Senate Confirms Mattis for Top Centcom Post

By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON : The Senate unanimously confirmed Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis as commander of U.S. Central Command. The Senate confirmed Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis as the next commander of U.S. Central Command. DoD photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Mattis, who previously served as NATO supreme allied commander for transformation and commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, Va., received the Senate nod late yesterday. Before adjourning for a five-week recess, the Senate also confirmed retired Air Force Lt. Gen. James R. Clapper as director of national intelligence. In his new post, Mattis will oversee all U.S. military operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, including the war in Afghanistan and the drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq. Mattis will replace Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, who left Centcom to replace Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal as commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. The Senate confirmed Petraeus to that position June 30. Mattis emphasized during his July 27 Senate confirmation hearing the need for continued military, civilian and regional cooperation to successfully drive out extremism. "The wars we are fighting require highly integrated military efforts from the highest to the lowest levels," he said. "If confirmed, I will make every effort to work closely with civilian and military leaders charged with leading our operations, and to ensure they are fully resourced in a coherent and comprehensive manner." Combating the threat requires sustained pressure from coalition partners, he told the committee, promising to work to galvanize international support. Acknowledging that "the stakes are high," Mattis said he believes the military component of the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan is sound. "I believe that by steadfastly executing our strategy, we will win in Afghanistan," he said. "Nothing about the mission will be easy. We recognize that achieving our goals in Afghanistan requires also the enduring commitment of the international community." During an early July news conference, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates expressed great confidence in Mattis' capabilities for the top Centcom post. "General Mattis has proven to be one of the military's most innovative and iconoclastic thinkers," he said. "His insights into the nature of warfare in the 21st century have influenced my own views about how the armed forces must be shaped and postured for the future." Mattis served as the commander of the first Marine forces in Afghanistan in 2001. He also commanded the 1st Marine Division during the initial push into Iraq in 2003, then served as commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, Calif. (Issued on:Aug. 6, 2010)

Biographies:  Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis  Related Sites:  U.S. Central Command  Related Articles:  Gates Recommends Mattis for Central Command Job

In the Bala Murghad Valley

U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of the International Security Assistance Force, meets with members of the Afghan National Army in the Bala Murghad Valley of Afghanistan Aug. 2, 2010. (DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Bradley Lail, U.S. Air Force/Released)

Face of Defense: Family Ties Help Wounded Marine

By Army Staff Sgt. Donald Reeves 

Combined Joint Task Force 101
POL–E-CHARKI, Afghanistan : When Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Gerardo "Josh" DeAvila was wounded in Marja, Afghanistan, July 10, he was half a world away from home. But he quickly was surrounded by family and friends, due to a strong military family and community.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Gerardo "Josh" DeAvila, left, poses with, left to right, his cousin, Army Staff Sgt. David DeAvila; his father, Army Sgt. Jerry DeAvila of the Georgia National Guard; his brother-in-law, Army Spc. Josh Head; and his uncle, Army Maj. David DeAvila. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

DeAvila, assigned to Company I, 3rd Battalion of the 6th Regiment, heard shots fired and then felt what he described as "a baseball bat" hitting him. Shortly after a medic came around, DeAvila saw the blood and realized he had been hit.
He was evacuated to Camp Dwyers and then Bagram Airfield for surgery. Doctors discovered he had been shot twice; one bullet missed major arteries in his arm, and the other barely missed his spinal cord and lodged in his pelvis.
Meanwhile, Army Maj. David DeAvila of Holland, Mich., serving in northeastern Afghanistan, received word from home that his nephew had been hurt.
"I myself am on orders with the 82nd Airborne attached to the 101st at Camp Blackhorse as the day shift chief of operations," the major said. "I received text messages from the States that Josh had been hurt and would be headed to Germany."
Major DeAvila cleared it through his chain of command to arrange transport to Bagram to be with his nephew.
"I was able to spend 12 hours with him, feeding him water and juice through a straw and helping to keep him comfortable," he said. "I sat by his bed the entire night."
The DeAvilas are a close-knit, very pro-military family, the major said. "It was a bit difficult for me to see him in that condition. ... I held Josh the same day he was born," he recalled. "In fact, my son David, a staff sergeant in the Army, and Josh are more like brothers than cousins. Josh's father recently joined the National Guard after being out of the military for 20 years.
Major DeAvila said Josh kept waking up, asking if his uncle was comfortable. He said he told his nephew, "I have been in the Army longer than you have been alive. Don't worry about me."
Major DeAvila helped to transport his nephew to the bus that would take him to the flightline. There, a plane awaited that would carry him to Germany for more surgery.
Once in Germany, the lance corporal got another surprise. The chaplain who came to visit him was Chaplain (Col.) Douglas Kinder. Kinder had married his parents as a civilian pastor in Roswell, Ga.
The young Marine now is recovering at home in Braselton, Ga.
"Everyone I tell this story to is amazed at the coincidences," Major DeAvila said. "It is amazing how God orchestrated the little pieces." (Issued on:Aug. 4, 2010)
 

An Afghan child saved from encroaching flood waters

 U.S. Army Sgt. Robert Huff and Cpl. Patrick O’ Rourke rescue an Afghan child from encroaching flood waters in Nari Shahi village in the Beshood district of the Nangarhar province of Afghanistan on July 28, 2010. The soldiers are from Military Police Platoon, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Special Troops Battalion, Task Force Spartan and were returning from a patrol when they stopped to help distressed villagers. DoD photo by the U.S. Army. (Released)

Hugs his wife

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Samuel Coffin, an offensive avionics systems journeyman with the 28th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, hugs his wife Heidi after returning to Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., from a deployment to Southwest Asia. 








(DoD photo by Airman 1st Class Corey Hook, U.S. Air Force/Released)

Scan Eagle remotely piloted vehicle program

 U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet 1st Class Stephen Pike briefs Lt. Gen. Mike Gould, the academy’s superintendant, on the Scan Eagle remotely piloted vehicle program July 24, 2010, at the academy in Colorado. ScanEagle was chosen to familiarize cadets with remotely piloted vehicle operations and how the systems are integrated into Air Force operations. (DoD photo by Mike Kaplan, U.S. Air Force)

Cradles a Haitian child during a community service

U.S. Navy Yeoman 2nd Class Rachel Martis, assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), cradles a Haitian child during a community service project at the Northwest Haiti Christian Mission in Port de Paix, Haiti, on July 27, 2010. The Iwo Jima is supporting Continuing Promise 2010, the fifth in a series of U.S. Pacific Fleet humanitarian deployments conducted in Latin America and the Caribbean aimed at strengthening regional partnerships. DoD photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Zane Ecklund, U.S. Navy. (Released)