Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates hosts an honor
cordon to welcome the Republic of Korea's Minister of National Defense, Kim
Tae-young, to the Pentagon today at 9:30 a.m., EDT. The cordon will be held on
the steps of the Pentagon's River Entrance.
Secretary Gates and the Republic of Korea's
Minister of National Defense, Kim Tae-young, conduct a joint press conference at
11 a.m., EDT, in the Pentagon Briefing Room (2E973), following the 42nd Security
Consultative Meeting.
Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn has no
public or media events on his schedule.
A U.S. Senate investigation finds a tangled
web of warlords, contractors and crime in Afghanistan spun with U.S. taxpayers'
dollars. Sen. Carl Levin, the inquiry's chairman, says reliance on private
security firms empowered groups who worked against Coalition interests.
A girl allegedly abducted in New Jersey more than a
quarter-century ago was located in Nevada this week when she inadvertently
alerted authorities after filing unrelated court documents, police said. Her
mother has been arrested.
"It is an active investigation, and we are treating
it as such," Sgt. Frank Roman of the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office in New
Jersey, said. "We are trying to expedite interviews, and we are looking out for
the best interest of our victim here."
The investigation into the case began Tuesday when
Eva Fiedler, a 31-year-old resident of Nevada, went into the Washoe County
Courthouse and applied to change her name to "Melissa Reed" to obtain a marriage
license. It wasn't clear why she wanted to change her name. When courthouse
officials conducted a routine background check on Fiedler, they discovered that
the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) listed her as a missing person
who had allegedly been abducted from New Jersey in 1984 by her non-custodial
mother.
Fiedler's mother, Nancy Dunsavage Fiedler,
had violated a court order and fled New Jersey with her 6-year-old daughter in
1984, acting Somerset County Prosecutor A. Peter DeMarco, Jr., said.
The alleged abduction was prompted by a child
custody hearing in which Fiedler's ex, Greg Fiedler, was granted full custody of
their daughter, DeMarco's office said.
Patricia Kurdyla-Hnidj, a former neighbor of Nancy
Fiedler, said she last saw the mother and daughter on the day of the hearing.
She said Nancy Fiedler was "very upset" and took off, leaving all of her
belongings inside her home. "And then she never came back,'' Kurdyla-Hnidj said.
"I never saw Eva or her again. It became an unsolved mystery.''
Authorities were unable to locate Nancy or Eva
Fiedler. For 26 years, their whereabouts were unknown. The situation changed
when Eva Fiedler filed the paperwork to have her name changed. Authorities in
Nevada then contacted the Somerset County
Prosecutor's Office, and an investigation was launched. With cooperation from
Eva Fiedler, authorities were able to track her mother to a home in Incline
Village, Nev., a town located on the shore of Lake Tahoe. When deputies with the
Washoe County Sheriff's Office made contact with the elder Fiedler at her
residence, she initially identified herself as Debbie
Reed but later admitted she was Nancy Fiedler, authorities said. She was taken
into custody and charged with being a fugitive from justice.
Nancy Fiedler, now 57, is being held without bond
in the Washoe County Jail pending extradition to New Jersey, police said. "I do
not have an exact timeline as to how long [the extradition process] could take.
It all depends," Roman said. "Fiedler can wave extradition, but I don't believe
that is the case here. It could take a few weeks, or it could take a month or
so."
Roman said investigators do not believe Eva Fiedler
was aware that she had been abducted. Yesterday, Roman said investigators are
"still trying to conduct all of our formal interviews to see exactly how much
knowledge she did have." As to why Eva Fiedler wanted to change her name prior
to her marriage, Roman said investigators have a "preliminary reason why that we
are not disclosing just yet."
A phone number listed for Greg Fiedler is no longer
in service, and other attempts to reach him were unsuccessful. But Roman said
investigators have made contact with him. "We have spoken with the father,"
Roman said. "After this long time, it actually took a second to sink in, but,
yes, he was extremely happy and grateful."
Eva Fiedler's uncle, Jeff Fiedler, said his niece
has had an opportunity to speak with her father, who he said had exhausted all
resources searching for her. "She told her father, 'I don't remember you,'" Jeff
Fiedler said. "It's bittersweet, but it's nice that he spoke to her. He searched
for them for years."
Roman said that once the investigation is complete,
his office will be releasing more details, but for now, it is trying to be
sensitive to Eva Fiedler. "Even though she is an adult, her world did come
crashing down once she was made aware of all this," Roman said. "So we are
trying to be real sensitive with how we proceed."
Incorporating extensive inputs from all ranks and
career fields in the development effort, airmen have selected "Aim High ...
Fly-Fight-Win" as the U.S. Air Force's new motto.
An enduring statement of airmen's pride in their
service, the motto is a two-part expression - a call to action, with a response
of commitment. officials said.
"The call and the response are two sides of the
same coin," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz. "Airmen
indicated 'Aim High' and the response 'Fly-Fight-Win' as indicative of their
enduring commitment to do just that in defense of our nation."
Two US Airways workers loading a Bermuda-bound
plane grew suspicious of whether another baggage handler was allowed to be near
the jet and confronted him yesterday, leading the man to flee and forcing
transportation security officials to remove passengers and re-scan all their
luggage.
More than 100 passengers and five crew members were
taken off US Airways Flight 1070 for more than four hours over the security
issue.
The Philadelphia baggage handlers alerted their
bosses when they saw a co-worker who was not assigned to be near the plane, FBI
spokesman J. J. Klaver said. "When they asked him to leave, he drove away from
the plane in a baggage loading-vehicle," he said.
By late Thursday, the person had not been
identified or located, Klaver said. Officials believe he was authorized to be in
that section of the airport, but not at that particular place.
Authorities swept the plane for explosives and
found none, Klaver said. The situation did not appear to have any connection to
terrorism, he said.
The flight had been scheduled to depart at about 11
a.m. Passengers were instead removed and the plane was towed away for
inspection. The Airbus 319 was surrounded by emergency vehicles with lights
flashing, and security dogs moved from bag to bag, checking luggage spread on
the ground near the jet. The flight finally left after 4 p.m.
US Airways spokesman Todd Lehmacher confirmed the
search but would not comment on specifics.
The FBI released a statement last night saying
that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was taking over as lead
investigative agency in the probe. ICE Spokesman Mark Medvesky did not
immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Transportation Security Administration
(TSA) regulations require airports to submit security plans that include
access and perimeter control, and airports are responsible for day-to-day
enforcement.
Amanda Benner, who was on her way to Bermuda with
her husband to celebrate their 15th anniversary, said the passengers were told
only that there had been a "security breach" and were asked to leave everything
on the plane and return to the terminal. TSA personnel, police and "all kinds of
guys in suits" quickly swarmed the plane, Benner said. "They were very stern and
serious," she said.
Boeing has delivered 346 commercial planes so far
this year.
The deliveries for the third quarter included 100
of its 737s. It makes more of those workhorse planes than any other model. It
also delivered three of its 767s, and 21 777s.
Orders for Boeing commercial jets suffered last
year during the recession. Now it's planning on a recovery and has announced
plans to increase production of the 737.
On the defense side, Boeing delivered two new
Apache attack helicopters, and five new Chinook transport helicopters. It also
delivered three new F-15 fighters and 15 new planes in the F-18 attack jet
family.
The new tunnel between New York and New Jersey
would have doubled train capacity between the two states,
but officials said costs were getting out of control.
Five
members of the Rome Composite Squadron, of the Georgia Wing of the Civil
Air Patrol (CAP), will be competing online in coming weeks for a chance to win
college scholarship money and a free trip to Washington, D.C.
CyberPatriot, presented by
Northrop Grumman, is the one-of-a-kind national cyber security competition
produced by the Air Force Association (AFA), a non-profit organization
headquartered near Washington, D.C. This unique competition will help students
learn first hand about the cyber security field and introduce many to the idea
of cyber security as a profession.
CyberPatriot
now has more than 575 teams registered and continues to attract high school
educators across the country. Other high schools and CAP squadrons still
have time to field teams, with the competition's registration deadline looming
today.
"Because
of our unique online competition format, hundreds of teams can compete at one
time," said Bernie Skoch, CyberPatriot Commissioner. "To join, a high school
teacher signs up and signs on five bright students for a fun, hands-on learning
opportunity. It's a great chance to learn and have a great time."
Teams
of five, with an approved coach (usually a teacher), learn to defend a computer
network from real-life computer threat scenarios. In the fall, hundreds of teams
square off online using special software and programs provided by CyberPatriot
to competitively solve vulnerabilities in their network. The top teams then
compete again in a series of online rounds to determine finalists for an
all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., and the Championship Round at the
Gaylord National Convention Center in Arlington, Va., in April 2011.
Any
high school can field a team for the Open Division, while JROTC units from any
service or Civil Air Patrol units are also eligible to field a team for the
all-service Commander-in-Chief's Division. The educational experience and
materials are identical for students in either division.
Scanners
to debut at St. Louis airport today
The
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will start using full-body
scanners at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport today. Two scanners that use
low-level X-ray beams to screen passengers for weapons and explosives will
screen travelers at the airport's Terminal 2. The TSA will eventually add more
scanners at other checkpoints.
USS
Shiloh visits Hong Kong By Lt. (j.g.) Julianne Holland,
USN, Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs 
USS
Shiloh (CG 67) and embarked Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron Light (HSL)
51, Detachment 4, sailors arrived in Hong Kong yesterday for a port
visit.
The
visit will provide the more than 350 sailors aboard Shiloh an
opportunity to experience the culture and hospitality of Hong Kong, along with
shopping, sightseeing, and community relations (COMREL) projects. Sailors will
take part in a COMREL, spending an afternoon reading to children at the Hong
Kong Society for the Protection of Children (HKSPC)'s Nursery School in the
neighborhood of Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon. The HKSPC was established in 1926 to
serve underprivileged children in the city. It remains one of Hong Kong's oldest
charities and among the largest of its type in Hong Kong. The HKSPC has eighteen
nursery schools that provide day care for the children of lower income working
class families.
Sailors
will also receive home-cooked cuisines from the "Meals in the Home" program with
local families, sponsored by the American Women's Association (AWA).
"We
routinely have more sailors volunteering for the community relations projects
than can be accommodated," said Capt. Matt Loughlin, USS Shiloh's
commanding officer. "The word is out that participating in these events provides
a unique opportunity to meet people in the local community and interact on a
personal level. Hong Kong is always one of the most popular liberty ports in the
Asia-Pacific region, and these renewed friendships further strengthen the
already close relationship between the U.S. Navy and the people of Hong Kong,"
Loughlin said.
USS
Shiloh is forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, and the cruiser operates
routinely throughout the Western Pacific region in support of 7th Fleet
missions.
Idaho
airport conducts emergency response drill
Idaho's
Magic Valley Regional Airport conducted a full-scale federally-mandated
emergency response drill this week.
The
county's police departments, sheriff's department, medical center and a variety
of emergency medical technician companies participated in the drill, which
simulated a crash involving a small commercial plane with 40 passengers.
Officials
said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires the drill every
three years.
USS
Rodney M. Davis seizes cocaine shipment in Pacific
Ocean 
USS
Rodney M. Davis (FFG 60) recovered 1.72 tons of cocaine during
counter-illicit trafficking (CIT) operations in the U.S. 4th Fleet (C4F)'s area
of responsibility Sept. 23.
Rodney
M. Davis interdicted a 46-foot Ecuadorian-flagged fishing vessel in the
waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. A U.S. Navy-Coast Guard response team
recovered 62.5 bales of cocaine, weighing 3,445 pounds, worth an estimated $37.5
million. The drugs were seized by a U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment
(LEDET) from Tactical Law Enforcement Team (TACLET) South as evidence in
preparation for possible criminal prosecution.
USS
Rodney M. Davis is currently deployed under operational control to U.S.
Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet (COMUSNAVSO/C4F), conducting
CIT operations in support of Joint Interagency Task Force-South, the U.S.
Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) and U.S. Coast Guard District Eleven.
COMUSNAVSO
is the naval component commander for USSOUTHCOM and is responsible for all naval
personnel and assets in the area of responsibility. COMUSNAVSO conducts a
variety of missions in support of the U.S. maritime strategy, including theater
security cooperation, partnership-building, humanitarian assistance and disaster
response, community relations and CIT operations.
New
safety guidelines proposed for medevac helicopters
Federal
officials proposed new safety guidelines today for medevac helicopters. So many
lives are saved because of them, but the work is extremely dangerous: 126 people
have died in medevac crashes since 1992.
Rescuers
closing in on trapped miners in Chile
Rescuers
are within 300 feet of reaching the miners who've been trapped for 61 days. In a
best-case scenario, the effort to raise them to the surface could begin this
weekend.
President
Obama's approval rating plummets
When
Barack Obama took office in January 2009, two-thirds of Americans believed he
would be a good or very good president. But his approval rating has plummeted
since then. And according to a CBS News poll that came out last night, Americans
really dislike his handling of the economy.
Medal
of Honor recipient inducted into Pentagon's Hall of Heroes
By
Karen Parrish, American Forces Press Service
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates addresses the audience during a
Medal of Honor ceremony for U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller at the
Pentagon, yesterday. President Obama posthumously awarded Miller the nation's
highest honor for his heroic actions on Jan. 25, 2008, in Afghanistan, where
Miller sacrificed his life to save the lives of his teammates and 15 Afghanistan
soldiers. (DOD photo by Cherie Cullen)
A
Pentagon ceremony yesterday formally inscribed the name of U.S. Army Special
Forces Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller, who on Wednesday was awarded a posthumous
Medal of Honor, onto the nation's list of military heroes.
In
January 2008, Miller, at age 24, died in action in Afghanistan, charging the
enemy through a hailstorm of bullets to give 22 other soldiers a chance to
survive.
Yesterday,
Miller's family, teammates, and friends gathered at the Pentagon alongside the
U.S. military's most-senior leaders to honor their fallen son's life, heroism
and courage. Yesterday's Pentagon ceremony marked Miller's entry into the
building's Hall of Heroes, where his name and the details of his service will
join those of other Medal of Honor recipients.
Defense
Secretary Robert M. Gates praised Miller's bravery and sacrifice, and the
sacrifice of Phil and Maureen Miller, the fallen soldier's parents. "Every
evening I write notes to the families of young Americans - as I did to the
Millers - who have given this country the supreme sacrifice," Gates said. "They
are our country's best, the nation's sons and daughters, who answered the call
of service to defend this country in a time of war."
Service
members such as Miller, Gates said, had "answered what Theodore Roosevelt
described as 'the trumpet call,' which he said: 'Is the most inspiring of all
sounds, because it summons men to spurn all ease and self-indulgence and bids
them forth to the field where they must dare and do and die at need.' Rob
[Miller] was one who answered that trumpet call, one who also possessed that
extra measure of courage and determination to be at the very tip of the spear in
America's wars," the secretary said.
Gates
also recounted the medal's history and meaning. "Over the past century, it has
gone only to the bravest of the brave, with fewer than a thousand recipients out
of the millions of Americans who have served in uniform during that time," Gates
said. "It goes to those who demonstrate exceptional bravery in the face of enemy
fire. But it also demands something more of an individual: The knowledge that by
embarking on a course of action, losing one's life is not only possible, it is
quite likely."
During
Army Secretary John M. McHugh's remarks at the ceremony, he described Miller's
interests in gymnastics, basketball, history, languages and the military as he
was growing up. Later, as a young Green Beret, Miller brought his characteristic
intensity, enthusiasm, leadership and dedication to the job, the Army secretary
said. "He was funny, generous, passionate and determined," McHugh said of
Miller. "He was someone we would all have liked to know - a life that while too
short, was a life of extraordinary measure."
Army
Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey, Jr., said during the ceremony that Miller's
life offered "a glimpse of what is best about our country." And watching
Miller's parents, brothers and sisters interact, Casey said, made it clear how
the young man had turned out to be so extraordinary. "Each of them had a role in
making Robert the man that he was," Casey said.
The
Millers accepted a Medal of Honor flag on their fallen son's behalf, and
unveiled the plaque bearing his name that will be displayed in the Hall of
Heroes.
Phil
Miller spoke of his son before the ceremony's conclusion. "Robert loved what he
was doing very much," Miller said. "He was proven to be very good at what he was
doing. And there was no question that he was confident he was fighting and
serving for a good cause." Miller said his son was a normal, active, mischievous
boy while growing up. "My wife and I believe he is a great example of what
America's youth can do, and how well they can perform, when they're given the
responsibility and the opportunity to do so," he said.
"We miss him
terribly."
Miller's
actions in Afghanistan as weapons sergeant for Company A, 3rd Battalion, 3rd
Special Forces Group (Airborne) have been much-publicized since the award
of his medal was announced in September. But a few days before the January 25,
2008, ambush where Miller gave his life, he and a teammate had talked about how
they wanted to be remembered.
In
an interview before this week's ceremonies, Staff Sgt. Nicholas McGarry said
during that conversation, Miller had told him he wanted to be remembered for how
he had lived, and not how he died. As the two single guys on the team, McGarry
recalled that he and Miller hung out together, and rode mountain bikes after
work. "He was incredibly joyful – a motivated, energetic person," McGarry said
of his departed friend. "Just a good friend to have around, because he always
wanted to do something. He was always in a good mood - kind of a playful spirit,
I guess."
McGarry
said he thinks about Miller every day. "He was a good friend," McGarry said.
"But if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here."
President
Obama presented the Medal of Honor posthumously to Miller's parents on
Wednesday during a ceremony held in the East Room of the White House.
EADS
says it's won OK for military aerial tanker
Airbus'
parent EADS said yesterday its program to provide a new aerial-refueling plane
to the U.S. Air Force can move ahead after it won military certification
for the aircraft to operate as a tanker.
EADS
said the plane was certified in preparation for the company delivering two of
them to the Australian Air Force.
In
a statement, the company didn't say who certified the plane's refueling ability,
but several press reports said it was the Spanish National Institute for
Aerospace Technology. EADS officials did not respond to messages seeking
confirmation.
EADS'
North American unit is offering the plane to the U.S. Air Force in a competition
with the Boeing Co.'s KC-767 tankers for a $35 billion contract. The Air Force
is expected to pick a winner late this year.
EADS,
the Netherlands-based European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co., which is also
the parent of France-based Airbus SAS, calls its refueling plane a multi-role
tanker transport, or MRTT. "Government certification of the A330 MRTT as a fully
capable military tanker is important evidence that our tanker is real and ready
now," said Ralph Crosby, chairman of EADS' North American unit. He dismissed the
Boeing competitor as "an untested concept aircraft."
Boeing
spokesman William Barksdale responded that the U.S. company has built and
delivered more than 2,000 tankers and invented refueling boom technology. "This
is their first boom," Barksdale said. "We've got proven experience over decades
of doing this."
EADS
said the certification process involved transferring 1 million pounds of fuel
through more than 1,300 hook-ups with a range of combat aircraft.
Somalia
'peace force' gains ground
The
African Union (A.U.)'s envoy to Somalia, Wafula Wamunyinyi, has told the
BBC that the force backing the government had moved into several new positions
in recent days.
Tricare
official: Early flu shots key to prevention
By
Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service
With
flu season already underway, a top Tricare military health plan official
encourages the system's almost 9.7 million beneficiaries to get their flu shots
as early as possible at a military medical facility or network provider, or - in
an increasingly popular option - at any participating pharmacy.
Military
hospitals and clinics and Tricare network providers are stocked with this year's
flu vaccine, ready to administer them now, U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Christine S.
Hunter, deputy director for the Tricare Management Activity, told the American
Forces Press Service. It's available to every Tricare beneficiary over 6 months
old, with no co-payment or pre-authorization required, even for people enrolled
in programs that typically require one, she said. "We want you to get the shot,"
Hunter emphasized, calling flu shots "an essential preventive service."
Nine
out of 10 healthy people who get the shot won't get the flu, according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Unlike
last year, when people needed two vaccines - a conventional flu shot and another
developed specifically for the H1N1 virus - one shot will suffice this year,
Hunter noted. Its formulation covers two of the most common seasonal influenza
strains, A H3N2 and B virus, as well as H1N1.
Although
the flu typically doesn't hit some regions for another few months, research
shows it's better to get the vaccine early, preferably by mid-October. Last
year, for example, when manufacturing shortages delayed flu shots for Tricare
beneficiaries along with the general population, 486,000 Tricare beneficiaries
who hadn't been immunized developed flu symptoms before Nov. 1. "We went back
and looked at our data and realized that if we had been able to get everyone
immunized in October rather than later in the year, we would have prevented
almost 500,000 people from getting sick," Hunter said. Not all required a
doctor's care and most didn't experience any serious complications, she said,
but almost all could have avoided the flu if the vaccine had been available
sooner. This year, there is no delay in the distribution of the shots," Hunter
said. "You can get it now. It's available in military hospitals and clinics and
through Tricare now. So we would like to encourage people to get it now."
To
make that as convenient as possible, Tricare has entered into agreements with
about 50,000 retail pharmacies nationwide. Like military hospitals and clinics
and Tricare network providers, they will administer the flu shot at no cost to
Tricare beneficiaries. Many of the retail pharmacies offer flu shots at night
and on weekends, and most don't require appointments.
Tricare
introduced the pharmacy option during last year's flu season, and Hunter said
she hopes more people will take advantage of it this year as they learn about
the program. "People really value convenience in their health care," she said.
"This is part of a campaign to bring preventive care as close to where people
live and work as possible."
The
Tricare Web site lists participating pharmacies, with a locator button
identifying the closest one, based on the beneficiary's ZIP code.
While
encouraging people to get their flu shot wherever it's most convenient, Hunter
emphasized that some Tricare beneficiaries should consult their medical provider
first. These include people with a serious chronic illness, young children who
have never had a flu shot and other at-risk groups.
Retail
pharmacies will administer flu shots to active-duty military members and can
provide documentation for their official shot records. However, Hunter
recognized that some service members may be required to get their shots along
with the rest of the members of their units. That way, she explained, the
information is recorded immediately in unit shot records, with no delay.
In
addition to getting a flu shot, CDC officials offer additional tips for avoiding
the flu and its spread:
-
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the
tissue in the trash after you use it.
-
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze.
You also can use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
-
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
-
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
-
Stay home if you are sick until at least 24 hours after you no longer have a
fever - 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 37.8 degrees Celsius - or signs of a fever
without the use of a fever-reducing medicine such as acetaminophen.
-
While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting
them.
U.S.
Air Force officials launch two advanced cyberspace courses
Officials at the Air Force
Cyberspace Technical Center of Excellence here are conducting the first official
Cyber 200 and 300 courses beginning Oct. 12.
On
Oct. 28, more than 100 students will graduate from the Air Force Institute of
Technology's newest educational courses designed to develop the Air Force's
cyber work force.
Cyber
200 and 300 are professional development courses for cyberspace professionals as
they transition to intermediate and higher-level responsibilities.
Specialists
from the AFIT Center for Cyberspace Research conducted beta test classes of
Cyber 200 and 300 courses in June and July. Thirty-nine students from various
organizations including the U.S. Strategic Command, Air Force Space Command, 7th
Intelligence Squadron, 23rd Information Operations Squadron, 57th Information
Aggressor Squadron and the 315 Network Warfare Squadron provided feedback on
these courses.
"The Air Force Cyberspace Technical Center of Excellence has done a tremendous
job of putting these courses together," said Lt. Col. Timothy Franz, a Cyber 300
student and the 57th Information Aggressor Squadron commander. "It was
refreshing to discuss topics (including) doctrine, current ops, present threats,
legal challenges, acquisitions and even
current R&D/Academic
efforts."
Cyber
200 and 300 courses are designed for all cyberspace professionals including the
entire 17D or Cyberspace Warfare Operator career field. The courses provide an
understanding of the design, development and acquisition of cyberspace systems.
They also explore cyber asset capabilities, limitations, vulnerabilities and
employment in joint military operations. The courses aim to keep cyberspace
professionals current and at the cutting-edge, keeping pace with the quickly
changing technologies of the cyber domain.
"Hands
down this is the best Air Force course I've taken in my career," said Capt.
David Gordon, a Cyber 200 student from USSTRATCOM. "It has sharpened my
knowledge to see the 'big picture.' I now understand the technical part and can
explain the 'so what' to any senior leader. My knowledge has been enhanced and
eyes opened," he said. "I can apply cyber to base operations; battlefield
networks: ground, air, land, and maritime; homeland defense; and theater
operations. Cyber begins where other domains end to achieve kinetic and
non-kinetic affects. We have now moved in a new paradigm where cyber is the new
spear."
More
information can be found on the AFIT Center for Cyberspace Research's Web
site.
National
Reserve Museum proposed for Pennsylvania
Plans
are in place to construct a $15 million National Museum of the U.S. Army
Reserve on Fairfield Road, in Cumberland Township, Pa.
Liu
Xiaobo, Chinese dissident, awarded Nobel Peace
Prize
The imprisoned Chinese democracy
activist Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize today, an announcement
that the Chinese government anticipated with bitter
criticism.
Liu was jailed for 11 years last December
for writing a 2008 manifesto with other Chinese activists that calls for free
speech and multi-party elections.
The
prize, including $1.5 million, will be presented in Oslo, Norway, on Dec.
10.
U.S.
accused of issuing terror warnings for political advantage
Some
suggest the terror warning for western Europe was issued to justify drone
attacks in Pakistan.
U.S.
economy lost 95,000 jobs in September; Jobless rate steady at
9.6%
The
United States economy shed 95,000 non-farm jobs in September, the Labor
Department reported Friday, with gains in private-sector employment outweighed
by cut-backs in government payrolls. The steep drop was far worse than
economists had been predicting.
While
private companies added 64,000 jobs, total government employment fell by
159,000. The unemployment rate, which measures the percentage of workers
actively looking for but unable to find jobs, stayed at 9.6 percent.
The
recovery that officially began in June 2009 has slowed considerably in recent
months, raising concerns about the long slog the country will have to endure
before the economy
finally starts to feel healthy again.
U.S.
Coast Guard news
U.S.
Coast Guard workers off-loaded diesel-soaked booms from the Mississippi River
after a towboat sank Wednesday evening near St. Louis, Mo., springing a fuel
leak.
A
sunken boat may be leaking fuel into California's Alameda Estuary. A crew from
an oil response company is now at the scene - which is near Coast Guard
Island - applying hard booms to contain any of the fuel, the Coast Guard
says.
Members
of the Staten Island, N.Y., Radio Control Modelers have enjoyed a
barbecue with members of the U.S. Coast Guard and their families.
A
woman has been medevaced from a cruise ship. The Carnival cruise ship
Spirit, which was about 570 miles south of San Diego, called the USCG
for help at about 1:15 p.m., PDT, on Wednesday.
A
study of the Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon's blowout preventer has been
delayed. The analysis has yet to begin because officials are still waiting for
testing procedures to be approved, the U.S. Coast Guard says.
The
U.S. Coast Guard says crews have mostly finished cleaning up a Lake Huron beach
at Michigan's Cheboygan State Park after an oil spill.
The
Coast Guard responded after a woman drove a van over a 30-foot-high cliff along
Washington state's Strait of Juan de Fuca, near Dungeness Spit, yesterday.
And
a one-day, five-hour course is being provided by U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
Flotilla 59, in Stuart, Fla., for students to learn to use and understand GPS
equipment.
Red
Cross fans out in tornado-damaged town
American
Red Cross disaster teams went door-to-door yesterday through a tiny northern
Arizona community heavily damaged by twin tornados a day earlier.
Meanwhile,
American Red Cross volunteers across the state of Utah are on stand-by and ready
to help if needed in the Four Corners area due to potential tornado
activity.
Rescue
crews answer the call in Afghanistan
By Senior Airman Melissa
White, USAF, 451st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
By
signing in to their shift, they know the first mission is theirs. Ready to leave
in moments with barely a second to spare, the crew is notified at the last
minute to stand down, prolonging the suspense as they attempt to relax. However,
relaxation is hardly an option when a simple beep of the paging system could
indicate a life on the line, causing them to scramble for a mission.
This
is the story of the 26th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, composed of HH-60 Pave
Hawk helicopter air crews who support the rescue mission at Kandahar Airfield in
Afghanistan. They are referred to as Pedros - a call sign that started in the
Vietnam War and remains in use today for Air Force medical evacuation crews in
Afghanistan.
Their
mission is easy enough to understand, but the task is challenging: work as a
team with the pararescuemen, or PJs, to conduct day and night personnel recovery
operations or medical evacuation missions in hostile environments.
"I
was really excited when I found out about this deployment, because we're in a
very busy area," said 1st Lt. Sky Jensen, a 26th ERQS co-pilot. "I've already
been out on more than 250 missions. We're staying busy with the high operations
tempo to support an important mission."
The
lieutenant has been deployed on this mission since June. He represents one part
of a four-person air crew: pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer and aerial gunner.
The air crew is supplemented with two or three PJs, or personnel recovery
specialists, who are trained to
extract, treat and evacuate injured personnel
in high-threat environments.
"Our
job is to take the PJs to the fight," Lt. Jensen said. "When we come into work,
we hope we don't get called out on a mission. But if someone needs our help,
everything else we're doing just stops and we head out; it's kind of like a
firehouse."
Because
the members of the 26th ERQS are called only when lives are on the line, these
airmen hope they will have little work throughout the day. When duty calls,
though, the team is willing and ready to apply their unique rescue skills.
Behind
the two pilots sits a flight engineer, whose primary responsibility is to ensure
that all systems are performing smoothly on the HH-60. "It's nice to be called
on to save someone's life," said Senior Airman Franz Workman, a 26th ERQS flight
engineer. "It stinks that someone's having a bad day because they're hurt, but
at least we're giving him a chance to continue having bad or good days by
helping to save his life. I wouldn't change a thing about my career. I joined
the Air Force right out of high school and I didn't really even know much about
the flight engineer career field, and now we're out here saving lives. I never
dreamed in a million years that I would be doing something like this."
As
a flight engineer, some of the job responsibilities include aircraft systems
familiarization and operation, running pre-flight inspection checklists,
communicating with the PJ crew, lowering the hoist and ropes for them,
calculating the aircraft's available power to determine if there's enough power
to hover and even operating a gun on the aircraft.
The
HH-60 is equipped with two .50 caliber machine guns mounted on either side of
the helicopter. These are the domain of the aerial gunner, the fourth and final
member of the air crew. "We're the weapons system expert on the aircraft," said
Tech. Sgt. Dan Sipel, a 26th ERQS aerial gunner. "The aircraft is the actual
recovery tool, and we're the defensive tool to protect our aircraft and the PJs
as we go into a landing zone to recover people, especially when we fly into
hostile territory."
Unlike
other medical evacuation assets used in Afghanistan, the HH-60 helicopters of
the 26th ERQS are not marked with a red cross. This allows the air crews and PJs
who fly on them to act as legal combatants while engaging in rescue
operations.
Airman
Workman described a typical mission as "very hectic, very quick, and pretty much
like controlled chaos." But, he added, the crew works together as a team to
complete the mission of saving lives while keeping the aircraft, and those on
board, out of harm's way.
"The nature of our job is
very grim, especially when it involves injured military members, civilians or,
even worse, children," Sergeant Sipel said. "But we're doing our best to get the
PJs to them so we can bring them back within the 'golden hour,' and give them a
chance to live." The "golden hour" refers to the passage of time between when a
medical call is received and when the patient is dropped off at a suitable
medical facility.
When
the mission is complete and they return to their haven to await the next call,
this crew knows that they have fulfilled their duty, so "That Others May
Live."
This October has 5
Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays, all in one month. It happens once in
823 years.
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