They resemble German Shepherds

.....but are more compact    

The only breed the program raisesis the BelgianMalinois considred ideal for the military because of their high energy,strong sniffers, trainyability, agility, speed, drive, work ethic, loyalty and when needed, fiercenees. They resemble German Shepherds, but are more compact.

Courtesy: US Defense Department

Holiday Message Sgt. Sarah Meadows

Writing a Holiday Greeting on a Box of Humanitarian Aid

Holiday Message
Air Force Staff Sgt. Sarah Meadows writes a holiday greeting on a box of humanitarian aid at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Dec. 10, 2019, before delivering it as part of Operation Christmas Drop. The annual operation provides donated goods to islanders throughout Micronesia.
Photo By: Air Force Senior Airman Ryan Brooks

Guard Soldiers Host British, Danish Wounded Warriors

10/28/2013 01:24 PM CDT                                                   Mon, Oct 28, 2013 at 11:22 PM By Army Staff Sgt. Michelle Gonzalez National Guard Bureau ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 28, 2013 - Conversational buzz filled the atrium of the Army National Guard Readiness Center here Oct. 25 as those assigned to the readiness center anticipated the arrival of special guests. Command Sgt. Maj. Brunk W. Conley, the command sergeant major of the Army National Guard, shares stories with British soldiers during a wounded warrior event at the Army National Guard Readiness Center in Arlington, Va., Oct. 25, 2013. The visit was the first stop in a week-long visit for British and Danish wounded warriors. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michelle Gonzalez  Army National Guard soldiers embraced the opportunity to foster international camaraderie by honoring the service of some 57 wounded warriors and their support teams from the United Kingdom and Denmark.After a poignant reception by the welcoming line, the U.S. soldiers took the opportunity to meet and exchange stories with their British and Danish comrades. "The welcome has been phenomenal," said British Cpl. Jay Watt, with the British army's 4th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment. "I was overwhelmed by the warm welcome," Watt said. "I've never seen that before." Staff Sgt. Laura Atkinson of the British army's Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, echoed that sentiment. "It's been overwhelming and quite humbling," she said. "We don't get this sort of support over in the U.K., not only from the public but from other corps and services." The event was a way to say thank you. "I'm excited for you to be here," Army Lt. Gen. William E. Ingram Jr., the director of the Army National Guard, said in his opening remarks. "Hosting this group today provides an opportunity to thank you for your service and the sacrifices that you've made to the cause of freedom around the world." And that sacrifice was shown both on and off the battlefield, Ingram said. "You've shown valor on the battlefield," he said, "but just as importantly, each of you has shown incredible courage and determination throughout the course of your rehabilitation." Throughout the day, guests received background briefings on the National Guard's history, followed by sessions broken out by specialty that allowed for an exchange in cultural ideas that cultivated ongoing relationships. "We recognize that we are partners and that we need each other," said Command Sgt. Maj. Brunk W. Conley, command sergeant major of the Army National Guard. "If we maintain our relationships, the next time we call on each other and need each other's help, we'll be there standing side by side, ready to do whatever the mission calls for." Guests ended the visit with sharing a barbeque-themed lunch with National Guard Bureau leaders. For these wounded warriors and their support teams, the reception at the readiness center marked the first stop of a week-long trip that includes participating in yesterday's 38th Marine Corps Marathon, a tour of Arlington National Cemetery, a trip to Capitol Hill and a visit to the Pentagon. "I'm looking forward to all of these," Watt said.

Biographies: Army Lt. Gen. William E. Ingram Jr. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Brunk W. ConleyRelated Sites: Army National Guard National Guard Bureau

Face of Defense:

Marine Gains Perspective From Loss of Parents

By Marine Corps Cpl. Elizabeth Gleason Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego SAN DIEGO, Feb. 25, 2013 - Since Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Ryan Nicolai was a boy, he felt a calling to serve his country as a United States Marine. With perspective he gained from the loss of his parents, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Ryan Nicolai graduated with honors from recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Elizabeth Gleason  But before he could follow his dream, he knew his duty was to take care of his parents. In the years before he left for recruit training, he gained the life experience that would propel him through the hard times yet to come.In 2011, Nicolai lost his father, a retired Marine, to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. Months before the loss of his father, his mother was diagnosed with cancer. Shortly after what he thought to be a turning point in his mother's illness, Nicolai decided to enlist in the Marine Corps and follow in his father's footsteps. Nicolai joined the Delayed Entry Program, which allows recruits to enlist in the military and specify a future reporting date for entry. As his mother's condition worsened, Nicolai postponed his ship date until he was no longer able to. He shipped out to recruit training Nov. 26, and joined Platoon 2151, Company G, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion here. Three weeks after his arrival, drill instructors escorted Nicolai to the company office. "They told me that the Red Cross called, and my mom had died," he said. "Losing my dad was the only thing that helped prepare me a little bit for losing my mom." Nicolai's mother died the day before initial drill, an evaluation that tests recruits on their drill knowledge and skills, but he stayed and completed it before flying home to be with his family, said Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Enrique Lopez, his senior drill instructor. Soon, Nicolai was on an airplane, headed back to the depot to finish his training. "Coming to recruit training the first time was hard, but it was harder coming back the second time," said Nicolai, a 22-year-old Medina, Ohio native. "When I got back, I was losing focus, and I was always frustrated. I didn't want to get up anymore. I wasn't the same." With the guidance of his drill instructors, Nicolai said, he realized that although he was struggling, he had to push through and continue. Through the hardship, he kept the position as guide that he had earned early on in recruit training. "I'm pretty sure he still thinks about it, but he doesn't let it get in his way of being guide," Lopez said. "He motivates the other recruits, because they saw him stay strong through what he was going through. He set the example for them." Through his loss, Nicolai said, he gained a new perspective on life that helped him finish recruit training. "I was sitting at medical and had a realization that I defined myself by what I gave up for my parents," he added. "Taking care of my parents is who I was -- it's what I did. When my mom died, that part of my life was over. "I didn't know what I was going to do," he continued. "I was at recruit training trying to become a Marine, but I hadn't made it what defined me. All of a sudden, I knew where I wanted to be and what I wanted to do, I want to lead and take care of Marines." Through it all, Nicolai's drive, knowledge, spirit and perseverance not only earned him the title Marine, but also led him to graduate as the company honor man, the recruit who demonstrated the highest level of leadership throughout recruit training. Nicolai's motivation and knowledge of the Marine Corps and life showed throughout training and set the example for all recruits, Lopez said. "I am who I am today because of my parents," Nicolai said. "If it wasn't for my parents who were loving, strict and iron-willed, I wouldn't be where I am now."

Related Sites: Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego

Face of Defense:

02/22/2013 11:52 AM CST           Fri, Feb 22, 2013 at 11:32 PM

Sergeant Continues Harmonious Tradition

By Air Force Airman 1st Class Jacob Eckhardt
375th Air Mobility Wing

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill., Feb. 22, 2013 - Nearly a quarter century after he accepted his father's invitation to join him in his barbershop quartet, Air Force Staff Sgt. Steven Martin continues to uphold the family tradition that began with his grandfather.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Steven Martin, far right, sings with the "Sounds of Harmony" barbershop quartet, Feb. 14, 2013, near St. Louis. Courtesy photo

Martin was 10 years old when his father asked him to join the group. "It's a family thing," he said. "I wouldn't be singing if it wasn't for my father."

Barbershop music is sung in four-part harmony with no instrumental accompaniment. Martin sang with his father for 10 years, even while he attended community college. After two years of college, he said, he decided to join the Air Force.

After arriving here in 2002, Martin joined a local group called the "Sounds of Harmony." The group has 30 to 35 active members who range in age from 25 to 75, and its musical repertoire includes a variety of songs from the 1920s, 1930s, 1950s and 1960s.

"My dad used to be stationed here, and he sang with a guy in the chorus, so he called the guy and said, 'Hey, my son's going to be stationed there. Could you show him all the choruses around?'" Martin said.

To satisfy his dream of singing competitively, Martin said, he sang with the "Ambassadors of Harmony" from St. Charles, Mo., in 2004.

"I got to compete in an international competition and won a gold medal," he said. "My father was there when I won. It made the moment more special to me."

Even though his group sings older songs, Martin said, he enjoys a variety of music.

"It's interesting, because I have the barbershop stuff, which is an older style, but then I listen to a lot of more current bands, like Motorhead," he said.

Martin said he keeps singing purely for the passion for it.

"It's all about dedication and a love for singing," he said. "If you come into this loving to sing, then you really don't need anything else."

Dempsey:

01/31/2013 05:34 PM CST                                                   Fri, Feb 1, 2013 at 5:13 AM      
Coast Guard Mission 'Constant'
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press ServiceNEW LONDON, Conn., Jan. 31, 2013 - The Coast Guard has a constant mission, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told cadets at the Coast Guard Academy today.

"The military -- and I include you in that joint force -- we are the preeminent leadership experience in the world," Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said during an all-hands assembly of cadets.

That leadership experience means being a military professional and accounting for both yourself and your institution, he said. "It's not just about you anymore. ... You have to continue your own development, both because you should, but also because of what it does for the profession."

This includes developing and taking pride in unique skills and techniques, the chairman said. "Nobody else can be the Coast Guard," he said. "We can't outsource it."

The military has become more complex since he was a lieutenant, Dempsey said. The services have restructured in response to threats that were once the sole domain of nation states but are now in the hands of decentralized organizations, the chairman said. And now, more responsibility is placed on young leaders than ever before, he added.

"We have to be a network in order to defeat a network," Dempsey said.

Leadership is the most solemn duty of all, the chairman said. "Leadership is why we get up in the morning."

Professional creeds and values can't be abstract for those in leadership positions, he said. "You've got understand what it means to be committed, to serve selflessly, to be courageous, to have integrity, to live up to your creed here," the general said. "... and you've got to develop a bond of trust like in no other occupation in the world."
Leadership is a combination of character and competence, Dempsey said. "You can be the most competent man or woman, but you're not a leader unless you have character."

"You can't develop trust absent character," he continued. Competence is important, he said, but "if your subordinates don't want to be you when they grow up, then you're not a leader." And trust is what allows the military to function, the chairman said.

"You don't get on an icebreaker and head out to the arctic to bang away at 15 or 20 feet of ice unless you trust that, first of all, the captain of the ship knows what he's doing and secondly, that everybody on that team knows what they're doing," he said. "You can sleep when it's your turn to sleep because somebody else has the watch."

Dempsey told the cadets that the world in which they will soon be working is one where change will occur faster than they expect and "it will be more complex ... it'll be unpredictable, and it'll be more dangerous."

This will require leaders to have a firm understanding of national interests, Dempsey said. In its position at the nexus between law enforcement and the military, the Coast Guard plays an integral role in defending those interests, he added.

In response to cadet questions following his speech, the chairman spoke about the budget crisis, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles and the effects of the recent end to the combat exclusion rule.

The budget crisis isn't a new situation, Dempsey said. "It's the worst it's been, but it's not new." Budget crises have followed previous wars, he said.

Where the current crisis differs, he said, is not in its magnitude, but in the amount of time the Defense Department has to deal with it.

"I'm not one that says don't you dare think about taking another dollar from the defense budget," Dempsey said. Refusing all cuts or walling off certain projects won't help the department contribute to the nation's economic well-being, he added.

The department needs budget certainty, time and flexibility from Congress, the chairman said.

"We can't do this every year," he said. "We do embrace change. We don't do real well with uncertainty, and we have enormous uncertainty right now."

If cuts are to be made, he said, the department needs time to absorb them and the flexibility to apply them in a balanced way. "Every time they deny us the ability to touch a piece of the budget, we can't keep it in balance and what generally pays the price then is readiness," he said. "I can't let readiness erode."

Dempsey told cadets the military has to be attuned to how it employs violence, particularly with unmanned aerial vehicles. UAVs have become more precise than they were initially, he added, and rely on multiple layers of intelligence to ensure that civilian casualties are minimized. "I think, as you migrate into the force and have access to these capabilities, you should think about how we employ violence," he said. " ... For what intention are you applying violence? Have you exhausted other means? Are there other means?"

The standards are clear for the application of violence, he said, whether you're talking about a bayonet or a UAV. The real question, the chairman added, is whether the use of UAVs is overcoming the ideology behind movements that seek to harm the U.S.

Turning to the role of women, he said, "The 1994 exclusion of women in combat had become embarrassing." This was because it ignored the reality of women's military service, he added.

"It was an anachronism," Dempsey continued. "It was an emotional anachronism." The rule served to discourage an examination of standards for military occupations across the board, he said. Now, the chairman added, the question isn't whether a woman should serve in the formerly closed occupations, but "why shouldn't they?"

He noted that not all men can, or even want to, qualify to serve in combat specialties. "I don't wear a Ranger tab," he said. "I'm not an infantryman, I'm an armor officer. I chose to ride to work," he joked.

The end of the combat exclusion rule means that he has access to the deepest talent pool available, Dempsey said. Only one in four men of military age in the U.S. qualify for military service, he said, and that population isn't becoming healthier or more educated. From his perspective, he said, the best reason to open combat specialties to women is that "we're going to need them ... I want to have as much talent available as I can possibly have." 
Biographies:
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey

Arrest in Pul-e Alam district of Afghanistan

01/22/2013 07:51 AM CST
Combined Force Arrests Haqqani Network FacilitatorCompiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News ReleasesWASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Haqqani network facilitator in the Pul-e Alam district of Afghanistan's Logar province today, military officials reported.

The facilitator acquired and delivered weapons to Haqqani fighters in the province and was directly involved in attacks against local police and Afghan government officials.

During the operation, the security force seized weapons, ammunition and $5,800 in Afghan currency.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- A combined security force in Helmand province's Lashkar Gah district arrested a Taliban leader who controlled improvised explosive device operations. Insurgents under his control recently began using magnetic IEDs to target Afghan army vehicles. He also was responsible for directing insurgent attacks against coalition forces.

-- In Kandahar province's Spin Boldak district, a combined force arrested a local Taliban leader who was directly responsible for IED attacks. The security force also detained a suspected insurgent.

In operations yesterday:

-- A combined force in Paktia province's Dzadran district detained a suspected insurgent while searching for a Haqqani network facilitator who provides weapons and IEDs to insurgents.

-- A combined force killed a Taliban leader and his subordinate in Kunduz province's Khanabad district. The pair worked together to coordinate and execute IED attacks. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents and seized firearms with associated gear and ammunition.

-- In Logar province's Pul-e Alam district, a combined force arrested a Haqqani network leader responsible for coordinating attacks targeting Afghan and coalition force, and overseeing the procurement and distribution of weapons to insurgents. He recently coordinated the acquisition of suicide vest materials in preparation for a future attack. The security force also detained one suspected insurgent.

In Jan. 20 operations:

-- A precision airstrike in Kunduz province's Khanabad district killed a Taliban attack facilitator involved in planning and executing IED attacks and facilitating the movement of weapons and explosives. The strike also killed a second insurgent.

-- A combined force in Paktia province's Zurmat district arrested a Taliban leader who acted as a liaison with senior Haqqani network leaders and oversaw the purchase and storage of rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons and ammunition. He also facilitated the movement of suicide bombers in the Afghan capital and was planning an attack at the time of his arrest. The security force also detained several suspected insurgents and seized grenades, weapons and ammunition.

-- In Helmand province's Nahr-e Saraj district, a combined force arrested a Taliban leader who planned and directed suicide attacks and coordinated the movement of materials used to build suicide vests. He also provided direct financial support to the Taliban.

-- A combined force in Paktia province's Sayyid Karam district arrested a senior Haqqani network leader who oversaw IED construction, storage, transportation and emplacement. He also oversaw the acquisition of weapons and ammunition. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents and seized firearms.

-- In Kandahar province's Maiwand district, a combined force arrested a Taliban leader who planned and conducted attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and facilitated the movement of IEDs, rockets, mortars and other weapons. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents.

-- A combined force in Logar province's Pul-e Alam district arrested a local Taliban leader who worked closely with senior Taliban leaders to coordinate insurgent attacks across several provinces. He also organized the transfer and delivery of weapons and ammunition to insurgents and was coordinating the movement of suicide bombers for a future attack.

In Jan. 19 operations:

-- Afghan and coalition forces in Kunar province's Ghaziabad district killed two insurgents during a search for a Taliban leader who organizes attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and enabled the movement of insurgents.

-- In Nangarhar province's Sherzad district, a combined force killed a local Taliban leader and arrested another. Both were involved in IED operations. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents and seized weapons and ammunition.

-- A combined force in Khost province's Terayzai district arrested a Haqqani network leader who directed attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also oversaw the construction and delivery of IEDs to insurgents and helped acquire IED components, ammunition and detonation materials. The security force also detained a suspected insurgent.

In Jan. 18 operations:
-- In Helmand province's Nahr-e Saraj district, a combined force arrested a local Taliban leader who planned IED attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also detained one suspected insurgent.

-- A combined force in Kandahar province's Arghandab district arrested a local Taliban leader who coordinated and executed IED attacks and oversaw the distribution of IEDs, weapons and ammunition to insurgents. The security force also detained a suspected insurgent.

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force

Paper snowflakes for the survivors

U.S. Army Capt. Angela Todd, left, with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 35th Combat Aviation Brigade, and Spc. Arsenio Thomas, make paper snowflakes for the survivors of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., at the Camp Buehring USO center in Kuwait, Dec. 25, 2012. (DoD photo by 1st Lt. Kerri Brantley, U.S. Army/Released)                          12/25/2012-: 121225-A-KB001-005

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Daughter Delight

Thu, Dec 20, 2012 at 10:31 PM//12/20/2012 10:55 AM CST
U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Richard Winstead hugs his daughter during a homecoming celebration on Naval Air Station Atsugi, Japan, Nov. 17, 2012. Winstead is assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 141, which completed a deployment aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington.
(USA Dod) Daughter Delight

Low-opening freefall

U.S. Army and allied jumpmasters jump from a German C-160 military transport aircraft onto the Luzon drop zone during a high-altitude, low-opening freefall jump during Operation Toy Drop's Special Operations Week at Fort Bragg, N.C., Dec. 10, 2012. (DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Sharilyn Wells, U.S. Army/Released)   12/10/2012

Green Bay Approach

12/12/2012 05:00 PM CST

A landing craft air cushion approaches the amphibious transport dock ship the USS Green Bay in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility, Dec. 6, 2012. The Green Bay is part of the Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group.

Revamped Program Aids Separating Service Members

12/06/2012 12:46 PM CST By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2012 - Major changes announced today to the Transition Assistance Program will revolutionize the way the military prepares people leaving the services, with mandatory participation in programs throughout their military careers to help set them up for a successful transition. The redesigned program, called Transition Goals Planning Success or Transition GPS, was unveiled by Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki. It is a multi-agency response to President Barack Obama's call to improve career readiness for separating service members, explained Susan S. Kelly, principal director of the Defense Department's Transition to Veterans Program Office. The president hinted at the most-sweeping change to the Transition Assistance Program in two decades during a speech this summer to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Obama called it the centerpiece to a broader federal effort to help service members transition to civilian life and to reduce veterans unemployment. During the three-phase rollout of the Transition GPS program that will continue through 2014, the many, but often disconnected, activities conducted across the U.S. government to support veterans and their families will be melded into one comprehensive effort, Kelly said. The Defense Department and departments of Veterans Affairs and Labor aligned their most successful programs to deliver better and more comprehensive services to help make service members "career ready" for civilian employment, officials said. They reached out to the Department of Education to integrate the latest teaching methods and tapped into the resources of the Office of Personnel Management and the Small Business Administration. One of the biggest changes in the new program is that participation is no longer voluntary. Based on a law that took effect Nov. 21, service members can no longer opt out of the transition assistance program. All, including reservists and Guardsmen demobilized after 180 days of active duty, must now attend specific training sessions and take concrete steps to prepare for separation. During phase one of the rollout, being implemented immediately, all separating service members will receive counseling about Department of Veterans benefits, Kelly said. In addition, most will be required to attend newly revamped employment workshops run by the Department of Labor. These workshops incorporate new curriculum such as how to explore career interests, use search tools to find job opportunities, write a resume, interview for a position and negotiate a salary, said John Moran, DOL's deputy assistant secretary for Veterans Employment and Training Service. While fulfilling the congressional mandate to reach out to all separating service members, the interagency team went a step beyond the law to further enhance the effort, Kelly said. Separating service members must now take financial planning training, and complete a 12-month budget that factors in the cost of where they decide to live after leaving the military. They must evaluate how their military-acquired education, training and experience translate into civilian career qualifications and prepare an individual transition plan. The task force ran a pilot program last summer at seven installations to evaluate this core curriculum, gathering assessments from about 950 military members who participated. "Many in the pilot programs found it eye-opening," Kelly said. The seven pilot sites continue to offer the DOL workshops, but the instruction will be available service-wide by January, Moran said. The program's second phase, to be tested during 2013 and implemented by the year's end, establishes requirements for separating service members who plan to go on to college or technical or career training or to start their own businesses. Those electing higher education or other training will be required to show an acceptance letter from that institution, or have an application filled out and ready to submit, Kelly said. They also will be required to establish a contact with a counselor to follow up with after leaving the military. Also during phase two, service members who hope to become entrepreneurs will be required to connect with the Small Business Administration for help in drafting and evaluating their small business plans. The final phase of the rollout to be implemented by the end of 2014 will integrate transition preparation throughout the service member's military career. The idea, Kelly explained, is to begin preparations for transition long before a service member prepares to leave the military. "The end state that we are shooting for is to embed this across the military lifecycle," she said. Each service will develop a plan designating points along a service member's career path for this training, Kelly said. Danny Pummill from the VA called the Transition GPS program an unprecedented interagency effort that ensures service members have the time and resources to prepare for a smooth transition from the military. It will help the nation's newest veterans live up to their destinies as "the next greatest generation," he said. "If we do this right, this is our opportunity to once again transform America," Pummill said.

Related Sites: Special Report: Veterans Employment

Canine Comrade

11/21/2012 02:41 PM CST

U.S. Navy Lt. John Geary pets his dog during a homecoming celebration on Naval Air Station Atsugi, Japan, Nov. 19, 2012. Geary is assigned to Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 14, which completed a deployment aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington.

Meeting in Tel Aviv, Israel

U.S. Defense Leon E. Panetta, right center, meets with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, left center, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Aug. 1, 2012. Panetta is on a five-day trip to the region to meet with leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, Israel and Jordan..

NSA Looks to Industry for Secure Mobile Capabilities

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 20, 2012 - The head of the National Security Agency's information assurance directorate today discussed the agency's goals in providing government with secure mobile devices.

Speaking to the Washington, D.C., chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association here, Debora Plunkett, director of NSA's Information Assurance, laid out the strategy behind "putting mobile devices in the hands of government users."

"First and foremost, our whole strategy from a classified mobility perspective is very much focused on commercial solutions for classified [communications]," Plunkett said. "It's our intent that we would deliver, end-to-end, a solution that is reliant on all commercial components and we believe we can do that."

The agency is testing concepts, Plunkett said, adding that she often is asked why go "end-to-end commercial?"

"We very strongly believe that, in the absence of our ability to be able to leverage the capacity of industry to deliver security and components that we need, we will not be able to meet the demand signals from our customers," she said. "So it's our intent to do just that."

Plunkett said the "good news" is that the NSA has had "phenomenal partnership and cooperation across industry" in understanding the intricacies of certain capabilities, developing architecture and partnering in testing concepts.

"Partnerships are critically important so [that] we establish that mobile enterprise capability," she added.

Noting the popularity of smart phones and tablets, Plunkett said users are able to use those devices in the comfort of their homes, but then "come to their work spaces and it's like ... they can't do a whole lot. And we want to be able to change that."

A "cultural change" is needed to meet government users' needs, she said.

In the past, Plunkett said, by the time a device was produced and delivered, it was made obsolete by commercial devices.

"[This] became the poster child, instead, for what we don't want to do," she said. "And that is have a very, very long cycle of development, five years to deliver -- millions and millions of dollars to deliver -- and by the time it comes to market it's been overtaken by technology."

Plunkett noted the cultural change was the ability to operate in a space where "cell phones today are obsolete in ... 12 to 18 months."

"We've got to be able to operate in that same cycle as we're looking at putting smart devices in the hands of government users," she said. "We've got to be able to move quickly enough such that we can also be able to evaluate those new devices and put them in the hands of users in enough time while those devices are not obsolete."

Plunkett said this seamless transition will rely on a "cloud" concept, particularly, in the case of customers in hostile environments who can't afford to waste time after a device is lost.

Instead, she suggested, providing users with a device with the appropriate safeguards in place and nothing stored on it. Using the cloud concept, if a device is lost, it could simply be disconnected from the infrastructure, she said.

Plunkett noted changes to "external dependencies" critical to the ability for the NSA to be successful, such as the degradation of the 2G network, which "really kick-started our mobility efforts."

So far, she said, the agency has established a mobility innovation center, delivered a top-secret data and voice pilot, delivered an NSA campus laptop pilot, and developed tablet architecture.

"Looking ahead ... we've got to make sure we're constantly looking at the user experience [and] responding to the needs of the user," she said. "We continue ... to prototype and pilot different services."

Looking forward to a "new way of thinking," Plunkett said she often has to carry up to four mobile devices when she travels outside of Maryland due to current technology capabilities.

"I very, very much look forward to, as do all of us around government, being able to reduce that number to a lot less than that," she said. "And with your help and partnership, I am confident we can get there."

Related Sites: National Security Agency Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association

Saluting Sailors

U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter departs the USS Blue Ridge after meeting with leaders and conducting an all-hands call in Yokosuka, Japan, July 21, 2012. Japan is Carter's third stop during a 10-day Asia Pacific trip to meet with partners in Hawaii, Guam, Thailand, India and South Korea.

Therapist Uses Art to Help Troops Heal

The center provides treatment, recovery, rehabilitation and...
By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service

Creative arts therapist Melissa Walker offers a wealth of supplies to service members to complete their art projects in the Healing Arts Program at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. Walker developed her program to help those with psychological health issues and traumatic brain injuries. DOD photo by Terri Moon Cronk 

BETHESDA, Md., March 8, 2012 - An art therapist is using the power of creativity to help service members heal from traumatic brain injuries and psychological health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder.

Melissa Walker designed the Healing Arts Program at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence on the campus of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center here. She is the program's sole art therapist, and also serves as its coordinator. The program aims to help the recovering service members find a creative haven where their buried post-war thoughts and emotions can come to the surface through art and therapy.
With gentle encouragement from Walker, active-duty troops create their way to healing. By working on their art projects in a personal manner, they confront the circumstances of their injuries and begin to overcome the uncertainty they might feel, she said.

"What's bothering them runs the gamut of that moment in time: ... the frozen trauma, the frozen memory. They can't seem to shake what they've internalized," Walker said.

Service members with psychological health issues and traumatic brain injuries create an endless variety of designs on papier-mache masks to help them clarify their thoughts and sense of self, art therapist Melissa Walker said. Their designs vary from their war experiences to picturing themselves as healing while undergoing treatment at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. DOD photo by Terri Moon Cronk.Download screen-resolution                                    Download high-resolution

The center provides treatment, recovery, rehabilitation and, sometimes, reintegration to active duty for service members who have psychological health issues and traumatic brain injury. All have mild to moderate post-traumatic stress disorder, and most also have had some kind of head injury from exposure to a blast injury or fall, Walker said.

When these service members come to the center, they're often in a confused place, and some experience a loss of identity. Those who want to return to duty have a difficult time because they're passionate about their jobs, and those who will rejoin the civilian world wonder what they'll face, she said.

"They need to realize, 'It's time to take care of myself,'" she said.

Art therapy is one element of the center's interdisciplinary treatment. Walker, who designed the Healing Arts Program when the center opened two years ago, said creating art slows down the brain so people can focus and improve their cognitive skills and hand-eye coordination.

Walker's interest in the effects of war on troops stems from childhood memories of her grandfather returning from military service in Korea with what she now believes was post-traumatic stress. But, she said, "there wasn't a name for it then." White House, Defense Department and Veterans Affairs officials have made traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress treatment and prevention a top priority during the past decade of war.

By their third week in the Healing Arts Program, Melissa Walker assigns service members montages to design that signify their experiences at the center and characteristics they see in themselves. One wrote a poem in a creative writing class and incorporated it into his montage, which Walker said brought him "full circle." The art therapy program is a four-week piece of the treatment plan at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., for those with psychological health issues and traumatic brain injuries from their service in Iraq and Afghanistan. DOD photo by Terri Moon Cronk.
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Walker begins her treatment by meeting the service members one-on-one so she can get to know them and their goals while they are at the center. This also helps her meet the art therapy needs of each small group of about five people, she said. She has the service members design a mask, a montage and a postcard in any design with any materials they want, from magazine clippings to beads and paint. Most of their artistic creations, she said, reflect their inner thoughts concerning deployment, their injuries, various war experiences, and their futures.

Since the start of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, military officials have recognized family members' needs for support, and Walker's Healing Arts Program is no exception. One night a week, family members come to Walker's family class to do the same projects as the service members, to give this group of caregivers a break and a chance to "breathe," Walker said.

Service members' mask designs vary, she said, recalling a service member who divided his mask into the halves of two faces, depicting how he saw himself as both a civilian and a member of the military. The split-self has to do with identity, she said. Some who still have war images in their minds might design a scene of the injuries they and their fellow troops suffered.

The groups discuss their mask creations and what they mean. Walker said these discussions bring up personal and symbolic experiences. Sharing and discussing artwork establishes a sense of community and bonding with one another, which is particularly helpful to those with post-traumatic stress who tend to isolate themselves and don't trust others, she said.

"Some feel a lot has been lifted off their shoulders," she said of the group discussions. "Some will share things they never have before and feel validated. They realize they aren't alone."

Walker said the service members with psychological health issues and traumatic brain injury have "layers and layers of complications." In a similar manner, the montages they design often reflect the past, present and future of who they are, which helps them clarify their sense of self, Walker said.

The art therapist described the montage of another student who created a representation of himself in three stages: gradually coming from the dark side of war, opening a door labeled "NICoE," and stepping into brightness to depict healing, she said.

Walker's goal at the final week's commencement is to leave each
service member in "a forward-thinking mode," by asking them to design a postcard with a "positive" hand-scribed note for one of the center's recent graduates.

"One wrote, 'Remember what you learned here,'" she said.

Walker said she is confident future studies will bear positive results of art therapy for those with PTSD and TBI. For now, she added, she stands determined to help people confront and cope with their wounds by expression through art.

"I always tell them, 'I'm so glad you're here and taking time for yourself, and the biggest step you've taken is being open to this,'" she said. "That's huge. That's brave."

Related Sites: National Intrepid Center of Excellence Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

"North East Trilogy" Released

The Minister of State for Defence, Dr. M.M. Pallam Raju releasing the books "North East Trilogy", at MCEME Secunderabad on March 05, 2012. The Chief of the Army Staff, General V.K. Singh and Authors, Mrs. Dipti Bhalla and Shri Kunal Verma are also seen.  (PIB photo) 05-March-2012

Army to Replace 2 Brigades in Europe

With Rotating Units

By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT, Jan. 12, 2012 - Ground forces will remain important to the U.S. defense strategy, but the employment of the forces will change, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said today. In an interview on his way to Fort Bliss, Texas, Panetta said that the Army will withdraw two brigade combat teams from Europe, while retaining a strong presence in the region via rotational units. The change is part of a new, 10-year defense strategy announced by President Barack Obama last week that emphasizes air-sea doctrine to better allow the United States to confront more than one threat at a time, Panetta said. Still, ground forces will remain important, and soldiers and Marines will continue to deploy to Afghanistan and be on the Korean Peninsula and partnering with nations around the globe. "We will continue to maintain our presence both in the Middle East and Asia," the secretary said. "Yes, we'll have the Navy and the Air Force, but in my experience, in any conflict you need to have the potential use of ground forces." Panetta said he is excited about the prospect of using Army units on a rotational basis, just as Special Forces and the Marine Corps do. "Getting the Army to deploy to areas conducting exercises providing, most of all, a partnership with countries in Latin America, Africa, other countries where we can show the flag" is important, he said. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno is particularly excited about the ability to develop that rotational capability, Panetta said. "It will keep the ground forces very meaningful in the future," he said. As the Army replaces the two brigade combat teams with rotational units, the Europeans actually will see more U.S. forces because the American forces in Europe have more often than not been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, Panetta said. DOD officials have spoken to European leaders about the withdrawal and they understand why the change will be good for the U.S. military and NATO allies, senior defense officials traveling with the secretary said.

Biographies: Leon E. Panetta

Dentist Plays Vital Role in Afghanistan

By Air Force Airman 1st Class Tom Brading American Forces Press Service JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C., Jan. 12, 2012 - In a remote valley of war-torn Afghanistan, an airman home- based here is playing a vital role enhancing the country's practice of dentistry. Air Force Maj. (Dr.) Courtney Schapira poses with, from left, dental technician Nasir, dental clinic chief Dost Muhammad and dentist Janat at Forward Operating Base Lightning, Afghanistan, Dec. 1, 2011. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Sarah Martinez  Air Force Maj. (Dr.) Courtney Schapira is deployed to the medical embedded training team at Forward Operating Base Lightning as the chief dental advisor at Paktia Regional Military Hospital in Gardez, Afghanistan."Our team is made up of 21 medical advisers from different NATO countries," Schapira said. "We each have our own areas of expertise, such as internal medicine, nursing, pharmacy, etc." Schapira deployed to Afghanistan in November and is the first and only dental adviser assigned there. "The Afghan dentists that I work with are excited to have a U.S. dental advisor and are eager to learn from me," she said. "They are asking questions and taking the initiative to do things on their own." Paktia Regional Military Hospital is an Afghan army facility that treats only Afghan soldiers, police and civilians with combat-related injuries. The standard of dental care in Afghanistan is much different from that in the United States, Schapira said, noting the clinic is not current with modern preventive dentistry. Though the Afghan dentists are skilled and adequate at their profession, Schapira said, their techniques and materials and the thought processes behind their treatments are outdated. "The dentists here used to rarely make patients numb prior to treatment," she said. "This is both painful for the patients and can turn what may be a single appointment in the U.S. into two or three appointments here, simply because the patients can only tolerate so much pain. Since my arrival, they now numb patients prior to any surgical procedure." During her first few weeks in Afghanistan, Schapira said, she felt overwhelmed by the challenges facing her. Her efforts were divided in multiple directions. Supplies, broken equipment, outdated techniques, infection control and patient administration all needed her attention. "I realized I couldn't improve everything at once," she said. "So I set goals for myself and for the clinic. After most of the equipment was modernized, I turned my focus to the supply inventory." The 6-by-10-foot supply closet was full of unlabeled boxes filled with assorted dental supplies, Schapira said. It was overflowing with supplies, she added, and it was difficult for anyone to even walk in. In addition, she said, she found the Afghans lacked a tracking system to monitor expiration dates or maintain inventories. "The disorganization made it very difficult to find any materials they actually have," she added. Most of the supplies on hand were donated by various hospitals before Schapira arrived, but because the Afghans never had a dental advisor in the past, she said, the staff never was taught how to stock and inventory the materials. Once she organizes the supplies, Schapira said, she'll be able to more accurately assess the clinic's real capabilities and needs. "Organization has been our top priority," she said. "It has created a foundation for the clinic to grow. Now that everything is in order, training will become our top priority." With most of the equipment now working properly and with the supply closet organized, Schapira said, she can start working more on infection control procedures, new dental techniques and patient administration. "I've set the Afghan dental clinic up for success," she said. "I'm getting the clinic to reach its fullest potential. I have complete confidence in their capabilities."

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force