By Cheryl Pellerin American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, June 30, 2011 - In its latest effort to make the impossible probable, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is looking for companies that can harness biology to speed up and lower the cost of producing new materials and devices.
"This is going to give us a completely new manufacturing capability for the U.S. to harness," Jackson told American Forces Press Service. DARPA expects to award multiple contracts -- up to a total of $30 million -- for the first Living Foundries broad agency announcement. Jackson called the program "the largest public investment in this field, at least in the United States." Many companies already use biological organisms -- mainly cells from yeast and Escherichia coli -- to produce biofuels such as ethanol and pharmaceuticals like the antimalarial drug artemisinin. The discipline often is called synthetic biology but DARPA wants to go beyond that, to what Jackson calls engineering biology, speeding up the production timeline and lowering the cost of products made by biology. To achieve the goals and vision of the Living Foundries program, she added, several tools from different fields will be needed, including synthetic biology and metabolic engineering. "It's how can we apply engineering principles to biology so we can get it to make the things we want to make in a rapid, predictable fashion," she said. Today, Jackson said, "if you want to make something that we don't know how to make using biology, it's going to take you a minimum of seven years and [cost] tens to hundreds of millions of dollars for each product you want to make." A recent example involves the drug artemisinin, used to treat malaria, the disease caused by parasites that infected mosquitoes transmit to people. In 2008, according to the World Health Organization, malaria caused nearly 1 million deaths. The drug typically comes from a plant called Artemisia annua, or sweet wormwood, which takes about a year to cultivate. "People only plant it when the price of artemisinin is high," Jackson said, "and then when everyone plants it you automatically crash the price and so then no one plants it." For people in developing countries who are most likely to need antimalarial drugs, she said, "this is not a sustainable scenario." In 2003, researchers led by Jay Keasling from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California-Berkeley used biology to produce a precursor to artemisinin. In 2004, with $43 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the team over two years built a chemical factory by adding genes from bacteria, yeast and sweet wormwood to yeast, whose cells churned out artemisinic acid. This method of producing the drug greatly lowers its production timeline and cost, Jackson said, and ensures the product's purity. The product went from Keasling's lab to a partnership among the Institute for OneWorld Health, Amyris Biotechnologies and Sanofi-Aventis, which plans to put the drug on the commercial market in 2012, she added. "And it took 11 years," Jackson said. "You can talk to a bunch of biotech companies and they will tell you that this is the state of biotech today." What if, Jackson said, we could do it in a year? "Given all the great things biology can make, whether we're looking at chemicals or fuels or therapeutics, I don't think we want to wait 10 years each time and spend tens or hundreds of millions of dollars." If Living Foundries works as planned, within a year or two several companies may have created biological prototypes that investors would be willing to back with commercial-scale production facilities. "The next step is for us to release a broad agency announcement, Jackson said. "That's essentially our call for proposals." Companies that respond to the announcement won't compete against each other, they'll be chosen based on their ideas. "What we're talking about here is not necessarily making one specific thing. We're not in that one-off world we're in today where you make one thing, but you're no better at making the next thing," Jackson said. "We're all about creating the capability," she added, "so we can make a huge array of things that we can't even produce today." | ||
| Biographies: Dr. Alicia Jackson Related Sites: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency |
Friday, July 01, 2011
DARPA Seeks to Employ Biology in Manufacturing
National Guard Helps Make Water Safe in Minot
By Army Sgt. Darron Salzer
National Guard Bureau
MINOT, N.D., June 27, 2011 - When floodwaters back up city water and sanitation systems and make the water unsafe to drink, residents can quickly find themselves in short supply of a much-needed resource.
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"We're purifying water for the hospital ... in case the water plant has a problem," said Halgren, a water purification specialist with the North Dakota National Guard's 136th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion.
Civilian officials sent out a boil order for residents of the flooded city. "Right now, in the city of Minot, you're not supposed to drink the tap water" since it has been deemed unsafe, explained Atkinson, a water purification noncommissioned officer with the 132nd Quartermaster Company.
Atkinson said the water purification unit his team set up is helping people to avoid "a bunch of steps" to get clean water.
Like many other soldiers, Atkinson has seen a lot of calls-to-action in the last month in many parts of the state.
"We've been in Minot on this [mission] for about a week-and-a-half. We spent a week in Bismarck, and we'll be here for another week," he said. "We've been running all sorts of missions, staying busy and doing a little bit of everything."
Atkinson -- like many other North Dakota Guard members -- is no stranger to the recent flooding in his state.
"I live in an evacuated area down in Velva," he said. "As of right now, there is no water at my house, but I have everything taken out of it."
Atkinson said he enjoys helping flood victims as part of his job as a water purification sergeant.
"It's hard to be away from family and your home," he said, "especially when you're in an evacuated area ... but I'm glad to be here and helping out Minot because there is really nothing I can do at my house."
Sunday, June 26, 2011
In this struggle, who will stand with us ?
Public Convention
on
SAVE DEMOCARCY
Desh Bachao – Desh Banao
June 27th, Monday / Constitution Club, Rafi Marg, New Delhi / 2 – 7 pm
Forbesganj, Bihar, Six dead; Bhatta Parsaul, Uttar Pradesh Four dead; Dhanbad, Jharkhand, Four dead; Jaitapur, Maharashtra, One dead; Kakkarapalli, Andhra Pradesh, Two dead; Sompeta, Andhra Pradesh, Two dead; Narayanpatna, Orissa, Two dead; Mudigonda, Andhra Pradesh, Eight dead; Nandigram, West Bengal, Eleven dead; Kalinganagar, Orissa, Twelve dead and the list goes on. These farmers, adivasis, dalits and working class of Bharat have sacrificed their life on the altar of development, while trying to defend the piece of mother earth to which they belong and eek their livelihood.
Even as we invite you to join us in this endeavour, communities across the country are struggling in Jagatsinghpur, Orissa against POSCO; Golibar, Mumbai against Shivalik; Raigarh, Chattisgarh against Jindals; Mundra, Gujarat and Chausra, MP against Adani; Kalinganagar Orissa against Tata and thousand other places. The struggle against Reliance, Jindal, Tata, Adani, Jaypee, Mittals, etc. and the collaborating State power is not only to protect their livelihood but central to this is defending the basic tenets of our democracy. The overall struggle is for deepening of democracy in the country – to establish the rule of law, to ensure right to life and livelihood with dignity, to ensure democratic control over natural resources – jal, jangal, jameen and Khaniz (land, water, forest and minerals).
Every year on June 25-26th we remember this period as the darkest period in Indian history for democracy but at the same time we also remember the dream of 'total revolution' – Sampoorn Kranti. The dream remains unfulfilled and our struggles continue to challenge the systemic corruption, oppression and exploitation. We emerge victorius at times and at times feel defeated but never at any time the dream for a just society with dignity, freedom, justice seems unreachable and we continue to struggle. The social and political churning witnessed at this moment in the country is encouraging. In a political context where the questions of working class and poorest of the poor assumes prime importance we would like to invite you to this convention to ponder over some of these questions.
- Where is our collective struggle heading ? The million mutinies blooming in the country today, what is the significance of it ? Are we winning again ?
- In the wake of seemingly increasingly oppressive power of State and Corporations, are collective struggles of dalits, adivasis, women, the displaced, workers, farmers etc. in a condition for a long sustained struggle ahead which will shake the inner walls of the capitalism and the establishment ?
- In this struggle, who will stand with us ? Is the middle class, the intelligentsia willing to participate and stand by the side of the struggle against exploitation, oppression and inequality ? Are they willing to be a part of this process towards developing a planetary vision and secure justice and dignity for everyone ?
- Can the exploited and the distressed become the spearheads (leaders) of an independent, strong, sharp and people-oriented politics when the elected representatives of today's political set up turn out to be insensitive and devoid of all moral and ethical values ? Can such a leadership create a space for itself in the present set up, can it be a respectable entity in the current set up?
- Can a national and international structure based on the principles of non-violence, sister-brotherhood, equality, sustainability and justice be born from such a leadership, which will reject imperialism in toto? Depending upon the sovereignty of its people, space and resources can we create a nation which includes plural and diverse nationalities within itself ?
This Public Convention is an attempt to once again allow all of us to join the dots that link our struggles against deeply entrenched structures of oppression and corruption in our society with a view towards total revolution. We are trying to collectively seek answers to these questions. We met on May 8 in Delhi and will meet again in Wardha, Maharashtra on July 3rd to keep the conversations going. We do hope you will be able to join us !
Medha Patkar - NAPM; Swami Agnivesh – Bandhua Mukti Morcha; Ram Dheeraj, Sarv Seva Sangh; Ashok Chaudhary – NFFPFW; Ajit Jha – Lok Rajniti Manch; Gautam Bandopadhyay – Sangharsh; Rakesh Rafiq – Yuva Bharat
For details contact : Madhuresh Kumar, NAPM 9818905316
--
National Alliance of People’s MovementsNational Office: Room No. 29-30, 1st floor, ‘A’ Wing, Haji Habib Bldg, Naigaon Cross Road, Dadar (E), Mumbai - 400 014;
Ph: 022-24150529
6/6, Jangpura B, Mathura Road, New Delhi 110014
Phone : 011 26241167 / 24354737 Mobile : 09818905316
E-mail: napmindia@gmail.com | napm@napm-india.org
Web : www.napm-india.org
Obama Visits Fort Drum, Thanks 10th Mountain Troops
 American Forces Press Service FORT DRUM, N.Y. , June 23, 2011 - The day after announcing a drawdown of troops from Afghanistan, President Barack Obama visited Fort Drum to thank members of an Army division that was among the first to deploy units following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
The soldiers of 1st Brigade Combat Team, which returned earlier this year from its deployment to northern Afghanistan, sat in complete silence as they awaited the commander in chief's arrival at the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade dining facility. It was soldiers from the brigade's 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, who provided a quick reaction force in Afghanistan immediately following 9/11, ultimately helping to overthrow the Taliban-run regime that harbored al-Qaida terrorists. Once the president was announced, he was introduced to the 150 soldiers by the brigade's commander, Col. Willard "Bill" Burleson. "Sir, it's a great privilege to share these great soldiers here with you today," Burleson said. "They represent about 4,000 of the first elements of (last year's surge) in Afghanistan." The president thanked Burleson for his hard work and leadership and then spoke about his decision last year to deploy an additional 30,000 troops into Afghanistan, calling it one of the toughest decisions he has made as president. "The only reason I was able to make that decision was because I knew that we had the finest fighting force in the world, and that if I gave a command to our troops, they would be able to accomplish that mission," the president said. "The 10th Mountain Division ... (were) the first folks to go in after that order was given. "And that's not surprising," he added, "because you guys were also some of the first folks to go in right after 9/11." During his televised address to the nation Wednesday night, Obama announced that 10,000 troops will redeploy to the U.S. this year and that a total of 33,000 -- roughly the number of troops sent to Afghanistan last year -- will return by next summer. As Afghan security forces move into the lead, the president said, American troops will continue steadily coming home until 2014, when the U.S. mission completes its transition from combat to support. He also stated that it was time for America to rethink some of its national security policies, cautioning that the U.S. is in need of some "nation building" of its own. "Already, this decade of war has caused many to question the nature of America's engagement around the world," he said during his primetime speech. "Some would have America retreat from our responsibility as an anchor of global security and embrace an isolation that ignores the very real threats that we face. Others would have America over-extended, confronting every evil that can be found abroad. "We must chart a more centered course," the president noted. Currently, the 10th Mountain Division's headquarters leads coalition forces in Regional Command - South in Kandahar, Afghanistan. In addition, three of the division's six brigades are deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom -- 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Brigade Combat Team and 10th Combat Aviation Brigade. It brings the total number of 10th Mountain Division soldiers serving in Afghanistan to more than 10,000. Meanwhile, the 10th Sustainment Brigade is readying to deploy to Afghanistan this fall. Obama said his respect for the 10th Mountain Division's storied past goes back to his days at the U.S. Senate. "I've always run into you guys -- and for some reason, it's always in some rough spots," he said. "You guys have always been there in the toughest fights. The fact that you are continuing, even as we speak, and that many of your comrades are there right now under some very tough circumstances, (demonstrates) your dedication and your patriotism." In order to sustain their accomplishments so far in the war-torn country, the president assured soldiers that his plan to decrease the number of troops in Afghanistan would not be done "precipitously." "Because of what you have done, areas like Kandahar are more secure than they have been in years," Obama said. "Because of you, we are now taking the fight to the Taliban, instead of the Taliban bringing the fight to us. Because of you, there are signs that the Taliban may be interested in figuring out political settlements. "It's also because of you that we have a platform to be able to go after bin Laden and al-Qaida, and we have decimated their ranks," he said. Obama said even with his planned drawdown, tough work lies ahead. "The American people understand the sacrifices you are making; they understand the sacrifices that your Families are making," he said. "But there's still some fighting to be done. And frankly, the 10th Mountain Division is still going to be represented there until we have fully transferred to the Afghan military and security forces. "You guys are the tip of the spear," Obama continued. "You guys are the ones that keep us safe each and every day. For all of the sacrifices you have made, I want to say thank you. For all of the sacrifices your Families have made, I want to say thank you. "I have no greater job -- nothing gives me more honor -- than serving as your commander in chief. To all of you who are potentially going to be (deployed again), just know that your commander in chief has your back." Before boarding Air Force One at Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield, Obama met privately inside the Rapid Deployment Facility with family members of fallen soldiers. |
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Task Force Bon Voizon Completes Haiti Relief Operations
By Army Sgt. Aaron LeBlanc Louisiana National Guard WASHINGTON, June 22, 2011 - The Louisiana National Guard-led task force providing humanitarian relief to Haiti officially ended its two-month mission in a small ceremony here today.
This year's exercise marked the second time the Louisiana National Guard was called upon to lead humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti since the January 2010 earthquake. More than 2,300 service members from three countries came together in the Artibonite department, a rural area 70 miles northwest of here. Army Col. Kenneth Donnelly, the task force commander, called the mission a life-changing experience, and praised the efforts of the troops who deployed here to work in austere conditions. "The soldiers, airmen and Marines of the task force are regular people, with regular jobs back in their hometowns and duty stations. They are just like you and me, willing to do what it takes to make the world a better place," Donnelly said. "They came to give instead of take. They came to act instead of talk. "I measure their success, not by the structures they built or the number of patients they treated, but rather by the lives they touched," he added. Support for the task force came from National Guard troops from several states including Louisiana, New York, Massachusetts, Georgia, Florida and North Dakota. The Army Reserve provided medical staff and engineers. The active-duty Army supplied communications troops, the Air Force provided meteorologists and the Marine Corps provided civil affairs specialists. The task force also was supported by physicians from the Colombian and Canadian armies and engineers from the Belize Defence Force. Japanese engineers also helped to build the school, and U.N. peacekeeping forces from Argentina provided security at task force medical and dental clinics. Lisa Samson, director of civil military operations for U.S. Southern Command, was present at the closing ceremony and thanked the task force for taking the opportunity to "improve what we're doing here in Haiti." "The relationships and partnerships formed have been immense ever since the earthquake and have forged a bond that we can't break," she said. "The work the task force has done here is evident ... the clinics and the school that you built are going to have a lasting and enduring impression. The important piece now is how to make it a sustainable type of investment." | ||
| Related Sites: Special Report: National Guard Lends a Hand in Haiti | ||
Friday, June 24, 2011
President Obama's address on Afghanistan:
This mass murder was planned by Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda network in Afghanistan
Friend --
If you missed it last night, you should take a few minutes to watch President Obama's address to the nation about our policy in Afghanistan:
The President's address marks a major turning point in a nearly decade-long conflict. He announced his plan to start withdrawing our troops from Afghanistan next month, fulfilling a promise he made a year and a half ago to begin the drawdown this summer.
To put it simply: when this president took office, there were 180,000 troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, the combat mission in Iraq has ended, Afghanistan will be fully responsible for its own security by 2014, and there will be fewer than 100,000 American troops in the two countries by the end of this year.
As President Obama decisively concludes two long-running wars, he is refocusing our foreign policy to more effectively address the threats we face and strengthen America's leadership in the world as we do.
I'm writing to you because this transformation has already begun to reshape the policy debate -- foreign and domestic -- in the 2012 election. As the President said last night: "It is time to focus on nation building here at home."
The outcome of this debate will have consequences for all of us, so it's important that you understand the policy and help inform the conversation.
You can read the President's remarks below, or watch the address on the White House website here:
http://my.barackobama.com/
Thanks,
Messina
Jim Messina
Campaign Manager
Obama for America
----------------------
In the days that followed, our nation was united as we struck at al Qaeda and routed the Taliban in Afghanistan. Then, our focus shifted. A second war was launched in Iraq, and we spent enormous blood and treasure to support a new government there. By the time I took office, the war in Afghanistan had entered its seventh year. But al Qaeda's leaders had escaped into Pakistan and were plotting new attacks, while the Taliban had regrouped and gone on the offensive. Without a new strategy and decisive action, our military commanders warned that we could face a resurgent al Qaeda and a Taliban taking over large parts of Afghanistan.
For this reason, in one of the most difficult decisions that I've made as President, I ordered an additional 30,000 American troops into Afghanistan. When I announced this surge at West Point, we set clear objectives: to refocus on al Qaeda, to reverse the Taliban's momentum, and train Afghan security forces to defend their own country. I also made it clear that our commitment would not be open-ended, and that we would begin to draw down our forces this July.
Tonight, I can tell you that we are fulfilling that commitment. Thanks to our extraordinary men and women in uniform, our civilian personnel, and our many coalition partners, we are meeting our goals. As a result, starting next month, we will be able to remove 10,000 of our troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year, and we will bring home a total of 33,000 troops by next summer, fully recovering the surge I announced at West Point. After this initial reduction, our troops will continue coming home at a steady pace as Afghan security forces move into the lead. Our mission will change from combat to support. By 2014, this process of transition will be complete, and the Afghan people will be responsible for their own security.
We're starting this drawdown from a position of strength. Al Qaeda is under more pressure than at any time since 9/11. Together with the Pakistanis, we have taken out more than half of al Qaeda's leadership. And thanks to our intelligence professionals and Special Forces, we killed Osama bin Laden, the only leader that al Qaeda had ever known. This was a victory for all who have served since 9/11. One soldier summed it up well. "The message," he said, "is we don't forget. You will be held accountable, no matter how long it takes."
The information that we recovered from bin Laden's compound shows al Qaeda under enormous strain. Bin Laden expressed concern that al Qaeda had been unable to effectively replace senior terrorists that had been killed, and that al Qaeda has failed in its effort to portray America as a nation at war with Islam -- thereby draining more widespread support. Al Qaeda remains dangerous, and we must be vigilant against attacks. But we have put al Qaeda on a path to defeat, and we will not relent until the job is done.
In Afghanistan, we've inflicted serious losses on the Taliban and taken a number of its strongholds. Along with our surge, our allies also increased their commitments, which helped stabilize more of the country. Afghan security forces have grown by over 100,000 troops, and in some provinces and municipalities we've already begun to transition responsibility for security to the Afghan people. In the face of violence and intimidation, Afghans are fighting and dying for their country, establishing local police forces, opening markets and schools, creating new opportunities for women and girls, and trying to turn the page on decades of war.
Of course, huge challenges remain. This is the beginning -- but not the end -- of our effort to wind down this war. We'll have to do the hard work of keeping the gains that we've made, while we draw down our forces and transition responsibility for security to the Afghan government. And next May, in Chicago, we will host a summit with our NATO allies and partners to shape the next phase of this transition.
We do know that peace cannot come to a land that has known so much war without a political settlement. So as we strengthen the Afghan government and security forces, America will join initiatives that reconcile the Afghan people, including the Taliban. Our position on these talks is clear: They must be led by the Afghan government, and those who want to be a part of a peaceful Afghanistan must break from al Qaeda, abandon violence, and abide by the Afghan constitution. But, in part because of our military effort, we have reason to believe that progress can be made.
The goal that we seek is achievable, and can be expressed simply: No safe haven from which al Qaeda or its affiliates can launch attacks against our homeland or our allies. We won't try to make Afghanistan a perfect place. We will not police its streets or patrol its mountains indefinitely. That is the responsibility of the Afghan government, which must step up its ability to protect its people, and move from an economy shaped by war to one that can sustain a lasting peace. What we can do, and will do, is build a partnership with the Afghan people that endures -- one that ensures that we will be able to continue targeting terrorists and supporting a sovereign Afghan government.
Of course, our efforts must also address terrorist safe havens in Pakistan. No country is more endangered by the presence of violent extremists, which is why we will continue to press Pakistan to expand its participation in securing a more peaceful future for this war-torn region. We'll work with the Pakistani government to root out the cancer of violent extremism, and we will insist that it keeps its commitments. For there should be no doubt that so long as I am President, the United States will never tolerate a safe haven for those who aim to kill us. They cannot elude us, nor escape the justice they deserve.
My fellow Americans, this has been a difficult decade for our country. We've learned anew the profound cost of war -- a cost that's been paid by the nearly 4,500 Americans who have given their lives in Iraq, and the over 1,500 who have done so in Afghanistan -- men and women who will not live to enjoy the freedom that they defended. Thousands more have been wounded. Some have lost limbs on the battlefield, and others still battle the demons that have followed them home.
Yet tonight, we take comfort in knowing that the tide of war is receding. Fewer of our sons and daughters are serving in harm's way. We've ended our combat mission in Iraq, with 100,000 American troops already out of that country. And even as there will be dark days ahead in Afghanistan, the light of a secure peace can be seen in the distance. These long wars will come to a responsible end.
As they do, we must learn their lessons. Already this decade of war has caused many to question the nature of America's engagement around the world. Some would have America retreat from our responsibility as an anchor of global security, and embrace an isolation that ignores the very real threats that we face. Others would have America over-extended, confronting every evil that can be found abroad.
We must chart a more centered course. Like generations before, we must embrace America's singular role in the course of human events. But we must be as pragmatic as we are passionate; as strategic as we are resolute. When threatened, we must respond with force -- but when that force can be targeted, we need not deploy large armies overseas. When innocents are being slaughtered and global security endangered, we don't have to choose between standing idly by or acting on our own. Instead, we must rally international action, which we're doing in Libya, where we do not have a single soldier on the ground, but are supporting allies in protecting the Libyan people and giving them the chance to determine their own destiny.
In all that we do, we must remember that what sets America apart is not solely our power -- it is the principles upon which our union was founded. We're a nation that brings our enemies to justice while adhering to the rule of law, and respecting the rights of all our citizens. We protect our own freedom and prosperity by extending it to others. We stand not for empire, but for self-determination. That is why we have a stake in the democratic aspirations that are now washing across the Arab world. We will support those revolutions with fidelity to our ideals, with the power of our example, and with an unwavering belief that all human beings deserve to live with freedom and dignity.
Above all, we are a nation whose strength abroad has been anchored in opportunity for our citizens here at home. Over the last decade, we have spent a trillion dollars on war, at a time of rising debt and hard economic times. Now, we must invest in America's greatest resource -- our people. We must unleash innovation that creates new jobs and industries, while living within our means. We must rebuild our infrastructure and find new and clean sources of energy. And most of all, after a decade of passionate debate, we must recapture the common purpose that we shared at the beginning of this time of war. For our nation draws strength from our differences, and when our union is strong no hill is too steep, no horizon is beyond our reach.
America, it is time to focus on nation building here at home.
In this effort, we draw inspiration from our fellow Americans who have sacrificed so much on our behalf. To our troops, our veterans and their families, I speak for all Americans when I say that we will keep our sacred trust with you, and provide you with the care and benefits and opportunity that you deserve.
I met some of these patriotic Americans at Fort Campbell. A while back, I spoke to the 101st Airborne that has fought to turn the tide in Afghanistan, and to the team that took out Osama bin Laden. Standing in front of a model of bin Laden's compound, the Navy SEAL who led that effort paid tribute to those who had been lost -- brothers and sisters in arms whose names are now written on bases where our troops stand guard overseas, and on headstones in quiet corners of our country where their memory will never be forgotten. This officer -- like so many others I've met on bases, in Baghdad and Bagram, and at Walter Reed and Bethesda Naval Hospital -- spoke with humility about how his unit worked together as one, depending on each other, and trusting one another, as a family might do in a time of peril.
That's a lesson worth remembering -- that we are all a part of one American family. Though we have known disagreement and division, we are bound together by the creed that is written into our founding documents, and a conviction that the United States of America is a country that can achieve whatever it sets out to accomplish. Now, let us finish the work at hand. Let us responsibly end these wars, and reclaim the American Dream that is at the center of our story. With confidence in our cause, with faith in our fellow citizens, and with hope in our hearts, let us go about the work of extending the promise of America -- for this generation, and the next.
May God bless our troops. And may God bless the United States of America.
----------------------
Friend --
If you missed it last night, you should take a few minutes to watch President Obama's address to the nation about our policy in Afghanistan:
The President's address marks a major turning point in a nearly decade-long conflict. He announced his plan to start withdrawing our troops from Afghanistan next month, fulfilling a promise he made a year and a half ago to begin the drawdown this summer.
To put it simply: when this president took office, there were 180,000 troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, the combat mission in Iraq has ended, Afghanistan will be fully responsible for its own security by 2014, and there will be fewer than 100,000 American troops in the two countries by the end of this year.
As President Obama decisively concludes two long-running wars, he is refocusing our foreign policy to more effectively address the threats we face and strengthen America's leadership in the world as we do.
I'm writing to you because this transformation has already begun to reshape the policy debate -- foreign and domestic -- in the 2012 election. As the President said last night: "It is time to focus on nation building here at home."
The outcome of this debate will have consequences for all of us, so it's important that you understand the policy and help inform the conversation.
You can read the President's remarks below, or watch the address on the White House website here:
http://my.barackobama.com/
Thanks,
Messina
Jim Messina
Campaign Manager
Obama for America
----------------------
FULL REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT ON THE WAY FORWARD IN AFGHANISTAN
June 22, 2011
8:01 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. Nearly 10 years ago, America suffered the worst attack on our shores since Pearl Harbor. This mass murder was planned by Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda network in Afghanistan, and signaled a new threat to our security -- one in which the targets were no longer soldiers on a battlefield, but innocent men, women and children going about their daily lives.June 22, 2011
8:01 P.M. EDT
In the days that followed, our nation was united as we struck at al Qaeda and routed the Taliban in Afghanistan. Then, our focus shifted. A second war was launched in Iraq, and we spent enormous blood and treasure to support a new government there. By the time I took office, the war in Afghanistan had entered its seventh year. But al Qaeda's leaders had escaped into Pakistan and were plotting new attacks, while the Taliban had regrouped and gone on the offensive. Without a new strategy and decisive action, our military commanders warned that we could face a resurgent al Qaeda and a Taliban taking over large parts of Afghanistan.
For this reason, in one of the most difficult decisions that I've made as President, I ordered an additional 30,000 American troops into Afghanistan. When I announced this surge at West Point, we set clear objectives: to refocus on al Qaeda, to reverse the Taliban's momentum, and train Afghan security forces to defend their own country. I also made it clear that our commitment would not be open-ended, and that we would begin to draw down our forces this July.
Tonight, I can tell you that we are fulfilling that commitment. Thanks to our extraordinary men and women in uniform, our civilian personnel, and our many coalition partners, we are meeting our goals. As a result, starting next month, we will be able to remove 10,000 of our troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year, and we will bring home a total of 33,000 troops by next summer, fully recovering the surge I announced at West Point. After this initial reduction, our troops will continue coming home at a steady pace as Afghan security forces move into the lead. Our mission will change from combat to support. By 2014, this process of transition will be complete, and the Afghan people will be responsible for their own security.
We're starting this drawdown from a position of strength. Al Qaeda is under more pressure than at any time since 9/11. Together with the Pakistanis, we have taken out more than half of al Qaeda's leadership. And thanks to our intelligence professionals and Special Forces, we killed Osama bin Laden, the only leader that al Qaeda had ever known. This was a victory for all who have served since 9/11. One soldier summed it up well. "The message," he said, "is we don't forget. You will be held accountable, no matter how long it takes."
The information that we recovered from bin Laden's compound shows al Qaeda under enormous strain. Bin Laden expressed concern that al Qaeda had been unable to effectively replace senior terrorists that had been killed, and that al Qaeda has failed in its effort to portray America as a nation at war with Islam -- thereby draining more widespread support. Al Qaeda remains dangerous, and we must be vigilant against attacks. But we have put al Qaeda on a path to defeat, and we will not relent until the job is done.
In Afghanistan, we've inflicted serious losses on the Taliban and taken a number of its strongholds. Along with our surge, our allies also increased their commitments, which helped stabilize more of the country. Afghan security forces have grown by over 100,000 troops, and in some provinces and municipalities we've already begun to transition responsibility for security to the Afghan people. In the face of violence and intimidation, Afghans are fighting and dying for their country, establishing local police forces, opening markets and schools, creating new opportunities for women and girls, and trying to turn the page on decades of war.
Of course, huge challenges remain. This is the beginning -- but not the end -- of our effort to wind down this war. We'll have to do the hard work of keeping the gains that we've made, while we draw down our forces and transition responsibility for security to the Afghan government. And next May, in Chicago, we will host a summit with our NATO allies and partners to shape the next phase of this transition.
We do know that peace cannot come to a land that has known so much war without a political settlement. So as we strengthen the Afghan government and security forces, America will join initiatives that reconcile the Afghan people, including the Taliban. Our position on these talks is clear: They must be led by the Afghan government, and those who want to be a part of a peaceful Afghanistan must break from al Qaeda, abandon violence, and abide by the Afghan constitution. But, in part because of our military effort, we have reason to believe that progress can be made.
The goal that we seek is achievable, and can be expressed simply: No safe haven from which al Qaeda or its affiliates can launch attacks against our homeland or our allies. We won't try to make Afghanistan a perfect place. We will not police its streets or patrol its mountains indefinitely. That is the responsibility of the Afghan government, which must step up its ability to protect its people, and move from an economy shaped by war to one that can sustain a lasting peace. What we can do, and will do, is build a partnership with the Afghan people that endures -- one that ensures that we will be able to continue targeting terrorists and supporting a sovereign Afghan government.
Of course, our efforts must also address terrorist safe havens in Pakistan. No country is more endangered by the presence of violent extremists, which is why we will continue to press Pakistan to expand its participation in securing a more peaceful future for this war-torn region. We'll work with the Pakistani government to root out the cancer of violent extremism, and we will insist that it keeps its commitments. For there should be no doubt that so long as I am President, the United States will never tolerate a safe haven for those who aim to kill us. They cannot elude us, nor escape the justice they deserve.
My fellow Americans, this has been a difficult decade for our country. We've learned anew the profound cost of war -- a cost that's been paid by the nearly 4,500 Americans who have given their lives in Iraq, and the over 1,500 who have done so in Afghanistan -- men and women who will not live to enjoy the freedom that they defended. Thousands more have been wounded. Some have lost limbs on the battlefield, and others still battle the demons that have followed them home.
Yet tonight, we take comfort in knowing that the tide of war is receding. Fewer of our sons and daughters are serving in harm's way. We've ended our combat mission in Iraq, with 100,000 American troops already out of that country. And even as there will be dark days ahead in Afghanistan, the light of a secure peace can be seen in the distance. These long wars will come to a responsible end.
As they do, we must learn their lessons. Already this decade of war has caused many to question the nature of America's engagement around the world. Some would have America retreat from our responsibility as an anchor of global security, and embrace an isolation that ignores the very real threats that we face. Others would have America over-extended, confronting every evil that can be found abroad.
We must chart a more centered course. Like generations before, we must embrace America's singular role in the course of human events. But we must be as pragmatic as we are passionate; as strategic as we are resolute. When threatened, we must respond with force -- but when that force can be targeted, we need not deploy large armies overseas. When innocents are being slaughtered and global security endangered, we don't have to choose between standing idly by or acting on our own. Instead, we must rally international action, which we're doing in Libya, where we do not have a single soldier on the ground, but are supporting allies in protecting the Libyan people and giving them the chance to determine their own destiny.
In all that we do, we must remember that what sets America apart is not solely our power -- it is the principles upon which our union was founded. We're a nation that brings our enemies to justice while adhering to the rule of law, and respecting the rights of all our citizens. We protect our own freedom and prosperity by extending it to others. We stand not for empire, but for self-determination. That is why we have a stake in the democratic aspirations that are now washing across the Arab world. We will support those revolutions with fidelity to our ideals, with the power of our example, and with an unwavering belief that all human beings deserve to live with freedom and dignity.
Above all, we are a nation whose strength abroad has been anchored in opportunity for our citizens here at home. Over the last decade, we have spent a trillion dollars on war, at a time of rising debt and hard economic times. Now, we must invest in America's greatest resource -- our people. We must unleash innovation that creates new jobs and industries, while living within our means. We must rebuild our infrastructure and find new and clean sources of energy. And most of all, after a decade of passionate debate, we must recapture the common purpose that we shared at the beginning of this time of war. For our nation draws strength from our differences, and when our union is strong no hill is too steep, no horizon is beyond our reach.
America, it is time to focus on nation building here at home.
In this effort, we draw inspiration from our fellow Americans who have sacrificed so much on our behalf. To our troops, our veterans and their families, I speak for all Americans when I say that we will keep our sacred trust with you, and provide you with the care and benefits and opportunity that you deserve.
I met some of these patriotic Americans at Fort Campbell. A while back, I spoke to the 101st Airborne that has fought to turn the tide in Afghanistan, and to the team that took out Osama bin Laden. Standing in front of a model of bin Laden's compound, the Navy SEAL who led that effort paid tribute to those who had been lost -- brothers and sisters in arms whose names are now written on bases where our troops stand guard overseas, and on headstones in quiet corners of our country where their memory will never be forgotten. This officer -- like so many others I've met on bases, in Baghdad and Bagram, and at Walter Reed and Bethesda Naval Hospital -- spoke with humility about how his unit worked together as one, depending on each other, and trusting one another, as a family might do in a time of peril.
That's a lesson worth remembering -- that we are all a part of one American family. Though we have known disagreement and division, we are bound together by the creed that is written into our founding documents, and a conviction that the United States of America is a country that can achieve whatever it sets out to accomplish. Now, let us finish the work at hand. Let us responsibly end these wars, and reclaim the American Dream that is at the center of our story. With confidence in our cause, with faith in our fellow citizens, and with hope in our hearts, let us go about the work of extending the promise of America -- for this generation, and the next.
May God bless our troops. And may God bless the United States of America.
----------------------
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Supply Chief Sets Leadership Example
By Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Houston F. White Jr. Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, Calif., June 22, 2011 - When Marine Corps Master Sgt. Lorenzo Lacy left for a six-month deployment with Marine Central Command in June 2010, he had a considerable task ahead of him.
Lacy's job was to coordinate and monitor logistics support requirements for all in-theater elements of the force, constantly observing and evaluating supplies and materials to deployed units. The 39-year-old faced a number of logistical challenges during his deployment, which took him from Marcent headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., to Naval Support Activity Bahrain in the Middle East, but he was able to overcome them and accomplish his mission. "Some of the challenges I faced were the long hours overseas and the varying timeframes between [the United States] and the Middle East," he said. Maintaining liaison with Marine Corps Logistics Command, Marine Corps Systems Command and Headquarters Marine Corps, and keeping communications between the continental U.S. and the forward units in the fight was, he noted, "a constant battle." Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser, Marcent commander, cited Lacy's "superb initiative, expertise and perseverance" during a June 9 ceremony when he was awarded the second Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal of his career. Though he was pleased to do his part in deploying overseas in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Lacy said, he also found returning to his duties and Marines on base refreshing. "This award means that I did my job efficiently and effectively while I was deployed, but I'm glad to be back as well," he said. "I wanted to set the example for the young Marines here that senior Marines are not excluded from deployments and when called upon, we all have to do our part to help the warfighter. "I always explain to my Marines to never take a job for granted and that everyone's role has a purpose, no matter how large or how small," he added. | ||
| Related Sites: Marine Corps Forces Central Command | ||
Center Works to Optimize Warfighters' Performance
By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, June 20, 2011 - A new high-intensity workout regime promises to build strength and endurance. Ads tout dietary supplements as formula for getting stronger, smarter and even less-stressed-out. A "how to" book presents a sure-fire way to bounce back from physical or emotional setbacks.
Getting to the bottom of that, and putting word out to the troops whose lives and missions depend on their ability to perform in demanding and often extreme conditions, is the mission of the Defense Department's Human Performance Resource Center, Dr. Stephen Frost, the center's director, told American Forces Press Service. DOD stood up the center in September 2009 under the auspices of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences to gather and develop solid science for warfighters, their leaders and their health care providers. Part research arm, part information clearinghouse and education center, the center provides a single DOD focal point for human performance optimization, encouraging better coordination, collaboration and communication among the services and with other government agencies, Frost explained. The staff seeks out scientifically proven data to post on its website and answers warfighters' questions submitted through an online link. When it identifies an information gap, it reaches out to experts within the military and civilian professional communities to research the issue or evaluate research already conducted. To date, the center has issued a White Paper on the pros and cons of a high-intensity physical training program popular with many military members. Its findings, in a nutshell: It may be great if you're already fit, but could be too physically demanding if you're not. The staff also evaluated the prudence of taking specific dietary supplements in extreme temperatures or altitudes after some deployed service members experienced liver and kidney problems, Frost said. The results, posted on the center's website, showed that high-protein supplements such as creatine can be extremely dangerous, especially when users aren't properly hydrated, he reported. "One of our missions is to provide the warfighter information that is evidence-based [and] scientific so that they can make decisions about things like dietary supplements in a better way than just 'Googling' on the Internet and getting commercialized information," Frost said. The center plans to look into possible ways to mitigate problems associated with the sickle cell trait. Another project on the center's radar screen, to be conducted with NASA and the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, will look into the issue of sleep, particularly sleep deprivation. "That's a big problem through the services," Frost said. "We know that missions sometimes require warfighters to remain vigilant for long periods of time. So the big question is: How much sleep do you really need? And are there ways of enhancing your ability if you don't have enough sleep? Are there ways of catching up on your sleep? There are a lot of questions around sleep that apply around the services, and NASA is interested, too." "Optimal performance" involves much more than strength, endurance and overall physical fitness, Frost explained. It includes all the mental, emotional and physical factors that impact a warfighters' ability to perform effectively in demanding conditions and extreme environments, to stay healthy and injury-free and recover from any injuries and illnesses. This involves everything from what goes into their mouths to what kind of exercise routine they follow to behavioral issues such as drug, alcohol and tobacco use. But equally important are what Frost calls "mind tactics" -- a warfighter's mental toughness and resilience. "In the past, the emphasis has always been on the physical part, and we have become pretty good at managing the physical resilience and physical capabilities of our warfighters" he said. "But only recently have we come to recognize that the mind and body go together. So unless you have that same optimal capability for your mental performance, then your physical performance can't be optimal, either." For this reason, the Human Performance Resource Center addresses family and social issues that can impact performance. "We recognize that if a warfighter is worried about his family, he is not going to be in his optimal condition," Frost said. "If he doesn't have the social support systems he needs when he comes home from deployments, or if he is going to be deployed, he is not going to be in his optimal mental condition." Ultimately, Frost hopes the military community will come to recognize the Human Performance Resource Center as the place to go for unvarnished, scientifically proven information about factors that affect warfighter performance. "If we can get the Human Performance Resource Center to truly become the go-to place for our warfighters, our health care providers, the line leadership and researchers so they aren't simply Googling for information, I think we can go a long way toward enhancing the coordination, communication and collaboration among the services and DOD around human performance," Frost said. "I think that will be a wonderful goal." | ||
| Related Sites: Human Resource Performance Center | ||
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Marine Brings Experience to Unit
 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing CAMP DWYER, Afghanistan, June 20, 2011 - Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3, established in 2008, is one of the youngest squadrons in the Marine Corps, but its Marines are not without experience.
Lilia A. Garcia oversees all RQ-7B Shadow UAV mechanical and launching operations for the squadron. The Mission, Texas, native joined the Marine Corps in 1995 as a UAV technician. "I've known Garcia since 1997," said Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Charles D. Carter, the squadron's maintenance control chief and a native of Newport News, Va. "She is the kind of Marine who is focused like a laser beam on getting the mission accomplished." Even though many Marines physically tower over the short-statured Texan, there is firmness in Garcia's soft words. She rarely raises her voice when addressing her troops, likely attributable to the knowledge she carries after nearly two decades in the UAV community. "She works longer hours than everyone else in the maintenance department does just so she is available to all of her Marines," Carter said. "I have developed an incredible respect for her abilities." "Working with the junior Marines is one of my favorite parts of my job," Garcia said. "When the Marines are out doing their jobs, whether it's launching or controlling the aircraft, I know I've done my part. My junior Marines have a lot of potential, and they work very hard." When Garcia entered the Marine Corps UAV community, she said unmanned aerial vehicles had recently formed into self-sustaining aviation squadrons. Previously, UAVs were directly attached to the ground units they now support. "We became a very valuable asset because we were able to use our aircraft to watch over ground troops," Garcia said. "For the squadron, it is just important that we do our part." Deployed Marine Corps UAV squadrons use small, lightweight vehicles that are able to stay in the air for several hours to supply Marines and their coalition partners with aerial information throughout combat missions. Garcia has deployed seven times to locations all over the world. In 2003, when the United States and its coalition partners began Operation Iraqi Freedom, Garcia said Marine Corps UAV squadrons adopted a heavy deployment schedule. "We would deploy for seven months and come back for five months and then deploy again," Garcia said. "Because of that deployment tempo the Marine Corps created [Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3] to try and slow down the deployment rate. It took several years but it has helped." Garcia and the other Marines of VMU-3 currently call Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., home. The squadron arrived in Afghanistan in May for its second deployment to support NATO International Security Assistance Force missions. "When I joined the Marine Corps 16 years ago I didn't think I was going to stay in," Garcia said. "I love what I do, though, and that's what has kept me in." | ||
| Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force |
seminar on “Emergency and After" postponed
CITIZENS FOR DEMOCRACY
D-7/2 Vasant Vihar, New Delhi-110067
Kuldip Nayar N.D.Pancholi
President General Secretary
(Ph) 011-26142388 (M) 9811099532
Dt. 20th, June, 2011
Change of timings for Public meeting on 25th June,2011 and postponement of
seminar.
Dear friends,
We had announced that seminar on “Emergency and After” would be held on
25th June, 2011 from 10 AM. Due to certain circumstances the seminar has been postponed and date would be announced later on.
However the public meeting as usual will be held from 4PM on 25th
June, 2011 at Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi to observe “Anti Emergency
Day” in association with PUCL, Jan Hastkshep, Champa-The Amiya & B.G.Rao
Foundation, Indian Radical Humanist Association and Citizens For Democracy.
Emergency was imposed on the country on the midnight of 25th/26th June, 1975 and
therefore on this day stock of the state of civil liberties is undertaken every
year. Details of this meeting is being communicated soon.
N.D.Pancholi
D-7/2 Vasant Vihar, New Delhi-110067
Kuldip Nayar N.D.Pancholi
President General Secretary
(Ph) 011-26142388 (M) 9811099532
Dt. 20th, June, 2011
Change of timings for Public meeting on 25th June,2011 and postponement of
seminar.
Dear friends,
We had announced that seminar on “Emergency and After” would be held on
25th June, 2011 from 10 AM. Due to certain circumstances the seminar has been postponed and date would be announced later on.
However the public meeting as usual will be held from 4PM on 25th
June, 2011 at Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi to observe “Anti Emergency
Day” in association with PUCL, Jan Hastkshep, Champa-The Amiya & B.G.Rao
Foundation, Indian Radical Humanist Association and Citizens For Democracy.
Emergency was imposed on the country on the midnight of 25th/26th June, 1975 and
therefore on this day stock of the state of civil liberties is undertaken every
year. Details of this meeting is being communicated soon.
N.D.Pancholi
Friday, June 17, 2011
"Don't deport Sri Lankans at risk of torture"
Thursday, June 16, 2011
At least twenty Sri Lankans, mostly Tamil, face forcible return on the flight.
"Nobody should be deported from the United Kingdom if they are at risk of torture," said Yolanda Foster, Sri Lanka researcher at Amnesty International. "The end of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka in May 2009 has not diminished the risks faced by failed Sri Lankan asylum seekers, who continue to be subjected to arrest and detention upon their arrival in Sri Lanka. We are aware of cases of returned asylum seekers being tortured."
Amnesty International understands that at least one of the failed asylum seekers due to be deported tried to commit suicide last night at an airport detention facility, following threats he reportedly received on the telephone to kill him once he returned to Sri Lanka. The death threat followed an interview given to the media.
"The British government has a responsibility under international law to protect people at risk of torture and should not remove them," said Foster.
Amnesty International has documented the endemic use of torture in Sri Lanka and a culture of impunity prevails.
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.
Tamils Set for UK Deportation Following Suicide Attempt, Says Amnesty International
Washington, D.C.: Amnesty International is calling on the United Kingdom authorities not to deport Sri Lankans at risk of torture, ahead of a planned deportation from Gatwick Airport in London to Colombo this afternoon. At least twenty Sri Lankans, mostly Tamil, face forcible return on the flight.
"Nobody should be deported from the United Kingdom if they are at risk of torture," said Yolanda Foster, Sri Lanka researcher at Amnesty International. "The end of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka in May 2009 has not diminished the risks faced by failed Sri Lankan asylum seekers, who continue to be subjected to arrest and detention upon their arrival in Sri Lanka. We are aware of cases of returned asylum seekers being tortured."
Amnesty International understands that at least one of the failed asylum seekers due to be deported tried to commit suicide last night at an airport detention facility, following threats he reportedly received on the telephone to kill him once he returned to Sri Lanka. The death threat followed an interview given to the media.
"The British government has a responsibility under international law to protect people at risk of torture and should not remove them," said Foster.
Amnesty International has documented the endemic use of torture in Sri Lanka and a culture of impunity prevails.
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.
# # #
Afghan, Coalition Force Kills, Captures Insurgents
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release  The Afghan-led security force encountered the armed insurgents while searching for a Haqqani terrorist network facilitator. The facilitator is a roadside and car bomb expert who conducts, coordinates and directs attacks against Afghan and coalition forces within the district. After arriving at the suspected location, the force noticed several armed individuals fleeing the area. The suspected insurgents fired on the security force as they were pursued. The security force opened fire, killing two insurgents. One of the individuals was wearing a suicide vest and had multiple grenades, assault rifles and chest racks. The force also seized several homemade explosives, blasting caps and detonation cord. In other operations in Afghanistan yesterday: -- Based on intelligence reports, an Afghan-led force in Jowzjan province's Qush Tepah district captured a Taliban facilitator while searching for an insurgent leader who is the Taliban-appointed governing official for operations in the province and conducts attacks on Afghan forces. The force detained two individuals with suspected ties to Taliban activity. -- A combined force in Kandahar province's Kandahar City captured a Taliban facilitator who acquired roadside bomb-making materials for construction and distribution throughout Kandahar City. -- A combined force detained several suspected Taliban insurgents in Kandahar province's Zharay district while searching for a Taliban leader who directs insurgents responsible for attacks on Nakhonay Village. He also operates in Salawat and Zalakhan in Kandahar province's Panjwa'i district. -- Based on intelligence tips, a combined force detained two suspected insurgents while searching for two Taliban facilitators in Helmand province's Marjah district. The facilitators are responsible for purchasing roadside bomb-making materials and using their shop as a bed-down facility for Taliban insurgents. -- In Zabul province's Tarnek wa Jaldek district, a coalition force observed several armed insurgents planting a roadside bomb. After gaining positive identification, an air weapons team engaged the position, killing five insurgents. -- A combined force in Logar province's Charkh district detained several individuals with suspected ties to the Haqqani terrorist network while searching for a Haqqani facilitator responsible for conducting attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, and coordinating fighter and weapons movements in the district. -- In the Nangarhar province's Sherzad district, a combined force captured several individuals with suspected ties to insurgent activity while searching for a Taliban facilitator who supports a roadside bomb cell that targets Afghan government officials in Khugyani district's Memla Village. In addition, the force destroyed 80 pounds of opium. -- In Khost province's Sabari district, an Afghan-led force captured a Haqqani network leader and two of his associates. The leader targets Afghan forces with roadside bombs and direct attacks, and also purchased weapons and equipment for other insurgents. -- A combined force in Nangarhar province's Hisarak district found 47 20 mm rounds, 41 12.7 mm rounds, 17 fuses and 119 pounds of hashish. |
| Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force |
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Soldier Gives Gift of Life
 By Rachel Parks III Corps and Fort Hood Public Affairs FORT HOOD, Texas, June 15, 2011 - Army Spc. Christopher Sutton enjoys helping people. It's something that comes naturally to him whether it's at his job, in his free time or while volunteering.
"Two months ago, they called me out of the blue," Sutton said. "I just happened to have the same number." Now working as a cadre member of the Warrior Transition Brigade Headquarters, Sutton was stunned when he was told he was a match to someone who would benefit from a bone marrow donation. A donor coordinator from the C.W. Bill Young Department of Defense Marrow Donor Center contacted Sutton to ask if he would donate blood to verify a positive match. "They said chances were slim that I could even be a match," he said. But in a few short weeks, Sutton was contacted again with the official word. He was a match and his bone marrow donation could save a life. Sutton said he wanted to help, but was concerned about the marrow-extraction process. "I was definitely thinking they were going to shove a huge needle in me and it was going to hurt," he said. "I've heard that is one of the most-painful things ever." Ultimately, Sutton decided the pain would be worth the possibility of having a positive impact on someone's life. "I was trying to make excuses at first, but after that I was just like, 'OK it's got to be done,'" he said. Although he was willing to donate, Sutton had work considerations as well. At the time of the coordination, the WTB was preparing for a Warrior Transition Command Inspector General inspection. Sutton, who played a vital role in the inspection preparation process, was reluctant to leave before the inspection was over. "They had to have the donation soon because [the recipient] was getting worse," he said. "They waited for the inspection that we had, because I needed to be there for that, and they flew me out the day after the inspection was over." Although Sutton was expecting a painful bone marrow extraction process, he was able to donate through a less-invasive method. Instead of requiring surgery to harvest bone marrow from his hip, Sutton donated peripheral blood stem cells. "Basically it's five days of injections of this medicine called filgrastim," he explained. "It tells your body to produce more stem cells. On the sixth day, you go in and they do the draw." Sutton spent more than four hours donating peripheral blood stem cells during the procedure. He said he'd definitely donate again. Sutton is humble when discussing his donation. "I didn't think it was that big of a deal, but it was everyone else's outlook on it," he said. "Everywhere I went, people said it was amazing and it made me feel really good." Soldiers who work with Sutton each day say they're proud of him, but not surprised by his willingness to donate to someone he doesn't know. Army Capt. Rica Banks, the WTB's personnel officer, and Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 David Garcia, a brigade human resources technician, said that's just the way Sutton is. Garcia also served as a source of information for Sutton as the donation process unfolded. "When we were in Hawaii a few years ago, my wife actually got contacted [to be a bone marrow donor]," Garcia said. "Unfortunately, the lady passed away before all that could happen. After that, she convinced me to become a donor. "You never know when it's going to be you, or someone close to you," he added. Banks agreed. "It's a very easy thing to do," Banks said, "but unless you've had a situation where you've had to receive, you might not understand how important it is or how one simple little thing can change the life of someone else." Sutton was honored in front of the brigade for his donation. "Everyone recognized what a big deal this is for him," Banks said. Sutton said it was an easy decision to make. "I definitely recommend people get signed up, it's great to help someone." | ||
| Related Sites: DOD Marrow Donor Program |
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Airman Aids Afghans With Carpentry Skills
By Tech. Sgt. Stacia Zachary U.S. Air Forces Central CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan, June 14, 2011 - Some of the heat has burned off as the summer moon rises overhead. An airman labors over scrap wood in a makeshift workshop under a canopy of camouflage. Fitting pieces of wood together, the shape of a tiny coffin emerges.
"[British army Maj. Martin Smith] came asking to see if our airmen would help out," said Air Force Lt. Col. Barbara Persons, commander of the 451st Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron Detatchment 1 Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility. "I didn't even hesitate. I knew my airmen would feel the same way as I did -- anything to preserve the dignity of an innocent child." The British and other nations' service members had long-since noticed the carpentry skills of the airmen here. Shortly after their arrival at the squadron compound in January, the airmen decided to make the place more habitable. Before long, the airmen had built wooden overhangs draped with canopy covers. They nailed together shelves to hold books and other donated items, and fashioned picnic tables out of discarded wood from around the camp. "I am always looking for ways to improve the conditions here, so whenever I can do a little project that will help with making the quality of life better for the people here or the patients, then it's usually something I jump right into," said Air Force Master Sgt. Jason Reininger, a reservist deployed from the 419th Medical Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Not a carpenter by trade, the sergeant said he has always been around construction and picked up little tricks of the trade along the way. "I learned a lot of my skills from working with my father who worked a lot with contract builders and my stepfather who did a lot of work around the house," Reininger said. "A lot of what I know I either picked up from them or has been self-taught." So when the question was posed to the sergeant about fashioning coffins for children, he immediately set to work. "It seemed pretty simple to me and it just seemed something easy that I could do," Reininger said. "It raised the level of intensity because I have two children of my own. It wasn't just a shelf to put books on, but the final resting place for a child." Having never built a coffin before, or anything similar to one, the craftsman began researching the project online. Before long, he had a blueprint and a rough estimate of size. Building a coffin is a somber task, but the sergeant takes solace in the knowledge that children won't be released to their family in a sterile, military-issued body bag. "I wouldn't want to do that when I can provide something a little more to show that the child's life was worth something," he said, "and that the parent's grief matters." Reininger's first coffin is a model that will give the British an idea of what he can build. Once he receives the green light to proceed and reviews the cultural requirements, he'll set to work on more. In the meantime, the sergeant and other aeromedical evacuation personnel continue to forage wood scraps from different construction sites on the camp. "If I'm busy with something, I can sleep better at night knowing that I am accomplishing something good and worthwhile," Reininger said. "I think being able to do little things like this improves the standing of us among the Afghans here," he added. | ||
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