Yudhishtar impressed Ms Nadya

The Capital City Minstrels performing at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi – inset Yudhishtar Singh Bedi.

A Ludhiana lad – Yudhishtar Singh Bedi – starred in the prestigious “The Capital City Minstrels “ (CCM), North India’s best known choir in New Delhi recently . The group gave a scintillating performance at the Hungarian Art Centre , The India Habitat Centre and the Gurgaon Epicentre Cultural Centre to a packed audience .

The Capital City Minstrels  comprises people from all walks of life - professionals such as doctors, lawyers, architects, teachers, corporate executives and embassy personnel, of all ages and nationalities, from all the five continents, as diverse as French, German, South American, African, Chinese, Korean, Australian and Indian, all with one thing in common – their love of music. CCM’s repertoire spans a wide range; from the earliest choral music to the entire spectrum of western classical music, and opera to ballads, folk songs, Broadway musicals, rock, pop, jazz as well as Indian music arranged for choir performance.

CCM has performed more than 100 concerts since the early 1990’s at prestigious venues all over India . CCM as the choral group is known, believes that there is more to singing in harmony than simply hitting the right notes at the right time. This notion of harmony is evident in the coming together of people of different ages, from different parts of the country and, indeed, from different countries. Various professionals from different walks of life are part of CCM, with sundry races and religions coming together to blend their voices in song, in many languages. Zohra Shaw, Fellow of Trinity College of Music, London, founded this choir eleven years ago - in 1994.  It is now headed by a talented group including Maxwell Pereira – ex Chief Commissioner of Police of New Delhi .  The composer is the talented Russian Nadya V Balyan. Mr Pereira has promised to hold a performance in Punjab soon.

 Yudhishtar - a young BioTechnology scientist  from Ludhiana – has joined this group recently and has impressed Ms Nadya with his talent . He is the youngest member of this prestigious select group . His parents are doctors in the Christian Medical College and Hospital Ludhiana (Dr Harinder Singh Bedi and Dr Nandini Bedi – Cardiac and Paediatric Surgeons respectively) . Yudhishtar has been selected at the prestigious University of California in USA - he will be continuing his passion for music there along with his research . Mr Pereira believes that music has a strong binding and healing touch in this chaotic era  and believes in encouraging the youngsters to get involved in music actively. Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria 

Leaders Discuss Afghanistan Redeployment Challenges

By Karen Parrish American Forces Press Service FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHARANA, Afghanistan, May 10, 2011 - Task Force Currahee, composed primarily of soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team, will return to Fort Campbell, Ky., in the coming months. Army Col. Sean M. Jenkins, commander of Task Force Currahee and the 101st Airborne Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team, speaks to the unit's chaplains and chaplain assistants during a religious support team redeployment planning conference May 6, 2011, at Forward Operating Base Sharana in Afghanistan's Paktika province. DOD photo by Karen Parrish  During a May 6 redeployment-focused conference here that brought together the brigade's seven religious support teams -- each consisting of a chaplain and chaplain assistant -- the brigade's commander and command sergeant major outlined the challenges they expect as the troops move home and cope with their deployment's aftermath. Army Col. Sean M. Jenkins, brigade and task force commander, said the biggest challenge is ensuring all 4,200-plus soldiers get any help they need. For members of an airborne infantry unit, it isn't easy seeking help for post-combat stress or for personal or domestic issues, the colonel said. "Type-A personalities, 6-foot-2 and bulletproof -- most Currahees put themselves in that category," he said. "We've got to break through that." Responsibility for seeking needed care rests on the individual soldier, Jenkins said, but leaders at all levels have to ensure their soldiers know there is no stigma attached to asking for help and that they know what help is available. For 90 to 120 days after returning to Fort Campbell, the colonel said, soldiers can expect a tough period of adjustment. His plan is to educate leaders down to the squad and team level about how best to help their soldiers make that adjustment. As the deployed soldiers return, new troops and their families will be arriving, Jenkins said, noting up to 1,400 new Currahees will begin assignments at 4th Brigade over the next several months. The religious support teams can help to educate young leaders in how to help their soldiers, and also can work with families and family support groups, Jenkins said. Some of the religious support teams will redeploy early to help manage the transition as the troops return home, the colonel said, adding that he plans to maintain a comfortable rhythm for soldiers coming out of Afghanistan. "We will go back, we will do the seven-day integration, and we will be in a battle rhythm the entire time," he said. Jenkins said he will maintain regular report times for duty and daily physical training as soldiers reset at Fort Campbell before unit block leave starts in September. This will give troops a routine they're comfortable with, and will help to establish a normal sleep cycle at home, he explained. The military improves mission performance not only through technology, tactics and procedures, Jenkins said, but also through mindset. Resources are available to assist soldiers in their return to garrison and family life, he added, but the mindset they need is that it's their responsibility to use those resources. "We want to be proactive back there, we don't want to be reactive," the colonel said. "It is a collective effort." The brigade's senior enlisted leader, Command Sgt. Maj. William R. Hambrick Jr., told the assembled religious support teams their work is critical to the unit's success. "We've been deploying in this war on terror for a long time," he said. "We've been pushing these soldiers hard. But you are the people who advise the commanders on the pulse of the companies and battalions." Returning home is a risky time for soldiers, Hambrick said. In the past, drunk driving accidents and incidents of spouse and child abuse have spiked following Army redeployments. "That's because we let those soldiers go with a high-five at the ramp when we got home," he said. "We don't do that any more." Soldiers make the U.S. Army the best in the world, he said, and the effort the brigade chaplains are putting into managing redeployment issues demonstrates how the Army "gets after an issue" to keep the force strong. "When we put our minds to something, we always succeed," he said.

Related Sites: 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division  NATO International Security Assistance Force Related Articles: 101st Troopers Help Safeguard Paktika Province

Gates Urges Graduates to Consider Public Service

By Fred W. Baker III  American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON: U.S. public servants are the most dedicated, capable and honest in the world, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today during a commencement ceremony at Washington State University, in Pullman, Wash. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates addresses the audience during the Washington State University commencement ceremony, May 7, 2011. DOD photo by Cherie Cullen  The secretary, on the eve of his own retirement, used the podium to urge the graduates to consider dedicating at least part of their careers to some type of public service. Gates choked up briefly when recalling his most recent tenure as defense secretary, saying he will be forever thankful for the opportunity to lead today's military. And he was still visibly emotional in his closing as he issued a challenge to the 2,350 graduates. "And so I ask you ... will the wise and the honest among you come help us serve the American people?" Gates asked. Gates' plea came in contrast to earlier jokes about life within the Washington, D.C., beltway, as he often does in his speeches. "It's a special pleasure to be with you here today, especially since it gives me an excuse to get about as far away from the other Washington as one can get within the continental Unites States," Gates joked. Gates also joked about parents who will continue to shell out money even after their children graduate. And he acknowledged that he was the only obstacle between the graduates and their graduation parties. So Gates kept his promise to keep his speech short. But he packed the 15 minutes he spoke, with praise for the sacrifices of those who serve their country in and out of uniform. He quoted billionaires and film directors, an opera star and an actress, presidents and their parents. It was in his own words, however, based on a lifetime of public service, that the seriousness of the message crept. Now, more than ever, the United States needs the talents of its best and brightest, he said. "You are graduating in challenging times, of that there is no question," Gates said, citing a decade of war, a period of wrenching economic turbulence and a huge budget deficit and national debt. Gates said it is no surprise that recent polls show a souring of the public mood, with many Americans pessimistic about the trajectory of our country. But, Gates said, he has lived through times when such pessimism was as prevalent. In 1957, when Gates was a freshman in high school, the Soviet Union launched its Sputnik 1 into space, and Americans feared being left behind in the space race. Even more cause for worry was being left behind in the missile race, he said. In the 1970s the nation went through another period of questioning its place in the world, brought about by the angst over the Vietnam War and the OPEC oil embargo, followed by sky-high inflation and equally high interest rates, he said. And in the late 1980s America's growing fiscal and trade deficits left many worried that we would soon be taken over by Japan, Gates added. "I lived through each of these periods of declinism when many were convinced America was stuck in a downward spiral," Gates said. "And yet, after meeting the many challenges we faced head on, our nation emerged from each of these periods stronger than before, and I am convinced we will do so again. "Indeed today, as throughout our history, this country remains the world's most powerful force for good. The U.S. will, I am convinced, remain the indispensable nation, and our country will be able to adapt and overcome once again as it has in the past," he said. However, especially in times of fiscal constraint, the United States must come up with innovative solutions to the challenges it faces. "It is precisely during these trying times that America needs its best and brightest young people from all walks of life to step forward and bring their talents and fresh perspectives to bear on the challenges facing this country," Gates said. "Because while the obligations of citizenship in any democracy are considerable, they're even more profound and more demanding as citizens of a nation with America's global challenges and responsibilities, and America's values and aspirations," he said. Gates encouraged the graduates to find out what drives them, to find their passion and to pursue it with all of their energy and commitment. But he asked that they consider spending at least part of their careers in public service. "You will have a chance to give back to the community, the state, or to the country that has already given you so much," he said. Gates said that he understands that with today's political rhetoric, public service may not be appealing. "I understand that it can be disheartening to hear today's often rancorous and even tawdry political discourse," he said. "Too often those who chose public service are dismissed as bureaucrats or worse. And in many cases politicians run for office running down the very government they hope to lead." "Cynicism about the people and the institutions that govern and protect our country can be corrosive," he said. The secretary said he worries that too many of brightest young Americans, normally engaged in volunteerism, turn aside careers in public service. "There is another aspect of public service about which Americans hear very little," he said. "The idealism, the joy, the satisfaction and fulfillment." Gates, who served under eight U.S. presidents, said he has worked with political appointees and career civil servants of the highest quality, acting with steadfast integrity and love of country and what it stands for. The secretary applauded the efforts of today's all-volunteer military, saying that "over this past decade doing one's duty has taken on a whole new meaning and required a whole new level of risk and sacrifice." But, he added, "to serve our country you don't need to deploy to a war zone or a Third World country or be buried in a windowless cube in gothic structure by the Potomac River. "You don't have to be a CIA spy, or an analyst, a Navy SEAL who tracked down and brought down the most notorious terrorist in the world," he said. "Whatever the job, working in the public sector at some level offers the chance to serve your fellow citizens as well as learn the inner workings of our government and build skills that will stand you in good stead in facing other challenges in your career and in your life," he said. Gates said the graduates live in a time of "great necessities" when the America cannot avoid the challenges of addressing its domestic problems, or the burdens of global leadership. "The stakes are unimaginably high," Gates said. "If, in the 21st Century, America is to continue to be a force for good in the world, for freedom, justice, rule of law, and the inherent value of each person, then the most able and idealistic of our young people -- of you -- must step forward and accept the burden and the duty of public service. "I promise you that you will find joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment," he said. Gates' wife, Becky, is a Washington State University graduate and member of the College of Liberal Arts Advisory Council. Their son, Brad, is a 2003 graduate of the university. Gates has plans to retire in the state. (Issued on May 7, 2011)

Biographies: Robert M. Gates Related Sites: Photo Essay: Gates Speaks at Washington State University Commencement Washington State University

This is a curable type of cancer....save Twinkle

6yr old Twinkle (Hospital Number: C7313514) presented with a large swelling on her neck for the last 2 months. She was admitted 1 week ago and lymph node biopsy revealed Hodgkins Lymphoma (a type of blood cancer). This is a curable type of cancer with appropriate treatment with ABVD chemotherapy.

Her father is a daily wage labourer with 4 children who earns less than Rs 2500/- per month. The estimated expenditure of the treatment is approximately Rs. 1, 00,000/- over 6 (six) months.

This is to request the well wishers to come forward to help this girl.  You may please contact Clinical Haematology, Haemato-Oncology & Bone Marrow (Stem Cell) Transplant Unit, CMC, Ludhiana. Phone number: 0161-5037957, email: cmcbmt@gmail.com.

Gates Visits Littoral Combat Ship USS Independence

By Jim Garamone  American Forces Press Service NAVAL BASE MAYPORT, Fla, May 7, 2011 - Seeing one of the littoral combat ships in the flesh was one of the items on Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' bucket list, and he got to mark that off yesterdayfollowing a visit to the USS Independence here. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates tours the U.S.S. Independence, Littoral Combat Ship 2, in Mayport, Fla., May 6, 2011. Defense Department photo by Cherie Cullen  "This ship is the embodiment of the revolution in military affairs," Gates told the crew gathered in the ship's hangar. The crew size is just one aspect of the revolution Gates was talking about. There are only 40 crewmen (eight officers and 32 enlisted) who man a ship 104 feet wide by 418 feet long. The crew is augmented by sailors in charge of the various "packages" the ship takes aboard, and it can be configured for different missions. In its different configurations, the ship can perform anti-mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare and humanitarian relief. The ship can carry helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles or a mix of the two. It is a trimaran with a top speed of 44 knots, and while it is labeled the LCS-2, it is the first of its class. Much of the ship is aluminum, and several sailors spoke about how that means they don't have to paint it. The Navy plans to buy 55 of these littoral combat ships. Gates joked that the first Navy ship that bore the name USS Independence was bought in 1814 to fight pirates. The current Independence, which can operate in blue water and "green water" close to shore, will be handy in the same mission. "The more things change... " Gates quipped. The secretary received a tour of the ship with chiefs and petty officers explaining just how different the ship is from anything else the Navy has. The bridge is huge, and sailors don't steer with the typical wheel. Instead, the ship is steered at computer stations and a joy stick. The bridge is carpeted, and the ship is like a floating computer network. The berthing area is also a revelation with some rooms having two-men per room and others four. The crew is relatively senior, with the lowest-ranking person on the crew being a petty officer second class, and all personnel are trained in multiple jobs on the ship. In Mayport, the ship was at the end of a long dock with the traditional Arleigh Burke frigates. The first view of the ship is striking. One member of Gates' party noted that the ship looks like a floating Stealth Fighter. "It looks sinister," the secretary said. "That's a good thing."

Biographies: Robert M. Gates Related Sites: Special Report: Travels With Gates to Florida and North Carolina Photo Essay: Gates Visits USS Independence in Mayport, Fla. Naval Station Mayport

Airman Delivers Money, Goodwill

By Air Force Staff Sgt. R. Michael Longoria 
9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force Iraq
MOSUL, Iraq, May 6, 2011 - What is typically a three-hour trip turned into an 11-hour journey for an airman and his teammates when their mine-resistant, armor-protected vehicle broke down in the middle of an Iraqi village.

Air Force Senior Airman Jon-Nicos Walker, a military pay technician, helps a customer fill out financial paperwork at Contingency Operating Site Marez near Mosul, Iraq, April 12, 2011. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Andrew Lee

Air Force Senior Airman Jon-Nicos Walker, a military pay technician experiencing his first deployment to Iraq, and his fellow service members transited to the next available MRAP to continue their mission.
Despite the vehicle breakdown, Walker said he's glad his job enables him to travel around Iraq.
"This is my first time overseas and I'm glad to be serving in the role that I am," said Walker, who is assigned to the Air Force Financial Management Detachment 2 at Contingency Operating Site Marez near here. "Most people in my career field, when deployed, are usually stuck in an office all day, while I get to travel on a weekly basis."
Walker's detachment is responsible for 17 locations across northern Iraq. His job is different compared to that of most Air Force pay technicians, he said, because his unit works with the Army and offers all the services of a stateside military finance office.
"From our location here, we travel out to other checkpoints and offer the same services to the soldiers there," Walker explained. "Some places we visit weekly, while others only twice a month. I've been able to travel all over Iraq, via helicopter and ground convoy, to provide support to soldiers out in austere locations."
To date, Walker said he has helped more than 11,000 service members with various pay-related issues, including more than 850 military pay transactions. His detachment, he added, also is a test base for removing U.S. currency from the Iraqi economy. Instead of disbursing U.S. dollars, he said, the pay technicians are giving service members Iraqi money.
"The reason behind [disbursing dinars] is because using the U.S. dollar here isn't giving the Iraqi economy a chance to grow," Walker explained. "This gives [Iraqis] a chance to build up what they have, as opposed to counting on us and our dollar."
While the traveling is fun, Walker said, the interactions with his follow service members are the most rewarding.
"When we go out to those locations, we get a lot more appreciation from the soldiers," he said. "They just enjoy us being there. Even if they don't need anything, they still thank us for coming out. It's an uplifting experience."
Walker said he travels to locations where soldiers don't have base exchanges or post offices.
"They are outside working all day," he said. "So, it's good that we are here so they can bring their stuff directly to us. We are right here so they can come and talk to us if there are any [pay] issues."
Since he is on a joint expeditionary tasking, Walker said he realizes that he is experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"I'm actually rolling outside the wire," Walker said. "I've talked to the senior NCOs back at Grand Forks [Air Force Base, N.D.], and they've never had the chance to do some of the things I'm getting to do here."

Face of Defense: Marine Leads Team to Safety

By Marine Corps Cpl. Adam T. Leyendecker 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force FORWARD OPERATING BASE PAYNE, Afghanistan,  - For much of their deployment, Marines of the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion have found an insurgent force that was reluctant to fight them toe to toe. Rather, the enemy has relied more on improvised explosive devices and indirect fire. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jesse K. Knerr led a five-member fire team to safety during an April 20, 2011, ambush in Afghanistan. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Adam T. Leyendecker  But on April 20, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jesse K. Knerr, section leader for the battalion's 3rd Platoon, E Company, and a native of Portland, Ore., found that when insurgents have their backs against the wall, they are left with no choice but to fight. The mission of the day was to search an area that hadn't yet been explored by coalition forces but was suspected of being a site for insurgent fighting positions. When Knerr and his fire team patrolled the area, they found structures made of rock that blended into a mountain ridge. This differed from the buildings they were accustomed to seeing, which mainly were mud huts. Knerr signaled for his team to search the structures, where they found battery packs, rocket-propelled grenades, enemy propaganda and half-eaten meals that were still warm. After radioing in the intelligence, Knerr and his team followed a trail that led up the ridge to a small cave with an even bigger cave about 100 yards above it. As they walked up the ridge, the team found fighting positions all along it. Suddenly, they began taking small-arms fire from insurgents in the bigger cave, only about a football field's distance away from their positions. The fire team immediately found cover. At around 4:30 p.m., Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Yobani Tejada, the platoon sergeant, got a radio call from Knerr stating that his team was engaged by enemy fire on the ridge. Tejada, who was in a light armored vehicle at the bottom of the mountain, told the Marines to find cover so they could provide fire from their turret and call in air support. Knerr realized he had to come up with a plan that would get his Marines out of there safely. Spotting an area that supplied sufficient cover, Knerr directed the Marines to suppress the enemy's fire while each of them advanced toward the area. After the Marines were clear, Knerr radioed back to Tejada, who had two vehicles simultaneously suppressing the enemy's fire. The insurgents returned fire with rocket-propelled grenades, but came no closer than about 100 yards from the vehicles. Air support arrived in the form of F-18s, which destroyed the enemy positions. Afterward, Knerr said he was thankful that he and his fire team made it out safely. "I knew that we all had to come together at that very moment when we were under fire and execute my plan perfectly, or lives could be lost," he said. "In a situation like that, there is no room for error." Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Joshua I. White, a corpsman who was with the fire team, said he and the other fire team members credit Tejada with preparing them for the situation. "He's always told us to strengthen our mind, or we'll lose it," White said. (Issued on May 5, 2011}

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force