Monday, April 25, 2011
Laughs with a group of girls
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Mullen Says U.S. Must Get Iraq Transition Right
By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq, April 22, 2011 - The U.S. military needs to get it right as it transitions out of Iraq, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told soldiers in Baghdad today.
About 47,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq, mostly in an "advise and assist" role. With all American troops due to leave by the end of the year, Mullen called on the service members to make sure "we get everything right in this transition." What they do will give Iraq a chance to have a better future with a military that is under civilian control, and have a force that is "responsive, capable, able to take care of their own people, their own borders and their own security," the chairman said. The change in Iraq presaged the sea change in the Middle East, Mullen said, and that "adds that much more criticality toward getting it right in Iraq." The Iraqi government and people now have the main job in establishing a peaceful, stable government, but U.S. troops have a support role to play, he added. Nations around the region are trying to figure out how to put in place all that is necessary to have a democracy, in an area with little or no democratic tradition, the admiral noted. "And Iraq is at the heart of that," he said. "I'm delighted that most of the challenges here now are political," and not military. The world is unpredictable, the chairman said, noting that strangely, that will be a constant for the future. For example, he said, he had no idea in January that Japan and Libya would be the countries he would be most concerned about in March. The tempo of deployments will drop, and troops will soon be home twice as long as they are deployed, he said. But given the unpredictability in the world, no one can afford not to be ready to respond at a moment's notice. "We're going to continue to deploy," he said. "We don't necessarily know where." The United States is looking for a long-term strategic partnership with Iraq, Mullen said. "The details of what that means -- whether there will be trainers here, or what the numbers will be, if any at all – are yet to be worked out," he added. With the reduction in tempo, soldiers will have more time in garrison, and that will mean a new set of challenges, the admiral said, noting that much of the Army has not spent significant amounts of time at home stations. "Sergeants first class and below have just been deploying to the fight. Majors and below are just deploying to the fight," he said. "They have no idea what it's like to be in garrison." Senior officers and noncommissioned officers know what it's like to be in garrison, the admiral said, and they now have the extra responsibility to instruct other service members on what being in garrison is all about, such as how training is accomplished and what the rules of discipline are. In this era of budgetary constraint, getting the "people" portion of the budget right is most crucial to the long-term health of the force, Mullen said. After almost 10 years of war, he noted, this is the most combat-experienced force in America's history, and it's important for the military to retain that seasoned force. "If we don't do that, it will be difficult, no matter what our budget is or the stuff we're buying," he said. | ||
| Biographies: Navy Adm. Mike Mullen Related Sites: Special Report: Travels With Mullen |
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Review to Consider Consequences of Budget Cuts
By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, April 21, 2011 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said the comprehensive defense review he plans to launch soon will ensure any further defense budget cuts are based on a well-thought-out analysis of the consequences of decisions made.
Gates said he does not know exactly how much of the additional $400 billion that President Barack Obama seeks to cut from national security program budgets between now and 2023 will come from DOD. The secretary said he's gratified that Obama has agreed to wait for the findings of a comprehensive DOD review before making specific budgetary decisions. "I want to frame this so that options and consequences and risks are taken into account as budget decisions are made, first by the president, and then by the Congress," Gates said. "What I hope to do is frame this in a way that says, 'If you want to cut this number of dollars, here are the consequences for force structure. Here are your choices in terms of capabilities that will be reduced or investments that are not made. And here are the consequences of this.'" The budget review "needs to be a process that is driven by the analysis," the secretary said, "and where it is about risk management with respect to future national security threats and challenges as well as missions that our elected officials decide we should not have to perform or can't perform any more because we don't have the resources." Gates said he has had just one meeting to begin thinking about ways to conduct the review, and has not yet decided on an approach. One suggested approach, he said, would begin with the Quadrennial Defense Review and to consider the implications of scaling back or eliminating specific missions. Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the review will involve important strategic considerations about quantities and capabilities. Cartwright said the review could challenge some long-held assumptions, such as the department's ability to fight two major theater conflicts simultaneously. Some people believe that funding the Defense Department at the rate of inflation for the next 12 years could identify much of the cost savings that Obama seeks, Gates said. However, he noted, that approach wouldn't account for costs for health-care, fuel and critical big-ticket investments. "We have some investments we have to make," the secretary said. "We have to buy the new [Air Force refueling] tanker. We have to replace some of the surface ships ...built during the Reagan years that will age out over that 12-year period...All elements of the [nuclear] Triad need to be modernized" -- bomber aircraft, land-based missiles and ballistic-missile submarines. "You may have to make some choices there," Gates said. "I want to frame this so it is not a math exercise, but so people understand the strategic and national security consequences of the decisions that they are making." | ||
| Biographies: Robert M. Gates Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright |
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Engineer Prepares Airmen for Afghanistan
By Megan Just 452nd Air Mobility Wing MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif., April 19, 2011 - As 22 combat engineers from the 452nd Civil Engineer Squadron prepared to deploy throughout southern and eastern Afghanistan recently, one airman stepped up to ensure they were ready for the job at hand.
Embedded with Army units at six locations, the deployed engineers have an opportunity to directly affect troops' living conditions and improve the quality of life for Afghans in nearby villages, the captain said. "I've been very impressed and proud of these airmen and their determination," said Simons, who returned from a deployment to Afghanistan in the fall. "I can see it in their eyes. They want to go over there and make a difference. "Because of what we do and our skill sets, we can affect people's lives in ways that go on and on for generations," he added. As the father of three young girls, Simons said, he felt most connected with the youngest generation of Afghans, the children he would see playing in the streets as his convoy drove through villages. He said it was heartbreaking to know the children's only source of water was from ditches, rivers and shallow wells that were contaminated with high counts of cholera bacteria from fecal matter and urine, and frequently tainted with improperly disposed engine oil. When Simons and his team would drill wells for the forward operating bases, they sometimes were able to divert a portion of the clean water to local villages. Some of the airmen who are now deployed will have the opportunity to build wells like these directly inside the Afghan villages, he said. "Thirty years from now, it will be my children's responsibility to work with these children on a global scale," the captain said. "We have the opportunity to make the children's lives better. This will help them grow up healthy and educated, making it easier for the next generation of Americans." During his deployment, Simons and his team built seven new forward operating bases and combat outposts and helped to bring up to standard the infrastructure of countless outposts by installing wells, plumbing, electricity, roads and bridges. Many forward operating bases, he said, were built using expedient methods, usually converting old Russian bases, he said. "They weren't done with thoughts of waste, sanitary sewer issues and water," he explained. The 452nd Civil Engineer Squadron combat engineers who are now deployed are responsible for similar projects in some of the same remote, and often hostile, regions of Afghanistan. "It's always a high ops tempo," Simons said. "You always have to be thinking four or five steps ahead, especially when it comes to what the enemy is doing and how are you going to stay safe. Then, you're still expected to go out and do your job, which, along with holding a weapon and walking around a city, includes doing such things as plumbing, electrical, [heating, ventilation and air conditioning], and surveying." Simons estimated that he spent 75 percent of his deployment outside the wire, and his team frequently encountered small-arms fire, improvised explosive devices, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades. Sometimes, he said, when there wasn't enough daylight to return to a forward operating base after a day's work, the team would set up watches and sleep under the stars. "We're taking ordinary airmen ... and putting them in extraordinary situations, expecting them to fight and still do their job," he said about the engineers who are now deployed. "They're going to excel at this." Simons helped the engineers before their deployment by showing them photos and videos of his deployment and talking with them about what to expect. "Almost all of them had never deployed before, and many of them were apprehensive," he said. "Once they knew more about what to expect, they were excited to be able to help the fight." (Air Force Staff Sgt. Kimberly Hickey of the 934th Airlift Wing contributed to this story) |
'Military Kid of Year' Has Leadership Qualities
By Terri Moon Cronk American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON: For a 10-year-old boy, Tristan Fissette has fortitude to spare.
Tristan's leadership qualities led a panel from the nonprofit "Our Military Kids" organization to choose him as one of four Military Kids of the Year. Tristan and the other winners -- Keegan Neverett, 16, of Leesburg, Fla.; Chris-Shanti Jackson, 15, of Jackson, Miss.; and Katherine Bensburg, 14, of Mahopac, N.Y. -- won year-long grants to pursue their interests. In Tristan's case, it will pay for his karate training and boot camp. The organization also named the family of Air Force Senior Master Sgt. William Liston, an Air National Guardsman from West River, Md., as its Family of the Year. Tristan is the youngest of the four individual award winners. "I thought it was pretty exciting," he said at yesterday's award ceremony. "We were able to come to Washington, D.C., and I've never been here or able to get an award." His face lit up as he talked about today's special White House and Pentagon tours. Our Military Kids is a public-private partnership that awards grants to children of deployed National Guardsmen, reservists and certain disabled veterans. Unlike children from active-duty families, they don't live on or near a base, surrounded by solid support systems and activities. Rather, said Greg O'Brien of Our Military Kids, these children often are isolated in their communities, where people may not understand what military children go through when a parent is deployed. "My husband is deployed more often than not, it seems," said Tristan's mom, Kimberly Fissette. To fill the time when he was deployed, she added, the family turned to community service near their home in Elk Grove Village, Ill. "We hand out food at a mobile food bank," she said. The family also volunteers for "Feed My Starving Children" by sending nutrient-rich foods to children in other countries. Community service is one of Tristan's passions, his mother said. When his father was in Kuwait during one of his four deployments, Tristan was 7. It was then the youngster enrolled in karate to stay busy while his dad was away. Before long, he was hooked on the ancient martial art. "He's one of the youngest in his karate school to receive a black belt," Kimberly said. "With his dad gone, he just pursued it above and beyond. Most people don't get their black belts for three or four years, and Tristan did it in two and a half." Tristan quickly moved into upper-level training. Now he trains several days a week. "You get to do funner things like a sword-sparring class, one of my favorites," Tristan said, quickly explaining the "swords" are made of foam. His activities don't stop there. Whether at karate or school, Tristan mentors all the new kids, especially if they're struggling. "At karate," Tristan said, "I kinda tell them how to bow and do other karate things. And sometimes if they're having trouble, I'll help them." He mentors on his own, his mom says. No one asked him to help. Tristan admits he's a pretty good student and good with new kids. "I'll talk to them, and sometimes in math, if they're having trouble with a problem, I'll maybe help them out with it," he said. Tristan's 11-year-old sister, Kailey, like many other children at the awards ceremony, won a six-month grant to pursue her interest in hip-hop dancing. O'Brien said the four Military Kids of the Year were chosen from 150 who applied. Since 2004, he said, the grants have grown and so has the program's popularity. The organization's Facebook page has nearly 5,500 members. "'Our Military Kids'" has provided 28,000 grants totaling $11 million since 2004, O'Brien said. This year's four Kids of the Year received grants of up to $500 per six months, and might qualify for six more months if the parent is deployed. (Issued on April 15, 2011) | ||
| Related Sites: Our Military Kids Related Articles: Organization Honors Service Members' Children | ||
Monday, April 18, 2011
Gates: America Must Balance Idealism, Realism
By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service MOUNT VERNON, Va., April 14, 2011 - Since the beginning of the republic, the United States has had to balance its idealistic impulses with realism, and that remains true today, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
Washington faced some of the same questions over the rise of revolutionary France that President Barack Obama faces with the revolutions in North Africa and the Middle East, Gates said. Washington became America's first president in 1789, and he was confronted with the consequences of the French Revolution. "The issue was whether to support the revolutionary government and its war against an alliance of European monarchies led by Great Britain," Gates said. "To many, like Thomas Jefferson, the French Revolution, with its stated ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity, seemed a natural successor to our own." But many disagreed, including Vice President John Adams. "They were appalled by the revolution's excesses and feared the spread of violent French radicalism to our shores," the secretary said. Washington had to resolve the matter. "My best wishes are irresistibly excited whensoever, in any country, I see an oppressed nation unfurl the banners of freedom," he wrote. But the upheaval in Europe had begun to disrupt the U.S. economy, and he understood the fragility of America's position at the time. He "adopted a neutrality policy toward France and would go on to make a peace treaty with Great Britain – sparking massive protests and accusations of selling out the spirit of 1776," Gates said. "Washington was confronting a question, a dilemma, that has been persistent throughout our history: how should we incorporate America's democratic ideals and aspirations into our relations with the rest of the world?" the secretary said. "What Washington's experience shows is that, from our earliest days, America's leaders have struggled with 'realistic' versus 'idealistic' approaches to the international challenges facing us." The most successful American leaders steadfastly encouraged the spread of liberty, democracy, and human rights, Gates said. "At the same time, however, they have fashioned policies blending different approaches with different emphasis in different places and at different times," he added. The United States has made human rights the centerpiece of its national strategy, even as it was doing business with some of the worst violators of human rights, the secretary noted. "We have worked with authoritarian governments to advance our own security interests, even while urging them to reform," he said. The world is witnessing an extraordinary story in the Middle East and North Africa, the secretary said. "People across the region have come together to demand change, and in many cases, a more democratic, responsive government," he said. "Yet many of the regimes affected have been longstanding, close allies of ours, ones we continue to work with as critical partners in the face of common security challenges like al-Qaida and Iran, even as we urge them to reform and respond to the needs of their people." A theme of American history is that the United States is compelled to defend its security and interests in ways that spread democratic values and institutions, Gates said. "When we discuss openly our desire for democratic values to take hold across the globe, we are describing a world that may be many years or decades off," the secretary said. "Though achievement of the ideal may be limited by time, space, resources or human nature, we must not allow ourselves to discard or disparage the ideal itself." America must speak about its values and ideals, Gates said. "And when we look at the challenges facing contemporary fledgling democracies, or societies and governments facing pressures for change," he added, "we would do well to be modestly mindful of the turbulence of our own early history and to remember our own long journey from a political system of, by, and for property-owning white men to an inclusive nation with an African-American president." | ||
| Biographies: Robert M. Gates |
Sunday, April 17, 2011
A Special Press Meet for Human Rights Report
On 7-9 October 1991 at first International Workshop on National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights held in Paris when the United Nations Human Rights Commission as Resolution 1992/54 of 1992 and Resolution 48/134 of 1993 adopted the Paris Principle. It was a historic moment and a new definition of civilization was reintroduced in the human conscience. Following the path of Paris Principle, The Protection of Human Rights Act was drafted at 1993 by which Nation Human Rights Commission, West Bengal Human Rights Commission and as well as various other Human Rights Institutions were established in India where the duties and functions of the commissions are enumerated.
To monitor the performances of the HRIs of the countries, a new mechanism was developed at the UN. (ICC). In South Asia, ANNI(Asian NGOs Network on National Human Rights Institutions) was formed. To follow this process, AiNNI (All India Network of NGOs & Individuals working with National and State Human Rights Institutions) was also formed, wherein MASUM is an active member.
This is the demand of the hour that the West Bengal Human Rights Commission, West Bengal Women Commission, West Bengal Minority Commission and other Human Rights Institutions of this state work more actively and significantly in the field of protection of human rights. But it seems that they often failed to show such responsibilities.
We believe the Fourth Estate, the Press and Media, has strong role in forming public opinion in a positive way and they are morally bound to advocate and highlight the social causes.
A special report on Human Rights situation to be release at a press meet on 18th April, 2011 Monday at Kolkata Press Club at 3 - 4 pm. This Press meet has been announced for the release of the background paper and more information, data and evidence of non-fulfilling the duties of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission and other Human Rights Institutions in India and in particular, in West Bengal.
Honourable Justice Malay Sengupta, ex Judge of Kolkata High Court, Ex Acting Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court and present Chairman of OBC Commission of West Bengal will preside over the session. Veteran writer and social activist, Ms. Mahasweta Devi will be present there as Chief Guest. Many other academics, social activists, organisations will share their experiences.
Kirity Roy
Secretary
Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM)
&
National Convenor (PACTI)
Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity
40A, Barabagan Lane (4th Floor)
Balaji Place, Shibtala,Srirampur
Hooghly PIN- 712203
Secretary
Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM)
&
National Convenor (PACTI)
Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity
40A, Barabagan Lane (4th Floor)
Balaji Place, Shibtala,Srirampur
Hooghly PIN- 712203
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