We believe this approach will provide reassurance to our allies that the United States will stand by our security commitments to them, will help to negate the coercive potential of regional actors attempting to limit U.S. influence and actions in key regions, and help strengthen regional deterrence architectures against states who are acquiring weapons of mass destruction," she said. (Issued on Feb 02, 2010)