By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, June 10, 2011 - The intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support critical to operations in Afghanistan got its start 150 years ago this month, when a balloonist showed then-President Abraham Lincoln how a gas-filled balloon could help the Union Army prevail in the Civil War.
The idea wasn't totally new, explained Tom Crouch, curator for lighter-than-air aircraft at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum here. The French first used balloons in 1794 to observe Dutch and French movements during the Battle of Fleurus. Lowe got his chance to show Lincoln the balloon's ISR capabilities as reported his sightings from a tethered balloon as it floated 500 feet over Washington. Lowe took a telegrapher and a lightweight telegraph set with him in the balloon's basket, and he delivered reports to the White House via the War Department, Crouch said. "He could see 25 miles in every direction, and was able to report on what he was seeing in the military camps below," Crouch said. "He demonstrated the fact that if you could get above the battlefield, you could see a lot of useful things: where the enemy was and what the enemy was doing. Obviously, that was incredibly useful information." Convinced that balloons could provide a critical advantage on the battlefield, Lincoln gave the War Department the go-ahead to establish the Union Balloon Corps. It stood up four months later, providing the United States' first "air force" and delivering the nation's first aerial reconnaissance capability, Crouch said. "Some of the most important generals of the war loved the balloons and appreciated their value in what they could deliver," he said. "They found it genuinely useful in supporting what they were doing." But the Balloon Corps operated for just two years before it was disbanded in 1863, the victim of bureaucracy as well as logistics. It was run by a civilian organization that wasn't able to work smoothly with the Army. Further complicating things was the fact that the balloons required extensive logistical support to move and inflate, and an entire company of soldiers to operate. Another challenge -- one military members continue to struggle to overcome today -- was to get the intelligence collected from the balloons to the ground troops who needed it as quickly as possible. After the demise of the Balloon Corps, balloon reconnaissance began to flourish in Europe, Crouch said. And 150 years later, in an age of supersonic aircraft and satellites, Crouch said balloons continue to provide critical intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance in ongoing military operations. Now unmanned, they're equipped with cameras, electronic sensors and communication equipment to gather intelligence and provide communications links. Ashton B. Carter, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, has worked tirelessly to provide more of this "eyes in the sky" capability to ground forces in Afghanistan. This spring, he announced plans to increase the number of aerostats to support counterinsurgency operations and provide increased force protection. "We are going to be, this summer, increasing many-fold the number of aerostat-borne cameras," he said. "They're terrific." "Balloons are still with us, still providing reconnaissance for warfighters," Crouch said. "One hundred and fifty years later, balloons are still performing the function they did in 1861." The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum will mark the 150th anniversary of Lowe's demonstration and the birth of the Union Balloon Corps tomorrow on the National Mall. Re-enactors will portray Lowe, Lincoln and Union soldiers as they demonstrate a 19,000-cubic-foot netted gas balloon, built in 1941 to closely replicate Lowe's, officials said. The Air and Space Museum also will present presentations about ballooning and espionage during the Civil War and give visitors hands-on educational activities inside the museum. | ||
| Related Sites: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | ||
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Saturday, June 11, 2011
Balloon Reconnaissance Marks 150th Anniversary
Friday, June 10, 2011
MF Husain’s surgeon remembers the ‘young’ man fondly
Maqbool Fida Husain was a very lively and active person and truly young at heart. These were the observations of Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – Head of Cardio Vascular & Thoracic Surgery at the Christian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana – who had operated upon Mr Husain for bypass surgery when he was a Consultant Cardiac Surgeon at the Escorts Heart Institute in New Delhi in 1989.
Dr Bedi still remembers Mr Husain making a remarkable recovery. He was then 74 years old but even then had a twinkle in his eye and a spring in his walk. Those days we were doing bypass surgery with the heart lung machine – said Dr Bedi (beating heart surgery developed later – and Dr Bedi has been a world leader in the beating heart technique - with his name in the Limca Book of World Records for the Worlds first multivessel beating heart series with angiograms published in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery USA) . Dr Bedi remembers that in spite of having used a heart lung machine and having stopped his heart for over 45 minutes to do the triple bypass – Mr Husain was up and about in 2 days. He was shifted to the VIP room on the 3rd Floor. At rounds on the 4th day he asked Dr Bedi to give him his letterhead and next day gave him a beautiful sketch. It was of Mother Teresa tending to two children.. It was this is still with Dr Bedi and is a prize possession in his office. Dr Bedi remembered that he joked with all the doctors and nurses and was a really model patient. In fact he offered his help in counseling the other patient’s pre and post op while he was there. Dr Bedi felt that he was fortunate to have met such a lovely and talented personality and was sad that he was no more. --Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria
नहीं रहे कैनवस और रंगों के जादूगर एम एफ हुसैन
नहीं रहे कैनवस और रंगों के जादूगर एम एफ हुसैन
First Lady Lauds Strength, Resilience of Military Kids
By Elaine Sanchez American Forces Press Service MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va., June 4, 2011- First Lady Michelle Obama lauded the graduating seniors of Quantico Middle/High School here last night for their strength, resilience and maturity as they came of age in military families during a time of war.
The class included nine students from Defense Department high schools in Japan who left with their families in the wake of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in March. Obama praised the students for so readily accepting the Japan-based students into their midst. But that show of kindness and compassion, and the strength and grace of the incoming students, doesn't surprise her one bit, she added, as they're qualities she's seen in just about every military kid she's met. These qualities are hard won, but will serve them well throughout their lives, the first lady told the military teens. Growing up in military families, the seniors faced more challenges and had more experiences in their first 18 years than most people have in a lifetime, Obama said. They each moved, on average, more than six times, with one student tallying up a total of 18 moves in the same number of years. And many have dealt with a parent's deployments, and the associated worry and fear, the first lady noted. But these challenges also have equipped them with a "resilience and sturdiness of spirit" that will prepare them for life's setbacks and hardships, she added. "A bad grade on a test, a bad day at work, that's not going to knock you off your game," Obama said, "because from a very young age, you all have been dealing with the big stuff, and that's given you perspective." Military life not only has shaped their character, but also has broadened their minds, Obama said. As with most military children, the students here have lived across the country and the world, immersing themselves in new communities and cultures. This will serve them well in the future, she noted, as modern technology and the rise of a global economy increase the likelihood they'll be exposed to a people of different cultures and backgrounds in their careers. "You already have a skill set that so many employers are seeking," the first lady said, "one that will position you for success both in the career you choose and the life you build for yourself with your family." Military kids also possess a sense of service -- to their families, their communities and their nation -- that's inspiring, Obama said. They log hundreds of hours volunteering, serving as coaches, tutoring other students, picking up trash and working with organizations such as the Red Cross and Toys for Tots. And many move on to a life of military service. "Service is the air that you breathe," she said. "It's how you were raised, and it's the example you're setting for others." Obama acknowledged the sacrifices military children are called on to make. They live with the reality of war, knowing that at any moment, their parent could be deployed halfway around the world. And when this happens, they must quickly adjust, she said, stepping up to help out at home, juggling activities and schoolwork, even while worried beyond measure. "We know you're sacrificing," the first lady said, "but yet you're an important part of the greater whole." Military children understand that their parent is part of something far bigger than themselves, she said, and that their parent's service keeps every American safe. "You really are the greatest," Obama told the seniors. "Your families know that. Our military leaders know that. I know that. My husband knows that. And we want every single American to know it as well." The first lady encouraged the seniors to share stories about their "extraordinary lives" with all they meet, "because, graduates, you all are an inspiration, you all are role models, not just for other military kids, but for all kids, for all adults, for all Americans who want to see what patriotism and sacrifice and service to country really look like." Obama also praised the students' military parents, who carried out missions around the globe, yet still found time for bedtime stories over the phone and video chats. And their spouses ran households and juggled careers in the face of multiple deployments and moves. "I have to tell you that as a mother, as a first lady and as an American, I am blown away by your strength," she said. "I am inspired by your sacrifice. And I know that our graduates are so grateful for your unwavering love and support." Following her remarks, Obama helped to present the students' diplomas. The first lady gave each senior a hug and posed for a picture as family and friends cheered in the crowd. She laughed and cheered them on too before stepping out to greet the military families in the audience. Quantico senior Ashtyn Morgan was in tears as she left the auditorium, calling them "tears of joy." The night was overwhelming, she said, between seeing the first lady and having her father, Marine Corps Master Sgt. Daniel Morgan, at her graduation despite five previous deployments. Their presence "means the world to me," she said. Alexa Remington Lazar, a senior from Nile C. Kinnick High School in Japan, said she's still in shock that the first lady attended her graduation. "I got to hug the first lady," she said, still in her white cap and gown. "It was surreal." Lazar's father, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Chuck Lazar, arrived from Japan two days ago. He had stayed behind after his family left to help with humanitarian efforts there. Lazar was thrilled to be at his daughter's graduation and the fact that the first lady was there, he said, "was icing on the cake." | ||||||
| Related Sites: Marine Corps Base Quantico Department of Defense Education Activity | ||||||
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A Letter from Amnesty International UK
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Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Chaplain Spreads Good Will
 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan, June 3, 2011 - A young James C. Ragain found himself face to face with tragedy in his seventh-grade year. His father, a Navy dentist, had moved his family to Parris Island, S.C., where his first contact with military chaplains would forever change his life.
After graduating from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, with a degree in social studies education, Ragain became a high school teacher. But two years later, he still felt a call to serve the military and to serve God. So the Knoxville, Tenn., native decided to take part in the Navy's chaplain candidate program. "I became a chaplain candidate in 2003, and then went on to seminary, where I worked on my master of divinity studies [degree] in Chicago," said Ragain, who now serves in the U.S. Navy's chaplain corps as a lieutenant. Ragain joined the active duty ranks in 2009, arriving at his first duty station at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., and he deployed here this year with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 40 as the squadron's chaplain. "What never changes is that you are facilitating a method for someone to get their religious needs," he said, comparing his deployed duties with life in garrison. "You're caring for all the people, you're doing counseling, advising the command and doing workspace visits." A definite difference is the nature of the things he discusses with service members here, such as being separated from loved ones, said Ragain, whose wife, Michelle, lives in New Bern, N.C., and works both as a personal trainer and as a mother to the couple's three children -- including twin 3-year-old daughters. "The Marines are away from their families, just like I am," he added, "so I am able to counsel them and offer them firsthand guidance." Ragain provides several religious services every week and also works with his squadron's leadership to help Marines who may be facing difficulties. "In addition to the regular services out here, we are also doing suicide-intervention training," Ragain said. "It's a week-long training program we do with leaders to help with anyone who may be having suicidal ideations." The chaplain said he has had to talk to Marines who were having troubling thoughts. "Generally, we would talk for a while, and then I work with them to get the next level of help that they need," he said. Ragain's efforts have proved valuable to his command, and squadron leaders said the chaplain's well-known sense of humor and approachability are ideal for reaching Marines of all ranks. "He's probably the greatest secret weapon I have here in my squadron," said Marine Corps Lt. Col. Clarence Harper, the squadron's commanding officer. "The way he goes about building religious programs within the squadron is exceptional. He's just a tremendous help. I love that guy like a brother." Marine Corps 1st Lt. Joseph W. Steen, the squadron's logistics officer, said he goes to Wednesday night services regularly to continue his spiritual education. He added that since he met Ragain, they have become close friends. "He's one of the best chaplains I've ever met," Steen said. "He is appreciated and very respected in this squadron. We talk about three times a week, and I can honestly say that we have a deep sense of friendship." Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Dockter serves as a religious programs specialist for the squadron and works side by side with Ragain. "Chaplain Ragain has been great to work for," he said. "I can work with him on a professional level, but I can also connect with him on a personal level, and I think that helps us develop as a team when we meet with Marines and interact with them." Since he's been working with Ragain, Dockter said, he has been in a prime position to witness the positive influence the chaplain has made on the squadron. "I definitely see the impact he makes," he said. "It's been apparent in our Bible studies. When we first got here, the Bible studies started off very small, and since then, they have grown exponentially. I think that is a testament to the kind of person that Chaplain Ragain is and how he's able to deliver the word of God." Although Ragain is known as a fun and approachable person, he takes his ministry very seriously. "I think the best thing that a chaplain can offer service members in a deployed environment is a representation of who God is," the chaplain said. "Since we're strictly noncombatants and are not allowed to carry weapons, we're set apart, and I think people want us to be that representation of God." Although he has gained the trust and appreciation of many Marines and sailors here, Ragain's goals are far from accomplished. "I want to be obedient to God. Being faithful to him and serving the Marines and Sailors the best I can is the best way I can do that," he said. "I just take it tour by tour and see where God leads me. I want to continue to grow in leadership, grow in my knowledge of scripture and who God is and how to best be a representative of him in whatever setting I'm in." | ||
| Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force | ||
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
It is Dharm Yuddh started by Baba Ramdev
Tue, Jun 7, 2011 at 7:09 AM
Narain Kataria from New York: Indian Americans are deeply disturbed and shocked at the forceful eviction/arrest of Baba Ram Dev and attack by 5000 policemen on thousands of peaceful Indian citizens in Delhi. They consider it a dangerous attack on democratic setup in India.
Baba Ramdev’s intent behind this movement is to bring back approximately 9 trillion dollars stolen from poor Indians and stashed in foreign countries; and he is determined to reverse this awful trajectory.
The petulant arguments advanced by the corrupt Government for its diabolical action against peaceful volunteers that Baba Ram Dev’s campaign against corruption would have caused a law and order problem does not hold water, and is an insidious attempt to cover up its hidden agenda to crush the movement.
That thousands of people from all over India should respond to the call of Baba Ramdev for removal of corruption from India, and come to Delhi and fast, is symptomatic of a deeper malice afflicting 1.2 billion Indians.
Baba Ramdev’s allegation that there was a sinister conspiracy to kill him has to be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The reign of repression let lose against thousands of peaceful men, women and children by 5,000 Delhi policemen should be vehemently condemned with the contempt it deserves. It is a naked fascism as practiced by dictators in Middle Eastern countries.
Recently, India’s home minister, P. Chidambaram, said that more than 900 people, including almost 600 civilians were killed in Maoist-related incidents in 2009.
Since 2005, Islamic terrorist attacks have killed 780 people in India. (http://islamicterrorism.wordpress.com/2010/02/15/islamic-terrorist-attacks-have-killed-780-in-india-since-2005/)
It is a matter of great regret and shame that deadly Islamist-Leftist combine carrying on a corrosive covert war to destabilize and deracinate India is treated with kid gloves, and peaceful nationalists like Baba Ramdev are treated like a criminal!
It is not only unbecoming but also below the dignity of some politicians, who, in their eagerness to please their Queen, are using unparliamentary, dirty, disgusting and foul language against Baba Ram Dev who is adored by millions in India. These politicians have been marked by Janata (people) and will have to pay heavily in the next elections for their misdemeanor against a Saint.
Sonia Gandhi and her cronies will rue the day they chose to heap the brutalities on hapless and peaceful Indian citizens who were exercising their fundamental right to express their legitimate opinion against their rulers who have indulged in the massive plunder of India since Independence. Sonia Gandhi should also remember that India is not the fiefdom of her family.
If, by inflicting savageries on peaceful but united Indians, Sonia Gandhi Government believes that it can demoralize and consequently terrorize Indian citizens into submission, she is sadly mistaken.
We know that Sonia Gandhi is a devout Catholic. She rules India through remote control and with an iron hand. Indian tradition and culture enjoins on Indians to respect her religion. At the same time, it is incumbent on her not to misuse her political authority to crush peaceful Indians who demand accountability for billions of dollars stolen from them! Sonia Gandhi has been completely exposed by now. According to Rocky Saggoo’s blog - posted on February 22, 2011, Wikipedia says that Sonia Gandhi has $18.66 billion in Swiss Bank accounts. She should see the writing on the wall otherwise she may have to quit India.
The Indians are determined to take back Government of India from their corrupt rulers. Make no mistake; they are waking up silently, slowly but surely. And they are not going to stop till the goal is reached.
The Dharm Yuddh (the battle for righteousness) started by Baba Ramdev on June 4th, will result in the decimation and doom of corrupt Dynasty in the next general elections. The world will soon witness the spectacle of rapid and inexorable rout of Sonia Gandhi and its cronies. The corrupt ruling politicians and their buddies will suffer cataclysmic consequences for their egregious violations of Human Rights against humanity. They will be bundled out and thrown in the dust bin of History like other tyrants who unleashed unprecedented atrocities on Indians.
The petulant arguments advanced by the corrupt Government for its diabolical action against peaceful volunteers that Baba Ram Dev’s campaign against corruption would have caused a law and order problem does not hold water, and is an insidious attempt to cover up its hidden agenda to crush the movement.
That thousands of people from all over India should respond to the call of Baba Ramdev for removal of corruption from India, and come to Delhi and fast, is symptomatic of a deeper malice afflicting 1.2 billion Indians.
Baba Ramdev’s allegation that there was a sinister conspiracy to kill him has to be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The reign of repression let lose against thousands of peaceful men, women and children by 5,000 Delhi policemen should be vehemently condemned with the contempt it deserves. It is a naked fascism as practiced by dictators in Middle Eastern countries.
Recently, India’s home minister, P. Chidambaram, said that more than 900 people, including almost 600 civilians were killed in Maoist-related incidents in 2009.
Since 2005, Islamic terrorist attacks have killed 780 people in India. (http://islamicterrorism.wordpress.com/2010/02/15/islamic-terrorist-attacks-have-killed-780-in-india-since-2005/)
It is a matter of great regret and shame that deadly Islamist-Leftist combine carrying on a corrosive covert war to destabilize and deracinate India is treated with kid gloves, and peaceful nationalists like Baba Ramdev are treated like a criminal!
It is not only unbecoming but also below the dignity of some politicians, who, in their eagerness to please their Queen, are using unparliamentary, dirty, disgusting and foul language against Baba Ram Dev who is adored by millions in India. These politicians have been marked by Janata (people) and will have to pay heavily in the next elections for their misdemeanor against a Saint.
Sonia Gandhi and her cronies will rue the day they chose to heap the brutalities on hapless and peaceful Indian citizens who were exercising their fundamental right to express their legitimate opinion against their rulers who have indulged in the massive plunder of India since Independence. Sonia Gandhi should also remember that India is not the fiefdom of her family.
If, by inflicting savageries on peaceful but united Indians, Sonia Gandhi Government believes that it can demoralize and consequently terrorize Indian citizens into submission, she is sadly mistaken.
We know that Sonia Gandhi is a devout Catholic. She rules India through remote control and with an iron hand. Indian tradition and culture enjoins on Indians to respect her religion. At the same time, it is incumbent on her not to misuse her political authority to crush peaceful Indians who demand accountability for billions of dollars stolen from them! Sonia Gandhi has been completely exposed by now. According to Rocky Saggoo’s blog - posted on February 22, 2011, Wikipedia says that Sonia Gandhi has $18.66 billion in Swiss Bank accounts. She should see the writing on the wall otherwise she may have to quit India.
The Indians are determined to take back Government of India from their corrupt rulers. Make no mistake; they are waking up silently, slowly but surely. And they are not going to stop till the goal is reached.
The Dharm Yuddh (the battle for righteousness) started by Baba Ramdev on June 4th, will result in the decimation and doom of corrupt Dynasty in the next general elections. The world will soon witness the spectacle of rapid and inexorable rout of Sonia Gandhi and its cronies. The corrupt ruling politicians and their buddies will suffer cataclysmic consequences for their egregious violations of Human Rights against humanity. They will be bundled out and thrown in the dust bin of History like other tyrants who unleashed unprecedented atrocities on Indians.
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