The Journal of the Reserve Officers Association
www.roa.org
September – October 2011
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DecaDe of DeDication Images & ImpressIons of a total force
Also Inside: 2011 ROA AnnuAl RepORt | MIndIng the MInd
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Ta b l e O f c O n T e n T s
T h e O f f i c e r • Vo l u m e L X X X V I I , N o . 5
• S E P T E M B E R – O C TO B E R 2 0 1 1
Special inSert: 2011 roa annual report
ON THE
FEATURES
COVER
p. 34
minDing tHe minD ______________________________________________ 40 Technology, an emphasis on education, and expanding opportunities allow troops to receive degrees and improve their education—even while deployed. While a lot of good opportunities exist, all service members should take an educated look at their education choices.
The Journal of the Reserve Officers Association
www.roa.org
September – October 2011
By Andrew Gonyea PennsylVania PersPectiVes
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Rep. Charles Dent (R-Pa.) met with The Officer recently to discuss the state of homeland defense, homeland security, foreign policy issues, and troop concerns.
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Defense tecH: suPer cHargeD __________________________________ 50
The U.S. military is working overtime to tap into solar and other energy saving resources across all services. In many cases, it’s a matter of saving energy and attempting to lower costs. In others, it’s a matter of reducing risk for troops in the field.
Also Inside: 2011 ROA AnnuAl RepORt | MIndIng the MInd
DecaDe of DeDication
By William Matthews
national security rePort _______________ 54 New Information Age The release of tens of thousands of documents, particularly about U.S. and other operations overseas through selfproclaimed news organization “Wikileaks,” provides many strategic and informational hurdles for policymakers.
The past 10 years represent a continuum for the Reserve Component as a vital member of the Total Force. By Christopher Prawdzik, Editor
By Erim Sarinoglu
subject matter key ________________________________________________ Use these subject matter icons for a quick reference on column and department topics throughout each issue.
Personnel
oPinion
legal issues
History
tecHnology
HealtHcare
Index to Advertisers: Boeing Law Center
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Marsh Affinity Group Services
31
National Security Symposium
32
Pentagon Federal Credit Union ROA Top 10
Defense DePartment
oPerations
legislation
foreign affairs
Policy
inDustry
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Top of the Hill
Inside Front Cover 33 Inside Back Cover
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Ta b l e O f c O n T e n T s
T h e O f f i c e r • Vo l u m e L X X X V I I , N o . 5
• S E P T E M B E R – O C TO B E R 2 0 1 1
DEPARTMENTS PRESIDENT’S mESSAgE ________________________4 Unfettered Resolve Col Walker M. Williams III, USAF (Ret.)
RESERVE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES Organized in 1922. Incorporated under charter of the Congress by Public Law 81-595. THE OFFICER PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. Publisher: MG David R. Bockel, USA (Ret.) Editor: Christopher Prawdzik Managing Editor: Tiffany Ayers Senior Editor: Elizabeth H. Manning Copy Editor: Carol A. Kelly Associate Editors: Jeanne Kouhestani Graphic Design: Six Half Dozen Advertising Director: Lani Burnett Circulation Manager: Tracey Ware Chairman, Publications Committee: LTC John Rosnow, USAR
EDITORIAl ____________________________________6 One Degree of Separation MG David Bockel, USA (Ret.) gUEST COmmENTARY _________________________8 21st Century Battlefield Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) FEEDBACK ___________________________________10 ARMY _______________________________________ 12 Multi-level Change Bob Fiedler NAVY _______________________________________ 14 Flotsam and Jetsam CAPT Marshall A. Hanson, USNR (Ret.) AIR FORCE___________________________________ 16 Air Force Reserve Checkup Lt Col Ann Peru Knabe SERVICE mEmBERS lAw CENTER _______________ 18 Phelps vs. Snyder CAPT Samuel F. Wright, JAGC, USN (Ret.) DEFENSE EDUCATION FORUm _______________ 20 Focus on the Future Bob Fiedler RESERVE ENlISTED ASSOCIATION _____________22 Proper Power CMSGT Lani Burnett , USAF (Ret.) CAPITOl HIll CONNECTION__________________24 Ever-Present Threat—Capitol View CAPT Marshall A. Hanson, USNR (Ret.) Authorization Jockeying, 2012 | Guantanamo Sway Elizabeth A. Cochran Hear Ye! Hearing Ye! | Appropriations Rumblings STARs INDUSTRY NEwS _______________________58 Cutting-Edge Technology Jeanne Kouhestani Follow ROA on Twitter: twitter@ReserveOfficer
The Officer (ISSN 0030-0268) is published bimonthly by the Reserve Officers Association of the United States, One Constitution Avenue NE, Washington DC 20002-5618. Telephone 202-479-2200; Fax 202-646-7767. Printed by Brown Printing Company, East Greenville, Pa. Subscription prices: $40 per year for members, which is included in the dues, $20 for surviving spouses and ROAL members. PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID at Washington, D.C., and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Officer, Membership Department, ROA, One Constitution Avenue NE, Washington DC 200025618. DEADLINES: Editorial, letters–45 days preceding month of issue; articles, departments–45 days preceding month of publication. Manuscripts preferred by e-mail to editor@roa.org. This publication is available on the ROA website, for members only. Copyright © 2011 by the Reserve Officers Association. All rights reserved. ADVERTISING INFORMATION: Deadline: 1st day of month preceding month of publication. ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE: Lani Burnett, Advertising Director, Reserve Officers Association, One Constitution Ave. NE, Washington DC 20002-5618; Phone 202-646-7758; Fax 202-646-7767; E-mail lburnett@roa.org. Meaghan Bassiri, Ad Traffic Manager, One Constitution Ave. NE, Washington DC 20002-5618; Phone 202646-7711; Fax 202-646-7767; E-mail mbassiri@roa.org. Publication of advertising does not constitute endorsement by the ROA Publisher or the Publisher’s representatives. *****
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ROA PResident’s MessAge Col Walker M. WilliaMs iii, UsaF (ret.) • roa NatioNal PresideNt UnfetteRed ResOlve
Ten-year conflict emphasizes the Total Force.
y the time this issue of The Officer reaches your mailbox, the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center will be a 10-year-old memory, but it’s a memory whose reminders occur each and every day—particularly for those in the Reserve Component. The starkest of those reminders is the seriousness of the threat, coupled with the unwavering resolve displayed by so many over the past 10 years. A look back at the summer reveals a troubling note: National Journal recently emphasized a senior military official’s announcement that June’s 1,600 improvised explosive device (IED) attacks in Afghanistan set a new record. This was a 25 percent increase over the IED average for a given month. It’s just one example of how Reserve Component patriots answering the call to the colors continue to reveal a commonly shared resolve with a complete understanding of the threat, responsibility, and too often the ultimate sacrifice this long conflict requires. Although words can’t quantify that dedicated resolve, ROA still continues to honor their efforts and work hard to ensure that Reserve Component members and their families receive the attention and advocacy they deserve. Through these pages, ROA keeps you abreast of legislative efforts on behalf of the Reserve Component and keeps you in the loop about how they impact you. In his Capitol View column “Ever-present Threat,” CAPT Marshall A. Hanson, USNR (Ret.) provides reminders of the threat, closely examining how terrorist groups are working today to continue their sinister efforts. Capitol Hill Connection also provides a look at a most successful year in front of legislators, as ROA had submitted testimony to lawmakers 15 times by the summer. In 2010, ROA submitted 17 times for the entire year. It’s these efforts where ROA continues to bring the interests of the Reserve Component to Congress and their staffs—to those who can affect change. For a detailed look at ROA’s efforts over the past year, don’t miss the 2011 Annual Report bound within these pages.
It’s where you can see how ROA works as an organization and hopefully surpasses expectations as the only association dedicated specifically to the entire Reserve Component. We follow that with what is for many the singular driving force behind Reserve Component dedication and resolve today: a look at the last 10 years of sacrifice, success, and challenge. Not an anniversary or celebration, it is simply a recognition and reemphasis of the efforts in which the entire country has been engaged since Sept. 11, 2001. When the Reserve Component gets the call—as for all military members—it carries a seriousness and impact that reaches families, friends, and loved ones. But by the simple nature of the Reserve member, it also impacts employees and employers, businesses small and large, and the overall commercial fabric of the country. This is what defines the impact of the Reserve Component, and we want it recognized and reemphasized. One thing is for certain about the Reserve Component: It is a force of highly trained and experienced individuals, always looking toward self-improvement, which not only helps them in their military specialties, but also in the civilian world. Ever growing in recent years is the ability of military personnel to get an advanced education—oftentimes while they are deployed. Through technological breakthroughs and the desire inherent in the Reserve member, educational opportunities have exploded around the country. The Officer takes a look at some of the offerings, but with a cautionary note for troops to do their homework before picking that school. Also, don’t miss our interview with Rep. Charlie Dent (RPa.), as well as our industry spotlight in STARs, and the latest military advances in Defense Tech. As we mark the 10 years since Sept. 11, 2001, it gives us the opportunity not only to honor the great sacrifice thousands of men and women have made, but note once again ROA’s efforts to ensure these wonderful warriors are represented in Washington, and are recognized around the country as the true patriots they are.
The starkest of those reminders is the seriousness of the threat.
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Legacy Society Spotlight: LTC Timothy Hoon
LTC Tim Hoon, USAR (Ret.), is a member of ROA, and has been for more than 16 years. When asked what ROA has done that makes him most proud, he answers: “That’s a difficult question to give a brief answer to.” He says he can hardly give one answer; he needs more time—and space. LTC Hoon was recruited to join ROA by his brigade commander at Camp Shelby, Miss., COL John Hauschild. Recognize the name? COL Hauschild later became an ROA national president. It’s no surprise LTC Hoon bonded with COL Hauschild. For LTC Hoon, being a part of ROA means connecting with those who share his passion and connecting with those who have made an impact on him. He looks back on his 16 years fondly, remembering moments of pride from ROA events, like the time he sat at the head table with LTG Jack Stultz, chief of the Army Reserve, and ADM Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, when ADM Mullen spoke. Immersed in the richness of the admiral’s words, LTC Hoon recalls “a lot of press at the event, including live television.” But as former ROA Army vice president, LTC Hoon is used to these big events. In fact, he introduced his 87th Division Commander, MG James Darden, as the speaker at the World War II Memorial ground-breaking ceremony on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., one of his proudest memories of serving in the Army Reserve. A native of Louisville, Ky., LTC Hoon now lives in Georgia with his “significant other”—Wrangler, his “sometimes beloved” seven-year-old Appaloosa. Though LTC Hoon no longer serves on ROA’s Executive Committee, he keeps coming back to Washington, D.C., for the ROA National Convention each year and remains engaged in the organization’s work because of the bonds of leadership and friendship that he forged at ROA. “If you participate in it, you will go places, meet people, and learn things that will enrich your career and life,” LTC Hoon says. In the end, he decides he is most proud that ROA is sustaining the legacy of those who have gone before him. “ROA is a way to say thank you to all who have served, like my father and uncles,” he says. “It is a means to continue serving for ideals that are bigger than myself—ideals that are expressed in the U.S. Constitution.” 12
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LTC Hoon poses withWrangler, his 7-year-old Appaloosa
Top 10 Priorities •
Modernize Equipment and Facilities
•
Fund Training, Readiness, and Support Programs
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Improve Joint Policies
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Fix Reserve Retirement
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Expand Health Care Continuity
•
Advance Civil, Employment, and Voting Rights
•
Help Reservists and Guardsmen
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Promote Fiscal Responsibility
•
Support National Security
•
Preserve Industrial Base
Visit www.roa.org/support for more information or contact Richard Thralls at 202.646.7721 or rthralls@roa.org
eDitOrial By MG DaviD Bockel, USa (Ret.) One Degree Of SeparatiOn Only 1 percent have firsthand military knowledge.
any don’t know this, but 99 percent of the U.S. population have never served in the military. And, as much as I like their music, Toby Keith and Lee Greenwood never served either. So when Mr. Keith says, “We’ll put a boot up your a--, ‘cause it’s the American way,” or when Mr. Greenwood says, “I’ll gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today,” it’s important to remember that they are part of the 99 percent. Even so, they are patriots for honoring the service of the folks who have stepped up and volunteered. They have called attention to the courage and sacrifices that our servicemembers make. Seeing the 1 percent greeted warmly in public warms my heart, too. I’m a Vietnam veteran, and that sort of thing didn’t happen to me and many others in 1967. The 99 percent need to know the truth about those who commit their lives and sacred honor to defend the nation. It’s particularly important, as about half of the volunteers come right out of their own communities. To help in the education process, here are some points to ponder: Jobs. Guard and Reserve members who have been mobilized have a higher unemployment rate prior to and upon return than the 99 percent. While the U.S. unemployment rate is around 9 percent, those who have mobilized have an unemployment rate of around 15 percent. Those who are part in the 99 percent must understand that the leadership and management qualities of these veterans, on top of their drug-free lifestyle in the military, make them far better employee prospects than many nonveterans. They have been tested under the highest degree of stress imaginable and have prevailed. That experience alone should give them top consideration for any job they apply for. Pay. Cut their pay? I suggest that many other government employees should be considered for pay cuts before servicemembers, regardless of their component. Health Care. This is one area where the Department of Defense (DoD) has done a good job. Tricare Reserve Select is a great program, even though less than 15 percent of the selected reserve use it. But what about medical conditions, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI)? In the past 10 years, it is shameful the way this condition has been handled, particularly with no 6
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continuity among DoD health care, Veterans Affairs, Tricare, and civilian providers. Treatments such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy that have worked anecdotally are given the “slow roll” by some DoD health care leaders. Meanwhile, the number of service members with TBI continues to grow. I consider it “Agent Orange Redux.” In addition, there is discussion among some in DoD and Congress as to how to reduce the amount of the health care entitlement for retirees. I believe, as many colleagues do, that the earned benefit of low-cost health care for military retirees trumps just about everyone else who gets “free” health care in this country. Retirement. It’s no longer “business as usual” in Reserve Component retirement. Nobody is looking for something they don’t deserve. But getting retirement credit for being called to the colors—possibly multiple times since Sept. 11, 2001— changes the landscape. I don’t have a problem if members of the Active Component have to wait until age 60 to receive their retirement. After 20 years of service, many have started second careers, while members of the Reserve Component continue balancing civilian careers as they simultaneously manage military careers. But if age 60 retirement isn’t going to happen, Congress must fix what it started and provide true earlier retirement for the post–9/11 Reserve Component members. My belief is that many in the 99 percent group don’t know what service in the military is really like. That 1 percent in the military couldn’t sustain itself, however, without the selfless people in the 99 percent. These individuals provide the foundation upon which brave men and women continue to sacrifice for the rest of the country. One final note: On Oct. 3, I will become executive director of the Georgia Military Affairs Coordinating Committee in Atlanta. After eight years in Washington, D.C., my wife, Jane, and I will return home to family and friends and begin another chapter in my career of service. It has been an honor to serve the ROA members and the brave men and women and their families who serve in the Reserve and National Guard. Thanks to all for this memorable opportunity. In my new capacity, I will continue to work in the interest of those who serve.
The CH-47F Chinook is the most versatile, mission-capable heavy-lift helicopter in the world. More powerful than ever with advanced flight controls and avionics, the CH-47F is in a class by itself, whether it’s transporting troops and equipment, on deep combat assault, performing search and rescue, or delivering disaster relief. Extraordinary performance— it’s what you expect from Chinook.
Guest commentary By Rep. Allen West (R–Fla.) 21st century Battlefield We need a national security framework that identifies true threats and objectives.
oday’s paradigm of battle and combat operations is completely different from what I experienced in 1982 when I was commissioned as a young lieutenant in the U.S. Army. At the time, the battlefield was much simpler. In broad strokes, there was the Soviet Union on one side and the United States on the other. We were familiar with their tactics and equipment, and they with ours. Both sides wore uniforms, and every now and then we would stage war games on border-control missions. However, that paradigm has completely disappeared, leaving in its place an asymmetrical battlefield with nonuniformed, nonstate belligerents using unconventional weapons and tactics. If the United States of America is going to be successful in protecting its citizens and interests, we must quickly understand and adapt to this new battlefield, and be prepared for success and victory. How do we understand the complexities of this global conflagration in which we are engaged, and how do we make the necessary changes? With the appropriate strategic-level perspective, we will never lose at the tactical level on the ground, because the United States has the best Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guard personnel the world has ever known. But without the correct strategic and operational goals at the tactical level, we will find ourselves on the proverbial hamster wheel. No matter how much effort we exert on the wheel, we will not make forward progress. To begin with, we must correctly identify our enemy. It is, frankly, naïve to say we are at war with “terror” because a nation cannot be at war with a tactic. Imagine, if during World War II, the United States went to war against the “blitzkrieg” or the “kamikaze.” Further, we cannot narrowly define the enemy simply as al-Qaida or the Taliban. It is just as ridiculous to say we declared war against the 12th German Panzer Division or the 55th Japanese Infantry Regiment. Before the rise of al-Qaida, the terrorist group that had inflicted the most damage on the United States was Hezbollah. Now Hezbollah has become a very capable military force, albeit one without state or uniform—so capable, in fact, it has armed missiles within striking distance of every city in Israel. 8
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The Obama administration has failed to identify Hezbollah as an enemy. On this 21st century battlefield, we are not fighting against a single organization, a single leader, or a single nation. We are fighting against the ideology of Islamic fundamentalism, which knows no country and recognizes no borders. Until we, as a nation, are able to correctly and openly identify our enemy, we will continue to put our men and women on the ground in harm’s way without a clear mission for success. Once we have identified the enemy, we must ensure that we have clearly identified the specific strategic-level objectives to effectively fight. I believe there are four. 1. Deny the enemy sanctuary. The No. 1 asset our military has is strategic mobility. When that is curtailed by a focus on nation-building or occupation-style warfare, we eliminate our primary advantage and, worse, our military forces become targets. Because this enemy has no respect for borders or boundaries, we must be willing to take the fight directly to him. 2. Cut off the enemy’s flow of men, material, and resources. We have to interdict the enemy’s flow of resources in order to prevent the ability to fund, supply, and replenish his ranks. 3. Win the information war. Unfortunately, the enemy is far more adept at exploiting the power of the Internet, broadcast media, and dissemination of powerful imagery. In addition, I fear our media now sees itself as an ideological political wing. If we cannot fully utilize our own national informational power as an asset, we will lose the battle, if not our country. 4. Cordon off the enemy and reduce his sphere of influence. We must shrink the enemy’s territory, but we are not being effective. We are allowing—if not welcoming—the enemy into the United States. What happened with MAJ Nidal Hasan—charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder in the November 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas—should not have happened in this country. We must not turn a blind eye to a very bold enemy who is telling us exactly what he
Within 10 years, the world’s largest blue-water navy will fly under a Chinese flag. Why is that important? Because, no matter how technology changes in the future, the Earth’s surface is still 70 percent water.
wants to do, and is willing to bring the battle to our doorsteps. We must recognize that Afghanistan and Iraq are not wars, but combat theaters of operation. It is up to our elected leaders and our strategic-level military officials to identify and agree on the correct strategic goals and objectives in order to be successful on these battlefields and others. Beyond identifying the enemy and defining our objectives in kinetic battle, we must also understand and recognize the truly nonkinetic conflicts of the 21st century battlefield. One need only review the collapse of the Soviet Union to understand that great nations can be toppled economically as well as militarily. In fact, one country paid particularly close attention to the fall of the Soviet Union: China. Currently, the United States is providing a great economic advantage to China, including a trade surplus and ownership of nearly 30 percent of our debt. But we must recognize that China is not using that advantage to improve the standard of living of its citizens. Instead, and of great concern, China is taking its economic advantage to the 21st century battlefield. Within 10 years, the world’s largest blue-water navy will fly under a Chinese flag. Why is that important? Because no matter how technology changes in the future, the Earth’s surface is still 70 percent water. All of the world’s greatest civilizations—from the Phoenicians to the Romans, Spanish, Dutch, English, or Japanese—understood that the power and the reach of a nation is not extended through a great army, but through a powerful navy. In 1990, the United States possessed 570 naval war vessels. Today, we have 285. If we cannot protect the sea lanes of commerce, we leave ourselves vulnerable not just militarily, but economically. Another key factor for success on the 21st century battlefield is energy independence. The Department of Energy was created in 1977 with one mission: to make the United States of America energy independent. We have obviously not yet succeeded, and if we do not recognize that countries such as Saudi Arabia and Venezuela can and will use energy resources as a weapon on this 21st century battlefield, we do so at our peril. If there is ever
a time when we, the United States of America, should commit ourselves to being energy independent, the time is now. We must develop the full spectrum of energy resources we have at our disposal. We must not hamper our ability to reach our significant oil, coal, and natural gas reserves. We must develop our nuclear capability, and continue to look for cost-effective biofuel, wind, and solar energy solutions. If we miss this opportunity to recognize the 21st century battlefield for what it truly is, to understand the threats, and to have a strategic vision for victory, we will lose the opportunity to ensure that we protect America for the future, for our children, and for our grandchildren. As a country, we must roll up our sleeves and devise a roadmap for our national security that clearly identifies the threats and lays out precise, measurable goals and objectives. We must be mindful of the wise words compiled by Sun Tzu in The Art of War more than 25 centuries ago: “To know your enemy and to know yourself and to know the environment and countless amounts of battles, you will always be victorious.” If we do not understand this simple maxim, we face dark days ahead, indeed. These days of darkness, however, would cover not only the United States of America, but potentially the entire world. Because no matter what our detractors may say, we are that beacon, we are that lighthouse, we are, as Ronald Reagan said, “the shining city that sits upon a hill.” For the sake of our nation, and of all nations who seek freedom for their citizens, we must clearly identify the 21st century battlefield and ensure that we are victorious upon it. Before his election to the House in 2010, the author served 22 years in the Army and retired as a lieutenant colonel in 2004. He was a field artillery officer during Operation Desert Storm, deployed again during Operation Iraqi Freedom as a battalion commander for the 4th Infantry Division, and trained Afghan officers in Afghanistan. After his retirement, he returned as a civilian adviser to the Afghan army. the
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READER FEEDBACK rnal of the
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Bolton Appeal RE the interview with John Bolton in the May–June issue of The Officer, titled “Troubled Regions”: I’m tired of him and those of his ilk—commentators Bill Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard; Mort Zuckerman, editor-in-chief of U.S. News and World Report; columnist Charles Krauthammer; former Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz and his minions; and Sens. Joe Lieberman (I–Conn.), Lindsay Graham (R–S.C.), and John McCain (R– Ariz.)—whose jingoistic Middle East opinions are quick to send and to sacrifice our military servicemembers and spend U.S. taxpayers’ money for their selfish agendas. As for Iran’s threat, intelligence services said the same thing about Iraq. A trillion dollars and 4,400-plus lives—along with wounded whom we’re still begging Congress to care for—and now it’s Iran. I didn’t and don’t care about weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear, as long as we have our own stockpile. After Iran, it will be Syria, then by that time Egypt will be a threat for these warmongers. It will never end. The Middle East has been a warring cesspool since the beginning of recorded history. President Ronald Reagan knew enough to get the troops out of the Middle East. President Dwight D. Eisenhower kept the troops out of the Suez Canal crisis. How many lives and what financial cost are we going to spend on another third-rate power? If Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel are concerned, they can build up their defense with their finances. Are we slaves to the Middle East? As long as our military is more powerful than the next three military powers, I feel safe, and we’re not appeasing anyone. Dave Hazell Col, USMC (Ret.) Marshfield, Mass.
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The Officer staff, associates, and contributing writers are to be complimented for the May–June 2011 edition. Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton in “Troubled Regions” sums up his concerns for the Middle East and the world in a most interesting interview. Radio host John Batchelor’s story, told in “Radio Recon”—under-reported elsewhere—is covered very nicely. And “Defense Tech” is a most interesting and informative discussion on the technical as well as moral aspects of robotics. These and other stories/reports in the issue make for good, informative reading. The Jo
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A.C. Sandy Brodie CAPT, USCGR (Ret.) Princeville, Hawaii
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I have never written to the ROA before, but the article “Rapid Reaction” in your July–August issue requires me to write this letter. I really do not understand the difference between a traditional or legacy role as a strategic reserve, operational reserve, and now the “third force,” which would be a quickreaction force. I only know that any military unit—Active, Reserve, National Guard—should be as highly trained as possible. The comment within the article that really got my attention was: The United States has been continuously at war for more than eight years in Iraq and Afghanistan.” This is my question, and a question every military organization such as ROA should be asking: Why have we been continuously at war?
Correction: Author Christopher Holshek was misidentified in the National Security Report from the March–April issue of The Officer. He is a retired colonel from the U.S. Army Reserve, Civil Affairs.
I would like to provide my answer. We have been continuously at war because we have forgotten how to win. You don’t win, and can’t win, by being in a defensive posture. You win by being on the offensive, using all means available, and by totally destroying the enemy. This also includes the so-called innocent civilians who support and condone the conduct of those we are fighting. Civilians who support the ones that we are fighting are our enemies also. We have not won a war, or a police action—or whatever you want to call it—since World War II. If we had fought World War II the way that we are fighting now, we would have lost that one also. With reference to Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Libya, plus a couple of more conflicts we are involved in: Only Congress has the right to declare a war, and it doesn’t have the guts to do so. Congress should either declare that we are at war or demand that the troops come home. COL Charles Siragusa USA, (Ret.) Spring, Texas
Uncomfortable Truths RE Secretary Dennis McCarthy’s editorial in the July– August issue of The Officer titled “Reserve Roadmap”: In June, I attended the briefing at ROA headquarters on the Comprehensive Review of the Future of the Reserve Component about which he writes. The review was commissioned by the authors’ superiors and provides a politically and bureaucratically correct answer to those superiors, but it avoids uncomfortable truths present in the real world outside of the Pentagon. In addition, it fails to note a number of uncomfortable truths within the Reserve Component. Finally, it fails to include input or interests of two key stakeholders: families and civilian employers. The briefers acknowledged that no intellectually honest framework drove the review, such as the Military Decision Making Process or the Ends=Ways+Means model, thus allowing or ensuring that gaps in analysis would exist, and facilitating the presence of confirmation bias and the absence of the inputs and interests of stakeholders critical to the long-term success of the Reserve Component. The review’s executive summary states that “since Sept. 11, 2001, the Reserve Component has convincingly confirmed that it can also provide substantial operational capability—that effectively enhances the quality of
life of DoD’s [Department of Defense] active forces by reducing stress.” This statement seems to ignore the stress on Reserve Component service members, their families, and employers, as evidenced by high suicide and divorce rates, post-traumatic stress disorder, drug and alcohol abuse, civilian career interruptions, and civilian job loss. It also fails to address the impact that repeated deployments have on the retention of high potential Reserve Component officers and senior NCOs. Finally, the review fails to address a host of leadership issues within the Reserve Components. I asked five questions at the end of the briefing. The first four were answered poorly and the fifth, the briefers didn’t even try to answer: “If a rational decision-maker/manager in a civilian organization had a choice to promote or hire between two equally qualified candidates, but one of the two would be lost to him/her for one out of every five years as a Reserve Component servicemember, which of the two would he/she promote or hire?” I think the answer is obvious and uncomfortable for the purposes of the review. MG Dennis Laich USA (Ret.) Powell, Ohio
Reader Feedback Policy The Officer welcomes your feedback on content and issues affecting Reserve officers. Letters should be no longer than 250 words, and must include writer’s name, rank (if applicable), service branch, and city and state of residence. Please include a phone number as we verify each letter’s authenticity before publishing. Phone numbers are not published. Letters may be edited for grammar, style, and length. The Officer reserves the right to refuse publication of any correspondence for any reason. Please send letters via e-mail to editor@roa.org (subject line: “Feedback”) or use the “Feedback” form on www.roa.org. Please send letters via postal mail to: Christopher Prawdzik, Editor, The Officer, Reserve Officers Association, One Constitution Ave., NE, Washington, D.C. 20002-5618
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Army BoB Feidler • director, Army ProgrAms multi-level ChAnge Army leadership sees both changes and continuity.
y the end of September, GEN Martin Dempsey, current Army chief of staff, is expected to become the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the new Army chief of staff will likely be GEN Raymond Odierno. They are awaiting their confirmation hearings. It was only in April that GEN Dempsey assumed the job of chief of staff of the Army after his command at U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. He will be the first Army chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in a decade. GEN Odierno is the current commander of the Joint Forces Command. He previously served as commanding general of U.S. Forces–Iraq and its predecessor, Multi-National Force– Iraq, from September 2008 through September 2010. Before that, he served as commanding general, III Corps, from May 2006 to May 2008. GEN Odierno is the 12th American military officer to command at the division, corps, and Army level during the same conflict, and only the second to have this honor since the Vietnam War. Before commanding III Corps, he served as assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, where he was the primary military adviser to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice from Nov. 3, 2004, to May 1, 2006. Both GEN Dempsey and GEN Odierno are combat– seasoned commanders with vast experience in the Middle East. The first priority for the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will be to maintain a suitable Pentagon budget while upholding national security. the administration of President Barack Obama calls for $400 billion in cuts over the next decade. Beyond that, the administration must address the many problems in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and think strategically about the Iranian issue and nuclear deterrence. Subject to major swings in the budget, the Army will see a reduction in strength from about 570,000 to about 547,000 by 2013. Drawdowns continue in Iraq, with the expectation that about 10,000 Soldiers will remain at the end of the year. Drawdowns have begun in Afghanistan with the expectation that by the end of summer 2012, at least 33,000 servicemembers will have returned from the theater. 12
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In the July–August issue of The Officer, the Army column noted that GEN Dempsey, upon arriving as chief of staff, identified nine focus areas. As this column was being prepared, GEN Dempsey, with input from GEN Odierno, released his “Thoughts on the Future of the Army” and laid out a timetable for action with most of the deadlines scheduled for fall 2011. Of note in his “Imperatives for Success” was his statement: “Our Army must accomplish any assigned task. Stated more precisely, we must win. Ours is a profession in which we cannot and will not accept anything less.” To achieve this goal in today’s complex, changing environment, he emphasized the need to learn, focus, and adapt. Meanwhile, LTG Jack Stultz, chief of the Army Reserve and commanding general of U.S. Army Reserve Command, continues to lead for the sixth year, although some speculate that he might leave his position by June 2012. He is supported by MG Jon Miller, deputy commanding general at the U.S. Army Reserve Command, and MG Keith Thurgood, deputy chief of the U.S. Army Reserve. James Snyder serves as assistant chief of the Army Reserve, the senior civilian position in that office. LTG Stultz’s primary goal is to maintain the Army Reserve as an enduring force to carry out operational missions assigned to it. For the first time in many years, ROA and the Defense Education Forum served as the entity to bring together the legislative liaisons and fellows from all Reserve Components for a meeting at ROA headquarters to review Reserve Component legislative priorities and for all service leaders to meet their counterparts. It was considered a success, and ROA has been asked to continue to host these gatherings on a regular basis. LTG Stultz and the Army Reserve legislative staff provided the inspiration for this meeting. “The Army Reserve is a positive investment for the nation,” LTG Stultz says. “It provides combat support and combat service support units to combatant commanders as needed and at a cost below that of having to support their equivalents in the Active Component.” The Army Reserve has been the
beneficiary of substantial resource expenditures by Congress and the Department of Defense, making it a highly trained and mature force to assist in fighting and winning the nation’s wars. For the foreseeable future, the Army Reserve will function as an operational force. The great challenge will be to maintain adequate resources to permit the sustainment of training and readiness so that it becomes an enduring reserve force.
Current Army Reserve Profiles: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Authorized End-Strength—205,000 Actual End-Strength—205,281 Accessions—105% of goal Re-enlistments—105% of goal Total Currently Activated—24,000 (16,000 involuntary; 8,000 voluntary) Mobilized since 9/11—199,000 Caucasian Members—59% Hispanic—13% Black—22% Asian—4% Average age—32 Average age for officers—41 Male—77% Female—23% Fiscal Year 2011 Budget—$8.1 billion, of which $4.7 billion was for personnel Fiscal Year 2012 programmed—$8.8 billion
The Army Reserve provides 100 percent of • • • • • •
Theater Engineer Commands Civil Affairs Commands Training Divisions Biological Detection Companies Railway Units Replacement Companies
The Army Reserve also provides a substantial portion of the Total Army’s assets in other areas, including: • • • •
Medical Brigades Civil Affairs Brigades PSYOPS Groups Expeditionary Sustainment Commands
• • • • • • • •
Dental Companies Combat Support Hospitals Army Watercraft Petroleum Units Mortuary Affairs Units Military Police Commands Information Operations Groups Medical Units Supply Units
InjuRy TRAnsITIon The Army Warrior Transition Command (WTC) released a new online learning resource in July that provides information to family and caregivers of the more than 8,000 wounded, ill, and injured Army personnel at warrior transition units. Focused on the Army’s “Comprehensive Transition Plan” (CTP), this online learning module educates caregivers on the seven-part CTP process, helps a Soldier with an individual recovery plan, and focuses on the role loved ones play throughout the entire process. The seven stages of the CTP include: intake, assessment, goal setting, rehabilitation, review, pre-transition, and post-transition. The “CTP Learning Module for Families” includes the following: * Explanations of CTP’s seven stages. * Information to help loved ones support their Soldier during each step. * Explanations of the medical and non-medical staff involved. * A list of resources and informational videos. * A glossary of common terms and acronyms. A major subordinate command under the U.S. Army Medical Command, WTC has the mission to develop, coordinate, and integrate the Army’s Warrior Care and Transition Program for wounded, ill, and injured soldiers, veterans, and their families. Part of the Army’s holistic approach to wounded care, 29 WTUs throughout the United States and Europe werer built for Soldiers who require at least six months of complex medical management. At WTUs, Soldiers have one mission: to heal and transition. More information on the program is available at www. wtc.army.mil/ctpfamilylearningmodule. the
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Navy CAPT MARSHALL A. HANSON, USNR (ReT.) • diReCTOR, NAvAL SeRviCeS SeCTiON
Flotsam aNd Jetsam ROA agenda items move through Congress.
ften used to reference odds and ends, flotsam and jetsam are defined at the website www.phrases.com. The site describes flotsam as items that are floating as a consequence of the action of the sea, while jetsam are those which have been jettisoned by a ship’s crew. Yet there are maritime law definitions as well; flotsam is floating wreckage from a sunken ship or its cargo; jetsam is part of a distressed ship, its equipment, or its cargo that is purposefully jettisoned overboard. But what is on this page is neither flotsam nor jetsam. It is material shared for its importance, not for its throwaway value. Post–9/11 GI Bill (transferability): ROA completed an agenda item when the U.S. Public Health Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Commissioned Officers Corps became eligible to transfer to spouses or children the benefits earned for the new Post–9/11 GI Bill. While legislation was passed in last year’s Post–9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010 (PL 111-377), full implementation didn’t occur until August 1, 2011. Clifford L. Stanley, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, signed a needed memo in support of the transition on June 24. A serving member can qualify for transferability by either extending for additional service or retiring between Aug. 1, 2009, and Aug. 1, 2013. Check with your personnel office for details. Unfortunately, U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) members who were in the Inactive Reserve Corps (IRC) are ineligible, unless perhaps they were on extended active duty after Sept. 11, 2001. Full qualification requires being on active duty for 36 months. IRC USPHS officers are currently in limbo awaiting the implementation of the legislated USPHS Ready Reserve. U.S.Coast Guard Reserve Education. Eligibility continues to be an issue for the Coast Guard Reserve. Active duty under Title 10 order is not a problem for time accruing for both education and early retirement benefits. The problem arises when Coast Guard Reservists are called up under Title 14. This type of duty has been overlooked by Congress. ROA continues to advocate for the inclusion of Title 14. 14
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NOAA and USPHS Appointments: The Senate passed the Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011 (S. 679) June 29 by a 79–20 margin, and it was sent to the House for consideration. The bill would permit presidential appointments without Senate approval for a number of assistant secretary positions. Appointments and promotions to permanent grades for NOAA Commissioned Officers Corps were included under subsection (gg) of the bill, including the position of director of NOAA Corps and Office of Marine and Aviation Operations. In section (ff) of the bill, appointments and promotions of U.S. Public Health commissioned officers are similarly exempted from Senate approval. The bill also eliminates two Department of Defense assistant secretary positions: Networks and Information Integration and Public Affairs. If the House passes the bill, the director of Selective Service position would also be exempt from Senate approval. Interested in Volunteering? The chief of naval personnel announced a one-stop website that assists in identifying volunteer opportunities: “United We Serve.” Ironically, this one stop links you to another website: www.allforgood.org. Allforgood.org is a Google site that uses open-source technology to consolidate listings from a variety of service organizations with volunteer opportunities that can be searched using key interest word and location. Groups can also add their solicitations for volunteer help on the site. The website was spotlighted by the Chronicle of Philanthropy and the Huffington Post and has been endorsed by Craig Newmark of Craigslist, whose foundation helped with the project. Another website is www.VolunteerMatch.org, the Internet archetype suggested by Mr. Newmark when such a project was encouraged by the White House. An example of a volunteer opportunity posted on this site is as a World War II Memorial docent supporting the National Park Service. After Sept. 11, 2001, many retirees wanted to volunteer to return to service. The military couldn’t use everybody, yet it plans to use these sites to post volunteer opportunities of its own.
CHemICal CoNCeRNs Agent Orange still vital issue to Vietnam Veterans.
s the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War nears, debate continues on the issue of presumptive exposure to Agent Orange (AO). Military personnel who were physically in South Vietnam are now recognized by the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) as being at risk from 14 possible ailments, while serving members who were exposed to the same toxins outside of Vietnam continue struggling to receive government assistance in treatment. In June, ROA issued a statement about Agent Orange exposure before the VA’s Advisory Committee on Disability Compensation. This statement followed an AO briefing by Jim Sampsel of the Veteran Benefits Administration. CAPT Marshall Hanson, USNR (Ret.), ROA legislative director, corrected some inconsistencies in the VA blue-water briefing. As veterans still face issues over Desert Storm syndrome and exposure to burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan, ROA speaks on behalf of multiple generations of warriors. How Vietnam veterans are treated sets the precedent for assisting future veterans as well. “It remains vitally important in any theater of contingency operations that individuals are recognized for their service and remain eligible for health benefits, regardless of the manner of exposure, whether on land, sea, or in the air. Medical treatment of serving members, as well as veterans, needs to take precedence over determining statistical correlations,” ROA testified.
At Sea The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans and Agent Orange Exposure report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) was inconclusive about exposure to Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guard members who served off the coast of Vietnam, stating that there is not enough data to scientifically prove blue-water veterans are at risk for cancer and other health issues due to AO exposure. IOM’s Committee on Blue Water Navy Veterans and Agent Orange Exposure plans to start anew, focusing on quantitative rather than qualitative data, which was used for the
released report. More than 713 Navy ships and 56 Coast Guard vessels were in the waters off the 1,200-mile coastline of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Naval missions included coastal security patrols, inshore gun support, logistics, and carrier air operations. The VA has recognized claims from Vietnam veterans whose ships entered inland waterways or docked, anchored, or operated near shore if crew members went ashore. In May 2001, a list of 140 ships and 51 classes of small ves¬sels was published. Other ships can be added if a blue-water Sailor makes a claim and has proof of his crew being ashore. The list can be found at: www. bluewaternavy.org/ListRevision5-16.11.pdf.
In the Air Air Force personnel are having an even harder time proving exposure to herbicides, not having set “boots on the ground” in Vietnam. While some supporting studies exist for the Navy, Air Force veterans are fighting statistical data. In 1996, Michael Gough, chairman of the federal panel charged with investigating the potential health impacts of Agent Orange said, “[The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] found that while the Air Force’s Operation Ranch Hand sprayed 90 percent of the Agent Orange used in Vietnam, there is no difference in the health of the Ranch Hands … [than] other veterans who served in Southeast Asia at the same time and flew the same kinds of airplanes but were not exposed to Agent Orange.” Yet, Air Force studies of Ranch Hand crews showed that an exception was an increased mortality rate from circulatory diseases in enlisted who were at higher risk for skin exposure to herbicides. Despite statistics, AO continued to affect Air Force personnel—even some exposed after the war. From 1972 to 1982, contaminated C-123 aircraft, which disbursed the AO during the war, were flown by reserve air crews who were continually exposed to toxins for more than a decade after the Vietnam War. Most crew members are showing ailments that can be related to AO exposure. Others have died. the
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AIR FORCE By Lt coL ann peru knaBe AIR FORCE REsERvE ChECkup Triad shapes strategic duties and operational efforts.
he Air Force Reserve continues to maintain a strategic reserve while providing an operational, combat-ready force—a reality shaped by military events following Sept. 11, 2001. This involves balancing volunteerism and mobilization. The Air Force Reserve also maintains a balanced triad representing the needs of the Air Force, reservists’ families, and employers. It will continue broadening this Total Force Integration to increase efficiency and practical use of resources. And the Reserve will champion equipment and facilities modernization with emphasis on National Guard and Reserve Equipment Appropriation (NGREA) and military construction.
AFR 2012 Over the past two years, Lt Gen Charles E. Stenner Jr., commander of Air Force Reserve Command and chief of the Air Force Reserve, has expanded AFR 2012, his vision for the new reserve. AFR 2012 is a series of projects designed to make it easier for Air Force reservists to volunteer, mobilize, and deploy, while also fulfilling combat and support requirements. Under AFR 2012, the Reserve’s underlying missions remain the same, but with an increased emphasis on efficiency. The most significant AFR 2012 project is the development of the Force Generation Center at Robins Air Force Base, Ga. It will serve as the single path to request and receive—as well as oversee and deliver—Air Force Reserve forces and capability.
Air Force Reserve Composition Currently, 71,200 Reserve Airmen drill at 71 facilities, which include Air Reserve bases, Air Reserve stations, four ranges, and 50 tenant locations. More than 48,000 are traditional reservists who drill one weekend a month. Another 10,000 serve as Air Reserve technicians, holding both military slots in the Reserve with corresponding civilian positions during the regular business week. Individual Mobilization Augmentees number 8,780, while Active Guard Reserve members number close to 3,000. This vibrant force is supported by 3,981 civilians. Most reservists are seasoned veterans. Officers average 18 16
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years of service, while enlisted personnel average 13 years. The average officer age is 42; the average enlisted age is 35. While Air Force Reserve personnel tend to be a little older than their activeduty counterparts, these years of experience make reservists extremely knowledgeable and valuable in the Total Force mix. The Air Force Reserve represents a cross section of diversity. Almost three-fourths are Caucasian, 16 percent are AfricanAmerican, 10 percent are Hispanic, and 4 percent are Asian or Indian. Most officers are married (76 percent), and just more than half of the enlisted Airmen are married (53 percent). Females represent one-fourth of the Air Force Reserve force; 22 percent are officers and 78 percent enlisted. This dynamic group of reservists continues to support operations around the world. More than 4,000 are currently activated, serving in 30 countries that range from hot spots, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, to countries in the Middle East and remote areas such as Kyrgyzstan and Burkina Faso (West Africa). As always, this agile force is prepared to deploy on short notice to support worldwide missions. Air Force Reserve missions include traditional flying and emerging missions. Air Force reservists provide 100 percent of the Air Force’s aerial spray and weather reconnaissance missions. The Air Force Reserve also makes up 63 percent of the Air Force’s mortuary affairs operations center and 60 percent of aeromedical evacuations. Other support to the active Air Force includes flight inspections (50 percent), aerial port (47 percent), and strategic airlift (40 percent). The Air Force Reserve also assists with aerial firefighting, personnel recovery, tanker, bomber, fighter, and theater airlift missions, training, intelligence, space, and remote-piloted aircraft. The Air Force Reserve plays a critical role in today’s Air Force. It’s what is called Total Force integration. The Air Force Reserve has a full plate, but it’s an exciting time to serve, and Air Force reservists are grateful for the support ROA continues to give those who serve in the Air Force Reserve. The author is ROA’s Vice President—Air Force.
CONTACT ROA President Col Walker M. Williams III, USAF (Ret.) roapresident@roa.org President-elect BG Michael J. Silva, USAR michaeljsilva@yahoo.com immediate Past President RADM Paul T. Kayye, USNR (Ret.) drkayye@mac.com Judge advocate MAJ William B. Pentecost Jr., USAR wpentecost@eckertseamans.com treasurer COL W. Terry Baggett, AUS (Ret.) wtbaggett@mindspring.com army vice President COL Kevin R. Riedler, USAR roaarmyvp@yahoo.com
naval services executive committee member Col James R. Sweeney, USMCR jsweeney@btlaw.com
director, legislative and military Policy CAPT Marshall A. Hanson, USNR (Ret.) mhanson@roa.org; 202.646.7713
air Force vice President Lt Col Ann P. Knabe, USAFR aknabe@roa.org
director, member develoPment Col William L. Holahan, USMCR (Ret.) wholahan@roa.org; 202.646.7727
air Force Junior vice President Capt Lynette M. Petsinger, USAFR petsingerl@aol.com
director, member & executive services Ms. T. Diane Markham dmarkham@roa.org; 202.646.7706
air Force executive committee member Col Kathryn A. Karr Blair, USAFR katkblair@yahoo.com air Force executive committee member Col Jan L. Rhoads, USAFR janlrhoads@aol.com
director, strategic deFense education Mr. Robert E. Feidler rfeidler@roa.org; 202.646.7717 director, resource develoPment Mr. J. Richard Thralls rthralls@roa.org; 202.646.7721
army Junior vice President CPT Christopher L. Cox, USAR coxclcox@aol.com
air Force executive committee member Lt Col R. Randy Stoeckmann, USAFR roger.stoeckmann@scott.af.mil
director, industry aFFairs & business relations Ms. Lani M. Burnett lburnett@roa.org; 202.646.7758
army executive committee member COL Judi A. Davenport, USAR davenportj2@hotmail.com
chairman, dePartment national council members Lt Col Donald L. Stockton, USAF (Ret.) stocktondl@aol.com
director, army section Mr. Robert E. Feidler rfeidler@roa.org; 202.646.7717
army executive committee member COL Clifford L. Dungey, AUS (Ret.) cliffld@juno.com
chaPlain Chap. (Maj) Vincent A. Cummings, USAFR vcummings90@hotmail.com
army executive committee member COL Marco A. Marin, USAR (Ret.) marin10470@aol.com naval services vice President CAPT Gordon T. Austin, DMD, USN gaustin@roa.org naval services Junior vice President LCDR T. Scot Cregan, USNR tscregan@roa.org naval services executive committee member CAPT Donald C. Grant, USCGR (Ret.) Donaldg1@aol.com naval services executive committee member CAPT Morgan Little, USNR (Ret.) mlittle@roa.org
international Programs oFFicer Col Charles L. Holsworth, USAFR (Ret.) cholsworth@acba.org health services oFFicer MG Robert J. Kasulke, USAR ckasulke@twcny.rr.com historian COL Robert C. Jackle, USA (Ret.) rcjackle@aol.com Public relations oFFicer Maj Morshe D. Araujo, USAFR morshedaraujo@aol.com sergeant-at-arms MAJ Joseph A. Snel, USAR joseph.snel@usar.army.mil executive director MG David R. Bockel, USA (Ret.) dbockel@roa.org; 202.646.7701
director, naval services section CAPT Marshall A. Hanson, USNR (Ret.) mhanson@roa.org; 202.646.7713 director, air Force section To be announced. director, communications Mr. Keith W. Weller kweller@roa.org; 202.646.7719 director, service members law center CAPT Samuel F. Wright, JAGC, USN (Ret.) swright@roa.org; 202.646.7730 director, web develoPment & graPhics Mr. Kelly M. Matthews kmatthews@roa.org; 202.646.7707
TELEPHONE TOLL-FREE FAX (ExEcutivE / LEgisLation) FAX (MEMbEr sErvicEs / MEdia) FAX (dEfEnsE Education foruM) HOME PAGE the
202-479-2200 800-809-9448 202-547-1641 703-243-1425 202-646-7767 WWW.ROA.ORG
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Service MeMberS Law center Capt Samuel F. Wright, JagC, uSN (ret.) • DireCtor, Service MeMberS Law center
PheLPS vs. Snyder
Supreme Court decision draws line between rights and values.
n March 2, 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a near-unanimous decision upholding the right of a small church and its members to picket military funerals with odious signs. While I think the court got it right, I’m sure many ROA members will disagree. This case presents, in the starkest way imaginable, a conflict of rights and democratic values. Please bear with me as I explain how this case reached the nation’s highest court. In 1955, Fred W. Phelps Sr. founded the Westboro Baptist Church, located in Topeka, Kan. With perhaps 100 members— many of whom are members of Mr. Phelps’ extended family— the church’s congregation believes that God hates and punishes the United States for its tolerance of homosexuality, particularly in the military. The church frequently communicates its message by picketing, often at military funerals. In the more than 20 years that the members of Westboro Baptist have publicized their message, they have picketed nearly 600 funerals. When Marine Corps LCpl Matthew Snyder died in Iraq, Albert Snyder, Matthew’s father and the plaintiff in the case, selected the Catholic church in Westminster, Md., as the site for his son’s funeral. Mr. Phelps became aware of the funeral and decided to travel to Maryland with six of his parishioners (two of his daughters and four of his grandchildren). On the day of the memorial service, Westboro members picketed at three locations—two of them in Annapolis (the State House and the U.S. Naval Academy) and the other near the church in Westminster. The signs were largely the same at all three locations and are the standard signs that Westboro has used for years. Among the signs were those that said: “God Hates the USA/ Thank God for 9/11,” “America is Doomed,” “Don’t Pray for the U.S.A.,” “Thank God for IEDs,” “Thank God for Dead Soldiers,” “Pope in Hell,” “God Hates Fags,” “You’re Going to Hell,” and “God Hates You.” The Westboro group pickets military funerals with these signs, without regard to the perceived sexual orientation of the deceased servicemember. The Westminster picketing took place within a 10-foot by 18
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25-foot plot of public land adjacent to a public street, behind a temporary fence, approximately 1,000 feet from the church where the funeral was conducted. Westboro picketers displayed their signs for about 30 minutes before the funeral began and sang hymns and recited Bible verses. None of the picketers entered church property or went to the cemetery. They did not yell or use profanity, and there was no violence associated with the picketing. The funeral procession passed within 200 to 300 feet of the picket site. Mr. Snyder testified that he could see the tops of the picket signs as he drove to the funeral, but he did not see what was written on the signs until he watched a newscast that night. He then sued Mr. Phelps, the pastor’s daughters, and the Westboro Baptist Church in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. A jury awarded Mr. Snyder $2.9 million in compensatory damages and $8 million in punitive damages. The district court lowered the punitive damage award to $2.1 million, but otherwise left the jury verdict intact. The defendants appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. The 4th Circuit is the federal appellate court in Richmond, Va., and hears appeals from district courts in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The 4th Circuit reversed the district court judgment for Mr. Snyder, holding that the First Amendment forbids the imposition of tort liability under circumstances such as these. Mr. Snyder applied to the Supreme Court for certiorari (discretionary review), which the court granted. But the Supreme Court affirmed the 4th Circuit. Chief Justice John Roberts’ majority opinion (joined by six of his colleagues) includes the following: “The record makes clear that the applicable legal term—‘emotional distress’— fails to capture fully the anguish Westboro’s choice [as to its picketing] added to Mr. Snyder’s already incalculable grief. But Westboro conducted its picketing peacefully on matters of public concern at a public place adjacent to a public street. Such space occupies a ‘special position in terms of First Amendment protection.’ ”
The majority opinion indicates that the federal government and 44 states (including Maryland) have enacted laws regulating the required distance that picketing must remain from a funeral—laws enacted in direct response to the Westboro Baptist’s efforts. Maryland enacted the law after Westboro members picketed Matthew Snyder’s funeral, but the court indicated that if that law had been in effect at the time of the Westboro picketing, the protestors would have been in compliance. While the constitutionality of those laws was not before the court in this case, the majority opinion strongly implies that “to the extent these laws are content neutral,” they will pass constitutional muster. In this case, the Supreme Court applied and construed the U.S. Constitution (specifically, the First Amendment). Thus, Congress cannot overrule this result with simple legislation; it would require a constitutional amendment. Under Article V of the Constitution, an amendment must first be proposed by a margin of two-thirds or more in the Senate and the House of Representatives (separately), and then at least three-fourths of the states must ratify the amendment for it to become part of the Constitution. The first 10 amendments (collectively called the “Bill of Rights”) were proposed by the First Congress and quickly ratified by the states. Adding a Bill of Rights was part of the deal for the states to ratify the Constitution itself. In the 220 years since the First Congress, only 17 more amendments have been added to the Constitution. Amending the Constitution was intended to be difficult and rare. USA Today has reported that Arizona, Arkansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Wyoming have passed laws this year to establish or increase the “buffer zones” of time and distance around military funerals. The newspaper reports that such bills are pending in 14 other states (including California, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Texas), but such bills have failed in Florida, Mississippi, Nevada, and Utah. “States want to keep peace at funerals,” according to a USA Today story from June 3, 2011. The article further reports that Congress is considering the proposed Sanctity of Eternal Rest for Veterans Act, which would increase the quiet time before and after military funerals at federal facilities from 60 minutes to 120 minutes, increase the buffer around funeral services from 150 feet to 300 feet, and increase the buffer around access routes to services from
300 feet to 500 feet. These regulations will almost certainly pass constitutional muster, so long as they are reasonable and content neutral. I realize that many ROA members are greatly concerned about this Supreme Court decision and have demanded that Congress, state legislatures, or somebody “do something” about this odious picketing. As military personnel, we have taken an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. The Supreme Court has now definitively interpreted the Constitution in this context, and we must respect that interpretation. Many military personnel, including Matthew Snyder, have laid down their lives to defend the free speech rights of all Americans, even when that speech dishonors those who serve and the ultimate sacrifices they have made. Amending the Constitution is not feasible. The best that we can do is to improve upon the federal and state laws that provide “buffer zones” of time and distance around military funerals. This is primarily a matter of state law. The federal law only applies to a minority of military funerals—those held at Arlington National Cemetery and at cemeteries owned and operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs. This is an issue where ROA departments and chapters can most usefully make themselves heard in the state capitals.
For 13 years, ROA’s Law Review in The Officer, and now on the Web at www.roa.org/law_review, has logged more than 700 easily searchable and indexed articles about UOCAVA, USERRA, the SCRA, and other laws that are pertinent to those who make sacrifices to protect the rights that we all enjoy. When ROA established the Service Members Law Center (SMLC) in 2009, outreach increased, supported entirely by donations. Each month the SMLC provides information and assistance to up to 500 servicemembers, attorneys, reporters, congressional staffers, employers, and others about UOCAVA, USERRA, the SCRA, and other military-pertinent laws. Assistance is available via telephone at 800-809-9448, ext. 730, and by e-mail at SWright@roa.org.
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DEFENSE EDUCATION FORUM BoB Feidler • director, Strategic deFenSe education FOCUS ON ThE FUTURE
DEF works to stimulate imagination.
EF events often attempt to look into the future and to be part of crafting it. Our latest round of programs began with the first major session on the recently released Comprehensive Review of the Future Role of the Reserve Component. Developed over two years, the Reserve Component review contained 107 findings and recommendations and will play a substantial role as Department of Defense (DoD) planners develop forcewide policies and plans for Fiscal Year 2013 and beyond. The study was led by Gen James E. Cartwright, USMC, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Dennis McCarthy, assistant secretary of defense for Reserve Affairs, who retired in June. As budget constraints hit the Active Component, the Reserve Component may take on an even larger role as an enduring operational force, providing capacity, capability, and strategic depth. The result could be aggressive use of the Reserve Component to rebalance the force. The report identified 148 “stressed” areas where the Active Component has insufficient people or skills to perform the task. In May alone, the Active Component required 6,700 augmentees to fill the gap. The Reserve Component could potentially fill this void, especially for recurring operational missions or ones that need habitual relationships established. Each service will address its rebalancing needs differently, but the report provides a blueprint for the future use of the Reserve Component, from the creation of super reservists and units that would be utilized with a high operational tempo to possibly new alignments of units and combatant commands and/or functions. In cooperation with the University of Pennsylvania and the Foreign Policy Research Institute, DEF produced a program in early June on Planning the 21st Century Think Tank. The program reviewed common planning mechanisms such as reactive and pre-active planning, rejecting these in favor of interactive planning. This concept is based on the belief that an organization’s future depends as much on what it does between now and then, as what is done to it. Essentially, with an interactive planning mechanism, an organization designs a desirable present and then finds ways to 20
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D E F E N S E
EDUCATION FORUM
achieve or approximate this desirable entity. It creates a future by continuously closing the gap between where it is at any moment and where it would most like to be. DEF continually utilizes new ideas and approaches to maintain DEF as a dynamic thank tank that bolsters the purposes of the ROA Charter. As the summer continued, DEF conducted a program on Cyberspace: the Next Battlefield, as well as a joint program with the Army Navy Country Club featuring Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ADM Michael Mullen. The future he saw for the services was one in which severe budget constraints would become the norm and that the balancing of capability and acceptable risk would be even more challenging. ADM Mullen reiterated that the national debt was the single greatest national security threat of the future. The recent agreement on the debt ceiling extension, depending on factors yet to be determined by the legislative process, may result in DoD being the billpayer and result in cuts of up to $600 billion in the defense budget over the next dozen years. A helpful reference when discussing the future is the Arlington Institute’s John Peterson, considered one of America’s premier futurists. A retired Naval Reservist and former senior DoD official, Mr. Peterson publishes the free e-newsletter FUTUREEdition, available by contacting TheFuture@ FUTUREdition.org. The publication covers an eclectic range of topics from the philosophical, to science, social commentary, and defense-related issues. Recent topics have included discussions about our current extreme weather patterns and whether the pattern would continue; commentary on breakthroughs by Oxford University’s Parkinson’s Artificial Brain Bank; a discussion of China and its progress on stealth technologies, and a development in aircraft propulsion by an Austrian company that may lead to the first “disruptive” technology in that field since creation of the jet engine. DEF is anticipating having Mr. Peterson join us at a future event, where we can feature his insights and predictions related to defense issues and national security.
ng rights
YOUR COMPLETE RESOURCE For both employee and employer, the Service Members Law Center is the place for answers.
born2serve: “I was looking for some guidance pertaining my job, to see if my career is secure when I return home from duty...” SMLawCenter: “We can help you; we have hundreds of articles on USERRA and other issues. Give us a call at 800.809.9448 ext. 730 or visit www.roa.org/lawcenter to find out more.”
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ReseRve enlisted AssociAtion CMSGT Lani BurneTT, uSaF (reT.) • rea exeCuTive DireCTor PRoPeR PoweR REA authority breeds positive outcomes.
y
mother reigned supreme when it came to churning out pearls of wisdom. Whether the pearls were handed down from another generation or learned along the way, those pieces of advice seem to pop into my head just when they are needed. “Power is like being a lady. … If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.” My mother shared this one—a quote by Margaret Thatcher—with me on numerous occasions. This quote popped into my head not too long ago as I was sitting in a traffic jam leaving a parking lot after a sporting event. A security person was directing traffic and holding up his hand to stop the line of cars and to wave us through. When the car in the lane next to me didn’t move forward once the wave was rendered, the security person banged on the hood of the car before walking to the driver-side window and asking rather loudly, “Do you know who I am?” Obviously, this person had the authority to stop cars and to get them moving again but chose to use the wrong kind of power to achieve results. In Warren Bennis’ book On Becoming a Leader, power is defined as the ability to force or coerce someone to do your will, even if they would choose not to, because of your position or your might. Authority is defined as the “skill of getting people to willingly do your will because of your personal influence.” Mr. Bennis goes on to say that “authority cannot be bought or sold, given, or taken away. Authority is about who you are as a person, your character, and the influence you’ve built with people.” When it comes to your concerns and the issues that require legislative action, you have authority. How are you influencing the outcome? What power are you using to achieve results? Use the power of a network by belonging to an organization that advocates on your behalf—e.g., the Reserve Enlisted Association (REA). Voice your concerns to your congressional or state representatives. Express your opinion. Evaluate 22
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Authority is defined as the “skill of getting people to willingly do your will because of your personal influence.”
their performance with your vote. And use the power of information. Stay informed; learn the legislative process; and make it work for you. The following tips can help you maximize your influence on Capitol Hill.
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Whether visiting your representatives in your home state, inviting them to speak at a local REA Chapter meeting, or making a trip to Washington, D.C., prepare for the visit to optimize your time and message. Be prepared for what, in all likelihood, may be only a 15- to 30-minute meeting.
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Know that the legislative schedule is approximately 140 days each calendar year. Your representative is usually in Washington, D.C., from Tuesday through Thursday. Offices are usually open to the public from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Representatives are often busy with state and district activities on Mondays and Fridays. Approximately every four to six weeks, the House of Representatives and the Senate go on recess, which includes working in their local districts or perhaps going on a factfinding trip. This is an opportune time to schedule a visit. Capitol Hill is quiet during summer recess (from the beginning of August until after Labor Day) and again from when the session closes in late fall until Congress returns in January. Be familiar with the Anti-Lobbying Act (18 USC 1913), which prohibits the direct or indirect use of appropriated funds to pay for “any personal service, advertisement, telegram, telephone, letter, printed or written matter or other device” intended to influence a member of Congress’s legislative action.
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If you are acting in an official capacity, you may communicate with a member of Congress for the purpose of providing information or soliciting that member’s support for the administration’s position on matters before Congress, whether or not such contact is invited and whether or not specific legislation is pending. Likewise, it is proper to provide legitimate informational background and material to the public in support of an administration policy effort. Take a neutral position if the discussion turns to party politics. If your visit is part of an official visit, it is OK to wear your uniform, but when you are involved in political activities of your choosing, do not wear your uniform. It is OK to take a picture with a member of Congress, but ask the staffer first. Let him or her know how it will be used.
Before the visit, go to the congressional members’ websites to examine their legislative records and agendas, typically under a legislation or news header. Also, visit http:// thomas.loc.gov, type the members’ names, and take notes on the bills they are sponsoring or cosponsoring. It is also a good idea to find out what committees they are assigned to; this information can be found at http://www.house.gov and http://www.senate.gov. Plan to discuss no more than your top-three issues. Prepare a leave-behind handout that includes the points you discussed. You should be prepared to provide examples or evidence to illustrate the points being made. Arrive early for the visit but don’t expect the same in return. Most visits will take place in a conference room, but be prepared for the visit to take place in a member’s office, a reception area, or even the hallway. And regardless of whom you made the appointment with, understand that plans, schedules, and locations can change.
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When you enter the meeting area, shake hands, make eye contact, and smile. See where the member or staffer will sit and sit right next to him or her. If not readily apparent, ask where the member usually sits. It is not unusual for the member to enter the room after everyone is seated. During your visit, exchange business cards and thank everyone for meeting with you and for their support. Mention something about your district or state to establish rapport, such as newsworthy events. Ask questions while you wait for a prompt from the member/staffer to start discussing your points.
Express your opinion. Evaluate their performance with your vote. And use the power of information. Stay informed; learn the legislative process; and make it work for you.
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End the meeting with an invitation to visit your unit. Members of Congress usually don’t make firm commitments. If they promise to “do the best possible,” that is a positive sign. After the visit and as you leave the building, be careful what you say, as you never know who is sharing an elevator or hallway with you. Send a thank-you note to reinforce the visit. State the important points of the discussion and, once again, invite your representative to visit your unit; provide specific dates. If a member takes positive action on your issue, write a thank-you note as well. As a courtesy, copy the local staff in your district or state on all correspondence. Finally, consider corresponding on a quarterly basis to keep your representative informed of local installation activities.
A congressional visit can be intimidating, so if you choose to speak to your representative through a letter, know that it could take more than 10 days to reach the right office. Consider sending a fax or e-mail. Keep in mind, if you are requesting an invitation, calling the office is an option, but you will in all likelihood need to put the invitation details in writing for your representative’s scheduler. You have authority. Use your power. You don’t have to ask people if they know who you are; they’ll recognize you. the
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Capitol Hill ConneCtion - Capitol view
ever-present tHreat Capt Marshall a. hanson, Usnr (ret.) roa DireCtor of legislation
Homegrown jihadists deserve Congress’s attention.
Terrorists don’t need to inflict massive casualties to generate terror.
hen the Washington, D.C., subway was threatened by a plot to detonate explosives in crowded Metrorail stations, and a naturalized U.S. citizen, Farooque Ahmed, was arrested Oct. 27, 2010, as the mastermind, media focus returned to the potential risks of a domestic jihad. However, many pundits discounted this failed attempt, labeling it homegrown terrorism. In research sparked by the earlier arrest of Colleen “Jihad Jane” LaRose, Rand consultant Brian M. Jenkins in 2010 said: “From Sept. 11, 2001, to the end of 2009, there were 45 cases of domestic terrorism. … These include cases where American citizens or residents plotted to carry out terrorist attacks here; plotted here to carry out terrorist attacks abroad; were accused of providing material support to foreign terrorist organizations; or left the U.S. to join jihadist organizations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, or Somalia.” Mr. Jenkins’ analysis showed that only 116 individuals had been indicted since 2002, and that the only two events resulting in fatalities were lone gunmen, such as Army MAJ Nidal Hasan, who is charged with killing 13 at Fort Hood, Texas. The lone-wolf terrorist is an accepted premise, whereby an individual in support of a group or ideology commits a violent act, but does so independently of any command structure. However, this premise is not always true. Rep. Peter King (R–N.Y.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, has held two hearings examining the radicalization and recruitment of Islamic terrorists within the United States and was criticized for seeking ties between lone wolves and Muslim jihad. Condemnation arose, with Rep. King being accused of focusing on just one group based on religion. His hearings were called witch hunts and were compared to Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s anti-Communist hearings in the early 1950s. Part of an intended terrorist strategy is to agitate indigenous terrorists and inspire autonomous violence. The ultimate jihadist aspiration would have seemingly well-adjusted Muslims inspired to murder non-Muslims. With a Muslim population of 2.5 million, the United States’ involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan has radicalized a small cadre of young Muslims. Part of the success of a terrorism campaign is spontaneous 24
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attacks by individuals who are outside any formal terror network. Sympathetic random violence heightens a state of fear, increases concerns over a lack of control, and diverts policing resources away from any formal network. Such independent attacks are actually an objective of terrorism. The point of terrorism is terror. An extensive organization is not needed. Terrorists don’t need to inflict massive casualties to generate terror; they just need to deliver fear. For terrorism to succeed, it must first create a state of mind, which in turn leads to a chain of events that terrorists wish to set in motion, leading to the fulfilling of the terrorists’ political goals. Of the recorded cases of domestic terrorism, Mr. Jenkins does point out that “for the most part, these individuals recruited themselves into the role of terrorists in response to jihadist propaganda or events in the world.” The Internet has given terrorist organizations an avenue to get their messages out. Al-Qaida uses images and slogans on scores of websites to derail the global U.S. response to its efforts. The Washington Post reports that as-Sahab, the terrorist network’s inhouse propaganda studio, produces documentary-quality films, iPod files, and cell phone videos, and produced more than 97 videos in 2008. In June 2011, al-Qaida broadcast a video in which U.S.–born Adam Gadahn urged Muslims living in the United States and Europe to buy weapons and stage random, lone-wolf attacks. Individuals can communicate through the Internet directly with extremist jihadist leaders. Fox News reported in May 2010 that Faisal Shahzad, who pled guilty to the 2010 Times Square carbombing attempt, told interrogators he was inspired by Anwar alAwlaki, the American imam. Al-Qaida had even set up an online chat with Ayman al-Zawahiri, the founder of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad and the new leader of al-Qaida. Fortunately, the U.S. Muslim community as a whole has rejected al-Qaida propaganda and appeals. Tips on the Washington, D.C., plot came from within the Muslim community. But to discount individual acts as not being terrorist-related is to ignore the extent of the real threat, which can ultimately serve terrorist goals. Congress must continue to look more closely into this ever-present threat.
Hear Ye! Hearing Ye! ROA STAFF REPORT ROA maintaining optimum Capitol Hill presence through 2011 testimony.
uccess breeds success. This year, ROA delivered 15 testimonies to Congress and federal agencies prior to the House and Senate leaving for August recess. In 2010, ROA delivered 17 statements to Capitol Hill. The past two years represent an increase in testimonies when compared to the average of five during the three previous years. The reason behind this is that ROA reached out to new committees to share a growing number of issues. ROA ventured beyond the jurisdiction of the Armed Forces Committees and shared Reserve Component positions on veterans’ issues. ROA testified about veteran status, mental health assessments, educational programmatic hurdles, veteran tax exemptions, problems within home loan programs, Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, and disability claims processing. For the first time in recent years, ROA was asked to testify on specific bills before the House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC). With ROA testifying before the HVAC Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity last year, new invitations were issued to appear before the committee again this year, even though the majority leadership changed political parties in the House with the new Congress in 2011. Additionally, HVAC recognized the contributions made by ROA’s Law Center. ROA established its expertise on veteran employment rights, as CAPT Sam Wright, USN (Ret.), director of the Service Members Law Center, talked to the minority membership of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform about Servicemembers Civil Relief Act violations over home foreclosures for deployed service members and their families. ROA made a statement before the Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Disability Compensation. CAPT Marshall Hanson, USNR (Ret.), ROA’s legislative director, spoke about the lasting impact of Agent Orange and other herbicides and how they affected blue-water Sailors and blue-sky Airmen. ROA testified on equipment issues as well, with the association writing testimony for two working groups in addition to its own
testimony. ROA Executive Director MG David Bockel, USA (Ret.), testified before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense, while ROA past president, CAPT Mike Smith, USN (Ret.), spoke on behalf of the National Military and Veterans Alliance. Additionally, ROA life member CAPT Ike Puzon, USN (Ret.), addressed equipment funding for both the Active and Reserve Components, testifying for the Associations for America’s Defense (A4AD). ROA belongs to both the alliance and A4AD. At several hearings, ROA continued to draw attention to the risks of pending defense cuts and cautioned against haste to spend any perceived savings. The association also called for the transfer of equipment and end-strength authorizations from the Active Component into the Reserve to safeguard national security capabilities. The Armed Services committees were not ignored. ROA submitted testimony to the House committee on two occasions and to the Senate committee for another hearing. ROA continues to work for parity of benefits between the active and reserve components, because those who serve are the true protagonists who give credence to ROA’s agenda. Elected officials must remember the Reserve component members who have performed essential missions over a decade of war, and also the retired warriors who previously laid down a foundation of readiness. Their efforts demonstrate that Reserve Component members are indispensable players in the Total Force. Please visit www.roa.org/testimony for ROA’s 2011 statements, as well as archived testimony from recent years. Elizabeth Cochran, ROA’s legislative assistant, left ROA in July for a new port-of-call at the Navy’s 12-week Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I. She is expected to be commissioned in early October, followed by a five-month basic course of instruction at the Navy and Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center at Dam Neck, Va. Her contributions will be missed. Elizabeth’s relief is Lauren Wilkens, who came on board in August. Lauren graduated with a bachelor of arts in political science from Washington College, Md. Last summer, she was on a Comegys Bight Research Fellowship while interning for the Reserve Enlisted Association. You may contact Lauren at Elizabeth’s former extension: 743; her e-mail is LWilkens@roa.org.
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cApitol hill connection
AuthorizAtion Jockeying, 2012 ElizabEth CoChran lEgislativE assistant
House and Senate NDAA versions start long road toward conference.
The House and Senate NDAA versions both contain a 1.6 percent pay raise.
he National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 passed the House, but at The Officer deadline the Senate NDAA had only passed through the Senate Armed Services Committee. Committee staff members who were asked about S.981 indicated they didn’t know when it would go to the Senate floor, but they were “ready and waiting.” With higher priorities on Capitol Hill, many analysts believe that the two chambers will go into conference no sooner than October and even as late as December. The House and Senate NDAA versions both contain a 1.6 percent pay raise, in agreement with the request of President Barack Obama. Though the military has grown significantly in the past few years, the Army and Marine Corps continue to experience high deployment rates and short dwell times. With plans to withdraw most forces from Iraq by December 2012 and to begin withdrawing forces from Afghanistan by the end of this year, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced in January that the active Army would begin a reduction of 22,000 in 2012, to be followed by an additional 27,000 reduction beginning in FY 15 and finishing in FY 16. FY 12 represents the first year of the Army drawdown, with a reduction of 7,400. The Navy will be reduced by 2,961, but the Air Force is slated to increase by 600. The House Armed Services Committee (HASC), however, is concerned with the reductions, given the existing 20,000 nondeployable personnel currently in the Army—17 percent of the Active Component—as well as the 9,000 Soldiers who may remain in the disability processing system for up to a year. HASC is also uneasy about reducing end-strength when only marginal improvement has been realized in dwell time. In addition, withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan remain uncertain, despite the proposed drawdown. And the military may see an expanded role in missions to nations such as Libya, Yemen, and possibly Somalia. Despite the fact that the Reserve Component has been used
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extensively since 9/11, the overall authorized end-strength has actually declined about 2 percent over the past decade. Much of this is attributed to the decrease in the Navy Reserve. The authorized Selected Reserve end-strengths for FY 12 are the same as FY 11, except that the Air Force Reserve increases by 200 and the Navy Reserve by 700. The House NDAA includes a provision aimed at adapting the pre-separation counseling requirement to the reserve deployment cycle. Pre-separation counseling will still be conducted for all members serving on active duty for a period of more than 30 days, but the counseling can take place closer to the date of separation than it currently does. The counseling can start 24 months before retirement and 12 months before separation, but must begin no later than 90 days before the date of discharge or release. Yet this time frame can still be difficult for Reserve Component members serving on operational deployments, as it is often not feasible for them to obtain counseling services while they are performing such duties. Also, Reserve Component members are typically released from active duty within a few weeks of returning to the United States. The time frame is also impractical for Reserve Component personnel serving short tours, such as 60 or 90 days. The Senate provision is less encompassing and would only insert language into the law to modify the time in which counseling could take place. The House bill, but not the Senate version, also includes a provision that would require the secretary of defense to provide Reserve Component members performing inactive-duty training during scheduled unit training free access to mental health assessments with a licensed mental health professional, who would be available for referrals during duty hours on the premises of the principal duty location. It would also require that each Reserve Component member, while participating in annual training or individual duty training, have access to behavioral health support programs. Both bills include provisions to establish rate-making
Additional amendments about Guantanamo Bay and its detainees are included as well.
procedures for Civil Reserve Air Fleet contracts; modifications of eligibility for consideration for promotion of certain reserve officers employed as military technicians; stipends for reserve health professionals; and a year extension of certain reserve bonuses and special pay. In addition, the House version contains a provision advocating for the National Guard Bureau Chief to have a place at the Joint Chiefs of Staff table. The March 2007 report from the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves to Congress recommended against such a change “on the grounds that the duties of the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are greater than those of the Chief of the National Guard Bureau.” The Senate introduced a similar amendment. The Senate bill includes a section on “assured access” that would expand authority to order Selected Reserve and certain Individual Ready Reserve members to active duty for reasons other than war and national emergency. The House version only asks for a report on expansion of such authority. The recent “Comprehensive Review of the Future Role of the Reserve Component” recommends this change to U.S. Code. As reported in the previous issue of The Officer, the House NDAA would allow the Department of Defense (DoD) to increase Tricare Prime fees by $5 per month for families of retirees under the age of 65; would cap DoD’s ability to increase fees in the future by limiting prospective increases to the same percentage as cost-of-living increases in military retirement and Social Security; and would prevent individuals post–Oct. 1, 2012, from continuing with the U.S. Family Health Plan while under Medicare and Tricare for Life. The Senate version includes similar provisions. The House version would allow courts to temporarily assign custody of a child for the purposes of deployment without allowing the possibility of deployment to be prejudicially considered against the servicemember in a custody hearing. ROA has not been able to support the amendment in its current format, because it would federalize the area of child custody, removing incentives for states to pass custody laws protecting troops. In addition, the amendment contains no provisions to expedite the docket in order for servicemembers to complete
the issue before deployment or to mandate the availability of the child or children for visitation during periods of leave for service members. ROA believes it would be better to continue educating state and local judges to help in alleviating misunderstandings of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. Included in the House version is a requirement that all the joint service chiefs certify that the armed forces are ready for the repeal of the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy. Originally, only the president, secretary of defense, and chairman of the Joint Chiefs are required to certify. Replace: “This provision is nullified with President Obama signing the final certification on the repeal of DADT following concurrence from Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and ADM Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff. The repeal will take effect on September 20, 2011. However, the House NDAA also includes a reaffirmation of the policy in the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), in which “marriage” means a legal union only between a man and a woman. In addition, it would require that the participation in marriage ceremonies on military facilities by chaplains, or other military and civilian personnel assisting or officiating at a marriage ceremony, must be in accordance with DOMA. The Senate NDAA does not contain a similar provision. The House bill includes a provision that would extend the Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance through Oct. 1, 2021, rather than 2017, in addition to increasing the allowance amounts each fiscal year, using funds saved by placing restrictions on the U.S. Family Health Plan’s Medicare coverage. The bill does not include a provision regarding the removal of the Survivor Benefit Plan–Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (SBP/ DIC) offset. Sen. Bill Nelson (D–Fla.) introduced an amendment against the Senate bill to fix the SBP/DIC offset. Additional amendments about Guantanamo Bay and its detainees are included as well (see “Guantanamo Sway,” page 28). Overall, there were fewer Reserve Component–specific provisions than are typical for the NDAA, and the two bills in general were truncated as compared to past years. As the NDAA goes into conference, keep up with key issues and ROA letters of support at www.roa.org/support_letters_ index.
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CApiTOl Hill CONNeCTiON
GUANTANAMO SWAY ElizabEth CoChran lEgislativE assistant
Congress backs Gitmo’s usefulness over White House promise to shut it down.
ongress continues efforts to block the Obama administration’s push to close Guantanamo Bay (Gitmo) by preventing the transfer of detainees to the United States. In the Fiscal Year 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the bills in both chambers of Congress establish a review process to determine whether continued military detention for those incarcerated at Gitmo is necessary to protect U.S. national security. The bills also prohibit the use of funds to construct or modify stateside facilities to house detainees in the future. The Senate bill would clarify procedures for guilty pleas in military commission trials and provide a statutory basis for the detention of individuals captured during hostilities conducted pursuant to the Authorization for the Use of Military Force. It would also require military detention for the core group of al-Qaida-affiliated detainees who plan, carry out, or attempt attacks against the United States or its coalition partners. The House version would formally establish an interagency board to review the detention of individuals, prohibit visitation by family members, and prohibit the transfer of certain detainees to the United States or foreign countries. The Senate version would also establish permanent limitations on the transfer of detainees to foreign countries. At a recent briefing, Charles Stimson, a Navy Reservist and senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation who helped write the Army Field Manual, said the two big detention issues are the 2008 Supreme Court decision that said detainees at Gitmo can pursue habeas cases in federal court, where detainees have about a 50 percent chance of winning (40 to 50 cases have been decided). The second issue is the everywhere else concern, the question of what to do with detainees outside of Gitmo, in places places such as Bagram, Afghanistan. The everywhere else problem is enigmatic because the Obama administration has no clear policy on what to do with high-value detainees. Before the 2008 Supreme Court decision, presidents, including Bill Clinton, used Gitmo as an indefinite detention center. When detainees petitioned for relief, the courts stated that it was not sovereign territory of the United States, which is why President George W. Bush relied on Gitmo to house detainees.
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Since 9/11, more than 100,000 people have been detained outside the United States; only 780 have been taken to Gitmo. Under the Bush CIA program, three detainees were subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques and three to waterboarding. As a result, 70 percent of the detainee information in the 9/11 Commission Report came from three high-value detainees. The Obama administration shut down the highly effective CIA program, and policy shifted to using only those techniques in the Army Field Manual, which do not even permit lying to detainees—a technique used by law enforcement officials nationwide. Movement for improving these techniques, according to Mr. Stimson, is “glacial” and the “unknown” is the intelligence that U.S. officials are not retrieving, whether due to killing terrorists by drones or weakened interrogation techniques. It also raises the question about what to do when terrorists such as Ayman al-Zawahiri, the current leader of alQaida, are caught. In addition, the Senate and House approved a four-year extension of the Patriot Act, which was signed into law in late May. The law provides federal law enforcement officials more tools to conduct surveillance; authorizes court-approved roving wiretaps, access to business, and other records; and makes it possible to monitor lone-wolf terrorists more effectively. In June 2010, the Supreme Court ruled that the statute, which makes it illegal to teach members of foreign terrorist groups how to use peaceful means to pursue political goals, does not violate free-speech or free-association protections of the First Amendment. Patriot Act opponents have threatened to take cases to the Supreme Court, but it has yet to happen. Detention, interrogation, and the Patriot Act provide the essential tools needed by the intelligence and military communities to fight terrorism, yet many aspects of these tools have been diminished. President Obama’s plan to close Gitmo, in addition to the lack of policy on what to do with high-value terrorists, has created a difficult situation—despite the fact that Presidents Bush, Clinton, and others have long used the base as a place to hold detainees without granting them special statuses.
AppropriAtion rumblings ROA STAFF REPORT Military bills might break a legislative logjam.
ongress might actually pass some appropriations bills this year. In mid-July, the Senate passed the Military Construction (Milcon) and Veteran Affairs (VA) bill (H.R. 2055). Earlier that month, the House passed the DoD Appropriations Act of 2012 (H.R. 2219), which the Senate has yet to vote on. Last year, Congress did not pass any appropriations bill, and the federal government is being financed under a continuing resolution until Oct. 1. The Milcon/VA legislation is the first of 12 appropriations bills to be considered, and it usually is subject to the least amount of debate. However, controversy on the Milcon/VA bill required the Senate to vote on a waiver to its rules. As the Senate hasn’t yet passed a budget resolution, Sens. Bob Corker (R–Tenn.) and Jeff Sessions (R–Ala.) challenged the consideration of any appropriations bill until a budget is passed. The waiver passed the Senate 56–40, pretty much along party lines, allowing the bill to go to a final vote. Anticipating the challenge, the office of ranking member Sen. Mark Kirk (R–Ill.) approached ROA to endorse the Milcon/ VA appropriations bill. “The Reserve Officers Association encourages the passage of the Military Construction/Veterans Affairs appropriations by the Senate because of the importance of this legislation in the budgeting cycle,” said CAPT Marshall Hanson, USNR (Ret.), ROA legislative director. “Passage by Congress of the Milcon/VA appropriations, as well as the Defense appropriations, is needed for the continuity of funding of the various parts that make up our national security.” The Pentagon considers military construction-funding requirements for both the Active and Reserve Components a top priority because of a construction backlog. This is especially true for National Guard and Reserve facilities, which are often obsolete, and are becoming more and more costly to maintain. The House and the Senate are in agreement on Milcon funding for the Reserve Components, so no reduction in funding is expected during the conferencing on the bill. The Army National Guard is likely to be authorized $773 million, the Air National Guard $116 million, the Army Reserve $289
million, the Navy and Marine Corps Reserve $26 million, and the Air Force Reserve $33 million. The Senate increased most of the House’s Veteran Affairs budgets. These differences will be “ironed out” during conference. Sen. Kirk encouraged its passage. “We owe these veterans just about everything for our independence and freedom,” he said during Senate debate. The defense appropriations bill is at the Senate for consideration. Some analysts suggested that both it and the defense authorization bill were held hostage by Senate leadership to keep pressure on the debt ceiling negotiation. The House passed its version of the defense appropriations bill 336–87. It provides $530 billion in nonemergency funding and an additional $119 billion in emergency spending for defense activities in support of overseas contingency operations. “This is an increase of $17 billion over last year’s level and a decrease of $9 billion from the president’s request,” according to a statement released by the committee. Some criticized the increase in defense spending while the deficit is being debated. “The military budget is not on the table,” said Rep. Barney Frank (D–Mass), as reported by the Associated Press. “The military is at the table, and it is eating everybody else’s lunch.” Ironically, the House bill also drew criticism from a military competitor. After a meeting with ADM Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Chen Bingde, the chief of general staff of the Chinese Liberation Army, said to a joint press conference, “It would be a better thing if the U.S. didn’t spend so much money on the military, while a little bit more in other areas, so as to play a constructive role in peace and stability.” While viewed as an increase, the availability of dollars remains tight. The House voted on 22 amendments, but only if they had dollar offsets for additional spending. In a pattern of robbing Peter to pay Paul, money was taken from Defensewide operations and maintenance funds and research and development to pay for suggested programs.
Last year, Congress did not pass any appropriations bill.
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Senior Term Life inSurance Can Help Accomplish Many Goals By Terence B. Bernier, Marsh U.S. Consumer, An ROA Affinity Partner
“Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened.” — Jennifer Yane People today are living longer, and that means your spouse, those children you raised, and your grandchildren could potentially live for many years after your death. That’s why it’s becoming more important than ever to assess your estate planning strategy and whether it is sufficient to meet your goals for your loved ones. A senior term life insurance policy can be an excellent way to supplement the financial assistance you leave behind for your beneficiaries. You may be thinking, I already have a life insurance policy. Chances are that you purchased that policy many years ago. But the coverage amount you thought would be adequate at the time may no longer reflect the current and future cost of living. (How much did you pay for a gallon of gasoline when you bought your policy?) If your coverage is at least 10 years old, you should strongly consider increasing it for the following reasons:
Lightening Your Children’s Debt Load
Augmenting Social Security
Life insurance can be used to help pay off debts or minimize the tax burden for your children—such as their college loans. That can allow them to get on their feet without having to face crushing debt right out of school.
Life insurance can overcome three drawbacks of Social Security benefits:
Paying for Final Expenses The average funeral today costs over $7,700.1 Over time, that may continue to rise. Life insurance can help decrease the financial burden left to your loved ones or extended family.
Beefing Up That “Sandwich” Boomers entering retirement age could be considered a “sandwich” generation: It is quite possible that you could die with financial obligations still on the table for both your children and your parents. Life insurance benefits can go toward the care of your aging parents and help relieve your children of the financial burden.
roa CAN HELP
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1. The fabled “blackout period” between the time survivor benefits end when your youngest child leaves high school and when your spouse reaches the individual benefitseligible age of 60. Depending on your spouse’s age, that could be a long time without additional income. 2. Applying at age 60 also would permanently lower the Social Security benefit for your spouse. 3. If both of you are already receiving Social Security and your benefit amount is greater than your spouse’s, it could be a substantial loss of income.
Helping Small-Business Owners Life insurance can also be part of a strategic business plan. A term life policy could prove a useful tool for business owners structuring buy/sell arrangements or interested in ways to provide benefits to key employees.
ROA offers an economical Senior Term Life Insurance Plan for ROA Members. Visit www.roainsure.com or call toll-free 1-800-247-7988 for more information. 1 National Funeral Directors Association, accessed at http://www.nfda.org/about-funeralservice-/trends-and-statistics.html#fcosts, viewed on May 2, 2011.
You help secure ...
country, community, family.
The ROA Group Insurance Program: • Auto/Home Insurance • Enhanced Accidental Death & Dismemberment • Accidental Disability • Cancer Care
As you help secure the future of our nation, your membership in ROA can help you provide financial security for yourself and your loved ones.
• Enhanced Dental Insurance • Excess Major Medical Insurance • GatewayConnexions International Plans • Health Insurance Mart • Hospital Income Plan
With the ROA Group Insurance Program, you can choose from a broad range of insurance plans to help keep you and the ones you love secure and protected from life’s uncertainties. Each of the ROA-sponsored plans are designed specifically for the needs of reserve officer members like yourself and feature comprehensive coverages at very competitive group rates. And, at www.roainsure.com, you can easily navigate through our full spectrum of insurance coverages and financial solutions to help protect and secure your financial future, whether planning for retirement or life after college; getting married, having a baby or buying your first home. ROA offers plans that fit every stage of life and all the events that life presents us.
• Long Term Care W N E•
Identity Theft Program (ID TheftSmart ) TM
• Term Life Plans - Group Term Life - Group Level Term Life - Joint Term Life - Senior Term Life • Senior Whole Life • Long Term Disability • Short Term Recovery • TRICARE Supplements W N E•
Trip Cancellation Insurance
• VPI® Pet Insurance
To learn more about ROA-sponsored insurance plans, call 1-800-247-7988 or visit www.roainsure.com Hearing-impaired or voice-impaired members may call the relay line at 1-800-855-2881. Request #50094-1-1-1 *Plan information includes costs, exclusions, limitations, terms of coverage and underwriting companies. Plans may vary or may not be available in all states. d/b/a in CA Seabury & Smith Insurance Program Management, AR Ins. Lic. #245544, CA Ins. Lic. #0633005
50094 (1/11) ©Seabury & Smith, Inc. 2011 20270441 AG-8247
Ask Us About Our Top 10 Priorities H Recapitalize the Total Force of the seven Uniformed Services with modern Equipment and Facilities. H F ully Fund and support the Training, Education and Professional Development of Guard and Reserve members. H Preserve the Defense Industrial Base as a National Security Asset. H Establish equitable Joint Service policies across components. H T ransform Reserve Retirement in recognition of an increased operational role. H I mprove a continuity of health care to treat serving and wounded warriors, both past and present. H Advance the Service Members Law Center’s ability to provide information on reemployment, voting and other legal issues. H Enhance employment rights, promoting awareness of responsibilities of both Reservists and employers. H Fully Fund Family Readiness and Support Programs. H Through advocacy and Defense Education, promote a fiscally responsible National Security strategy.
Marshall Hanson MHanson@roa.org 202-646-7713
Lani Burnett LBurnett@reaus.org 202-646-7715
Reserve Officers Association of the United States 1 Constitution Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002-5618 www.ROA.org
Reserve Enlisted Association of the United States 1 Constitution Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002-5618 www.REAUS.org
DecaDe of DeDication: 9.11.01
9.11.01 9.11.02 9.11.03 9.11.03 9.11.04
9.11.05 9.11.06 9.11.07
9.11.08
Images & Impressions of a Total Force
9.11.09
9.11.10 9.11.11
By Christopher Prawdzik, Editor
While the past 10 years since Sept. 11, 2001, represent many beginnings, for the Reserve Component they represent a continuum in many ways. The evolution of the force from a strategic reserve during the Cold War to an operational force grew exponentially, as Reserve and Guard units more than ever performed their seamless roles as part of the Total Force alongside their Active Component counterparts. In the recent Comprehensive Review of the Future Role of the Reserve Component, prepared by the office of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs, that role was defined a bit more, since the past 10 years served as a
Immediate Aftermath Rescue workers descend deep into the rubble of the World Trade Center. (U.S. Navy) Center. (U.S. Navy) Rescue workers descend deep into the rubble of the World Trade Immediate Aftermath
catalyst to launch the Reserve Component into the future. Sept. 11, 2001 Terrorists crash commercial jets into the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon, and a field near Shakesville, Pa. Oct 7, 2001 U.S. and coalition forces begin air strikes over Afghanistan to uproot the Taliban.
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NOv. 7-10, 2001 U.S. begins bombardment of Mazari-Sharif, Afhgnanistan, along with U.S. Special Forces and Afghanistan Northern Alliance operations on the ground. The city falls to U.S. and alliance forces Nov. 10
NOv. 14, 2001 Heavy air strikes force the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan, and push Taliban south to Kandahar. Dec. 7, 2001 Kandahar, Afghanistan, falls to Alliance forces, the last major city under Taliban control, signaling the end of Taliban rule in the country.
Mortar Check Marine reservists with the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion set up a mortar on a range at Al Asad Airbase, Iraq. (U.S. Marine Corps) range at Al Asad Airbase, Iraq. (U.S. Marine Corps) Reconnaissance Battalion set up a mortar on a Marine reservists with the 1st Light Armored Mortar Check
Rebuilding Afghanistan The Kapisa Provincial Reconstruction Team, which included active-duty Air Force, Air Force Reserve, active duty Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard personnel was to help the local and national governments of Afghanistan provide development and security for the Afghans. U.S. Air Force. (U.S. Air Force) Force. (U.S. Air Force) national governments of Afghanistan provide development and security for the Afghans. U.S. Air active duty Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard personnel was to help the local and The Kapisa Provincial Reconstruction Team, which included active-duty Air Force, Air Force Reserve, Rebuilding Afghanistan Iraqi Freedom Refuel
June 13, 2002 Hamid Karzai becomes interim president of Afghanistan. March 19, 2003 United States and coalition partners begin operations in Iraq to disarm the country after multiple U.N. resolution violations.
april 9, 2003 U.S.-led forces take control of Baghdad. May 1, 2003 Major combat operations end in Iraq. august 2003 Insurgent, terrorist attacks increase in frequency.
Dec. 14, 2003 U.S. forces capture Saddam Hussein outside of a farm in Tikrit. nov. 8-16, 2004 Operation Phantom Fury (Al-Fair) begins in an attempt to break the back of the Iraqi insurgency in Fallujah, Iraq. For almost a week, U.S. forces fight houseto-house to secure the city.
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Homeland Responsibilities Part of an Air Force Reserve team credited with saving more than 1,040 people in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Tech. Sgt. Keith Berry is with the 304th Rescue Squadron from Portland, Ore. (U.S. Air Force) the 304th Rescue Squadron from Portland, Ore. (U.S. Air Force) people in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Tech. Sgt. Keith Berry is with Part of an Air Force Reserve team credited with saving more than 1,040 Homeland Responsibilities
According to the report, the foreseeable future will include the Reserve Component contributing, among other items, to “current overseas conflicts.” In addition, its roles will continue as a homeland defender against external threats, while responding to internal threats and other disasters. It will also contribute to major combat operations to “augment and reinforce the national effort with combat support forces.” The report also emphasizes that future strategic environments “will require the Guard and Reserve to serve in an operational capacity.” Whether official or unofficial, that operational capacity began for many in the Reserve Component sooner than anyone on Sept. 11, 2001, as Citizen Warriors in New York, Washington, D.C., and everywhere else got some of the earliest calls.
Jan. 30, 2005 Iraq holds its first democratic election in about 50 years. May 29, 2005 Operation Lightning begins—an operation undertaken by Iraqi forces to battle insurgents.
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Cheifly Concerns Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz, chief of the Army Reserve, (left), is briefed by 1st Sgt. David Smith, with the 425th Transportation Company, in Kandahar, Afghanistan. (U.S. Army) Afghanistan. (U.S. Army) Sgt. David Smith, with the 425th Transportation Company, in Kandahar, Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz, chief of the Army Reserve, (left), is briefed by 1st Cheifly Concerns
Dec. 15, 2005 Iraqis vote on a new parliament. June 7, 2006 U.S. forces kill insurgent mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in an airstrike.
nov. 5, 2006 Saddam Hussien, on trial for crimes against humanity, is sentenced to death by hanging. Dec. 2006 Saddam Hussein executed by hanging north of Baghdad.
For many, it’s just like it was yesterday. One quiet September morning 10 years ago, it began as what some thought was an accident at 8:46 a.m. when the first plane hit the World Trade Center north tower in New York City. Minutes later, a second flight hit the south tower. Later that hour, another plane hit the Pentagon, and just a little after 10 a.m., a final plane crashed in a Pennsylvania field. This activated many in the Reserve Component almost immediately coast-to-coast—long before Active Component troops were alerted and deployed. Some members of the Guard and Reserve served in a military capacity immediately, taking to the air to try to interdict other possible threats. Others served in their civilian capacities—firefighters, police officers, business people, fathers, and mothers—pitching in to help with search-andrescue operations. Later, many would don their uniforms and deploy to locations from Iraq to Afghanistan, continuing their response that began when the first plane hit on Sept. 11, 2001. Those contributions continue today. According to the Comprehensive Review, nearly 800,000 members of the Army Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Coast Guard Reserve, and the National Guard have been activated since Sept. 11, 2001. Although drawdowns are in the future for locations such as Afghanistan and Iraq, additional threats always loom, particularly with unrest in locations such as Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Syria, and even unknown future hot spots. Throughout this past decade, the Reserve Component also has remained committed to other missions back home. A stark example was the mobilization of forces in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The National Guard maintains its state role to serve in times of disaster—from floods and wildfires to serving as first responders—and with its civil support teams that seek out chemical and biological threats to the public on a steady basis.
January 2007 After years of battling the Iraqi insurgency, the U.S. troop surge begins, raising troop totals to more than 160,000 in Iraq—an increase of 20,000.
OctOber 2007 U.S. troop levels in Iraq hit their peak at 170,000
Jan. 13, 2008 Iraq law allows return of some Ba’ath party members to government.
December 2007 Multiyear insurgency takes its toll, with the most American troops paying the ultimate sacrifice to date at 899, surpassing 2004 when about 850 lost their lives.
april 23, 2008 GEN David Petraeus becomes head of U.S. Central Command.
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In these pages, the point is not to recognize the 10 years since Sept. 11, as an anniversary or any celebration on its own. It is the opportunity to celebrate the contributions of so many men and women who have given their time, effort, expertise, and in some cases their lives to serve the nation. It is an opportunity to recognize that the contributions of the Reserve transcend the marks of time, whether they be Sept. 11, 2001, or a date somewhere in the next decade or decades. On the heels of the secretary’s report on the future of the Reserve Component, the past 10 years reinforce the Reserve Component’s purpose and mission. “The service members who make up the Guard and
Reserve, their families and employers have demonstrated that they are an integral part of the Total Force,” the report says. “The Reserve Component, in its contemporary use, adds significantly to the nation’s strategic depth, enables rapid pretrained force expansion for unseen mission requirements, and sustains operational force rotation.” If anything, the past 10 years may be reflective of the Reserve Component since Sept. 11, 2001, but they also emphasize the future of the force—a direction toward which each and every Reserve Component member looks, and one for which each knows well the sacrifices required to remain a member of the Total Force.
Iraqi Freedom Refuel An Air Force Reserve HH-60G Pave Hawk assigned to the 301st Rescue Squadron, conducts in-flight refueling with an Air Force Reserve Command HC-130 Hercules tanker aircraft from the 39th Rescue Squadron, during a mission over Tallil Air Base, Iraq, during Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force) Base, Iraq, during Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force) from the 39th Rescue Squadron, during a mission over Tallil Air Air Force Reserve Command HC-130 Hercules tanker aircraft 301st Rescue Squadron, conducts in-flight refueling with an An Air Force Reserve HH-60G Pave Hawk assigned to the Iraqi Freedom Refuel
Sept. 1, 2008 Iraqis assume responsibility of Anbar provence Nov. 16, 2008 Iraqi parliament approves Status of Forces Agreement, which would pull troops out of Iraqi cities by June 2009 and out of the country by the end of 2011.
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Nov. 4, 2008 Barack Obama is elected president. February 27, 2009 President Obama announces plans to withdraw the bulk of U.S. forces from Iraq by August 2010.
December 2009 President Obama increases troop numbers in Afghanistan by 30,000—the Afghan surge. February 2010 NATO forces launch Operation Moshtarak to attack the Taliban in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.
All Corners Misisons for the Coast Guard have expanded in recent years to include partnerships with other nations, such as the African Maritime Partnership. (U.S. Coast Guard) Air Assault US Air Force Reserve Pararescuemen from the 301st Rescue Squadron, perform a high-altitude low-opening parachute jump over Tallil Air Base, Iraq. (U.S. Air Force)
with other nations, such as the African Maritime Partnership. (U.S. Coast Guard) Misisons for the Coast Guard have expanded in recent years to include partnerships All Corners
jump over Tallil Air Base, Iraq. (U.S. Air Force) Squadron, perform a high-altitude low-opening parachute US Air Force Reserve Pararescuemen from the 301st Rescue Air Assault
June 23, 2010 GEN David Petraeus replaces Afghanistan war commander GEN Stanley McChrystal. August 2010 U.S. troop reduction in Iraq reaches 90,000.
Aug. 31, 2010 Combat operations in Iraq officially cease. sept. 18, 2010 Afghanistan holds elections.
June 2, 2011 President Obama announces a 10,000-troop reduction from Afghanistan, with the remaining surge troops scheduled to return home in 2012.
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Minding the Mind Through Technology, higher educaTion grows as a pasTime for Troops—aT home and abroad. by andrew gonyea
Troops used to have few options when it came to spending their downtime while deployed: Hit the weight room, read a novel, or write to friends. An increasing number of servicemembers, however, are using their free time to work toward college degrees. The choices are endless, with different types of schools offering a variety of degree programs. Many servicemembers find that they can get not only more education, but also enjoy a respite from high-stress duty while developing their minds at the same time. Of the many colleges and universities that cater to military students, approximately 1,900 comprise the Servicemembers 40
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Opportunity Colleges (SOC) Consortium, a group of military-friendly institutions with flexible policies that allow servicemembers and their families to complete degrees rather than just accumulate course credit (see box on page 42). All SOC Consortium member institutions must allow for reasonable transfer of credit, credit for military training and experience using the American Council for Education’s Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Forces, and credit for nationally recognized testing programs such as the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), DANTES Subject Standardized Test (DSST) Examinations, and Excelsior
“What We hear a lot is, ‘i’m going to be deployed, and i’m going to be in an area Where i Will have [internet] access after my duty day… and rather than just hang around or lift Weights or do Whatever, i Want to accomplish some personal development.’ ” College Examinations. One SOC Consortium member institution is Norwich University, based in Northfield, Vt. Founded in 1819, it was the first private military college in the United States and is one of six senior military colleges serving the armed forces. The birthplace of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program, it remains one of the largest ROTC commissioning schools in the country. In addition to the programs available at its Vermont location, Norwich offers many online programs. And of its online students, 35 to 40 percent are servicemembers, with 15 to 20 percent of enrollees in the Guard and Reserve. Bill Clements, vice president and dean of the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies, said Norwich’s online programs, like those of other schools, offer deployed servicemembers the chance to do something to better themselves in their free time. “What we hear a lot is, ‘I’m going to be deployed, and I’m going to be in an area where I will have [Internet] access after my duty day… and rather than just hang around or lift weights or do whatever, I want to accomplish some personal development.’ ” He noted that deployed servicemembers working toward degrees benefit from a sense of engagement and accomplishment while enjoying a separation from mission and daily responsibilities. “I think probably the biggest asset toward Soldiers—and certainly it isn’t entirely unique to Norwich—[is that] the online program allows Soldiers to continue their studies,” he said. It provides a different kind of down time. “It keeps them engaged, and engaged in a different way, which is very good,” Mr. Clements said. “It’s almost—I don’t want to say therapeutic— but it can provide a sense of accomplishment and that they’re using that time to work toward something.” And while the Internet allows students to virtually come to the school, Norwich also works to take the school to the distance students through a variety of streaming programs and events that allow students all over the world the chance to see what is going on at the campus.
Mr. Clements noted that the biggest concentration of military students is in Norwich’s master of arts and the diplomacy and international conflict program, as well as the military history program. He said that an increasing percentage of students in higher education are adults. “Technology has facilitated access to higher education. … Three in four students today in higher education are age 25 or older. They’re not traditional-age students living in a residential campus setting,” he said. “The enrollment growth of the last decade has come substantially from access to adult students—including, and especially, the military.”
learning benefits COL Garland Williams USA (Ret.), associate regional vice president for the military division at the University of Phoenix, sees the value in catering to adult learners. He notes that the university provides adult military learners the flexibility, guidance, and curriculum they need. “If [deployed Soldiers] have an Internet connection, and they’ve got the time, they can keep up with classes and continue their education from Kabul or Baghdad or wherever they might be,” COL Williams said. “Once we figure out what program they want to be in, then we … figure out what their specific academic program should be, based on the individual credits they bring in. [We can tell them] ‘This is the first course you take, and this is the 20th course you take.’” While in undergraduate and graduate schools, COL Williams said, “I always had to kind of scratch and claw to figure out what the next semester
Institutions in the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges
(SOC)
Consortium
are
helping
servicemembers, who have access to the Internet while deployed, get their degrees. According to SOC Consortium president and SOC director Kathy Snead, “Servicemembers, regardless of what kind of assignment and where they’re deployed, can continue to make progress on their educational plan.” Using the American Council on Education guidelines for awarding of credit for military training and experience, she continued, “allows servicemembers to take all their experience and get to a degree a little bit quicker.” And through the CLEP and DSST examinations, deployed servicemembers “can study on their own, with guides that are available, take a test at an education center, and if they complete the test and score sufficiently high, they can get the college credit without spending the time or tuition assistance money,” she said. Another way SOC Consortium schools coordinate with the military is through the SOC Degree Network System, a subgroup of SOC Consortium member institutions selected by the services to deliver specific associate and bachelor’s degree programs. Colleges and universities in the network identify degrees they already offer that match the occupational specialty or the rating of the servicemember, making it easier for servicemembers to use their training and experience to obtain a degree. SOC Consortium schools often offer unique academic opportunities
to
deployed
servicemembers
by
providing special advisers, general flexibility and accommodation, online course delivery, and assistance with applying for the Montgomery GI Bill or Post–9/11 GI Bill benefits.
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would bring, and here you have a plan you need to follow.” Because many students are nontraditional and have not had much experience going to college, the university now provides an orientation workshop that is free to students and gives them a chance to simulate a University of Phoenix classroom environment so “they really know what they’re getting into.” Unlike many liberal arts colleges, which focus on theory and the humanities, the University of Phoenix offers military learners “courses where you go to school tonight and you could possibly use whatever you learned in class in your job tomorrow.” Examples of such fields of study include business, information technology, education, and criminal justice. COL Williams, too, sees broader benefits for deployed servicemembers working toward a degree. “If you don’t turn your brain off [from mission responsibilities], after six months you’re going to be kind of mush. You can’t stay on high alert for six months and not feel it. School … provides that opportunity [to refocus].” And COL Williams wholeheartedly believes servicemembers, no matter what their occupation or background, can benefit from the skills obtained with a higher education. At the University of Phoenix, “We concentrate on critical thinking,” he said. “If you can figure out a way to take a problem and effectively break down that complex problem into a simpler task, you can easily piece those simple tasks back together for a resolution. We do that in the deliberate planning process all the time in the military, and all of our courses … are very compatible with military decision-making. That’s a skill that we can take not only in the military but through our lifelong careers.”
Homework Virginia College is another SOC school, with 20 campuses in nine states. The college offers degrees in fields from business administration, accounting, and management information systems, to culinary arts, golf course management, and interior design. Virginia College provides its enrolled servicemembers with a military student adviser; the school has 12 of them, 11 of whom are veterans. “The Guard members or reservists have to do their homework before going to school—we do that all for them,” said Dohel Ortiz, Virginia College’s manager for military advisers, about helping prepare students. “We let them know what benefits they’re eligible for, and we tell them where they need to be: If they need to go to their education office or access their tuition assistance form or learn how to apply for GI Bill benefits, we’ll go step by step and walk them through the
process.” It’s all a matter of taking additional steps to ensure that a student is armed with the information necessary to complete a degree—particularly for those who have unpredictable schedules due to military demands. To accommodate Guard members and reservists facing deployment, Virginia College uses a 75 percent system, meaning “if [Guard members or reservists] complete 75 percent of their schooling into a term, they’re afforded a grade and course credit. If it’s before that 75 percent, they receive an incomplete and a full refund,” Mr. Ortiz said. He noted the opportunity for deployed Virginia College military students to enroll in online courses, but while online learning has exploded, it’s still quite a bit different. “Sometimes there’s a little bit of fear, whether you’re military or not, because it’s nontraditional,” Mr. Ortiz said. Essentially, “you pretty much get the same experience you would in a lecture class.” Virginia College classes, he added, are very interactive, providing chat opportunities with teachers and the ability to ask questions through a virtual blackboard. Students also receive teachers’ phone numbers to keep communication flowing, something Mr. Ortiz said is crucial for online learning. No final tests are required at a campus or commercial testing facility, and class books are delivered to the servicemember’s home or duty station.
School choice While hundreds of colleges and universities offer a variety of choices for military personnel, those pursuing an education should closely scrutinize their choices to avoid pitfalls while searching for that perfect school. Ted Daywalt, CEO and president of VetJobs, was recently featured in a PBS Frontline story about how for-profit colleges can be a bad investment for military students. He advises military students to pay attention to such factors as the school’s specialties, program rankings, profiles in national publications, accreditation, and costs.
“Online and for-profit schools have a place in the educational arena and meet the needs of many students,” he said via e-mail. “While there are good for-profit schools ... there are many problems with for-profit schools.” In particular, he said, students should make sure a school is accredited by a traditional accrediting agency, such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, and not an agency created by the school itself. Students should also consider whether the degree program is recognized by employers where they are applying for jobs, and whether the degree program is recognized by graduate schools. Mr. Daywalt also advises students to look at the cost of tuition. “Beware of programs that charge unusually high fees compared to other schools, [because] some for-profit and online schools … charge far more than what the degree is worth,” Mr. Daywalt said. “Private schools, like Harvard, Yale, and Emory charge more, but their degrees and education are perceived to be worth the higher costs.” Mr. Daywalt advises military students to use credible national publications such as U.S. News & World Report, Princeton Review, and Forbes, which publish comprehensive rankings and profiles of colleges and universities on an annual basis. Colleges and universities actively recruit servicemembers— including deployed servicemembers—for enrollment, and provide unique educational opportunities. If the individual servicemember can find a school that offers the right fit and, most important, a marketable degree at appropriate cost, he or she stands to gain much. But ultimately, it’s the servicemembers’ homework, long before school begins, to ensure not only that the degree program, costs, and benefits are acceptable, but that they truly represent a solid educational foundation and a path for future employment success. In addition, the services, no doubt, can benefit greatly from more driven, sharp, educated, and skilled personnel who continue to represent the U.S. military. Editor Christopher Prawdzik contributed to this report.
“Beware of programS that charge unuSually high feeS compared to other SchoolS, [BecauSe] Some for-profit and online SchoolS … charge far more than what the degree iS worth,” the
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Four-term representative
talks military & international issues.
Charlie Dent (R–Pa.) was elected to the House of Representatives in 2004 and currently serves on the House Appropriations Committee—including the Subcommittee on Homeland Security and Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. He is also a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and the House Ethics Committee. A Foreign Service and International Politics graduate from Pennsylvania State University, he holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from Lehigh University. Rep. Dent served eight years in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives followed by six years in the Pennsylvania State Senate before his 2004 election to the U.S. House of Representatives. He sat down with The Officer in July to discuss his perspectives on issues related to the military, Reserve Component, and international affairs.
The Officer: With your position on the house AppropriAtions subcommittee on homelAnd security, hoW do you vieW the impAct of lAst yeAr’s chAnge from democrAtic to republicAn control of the house on WhAt you do on the committee? Rep. Charlie Dent: The good news on homeland security issues is that there tends to be a bipartisan commitment to securing the homeland. So, there may be some differences of opinion from time to time on specific policy matters, but I think overall we find more areas of agreement than disagreement. And so, to that extent, there’s a fair amount of cooperation. I’d also say, with Republicans now in a majority, you’ll see a great deal more emphasis on issues like that—border security. Our members are perhaps more outspoken and supportive of additional barriers on the border and other types of measures necessary to help secure the border, so I think that’s one area we’ll see some changes. And in the authorizing committee— I’m not on the authorizing—[there’s] a bigger change there because you kind of move away from broader policy issues. But in terms of funding priorities, I think one thing we’re going to do on the Homeland Security committee, too, is make sure all of our frontline staff [is] funded—all of those people who are at ICE, CBP [Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Customs and Border Protection], Border Patrol, TSA [Transportation Security Administration], a lot of our staff out there doing the hard work of keeping the country safe and secure. So, I think that’s where a lot of our emphasis will be, making sure those positions are funded, given this very difficult economic time. the
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Q: Where do you sit on border security, particularly With reservists and national Guard members? do We need to use reservists on the border? A: I do support using the National Guard on the border. And we’ve been using the Guard not so much as agents … but to have a visual presence and to help deal with whatever other administrative matters that would occupy the time of CBP. But the one thing we do with these folks, the National Guard helped free up Border Patrol to do the actual enforcement actions— the arrests or apprehensions. So the National Guard generally does not make arrests, per se, but their visual presence is very important, as well as the other types of support they provide to the Border Patrol to do its job more effectively.
Q: pennsylvania, like many other states, has had a larGe continGent of troops deployed to hostile theaters for nearly a decade— heavy missions for the Guard and reserve, particularly in kosovo and bosnia, and the border. talk about your visits With deployed troops and What kind of feedback you Get from them as far as their missions are concerned. A: One thing I’ve always noticed is that there’s an enormous amount of professionalism from all of our folks—whether they be Reserve or full-time Active Duty … [or] the National Guard. They believe in what they’re doing. They seem to be very devoted to the mission. I’d also say I’ve always noticed what appears to be a seamless integration of Active Duty, Reserve, and Guard units. I was always impressed by that, how they were seamlessly integrated in the field. Again, they seem to be so focused on the mission. They work extremely hard, long hours as you know, very long hours, while having to also deal with the pressures of being in a war zone, [and] at the same time, trying to stay in touch with folks back home.
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Q: especially With alWays tiGhteninG budGets, What do you see as areas Where defense spendinG reductions are prudent, versus areas Where cuts miGht be more danGerous, lookinG doWn the road. A: I think the Pentagon continues to go through this reassessment of what our missions are. And as we continue to evolve—a Cold War mentality into this new era of counterinsurgency-type campaigns—it seems to me that I suspect a lot of our defense funding is going to be directed at the threats we’re facing today and the ones that we expect to face tomorrow. With the rise of China, I suspect that means that we’re going to see perhaps a greater emphasis on some of our naval assets. Also, I suspect too that the Army—given what we’ve been through in Iraq and Afghanistan—you’ll see a continuing evolution toward these counterinsurgency capacities—whether that would be increased civil affairs … more special ops, certainly perhaps more infantry, and to a lesser extent, armor and artillery emphasis. I can see how that would refocus the Army a little bit. I can just see with these changes that we’re going to continue to, I think, provide the funds toward defense establishment, based on what we consider to be most prescient challenges and threats to this nation. And I just think that there’s going to probably be an expanded role for the Navy as we go forward and [with] what’s happening in China.
Q: As the country is Quickly ApproAching withdrAwAl dAtes for troops in AfghAnistAn And irAQ, pleAse explAin your position on withdrAwAl timetAbles And their impAct— positive or negAtive—on troop missions todAy. A: In Iraq, I was never a great fan of setting arbitrary withdrawal dates and timelines. That said, I support the Status of Forces agreement, which was negotiated at the end of the last administration, and the Status of Forces agreement seems to have held pretty strong so far. Who knows, there may be a residual force left over after the end of the year, so I support the Status of Forces agreement that was entered into at the end of 2008. … I thought it was ill-advised to announce a withdrawal … at the time of the Afghan surge. I just felt that we should have been quiet on that issue at the time. It’s first important that we try to achieve our strategic objective prior to announcing a withdrawal schedule. … And, frankly, that type of statement, I think, has complicated the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Pakistanis, I believe, want to have influence after we’re gone, and it’s not as easy to get the kind of collaboration and cooperation we get from the Pakistanis if they have a sense that we will be leaving before the situation in Afghanistan is as stable as it needs to be. That’s one of our big challenges. We want the Pakistanis to help us but if we announce premature withdrawal schedules, that will make it more difficult for us to get the collaboration that we were seeking. That said, we’re not going to be in Afghanistan forever.
Q: whAt is the strAtegy todAy versus whAt it mAy hAve been two And A hAlf yeArs Ago? What is the strategy in Afghanistan? A few things. The goals: to make sure that Afghanistan is not going to recede into a country that is going to be a base for terrorist operations as prior to 9/11. I think that’s our goal. I don’t think anybody has any expectations that we’re going to see the type of strong central government that many would like. There was never a
The good news on homeland security issues is that there tends to be a bipartisan commitment to securing the homeland. strong central government in Afghanistan. There’s not likely to be one after we’re gone. And so, how [do] we stabilize the country where the terrorists are not going to be able to operate freely from there? And I think the bigger challenge for us—and I think this is where our conundrum is—is that in order to be successful in Afghanistan, we need that Pakistani collaboration. And given the threats that we’re facing in Afghanistan … there’s a lot of concern that we’re not getting the kind of collaboration we need from the Pakistani government. At the same time, we absolutely need their assistance. And in too many cases, that assistance has not been as forthcoming as it needs to be. I’ll also say, too, that we’re dealing with a situation in Afghanistan. I think the American public is becoming impatient and is expecting us to bring this situation to some kind of a resolution. And the challenge again is, we confront in our country, Afghanis will say to us, “You have the watches but we have the time.” And so, long story short: Our presence in Afghanistan, over time, our military presence will decline, but we have to make sure that as we do that that we do not just leave an environment where a base of operations could re-emerge for radical elements—as was the case prior to 9/11. So, that’s where we are today. And I still think that, and I think in some respects now the president has announced [the] withdrawal schedule that we are going to have to see what this means in terms of a change of strategy. We haven’t heard that yet. We’ve heard a withdrawal schedule but we did not hear a change of
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strategy. This may affect the strategy and our ability to go out into these villages and stabilize them and transfer power over to the Afghans. That’s all part of what we’re doing, but I suspect that we’re going to have to re-evaluate the strategy of the troop reductions.
Q: How mucH would you see tHat strategy cHanging … witH leon Panetta [becoming] secretary of defense—tHe first secretary of defense aPPointed by President obama? A: I can’t answer that question. I don’t know. I haven’t had a conversation with Secretary Panetta about that as yet. I don’t know how he will be different than Secretary Gates in terms of the overall strategy and what he may be recommending.
Q: related to drawdowns in Places sucH as iraQ and afgHanistan, sPeak to tHat witH regard to increased or ongoing oPerations in Places sucH as libya and Potential Hot sPots in tHat area. A: To quickly hash it here: In Iraq, I support the Status of Forces agreement. My position on Afghanistan: I mean, I have some concerns about the withdrawal schedules announced, but at the same time, that withdrawal schedule is going into effect; it is likely to have an impact on strategy, and I think we’re going to have to hear from Secretary Panetta on what that new strategy should be. Third, [regarding Libya] I am not pleased by the way the [Obama] administration has handled this situation. I thought that their timing, in terms of imposing a no-fly zone, was a bit late. I thought we needed to move more quickly and more assertively, as they did. Now that we’re in this, they seem to take a position of … leading from behind. I thought that was a fair characterization of the Libyan’s mission. Now that we’re in, I think we have to make sure that the mission is successful. I am concerned about attempts to undermine the mission legislatively or imposing operational controls on the mission by Congress. I didn’t like it when the Democrats were trying to impose operational controls on George [W.] Bush, in Iraq, and similarly I’m not thrilled with members of Congress in both parties trying to impose operational controls on the president. So I think that’s ill-advised. I think we have commitments and obligations to our allies. Similarly, I don’t want to send messages. I don’t want to be accused of imposing operational controls in Libya, at the same time being critical of some of our allies who had imposed operational controls on their troops in Afghanistan…. So I think we have to be a little careful. But Libya, we can be successful. I don’t support any troops
One thing I’ve always noticed is that there’s an enormous amount of professionalism from all of our folks—whether they be Reserve or fulltime Active Duty … [or] the National Guard. 48
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on the ground—any boots on the ground—we don’t want any of that, but some time we can have a great debate whether or not there was a compelling national interest for us to be there. I’d say there is one now. We can’t leave a wounded Gadaffi in power. We can’t see that happen. So I think that is our compelling national interest, because if he survives this, I suspect he will re-engage as an active sponsor of terror.
Q: The evoluTion of veTerans’ issues, as They’ve come up over The lasT 10 years especially, has seen a loT of improvemenTs, and a loT of areas ThaT need improvemenT. Talk abouT areas you’ve seen where There have been greaT sTrides, especially looking back home in pennsylvania, and Then maybe areas ThaT need some exTra focus in The fuTure. A: One thing I’ve always talked about: I think we need to have more of, again I use the term seamless, integration; we need to better integrate civilian and veterans’ health systems. Just based on where I live, I have a lot of folks, [and] we don’t
live very close to a veterans’ hospital. We have a fine clinic in Allentown, and a smaller clinic up in the Slate Belt region, [but] I think we need to more seamlessly integrate services to our veterans. I can give you an example. I saw one in Philadelphia. A physician friend of mine called me [from] Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia and said he was doing lung cancer surgery on a veteran, [and] had to do it at the VA [Veterans Administration] hospital. He said, “My hospital is just two blocks down the street. I could much better serve this particular veteran if we just did it here, but the VA system’s closed.” It’s not fair to the veteran. That’s a very specific example. I live in Lehigh Valley; again, we have a lot of very good health institutions—so it’s not a criticism to the VA, we just can’t be all things to all people— and, geographically, it would be easier for some of the family members. That’s one thing I’ve noticed that we need to do. Also, I’ve become concerned, as everyone else has, about the mental health needs of our returning Soldiers. PTSD [Post Traumatic Stress Disorder] issues: that’s a continuing challenge. Homelessness issues and other mental health challenges: we’ve been working at home to establish a program. We actually have funded a program to help a lot of our homeless veteran population, many who have other issues—substance abuse issues—so we’ve been following this fairly closely, actually. I was working with Mike Doyle [Democratic representative from Pennsylvania] to make sure that we have a more quick and immediate HIV [Human Immunodeficiency Virus] test for veterans.
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DEFENSE TECH
It took five billion gallons of petroleum—at a cost of $15 billion—to power the U.S. military in 2010. “Our expenditures on energy are way up,” said Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn. And that’s not good. “Every dollar spent on energy is a dollar not spent on other war fighting priorities,” Secretary Lynn said. So, on June 14 at the Pentagon, he and Sharon Burke, assistant defense secretary for operational energy, unveiled the military’s first operational energy strategy. The intent is “to address energy needs as a broad military challenge,” Secretary Lynn said. Simply put, “we need to reduce the demand for energy in military operations,” Secretary Burke added. The cost of energy isn’t only measured in dollars. Between 2003 and 2007, more than 3,000 troops and contractors were wounded or killed in attacks on convoys that were mainly hauling fuel to forward operating bases, according to the U.S. Transportation Command. In 2010 alone, 1,100 attacks occurred on convoys, Secretary Lynn said. The military, which has long been one of the world’s largest consumers of petroleum, has also for some years been a pioneer in alternative energies. The Army and Air Force have built solar energy plants to power some of their bases. The Navy and Air Force have certified planes to fly on synthetic fuels. But now the services are expected to redouble their efforts. A new push for energy efficiency will stretch from developing more efficient engines to creating lighter, stronger materials to devising new concepts of operation that will save fuel, Secretary Burke said. Specific targets and timelines for cutting energy consumption will be released in mid-September, she said. In the meantime, energy efficiency projects, large and small, continue.
y pho to by U.S. N av
ServiceS take aggreSSive StepS to meet energy demandS.
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By William mattheWs
U.S. Air Force photo by StAFF Sgt. Kenny Kennemer
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) has been a vocal proponent of alternative energy sources— particularly solar power—for the military.
Harvesting Solar Power
The sun was shining brightly April 8 when the Army began construction on a solar energy project that’s designed, eventually, to produce all of the electricity the Army Reserve needs at its largest training base, Fort Hunter Liggett. The base sprawls across 165,000 acres of semiarid California mountains, receives 292 days of sunshine a year, so solar power makes a lot of sense there. The Army says that the 1-megawatt solar array it is building will provide one-third of the electricity the base consumes, saving $1 million a year. Two additional arrays will be installed later and, among them, the three solar arrays will generate all of the base’s electricity—and perhaps a surplus, which would be sold to a local utility. The solar array now under construction includes thousands of solar panels to be installed atop a tall metal framework erected over an existing parking lot. The panels will be arranged in two rows, each 40 feet wide and 1,200 feet long, and the supporting framework will be tall enough to provide shaded parking space for Humvees and HEMTTs [heavy expanded mobility tactical trucks], a Hunter Liggett spokesman said. When all three solar arrays are operational, Hunter Liggett will become one of the Army’s first “net zero” energy installations—bases that generate as much power as they consume, said Katherine Hammack, an assistant Army secretary who oversees installations and environment. Eventually, she said, all Army bases should generate their own power. The military employs a variety of alternative energy options at its bases. Geothermal power plants already supply energy to the Army’s Fort Drum in New York and Fort Bliss, Texas, and to the Navy’s China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station in California. Hawthorn Army Depot in Nevada is expected to achieve net zero status in late 2014, when construction is complete on a 30-megawatt geothermal power plant. The Defense Department has identified 11 other bases that have geothermal potential. Solar power installations are also popping up at bases across the country. A 140-acre system with 70,000 solar panels pumps out 25 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually for Nellis
Air Force Base, Nev. A seven-acre solar installation generates 2.5 million kilowatt hours for electricity for the Marine Corps at Twentynine Palms, Calif. And the Army is planning a huge 500-megawatt solar plant at Fort Irwin, Calif. It would be the Defense Department’s largest solar energy project.
Fuel Savings
The military’s biggest energy consumers, however, don’t have as many options as bases. Aircraft burn more than half of the liquid fuel the military buys each year and, aside from a handful of small unmanned aerial vehicles that are powered by fuel cells or solar panels, there’s no real alternative to JP-8 (Jet Propellant-8) except for a blend of JP-8 and synthetic fuel. In May, the Air Force Thunderbirds’ acrobatic team, powered by a 50-50 mix of JP-8 and biofuel, performed without a hitch outside Washington, D.C. The biofuel was delivered to the flightline by the 113th Wing of the District of Columbia Air National Guard. In March, an F-22 Raptor flying from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., hit Mach 1.5 burning the same fuel. The biofuel half of that mixture is squeezed from the seeds of the camelina sativa plant, a mustard relative that grows with little water or fertilizer on marginal land, so it does not compete with food crops. Besides the Thunderbirds’ F-16s and the F-22, other planes that have flown on the 50-50 fuel mix are F-15s and C-17s, C-130s, and KC-135s. And, last fall, the Navy demonstrated that a 49-foot riverine command boat could cruise at 40 knots on a 50-50 blend of diesel and fuel derived from algae. But the Navy has much more ambitious plans. By 2016, the Navy wants to deploy an alternative-energy-powered Great Green Fleet in the form of an aircraft carrier strike group. The carrier and its accompanying attack submarines would be nuclear-powered. A cruiser, one or two destroyers, and a supply ship would run on a biofuel blend. The carrier’s planes, too, would fly on the biofuel blend. the
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DEFENSE TECH
“We need to reduce the demand for energy in military operations.” —Sharon Burke, assistant defense secretary for operational energy
U.S. Marine CorpS photo by LanCe CpL. MiChaeL C. nerL
Energy Revolution
The United States is “right on the edge of another energy revolution,” Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said during a June 8 speech at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I. It’s a revolution driven as much by good environmental intentions as by rising energy costs and uncertain supplies. Every dollar increase in the price of a barrel of oil pushes Navy and Marine Corps fuel costs up $31 million, Secretary Mabus said. Oil price increases this year alone will cost the Navy an extra $562 million— more than the cost of a littoral combat ship, he said. Meanwhile, across the services, scores of less-noticed alternative energy endeavors are already contributing to efficiency. This spring, the Minnesota Air Guard’s 148th Fighter Wing installed five wind turbines on the roof of a storage building in Duluth to generate up to 7.5 kilowatts of power. That’s not a lot of power, acknowledges MSgt Ralph Kapustka. But when combined with energy savings from lighting upgrades, new thermostats, and a solar water heater, the extra kilowatts push the 148th most of the way toward a goal of reducing energy consumption by 30 percent before 2013. At Fort Dix, N.J., the Army has installed 3,200 photovoltaic panels atop the Army Reserve 99th Regional Support Command Headquarters and an equipment warehouse. The arrays generate 815,000 kilowatts of electricity a year—enough to power 75 homes, according to solar panel manufacturer, Honeywell. Fort Dix expects to save $1.2 million a year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33 million pounds a year. Meanwhile, two Kansas National Guard units deployed to Africa have been testing an experimental deployable solar generator. Since July 2010, Kansas Soldiers assigned to the Combined Joint Task Force–Horn of Africa in Djibouti have used a 40-foot-by-60-foot solar shade—an awning made up of dozens of flexible solar panels that can generate 2 kilowatts of electricity a day. That’s enough to power radios, run a water pump, operate a radio retransmission site, and recharge batteries,
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said MAJ Timothy Franklin, who oversees the project for the Army Research, Development and Engineering Command. And compared to current petroleum-powered generators, solar shades are silent, require little maintenance, and have no logistics trail, Army scientists say. Marines in Afghanistan have also tested solar shades, along with a variety of other solar energy systems, in an effort to reduce the number of supply convoys that must travel to remote outposts, risking running into ambushes and improvised explosive devices. Using a lightweight Solar Portable Alternative Communication Energy System—SPACES—Marines were able to recharge radios, computers, GPS receivers, and other electronic gear during patrols, the Office of Naval Research reports. The SPACES gear, which can be rolled up and stuffed into a backpack, eliminated the need to pack hundreds of pounds of extra batteries. At a forward operating base in Afghanistan, Marines set up solar shades and a series of solar panels called a Ground Renewable Expeditionary Energy Network—or GREEN— and were able to cut fuel consumption from 20 gallons a day to just 2.5 gallons, the Office of Naval Research said in a report. GREEN produces 300 watts of electricity, enough to power essential communications and targeting electronics. Meanwhile, the Army has begun equipping soldiers in Afghanistan with rucksack-enhanced portable power systems that use thin, flexible solar panels to recharge batteries or operate electronic equipment.
Hybrid Vehicles
Switching to solar power for recharging batteries and operating small electronic appliances will cut the military’s dependence on petroleum a bit, but for significant savings, the Army and Marine Corps have been looking at hybrid vehicles. As the two services begin recapitalizing their war-worn combat vehicle fleets, vehicle manufacturers BAE Systems and
Between 2003 and 2007, more than 3,000 troops and contractors were wounded or killed in attacks on convoys that were mainly hauling fuel to forward operating bases, according to the U.S. Transportation Command. In 2010 alone, 1,100 attacks occurred on convoys. Northrop Grumman are actively pushing hybrids. “Hybridelectric drive is ready for the battlefield and our warfighters deserve to get the benefits of that technology,” Mark Signorelli, general manager of BAE’s ground combat vehicle team, said during a June forum on hybrid technology. But the services aren’t so sure. Despite years of research and the testing of prototypes—from hybrid Humvees to hybrid HEMTTs—none have been produced in volume. Too many questions remain about reliability and suitability for combat. But military engineers keep trying. The Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) remains “fully engaged in ambitious programs that push development of hybrid electric vehicles for U.S. military use,” said Paul Skalny, director of TARDEC’s National Automotive Center. This spring, TARDEC rolled out its new, diesel-electric, clandestine extended-range vehicle (CERV) at the Indianapolis 500 auto race. The CERV looks something like a cross between a dune buggy and a golf cart, but the TARDEC engineers say it can travel at up to 80 miles per hour and climb 60 percent grades— all while hauling three Soldiers and their gear, and burning 25 percent less fuel than a similar-size conventional vehicle. The CERV was designed for such missions as reconnaissance, surveillance, target designation, and search and rescue, its designers say. Hybrid vehicles are more accepted on the noncombat side. The Army is acquiring thousands of hybrids and electric vehicles to replace old gas-powered SUVs, trucks, and sedans used for transportation on bases. The switch is expected to save 7.5 million gallons of fuel over six years, said Secretary Hammack, the installations and environment chief. The Navy, too, is considering hybrids for use on its bases. In June, the Naval Facilities Engineering Command began a six-month test on diesel hybrid trucks on bases in San Diego and Bangor, Wash. If these hybrids perform as expected, “this has the potential to save millions of dollars,” said CAPT Paz Gomez, commanding officer of the Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center. The Navy embraced hybrid
technology in a much bigger way with the USS Makin Island. The 844-foot-long, 40,000-ton amphibious assault ship is powered by two 35,000 horsepower gas turbine engines and two diesel-electric motors that generate 10,000 horsepower. By using its electric motors when sailing at less than 12 knots— which is most of the time—the Makin Island can dramatically cut fuel consumption. The ship saved a million gallons of fuel— worth $2.2 million—during its maiden voyage from Pascagoula, Miss., to San Diego in 2009, said Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. Secretary Lynn said he will push for more such innovation. Energy supplies are limited, cost is increasing, and “our current technology is not optimized for the battlefield of today or tomorrow,” he said. William Matthews is a defense writer who focuses on military technology and government issues.
The CERV looks something like a cross between a dune buggy and a golf cart, but the TARDEC engineers say it can travel at up to 80 miles per hour and climb 60 percent grades ...
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N o I t a m r o e f g N I a New trategic s d n a l a ew tactic n e makers. d i y v c o li r o p p s y g r i War lo tempora q n a o c ir ’ r s o k f a s n Wikile implicatio
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In October 2010, WikiLeaks Mainly tactical in nature, the local informants, placing each released a collection of 391,832 at risk of being targeted by military documents known as logs exposed to adversaries the the Taliban.4 In response to Pentagon and civilian pressure the Iraqi War Logs (IQWL) that included field information American procedures, tactics, and to protect the innocents, the next batch of releases had from U.S. actions in Iraq from 2004 to 2009, with the impact street-level difficulties that troops WikiLeaks staff attempt to remove identifiable names. on U.S. national security The problem is that still uncertain. In this age of faced in the field. redactions are incomplete. The information proliferation, sheer number of documents greatly decreases the probability enabled by the spread of computing and the Internet, leaks of accomplishing complete redaction. For example, one leaked such as IQWL are bound to reoccur. Noting the lessons learned document “identifies [the informant] as a U.K.-educated from past leaks, however, will serve as valuable experience for engineer from a prominent prerevolution Isfahan family who policymakers tackling similar issues in the future. once owned a large factory in Iran and is a former national Julian Assange, WikiLeaks’ founder, has been called a fencing champion of Iran, a former president of the Iran Fencing cyberterrorist, enemy combatant, free-speech defender, and Association, and a former vice president of an Azerbaijan media revolutionary. His website has facilitated the release sports association.”5 There surely must be few people who fit of hundreds of thousands of classified documents from that description, though no name was provided. governments around the world. Through its anonymous Allegedly, PFC Bradley Manning, an American Army submission process, it has become the outlet of choice for intelligence analyst stationed in Iraq, was able to “exploit a those interested in leaking an organization’s sensitive materials security loophole to copy thousands of files onto compact to the public. WikiLeaks argues that these releases promote discs over a six-month period”6 and leaked his collection to transparency in government and make governments around WikiLeaks. These leaks became IQWL. They were mostly daily the world less corrupt and more accountable to their citizens. reports that small-battalion and fire-team officers wrote about Others argue that leaks containing sensitive national security their missions. Mainly tactical in nature, the logs exposed to information aid and embolden a country’s enemies, as they adversaries the American procedures, tactics, and street-level gain insight into tactical, strategic, and otherwise classified difficulties that troops faced in the field. materials. When analyzed collectively, on a strategic level, no Keeping the submission process secretive and ensuring substantial new findings came to light that journalists had not anonymity is of critical concern to WikiLeaks. To ensure already exposed about the Iraq operation. A greater number anonymity, the organization uses a digital drop box and of civilian casualties than originally reported by the Pentagon cryptographic technique known as TOR (The Onion Router) were identified, but journalists had already reported in public to protect the identities of information providers. TOR, a media such high casualty figures.7 Reports of alleged abuse method developed by the U.S. Navy,1 prevents third parties from detecting whether the provider’s computer is connected and torture of detainees by America’s Iraqi allies detailed in to the WikiLeaks website. Once a document reaches WikiLeaks the IQWL, too, had already been reported in the media. Even securely, the information is vetted and checked against a concerning Iran’s support of Iraqi insurgents, the IQWL did submission criteria, which stipulates that documents must be nothing more than confirm what had already been in the press “classified, censored, or otherwise restricted material of political, for years on Iranian involvement.8 Rather than being paradigm-shifting information, the diplomatic, or ethical significance” to merit publication on the IQWL were in reality rather insignificant strategically and website. 2, 3 Some have criticized that WikiLeaks releases put people’s even improved the George W. Bush administration’s credibility, lives in direct danger, and that an informant or other individual because it showed that the administration had, indeed, not named in a classified document could become targeted by exaggerated its claims of Iranian involvement. The most adversaries if those names are not redacted. For example, surprisingly new information was some evidence that the documents published by WikiLeaks in July 2010 about the search for weapons of mass destruction had some success, but Afghanistan campaign included the names of hundreds of even this information was not significant enough to undermine the
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American national security on It’s undeniable that U.S. but the inside man dynamic a strategic level.9 of defending against leaking The impact of the IQWL tactical information would be of will cause an intra-agency leak on national security Catch-22: information sharing interests was, in fact, varied and interest to insurgents in Iraq among agencies, though not all negative. Internationally, efficient, increases the chance the issue of Iran as a rogue and to other adversaries. that information is leaked by and mischievous actor gained those in other agencies. PFC veracity. Some experts even Manning’s actions show that note that, initially, Iranian state TV devoted many hours of even a small loophole in securing CD drives can irreparably media coverage of the leaks to promote an anti-American reverse information-sharing efforts. DoD will most likely perspective, but Iranians later cut out media coverage of remove CD burning drives from its computers as a consequence WikiLeaks when they realized the information contained was and had already sealed USB ports with liquid cement before incriminating their behavior in Iraq and the region.10 this incident.13 Before the release of the IQWL, WikiLeaks had warned the Additionally, the Department of State (DOS) began limiting Pentagon and allowed it to review the documents it intended access to its Net Centric Diplomacy database of classified and to make public. In an open letter to the Senate Armed Services unclassified reports.14 PFC Manning had access to Net Centric Diplomacy, Secret Internet Protocol Router Network, and Joint Committee, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said, “The initial Worldwide Intelligence Communications System (used by DoD assessment [of the IQWL] in no way discounts the risk to and DOS).15 Advocates have promoted increased information national security; however, the review to date has not revealed sharing among agencies as a solution to inefficiencies and lack any sensitive intelligence sources and methods compromised of analytic focus with the U.S. intelligence community. But by this disclosure.”11 One could read the secretary’s message as posturing, for admitting that sensitive information was in these leaks may have a retarding effect on the expansion of that the IQWL would serve to attract the attention of U.S. enemies. sharing. Valuable information to U.S. adversaries was found in the The Office of Management and Budget ordered departments documents, but the threat at the strategic level was limited. As and agencies “to create security assessment teams to review Secretary Gates states though, the tactical importance of the procedures for handling classified information,” and “the White information released should not be discounted in significance. House [has] named Russell Travers, a National Counterterrorism Col David Lapan, USMC, director of the Department of Center official, to head ‘a comprehensive effort’ to decide what Defense (DoD) press office, said before the release, “There structural reforms are needed,” to protect against such leaks in are lots of other types of information that [the Pentagon has] the future.16 Even procedures for dispensing security clearance to government employees will likely be reformed. described that could be damaging that go beyond names, and In addition, there is an ongoing criminal investigation [WikiLeaks] wouldn’t have the expertise to know what those by the Justice Department as to whether Mr. Assange, an are.”12 It’s undeniable that U.S. tactical information would be of Australian citizen, can be charged under the Espionage Act interest to insurgents in Iraq and to other adversaries. IQWL’s of 1917.17 Extending jurisdiction may prove difficult for U.S. authorities, and WikiLeaks has argued it is immune to the tactical nature, however, limited the systematic damage it Espionage Act because it is a news organization protected could have produced, but was sensitive, nonetheless, because it under the First Amendment. This argument hinges on how revealed U.S. tactics. While this observation can be made of the WikiLeaks interacts with other traditional media outlets and IQWL, it does not necessarily hold true for other subsequent how it is taxed and incorporated. WikiLeaks releases, such as the State Department diplomatic To get around such jurisdictional hurdles, some figures, cables. such as former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and In the big picture, leaks are a known risk factor when Mark Thiessen, a former speechwriter for President George a government attempts to hold secrets, and the modern W. Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, have digital environment increases the threat of classified leaks. suggested labeling Mr. Assange as an “enemy-combatant” to DoD and other agencies have been franticly updating their expand options the United States would have in bringing him computer systems to defend from cyberespionage and attack, 56
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to justice.18, 19 6. New York Times. “Bradley Leaks are a known risk factor when a The IQWL leaks pose Manning.” Oct. 29, 2010: n. national security threats for government attempts to hold secrets, pag. Web. Dec. 6, 2010. <http:// revealing informants, tactics, topics.nytimes.com/top/ and vulnerabilities, but the and the modern digital environment reference/timestopics/people/m/ long-term policy implications br a d l e y _ e _ man n i ng / i nd e x . that may reduce information increases the threat of classified leaks. html?inline=nyt-per>. sharing among agencies and 7. Tevernise, Sabrina, and allies may prove to be the most Andrew Lehman. “A Grim harmful effect of the leaks. Strategic, theaterwide effects of the Portrait of Civilian Deaths in Iraq.” New York Times, Oct. 22, 2010: IQWL were limited and often already reported by the public n. pag. Web. Dec. 6, 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/23/ press. WikiLeaks constitutes a clear case where information world/middleeast/23casualties.html>. technology has made the modern world a more difficult 8. Gordon, Michael, and Andrew Lehman. “Leaked Reports environment to operate in for American interests. Detail Iran’s Aid for Iraqi Militias.” New York Times, Oct. 22, 2010: Whatever tools policymakers choose in the case against n. pag. Web. Dec. 6, 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/23/ WikiLeaks, it is in the United States’ interest to protect the world/middleeast/23iran.html?_r=1>. integrity of its classified documents from publication of any 9. Shachtman, Noah. “WikiLeaks Show WMD Hunt Continued sort. However, the United States must remain sober in its in Iraq – With Surprising Results.” Wired, Oct. 23, 2010: n. pag. assessment of the ill-effects of release if policymakers use the Web. Dec. 6, 2010. <http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/10/ lessons learned from the IQWL in future situations where WikiLeaks-show-wmd-hunt-continued-in-iraq-with-surprisingsensitive information is leaked. results/>. The author served as an intern at ROA during the fall of 2010. Intern Ian Martin and legislative assistant Elizabeth Cochran contributed to this report. The National Security Report is a publication of the Defense Education Forum of the Reserve Officers Association and is intended to advance discussion and scholarship of national security issues. The views expressed in this report are solely those of the author and not necessarily those of ROA.
End Notes 1. Cryptome.org. “WikiLeaks Security Measures.” WikiLeaks. org, May 21, 2010. Web. Dec. 6, 2010. <http://cryptome.org/isp-spy/ WikiLeaks-spy.pdf>. 2. WikiLeaks.org. “WikilLeaks - Submissions.” WikiLeaks, n.d. Web. Dec. 6, 2010. <http://www.WikiLeaks.fi/submissions.html>. 3. Ibid. 4. Reals, Tucker. “WikiLeaks Reportedly Outs 100s of Afghan Informants.” CBS News. July 28, 2010. Web. Dec. 6, 2010. <http:// www.cbsnews.com/8301-503543_162-20011886-503543.html>. 5. Frum, David. “WikiLeaks builds case against Iran.” CNN, Nov. 29, 2010: n. pag. Web. Dec. 6, 2010. <http://articles.cnn.com/201011-29/opinion/frum.WikiLeaks.iran_1_julian-assange-WikiLeaksiranian-nuclear-weapons-program?_s=PM:OPINION>.
10. Curtis, Lisa. WikiLeaks Panel at the Heritage Foundation. <http://www.heritage.org/events/2010/11/WikiLeaks>. 11. Gates, Robert. “Gates to Levin Letter.” United States Senate, Aug. 16, 2010. Web. Dec. 6, 2010. <http://www.scribd.com/ doc/39590650/Gates-Levin-WikiLeaks-Investigation>. 12. Shaughnessy, Larry. “WikiLeaks redacted more information in latest documents release.” CNN, Oct. 23, 2008: n. pag. Web. Dec. 6, 2010. <http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/10/22/WikiLeaks.editing/>. 13. Svan, Jennifer, and David Allen. “DOD bans the use of removable, flash-type drives on all government computers.” Stars and Stripes, Nov. 21, 2008: n. pag. Web. Dec. 6, 2010. <http://www. freerepublic.com/focus/news/2135649/posts>. 14. Reilly, Sean. “WikiLeaks fallout leads to an info-sharing clampdown.” Federal Times, Dec. 5, 2010: n. pag. Web. Dec. 6, 2010. <http://www.federaltimes.com/article/20101205/IT03/12050306/>. 15. Ibid. 16. Ibid. 17. Pelofsky, Jeremy . “US looks beyond espionage to deal with WikiLeaks.” Reuters, Dec. 6, 2010: n. pag. Web. Dec. 6, 2010. <http:// www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0619021420101206>. 18. Edwards, David. “Gingrich: Assange an ‘enemy combatant’ but fault is Obama’s.” 19. Thiessen, Mark. “WikiLeaks must be stopped.” The Washington Post, Aug. 3, 2010. n. pag. Web. Dec. 6, 2010. <http:// www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/02/ AR2010080202627.html>. the
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StarS induStry newS Jeanne Kouhestani • associate editor
Cutting-edge teChnology Daimler: Building the armored truck of today; the Super Truck of tomorrow.
s the top-selling manufacturer of Class 8 (heavyweight) trucks in the United States, Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is no stranger to innovative technologies. This year, the company rolled out its newest iteration of the military’s long-haul workhorse, the M915A5—a vehicle conceived from the Army’s long-term armor strategy (LTAS). Manufactured with integrated armor, the M915A5 can be outfitted with additional heavy armor, without further vehicle modification, while operating in hostile areas—good news for Soldiers transporting essential goods and equipment in war zones. Looking toward the future, the company is also engaged in an ambitious research and development (R&D) program called SuperTruck in partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE). The technologies that will be developed during the fiveyear project, using the Class 8 long-haul Cascadia as a baseline model, will dramatically increase fuel economy and freight efficiency, measured by how much freight is moved per gallon of fuel. Many of the new technologies that will be tested and proven will eventually wend their way into DTNA’s product line as the company makes upgrades to its wide variety of vehicles.
Daimler Trucks North America provides a full line of Freightliner and Western Star transportation to the U.S. government: military trucks, AAFES vehicles, and GSA medium and heavy duty trucks. DTNA currently provides the M915A5 6x4 line haul tractor, the M916A3 6x6 light equipment transporter, and the M917A2 6x6 20T dump truck to the U.S. Army. (www.daimler-trucksnorthamerica.com/govt/)
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The M915A5 As warfighters became victim to the improvised explosive device early on in the Iraq war, the Army began adding armor kits to vehicles operating in the war zone in 2003 as a stopgap measure to provide critical protection. While potentially lifesaving, these measures tended to interfere with the stability and life span of the vehicles—including the Class 8 M915 series of trucks produced for the Army since 1988 by DTNA. “The vehicles weren’t built to carry that additional load, and they started having trouble with cab structures and axles and suspensions. And so, one of our responses early on was to upgrade the front axles, suspensions, tires, and brakes to allow for the add-on armor, ” said Jim Fenske, program manager for DTNA’s military vehicle program. In addition to creating stability problems, the armor—which was applied directly to the cabs—tended to tear the cab skins, he said. The LTAS, released in 2006, was an effort to improve effectiveness and efficiency of armored vehicles. The strategy uses a modular concept of A kits and B kits. The A kit is integrated into the vehicle as part of its permanent structure, and the B kit (armor body panels that encapsulate the cab) is added on by Army mechanics for use in war zones without having to modify the vehicle in any other way. The A-kit-only truck can be used for operations in nonhostile areas, as the A-kit does not significantly affect the vehicle’s fuel efficiency. DTNA engineers went to the drawing board in 2007 to design a modified version of the M915A3 long-haul truck. The upgrade included an armor firewall and an under-body deck plate in the vehicle’s structure. Designing the truck to accommodate both A and B kits was a challenge, Mr. Fenske said, because the center of gravity shifted considerably with the addition of the B kit. DTNA needed to create a roll-stability control system that would work equally well when operating with or without the B kit. The company also designed the front cab mounts to recognize and compensate for the additional weight of the B kit. The truck then went into a one-year testing phase in 2009
STANDING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S RESERVISTS
at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. “Some Engineers went to contract for the new M915 series truck will things had to be changed, but nothing major,” be announced for competitive bid. the drawing board Mr. Fenske said. “It was well developed from in 2007 to design a SuperTruck Program the beginning; testing proved that out.” With its partners last year, DTNA was Testing included weather extremes in climate modified version of the one of several North American Class 8 chambers that mimicked temperatures found M915A3 long-haul truck manufacturers chosen to participate in Iraq and Afghanistan—up to 120 degrees above and 40 degrees below zero, Fahrenheit. truck.The upgrade in DOE’s SuperTruck program, administered by the Office of Energy Efficiency and DTNA recently delivered all the included an armor Renewable Energy. According to DOE, M915A3s that were previously under contract to the Army and is now solely firewall and an under- heavy-duty trucks make up only 4 percent producing the M915A5s at its Cleveland, body deck plate in the of the vehicles on the road, yet they account more than 20 percent of fuel consumed N.C., truck plant under a modification to vehicle’s structure. for in the United States. The program’s lofty the M915A3 contract. The Army contracts goal of improving by 50 percent the freight directly with an armor supplier for the B-kit efficiency of a 2009 baseline long-haul armor; the armor is stored until needed. vehicle will dramatically impact fuel and cost Delivery of 2,166 of the M915A5s under savings, as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the contract is nearly complete. The company started fielding the lower consumption of fuel. vehicles this past spring to Army National Guard and Reserve The incentive for the truck manufacturers to invest heavily transportation companies in the United States. in R&D comes by way of a substantial cost-share grant from As of midsummer, DTNA expected to sign a three-year DOE. For example, DOE is paying DTNA half of the company’s bridge sole-source contract for at least 200 more M915A5s, proposed budget of nearly $80 million to develop a SuperTruck giving the Army time to develop capability specifications for prototype and test it for freight efficiency by 2015. The program the next generation M915 long hauler. At that point, a new
DAIMlER
The M915A5 can be outfitted with additional heavy armor without further vehicle modification.
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is not a competition. Each company will develop a prototype and presumably integrate its new technologies into future product upgrades. The program began April 1, 2010. “They developed this program as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to provide an impetus for OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] like Daimler Trucks to invest more heavily in research and technology in relationship to freight efficiency technology,” said DTNA’s Derek Rotz, senior manager, advanced engineering, NAFTA [North American Free Trade Agreement]. “It basically gives us an opportunity to focus our R&D efforts and develop new and advanced technologies that we may not otherwise have worked on.” Using the Cascadia DD15 long-hauler as its baseline model, DTNA first measured the performance of the vehicle from a technical level on its baseline test route. From there, computer simulations of three different scenarios were developed to determine how aggressive the new technologies needed to be to meet the efficiency goal. Engineers determined that the target could be met using a modified “super” Cascadia rather than developing an entirely new bullet-style truck. Through mid-2013, DTNA will continue to focus on digital simulation analyses with computational models. “We are taking a pretty fresh look at the vehicles. The 50 percent efficiency target is very aggressive so we need to evaluate and reconsider each aspect of the vehicle,” Mr. Rotz said. To that end, DTNA has organized cross-functional workstreams that focus on eight areas: engine, engine downsizing and hybrid, powertrain integration, parasitic (i.e., air conditioning) losses, weight reduction, aerodynamics, and waste-heat recovery. As the work progresses, individual systems will be tested alone on “tinker trucks” before the systems are combined into the final prototype. Pulling all these disparate systems together into a vehicle that functions as envisioned may prove to be the biggest challenge of all. “The real skill will be to take these various technologies, which are complex on their own, and try to integrate them into a single vehicle,” Mr. Rotz said. Although individual technologies may be optimal on their own, combining them requires technical trade-offs. The up-front simulations are critical to resolving these trade-offs before production begins. “The first thing, when we build these trucks, is to get them functional. Then we’ll optimize them, and then we’ll integrate them, and then we’ll do another round of optimization,” Mr. Rotz said. Once the prototype is built, DTNA will measure the fuel economy against the payload weight target to determine the truck’s freight efficiency. The testing phase, expected to take 60
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three to four months, is scheduled for the latter half of 2014. Test results will be turned over to DOE, thus signaling DTNA’s end of the program. What then? Mr. Rotz said that DTNA will not produce the SuperTruck as a new model, but over time will spin off its technologies, as they mature, into the company’s product line. The prototype is strictly a research and development demonstration project to improve fuel economy, but does not take into account other important factors, such as reliability and maintenance, that are required by customers. “The primary goal of the [SuperTruck] program is to accelerate our research and development of advanced technologies,” Mr. Rotz said. “There is potential through advanced technologies to improve the efficiency of our vehicles, and this SuperTruck helps us accelerate those efforts.”
Northrop Grumman Achieves BACN Milestone Northrop Grumman’s Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) system, developed for the U.S. Air Force, completed its 2,000th mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom on June 25. (See related article in the March—April 2011 issue of The Officer.) BACN is a high-altitude, airborne communications gateway system flying on five separate aircraft to maintain operational support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Using a suite of computers and radio systems, BACN connects disparate voice and datalink networks, “bridges” between radio frequencies, and extends communications ranges to enhance tactical situational awareness information throughout the battlespace. The persistent connectivity BACN improves situational awareness and enables better coordination between forward-edge warfighters and commanders. Since the system was deployed to support Operation Enduring Freedom in October 2008, BACN has accumulated more than 20,000 operational flight hours in 2,000 missions and delivered a mission availability rate of 98 percent.
Northrop Grumman Corporation supports the Air Force Reserve with state-of-the-art products such as LITENING AT for precision targeting on the F-16, A-10, and B-52; APN-241 radars for the C-130s; V-9 radars for the F-16s; Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures for the C-130s, C-5s, and C-17s; and Joint Threat Emitters for Training. Northrop Grumman...defining the future! (www.northropgrumman.com)
STANDING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S RESERVISTS
Booz Allen Hamilton Supports VA Modernization Booz Allen Hamilton was named a prime contractor on the Veterans Affairs Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology (T4) contract to support the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in modernization and transformation efforts. Booz Allen is one of 14 contractors on the $12 billion indefinite delivery/ indefinite quantity award, which has a five-year performance period. The combined contracts will allow the most efficient use of technology to transform the VA in health-care delivery and reduce the backlog of benefit claims, which should add value for America’s taxpayers. The contract enables VA to acquire services for information technology programs that will help ensure timely delivery of health care and benefits to veterans. Booz Allen will provide support in six broad technical areas: program management, strategy, and planning; systems/software engineering; enterprise network; cybersecurity; operations and maintenance; and information technology facilities.
Booz Allen Hamilton, a global strategy and technology consulting firm, works with clients to deliver results that endure. Booz Allen provides services to major international corporations and government clients around the world. Functional areas of expertise include strategy, organization and change leadership, operations, information technology, and technology management. (www.boozallen.com)
Raytheon to Develop a Secure, Attributed Military Network System The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded Raytheon BBN Technologies $16 million in additional funding under phase two of the Military Networking Protocol (MNP) program to create architectures, protocols, and network devices that will improve network capabilities and integrity for tactical military units. MNP’s goal is to enhance network security and performance by providing user-level attribution for military computer networks to de-anonymize network traffic. The MNP program’s suite of security techniques will ensure that network use is limited to authorized users and that it is extremely difficult to spoof or inject false traffic into the network. In addition, with the ability to clearly identify individual aspects of network traffic, unit commanders will be able to adapt and reassign network resources as dictated
by constantly changing tactical situations to guarantee the swift delivery of mission-critical information to the correct individuals and units.
Raytheon Company is a technology leader specializing in defense, homeland security, and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 87 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications, and intelligence systems, as well as mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 73,000 people worldwide. (www.raytheon.com)
DRS Technologies to Develop Handheld Computing Systems DRS Technologies announced that its DRS Tactical Systems business unit received a cost-plus fixed-fee award for the development of an ultrarugged handheld device for the U.S. Army’s Joint Battle Command–Platform (JBC–P) program. The company received the order from the CommunicationsElectronics Research, Development and Engineering Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. As one of two companies selected for this contract, DRS will develop a solution for dismounted situational awareness requirements for Soldiers and Marines that is interoperable with the current Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below Blue Force Tracking system. As part of the requirement, the handheld system
DRS Technologies, headquartered in Parsippany, N.J., is a leading supplier of integrated products, services, and support to military forces, intelligence agencies, and prime contractors worldwide. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Finmeccanica S.p.A., which employs more than 73,000 people worldwide. (www.drs.com)
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must include an ultrarugged computing device, software, and suite B security, and have the ability to support various communications solutions in order to receive and send friendly-force position location and provide communication capability to and from Soldiers and Marines. DRS will design and manufacture the systems with initial prototype deliveries scheduled for September 2011.
Lockheed Delivers First JTRS Net-enabled Communications Capability to Army Lockheed Martin has delivered the first secure Joint Tactical Radio to the U.S. Army’s AH-64D Apache Avionics Integration Lab. The Airborne, Maritime/Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio System (AMF JTRS) delivery included the Engineering Development Model (EDM) of the Joint Tactical Radio–Small Airborne two-channel radio running the Link-16 waveform and 200w Link-16 power amplifier. The radio was delivered June 27 to Boeing’s Apache facility in Mesa, Ariz. AMF JTRS is designed to allow Airmen, Sailors, Marines, and Soldiers to seamlessly share secure (NSA Type 1) voice, data, and video communications, in real-time. Once completely fielded, AMF JTRS will link more than 100 platforms, providing connectivity to areas where no communications infrastructure previously existed. It will allow Airmen and Sailors to synchronize with Soldiers in the foxhole, providing near instantaneous awareness of the combat environment. The delivery of this radio allows the Apache integration team to integrate the Joint Tactical Radio command-and-control functions onto its platform architecture. The lab will use the EDM unit for software integration and testing for incorporation into the AH-64D Block III upgrade.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., a business area of Lockheed Martin, is a leader in the design, research and development, systems integration, production, and support of advanced military aircraft and related technologies. Its customers include the military services of the United States and allied countries throughout the world. Products include the F-16, F-22, F-117, C-5, C-130 & 130J, P-3, S-3, and U-2. (www.lockheedmartin.com)
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TriWest Paperless Program Helps Military Families Switching from paper to electronic statements means military families throughout the country will receive thousands in additional funding to help during a future time of need. Through TriWest Healthcare Alliance’s “Go Green & Give” campaign, more than $85,000 was raised to help four national military charities support military families. More than 17,000 Tricare West Region households participated in the threemonth effort. For each of the 17,000 households that chose to Go Green and receive health-care statements electronically, TriWest agreed to donate $5 to one of four military charities: Armed Services YMCA, Operation Homefront, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, and USO. Tricare West Region beneficiaries can continue opting in for paperless health-care communications, such as referral and authorization letters, claims, and explanation of benefits statements, by visiting www.triwest.com/GoGreen.
TriWest Healthcare Alliance partners with the Department of Defense (DoD) to provide access to cost-effective, high-quality health care for 2.8 million members of America’s military family in the 21-state Tricare West Region. TriWest is the largest DoD contractor based in Arizona and has more than 1,900 employees—about half of whom are military dependents or veterans. (www.triwest.com)
Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation, is an industry-leading global designer and manufacturer of tactical military trucks and armored wheeled vehicles, delivering a full product line of conventional and hybrid vehicles, advanced armor options, proprietary suspensions, and vehicles with payloads that can exceed 70 tons. (www.oshkoshdefense.com)
STANDING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S RESERVISTS
USAA, a diversified financial services group of companies, provides insurance, banking, investment, and retirement products and services to 8.2 million members of the U.S. military and their families. Known for its legendary commitment to exceptional member service, USAA is consistently recognized for its outstanding service, employee well-being, and financial strength. USAA membership is open to all who have honorably served our nation in the U.S. military. Visit USAA’s website to learn more. (www.usaa.com)
Bonner & Associates is the nation’s premier grassroots organizing firm. For more than 25 years, it has successfully built grassroots support for issues such as funding for the B-2 stealth bomber, Seawolf submarine, and the National Missile Defense Program. Bonner & Associates is proud to have worked for the Veterans of Foreign Wars and other organizations focused on this country’s national security. (www.bonnerandassociates.com)
The Boeing Company is the world’s largest aerospace company, with leading products and services in commercial and military aircraft and space and communications. Boeing military products include fighters, bombers, tankers, transports, and helicopters, along with missiles, homeland security, advanced information, communications, and space systems. Military aerospace support also provides maintenance and upgrades to all these systems. Boeing products are in use in 145 countries. (www.boeing.com)
Humana Military Healthcare Services is a Department of Defense (DoD) contractor for the administration of the Tricare program in the South Region of the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Humana Military’s mission is to work collaboratively with its DoD partners in the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective, accessible health care services to the military population Humana serves. (www.humana-military.com)
Delta Dental of California has partnered with DoD since 1998 to administer the Tricare Retiree Dental Program (TRDP). The TRDP is the only voluntary group dental benefits plan authorized by the U.S. government for uniformed services retirees and their families, including gray-area retirees. The TRDP provides comprehensive coverage to more than 1.1 million enrollees worldwide. (www.trdp.org)
For more than a decade, Logistics Management Resources Inc. has provided award-winning, cost-effective services to all areas of automated logistics support services. LMR, an employeeand veteran-owned small business, provides logistics management support services to DoD and all Army components with expertise in maintenance, supply, transportation, deployment, aviation logistics, materiel readiness, and training development. (www.lmr-inc.com)
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Officer / September–OctOber 2011
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MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION Reserve Officers Association of the United States
Serving Citizen Warriors through advocacy and education since 1922 Join online at www.roa.org/join RANK
FIRST NAME
M.I.
LAST NAME
DATE OF BIRTH
/ MAILING ADDRESS CITY
STATE
ZIP+4 CODE
SPOUSE’S NAME
Personal E-MAIL ADDRESS (preferred)
PHONE Home
Work E-MAIL ADDRESS Cell
(
)
(
Work (
)
)
NEW MEMBER APP
BRANCH OF SERVICE (Circle One) [Civilian Spouse applicants, circle your spouse's BOS]
A
MC
N
/
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (Optional)
AF
CG
PHS
NOAA
MILITARY COMPONENT (Circle One)
MILITARY STATUS (Circle One)
Reserve
Active
Regular
Nat’l Guard
Retired
Former Officer
RESERVE UNIT /ORGANIZATION ASSIGNED TO:
TERM MEMBERSHIPS ❏ 2 Yrs/$100 ❏ 3 Yrs/$140 ❏ 5 Yrs/$200 ❏ 1 Yr/$55 LIFE MEMBERSHIP * (Deferred payment option—See below)
❏ ❏ ❏
❏ ❏ ❏
Under Age 31/$600 51-55/$480 66-70/$340
31-40/$580 56-60/$440 71-75/$280
❏ ❏ ❏
41-50/$530 61-65/$390 76 and over/$250
SPOUSE TERM MEMBERSHIPS
❏
❏
1 Yr/$28
❏
2 Yrs/$50
3 Yrs/$70
❏
5 Yrs/$100
SPOUSE LIFE MEMBERSHIPS* (Deferred payment option—See below)
❏ Under Age 31/$300 ❏ 51-55/$240 ❏ 66-70/$170
❏ ❏ ❏
31-40/$290 56-60/$220 71-75/$140
❏ ❏ ❏
41-50/$265 61-65/$195 76 and over/$125
*Deferred Payment Plan available for life membership applicants. Pay 10% down and the balance in 9 equal monthly installments. Select in payment options below. VIRTUAL MEMBERSHIP
❏
5 Year Virtual membership – $175.00
MILITARy SPOUSE RATE: ❏ 50% off regular fee. (Except Virtual, which is same as primary member) CO-MEMBERSHIPS WITH MILITARy ASSOCIATIONS (For New Members Only)
❏ “ Any member of another qualifying military association, who meets membership requirements in all other regards, who applies for membership in ROA, can take a one-time $15.00 discount against all the normal dues rates — term member rates only.”
OFFICER CANDIDATES
❏
AROTC/NROTC/AFROTC/Service Academy Cadets & Midshipmen/OCS and State Military Academy Cadets: $20/year. Expected commission date: _____________________
FAX or MAIL APPLICATION TO ROA MEMBER SERVICES One Constitution Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002-5618 FAX 202.646.7767 Questions? Call us LOCAL 202.479.2200 Toll Free: 800.809.9448 OPTION 0.
www.roa.org
GIFT MEMBERSHIPS (one year gift membership)
❏ ❏
For newly commissioned officers and newly appointed WOs who apply to ROA within their first year of service. For officers & WOs newly released from initial tour of Active Duty.
PAyMENT OPTIONS
❏ Check enclosed
❏ Cash
❏ Charge full amount to my credit card
Card #: ______________________________________________
❏ MasterCard
❏ Visa
❏ American Express
❏ Discover
Expiration Date: ___________________________ Security Code: ____________________
★ LIFE APPLICANTS DEFERRED PAyMENT OPTION
❏
DEFERRED PAYMENT OPTION: Charge 10% down-payment – balance in 9 equal monthly payments. ❏ charge my credit card monthly for the remaining 9 payments. ❏ Invoice me monthly for the remaining 9 payments.
Signature: _________________________________________________ Date of application: __________________________________________________ SPONSOR NAME
SPONSOR MEMBER NUMBER
DEPT./CHAPTER PREFERENCES APRIL 2011
Mail To:
Reserve Officers Association Attn: Member Services One Constitution Avenue NE Washington DC 20002-5618