By Air Force Tech. Sgt. John Orrell of National Guard Bureau WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2011 - Four governors have declared states of emergency and one has mobilized his state's National Guard due to blizzard warnings and strong winter storms.
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon mobilized about 600 Missouri National Guard members to support local authorities with emergency route clearance, door-to-door safety visits, generator assistance and stranded-motorist support, Missouri Guard officials said. The Missouri Guard also has sent liaison officers to emergency operation centers in affected cities and counties. Army Maj. Gen. Stephen Danner, Missouri's adjutant general, said that the Missouri Guard has dealt with similar situations before, and that he feels confident Guard members will get the job done again. "The leadership and soldiers and airmen of the Missouri National Guard are seasoned professionals," Danner said. "We will apply lessons learned from years of experience to help the citizens of Missouri." The Federal Emergency Management Agency is using the Will Rogers Air National Guard Base in Oklahoma City, Okla., for equipment staging, but National Guard officials said they don't anticipate this FEMA mission assignment will require Guard support. | ||
| Related Sites: Missouri National Guard |
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Missouri Guard Mobilizes for Storm Support
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Defense Employees Topped in CFC Donations
Posted on Tue, Feb 1, 2011 at 3:53 AM By Terri Moon Cronk 0f American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2011 - For the second straight year, Defense Department employees donated or pledged more than $17 million in the Combined Federal Campaign, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said today.
"[Dr. Martin Luther King] was devoted to enhancing the lives of others and expanding opportunities for all," Lynn said. "Dr. King once remarked, 'Life's persistent and urgent question for all was, 'What are you doing for others?' Over the course of the past year, thousands across the department have answered that question." Even in today's time of economic challenges and hardships, Lynn noted, Defense CFC donors made sacrifices. "The department as a whole is not immune to tough economic realities," he said. "While we confront these hardships, there are those out there for whom the times are even tougher. In these challenging times, their struggles are a challenge to us all." That, he added, makes the "compassion of giving by those in this room and throughout the department all the more admirable." Lynn told the audience their philanthropy led the CFC to another resounding success. The $17.2 million raised by DOD employees, Lynn said, "underscores the department's culture and tradition of charity, and these contributions will have a real impact on real people." Defense employees, Lynn added, donated 10 percent more than the average federal worker in this year's campaign. "Each one of you is responsible for helping feed the hungry. Each one of you is essential for helping house the homeless. Each one of you ensures expanded access to education, and lifts up those less fortunate than ourselves," he said. Lynn noted the campaign also lent a hand to members of the military. "Your charitable efforts are vital to improving the lives of wounded service members and their families," he said. "The results of your efforts are very real and very powerful. You are all remarkable individuals and organizations who came together for a common, noble cause." CFC is the world's largest workplace charity campaign. Pledges made by federal civilian, postal and military donors support eligible nonprofit organizations that provide health and human service benefits worldwide. | ||
| Biographies: William J. Lynn III |
Monday, January 31, 2011
Surgeon Tops Personal Best in Marathon
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Paula Taylor of Task Force Bastogne NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Jan. 31, 2011 - After tossing and turning for most of the night, Army Maj. (Dr.) Patrick Smock finally rolled out of bed at 3:30 a.m. yesterday. He'd trained hard for four months, and the day finally had arrived for the 745th Forward Surgical Team orthopedic surgeon to run the 26.2-mile Miami Marathon -- thousands of miles from Florida amid the concrete barriers and concertina wire that line the perimeter of Forward Operating Base Fenty in eastern Afghanistan.
As Smock and the other marathoners took off down the dusty hardtop road, they soon came across a group of up-armored trucks getting ready to roll out on a convoy. "That really puts things in perspective," Smock said later. "You see that and you think, 'This [race] is just for fun.' By the second lap, those guys were already gone, doing their job." At the halfway mark, Smock said, he was doing well, but the going got tougher with about five miles to go. "I hit my wall about 21, 22 miles," he said, "and started to need to take a break -- walk it out and make sure I keep fueling myself up. I used that finish line as my motivation." Smock, who lives in Liberty Hill, Texas, said he and his brothers, Michael and David, had planned to run the Miami Marathon together for almost a year "We are all doctors, all went to the same school, and are all very active, but have never run a marathon together," he said. "When I found out that I would be deployed and unable to run with them in Miami, it was disappointing, but I decided that it would not stop me from running 'with' them, even if it was from halfway around the world." Shortly after arriving at Fenty, Smock said, he contacted the Miami Marathon race directors and inquired about a satellite run. They were receptive and were happy to sponsor the run. "They also sent T-shirts, medals and several other goodies to pass out to all the participants," he added. Smock said he wore out three pairs of track shoes running laps around the airstrip to train for the event. The soles on the pair he wore for yesterday's race, in fact, were starting to separate. Though Smock missed an opportunity to be with his brothers when they ran the marathon in Miami just 10 hours after he finished his, he said he plans on running in future events together with them, barring another deployment. "I don't know if we will run Miami together in the future -- that will most likely depend on how our schedules work out -- but we are already tentatively planning to sign up this summer for the Ironman Triathlon in Lake Placid [New York] in 2012," Smock said. "Hopefully, no deployments interfere with those plans. I don't think I could find a place to swim in Iraq or Afghanistan." The 26.2 miles of the satellite course at Fenty comprised eight laps around the airstrip. Smock finished the race in 3 hours, 27 minutes. "I crushed my goal," he said. "I had run two marathons before, and I did each of those in just under four hours. I wanted to run 3:30 today. I think my official clock time was 3:27 and some change. I'm so excited right now!" | ||
| Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force |
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Operation Walk 2011' inaugurated at DMCH
Ludhiana : A mega charity event `Operation Walk 2011' was inaugurated at DMCH on Saturday.Padam Brij Mohan Lal Munjal, chairman Emeritus, DMCH managing society, inaugurated the event.Under this project, hip and knee replacements of more than 50 poor needy patients would be done for free.
The patients have been selected from all over Punjab after extensive recruitment camps. This would be carried out in association with a team from the USA led by Dr Paul Khanuja, Director, Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopaedics, USA. Operation Walk Maryland is a non-profit, volunteer medical service organisation providing free surgical treatment to patients in developing countries.DMCH managing society secretary Prem Kumar Gupta said patients would get all the services, latest imported implants and medicines totally free of cost under this project. He said: “A team consisting of about 45 people, including surgeons, anaesthesiologists, nursing staff, surgical technologists, physiotherapists and other supporting staff has reached DMCH and has brought with them equipments, implants and consumables to be used during this project.“ Dr Mohd Yamin, professor and head of orthopaedics said the patients would be operated with state of the art technology and equipments from the USA. He said the patients would also be given free walkers and post-operative information booklets. Dr Deepak Jain, assistant professor of orthopaedics, who is coordinating the project, said preparations for this project have been going on for more than a year to make it a success.He said many young patients, who have lost their work due to disabling arthritis and are now dependent on their families, have been included in the project. This project would be carried out in newly renovated operation theaters and wards, which have been specially constructed with inputs from experts at USA. These operation theaters and wards have been equipped with the latest facilities and gadgets to make them at par with the international standards. Faculty from orthopedics department Dr Rajnish Garg, Dr Harpal S Selhi, Dr Sanjeev Mahajan, Dr Pankaj Mahindra and Dr SK Kohli made significant contributions to the project. During his visit to the hospital, Munjal also inaugurated newly renovated Neuro Ortho OT complex, Orthopedics ward, Pediatrics ward, Radio diagnosis block and emergency area, appreciating progress of the hospital.:-Rector Kathuria (Photo:Sukhjit Alkra)
Afghan women discussed many topics
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Sailor Serves With Marine Husband
By Marine Corps Cpl. Shannon McMillan
1st Marine Logistics Group
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan, Jan. 27, 2011 - Most spouses of active duty military members have to endure the hardship of separation while their loved one is deployed, but one couple here serves together in the same unit.
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chat Rice and Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jeff Rice, both San Diego natives, are deployed together with 1st Marine Logistics Group.
Multiple deployments have separated the sailor and Marine for much of their seven-year marriage, and this is the first time the couple has deployed together.
"Having him here is very good for me," said Chat, 29, of her husband. "I can always go to him if I need someone to talk to, or just hang out and talk about our families and our son."
The couple met in August 2001 while stationed together in Okinawa, Japan. Then in 2002, Chat received orders to Camp Pendleton, Calif., so they maintained a long-distance relationship, she said. While they were still dating, Jeff deployed twice with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. They were married Feb. 8, 2003.
Since they've been married, Jeff has deployed five times –- this is his eighth deployment overall -– and this is Chat's second deployment. In 2008, the only year Jeff wasn't deployed during their marriage, the couple's son, Seth, was born.
"As you can see, it took us a while to have a child, because he's always deployed," Chat said of Jeff's multiple deployments.
During their current deployment, Jeff and Chat work in the same compound, but have very different jobs. Chat works as a patient tracker for the Health Services Support Element. Her responsibilities include globally tracking all 1st Marine Logistics Group patients from their point of injury to their final destination and providing their status to command leaders.
Jeff serves as the logistics group's radio chief and spectrum manager. He plans and supervises the installation, operation and maintenance of all single-channel radios as the radio chief, and as the spectrum manager, he answers frequency requests and provides call signs to all group units.
Although they work long hours, the couple tries to spend as much time together as they can while deployed.
"We try to eat chow together as much as possible," said Jeff, 29, originally from Warsaw, Ohio. "So I would say we get to hang out a lot due to the fact that not too many people get to deploy with their spouse."
They also turn in their laundry together, Chat added. "I know it's kind of funny," she said, "but that's another way to spend time with him."
The military lifestyle can be difficult for any marriage, especially when both are on active duty, but Jeff said he is thankful to have his wife around for moral support, especially since they are both separated from their young son.
"It is a blessing being deployed together, but also very hard, because our son is back home with his grandparents," he said.
Although the parents are thousands of miles away from their son, they try to video chat with Seth as often as they can.
"Once a week, we Skype with our son," Chat said. "That's our way of having quality time with the family."
Along with supporting each other during challenging moments of the deployment, the Rices support each other's accomplishments, the most recent being Chat's Jan. 21 re-enlistment ceremony, in which she signed on for another six years in the Navy.
"It was nice to witness the ceremony and be a part of it," Jeff said. "I haven't had a chance to be at a lot of her ceremonies, since we have jobs and commitments. I was proud of her, because she loves the Navy. She really tries to strive to be the best sailor."
Jeff said he also is proud of his wife for being named the Regional Command Southwest sailor of the quarter this month.
"She goes above and beyond what is expected of her," Jeff said. She sets the bar high."
As their eighth wedding anniversary approaches, the Rices look forward to celebrating the occasion together, albeit a bit differently from previous years.
"Oh, it will definitely be different than spending it back home," Chat said. "We usually like to have a fancy dinner somewhere in Coronado or La Jolla, but here, we'll be enjoying some good chow hall meal. But seriously, we are both happy to spend our special day together." ---000---
1st Marine Logistics Group
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan, Jan. 27, 2011 - Most spouses of active duty military members have to endure the hardship of separation while their loved one is deployed, but one couple here serves together in the same unit.
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Multiple deployments have separated the sailor and Marine for much of their seven-year marriage, and this is the first time the couple has deployed together.
"Having him here is very good for me," said Chat, 29, of her husband. "I can always go to him if I need someone to talk to, or just hang out and talk about our families and our son."
The couple met in August 2001 while stationed together in Okinawa, Japan. Then in 2002, Chat received orders to Camp Pendleton, Calif., so they maintained a long-distance relationship, she said. While they were still dating, Jeff deployed twice with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. They were married Feb. 8, 2003.
Since they've been married, Jeff has deployed five times –- this is his eighth deployment overall -– and this is Chat's second deployment. In 2008, the only year Jeff wasn't deployed during their marriage, the couple's son, Seth, was born.
"As you can see, it took us a while to have a child, because he's always deployed," Chat said of Jeff's multiple deployments.
During their current deployment, Jeff and Chat work in the same compound, but have very different jobs. Chat works as a patient tracker for the Health Services Support Element. Her responsibilities include globally tracking all 1st Marine Logistics Group patients from their point of injury to their final destination and providing their status to command leaders.
Jeff serves as the logistics group's radio chief and spectrum manager. He plans and supervises the installation, operation and maintenance of all single-channel radios as the radio chief, and as the spectrum manager, he answers frequency requests and provides call signs to all group units.
Although they work long hours, the couple tries to spend as much time together as they can while deployed.
"We try to eat chow together as much as possible," said Jeff, 29, originally from Warsaw, Ohio. "So I would say we get to hang out a lot due to the fact that not too many people get to deploy with their spouse."
They also turn in their laundry together, Chat added. "I know it's kind of funny," she said, "but that's another way to spend time with him."
The military lifestyle can be difficult for any marriage, especially when both are on active duty, but Jeff said he is thankful to have his wife around for moral support, especially since they are both separated from their young son.
"It is a blessing being deployed together, but also very hard, because our son is back home with his grandparents," he said.
Although the parents are thousands of miles away from their son, they try to video chat with Seth as often as they can.
"Once a week, we Skype with our son," Chat said. "That's our way of having quality time with the family."
Along with supporting each other during challenging moments of the deployment, the Rices support each other's accomplishments, the most recent being Chat's Jan. 21 re-enlistment ceremony, in which she signed on for another six years in the Navy.
"It was nice to witness the ceremony and be a part of it," Jeff said. "I haven't had a chance to be at a lot of her ceremonies, since we have jobs and commitments. I was proud of her, because she loves the Navy. She really tries to strive to be the best sailor."
Jeff said he also is proud of his wife for being named the Regional Command Southwest sailor of the quarter this month.
"She goes above and beyond what is expected of her," Jeff said. She sets the bar high."
As their eighth wedding anniversary approaches, the Rices look forward to celebrating the occasion together, albeit a bit differently from previous years.
"Oh, it will definitely be different than spending it back home," Chat said. "We usually like to have a fancy dinner somewhere in Coronado or La Jolla, but here, we'll be enjoying some good chow hall meal. But seriously, we are both happy to spend our special day together." ---000---
Chaplain Shines as Beacon of Faith
By Army Sgt. Luther L. Boothe Jr. of Task Force Currahee PAKTIKA PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Jan. 28, 2011 - His daily ritual consists of stopping by and checking in. "Hello, how is everybody?" "Hope all is well!" "God bless you," he says, his words reflecting kindness, appreciation and his southern accent.
"I enjoy what I do. I treasure the role of the chaplaincy very much," the Grand Prairie, Texas, native said. "I wholeheartedly embrace it. Bringing God to soldiers and soldiers to God is very much at the basic core of my identity. I want to do to everything I can to encourage soldiers, to let them know that even in their difficult moments with the challenges they face, God is with them." His Christian beliefs are at the core of who he is, yet for many soldiers, his ability to care and make time for others is what sets him apart. "My favorite thing about Chaplain Robison is even when he is extremely busy, if you need to talk, he will stop what he is doing and listen to you," said Army Pfc. Genevieve A. Harms, paralegal specialist with the brigade's Headquarters and Headquarters Company. "He remembers your problems, and the next time he sees you, he makes sure everything has worked out. He actually cares about soldiers and their families." Caring about soldiers is just something he does not because he has to, but because he wants to, the chaplain said. "I want all soldiers to know that I do care and I, at the end of the day, am a soldier just like the most-junior private we have," he added. "If I see them, I want to engage them and encourage them, knowing they have a story. "I want to know how they are doing and how their families are doing," he continued, "because I truly feel, deeply, that our soldiers are America's finest. They are willing to serve and to be away from their families and face the hardships and challenges. Therefore, they deserve our best. Every soldier deserves the best from the soldier next to them, so that we can be able to get our mission accomplished. I want soldiers to know that they are cared for, to nourish them for who they are." Chaplains at the battalion level have an opportunity to interact more with troops, he said, noting that the role is different at the brigade level. "But it is still embracing the spirit and kissing the soul of the soldiers and letting them know that you do care and that God cares for them, too," he added. Robison has a knack for making soldiers feel as if they are talking to an old friend. "When I talk to him, he makes me feel like I am talking to someone I have known my whole life," said Harms, a Tacoma, Wash., native. "He knows where I am coming from, and he does not judge me based on the decisions I have made. "When I see him walking toward me," she added, "I get the feeling that everything is going to be OK. Even if I only come across him for just one second, it makes my day better." Ultimately, Robison said, it's about duty, country and honoring God through his service. "I want to know I made a difference, that my service was not just signing up and going through the motions, but that I made a difference in the lives of those who I have been able to meet because they have made a difference in mine," he said. "With every soldier, I think if I can know them, that maybe somehow I could make a difference in their life." Robison said he tries to start every day on his knees in prayer. "Part of my prayer is to place my life and the lives of my soldiers in Christ's hands and for his guidance, wisdom and understanding, and I try to rest in that -- to know that God's keeping hand is upon us for all Currahees," he said. The chaplain said his personal faith drives what he does. "It defines who I am as a Christian pastor," he said, "and in my role as a Christian chaplain, it just compels me to it. I try to do it with a sense of joy." | ||
| Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force |
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