Face of Defense: Father, Daughter Share Afghanistan Deployment

Tue, Jul 8, 2014 at 6:59 PM By Air Force Staff Sgt. Evelyn Chavez 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Air Force Senior Airman Kimberly Buzzell, left, and her father, Air Force Tech. Sgt. John Trujillo, pose for a photograph at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, July 1, 2014. Both are assigned to Task Force Signal and deployed from the Air National Guard's 243rd Engineering Installation Squadron in South Portland, Maine. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Evelyn Chavez  BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, July 8, 2014 - (AFPS):  The military becomes a tightly knit family for people who are away from home. Service members share many unique experiences, and when the time comes to deploy, they need "family" support that much more.  For Air Force Tech. Sgt. John Trujillo and Air Force Senior Airman Kimberly Buzzell, the support network is available not only from their unit, but also each other, as this father and daughter share their first deployment together here. Trujillo and Buzzell are both deployed from the Air National Guard's 243rd Engineering Installation Squadron in South Portland, Maine, and are natives of Turner, Maine. Trujillo, a cable antenna team chief, has served for 26 years. Buzzell has been in the Air Force for five years and is a radio frequency transmissions technician. Both are deployed with Task Force Signal. For them, the Air Force, deployments and moving always have been a normal way of life. "My wife retired from active duty about nine years ago," Trujillo said. "We have traveled and lived everywhere, and now that my daughter is older, I think she appreciates the opportunities we had being a military family." Five years ago while Trujillo was deployed to Afghanistan, Buzzell enlisted in the same unit as her father. Trujillo came home to the surprise that his daughter was in the Air Force and part of his unit. "My dad had mentioned the military, and I always wanted to join," she said. "Other plans happened. I got married and had kids, so a few years later, I just decided to join." Though he was surprised, Trujillo said, he was proud of his daughter. "I never pushed her to join. I would have supported her in any decision she made," he added. "I always thought that the Air Force would be a good choice for her. I think the Air Force is very family oriented, and it helps give you an idea of what you want to do with your life." While Buzzell was originally tasked to deploy, Trujillo was not. Because it was Buzzell's first deployment, her father volunteered to join her in Afghanistan. "My mom originally did not want him to volunteer," Buzzell said. "But when she found out I was tasked, she immediately changed her mind and was telling my dad he 'had' to volunteer." Trujillo said he wanted to volunteer because he didn't think an opportunity like this would come by again. He also wanted to make sure he was there for his daughter on her first deployment. "I think it relaxed my wife a little more, because she knew I was going to be here with my daughter," he said. "I now realize I don't really need to be here for her. She is doing great and has a great attitude about being here." Originally, Trujillo was tasked to go to Kandahar Airfield, but when the unit switched teams around, it allowed the two the opportunity to work together. "We don't always work together every day, but we do get to spend time together," Trujillo said. "It is good to be apart sometimes. It keeps her dad from always being on her." Buzzell said she enjoys having her dad around and likes to tell people she is here with him whenever she gets the chance. "He is always sticking up for me, even though he doesn't have to," she said. "The experience of having him here is one that many people will not have. It will be something that [he] and I will always share and look back on." Having been with the unit for a few years, Buzzell said, she has found it to be a close group, so even if her father wasn't here, she knows they would take care of her. "None of them would replace my dad, of course, but most of the people from my unit are high school friends," she said. "The airmen also see him as a father figure, and we are just happy he is here." Trujillo and Buzzell celebrated Father's Day last month with a 5K race and a lunch date. "One thing I didn't think I was going to miss were hugs," Buzzell said. "My daughters at home hug me all the time, so the best thing about having my dad here is that I get to hug him whenever I need a hug."

Related Sites: Air Forces Central

Face of Defense: Marine Brothers Reunite in Afghanistan

Mon, Mar 17, 2014 at 6:18 PM                                                03/17/2014 08:35 AM CDT By Marine Corps Cpl. Cody Haas Regional Command Southwest CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan, Mar. 17, 2014: After being separated for more than a year and a half, two brothers were reunited while deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Donald Rucker, left, a maintenance administration clerk with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466, Marine Aircraft Group - Afghanistan, and Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Ian Smith, a mortarman with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, pose for a photo after reuniting at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, March 11, 2014. The brothers reconnected for the first time after being separated for more than a year and a half while serving in the Marine Corps. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Cody Haas  Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Donald Rucker, a maintenance administration clerk with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466, Marine Aircraft Group - Afghanistan, Regional Command Southwest, and his brother, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Ian Smith, a mortarman with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Regional Command Southwest, reconnected with one another here March 11. "It's definitely cool having a brother in the military," said Smith, a 20-year-old native of Edmond, Okla. "Having shared pretty much everything growing up: sports, food, parents, the Marine Corps, it's just one more thing." The two were not always so close. Rucker was adopted at age 15 and moved in with Smith's family. The brothers really got to know each other as teens and have been great friends ever since. "I found myself going in the wrong direction and wanted guidance and discipline in my life," said Rucker, a 21-year-old native of Edmond. "I can definitely see the difference in him," Smith said. "He's disciplined, patient and all-around a great Marine. Our parents couldn't be prouder of our decision to be Marines, and we couldn't be happier." Though the brothers both wrestled in high school, Smith also played football and Rucker practiced martial arts in his spare time. The two grew up in a rural Oklahoma town where the ideals of love and service to country were instilled at a young age. Both joined the Marines straight out of high school. "I think we both knew we were joining the military at some point after high school," said Smith, regarding his decision to serve despite football scholarships to Southwestern Oklahoma State University and Oklahoma State University. "My father and grandfather were Marines, and I wanted to be the third-generation Marine in my family. Tradition is very important to the both of us, which made the decision of what branch we were going to join an easy one." Reuniting in Afghanistan has been bittersweet; Smith is four days away from completing his first tour while Rucker just started his. "He's given me a lot of tips," Rucker said of his brother. "It was great seeing each other again. I'm looking forward to my deployment, and I couldn't be happier."

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force

U.S. Calls for Immediate Talks in South Sudan

12/24/2013 11:16 PM CST                Wed, Dec 25, 2013 at 10:54 AM         

American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Dec. 25, 2013 - American officials including Secretary of State John F. Kerry have made calls to leaders throughout Africa and the world seeking a solution to the crisis in South Sudan, U.S. State Department spokesman Jen Psaki said in a statement issued yesterday. Kerry yesterday urged both South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar to accept a cessation of hostilities and begin mediated political talks, according to Psaki. U.S. Special Envoy Donald E. Booth is in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, to attempt to secure final commitment from both President Kiir and Former Vice President Machar to begin talks, and is working with leaders from the Inter-Governmental Authority for Government nations to arrange for the negotiations to begin in the coming days, Psaki said. The United States urges all parties in the crisis in South Sudan to implement an immediate cessation of hostilities, the State Department spokesman said. This will offer critical humanitarian access to populations in dire need, he said, and open a space for a mediated political dialogue between the opposing sides. "The ability of the parties to implement the ceasefire will send a strong signal to the citizens of South Sudan and the world that as leaders they have the courage to accept compromise and work for the best interests of all of the people of this young nation, Psaki said in the statement. "We hope and pray today that the leaders of South Sudan will acknowledge the international community's commitment and understand that those who seek to take or hold power by violence or division along ethnic lines will not have our support and may be in violation of international law. Violence today will not pave the way for a more stable or prosperous tomorrow." Tensions within South Sudan, the world's youngest country which only gained independence in 2011 after seceding from Sudan, burst out into open conflict on Dec. 15 when President Salva Kiir's government said soldiers loyal to former deputy president Riek Machar, dismissed in July, launched an attempted coup, according to a U.N. news release issued yesterday. Mr. Kiir belongs to the Dinka ethnic group and Mr. Machar to the Lou Nuer, according to the release. In a resolution passed yesterday under Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter, which authorizes the use of force, the 15-member U.N. Security Council demanded an immediate cessation of hostilities in South Sudan and the immediate opening of a dialogue between the rival factions. The Security Council condemned the fighting and violence targeted against civilians and specific ethnic and other communities as well as attacks and threats against the U.N. Mission in South Sudan. The U.N. Security Council also voted yesterday to temporarily increase the number of U.N. peacekeeping troops in South Sudan from around 7,000 to 12,500 and the U.N.'s police from 900 to 1,323, according to the U.N. release. On Dec. 21, four U.S. service members were injured in South Sudan when they attempted to evacuate Americans from the town of Bor, according to a U.S. Africa Command statement. They were hit by small-arms fire by unknown forces when their three CV-22 Osprey aircraft attempted to land in Bor. Three of the injured troops were later evacuated to Landstuhl Army Hospital in Germany. The fourth person, who's currently in a hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, will be evacuated when his condition stabilizes. The commander of Africom, Army Gen. David M. Rodriguez, is repositioning forces in East Africa in an effort to attain maximum flexibility to respond to State Department requests, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters yesterday. "As everyone would expect, the combatant commander is repositioning forces in the region in an effort to give himself the maximum flexibility to respond to any follow-on request from the Department of State," Warren said. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has been following the situation very closely, and is in nearly continuous communication with the combatant commander, Pentagon officials said. On Dec. 22, the United States -- in coordination with the United Nations and in consultation with the South Sudanese government -- safely evacuated American citizens from Bor, according to a U.S. State Department press statement. President Barack Obama, who is in Hawaii for his annual vacation, is being briefed on the situation in South Sudan, according to White House officials. The aircraft and U.S. service members that were fired on Dec. 21 in South Sudan were on a mission "to protect U.S. citizens, personnel and property," Obama wrote in a letter dated Dec. 22 that was forwarded to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. "As I monitor the situation in South Sudan, I may take further action to support the security of U.S. citizens, personnel, and property, including our Embassy, in South Sudan," the president added. South Sudan's leaders, Obama said in a Dec. 21 White House release, must know that continued violence will endanger the people of South Sudan and the hard-earned progress of independence. This conflict can only be resolved peacefully through negotiations. Any effort to seize power through the use of military force, the release said, will result in the end of longstanding support from the United States and the international community.

Contact Author Biographies: John F. Kerry Chuck Hagel Army Gen. David M. Rodriguez Related Sites: U.S. Africa Command Special Report: U.S. Africa Command U.S. Calls for Immediate Mediated Political Talks in South Sudan Security Council doubles U.N. peacekeeping force in South Sudan in face of spreading conflict U.S. Department of State United Nations Related Articles: Africa Command Repositions Forces to Increase Flexibility Obama Mulls Steps to Protect U.S. Personnel in South Sudan Ground Fire Injures 4 U.S. Troops in South Sudan

Suicide Prevention Remains Ongoing Battle

09/13/2013 12:43 PM CDT                                                      Fri,Sep 13, 2013 at 10:22 PM
Senior Official Says
By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service

Courtesy Photo

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13, 2013 - The Defense Department and the military services have made inroads in suicide prevention, but work remains to be done, the vice director of the Joint Staff, told an audience of military chaplains here this week.

Army Maj. Gen. Frederick S. Rudesheim addressed the Chaplains' Resilience and Suicide Prevention Forum at the Pentagon on Sept. 10 to mark the observance of World Suicide Prevention Day.

"All the services are focused and engaged on preventing suicide and enhancing resilience, and have been for a while," Rudesheim said. "And we continually try to think of new and better ways to improve on our efforts. But I think there are a few things that haven't changed over the years. We've been working this a long time."

Many decisions can be made at the policy level, and programs can be executed, but ultimately, he said, "it's at the very lowest level where we're making a difference -- or not."

An important factor to remember in suicide prevention is that it's personal, Rudesheim told the chaplains. "It's [about] knowing the soldiers, airmen, sailors, Marines, civilians, ... and chaplains are great at that," he said. "Chaplains know their folks. You build rapport beforehand.

The general said he appreciates chaplains for their immediate and direct contact with troops.

"As I've come up in the ranks, I've always gone to the chaplains to figure out how things are going in the unit," Rudesheim said. "The chaplains will tell me straight, and tell me what's on soldiers' minds, what's going right, and what's going wrong."

But suicide prevention is a longstanding effort in the military, he said. "It is not going to end. There's "no finish to it," he said. "There is no 'We finally beat this.' I don't mean to be a negative force, but I'm telling you we can drive down percentages, we can work this as hard as possible, and we need to."

Suicide prevention is not an issue that calls for a surge, but rather is something that is done as a matter of course, Rudesheim said.

"This is something we have to do as part of who we are, ... because it's going to be with us," he added. "There are external factors that drive things up and down, [and] ... there will be setbacks and challenges, but the fact of the matter is we're in the fight all the time.

"It's a constant effort and something we grow up knowing," he continued. "If we don't, there's something wrong with our upbringing -- and I'm talking about professional growth as leaders."

Rudesheim told the chaplains that suicide prevention must reach down to individuals directly and "grab them" on a personal level.

"We've made inroads. Some of the services have brought down their numbers," the general said. "But there's no declaring victory. There is just the fight, because it's what we owe our soldiers, airmen, [sailors] and Marines."

Biographies: Army Maj. Gen. Frederick S. Rudesheim  Related Sites: Defense Suicide Prevention Office  Special Report: Suicide Prevention and Awareness

DOD Announces Same-Sex Spouse Benefits

08/14/2013 12:14 PM CDT        Wed, Aug 14, 2013 at 9:52 PM
DOD news release issued today
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 14, 2013 - Today, the Department of Defense announced its plan to extend benefits to same-sex spouses of uniformed service members and Department of Defense civilian employees, according to a DOD news release issued today.

After a review of the department's benefit policies following the Supreme Court's ruling that Section Three of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional, and in consultation with the Department of Justice and other executive branch agencies, the Defense Department will make spousal and family benefits available no later than Sept. 3, 2013, regardless of sexual orientation, as long as service member-sponsors provide a valid marriage certificate.

The DOD remains committed to ensuring that all men and women who serve in the U.S. military, and their families, are treated fairly and equally as the law directs.

Entitlements such as TRICARE enrollment, basic allowance for housing and family separation allowance are retroactive to the date of the Supreme Court's decision. Any claims to entitlements before that date will not be granted. For those members married after June 26, 2013, entitlements begin at the date of marriage.

The DOD recognizes that same-sex military couples who are not stationed in a jurisdiction that permits same-sex marriage would have to travel to another jurisdiction to marry. That is why the department will implement policies to allow military personnel in such a relationship non-chargeable leave for the purpose of travelling to a jurisdiction where such a marriage may occur. This will provide accelerated access to the full range of benefits offered to married military couples throughout the department, and help level the playing field between opposite-sex and same-sex couples seeking to be married.

For civilian benefits administered government-wide to federal employees, the DOD will follow the Office of Personnel Management and the Department of Labor's guidance to ensure that the same benefits currently available to heterosexual spouses are also available to legally married same-sex spouses.

Related Sites:
DOD News Release
Secretary Hagel's memo
Further Guidance from Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Jessica Wright

Related Articles:
Hagel: Defense Department Welcomes Supreme Court Decision

Combined Force Arrests Insurgent in Kandahar

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release KABUL, Afghanistan, May 29, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested an insurgent during a search for a Taliban facilitator in Kandahar province's capital of Kandahar today, military officials reported. The facilitator builds improvised explosive devices and distributes them to insurgents operating in the Arghandab River Valley and the provincial capital. He also oversees weapons caches and plans attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. In Afghanistan operations yesterday: -- A combined force in Balkh province's Chimtal district arrested a senior Taliban leader who plans and conducts IED attacks against Afghan government officials and Afghan and coalition forces. He also facilitates the transfer, manufacturing and testing of IEDs, coordinates and conducts kidnappings for ransom to fund insurgent operations, and coordinates the movement of insurgent fighters. -- In Logar province's Muhammad Aghah district, a combined force wounded an insurgent during a search for a Taliban facilitator who transports fighters, weapons and suicide bombers. He also controls a group that attacks Afghan and coalition forces, equips suicide bombers with IEDs and coordinates the locations of their attacks. -- A combined force in Paktia province's Gardez district arrested a Haqqani network leader who coordinates and directs attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and facilitates the movement of weapons, equipment and money to local insurgent cells. He also serves as an intelligence operative for senior Haqqani leadership.

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force

Face of Defense: Soldier Aspires to Medical Degree

05/06/2013 09:53 AM CDT                                                                  Mon, May 6, 2013 at 8:29 PM

By Army Sgt. Tanya Van Buskirk
78th Training Division

FORT MCCOY, Wis., May 6, 2013 - Taking care of the force is something Army Staff Sgt. Megan Appleby feels is her lifelong calling.

Army Staff Sgt. Megan Appleby, left, draws blood from a soldier during Warrior Exercise at Fort McCoy, Wis., May 4, 2013. The 4215th U.S. Army Hospital, based out of Richmond, Va., is providing medical support for the exercise. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Tanya Van Buskirk

The 30-year-old Army veteran of 11 years, who has served both on active duty and in the Army Reserve as a laboratory technician, aspires to be an obstetric gynecologist.

A Lisbon, Iowa, native, Appleby is assigned to the 4215th U.S. Army Hospital command based in Richmond, Va. She said her passion for helping people started when she was very young.

"When I was little, the doctor that delivered my sisters and me was actually our doctor until we were 18 years old," she explained. "Having that doctor who knew you from inside your mom's stomach, and [having] that connection, is really amazing."

Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., was Appleby's first duty station from 2002 to 2006, and where she earned a bachelor's degree in microbiology. In mid-2006, she transferred to the Army Reserve and began attending battle assemblies with the 7229th Medical Support Unit. She then transferred to her current unit.

Appleby was deployed to Kuwait in 2003. Being in an environment where there is a feeling of constant danger was scary, she said, but knowing she was surrounded by medical experts allowed her to focus on her job of caring for patients arriving for lifesaving care. That, she added, is the driving force behind her pursuit of a medical career in the military.

Appleby is taking her medical school entrance exam and applying to the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences to continue her service and military career. The program is a 14-year commitment, she said: four years of classroom studies, three years of residency and seven years of service and commissioning as a captain.

"I look forward to the challenge," she added, "because I enjoy both medicine and serving my country."

Dempsey Visits South Korea

04/21/2013 06:49 AM CDT                              Sun, Apr 21, 2013 at 5:01 PM China on Weeklong Asia Trip By Karen Parrish American Forces Press Service Beijing, April 21, 2013 - Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrived in South Korea today for meetings with senior U.S. and South Korean commanders. Hours later the chairman was airborne again, heading for a weeklong series of engagements in China and Japan. En route to Beijing, Dempsey spoke to reporters traveling with him about his meetings in Seoul with Army Gen. James D. Thurman, commander of U.S. forces in South Korea, and South Korean chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Jung Seung-jo. Dempsey said the three discussed several issues important to the U.S.-South Korea alliance, but the current si tuation with North Korea was their central topic. North Korea conducted an illegal nuclear test in February, and since has issued a series of threats and provocations aimed chiefly at the United States. "Seoul is rather normal," the chairman said, noting soccer games, bike races, and other everyday activities were readily observable today. The South Korean military is, however, on a heightened state of readiness, he added. In particular, the allies are focusing on intelligence gathering, the maritime domain, ballistic missile defense and counter-battery artillery fire, he said. The chairman said the "newest insight" he gained from today's discussion came from both Jung and Thurman, who noted the actions of Kim Jong Un, the young, hereditary leader of North Korea, bear marked differences from those of his father, Kim Jong Il, or his grandfather, Kim Il Sung. While the youngest Kim is following suit with them by continuing the "military first" policy under which the nation's scant resources go first to supporting the military and its weapons programs, Dempsey said one key difference is in the provocations most recently heard from Pyongyang. "We're not into a series of cyclic provocations," as has been typical in the past, he said, but instead the allies now see a prolonged campaign of provocative words and actions.  According to numerous reports North Korea has cut military communications between the two nations, blocked access from the south to the joint North-South industrial area of Kaesong near the demilitarized zone, and threatened various "sea of fire" attacks while moving missiles into launch-ready positions. "The question that we were discussing today primarily was, 'How do we posture ourselves for a period of prolonged provocation? How do you sustain [that]?'" Dempsey said the likeliest approach Thurman and Jung will take is to increase joint operations, bringing their forces into yet closer alignment to share the responsibilities of prolonged, heightened tension. Dempsey said along with the demands of a sustained, high-readiness force posture, the meetings also touched on the transition to the South Korean military's operational control of wartime alliance activities on the peninsula, set to take place in December of 2015. South Koreans currently lead normal, peacetime military operations, but the U.S. commander would assume control in a wartime setting. Dempsey said he's received a lot of military advice over the last few months, most of it boiling down to "avoid war." "From a military perspective, the best way to avoid war is to prepare for it," he said. While the alliance is not seeking to provoke the North, he said, U.S. forces will keep up the "fairly steady pattern" of training exercises, port calls and other activities on the peninsula and in the region. "We have a sustained presence here that I think is assuring to our allies," he added. Later today the chairman arrived in Beijing, where he will spend a few days in high-level meetings before moving on to Tokyo.

Biographies: Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey

Shameful day for Washington

A few hours ago, President Obama stood with parents who lost children in the Newtown tragedy and said: "All in all, today was a pretty shameful day for Washington." That's because a minority of senators blocked legislation that would have made America safer and better protected our kids. Forty-five lawmakers stood in the way of improvements to the background check system that would keep guns out of the hands of violent criminals and the mentally unstable -- something that 90 percent of Americans support. You're going to want to hear President Obama explain why he thinks this happened. Watch the video or read the transcript below, then share this so that everyone knows what comes next: http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/preventing-gun-violence/action -- The President's Remarks -- A few months ago, in response to too many tragedies -- including the shootings of a United States Congresswoman, Gabby Giffords, who's here today, and the murder of 20 innocent schoolchildren and their teachers -- this country took up the cause of protecting more of our people from gun violence. Families that know unspeakable grief summoned the courage to petition their elected leaders -- not just to honor the memory of their children, but to protect the lives of all our children. And a few minutes ago, a minority in the United States Senate decided it wasn't worth it. They blocked common-sense gun reforms even while these families looked on from the Senate gallery. By now, it's well known that 90 percent of the American people support universal background checks that make it harder for a dangerous person to buy a gun. We're talking about convicted felons, people convicted of domestic violence, people with a severe mental illness.  Ninety percent of Americans support that idea. Most Americans think that's already the law. And a few minutes ago, 90 percent of Democrats in the Senate just voted for that idea. But it's not going to happen because 90 percent of Republicans in the Senate just voted against that idea. A majority of senators voted "yes" to protecting more of our citizens with smarter background checks. But by this continuing distortion of Senate rules, a minority was able to block it from moving forward. I'm going to speak plainly and honestly about what's happened here because the American people are trying to figure out how can something have 90 percent support and yet not happen. We had a Democrat and a Republican -– both gun owners, both fierce defenders of our Second Amendment, with "A" grades from the NRA -- come together and worked together to write a common-sense compromise on background checks. And I want to thank Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey for their courage in doing that. That was not easy given their traditional strong support for Second Amendment rights. As they said, nobody could honestly claim that the package they put together infringed on our Second Amendment rights. All it did was extend the same background check rules that already apply to guns purchased from a dealer to guns purchased at gun shows or over the Internet. So 60 percent of guns are already purchased through a background check system; this would have covered a lot of the guns that are currently outside that system. Their legislation showed respect for gun owners, and it showed respect for the victims of gun violence. And Gabby Giffords, by the way, is both -- she's a gun owner and a victim of gun violence. She is a Westerner and a moderate. And she supports these background checks. In fact, even the NRA used to support expanded background checks. The current leader of the NRA used to support these background checks. So while this compromise didn't contain everything I wanted or everything that these families wanted, it did represent progress. It represented moderation and common sense. That's why 90 percent of the American people supported it. But instead of supporting this compromise, the gun lobby and its allies willfully lied about the bill. They claimed that it would create some sort of "big brother" gun registry, even though the bill did the opposite. This legislation, in fact, outlawed any registry. Plain and simple, right there in the text. But that didn't matter. And unfortunately, this pattern of spreading untruths about this legislation served a purpose, because those lies upset an intense minority of gun owners, and that in turn intimidated a lot of senators. And I talked to several of these senators over the past few weeks, and they're all good people. I know all of them were shocked by tragedies like Newtown. And I also understand that they come from states that are strongly pro-gun. And I have consistently said that there are regional differences when it comes to guns, and that both sides have to listen to each other. But the fact is most of these senators could not offer any good reason why we wouldn't want to make it harder for criminals and those with severe mental illnesses to buy a gun. There were no coherent arguments as to why we wouldn't do this. It came down to politics -- the worry that that vocal minority of gun owners would come after them in future elections. They worried that the gun lobby would spend a lot of money and paint them as anti-Second Amendment. And obviously, a lot of Republicans had that fear, but Democrats had that fear, too. And so they caved to the pressure, and they started looking for an excuse -- any excuse -- to vote "no." One common argument I heard was that this legislation wouldn't prevent all future massacres. And that's true. As I said from the start, no single piece of legislation can stop every act of violence and evil. We learned that tragically just two days ago. But if action by Congress could have saved one person, one child, a few hundred, a few thousand -- if it could have prevented those people from losing their lives to gun violence in the future while preserving our Second Amendment rights, we had an obligation to try. And this legislation met that test. And too many senators failed theirs. I've heard some say that blocking this step would be a victory. And my question is, a victory for who? A victory for what? All that happened today was the preservation of the loophole that lets dangerous criminals buy guns without a background check. That didn't make our kids safer. Victory for not doing something that 90 percent of Americans, 80 percent of Republicans, the vast majority of your constituents wanted to get done? It begs the question, who are we here to represent? I've heard folks say that having the families of victims lobby for this legislation was somehow misplaced. "A prop," somebody called them. "Emotional blackmail," some outlet said. Are they serious? Do we really think that thousands of families whose lives have been shattered by gun violence don't have a right to weigh in on this issue? Do we think their emotions, their loss is not relevant to this debate? So all in all, this was a pretty shameful day for Washington. But this effort is not over. I want to make it clear to the American people we can still bring about meaningful changes that reduce gun violence, so long as the American people don't give up on it. Even without Congress, my administration will keep doing everything it can to protect more of our communities. We're going to address the barriers that prevent states from participating in the existing background check system. We're going to give law enforcement more information about lost and stolen guns so it can do its job. We're going to help to put in place emergency plans to protect our children in their schools. But we can do more if Congress gets its act together. And if this Congress refuses to listen to the American people and pass common-sense gun legislation, then the real impact is going to have to come from the voters. To all the people who supported this legislation -- law enforcement and responsible gun owners, Democrats and Republicans, urban moms, rural hunters, whoever you are -- you need to let your representatives in Congress know that you are disappointed, and that if they don't act this time, you will remember come election time. To the wide majority of NRA households who supported this legislation, you need to let your leadership and lobbyists in Washington know they didn't represent your views on this one. The point is those who care deeply about preventing more and more gun violence will have to be as passionate, and as organized, and as vocal as those who blocked these common-sense steps to help keep our kids safe. Ultimately, you outnumber those who argued the other way. But they're better organized. They're better financed. They've been at it longer. And they make sure to stay focused on this one issue during election time. And that's the reason why you can have something that 90 percent of Americans support and you can't get it through the Senate or the House of Representatives. So to change Washington, you, the American people, are going to have to sustain some passion about this. And when necessary, you've got to send the right people to Washington. And that requires strength, and it requires persistence. And that's the one thing that these families should have inspired in all of us. I still don't know how they have been able to muster up the strength to do what they've doing over the last several weeks, last several months. And I see this as just round one. When Newtown happened, I met with these families and I spoke to the community, and I said, something must be different right now. We're going to have to change. That's what the whole country said. Everybody talked about how we were going to change something to make sure this didn't happen again, just like everybody talked about how we needed to do something after Aurora. Everybody talked about we needed change something after Tucson. And I'm assuming that the emotions that we've all felt since Newtown, the emotions that we've all felt since Tucson and Aurora and Chicago -- the pain we share with these families and families all across the country who've lost a loved one to gun violence -- I'm assuming that's not a temporary thing. I'm assuming our expressions of grief and our commitment to do something different to prevent these things from happening are not empty words. I believe we're going to be able to get this done. Sooner or later, we are going to get this right. The memories of these children demand it. And so do the American people. Thank you very much, everybody.

Married six days before deploying

Snow-boarding Wounded Warrior Refuses to Be Sidelined

04/02/2013 11:21 AM CDT                     Tue, Apr 2, 2013 at 9:03 PM

By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service SNOWMASS VILLAGE, Colo., April 2, 2013 - Eight and a half months ago, Army Sgt. Kristian "Dino" Cedeno was on the top of the world -- married six days before deploying to Afghanistan with the love of his life and soldiering with his band of brothers from the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade. Army Sgt. Kristian "Dino" Cedeno, who was severely wounded in Afghanistan, center, gets his ski boots adjusted by adaptive ski instructor Jill Reifsnider, right, and another instructor at the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic at Snowmass Mountain, Colo., April 1, 2013, as his wife, Gwen, left, looks on. Cedeno snowboarded at the clinic for the first time since being wounded, another step in his impressive rehabilitation. DOD photo by Donna Miles  Life changed in an instant when Cedeno stepped on an improvised explosive device during a firefight in Kandahar. His right leg was blown off just above the knee, and his left leg was so burned and peppered with shrapnel that his wife, Gwen, said it looked like a shark had chewed it away.Cedeno begged Gwen to divorce him, fearing he had let her down and could never be the husband she deserved. But Gwen, a fourth-grade teacher at the Department of Defense Education Activity school at Fort Stewart, Ga., assured him that she knew what she was getting into when she married a soldier. "I told him, 'You are mine, and I am yours,'" she said, promising to stand with him as their lives took a new and unexpected turn. Flash forward to today. After a month at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and four months after being discharged from the James A. Haley Veterans Affairs Hospital in Tampa, Fla., Cedeno refuses to let what some would consider life-changing wounds define him -- or even slow him down. Yesterday, Cedeno snowboarded down Snowmass Mountain during the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, surprising even himself at his accomplishment. The experience exhilarated Cedeno, one of just two active-duty troops among almost 400 disabled veterans participating in the clinic. "In one word, I feel like I'm alive again," he said while celebrating the success with Gwen and his adaptive ski instructor, Air Force veteran Jill Reifsnider, at his side. Like so many other aspects of his life, Cedeno acknowledged that his first time on a snowboard since his injury wasn't exactly as he remembered. As Iraq veteran Tommy Sowers, assistant secretary of veterans affairs for public and intergovernmental affairs, asked Cedeno if he was ready to take on the mountain, Cedeno said he expected to do a lot of falling. "That's OK," Sowers assured him. "If you're not falling down, you're not trying hard enough." Then, at one point during Cedeno's downward run, air pockets formed around his new prosthetic leg, causing it to unexpectedly pop out of position midway down the slope. "It's a little different, and I have to adjust. I have to relearn things I have been doing for 20 years," he said. "But do you know what? I'll take that over being told, 'Hey, you can't do that.'" For Cedeno, the lessons he's learning at the world's largest and longest-running rehabilitative disabled sports event are life lessons: never give up and never stop reaching for new heights. It's the can-do spirit that's driven him throughout his recovery and rehabilitation, Gwen said. Cedeno remains committed to his career as an Army infantryman. "I'm not done yet," he said, hoping to one day serve as a drill sergeant so he can continue training other soldiers. "And I know I have a few more deployments in me," he added. "I'm not unrealistic," Cedeno insisted. "I know I have limitations and have to relearn things, and I accept that. But I'm 31 years old and not ready to hang my boots up." The speed of Cedeno's recovery attracts a lot of attention that he admits makes him uncomfortable. "I hate being told I'm a hero or an inspiration," he said. "I have always been that guy to do his job, not for the 'Good for you' or the congratulations." But Gwen regularly reminds her husband that he's a role model for his fellow wounded warriors who inspires awe in those who meet him and learn his story. "Do you not realize just how amazing you are?" she asks him, reminding him of how far he has come during the past eight months. In fact, Cedeno said, it's those around him -- his wife, his fellow soldiers, his caregivers -- who inspire him to press on. Talking privately with his fellow platoon members, he tells them, "You motivated me to continue this fight that I thought I had lost." That fight continues this week at the winter sports clinic, where Cedeno said he's found a support network that will be a big factor in his continued progress -- here on the slopes and in life. Looking up at the mountain, Cedeno said he was ready to tackle it once again, perhaps even faster this time. "It's just like my job. Of course I'm going back out there!" he said. "The important thing here is for the veterans to feel challenged," said Sowers as he joined Cedeno for a run down the mountain. "They get that joy of moving fast again. They get that experience of taking on something new." What participants experience during their week at the winter sports clinic continues for the other 51 weeks of the year, Sowers said. "They go back to their local communities and work with their recreational therapists to make sure they continue to challenge themselves," he said. They'll also take with them the camaraderie and support of their fellow veterans and wounded warriors, Sowers said. "We form lifelong friendships here that continue well after this event ends," he said. "It's part of what ensures that what begins here at the winter sports clinic continues encouraging them." The winter sports clinic, co-sponsored by the Veterans Affairs Department and the Disabled American Veterans, is open to U.S. military veterans with disabilities ranging from spinal cord injuries and orthopedic amputations to visual impairment and neurological conditions. During the six-day program, veterans learn adaptive Alpine and Nordic skiing and are introduced to rock climbing, scuba diving, trapshooting, snowmobiling, sled hockey and other sports and activities.

Biographies: Tommy SowersRelated Sites: Department of Veterans Affairs Related Articles: Disabled Veterans Sports Clinic Opens in Colorado

Combined Force Detains Senior Taliban Leader

04/01/2013 12:12 PM CDT                  Mon, Apr 1, 2013 at 10:38 PM

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases WASHINGTON, April 1, 2013 - An Afghan and coalition security force detained a senior Taliban leader and several other insurgents during an operation the in Pul-e 'Alam district of Afghanistan's Logar province yesterday, military officials reported. The detained Taliban leader is accused of a wide range of insurgent operations in Logar province, officials said, including recruiting extremist fighters, managing the Taliban logistical network for the province, and planning and coordinating attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. In other Afghanistan operations yesterday: -- During a search for a senior Taliban official, a combined force killed or detained several insurgents in the Panjwa'i district of Kandahar province. The sought-after Taliban official is accused of overseeing all Taliban operations in the district. His network is believed to be responsible for insurgent activities including the assassination of Afghan civilians, the facilitation of weapons and improvised explosive devices into the district, and of attacks on Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also seized IED-making materials, three rifles, a pistol, six rifle magazines, six pistol magazines and ammunition as a result of the operation. -- In the Khugyani district of Nangarhar province, a combined force arrested a senior Taliban leader and one other insurgent. The arrested Taliban leader is believed to command a cell of insurgent fighters in the Khugyani district. He and his fighters are accused of illegally procuring various types of weapons and using them in multiple attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also seized one AK-47 rifle and a pistol as a result of the operation. -- A combined force detained an insurgent leader connected to both the Taliban and Haqqani networks and two other insurgents in the Gardez district of Paktiya province. The security force also seized IED components. In March 30 Afghanistan operations: -- The Kapisa Provincial Response Company, advised by coalition forces, arrested Najibullah Rahimi, the Tagab District Representative to the Kapisa Provincial Council. Najibullah is accused of financing a lethal-aid network and facilitating insurgent operations. The combined force also seized nine AK-47 rifles, five grenades, $50,000 in sequentially-numbered $100 bills and numerous cell phones and computers. -- A combined force arrested a Haqqani leader in the Sabari district of Khost province. The arrested insurgent leader is accused of obtaining IEDs and other weapons and distributing them to insurgent commanders. He also allegedly led a number of fighters in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. -- In the Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar province, a combined force arrested a Taliban leader and detained one other insurgent. The arrest Taliban leader is believed to be responsible for multiple insurgent operations including IED attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. -- A combined force detained several insurgents during a search for a senior Taliban leader in the Nad 'Ali district of Helmand province. The sought-after Taliban leader was allegedly plotting a campaign of attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in Helmand province. He and his subordinates are believed to have participated in a number of recent attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also seized a pistol, bomb-making materials and narcotics.

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force

Nose to Nose

03/27/2013 07:42 PM CDT                    Thu, Mar 28, 2013 at 5:37 AM

Marine Corps Sgt. Chesty XIII, right, official mascot of the U.S. Marine Corps, stares down his successor, Recruit Chesty, during training on Marine Barracks Washington in Washington, D.C., March 20, 2013.

Joint river operations

With Belizean service members

U.S. Sailors transit to a rendezvous point with Belizean service members to continue joint river operations as part of Southern Partnership Station (SPS) 2013 in Corozal, Belize, Feb. 25, 2013. SPS is an annual deployment of U.S. ships to the U.S. Southern Command's area of responsibility in the Caribbean and Latin America. The exercise involves information sharing with navies, coast guards and civilian services throughout the region. (DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Ashley Hyatt, U.S. Air Force/Released)02/25/2013 -             VIRIN: 130225-F-WH920-355

Military officials reported

Combined Force Arrests Taliban Leader in Nangarhar Province From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release KABUL, Afghanistan, Feb. 25, 2013 - A combined coalition and Afghan security force arrested a senior Taliban leader in the Khugyani district of Afghanistan's Nangarhar province yesterday, military officials reported. The Taliban leader is believed to be responsible for coordinating and directing insurgents and of having maintained direct operational control of suicide bombers prepared to carry out attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, officials said. The security force also arrested three other suspected insurgents. In other Afghanistan operations yesterday: -- In Kandahar province's Arghandab district, a combined force arrested a Taliban facilitator believed to be responsible for the acquisition and distribution of lethal aid for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and to be heavily involved in the finances of an insurgent network in the district. The security force also arrested another suspected insurgent. -- A combined force in Logar province's Pul-e Alam district arrested three insurgents during a search for a Taliban leader believed to be responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also has been linked to kidnapping Afghans for ransom and establishing illegal checkpoints, officials said. -- In Ghazni province's Andar district, a combined force arrested a Taliban leader believed to be responsible for procuring and distributing automatic weapons and roadside bombs to insurgents and to have personally planned and executed attacks. The security force also arrested another suspected insurgent.

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force

Commander:

02/22/2013 07:55 AM CST           Fri, Feb 22, 2013 at 7:44 PM
Public, Family Support Vital to Deployed Forces
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2013 - As U.S. forces continue to draw down in Afghanistan and the December 2014 deadline for the end of combat operations there draws steadily closer, a senior commander wrapping up his year-long deployment emphasized the importance of continued support from military families and the American public.

"You may not read about it so much anymore in the news or hear it on TV, but we out here believe that America is still strongly behind us," Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Charles "Mark" Gurganus, commander of the International Security Assistance Force's Regional Command Southwest, told American Forces Press Service in a telephone interview yesterday.

Gurganus and his fellow 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Marines are scheduled to return to Camp Pendleton, Calif., during the first week of March following a deployment to Afghanistan's Helmand and Nimroz provinces. The region is among the most challenging in Afghanistan.

What sustained his forces, Gurganus said, was the bond they developed as brothers and sisters in arms, and confidence in the support of the people they left behind. That support is evident wherever they serve, he said, from encouraging emails and snail-mail letters to care packages brimming with thoughtful treats and mementos.

"The support of the American people is just huge to these Marines," Gurganus said. "They really do want to know that people care about them and about what they are doing."

The most important support of all, he said, comes from military families themselves.

Traveling around his battle space to bid goodbye to the forces serving there, Gurganus said, he asked them to make a point to extend thanks to their families from "the old gray-haired guy out here."

"I just couldn't tell the families 'thank you' enough," he said. "I would never be able to express my true gratitude to the support we have gotten from them."

It's been a major factor, not just in troops' sense of well-being, but in their ability to do their mission, Gurganus said.

"You can't account for how much the support of their loved ones goes to strengthen the guy's will to do what he is doing," he said. "If these guys out here know they've got support, and the families back there are providing that support, it really does allow them to keep their minds on what they are doing out here."

This, in turn, helps them to perform their duties better and safer -- a measure that protects them and their fellow Marines, the general explained.

Reflecting on the key role families play in mission success, Gurganus said they're the ones who pay the biggest toll during a deployment.

"We're trained for what we do," he said of military members. "We train for a long time to get ready to come here. We know pretty much what is expected of us when we get here, and we have a team, ... so we have somebody to lean on."

Not so with families -- despite what Gurganus acknowledged has grown to become an extensive support network. "Nobody is standing right next to them every day," he said. "Their world has a lot of uncertainty in it when we are gone."

Yet their continued support will remain vital, even as U.S. forces draw down, and until the last U.S. service member returns home from Afghanistan, Gurganus said.

"So I really want to thank and admire the families for continuing to provide that level of support," he added.

Biographies: Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Charles "Mark" Gurganus Related Sites:Related Articles:Outgoing Commander Cites Progress in Southwestern Afghanistan NATO International Security Assistance Force