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News Archives For October 2008
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Monumental Change in Diversity
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 Few women who served in the Women's Army Corps are still in uniform today. Only those who have served at least 30 years have the distinction as former WAC Soldiers and can remember a time when they served under Pallas Athene collar insignia. 
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Sexual Assault Prevention Web Site
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 The I. A.M. Strong campaign seeks to change the culture of the Army by stamping out sexual assaults and the sexually offensive language and gestures that create an abusive environment, said Col. Jon Dahms, chief of Planning Support, Army Public Affairs.
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‘Operation Education’ for Vets
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 One decision turned Chase Clark’s life upside-down, but another is helping him realize the dreams he didn't think were possible. While still in high school in rural Blackfoot, Idaho, Clark signed up for the Army National Guard because of the great benefits...
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Amputee Returned to Iraq
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 Master Sgt. William “Spanky” Gibson is one of three Marines selected for the first staff NCO congressional fellowships under new Marine Corps parameters for its part in the Defense Department congressional fellowships program.
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Marathon to Support Troops
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 As they have for the past 32 years, nearly 20,000 runners gathered at the Marine Corps War Memorial here to tackle the 26.2 miles of the 33rd Marine Corps Marathon on Oct. 26. Among the runners were many individuals and teams who participated...
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Deadline to Make Wishes Come True
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The deadline is tomorrow for servicemembers to apply for the Sears “Heroes at Home Wish Registry.” Sears has expanded the popular program, enabling America to fulfill holiday wishes for up to 20,000 servicemembers and their families.
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Soldiers Rehabilitate Public Park
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 Dover Park, as it is known by Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers, sat abandoned for years. Located in the Qahira neighborhood of Baghdad’s Adhamiyah district, its carnival rides were unusable, and the land was overgrown with weeds.
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Commander Shows Warrior Ethos
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 He comes to work here every day ready to lead and set the standard for the soldiers who work for him. He diligently performs all of his administrative duties as the 21st Signal Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company commander...
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Suicide Study Begins
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The Army and the National Institute of Mental Health have begun a five-year, $50 million research program into the factors behind soldier suicides and how to prevent them, Army Secretary Pete Geren told reporters at the Pentagon yesterday.
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Soldiers who Deployed is Honored
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 Friends, family members and community supporters gathered Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008 in Shelbyville for a Freedom Salute to honor the 2-238th General Support Aviation Battalion for their service in Iraq.
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TSP Participants to Stay Calm
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Defense Department civilians and military members who participate in the Thrift Savings Plan should try to stay calm after recent stock market gyrations have reduced many retirement account balances, senior officials said.
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Iraq Agreement Resolution
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The United States is holding out hope that issues delaying a status of forces agreement with Iraq will be resolved before the United Nations Security Council resolution authorizing U.S. forces there expires Dec. 31.
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Caregivers Education Program
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When injured servicemembers return home after spending time in a hospital or rehabilitation center, family members often take on the role of caregiver. While this new role can be rewarding for some, to others it can be a daunting task.
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Hub for Air Mobility Operations
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There is more to flying a mission than just hopping on the aircraft and cranking the engines. Air Mobility Command’s 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center here is the nexus for the global air mission for the U.S. military.
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Operation Gratitude
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 During the last weekend before the Presidential Election, Operation Gratitude will continue its Holiday Drive to send 70,000 care packages to troops deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and on ships in the Persian Gulf.
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Dogs, Handlers Share Special Bond
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 A military working dog team here is waiting to find out whether a canine warrior will be awarded the Combat Action Badge. Army Staff Sgt. Cully Parr was deployed to Afghanistan with Rex, an 11-year-old Belgium Malinois shepherd, when they were attacked by insurgents.
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$2 Million in Grants for Children
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"The Our Military Kids grant program has been a wonderful way for Americans to thank our men and women serving our country overseas by providing direct and tangible support to their children at home.
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Linguists Learn Language Skills
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 Foreign languages are vital to an effective military force, the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center’s provost said in an interview here. “It’s absolutely vital that we have people on the ground who can speak [the native language]."
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World War II Hero Motivates Soldier
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 A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier from the 10th Mountain Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team who draws his motivation from a World War II hero joined the exclusive company of soldiers who have earned membership in the Sgt. Audie Murphy Club here in September.
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Missing Ingredients for Combat Prep
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 Recipe for pre-deployment training: Add one hour rules of engagement, one hour law of war, two days combat marksmanship, and more than 100 hours of basic infantry training. This may seem like a lot, but...
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Leading the Way
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 Throughout military history, women have proudly served their nation and even though it was a struggle, they continued to serve while simultaneously striving for equality in the force. In June 2008, Lt. Gen. Anne E. Dunwoody was...
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Afghan National Security Forces
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The Afghan police didn’t really start to reform until last summer, when U.S. troops began to mentor them. Progress has been gained in the professionalism of the Afghan Security Forces but there are issues that need to be addressed.
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Translator Assists Iraqis, Soldiers
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 Army Spc. Wilson Alnar does a lot of talking. That’s because he’s a translator with the Multinational Division Center Public Affairs Office. “It’s my job to be that bridge between the Iraqi people and the coalition forces,” said Alnar.
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Care Package Site Provides Ideas
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Whether you are a young soldier leaving boot camp for a tour in Germany or a seasoned military police officer working in Iraq, receiving a care package from home can be a huge pick-me-up. Web site launched in September...
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Extra Curriculum at DLI
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 Curriculum development is taken very seriously at the Defense Language Institute’s Foreign Language Center. It shapes what and how students learn languages. But that’s not to say the staff doesn’t know how to shake off the pressures.
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Trailers Display ‘Guard on the Move’
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 Along with the variety of camouflaged military vehicles that rolled along Louisiana’s roadways during hurricanes Gustav and Ike, two newly wrapped trailers, covered with an American flag design and National Guard logo, rushed to distribution points.
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Soldiers Help Iraqi Girl With Heart
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 From the color of her blue lips, she looked as though she might have savored one grape-flavored lollipop too many. She sang as she bounced, but her voice came out as wisps of air, as if she were playing a joke on her grandparents to force them to listen closely.
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Illinois Guard Trains for Mission
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 After a security check, the Humvees’ occupants headed toward a building where a planning meeting between U.S. military personnel and local village and tribal leaders would ensure fairness in upcoming elections.
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Gates Reflects on Service
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Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said he’ll leave his post satisfied he made a difference to ensure warfighters have what they need to succeed in Iraq and Afghanistan, with confidence that their leaders are being held accountable for their actions.
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Anniversary of Women Warriors
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 The Army will honor the achievements of its women warriors as part of a three-week "Celebration of Women in the Army." The commemoration coincides with the anniversary of the full integration of women into the Army 30 years ago.
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Officer Builds Bridges in Afghanistan
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 Every Afghan soldier on a base in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, wants to shoot at Army Capt. Nathan Iglesias. Luckily for Iglesias -- a proficient speaker of the Afghan language Dari -- these volleys come in the form of questions, not bullets.
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Draft Agreement with Iraq
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The Pentagon remains focused on getting a status of forces agreement with Iraq, and not on contingency plans, despite the Iraqi government’s reluctance to come to a resolute position regarding the draft agreement.
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Employee Rises Above Disability
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 Puyans was diagnosed at age 3 with diastrophic dysplasia, a rare cartilage and bone disorder that causes joint pain and restricts movement. Those who have the disorder have a short stature with very short arms and legs, commonly known as dwarfism.
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Soldiers Exercise Right to Vote
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As voters go to the polls to decide the U.S. presidential election and various federal, state and local contests Nov. 4, soldiers of Task Force Mountain will be making their voices heard, many of them thanks to their unit voting assistance officers.
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Effort to Hire More Wounded Warriors
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 In the past four years, 43 Soldiers wounded in action have been hired as civilian employees Army-wide, G-1 officials at the Pentagon said. But they emphasized that new initiatives have the potential to bring many more veterans and their spouses into federal service.
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Full-Time Manning, Controlled Grades
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An increase in full-time manning for the Army National Guard and controlled grades for both the Army and Air National Guard were included in the 2009 National Defense Authorization Act signed by President Bush on Oct. 14.
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Terrorism Suspects Apprehended
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Coalition forces detained 12 suspects, including members of Iranian-backed illegal militias and the Kataib Hezbollah terrorist group, in operations throughout Iraq today, military officials reported.
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Deployed Mom Finds Inspiration
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 A mother’s job is not easy duty, especially for a soldier mom serving in Iraq, thousands of miles away from home. That’s why one servicemember looks to her own mother to help with her four children.
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Ceremony for Bombing Victims
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 Twenty-five years ago, Marine Lance Cpl. Jeffrey Nashton lay broken, burned and blind in a military hospital bed in Germany, the victim of a brutal terrorist attack that nearly killed him. A nurse told Nashton that a Marine Corps general was stopping by to pin on his Purple Heart.
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Wounded Warrior Care
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 Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates assured participants in the first Wounded Warriors Family Summit he will “continue to press forward with a sense of urgency” to provide top-level care and support for wounded warriors.
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Former WAC remembers
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 In August 1975, a headstrong 19-year-old woman in Washington State chose to break free from her family's mold. Without her parents' approval, she decided on a delayed entry into the Women's Army Corps.
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Incentives to Soldiers
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A critical shortage of officers prompted the Army National Guard to offer recruiting incentives to its Soldiers through the Guard Recruiting and Assistance Program-Officers (GRAP-O).
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Group Helps Military Families
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 While on patrol in northern Iraq last year, Army Spc. Kevin Hardin of Jupiter, Fla., was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. He suffered injuries to his hands and arms. As a result, some of his fingers were amputated...
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Hospital Staff Delivers Afghan Baby
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 It was the middle of the night and pagers were going off inside Craig Joint Theater Hospital as staff scrambled to pull together the people and equipment needed for a successful procedure. Just after 5 a.m. Oct. 4, the hospital staff successfully delivered the first Afghan baby.
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Instructor's Passion for Teaching
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 When he graduated from Air Force basic training six years ago, he knew he'd be back one day, "pushing" his own flight of fledgling airmen through their first military paces. But he didn't know he would go to Iraq and help Iraqi basic training instructors.
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Operations Against al-Qaida
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Coalition and Iraqi troops hit the al-Qaida and Kataib Hezbollah terrorist groups during operations across the country. It is a sign of the progress in Iraq that most of the operations were intelligence-driven, officials said.
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Troops Well-Protected
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Servicemembers should not be concerned about the status of forces agreement between the United States and Iraq. The secretary told Pentagon reporters that the agreement has adequate protections for American servicemembers.
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First-Aid Products Could Save Lives
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 Test results from the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command’s Institute of Surgical Research showed Combat Gauze field bandages and WoundStat granules both demonstrated marked improvements.
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AfriCom Officials Note Milestones
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 Army Gen. William E. “Kip” Ward brought the celebration of U.S. Africa Command’s activation home to Germany today as he praised those who came together to stand the command up so quickly and urged them to continue working together so it can reach its potential.
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Russian Soldier Enjoys U.S. Army
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 Ayupov grew up in Ufa, Russia, about 100 miles southeast of Moscow. The city, founded in 1574, boasts more than 1 million residents and is an industrial center for electrical and mining equipment, oil refining, petrochemicals, synthetic rubber and processed foods.
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Financial Crisis has Implications
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The current global financial crisis is a far-reaching problem that has implications for the U.S. military and other organizations. Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright spoke to more than 150 business leaders...
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Judith Gilliom Dies
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 Judith C. Gilliom, a senior Pentagon civilian who for 25 years championed Defense Department programs for disabled employees and work force diversity, died at age 65 here yesterday, officials said.
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Pentagon Library More Accessible
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As goes technology, so goes much of the Pentagon Library’s collection, its chief of technological services said. “What we’re trying to do is to improve digital access,” Trudie Root explained. “We call it the ‘virtual library.’”
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Relief to Afghan Villagers
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 The rooms of an abandoned school once used to help children learn were recently used to help Afghans heal. Afghan forces and their U.S. Special Forces partners provided humanitarian assistance to the people of Arghandab.
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Life for Deployed Families
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 Seven women, all who have, or have had husbands deployed or frequently away on temporary duty, shared their experience with a room full of teachers and support staff at Patrick Henry Elementary School during a teacher in-service day Oct. 10.
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U.S. Toolbox to Confront Threats
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The war on terror, particularly in Afghanistan , has put the United States and its allies and partners to the test as they strive to apply both “soft-” and “hard-power” capabilities to ward off violent extremism, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here tonight.
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PRT's Are ‘Vital to Success’ in Iraq
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“PRTs are vital to the success of our missions; this administration strongly supports them,” Bush told assembled officials, before receiving an video-teleconferenced update on the PRT mission in Iraq provided by officials from Baghdad.
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Marine Father, Army Son Reunite
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 Army Sgt. Shane M. White, 22, based in Fallujah, Iraq, was participating in the shoot with the Marines at the invitation of their company first sergeant, 1st Sgt. Joseph C. Gray, who also happens to be White’s father.
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‘Very Important Patriots’ Recognized
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The National Military Family Association has announced the five recipients of its 2008 “Very Important Patriot” award, given for exceptional volunteerism. Recipients of the 2008 Very Important Patriot Award will receive a $1,000 prize and a trip for two to Washington, D.C..
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Forces Kill Al-Qaida's No. 2 Leader
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Coalition forces killed the second-ranking commander of al-Qaida in Iraq in a raid earlier this month, senior U.S. officials confirmed today. Abu Qaswarah was killed in an Oct. 5 raid in the northern Iraq city of Mosul.
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Bush to View Budget Law
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President Bush said yesterday he will construe restrictions imposed in the fiscal 2009 defense budget “in a manner consistent with the constitutional authority and obligations of the president.”
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Soldiers’ Emotional, Mental Fitness
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The Army has launched an initiative to include soldiers’ mental and emotional fitness, along with their physical form, as a comprehensive assessment of troop health. “Being ‘Army Strong’ is, in fact, being more than just physically fit."
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70,000 Care Packages for Troops
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Though Halloween still is about two weeks away, preparations have begun to make sure Operation Gratitude’s 6th Annual Holiday Drive ships 70,000 care packages to troops during the upcoming holiday season.
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Rancher Ropes in Top Warrior Title
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 A Montana National Guard noncommissioned officer, recently named as the Army National Guard’s NCO of the Year and the Army’s Warrior of the Year, said the best warrior is the one who knows when he needs help.
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Forces Keep Pressure on Terrorists
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Iraqi forces kept the pressure on terrorists over the past several days, capturing terrorists and shutting down their operations. Iraqi police shut down a terrorist-run improvised explosive device factory in Mosul.
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Fiscal Year Recruiting Goals Met
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All military services, including their reserve components, met their recruiting goals for fiscal 2008, marking one of the strongest recruiting efforts in four years, senior Defense Department officials announced today.
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Improving Technological Advances
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The U.S. military needs to continue working on technological advances to fight a pair of wars that are “winnable,” the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here yesterday.
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Future Humanitarian Operations
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The National Defense University is leading a coalition of businesses, foreign governments, nonprofit groups, universities, federal agencies and the U.S. military to assemble solutions for helping people who live in stressed environments.
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Germans, Americans Honor Troops
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 On that day, two C-199 Flying Boxcar planes collided in midair 45 miles south of here. One crashed in a field close to the village of Edelweiler. The other spiraled into the woods near Grömbach. Sixty-six American airmen and soldiers died.
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Deployed Troops Enjoy Movies
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 Microwavable popcorn, theater-style candy, sweetened powdered drink mix, a letter of support and a DVD are what deployed troops find when they open a “movie box” from Operation: Take a Soldier to the Movies.
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Absentee Voting Opportunities
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The FVPA administers the federal responsibilities of the Uniform and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act for DoD. Those voters include about 1.3 million military servicemembers and their families living in the United States and abroad, and U.S. citizens living overseas.
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‘Tremendous Success’ in Iraq
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Security and stabilization efforts in three southern Iraqi provinces are going well. Soldiers live among the Iraqi population and work very closely with the 10th Iraqi Army Division, Iraqi border enforcement units and Iraqi police on a wide variety of security tasks.
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Corpsman Pays Homage to Brother
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 Four years ago in the poverty-stricken neighborhoods here, Marines were attacked within minutes of beginning routine foot patrols. Fallujah’s citizens were strongly opposed to the presence of coalition forces, and a vicious insurgency devastated the city.
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Disabled Employees’ Contributions
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 Formerly known as the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act, AbilityOne works with private and public groups to provide goods and services to the government and jobs for the blind and other people who have severe disabilities, including wounded veterans.
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U.S. Army 'World’s Greatest Force’
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As the world’s most skilled counterinsurgency warfare force, the U.S. Army has been the catalyst for reduced violence in Iraq. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said several factors contributed to the reduction in bloodshed in Iraq...
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Preventing Civilian Casualties
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As a follow-on investigation into an operation by Afghan National Army and U.S. forces in western Afghanistan that claimed civilian lives nears completion, a senior defense official emphasized the U.S. military’s strong record of accountability.
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Reconstruction Team Aids Peace
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 Farah is no stranger to the destructive ravages of war. After 28 years of strife that included a long Soviet occupation, civil war and harsh Taliban rule, the people are tired and weary – yet anxious to rebuild
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Silver Star for Heroism in Afghanistan
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 Army Sgt. Gregory S. Ruske is quick to call himself an ordinary soldier, but later this month the Army Reserve will single him out for extraordinary heroism in Afghanistan that earned him the Silver Star medal.
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Threat Agency Marks 10 Years
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The agency marked its 10th anniversary last week. It is an agency that seems tailor-made to combat the threats the United States faces today: nuclear proliferation, chemical weapons and the possibility of genetically modified diseases.
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Downed U.S. Plane Contradictory
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One story he read claimed that an American military aircraft had unintentionally violated Iranian airspace and had been forced to land in Iran. A subsequent Iranian state television report stated that the plane that was forced to land in Iran was not a U.S. military plane.
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Effective Medical Engagements
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 In the ongoing effort to win the hearts and minds of Iraqis in western Anbar province, Regimental Combat Team 5 has been engaging local citizens with one of its most effective weapons systems: Marine Corps medicine.
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Soldier Serves as Jack of All Trades
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 The phone at the desk is ringing. At the same time, a soldier is hovering, asking for help with getting lights for an event to be held later. You can almost sense that a doorknob just broke somewhere or the air conditioning isn’t working.
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Texans Stock Soldiers’ Blessing Store
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 Unless they’ve been through it themselves, few people understand the hardships that U.S. soldiers endure in a combat zone, away from everything familiar in a foreign land, far away from the support systems of family, home and friends.
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Support for Missions in Afghanistan
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 Donations of school supplies and children’s clothing from military families and friends at home are helping soldiers in their mission to mentor and train the Afghan national security forces and support the Afghan people.
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2009 Will Be ‘Year of NCO’
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The Army will recognize the value of its enlisted leaders at all levels of command as it observes “The Year of the Noncommissioned Officer” in 2009. Geren made the announcement during the opening of the 2008 Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting.
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Care of Soldiers Primary Mission
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 He hasn’t always been a retention noncommissioned officer. In fact, he admitted he was a little leery at first about guiding soldiers down the path of re-enlistment. After all, he was on his first tour himself.
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Soldiers, Sailor Secure Safe Passage
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 A Military Transition Team from 1st Battalion, 64th Armored Regiment, attached to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Multi-National Division - Baghdad, continues its ongoing sponsorship of an Iraqi youth.
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State Department’s Highest Honor
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The State Department today conferred its highest award on the U.S. commander and diplomat who oversaw a dramatic drop in violence in Iraq and forged a model for future military-civilian partnership.
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Soldiers in Iraq Help Comrades Vote
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 Army Sgts. Asa Rubman and Rachel Littenberg, paralegal specialists assigned to the 4th Infantry Division’s Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, said they noticed some apathy among soldiers toward voting.
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Terrorist Detonates Suicide Vest
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A terrorist detonated a suicide vest Oct. 5 in Mosul as coalition forces were trying to capture a wanted man. Coaliton forces entered a building looking for the man and were shot at by enemy fighters. One man in the building detonated the vest he was wearing.
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Two U.S. Helicopters Collide
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Two U.S. helicopters collided Oct. 4 as they were landing at a coalition force base near Adhamiyah in northwest Baghdad. One Iraqi soldier died. Three U.S. soldiers and two Iraqi soldiers were injured.
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Increased Iraqi Army Capacity
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With terrorists on the run and violence down, coalition forces are now also able to concentrate on areas other than the battlefield, thanks to the improvement of the Iraqi security forces, a military official said yesterday.
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Top Military Spouse Nears End
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As the Oct. 8 deadline approaches, 252 Army spouses had been nominated at last count, along with 74 Navy and 70 Air Force spouses. The Coast Guard, with 22 nominations, was edging out the Marine Corps by one nominee.
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Remembered for ‘Giant Heart’
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 Affectionately known as “Big Jim,” James McCrindle had a Paul Bunyan-sized heart when it came time for taking care of soldiers and their families as general manager of the Armed Forces Recreation Center’s “Shades of Green” facility on the Walt Disney World resort.
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Army Guard NASCAR Racing
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 Many NASCAR fans are accustomed to seeing the National Guard name on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. Recently, however, the Guard added another driver and racing series to its roster.
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Opportunities for Military Spouses
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Military spouses often have a hard time finding employment, and even when they do, there’s little opportunity to continue their career because it’s only a matter of time before their servicemember spouse is transferred to another duty station.
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Health System Seeks Feedback
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Military Health System officials want wounded, ill or injured servicemembers and their families to respond to a new pair of questionnaires designed to help them better understand the needs and expectations of the warriors in their care.
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