News of the Force - Friday, August 6, 2010 - Page 1

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                                 Publishing the information you need to know!

                             

                                                    Friday, August 6, 2010

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NOTF story gets strong - and swift - reply from the CAP

    

    Our story in yesterday's Evening Edition about convicted felon CAP Lt. Col. William Lynch still serving in the CAP - now in its Washington (state) Wing, brought out a swift reaction from the Civil Air Patrol this morning.

    In a e-mailed response from a highly-placed CAP source this morning, the source told us: "Regarding Bill Lynch: the CAP did all that could be done. When Pineda allowed Lynch back in (Pineda granted Lynch a waiver – or more) the regulation regarding that says that the decision is final. If Lynch were to do anything worthy of termination of his membership [now], then he would be terminated, just like any other member. He was demoted, however, and nobody can mistake him for a CAP corporate officer, and he can never serve as a corporate officer of any type [including again becoming a wing commander]."

    NOTF knew that former national commander Pineda issued more than one such waiver for his "buddies," but when we first broke the Lynch story nothing was said about Lynch having received such a waiver from Pineda In fact, NOTF was told at the time that Lynch's CAP membership had been terminated. And, although he can "never be mistaken for a CAP corporate officer," the fact remains that he can still be mistaken for a CAP officer, and that, in itself, is tragic.

    Which brings up the question: How many CAP members had their memberships terminated for some alleged wrongdoing - or because they simply ticked off some self-important CAP officer with the power to dump them - but were not even convicted felons? Too many, apparently, but the CAP doesn't provide any figures on that.

    And, membership waivers for how many convicted felons have been granted by current CAP national commander Maj. Gen. Amy Courter? As far as NOTF has been able to determine, that number is: none.

    The Civil Air Patrol is a private, congressionally-chartered corporation that acts as an Auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force when requested by the Secretary of the Air Force. Head-quartered at Maxwell AFB, Ala., its Web site is at www.gocivilairpatrol.com .

 

The Army always seems to pick a world garden spot for training

    

    Alaska National Guard soldiers are currently preparing for Khaan Quest 2010, a multi-national training exercise at the Five Hills Training Area of Tavan Tolgoi, outside the city of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The exercise is scheduled to kick off with an opening ceremony Aug. 8 and will conclude Aug. 29.

 

Pentagon demands WiliLeaks return stolen documents

By Elaine Wilson, American Forces Press Service

    

    The Defense Department is demanding that WikiLeaks immediately return the stolen military documents in its possession, including 15,000 documents that the Web site has not yet published, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said yesterday.

    The department also wants the whistle-blower Web site to permanently delete all versions of these documents, which contain classified and sensitive information, from its Web site, computers and records, Morrell told reporters at a Pentagon briefing.

    "We are asking them to do the right thing," he said. "This is the appropriate course of action, given the damage that has already been done."

    The Web site recently published tens of thousands of classified documents spanning the January 2004 to December 2009 time frame. The documents detail field reports from Afghanistan and an alleged Pakistani partnership with the Taliban, and also include names of Afghan informants who work or have worked with the U.S. military.

    Last week's disclosure "has already threatened the safety of our troops, our allies and Afghan citizens who are working with us to help bring about peace and stability in that part of the world," Morrell said.

    Recent reports claim that WikiLeaks asked the department for help in reviewing these documents before releasing them to the public as part of a "harm minimization exercise," Morrell said. "WikiLeaks has made no such request directly to the Department of Defense," he said.

    The Defense Department is not yet sure which 15,000 documents the site is referring to, Morrell said. "We have some ideas and are doing some proactive work in the event that the documents we suspect they could be are indeed the documents they are threatening to post," he said, adding that the public disclosure of additional documents can only exacerbate the damage.

    Defense officials further are demanding that WikiLeaks cease its "brazen solicitation" of U.S. government officials, including the military, to break the law, Morrell said. If WikiLeaks does not comply with these demands, he added, Pentagon officials will look to other options to "compel them to do the right thing. This is an appropriate first step," Morrell said. "We will cross the next bridge when we come to it."

    The incident is a matter of interest to the U.S. government as a whole, not just the military, Morrell said. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates asked the FBI to investigate early on, and the Justice Department also is involved. The Pentagon has a task force of more than 80 experts - from the Defense Department as well as other agencies - working around the clock to find issues of concern, he said. When necessary, officials are notifying the appropriate entities, such as commanders in Afghanistan, Morrell said, and the Defense Department also is taking measures internally to reinforce existing rules and guidelines and boost vigilance.

    Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, condemned the leaks during a Pentagon briefing July 29.

 

FBI: New al-Qaida terror boss knows the U.S.

    The FBI special agent hunting Adrian Shukrjumah says the group's de-facto operations chief has dangerous American insight.

 

Relentless rains ground Pakistan flood relief

    

    Helicopters, including U.S. Army Chinooks on a politically-charged aid mission, have been rendered useless by the monsoons.

    The United States is continuing to aid flood victims in Pakistan while working with the Pakistani government to see if additional U.S. military support is required, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said yesterday.

    U.S. officials also are looking into the need to begin posturing forces to help, Morrell said.

    The floods in the northwestern part of the nation have killed more than 1,500 people so far, he said. The floods, caused by heavy monsoon rains, have affected an estimated 1.5 million people, and the rain continues in the region.

    Six U.S. helicopters – including four Army CH-47 Chinooks and two Army UH-60 Black Hawks - are in Pakistan supporting relief operations, Morrell said. As of yesterday, the aircraft had flown 18 sorties, he said, and evacuated about 800 people from flood-affected areas. They also have transported 66,000 pounds of relief supplies, he added, and, as of yesterday, delivered nearly 440,000 packaged meals that conform with Muslim law.

    Meanwhile, the Defense Department is ensuring it strikes a balance between the needs of Pakistan and operations in Afghanistan. The U.S. assets that have been deployed there have been taken from Afghanistan, Morrell explained. "We can do that for some period of time, but ultimately they are required in the theater of combat," he said. However, the United States will go to "extraordinary measures" to help the flood victims, he added. "We are looking at how to meet the demand in Pakistan without adversely impacting operations in Afghanistan," he said. "We will find a way - if we are needed - to balance both needs."

    Pakistani authorities have evacuated more than half a million people in southern Sindh Province, threatened by the worst floods in 80 years.

    The disaster has stoked popular anger at President Asif Ali Zardari, who left for state visits to Europe at the height of the crisis.

    The floods have swallowed up entire villages in the northwest of the country, killed over 1,600 people and devastated the lives of millions. The military has led flood relief efforts as state relief agencies don't have the resources to cope, but many people have been left to fend for themselves.

    The United States has pledged a major effort to help the millions hit by the floods. Experts say the disaster has provided Washington with a chance to reverse negative opinion of its role in the region.

 

As cement dries, BP mum on oil well's future

    

    The vast oil reservoir beneath BP's blown-out well could still be worth billions of dollars even after it spewed crude into the Gulf of Mexico for more than three months, but BP isn't saying whether it plans to cash in on this potential windfall.

    Carol Browner, the assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change, will visit St. Petersburg, Fla., for a roundtable meeting with community leaders today.

    Also today, researchers at the University of South Florida's College of Marine Science will be answering questions about the latest research mission in the areas impacted by the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

 

Boeing plans commercial 'space taxis' by 2013

    

An artist's rendering shows Boeing's Crew Space Transportation

(CST)-100 spacecraft approaching the International Space Station.

    The Boeing Co. plans to be ready to fly commercial space taxis from Cape Canaveral to the International Space Station by 2015 and soon will decide where the spacecraft will be manufactured and assembled, officials said yesterday.

    Designed to launch on United Launch Alliance Atlas or Delta rockets, or perhaps even SpaceX Falcon 9s, the spacecraft also are destined to fly to a commercial space station being developed by Bigelow Aerospace in Nevada.

    Four test flights - including three from Florida's Space Coast - are targeted to launch in late 2013 and 2014. Florida is competing with Alabama, Texas and Nevada for various parts of the spacecraft work. The number of jobs is still to be determined. Decisions on where work will be done are expected within three months.

    "We're going through the process of deciding not only where we will do the manufacturing, but where we will do the mission operations, the training, the sustaining engineering, the program management - all aspects of the program," said John Elbon, Boeing's vice president for commercial space programs.

    New jobs on the Space Coast would be welcome news at a time when NASA plans to retire its shuttle fleet after two or three more flights. Some 8,000 direct jobs at Kennedy Space Center - and more than 20,000 total positions - are expected to be lost as a result of the shuttle program shutdown.

    NASA in February committed to providing Boeing and its partner, Bigelow Aerospace, with $18 million in seed money for development of an Apollo-style capsule that would ferry up to seven people. Future funding depends on the outcome of NASA budget negotiations among the Obama administration, Senate and the House.

    The White House's proposed 2011 budget includes $812 million for commercial space flight projects, including $500 million for the development of the private taxis. Separate Senate authorization and appropriations bills would provide between $562 million and $612 million for commercial projects, including $300 million to $312 million for the privatized crew transports.

    The House authorization bill would reduce to $164 million the amount for commercial space projects, including only $50 million for work related to the development of space taxis. The bill also would provide for $100 million in loan guarantees.

    Boeing officials said the company already has achieved 22 of 36 development milestones laid out by NASA this year. Preparations are under way for a ground test of the spacecraft's launch abort system. Engineers are demonstrating the fabrication of the heat shield. Flight software is being developed, and landing drop tests are being conducted. The capsule's pressure vessel also will be tested this year along with guidance, navigation and life support systems.

    Pending congressional approval, NASA plans to issue a request for proposals for commercial crew transportation to the International Space Station late this year or early next year. Space taxi services probably will be procured from two contractors. Boeing aims to team up with a launch provider - likely the United Launch Alliance - to bid on the contract.

    Elbon said the NASA work and flights to Bigelow's planned Orbital Space Complex - an inter-linked series of inflatable laboratory modules - would provide enough of a market to "close the business case" on the development of the CST-100 capsule.

    The cost per seat would be competitive with the amount NASA pays to fly U.S. astronauts to the International Space Station on Russian Soyuz spacecraft, he said. NASA in April signed a $335 million contract to fly six astronauts on Soyuz crew transports in 2013 and 2014. Average cost per seat: $56 million.

 

McCollum, Scott square off in televised debate

    

McCollum and Scott square off in Tampa debate. (Photo

provided by Fox 13, WTVT-TV Tampa)

    Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, left, and Rick Scott, right, are running for the GOP nomination for governor.

    Last night was only their second face-to-face forum, and probably their last debate

before the primary.

 

Red Cross to hold preparedness drill

    

    The Lackawanna County, Pa., chapter of the American Red Cross will conduct a preparedness drill for volunteers and staff tomorrow, the agency said.

 

New campaign demands gay Proposition 8 judge be booted

    The openly-homosexual federal judge in California who overturned the state's
constitutional limitation of marriage to one man and one woman ignored a warning from the state's own Supreme Court about the coming chaos of polygamy and incest if same-sex "marriages" are established - and now is the target of an impeachment campaign.

 

Kagan confirmed, and opponents aren't happy

    

    A formal complaint has been submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court asking that Elena Kagan - the bench's newest occupant - be disbarred, and an attorney who submitted the request for a criminal investigation into her statements said the effort will be expanded also to seek her impeachment, following the U.S. Senate's 63-37 approval of her appointment yesterday.

 

New employees to be automatically enrolled in TSP

By April Rowden, Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs Office

    New legislation that called for automatic enrollment of newly-hired and eligible civilian federal employees, as well as certain re-hires, into the Thrift Savings Plan began Aug. 1.

    This automatic enrollment feature is in compliance with the June 22, 2009, TSP Enhancement Act, that authorizes federal agencies to establish automatic enrollment for all eligible Federal Employees’ Retirement System and Civil Service Retirement System employees. Affected civilian federal employees will have 3 percent of their base pay automatically deposited into their TSP account.

    The TSP is a tax-deferred retirement and savings plan for federal employees similar to 401(k) accounts in the private sector. The plan offers six different funds ranging from short-term U.S. Treasury securities to index funds comprised of domestic and international stocks.

    Employees may stop their contributions during their first pay period to prevent contributions from automatically being deducted from their pay. Employees may also request a refund of automatic contributions and associated earnings within 90 days of the date TSP receives the first automatic contribution.

    Re-hired employees who were separated for less than 31 days will not be automatically enrolled.

    Employees may change the percentage or amount of their contributions, or start or stop their contributions at any time.

    For employees covered by FERS, the Air Force will match dollar-for-dollar the first 3 percent of employees’ contributions from their base pay; the next 2 percent will be matched at 50 cents on the dollar.

    To learn more about the TSP or to make changes to your existing account, go to https://www.tsp.gov/index.shtml . Information can also be found by searching "TSP" on the AFPC's personnel services Web site.

    For more questions, Air Force employees may call the 24-hour Total Force Service Center at 1-800-525-0102, or DSN 665-5000.

 

ISF arrest one Kataib Hizbollah criminal associate in Baghdad
    

    The Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) arrested a suspected Kataib Hizbollah (KH) criminal associate during a joint security operation conducted in Baghdad today, U.S. Forces-Iraq (USF-I) has told NOTF.

    ISF and U.S. advisors searched a building for a suspected KH member allegedly involved in conducting attacks against ISF and Coalition forces. Information and evidence gathered at the scene led Iraqi forces to identify and arrest one suspected criminal associate, USF-I said.

 

U.S. Senate confirms Mattis for top Centcom post

By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Marine

Corps Gen. James N. Mattis as the next

commander of the U.S. Central

Command. (DoD photo)

    The U.S. Senate has unanimously confirmed Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis as commander of the U.S. Central Command.

    Mattis, who previously served as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander-Transformation and as the commander of the U.S. Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, Va., received the Senate nod late yesterday.

    Before adjourning for a five-week recess, the Senate also confirmed retired Air Force Lt. Gen. James R. Clapper as the director of national intelligence.

    In his new post, Mattis will oversee all U.S. military operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, including the war in Afghanistan and the draw-down of U.S. forces in Iraq.

    Mattis will replace U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, who left Centcom to replace Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal as commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. The Senate confirmed Petraeus to that position June 30.

    Mattis emphasized during his July 27 Senate confirmation hearing the need for continued military, civilian and regional cooperation to successfully drive out extremism. "The wars we are fighting require highly integrated military efforts from the highest to the lowest levels," he said. "If confirmed, I will make every effort to work closely with civilian and military leaders charged with leading our operations, and to ensure they are fully resourced in a coherent and comprehensive manner."

    Combating the threat requires sustained pressure from Coalition partners, he told the committee, promising to work to galvanize international support. Acknowledging that "the stakes are high," Mattis said he believes the military component of the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan is sound. "I believe that by steadfastly executing our strategy, we will win in Afghanistan," he said. "Nothing about the mission will be easy. We recognize that achieving our goals in Afghanistan requires also the enduring commitment of the international community."

    During an early July news conference, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates expressed great confidence in Mattis' capabilities for the top Centcom post. "General Mattis has proven to be one of the military's most innovative and iconoclastic thinkers," he said. "His insights into the nature of warfare in the 21st century have influenced my own views about how the armed forces must be shaped and postured for the future."

    Mattis served as the commander of the first Marine forces in Afghanistan in 2001. He also commanded the 1st Marine Division during the initial push into Iraq in 2003, then served as commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

 

From NOTF Tel Aviv

    President Obama's popularity in the U.S. has declined sharply this year and he's always been unpopular in Israel. But his numbers also have plunged the most in countries that had high hopes for change in the Middle East.

 

Britain's prime minister, Zardari agree to strengthen ties

    

    Prime Minister David Cameron and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari have pledged to increase cooperation between the U.K. and Pakistan on economic development, security and cultural issues.

    In a joint statement issued after bilateral talks at Chequers, they stressed the importance of ensuring a "strong, stable, secure and economically prosperous Pakistan."

 

Senate bill passes to save teacher, police jobs

    Legislation long sought by Democrats to prevent the lay-offs of tens of thousands of teachers, police officers and other public workers has passed the Senate.

 

Gen. Petraeus clarifies rules on Afghan air strikes

    The new commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan has issued a directive that could facilitate use of air strikes, but also called on troops to do everything possible to avoid putting civilians at risk.

 

 

Karzai orders probe into reports of Afghan civilians' deaths

    Afghan President Hamid Karzai yesterday ordered an investigation into new reports that dozens of civilians had been killed by NATO operations against the Taliban, an issue that has frequently lead to violent protests.

 

Car bomb rocks government offices in Mexico

    A car bomb rocked the headquarters of the Tamaulipas State Public Safety complex in Ciudad Victoria, Mexico, the agency said yesterday.

    No one was hurt, but two police cars were damaged, it said yesterday in a news release.

    Authorities said the explosion, which occurred at 5:20 p.m., appeared to have emanated from inside a white compact car in a parking lot behind the building, near the offices of the Rural Police. Agents with the Mexican Federal Police are investigating the blast, which was felt inside the building.

    Yesterday's incident marks at least the third recent incident involving explosives near the Mexico-U.S. border. Last month, a car bomb killed four people in Juarez, where police and rescuers had responded to assist an injured person dressed in a police uniform.

    Last Friday, an explosion rocked the parking lot of a TV station in Nuevo Laredo on the night that the Televisa TV network faded its signal to black for almost an hour to call attention to the escalating violence in Mexico.

 

Sudan denies aid agencies' access to camps

    Sudan has denied all aid agencies access to Darfur's Kalma camp after five people were killed there and thousands fled when divisions over peace talks turned violent, humanitarian officials say.

    Kalma is home to 100,000 Darfuris and has traditionally been a stronghold of the rebel Sudan Liberation Army, which is not taking part in the Doha talks trying to end Darfur's war.

    Yesterday, Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir returned to Khartoum after a two-day visit to Libya, saying he had secured Libyan guarantees to curb any Darfur rebel attacks. Relations had been strained between the two countries after Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi agreed to offer refuge to Darfur rebel Justice and Equality Movement chief Khalil Ibrahim.

 

Jean makes good on promise, ends speculation

    Haitian hip-hop star Wyclef Jean has registered as a presidential contender in a move into politics that has generated an outburst of popular enthusiasm in his poor, earthquake-ravaged homeland.

    He is running as a candidate for the Viv Ansanm (Live Together) political party. Haiti goes to the polls in November.

    The former Fugees star has long been active in raising money for his homeland through his Yele Haiti Foundation, especially since the January earthquake that killed as many as 300,000 people. The disaster has left some 1.5 million homeless survivors still under tarpaulins and in makeshift tent cities.

 

AP: CIA secretly held prisoners at Guantanamo

    

    When four "highly valued terrorist prisoners" arrived at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in 2006, authorities said it was their first time at the prison. An AP investigation begs to differ.

    Read the original story from the Associated Press .

 

U.S. Senate approves $600 million in border security funds

    Representing a 10 percent increase on border security spending over 2010, the new bill will likely be approved by the House, which has already passed a similar measure, and then signed into law by the president.

 

Sixty-five years later, nuclear powers remember 'the bomb'

    For the first time, the U.S., France and Britain, hoping to make a statement for global nuclear disarmament, all sent representatives to an annual commemoration of the attack on Hiroshima.

 

Sudden downpour kills dozens in remote region of India

    The death toll is expected to rise significantly as a massive rescue operation still hasn't been able to reach some of the affected areas.

 

Fisherman feared dead after fourth ferry crash

    A desperate search was launched last night for a fisherman missing after his boat sank following a collision with a ferry off the U.K.'s Berwickshire coast.

 

U.S. airman missing in action from World War II identified

    

    The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

    He is Sgt. John P. Bonnassiolle, U.S. Army, of Oakland, Calif.  He will be buried Tuesday in San Francisco, Calif.

    On April 29, 1944, he was aboard a B-24J Liberator with nine other crewmen. They failed to return following a bombing mission over Berlin. German documents captured after the war established the aircraft had crashed near the town of East Meitze, Germany, north of Hannover. German forces removed the remains of three crewmen from the site and buried them in a cemetery in Hannover.

    In 1946, the U.S. Army's Graves Registration Command located the remains of the men buried in Hannover and reburied them at the U.S. Military Cemetery at Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium, after confirming the identities of two of the three.

    In 2003, a German citizen began excavating the East Meitze crash site and turned over human remains to U.S. officials. A Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command team traveled to excavate the crash site in 2005 and 2007, recovering additional remains and crew-related equipment - including identification tags for Bonnassiolle and three other crew members.

    Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA - which matched that of Bonnassiolle's sister - in the identification of his remains.

    More than 400,000 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II died. At the end of the war, the U.S. government was unable to recover, identify and bury approximately 79,000 as known persons. Today, more than 72,000 Americans remain unaccounted for from the conflict.

    For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.

 

Navy Reserve to help restore USS Batfish

    

    On Aug. 28, the U.S. Navy Reserve will be out in Muskogee, Okla., to help paint the USS Batfish.

    Visitors are welcome, but during the day the submarine will be closed to the public. The museum and grounds will remain open.

    To reach the USS Batfish Submarine and Military Museum, take the Muskogee Turnpike to Exit 33, turn east, then turn north at the Batfish sign.

    The Navy Reserve will host a car wash and cook-out for donations as well as have a squadron gear shop open to help raise funds from the day’s activities.

 

Ex-U.S. prosecutor accuses U.N.'s chief of hiring bias

    An accomplished former U.S. prosecutor has filed a grievance accusing Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of blocking his hiring to the U.N.'s top investigative post because of discrimination based on gender and nationality.

 

 

U.S. Coast Guard news

    A Honduran-flagged ship carrying 3.5 tons of cocaine has been seized and five of its occupants were arrested by the U.S. Coast Guard off Honduras' coast.

    And the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Valiant has a new commanding officer. Cmdr. John Dettleff will relieve Cmdr. AlDante Vinciguerra today as the cutter's commanding officer. The cutter's crew will hold a change-of-command ceremony today in Miami, Fla. Vinciguerra has been named as the chief of the Command and Operations School at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn. Dettleff's most recent assignment was with the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. USCGC Valiant is a 210-foot medium-endurance cutter. Its home base is Miami Beach. The crew is responsible for intercepting migrants at sea, drug patrols and search-and-rescue operations.

 

Iraqis take charge of IAMP training at EME School
    

    The logistics director for the Deputy Commanding General, Advising and Training, officially handed over the Electrical Mechanical Engineering school's responsibilities to the Iraqi Security Forces at Taji, Aug. 4.

    Col. Gerhard Schroter turned over the school's curriculum, training materials and classroom facilities to EME School Commander Brig. Gen. Hassan al-Maliki. The Iraqi Security Forces will hold its first Iraqi-led class in September for the Iraqi Asset Management Program.

    The IAMP system allows the Iraqis to monitor and report the procurement, maintenance, distribution, and replacement of materiel for the Iraqi Army electronically.

    Before 2003, the Iraqis used a manual system - writing down spare parts in a ledger, said Lt. Col. Imad Hassan, the school's executive officer. "Now we are improving one step at a time," said Hassan, when asked about the Iraqi Security Forces' logistical management system modernization.

    Hassan said that previously Iraqi security forces would submit a parts request to the Ministry of Defense in writing and wait for MoD to solicit individual countries to fulfill the request. Now, with the IAMP system in place, the ISF can submit requests directly, cutting down on the time it takes to get spare parts.

    "This is important," Hassan said "We are training 15 more units to use this system. All Iraqi officers understand how important it is to know what kind of equipment we have, what we need and what we've requested in the past."

    Mustafa Kareem and Kasem Hassan attended their first U.S.-run IAMP class in June 2009. They observed the next class and then co-taught the third and fourth classes. Next month, they will be ready to instruct on their own, said Jason Foster, training lead for IAMP Architecture, Engineering, Communications, Operations and Management in Taji.

    The school's fifth class starts Sept. 18.

 

Guard lobbies for more resources

    

    A report says a greater investment in the reserve forces provides a solution to the Pentagon's fiscal woes.

 

Peshmerga Regional Guard Brigade soldiers begin Basic Combat Training
    

    More than 500 soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 1st Regional Guard Brigade, reported for duty at the first Basic Combat Training Course at Sulaymaniyah Aug. 2.

    The soldiers, stationed at Qara Anjir, near Kirkuk, are the first soldiers from the Ministry of Peshmerga (MoP) to receive this training, conducted to the Iraqi Army standards of performance, at the Ministry of the Interior's Sulaymaniyah Police Academy on the Al Salam compound.

    The 11-week course has a variety of classroom instruction and hands-on practical exercises to enhances students' learning. Iraqi Training and Advisory Mission-Army advisors provide oversight to the thirty instructor cadre, who are recent Basic Combat Instructor graduates, while advising and assisting MoP Training Directorate personnel regarding day to day events.

    The students will receive instruction on first aid, land navigation, leadership, marks-manship, security operations, and warrior skills.

    All soldiers completing the Basic Combat Training course will return to Qara Anjir for their assigned duties.

 

DoD: U.S. Aerospace protest won't force aerial tanker delay

    

    A protest filed by U.S. Aerospace alleging the U.S. Air Force unfairly rejected its bid for a multibillion-dollar aerial tanker contract will not force the Defense Department to delay a contract decision slated for this fall, says DoD spokesman Geoff Morrell.

    U.S. Aerospace, which launched a bid for the KC-X contract to replace the aging KC-135, has filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

    "I can tell you the awarding of this contract is still scheduled for this fall," Morrell told Defense News in an Aug. 5 e-mail.

    U.S. Aerospace, which earlier this summer launched a long shot bid for the KC-X contract with the Ukrainian aircraft firm Antonov, on Aug. 4 announced it had filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office. The California-based firm is alleging U.S. Air Force officials "intentionally" took steps designed to allow them to reject their tanker bid.

    In documents released by U.S. Aerospace, company officials state a messenger arrived on July 9 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, to deliver their bid "well before 1:30 p.m., more than half an hour before the 2:00 p.m. deadline," according to the documents. The company alleges the messenger was initially denied access to the base, and later given incorrect directions to the bid drop-off location. The messenger "at all times complied with the instructions of Air Force personnel, from the time he arrived at the installation until the proposal was taken by Air Force personnel at the program building," according to the company documents. "Although the proposal was arbitrarily marked 'received' at 2:05 p.m., it was under Air Force control before the bid deadline."

    That, essentially, is the cornerstone of the U.S. Aerospace protest.

    Federal acquisition regulations state "that a proposal received after the time specified for receipt of offers will be considered if certain conditions are met and 'it was received at the government installation designated for receipt of offers and was under the government's control prior to the time set for receipt of offers,'" the U.S. Aerospace documents said. "Our proposal was received at the government installation designated for receipt of offers, i.e. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and was effectively under the government's control prior to 2:00 p.m., the time set for receipt of offers, because the messenger was following the instructions of Air Force as to what to do and where to go with the proposal. Accordingly, the proposal should be considered as part of the source selection."

    The company also is alleging Air Force personnel are biased against Antonov. "Our bid protest also alleges that certain Air Force personnel may have intentionally delayed the messenger from delivering our proposal, in order to create a pretext for refusing to consider it because they have political issues with our Eastern European supplier, thus violating the requirement that the program be a fair and equal competition, open to all qualified bidders," according to the documents.

    The California aircraft parts manufacturer also questions the "conduct" of some Air Force officials. "The conduct of some Air Force personnel - such as repeatedly leaking information to the press, granting one bidder [EADS] a 60-day extension but denying any extension to [U.S. Aerospace], intentionally delaying advising us that it would not be granted an extension, and intentionally delaying sending us the information disks needed to prepare the proposal - give rise to an appearance of impropriety regarding the conduct of some members of the Air Force," according to the documents.

    Pentagon and Air Force officials expect to award a contract in mid-November.

    Morrell's statement about the protest having no impact on those plans match comments made 24 hours earlier by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz. "I would be very, very surprised" if awarding of the 179-plane, $35 billion contract is delayed beyond mid-November, Schwartz said after meeting with Defense News and Air Force Times editors and reporters. "We're going to come in when we say we are."

 

6th Iraqi Army and 4/2 ID departure ceremony
    

    The 6th Iraqi Army Division and the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, will be conducting a departure ceremony at the 6th Iraqi Army headquarters on Forward Operating Base Constitution, in Abu Ghriab, tomorrow at 9:00 a.m., local time.

    The event will provide an opportunity to witness the departure ceremony of the last U.S. combat brigade to leave Iraq, a demonstration by the 6th Iraqi Army commando unit, a layout of recently captured weapons and explosives by the 6th IA, followed by a luncheon.

    Distinguished guests include: Staff Maj. Gen. Ahmed, commanding general of the 6th IA, responsible for security of West Baghdad to include Yarmouk, Abu Ghriab, Nasser Wa Salam, and Zaidon. Also attending will be Col. John Norris, commander of the 4th Stryker Brigade, U.S. 2nd Infantry Division.

 

Medical Service Corps celebrates 63 years 

    The U.S. Navy Medical Service Corps celebrated its 63rd birthday at the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC), in Bethesda, Md., Aug. 4, with a cake-cutting ceremony.

    The Medical Service Corps was officially established when then-President Harry Truman signed the Army-Navy Medical Service Corps Act on Aug. 4, 1947, in response to the Navy's need for officers who were skilled in administration as well as the sciences.

    "Each anniversary provides us the opportunity to reflect on what we have contributed to the support and success of providing the highest quality health care to our beneficiaries, as well as the well-being of our fighting forces," said Cmdr. Christopher Irwin, assistant director of administration at the NNMC.

    The Medical Service Corps was originally established with four specialty sections: supply and administration, pharmacy, optometry and allied sciences. Today, it has more than 3,200 active-duty and reserve officers, who are not medical doctors or dentists, working in 31 different specialties around the world. These specialties fall into three main areas of expertise: health care administration, health care sciences and clinical care providers. 
    Health care administration relates to the leadership, management and the administration of hospitals and their networks. Health care sciences focus on research with 11 specialties ranging from aerospace physiology to microbiology. Clinical care providers have hands-on interaction with patients through 10 different specialties, ranging from infants to the elderly and the many ailments that affect the body.

    "I am extremely proud to be a member of the Medical Service Corps," said Irwin. "I am very proud of our accomplishments. We have amazing people doing amazing things every day in support of the mission, in support of their country."

    Lt. Cmdr. Darryl Green, flag aide for the NNMC, said the Medical Service Corps incorporates a large and diverse group of men and women who come together to perform countless duties for Navy medicine. "As we celebrate our 63rd birthday we will pause to remember those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom this great nation enjoys while also continuing our support to the fighting forces that are currently serving in harm's way," said Green.

    Navy Medical Service Corps officers are involved in all facets of Navy and Marine Corps operations, said Lt. Cmdr. John Kendrick, director of administration for Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education at Naval Support Activities. "Now that support extends to the other services, especially in billets where Navy officers support other services in IA (individual augmentee) and GSA (Global Support Assignment) forward-deployed positions with the United States Army," said Kendrick.

    To distinguish Medical Service Corps officers from the other active-duty naval officers and doctors, a new insignia of a spread oak leaf embroidered in gold with a twig attached below the stem was created.

    Regardless of the specialty, the celebration is to "be proud of our accomplishments, to celebrate what we do each and every day and to continue to be the leaders and innovators that contribute to making Navy medicine the finest in the world," said Irwin.

 

Today in History

    On Aug. 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, that instantly killed an estimated 66,000 people in the first use of a nuclear weapon in warfare.

    For more of Today in History, visit our Web site at: http://newsoftheforce.org .

 

 

 

                                     

                

 

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