Vietnam War @ MindSay

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

 

July 10, 2008 - Defense officials today pointed to the 13th consecutive month of recruiting success as a sign that the all-volunteer force, now 35 years old, remains solid. Recruiting and retention statistics for June, released today, show that all services met or exceeded their active-duty recruiting goals. The June figures mark more than a full year of across-the-board recruiting successes.

 

Pentagon spokeswoman Eileen Lainez said this trend, particularly during a protracted conflict, demonstrates the strength of the all-volunteer force.

 

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, expressed appreciation earlier this week for military recruiters and the big role they play in filling the ranks in a challenging recruiting environment. He noted during his June 8 visit with enlisted troops in Mosul, Iraq, that only 30 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 are eligible for military service.

 

"I've seen tremendous success in recruiting all across the services," he told the troops during an "all-hands call" at Forward Operating Base Marez. "My hat goes off to those who recruit as they continue to make their numbers from month to month."

 

The June recruiting and retention figures reflect recruiters' hard work and young people's continued willingness to step up and serve, Lainez said. The Army signed up 9,365 new soldiers in June, 101 percent of its 9,250-soldier goal. The Marine Corps recruited 4,531 Marines, topping its monthly goal of 3,934 recruits by 15 percent. The Navy met its goal of 4,209 sailors, and the Air Force brought in 2,203 airmen, six recruits over its June goal.

 

In the reserve components, the trend lines remained positive as well, Lainez said. The Army National Guard recruited 5,290 soldiers in June, 100 percent of its goal. The Marine Corps Reserve reached its goal with 1,054 recruits. Despite falling 1 percent short of its June goal, the Army Reserve, with 3,138 new recruits in June, stands at 108 percent of its year-to-date goal, Lainez said.

 

The Air National Guard recruited 910 airmen, 119 percent of its June goal, and the Air Force Reserve met its 690-airman goal. The Navy Reserve and Air Force Reserve both met their June goals, recruiting 725 sailors and 690 airmen, respectively.

 

Meanwhile, retention remained strong in the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, Lainez said, with each service meeting or exceeding its year-to-date goals.

 

Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, praised troops' commitment to continue serving as he re-enlisted 1,215 servicemembers during a Fourth of July ceremony in Baghdad.

 

"Volunteering to continue to serve our nation while deployed is both noble and inspiring," he said. "It is, as award citations often state, in keeping with the finest traditions of our military services."

 

July 1 marked the 35th anniversary of the U.S. armed forces consisting solely of volunteers. Until July 1973, the military operated under an involuntary draft policy to produce manpower to fight the country's wars. Draftees served during both world wars, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

 

Since then, volunteers have served the armed forces through peacetime and war, including the Cold War and conflicts in Panama, Grenada, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, the Persian Gulf and elsewhere around the world.

 

Bill Carr, deputy undersecretary of defense for military personnel and policy, said the all-volunteer force has continued to prove itself during ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

"There were concerns about how today's fight would affect retention, and yet, retention has been as strong as any period in our history," he said on the all-volunteer force's 35th anniversary. "Volunteers want to serve; their performance is strong, their behaviors are strong, and their discipline is high."

 

Their choice to become members of the armed forces "speaks volumes for the dedication and loyalty of our nation and its volunteers," Carr said.

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

 

July 10, 2008 - Patriotism runs high at Chick and Ruth's Delly, a mainstay along the Maryland capital's Main Street. Ted Levitt, the deli's owner, starts each morning leading patrons as they recite the Pledge of Allegiance. A huge flag hovers high over the lunch counter, and yellow-and-orange walls are covered with photos of troops in uniform. Now Levitt has a new addition: a fully restored 1931 Buick, airbrushed with the faces of 43 heroes who have served the country in the armed forces or as police officers, firefighters and other first responders.

 

Levitt hopes to use his labor of love, which he's named "Faces of Valor USA," to raise money for scholarships and financial assistance for or in honor of those wounded or killed while performing their duty.

 

The red, white and blue car took two and a half years to restore and made its debut appearance during Annapolis' Fourth of July Parade. Now Levitt is lining up events where he can showcase the car to raise funds to help those who have sacrificed for their country and the families some of them left behind.

 

Levitt said he got the idea to personalize his project after the parents of Marine Capt. Ben Sammis stopped into his deli to tell him that their son had been killed conducting helicopter rescues in Iraq. Sammis graduated from The Citadel in South Carolina, but met Levitt when he frequented Chick and Ruth's Delly while attending a U.S. Naval Academy program.

 

Devastated to hear of his death, Levitt asked Beth and Steve Sammis for permission to use their son's face on his car.

 

Levitt took the project farther, ultimately choosing 43 people to depict on his car and bring faces to the concepts of sacrifice and service. In addition to 15 firefighters killed in New York during the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the Faces of Valor project highlights troops who have served in operations from the Vietnam War to the war in Iraq.

 

Levitt knows all but the New York firefighters personally, from his cousin, Army Chief Warrant Officer Stewart Goldberg, who was killed when his helicopter was shot down in Vietnam in July 1969, to Master Sgt. Karl Allen, a local businessman who retired from the reserve components after three deployments.

 

The face of Army Capt. D.J. Skelton, a Chick and Ruth's Delly patron, appears with his left eye closed; he lost it during a rocket-propelled-grenade attack while serving with 25th Infantry Division in Fallujah, Iraq, in November 2004.

 

But Levitt said he intentionally chose to use not only faces of those wounded or killed in the line of duty.

 

"This is a tribute, not a memorial," he said of the Faces of Valor project. "A lot of people think you have to have been killed to be honored, but that's not the point here. What matters is that these people put their lives on the line every day to protect us. It's because of them that we get to live the lives we live."

 

Levitt said he wants people who see the car to focus on each face and recognize the sacrifices so many people make so Americans can live in safety and enjoy freedoms some only dream about.

 

"These are the men and women who allow us to live in freedom, to do any kind of job we want and allow our constitution to live on," he said. "It's because of them that we get to do what we do."

 

At age 51, Levitt said, he remembers the protests and abuse that awaited many Vietnam veterans when they returned from that war, and said he wants to ensure that never happens to today's returning troops.

 

"They need to be treated as heroes," he said. "And for those who need help, they need to know that they will be taken care of. We owe them that."

Military hosts training exercise today in Juneau [Wisconsin]

“A clandestine operation for manufacture of weapons of mass destruction in Juneau? That’s the impression some Dodge County residents may have while watching the Wisconsin National Guard and the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office storm the vacant high school on the south side of Juneau this morning during a training exercise. ‘The unit being evaluated is the 54th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team (WMD CST),’ said Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls, who also holds the rank of colonel in the Wisconsin National Guard. ‘This is a highly specialized 22-person unit that is available to first responders to handle nuclear, chemical and biological hazards that are outside the capabilities of the local communities. The vehicles and equipment are very impressive.’” (FDL Reporter; 03June08)

http://www.fdlreporter.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080603/FON0101/80603088/1985

 

UB [University of Buffalo, New York] art professor Kurtz plans exhibit on terror raid at his home

“After beating federal prosecutors and agents in the courtroom, Buffalo art professor Steven J. Kurtz is about to take them to task in an art exhibit. An exhibit focusing on a 2004 raid by an anti-terrorism task force on Kurtz’s home will debut Saturday in the Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, 341 Delaware Ave. […] Kurtz, 49, is an artist and University at Buffalo professor who was indicted on mail fraud and wire fraud charges after the Western New York Joint Terrorism Task Force accused him of illegally obtaining bacteria. The bacteria were found in a laboratory in Kurtz’s Allentown home after police were called to investigate the death of Kurtz’s wife, Hope, in May 2004.” (The Buffalo News; 03June08; Dan Herbeck)

http://www.buffalonews.com/entertainment/story/361272.html

 

HHS [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services] announces preparedness grants for public health, hospitals

“The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced that it is allocating states and major metropolitan areas $1.1 billion to strengthen public health preparedness and help healthcare facilities respond to emergency events such as an influenza pandemic or terrorist attack. […] HHS earmarked $1.1 billion for two related cooperative agreement programs: Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP), administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP), managed by the HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR).” (CIDRAP; 03June08; Lisa Schnirring)

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/panflu/news/jun0308funding-jw.html

 

Police Raid Ishihara Sangyo Over Toxic Gas Production [Tsu, Mie Prefecture]

“Police on Monday raided Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha Ltd. on suspicion that the Japanese chemical maker violated a law banning chemical weapons by making a toxic gas without taking legally required steps. In response to a criminal complaint filed Friday by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Mie Prefecture's police searched the firm's Yokkaichi plant in the western Japan prefecture and head office in the western Japan city of Osaka. The Yokkaichi plant produced 170 tons of phosgene, a toxic gas which can be used to make chemical weapons, between February 2005 and October 2006 without making necessary reports to the authorities.” (Red Orbit; 02June08; Jiji Press English News Service) http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1413361/police_raid_ishihara_sangyo_over_toxic_gas_production/

 

Russia Destroys 10,500 Tonnes of Chemical Weapons

“During the third stage of the chemical weapons destruction programme, Russia has destroyed 10,500 tonnes of toxic substances, the head of the federal directorate for safe storage and destruction of chemical weapons, Valeriy Kapashin, has told journalists on Tuesday [3 June]. ‘As of now, we have destroyed 10,500 tonnes of toxic substances,’ he said. By the end of2009 Russia should recycle and destroy 18,000 tonnes of toxic substances, or more than 40 per cent of its stock of chemical weapons.” (Red Orbit; 04June08; Interfax-AVN) http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1416012/russia_destroys_10500_tonnes_of_chemical_weapons/

 

Wildlife refuge at [Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Colorado] to reopen to public June 14

“A wildlife refuge at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal will reopen to the public on June 14 after a cleanup at a spot where a chemical weapon was detected last year. Health and environment officials said Monday that excavation work has been completed and groundwater monitoring wells have been installed in a restricted part of the arsenal once used to dispose of chemical agents. That area will remain closed to the public. The Army started manufacturing chemical weapons in 1942 at the 27-square-mile arsenal 11 miles northeast of downtown Denver.” (Examiner; 02June08) http://www.examiner.com/a-1420793~Wildlife_refuge_at_arsenal_to_reopen_to_public_June_14.html

 

Army: US chemical weapons incineration on track in [Anniston, Alabama]

“The Army says it's about halfway done destroying tons of deadly chemical weapons in east Alabama. And so far, so good. A huge incinerator at the Anniston Army Depot is nearly half finished burning nerve agents that have been stored in dirt-covered bunkers since the Cold War. And incinerator officials say the most dangerous agents were destroyed first and most of the risk to the community has been eliminated.” (WRCB TV; 04June08; Associated Press)

http://www.wrcbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8429402

 

Some [Air Force chemical] mobility bag gear expired, missing

“The next time someone hands you a deployment mobility bag filled with chemical warfare protection gear, check the expiration dates. The Air Force Audit Agency found that more than half the mobility bags opened by an inspection team were not correctly stocked. The same investigation found that many bags were missing items such as gas mask canisters and chemical protection suits or had gear stored beyond expiration dates.”

(Air Force Times; 04June08; Bruce Rolfsen) http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/06/airforce_mobility_bags_060308w/

 

Ahura Scientific's FirstDefender Now Available Through 2008 CEDAP

“Ahura Scientific, Inc., a leader in rugged, ultra-compact handheld instruments for chemical identification, announced today that it has been selected for the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Commercial Equipment Direct Assistant Program (CEDAP) for the second year in a row. Designed to complement other DHS grant programs, CEDAP enables acquisition of critical terrorism response equipment by smaller jurisdictions nationwide.” (Ahura Scientific; 02June08)

http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=863306

 

Pool [University of Leeds] professor honoured for work on chemical weapons ban

“A peace protesting [sic] professor from Pool-in-Wharfedale has been honoured for helping to achieve an international ban on chemical weapons. Professor Alastair Hay, whose political activity stretches back to demonstrating against the Vietnam War, has been campaigning for the end of the use of chemical agents in weapons for 17 years.” (Wharfedale & Airedale Observer; 03June08; Jim Jack) http://www.wharfedaleobserver.co.uk/news/newsroundup/display.var.2316535.0.pool_professor_honoured_for_work_on_chemical_weapons_ban.php

 

Pentagon charges [Binyam Mohamed] 'dirty bomb' conspirator

“Pentagon prosecutors have charged an Ethiopian-born prisoner with conspiring to commit terrorist attacks in the United States, including planning to use a radioactive ‘dirty bomb,’ according to documents released on Tuesday. The charges against Guantanamo prisoner Binyam Mohamed, who had been a legal resident of Britain since 1994, were filed last week and made public on Tuesday.” (Reuters; 03June08; Paul Eckert)

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN03387564

 

U.S. Official Says World Needs Tools to Fight Spread of Weapons

“The Bush administration is committed to upholding arms-control treaties while also pursuing counterproliferation tools to prevent the illicit spread of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. Acting Under Secretary of State John Rood said this administration signed the 2002 Moscow Treaty to further reduce U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear weapons and proposed a Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty in the Conference on Disarmament in 2006. But it also sees great value, he said, in finding ways for compatible countries to deter proliferation by other means.” (News Blaze; 04June08; Jacquelyn S. Porth) http://newsblaze.com/story/20080604075639tsop.nb/newsblaze/WORLDNEW/World-News.html

 

CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.

 

Now I know John Kerry is not in the Presidential hunt in 2008; however when I read an interview of a fellow captive with John McCain in North Vietnam’s torture prison camp known as Hanoi Hilton, I immediately thought of the difference of what a Dem thinks of decorated hero and what real Americans think decorated heroes are.

 

Supporters of Kerry’s war record are those that directly served on his boat and the reports given and written by Kerry himself in which top brass read then awarded citations of valor and medals. So there are documented facts yet different interpretations of those facts exist. There is a mystery of Kerry’s discharge from the Navy itself. The thing is serious some dispute of the validity of the documentation. So even after the long delay of Kerry allowing his war record to be released, doubters of Kerry’s war record have a good foundation to doubt. Besides a true American hero does not trash his fellow military comrades directly after leaving the Service if he indeed performed the acts the disputable documentation portrays.

 

It is no wonder that Kerry is part of the cut-n-run crowd which is actually a disappointing huge amount of people, not just Democratic Party politicians.

 

So I have taken one more shot at Senator Kerry for this reason. There is man running for President in 2008 who also is Vietnam Vet and there is little mystery of his heroism during the war or after. That candidate is Republican John McCain.

 

There are Leftists that are trying to debunk McCain’s war record attempting to do a Left Wing version of Swift Boating. However there is little mystery in facts and the conclusions that follow as with John Kerry. After the Vietnam War, McCain did NOT jump on the “I HATE AMERICA” Left Wing gravy train to infamy as Kerry did.

 

I found this website that is blatantly stinging toward John McCain record as a POW throwing doubt on the veracity of McCain’s medals. It reads like the words of vets in the John Kerry mold; i.e. veterans that hate their nation and their Service. Then the site links to another person who offers his negative opinion.

 

The site unwittingly mentions that Colonel George “Bud” Day nursed McCain back to health after being taken as a POW.

 

Oops! Bud Day does NOT corroborate the website’s disdain for McCain’s heroism. READ HERE. (McCain’s military records – HERE.)

 

JRH

 

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

 

May 6, 2008 - President Bush presented six military spouses the Presidential Volunteer Service Award today for exceptional support to their communities and the nation. Bush made the presentation as 1,100 military spouses gathered for a Military Spouse Recognition Day celebration on the White House South Lawn.

 

This year's awardees were: Colleen Saffron, an Army wife; Ramona Vazquez, a Coast Guard wife; Bob Davidson, an Air Force husband; Ellen Patton, a Navy wife; Dawnle Scheetz, an Army Reserve wife; and Kaprece James, a Marine Corps wife.

 

"The six individuals we honor here today have earned the respect of our nation. They represent thousands of other military spouses that make significant contributions to our country," Bush said. "So we honor six, but we say thanks to millions. Our country appreciates the service and devotion."

 

Bush shared the award-winning spouses' accomplishments and the "little extra" they have done to serve their communities and the nation.

 

Colleen Saffron founded "Operation Life Transformed" after her husband, Terry, was injured in May 2004 serving in Iraq. The nonprofit group trains families of wounded troops so they can work from home while caring for their loved ones.

 

"To date, Operation Life Transformed has helped more than 30 spouses and caregivers get the funding and support they need for new and flexible careers," Bush said. "And so Colleen, America can't thank you enough [for helping] our wounded troops and their families."

 

Ramona Vazquez founded "Nate's Open Door Baby Pantry" in honor of a Coast Guardsman she had befriended who died in Iraq, becoming the first Coast Guardsman killed in military action since the Vietnam War. The program provides diapers, formula, clothing, toys and furniture to military members and civilians at no charge.

 

"Ramona, America's proud of you. I'm proud of you," Bush said. "I have a feeling that Nate is looking down on great pride today as well."

 

Bob Davison has made a difference everywhere his wife Lisa's Air Force career has taken her during the past 12 years, Bush said, rattling off examples. While stationed at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, Davison raised $10,000 for the local Fisher House. At Lakenheath, England, he raised nearly $120,000 for short-term food aid for military families facing tough times. At Scott Air Force Base, Ill., he was a volunteer with Operation Home Front, a national nonprofit group that helps needy military families. Most recently, he works with Operation Home Front at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss., where he's raised more than $350,000 in donations, including more than 1 million phone card minutes for deployed servicemembers.

 

"Lisa Davison is a leader in the United States Air Force," Bush said. "Bob Davison is a leader in America's armies of compassion."

 

Ellen Patton's husband, Mark, is a Navy captain, and her son, Eric, a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. "She loves her military, she loves her boys, and she loves to sew," Bush said. "So she put these ... loves together and began to volunteer with Quilts of Valor Foundation."

 

The group provides wartime quilts to every single servicemember wounded during the war, and Patton personally has made 80 quilts for wounded troops and veterans, Bush noted. She also tracked down many of the sailors injured during the 2000 attack on USS Cole.

 

"Ellen says that when she sees troops coming home with terrible wounds, she wants to provide them with some healing in knowing that they are appreciated," the president said. "So, Ellen, we thank you for what you do to wrap our soldiers in quilts made with such loving hands."

 

Dawnle Scheetz learned of terrible conditions young Iraqi children endured when her husband, Army Reserve Maj. Larry Scheetz, deployed in 2006. In response, she started Operation Schoolhouse, a project to collect school supplies and clothing and toys for poor children in Afghanistan and Iraq. Over an eight-month period, Scheetz collected 5 tons of supplies, all packaged and shipped to the front lines and distributed by U.S. troops.

 

"Here's something even more impressive: She's doing it while fighting breast cancer," Bush told the group. "So Dawnle, your service has changed young lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. Your service has inspired the whole nation. We all pray for a speedy recovery, and we honor you here at the White House."

 

Kaprece James has been "a force of nature" since arriving at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif., with her husband, 2nd Lt. Rodney James, Bush said. She immediately volunteered for the American Red Cross and has sent more than 100 emergency messages to deployed servicemembers.

 

She developed the first year-round youth leadership program to teach professional leadership and interviewing skills. She raised money so young people could assemble 500 disaster kits for enlisted Marine families and founded a newsletter for deployed Marines' families. All the while, she was a cheerleading coach for children on base.

 

"Phew!" Bush said, drawing laughter before he turned serious.

 

"Kaprece, we honor you," he said. "We honor your enthusiasm, we admire your dedication to the corps, and we thank you for the example you've set."

 

Bush conceded that military spouses' contributions don't always get the attention they deserve. "But I can tell you that every one of your efforts matters," he said. "You do not do this only for your loved ones who are serving and sacrificing in distant lands, but for your entire community and for our country.

 

"Your dedication, compassion and selflessness play a vital role in uplifting spirits," he said, "and our nation is deeply in your debt."