A Click Camera Report of Desert Training

 US Soldiers Succesfully become the victorious 

Calif., July 23, 2022: (The Eagle Eye News)

Desert Training is very tough but essential. Brave Soldiers of US Army perform all tests and training successfully. This training make the strong and more strong. After This Training They become victorious.

Marines advance towards their support by fire position during a training exercise at Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif., July 23, 2022.

Photo was clicked By  Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David Intriago during this training.

Photo Courtesy: US Department of Defense

Bomber Takeoff

  A click at Orland Air Force Station, Norway

Norway: 14th March 2021: (The Eagle Eye News)::

An Air Force B-1B Lancer takes off from Orland Air Force Station, Norway, March 14, 2021.

Photo By: Air Force Airman 1st Class Colin Hollowell

Courtesy: US Department of Defense 

Skills of a military working dog

  A soldier demonstrates the capabilities   

Myer-Henderson Hall: 12th March 2021:(The Eagle Eye News)::

A soldier demonstrates the capabilities and skills of a military working dog at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va., March 8, 2021.

Photo By: Army Sgt. Nicholas T. Holmes

Courtesy: US Department of Defense

Oath of Office to Colon-Lopez

With Colon-Lopez is his wife, Janet

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark A. Milley administers the oath of office to Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Ramon "CZ" Colon-Lopez at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va., Dec. 13, 2019. With Colon-Lopez is his wife, Janet.

Photo By: Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Dominique A. Pineiro, DOD

Candidate Climb

12/12/2012 05:17 PM CST

Marine Corps Officer Candidate School students negotiate the Montford Point Challenge obstacle course at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., Dec. 8, 2012. 

Carter:

U.S., Japan Both 'Thinking Big' on Strategy By Karen Parrish American Forces Press Service TOKYO, July 21, 2012 - Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter told reporters here today that as the United States rebalances its defense strategy toward the Asia-Pacific, "our central and anchoring" ally, Japan, is also beginning a strategic shift. U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter meets with Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto in Tokyo, July 20, 2012. Japan is the third stop for Carter during a 10-day Asia-Pacific tour meeting with leaders in Hawaii, Guam, Thailand, India and South Korea. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley The deputy secretary, who arrived here July 20 as part of a 10-day Asia-Pacific tour, has met with Japanese government leaders including Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba, Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto and Parliamentary Senior Vice-Minister of Defense Shu Watanabe. Carter said those meetings left him feeling Japan's government leaders are expanding their strategic thinking "both functionally and geographically." The deputy secretary spoke here during a press briefing with a number of regional media representatives. He said U.S. leaders welcome Japan's growing strategic interests, and will "work with the government of Japan and the Japanese Self-Defense Forces to realize that vision." "We're both, in a sense, thinking big and thinking strategically at the same time," he added. "That has great potential." Carter noted his visit to Asia-Pacific nations, which will also include stops in Thailand, India and South Korea, follows similar trips by President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta. Those visits, Carter noted, focused on articulating the new strategy, which the president announced in January. His own presence here, he added, is aimed at getting the gears turning. "They sent me here because my job as the chief management officer of the Department of Defense is to implement that vision," the deputy secretary said. "I came to this region to meet with our friends and partners and allies -- [and] to meet with and assess our own forces throughout the region -- with an eye to carrying out that turning of the strategic corner." Carter said while growth is slowing in the United States' defense budget, the necessary resources are available to fund the new Asia-Pacific focus. "All of the capacity that has been tied up in Iraq and Afghanistan for the last 10 years is capacity that we can focus now on the Asia-Pacific region, and that's a tremendous amount of capability," he said. Within the existing defense budget, Carter added, "We are shifting the weight of our innovation and investment from counterinsurgency-type warfare to the kinds of capabilities that are most relevant to the Asia-Pacific theater." He noted putting the strategy in place is "just a matter of making it happen, and deciding which specific things to do." Defense leaders are determined to make those decisions in consultation with U.S. friends and allies, the deputy secretary said. Carter said Japan is America's central regional ally and has been for many decades. "Naturally I come here first, to Tokyo," he said. The U.S. and Japan, he added, have "tremendous momentum in many, many areas: joint planning, technology sharing, [and] joint exercises and training." Carter traveled to Japan from Guam. He noted that Guam, an island U.S. territory, offers important training opportunities for both U.S. and Japanese forces. "In both of our countries, it becomes more and more difficult to do the kind of training that requires access to wide areas of territory," he said. "And that is possible in Guam, so that's a great opportunity for both of us." Carter added that Guam is also important to both nations as a consequence of the "2+2" agreement U.S. and Japanese defense and diplomatic leaders signed in April. Under that agreement, nearly 5,000 U.S. Marines currently stationed on the Japanese island of Okinawa will transfer to Guam, while the United States will return to Japan much of the land in Okinawa those forces now use. "The 2+2 agreement with respect to the movement of Marines to Guam was a great milestone," Carter said. "From my point of view I'm very optimistic that there's momentum on both sides to implement the agreement. I think that's the way forward." The U.S. and Japan have long debated how to relocate many of the Marines on Guam, Carter said, noting the issue was settled "by the 2+2 agreement and I think that is a very good thing." Carter added that Guam represents more than just a new site for the rotational deployment of Marines. "There's a large Air Force base, there's a large Navy base; Japanese forces have been to each and exercised from each, and those are important capabilities irrespective of the Marine Corps issue," he said. Carter has also taken part on discussions with the new commander of U.S. Forces Japan, Air Force Lt. Gen. Salvatore A. Angelella, who took command July 20. The deputy secretary told reporters the general "will be a great partner for the government of Japan." In every way, the deputy secretary said, there is a lot of forward progress in the U.S.-Japanese alliance. "It's a great time to be here, [and a] great time of new purpose and new horizons," Carter said.

Biographies: Ashton B. Carter Related Sites: Special Report: Travels With Carter Related Articles: Carter: U.S. to Work with Japan on Osprey Analysis Carter Addresses Joint Strike Fighter Program

Defense CIO:

Wireless Spectrum a Critical Enabler
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 20, 2012 - "Spectrum is the critical enabler that ensures information is dependably available to train our forces and ensure our mission accomplishment," Teresa M. Takai, the chief information officer for the Department of Defense, said today.

Takai was speaking at the announcement of the release of a report, "Realizing the Full Potential of Government-Held Spectrum to Spur Economic Growth," from the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, or PCAST.

The report was released following President Barack Obama's June 2010 memo asking federal agencies to free up 500 megahertz of space in the radio spectrum for the ongoing growth of wireless services and to help further economic growth.

"We are dependent on industry for innovative products that can be used for national security," Takai said. "In that regard, we remain fully committed in support of the national economic and security goals of the president's 500 MHz initiative."

"Military spectrum requirements are diverse and complex," she added. "We must ... recognize the growing spectrum demands resulting from [DOD's] increasing reliance on spectrum-dependent technologies."

As an example, Takai cited the increased use of unmanned aerial systems, or UASs, to process critical intelligence and reconnaissance data. The number of UASs accessing the government-held spectrum increased from 167 in 2002 to more than 7,500 in 2010, resulting in a dramatic increase in UAS use and training requirements, she said.

To cope with the increasing demand, the U.S. will need to adopt an "all of the above strategy," said Jason Furman, the principal deputy director of the National Economic Council. Such a strategy, he said, will entail not just traditional reallocation of frequencies, but infrastructure development, incentive auctions and new technologies.

"If the nation expands its options for managing federal spectrum, we could transform the availability of this national resource from scarcity to abundance," said Mark Gorenberg, the chair of the PCAST working group responsible for the report.

The PCAST report recommended employing new technologies to more efficiently utilize the existing spectrum. For example, the report suggested, rather than reserving a frequency for use by a single agency or private company, new technologies can allow a frequency to be shared by a many users.

This approach could lead to a "shared-use superhighway," according to the report, moving away from the idea of single band ownership in favor of larger groups of shared frequencies. This superhighway would be a tiered system that establishes a hierarchy on frequencies shared by multiple entities while routing traffic to open spaces on those frequencies.

Pointing to a 95 MHz-wide section of the spectrum that is currently shared by more than 20 agencies holding more than 3,000 frequency assignments, many of them defense related, Lawrence Strickling, the administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Department of Commerce, said: "It will take at least ten years and about $18 billion to clear this band of the federal uses and then make it available to commercial uses."

"It's going to cost too much and take too long to reallocate this spectrum the old-fashioned way. The solution, as PCAST recommends, is for federal agencies and commercial users to share the spectrum," said Strickling, who also serves as the assistant secretary of commerce for communications and information.

"The implementation of more effective and efficient use of this finite radio frequency spectrum and the development of solutions to meet these goals is essential to national security and economic goals," Takai said.

"The move from an exclusive-right spectrum management regime to one focused on large-scale spectrum sharing between federal and commercial systems represents a major shift in the way spectrum is managed," Takai added. "While this shift represents many challenges, we will continue to work with our industry partners and our government partners to develop equitable spectrum sharing solutions."

Biographies: Teresa M. Takai Related Sites: PCAST Documents/Reports

Father, Daughter Reunite in Afghanistan

                         "I feel blessed"

By Army Spc. April York 2nd Brigade Combat Team KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Dec. 12, 2011 - An Army father and his soldier daughter have reunited in Afghanistan. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Bobby Hagy and his daughter, Army Pfc. Amanda Hagy, share a laugh during their reunion on Camp Nathan Smith in Kandahar City, Afghanistan, Dec. 6, 2011. U.S. Army photo by Spc. April York  Army Pfc. Amanda Hagy is an imagery analyst here at Camp Nathan Smith for 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, from Fort Carson, Colo. Her father is Army Command Sgt. Maj. Bobby Hagy, the senior non commissioned officer for the 528th Sustainment Brigade from Fort Bragg, N.C.Amanda deployed to Afghanistan in May, and works in her brigade's tactical operations center. She had been deployed for about six months when her father was sent on a 30-day deployment to perform an inspection of the special operations groups under his leadership. Some of those groups are deployed in Afghanistan. "I knew that I was going to be near Amanda so when I got to Kandahar Airfield I put my feelers out to get over her way," the sergeant major said. "It's freaking awesome that my dad could come out here to see me," Amanda said. "I feel blessed." "It's been good to see her," the command sergeant major said, "and if I could stay around here for the next six months to be deployed with her, I would."

National Guard Marks its 375th Birthday

The Massachusetts colony was founded in 1630

By Bill Boehm National Guard Bureau ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 12, 2011 - The origin of the nation's state National Guard organizations sprang from the forming of militia in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early 17th century. This illustration depicts the first muster of Massachusetts Bay Colony militia in the spring of 1637. This event took place after the Massachusetts General Court on Dec. 13, 1636 established three regiments within the colony to defend against enemy attack and preserve settlements. National Guard Bureau Illustration  The Massachusetts colony was founded in 1630. At that time, more than 5,000 men, women, and children had made the two-month voyage to the New World, leaving the relative comfort and safety of England behind in an effort to break free of religious intolerance, and to manage their communities the way they saw fit.In doing so, their actions tread new ground in the country that would become the United States of America. The military organization we know today as the National Guard came into existence with a direct declaration on Dec. 13, 1636 when the Massachusetts General Court in Salem established that all able-bodied men between the ages of 16 and 60 were required to join the militia. The North, South, and East Regiments were established with this order. The decree, which excluded ministers and judges, stated that citizen-soldiers who mustered for military training could be and would be called upon to defend the colony when needed. Owing to many failures in the time that English settlers had attempted colonization in the Massachusetts frontier and elsewhere in North America, leaders decided that a proactive and ready state of mind must be kept by all citizens, particularly those training in military tactics. Being part of citizenry in small villages meant that a price must be paid for the freedoms that could potentially be enjoyed, were the colony to ultimately succeed. That price meant taking responsibility for defending the settlements of the Massachusetts colony. The outposts were austere, and the colony relied upon male pioneers to provide food, shelter, and defensive protection. Even with all available hands working, this was difficult. Worse, the nearby Pequot Indian tribe proved a restless and unpredictable neighbor, leaving the Massachusetts colonists vulnerable to guerilla-style attacks that could decimate the fledgling settlements. In an environment rife with disease, poor sanitation, and harsh weather conditions, all able-bodied members of the Massachusetts colony pulled together out of necessity. Self-sufficiency proved instrumental. In the New World, hiring mercenary fighters in the European tradition to ward off Indian attacks would be impossible. For one thing, the colonists had no money. Other foreign interests in the New World such as the French and Spanish, even if they were available for defensive purposes, did not share English views on religion and political matters. They would have seriously undermined the stability of the Massachusetts colony. Governing and policing the settlement would have to be left to the colonists themselves. The militia system of self defense proved successful. Soon after the militia was established in Massachusetts, the entire New England region defended itself against the aggression of the Pequot nation. Other colonies such as Connecticut and Rhode Island mustered militia units, and succeeded in forcing the Pequots to capitulate in 1638. Ultimately, the militia enlisted from the many small villages proved a strong component in building confidence for the settlement as a whole. Other colonial settlements in North America such as those in Florida, Virginia, and New Mexico utilized military protection to allow settlers safe passage and defend against aggressors, but Massachusetts proved to be the first to have its government establish and raise a militia of continuous service. That legal precedent and record of service has remained continuous and unbroken, no matter the change in each unit's function as a part of the militia or National Guard. This distinction qualifies it as the birthplace of the militia in the United States. With the North, South, and East Regiments established, its exemplary military tradition continues through this day with four Massachusetts National Guard units -- the 101st Engineer Battalion, the 101st Field Artillery, the 181st Infantry Regiment, and the 182nd Infantry Regiment. Today, Massachusetts' population numbers 6.5 million people, and the commonwealth figures prominently as a center of manufacturing, electronics/technology, and finance. Much has changed since 1636, but one thing has not: the National Guard still consists of citizen-soldiers and airmen providing assistance during natural disasters, training regularly to uphold high standards of readiness, and deploying to far-away countries to protect the United States' national interests. Although America's growth and expansion has made it a large military force around the world, the National Guard remains a community cornerstone -- just as it did when it was born on Dec. 13, 1636.

Related Sites: 375th Birthday of the National Guard History and Videos 375th Birthday of the National Guard Downloads

Airman Saves Musical Treasure

A tale straight from an adventure book By Air Force Capt. Amy Hansen Air Force News Service WAKE ISLAND AIRFIELD, Wake Island, Dec. 6, 2011 - In a tale straight from an adventure book, contractors on this tiny Pacific island recently stumbled upon a vinyl record collection with an estimated value between $90,000 and $250,000. Air Force Master Sgt. John Solane, a 611th Air Support Group Detachment 1 contracting quality assurance specialist, looks at a Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers Band album at Wake Island Airfield. The yellow sleeves in the storage areas around Solane contain AFRTS-distributed records, which are copyrighted to protect the artists who gave the military authorization to use their recordings for overseas broadcast for free. U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Amy Hansen  The 611th Air Support Group's Detachment 1 is making a comprehensive effort to preserve the nearly 9,000 vintage vinyl records and ship them to their rightful owner, the American Forces Radio and Television Service in Alexandria, Va., according to Master Sgt. Jean-Guy Fleury, the detachment's infrastructure superintendent, who took over the project from the former Detachment 1 commander, Maj. Aaron Wilt.No digging was required to access this treasure, as the records were cataloged and neatly organized on shelves in a small room on the second floor of the airfield's base operations building. The door was conspicuously stenciled with the name of a radio station, KEAD, and a "Restricted Area Warning" sign, which kept most people out. "That's a locked room, normally, but people in my department have known the records were there for years," said Colin Bradley, the communications superintendent with Chugach Federal Solutions Inc. CFSI is the contractor that manages operations on Wake Island with the oversight of Air Force quality assurance personnel. "Because of the completeness of the collection, I assumed it was quite valuable," Bradley said. "I have not run across a collection that well preserved or that intact in my career. It's a little time capsule." The collection includes a variety of vinyl albums and records specially made for military audiences, as well as some commercially available records. "In 1942, the American Forces Radio Service was starting to get American music out to the troops overseas," said Larry Sichter, the American Forces Network Broadcast Center's affiliate relations division chief. "Some of the radio productions were original, like GI Jill and Command Performance, and have significant value." The exact operational dates of the low-powered AM station on Wake Island remain unclear, but Bradley shared his estimate. "I would guess that [KEAD] started in the '60s, due to the dates on the records," he said. According to a 2007 Internet entry by Patrick Minoughan, who was stationed on Wake Island from 1963 to 1964, KEAD was operating in 1963. "On the second floor of the then-new terminal building was a very small AFRTS radio station," Minoughan wrote. "AFRTS had no personnel there, but sent in monthly shipments of music. While I was there, one of the communications guys named Steve Navarro would do a daily show for a couple of hours. When it was unattended, anyone could go in and play the records, which were broadcast on the island." AFRTS was able to get permission to use the work of many artists, and later actors, for free, Sichter said. Therefore, the records were copyrighted and only to be used for their official purpose of entertaining the troops overseas, and then returned to AFRTS. Since Wake Island Airfield is on a 1,821-acre atoll located about 2,000 miles west of Hawaii and 2,000 miles east of Japan, it is possible that the cost and logistics of returning the records to the mainland were prohibitive when the radio station was shut down, officials said. So now, about 30 years after the last record was spun on KEAD, Fleury is spearheading the operation to ship the records back to AFRTS. He has estimated that it will take about 75 16-inch-by-16-inch boxes, and about $10,000 worth of specialized material to properly pack up the records. AFRTS is providing the materials and Detachment 1 will do the packing, he said. The records will be used to fill any gaps in the American Forces Network's local museum, Sichter said, and the rest of the collection will be entered into either the Library of Congress or the National Archives to become a permanent piece of U.S. history, accessible to all. �

Related Sites: American Forces Radio and Television Service

How to Raise Kids 'Scream Free'

By Kris Gonzalez Fort Bragg Public Affairs FORT BRAGG, N.C., Nov. 30, 2011 - Growing up is hard to do -- especially for grown-ups, according to Hal Runkel, founder of the ScreamFree Institute. Hal Runkel, author and founder of the ScreamFree Institute, discusses parenting techniques with community members during his ScreamFree Parenting seminar at the Division Memorial Chapel on Fort Bragg, N.C., Nov. 17, 2011. U.S. Army photo by Kris Gonzalez  And turning up the volume doesn't make it any easier, said Runkel, as he spoke to Fort Bragg community members Nov. 16-17, as part of two, 90-minute seminars designed to help military families grow strong.Runkel is a licensed marriage and family therapist and author of the book, "ScreamFree Parenting." He said he teaches parenting strategies based on the notion that parenting is not about kids -- it's about parents. "If it was about kids, then we'd call it kidding," he joked. "What parenting isn't about is controlling kids," Runkel continued. "The greatest thing parents can do for their kids is to learn how to control -- themselves." Runkel described his answer to the complaint he most-often hears from parents around the world: "My kids don't listen." "They listen," he said. "They hear every word you say. They just don't obey you. And you don't know what to do about that. You think, 'If they heard me, they would do it, so, I need to speak louder so they can hear me.'" Yelling doesn't work, and neither does shutting down, which Runkel said, is another form of screaming, only it's on the inside, but it causes just as much resentment. "Our definition of screaming is pretty broad," he said. "It's any time you let the anxieties of the moment override your thinking; it's that knee-jerk reaction." Runkel uses humor, first-hand accounts and real-life scenarios to help teach parents how to calm their emotional reactions to their children's behavior. "ScreamFree Parenting isn't just about raising children without raising your voice," said Vanessa Vazquez, a child advocate trainer with Fort Bragg's Family Advocacy Program. "It's a revolutionary approach to parenting that focuses on self-control, relationship building and self-care." Vazquez was one of about 20 Fort Bragg professionals and trainers who participated in a separate, two-day, train-the-trainer course taught by Runkel. The purpose of the training, she said, was for post family advocacy professionals and trainers to be able to implement the skills they learned with individuals, couples and groups in counseling or in crisis and to gain the ability to teach monthly ScreamFree parenting workshops to parents here beginning in January. Each monthly, 10-hour workshop provides a forum for parents to not only learn parenting tips, but also to meet other parents and learn from their experiences, Vazquez said. Participants who attend the workshops will receive workbooks and a DVD to help implement ScreamFree Parenting techniques at home. Charles Pennington, a family advocacy program specialist, said he thinks the workshop will offer a great opportunity for new fathers to become more involved with their kids, and to help take the load off of moms. Runkel said he thinks the workshop will be fantastic for any military leader or potential leader to attend, because it can equip them to better coach and mentor fellow service members as well as to provide some valuable skills about stress and anger control when handling conflicts with others.

Military-Civil Partnership Shines in Helmand

By Lisa Daniel American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Dec. 1, 2011 - The senior U.S. civilian representative in Afghanistan today described as "rich" and "complex" the military-civilian partnership he and others say has brought great progress to the country's southwest region. The State Department's J. Paul Reid, who is located with the U.S. 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, and Michael O'Neill, the senior British civilian representative in the area, spoke to the Pentagon press corps via video teleconference about dramatic changes in Helmand province and surrounding areas. "Anyone who wants to create a model of best practices should come here to Helmand," Reid said of the partnership that includes U.S., British, Danish, Estonian and Afghan forces alongside the State Department and other international civilian agencies. "We work hand-in-glove," O'Neill agreed. "And the areas of the best progress are where communications and coordination are the closest. Teamwork is absolutely essential." Even people in Afghanistan have been unaware of how much things have changed in Helmand since U.S. and British Marines pushed out the Taliban and secured the area, Reid and O'Neill said. Only a few years ago, they said, Helmand was under harsh Taliban rule without government services, medical care or roads, and girls weren't permitted to attend school. Today, through the work of NATO's International Security Assistance Force, Helmand has a network of paved roads that make a loop through the region and extend to the Iranian border, allowing commerce to thrive and making it harder for insurgents to plant roadside bombs, they said. Poppies -- the root of the illegal heroin trade -- are being replaced with high-value alfalfa and other crops, they said, and irrigation systems are improving agriculture. Helmand's residents are enjoying a closer relationship with the national government in Kabul, which has improved services and sent numerous judges, prosecutors, teachers and other public servants to the province. There are now 133 schools in Helmand, the officials said, and 20,000 of 90,000 students are girls, they said. Helmand's elected representatives include 38 women. "We're in a better place today than we've ever been in," Reid said. � As security improves, they said, the emphasis now is on training and bringing in foreign investments. The World Bank, United Nations, and Asia Development Bank were among the participants in a recent international donors conference, the officials said, which included two days of seminars on investment needs in construction of dams, canals, roads and other projects. The Afghans also have made great strides toward self governance, Reid said. "We've moved from doing these things for them to making it possible for them to do it themselves," he said. Perhaps the greatest threat to sustained progress in the area is government corruption, the pair said. "It's definitely a serious impediment to foreign investment," Reid said, adding that he considers it the biggest obstacle to private investment in Afghanistan. ISAF workers have been working to reduce corruption, but "ultimately, it's a cultural shift that will have to go on" as Afghans increasingly work with the international community, Reid said. The Afghan government will make an important showing as the sole host of the upcoming 3rd Bonn Conference on International Development Policy in Germany, O'Neill said. The conference, he said, will set the stage for other major venues for potential investment in Afghanistan, such as the NATO summit to be held in Chicago in May. "We look to this conference to demonstrate, once again, how Afghanistan is taking control of its own destiny," Reid said. �

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force

Lynn: Cut Defense, But Learn From Past Disasters

By Karen Parrish American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2011 - The United States is "0 for 4" in managing defense drawdowns, and can draw four lessons from those past failures, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said today on his final full day in office. Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III answers questions after giving a keynote address on defense budget challenges at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C., Oct. 5, 2011. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo  Lynn, who will turn over the job to Ashton B. Carter tomorrow, offered advice on national security in times of budget austerity in a keynote speech at the Center for American Progress here.Security begins with a strong economy, Lynn said, and the nation's current deficit crisis demands action. Strong measures and painful cuts are called for, and defense cuts must be part of a solution, he acknowledged. The central challenge, Lynn said, is managing a defense slowdown without endangering national security. "Our ability to exert global influence will be threatened if we do not reduce the deficit," Lynn said. "No great power can project military force in a sustained manner without the underpinnings of a strong economy." While the economy is the wellspring of the nation's military might, past efforts to strengthen the nation's budget through defense cuts have resulted in fiasco, he said. Military drawdowns after World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and during deficit-reduction efforts in the 1980s all caused disproportionate loss of military capability, Lynn said, citing the first engagement of the Korean War: the 1950 Battle of Osan, better known as "Task Force Smith." Less than five years after the defeat of the Axis powers, Lynn recounted, "Teenagers fresh from basic training, led by officers who lacked combat experience, found themselves facing a numerically superior North Korean force. With only 120 rounds of ammunition each, two days of C-rations [and] six antitank shells, our forces were simply unable to stop the North Korean advance." The resulting debacle led to the deaths of many young Americans, he added. "Each time we reduced the defense budget, we created holes in our military capabilities that we had to buy back later at great cost," he noted. "When we were lucky, that cost was in dollars; when we were not lucky, that cost was in the lives of our troops." Lynn said he draws four lessons from previous large defense cuts: -- Make hard decisions early; -- Admit the need to eliminate missions and programs; -- Keep reductions balanced among force structure, operating accounts and investment accounts; and -- Don't cut too much too fast, especially in core mission areas. Postponing cuts to lower-priority programs in hopes of higher budgets later is "reckless and intemperate behavior," Lynn said, and would divert precious resources from higher-priority needs. "The net result is wasted spending and less capability," he said. "It is better to have a smaller, but more ready, force and fewer, but healthier, programs." Accommodating current budget reductions, which Lynn identified as "north of $450 billion over 10 years," will force difficult choices in force structure, modernization and personnel, he noted. The deputy secretary said the Defense Department must reduce troop levels while retaining the ability to configure forces for emerging threats, trim modernization programs while preserving key cybersecurity and long-range strike capabilities, reduce the civilian workforce while avoiding demoralizing furloughs, and make sensible adjustments to military pay and benefits without breaking faith with military members and their families. Defense leaders acting judiciously can make those cuts without endangering the nation's security, Lynn said. Under the Budget Control Act of 2011, the so-called congressional "supercommittee" -- the Joint Select Committee on Budget Reduction -- must by Nov. 23 recommend steps to reduce the deficit by $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years. If the committee doesn't make such a recommendation, a sequester mechanism built into the act will trigger $1.2 trillion in additional spending cuts. DOD would then face more than $1 trillion in cuts over 10 years, which would be "catastrophic," the deputy secretary said. "Sequestration would leave us with the smallest Army and Marine Corps in decades; the smallest Air Force in history, and the smallest Navy since [William] McKinley was president," he noted. McKinley's administration ran from 1897 to 1901. "The mindless process of sequester would force us to make equal cuts to every program, regardless of their impact or the priority of that program," he added. Having served at the Pentagon as director of program analysis, comptroller and deputy secretary, Lynn said, he has learned one thing above all else: "Serial and disproportionate reductions to discretionary spending have disastrous results. You cannot plan a defense program and build a strategy around a moving target." �

Biographies: William J. Lynn III Related Articles: Panetta: Budget Cuts Will Boost Risk to Nation at War  Debt Reduction 'Sequestration' Concerns Panetta, Mullen

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta greets U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona before a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee on the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan and Iraq, 

Sept. 22, 2011. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley 

Schwartz: Air Force Will Preserve 'Core Contributions'

By Mitch Gettle Air Force Public Affairs Agency NATIONAL HARBOR, Md., Sept. 21, 2011 - Air Force leaders are focused on managing potential budget constraints so that the service can continue to provide its unique contributions to national security, the Air Force chief of staff said yesterday. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz speaks to attendees Sept. 20, 2011, at the Air Force Association's 2011 Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition at National Harbor, Md. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Melissa Goslin  Speaking before hundreds of attendees at the Air Force Association's 2011 Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition here, Gen. Norton A. Schwartz said service leaders will not allow budget pressures to create a future force that "merely appears on paper to be effective, but in reality is reduced substantially in depth and breadth."Schwartz said the Air Force's core contributions reside in four main areas: control and exploitation of the air and space domains, as well as mission assurance in cyberspace; global strike; rapid global mobility; and worldwide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. These four contributions are enhanced by the Air Force's superior command and control networks, Schwartz said. "In any budget scenario, we will be required to continue providing capabilities that offer the nation's leaders a wide range of strategic options for rapid and flexible power projection," Schwartz said. "Our core contributions enable America's global perspective and result in appropriately tailored effects at times and places of our choosing." The Air Force's unique capabilities are essential for the nation's strategic interests, economic prosperity and military readiness, Schwartz said, describing the United States as an "air and space nation." "So as we may have to carefully consider reduced capacities in some areas while maintaining, and perhaps increasing investment in others, we must carefully consider and calibrate our acceptance of risk, manifested in a force that's smaller in size and scale," he said. Such "difficult choices," will extend into the Air Force's procurement programs, the general said. Future development efforts will have to be less ambitious, and government and industry must appraise and adhere to genuine operational requirements and evaluate manufacturability early. "We require straight talk from everybody," Schwartz said. "Government must ensure stable requirements and reliable funding streams, while industry must bid according to realistic estimates, and resist offering to sell more than what is operationally required." The Air Force's acquisition corps is ready for such challenges, given the progress it has made over the last three years, he said. "Although we will always be accountable for responsibly expending hard-earned and precious taxpayer dollars, we can regard our acquisition processes and procedures as having achieved a notable restoration of effective control and oversight," Schwartz said. Another area the Air Force has made similar progress in since 2008 is the nuclear enterprise. "Without resting on our laurels, we can be proud of the result: a nuclear enterprise that is renewed and focused on its commitment to avoiding critical performance shortfalls," he said. "Our work in this critical area remains worthy, valued and essential to our nation's security." To maintain such excellence across the Air Force, the general said the service will intensify its efforts to develop airmen, "arming them with intellectual and experiential strength that is on par with the advanced capabilities that our weapon systems provide." Schwartz acknowledged the excellence displayed by all airmen by recognizing the achievements of Staff Sgt. Robert Gutierrez Jr., a joint terminal attack controller who, despite suffering serious wounds, helped save his Special Forces team in Afghanistan during a Taliban attack by expertly calling in air strikes. Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley recently approved the awarding of the Air Force Cross, the service's highest military honor, to Gutierrez, Schwartz announced during his remarks. While airmen face a future of fiscal and operational challenges, Schwartz said he remains confident that the Air Force will remain ready to defend the nation and its freedoms. "The U.S. Air Force will be prepared for whatever the nation requires of us," he said. "We will provide the many utilities of airpower, as only airmen can provide it: vital in the national context and indispensable in the proud pursuit of our nation's interests. "We will be there for our joint teammates and for the nation," he continued. "We will do it, or we'll die trying." �

Biographies: Air Force Gen. Norton A. Schwartz

Airman Enters Space Camp Hall of Fame

By Air Force Maj.Vanessa Hillman  U.S. Air Force Space Command PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo., Aug. 29, 2011 - An Air Force officer recently became the first U.S. Air Force space and missile operator inducted into the Space Camp Hall of Fame. Air Force Lt. Col. William Burke Hare III recently was inducted into the Space Camp Hall of Fame. Courtesy photo  Lt. Col. William Burke Hare III, the chief of operations for the Flight Test Execution Directorate at the Missile Defense Agency at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., was selected as one of three inductees out of 60 nominees for the 2011 Space Camp Hall of Fame.Hare said the honor came as a surprise. "I am truly humbled that my career accomplishments met the standards of the [Space Camp] Hall of Fame," he said. "I really was shocked I was selected." According to the Space Camp website, the Space Camp Hall of Fame was established to honor outstanding members of the Space Camp family, including graduates and former employees who have distinguished themselves in their respective careers or friends who have made considerable contributions of personal time, effort or resources to further the goals of the Space Camp programs. Hare, originally from Atlanta, graduated from Auburn University in 1992 where he received his commission from ROTC Detachment 005. Having studied political science there, he earned his master's degree in space studies from the University of North Dakota. However, Hare said his interest in the space program started much earlier. "Since I was very young, 5 or 6 years old, I thought the idea of going into space as an astronaut would be the greatest adventure anyone could have," he said. "I wanted to try it out firsthand and see if space was a line of work for me. My Space Camp and Aviation Challenge experiences set the stage in guiding me toward Air Force space and missiles as the career for me." Hare attended Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., in 1984 and 1986 as a camper, and also worked there from 1992 to 1993 in the Aviation Challenge program as a Space Camp counselor. "My Space Camp and Aviation Challenge experiences reinforced my desire and drive for a career in the Air Force and in Air Force space missions," he said. "I have great memories from my time as a participant and counselor in the programs. They provided inspiration for what the future might hold. Those programs still do to this very day." As much as Hare was shocked at his selection, it came as no surprise to his previous leaders. "Lieutenant Colonel Hare has always been an airman that gave 100 percent to the military space mission and 100 percent to the civilian side in educating all comers on space as a whole," said Air Force Col. William Burton, Hare's former supervisor at Air Force Space Command and the chief of staff of 24th Air Force. "Burke spearheaded the relationship that AFSPC developed with Space Camp and many civilians and military members alike prospered," Burton said. "This honor is well deserved and should solidify future military-civilian education efforts in the future." Hare gave words of encouragement to young space enthusiasts who are looking to work in space as a career. "There is a way," he said. "If you really want to be in the space business, you can get there. You may have to take alternative routes along the way, but if you stay true to your main goals, you will get there. Have faith and never, ever give up." The Hall of Fame was instituted seven years ago. Its inductees include Dr. Werner von Braun, who is considered the father of manned space flight, as well as Dr. Georg von Tiesenhausen and Oscar Holderer, two of the original members of the von Braun rocket team.

Joe Biden poses for a photo

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden poses for a photo with Service members at the Taiyo Community Center, Yokota Air Base, Japan, Aug. 24, 2011. About 1,000 Service members from the Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy and Coast Guard attended the vice president's speech in which he thanked them for their efforts during Operation Tomodachi, the assistance operation that took place in response to the magnitude 9.0 Tohoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck northeastern Japan March 11, 2011. 














DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Stacy Moless, U.S. Air Force/Released)

Afghan, Coalition Force Kills Insurgents

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release KABUL, Afghanistan, Aug. 12, 2011 - A combined Afghan and coalition force killed two insurgents and detained several more yesterday during a security operation targeting a Taliban facilitator and his suicide-attack network in the Baghlan-e Jadid district of Afghanistan's Baghlan province, military officials reported. The facilitator is responsible for harboring suicide bombers in preparation for an attack on provincial government officials. While searching for the leader, the security force came across two armed insurgents who threatened the force. Responding to the threat, the security force engaged the two men, killing them. The security force also detained multiple other suspected insurgents, including the would-be suicide bomber who was to carry out the attack against government officials. The security force confiscated a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and multiple assault rifles. In other Afghanistan operations yesterday: -- A combined Afghan and coalition force detained a Taliban leader and another suspected insurgent during a security operation in Kandahar city in Kandahar province. The leader was responsible for overseeing the construction and emplacement of roadside bombs. -- A combined Afghan and coalition security force detained multiple suspects during an operation targeting a Taliban leader in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province. The leader directs a Taliban cell in the district, and is responsible for roadside-bomb and small-arms attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also found 500 pounds of ammonium nitrate – a banned fertilizer used in homemade explosives -- and explosive bomb-making device. -- A combined Afghan and coalition force captured a Haqqani terrorist network leader and an associate in the Zurmat district of Paktia province. The detained leader participated in roadside bomb and other attacks against Afghan forces. -- Also in the Zurmat district, a combined Afghan and coalition security force detained several suspects during a search for a Haqqani network leader who coordinates roadside bomb and other attacks against the Afghan army.

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force

Dad Takes Oath From Son After Service Break

By Air Force Airman 1st Class Jarrod Grammel
23rd Wing
VALDOSTA, Ga., Aug. 11, 2011 - Nineteen years after separating from the active duty Air Force, Scott Long enlisted into the Reserve. Now he's a staff sergeant, serving with the 476th Maintenance Squadron as a fuel systems craftsman.

Army 2nd Lt. Brandon Long, right, administers the oath of enlistment to his father, Scott Long, in Valdosta, Ga., July 28, 2011. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jamal D. Sutter

Long's son, Army 2nd Lt. Brandon Long, 1-169th Aviation Support Battalion liaison officer, presided over the July 28 ceremony.
"When I decided to re-enlist, I was looking into the future," said the elder Long, 51. "I always regretted getting out, even though it was the right decision at the time."
Before his separation in 1992 after 11 years of service, Long was stationed in numerous countries and states, finally settling down at Moody Air Force Base, Ga.
"What makes Sergeant Long a special case is that he has a 19-year break in service," said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Walker, Eastern Recruiting Squadron line recruiter. "He will bring back knowledge and heritage to the newer generation of airmen."
Lieutenant Long was happy to have the chance to preside over his father's re-enlistment ceremony.
"It's a special event, and a rare opportunity to do a re-enlistment ceremony as a young officer, especially for my father," he said. "I'm really happy for him. He has been talking about re-enlisting for a long time, and he is happy to have the chance to serve his country again."
The lieutenant, who is waiting to leave for pilot training, was commissioned in May during a ceremony in which his father pinned on his rank.
"It has been a dream of mine to serve in the military ever since I was young," the lieutenant said. "I really wanted to join the Air Force, but my college only had an Army ROTC program. I got a slot for pilot training in the Army, and I have always wanted to fly, so it didn't matter which service.
"My father's service definitely influenced my decision to join the military," he added. "It's a family legacy. His father was a Marine in World War II, and my other grandfather was in the Navy."
At more than 50 years old and 19 years after leaving active duty, Sergeant Long faced challenges when re-enlisting.
"The biggest challenge in re-enlisting after all this time was making sure I was physically fit," he said. "You also have to make sure you are still medically qualified."
Only a few months after his son's commissioning and 19 years after leaving active duty, Long is glad to be back in uniform.
"I am just proud to have the opportunity to serve my country again," he said, "and contribute more than just my tax dollars."

Sergeant Tops Push-up Record

By Army Staff Sgt. Brad Staggs  Camp Atterbury Public Affairs BUTLERVILLE, Ind., June 23, 2011 - Have you ever wanted to break a world record? Army Staff Sgt. John Halsey didn't know that he wanted to -- until he discovered that he had something to prove to his student soldiers. Army Staff Sgt. John Halsey of the Patriot Academy attempts to break a world record for the most push-ups in one minute while wearing a 40-plus-pound pack at Muscatatuck Urban Training Complex, Ind., June 17, 2011. Halsey broke the record by performing 60 push-ups in 60 seconds. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Brad Staffs  Halsey, an assistant platoon sergeant in Bravo Company for the Patriot Academy at Muscatatuck Urban Training Complex, Ind., noticed that the students under his watch were being a bit lethargic on their day off. "I challenged them to go do something productive, go break a world record," Halsey said. "They laughed about it and told me to go break a world record." Halsey said he replied, "I will," to the students. Halsey set his sights on the record for most push-ups in one minute with a 40-pound pack -- a record that was then held by Britain's Paddy Doyle, who'd performed 51 push-ups in one minute with a 40-pound pack on his back Oct. 11, 2010. Halsey said he felt that he needed to not only break the record, but to beat it decisively to show his soldiers that anything is possible. The barrel-chested Halsey trained every day for two months. The rules for breaking a world record are specific and include having witnesses present who aren't affiliated with the attempted record breaker or the organization. Shana Richmond of North Vernon; Connie Rayburn, North Vernon city councilor; and North Vernon's First Lady Joanne Campbell all volunteered to witness the event and act as unbiased judges. With more than 100 Patriot Academy students present in the old school house gymnasium, a 40-pound kettle bell weight was placed in a three-pound backpack, more than tipping the mandatory weight of 40 pounds as it was officially weighed and documented. When Halsey was told to go, he was more than ready. By the time 30 seconds had elapsed, the students were out of their seats and pounding the gymnasium floor, cheering louder and louder for Halsey until it was nearly impossible to hear the time keeper over the public address system. As soon as the members of the crowd, who were counting the number of Halsey's push-ups, shouted "52," everybody started cheering. But Halsey didn't stop. He wasn't satisfied with simply breaking the record. Stop was called at 60 seconds and the official final count was 60 push-ups. Halsey had performed 60 push-ups in one minute while wearing a 43-pound backpack -- an average of one push-up every second. Rayburn was in charge of counting the number of push-ups using a hand counter. "I was so excited, and I was looking at how much time was left. I knew where I was at on the count and kept thinking, 'This is too cool, but remember to focus on what you're doing,'" she said. "I knew the previous record was 51," said Richmond, the other official counter. "So the second I hit 51, I was cheering as hard as the soldiers behind me. I can't wait to tell my kids at school. They are going to think it's the greatest thing that's ever happened." Campbell said she was excited to be present at the breaking of a world record. "I have never done anything like this before. What an experience," she said. "I'm so proud of him and his motivation. It's awesome." After his record-breaking performance, Halsey didn't appear any worse for wear. "I'm just glad it's over with," he said. "My goal behind this was to show the students it can be done. I have a feeling a lot of them will be gunning for this record just because it was me who broke it. I want to watch them do it, because any time they are trying that hard, they are just becoming better soldiers." It may take as long as six weeks for the Guinness World Record committee to verify Halsey's record, at which point he will be sent a certificate to commemorate the achievement. But, for Halsey, the true accomplishment is the example he set for his soldiers.