U.S. Defense Department Reviews Process for Handling Troops' Remains

Focus on Defense:

WASHINGTON, May 10, 2008 -- The Defense Department is taking steps to ensure that remains of fallen servicemembers are always treated with the utmost respect, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters yesterday.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates learned of problems with the military’s cremation process today, and he took immediate action, Morrell said. The department is launching an investigation into processes for handling remains of fallen warriors at the military’s sole mortuary on Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

“The families of the fallen have the secretary’s deepest apology,” Morrell said. “Those still serving have his commitment that all members of the armed forces will be treated with the dignity and respect that their sacrifice demands.”

Morrell made the announcement at a Pentagon press conference held after senior leaders became aware of a complaint by a servicemember who works in the Pentagon about the cremation process. The servicemember complained after witnessing the cremation of a soldier’s body which was returned this week from Iraq.

Because there is no cremation facility at the base, the Dover Port Mortuary contracted two local funeral homes to perform cremations. One of the mortuaries is not co-located with the funeral home and is in an industrial park in Kent County, Del. It has three incinerators, one marked for human remains, the other for pets, Morrell said.

While the facility is fully licensed, Gates believes the site and signs “are insensitive and entirely inappropriate for the dignified treatment of our fallen,” Morrell said.

“There is no mission more important than the dignified return of our fallen heroes to their families and the Dover Air Force Base team has performed this mission with great care for a number of years,” Morrell said.

With Gates’ approval, Air Force Secretary Michael W. Wynne has directed the mortuary to stop contracting the off-site crematorium and use only those crematoriums that are co-located with licensed funeral homes, Morrell said. Also, there must now be a military presence during off-base processes of funeral home facilities, he said.

Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Duncan McNabb will follow up on all actions and coordinate with Army staff. David Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, will review DoD policies on handling the remains of service members. They will determine how many soldiers’ bodies were handled by the crematorium, Morrell said. He noted that while “probably more often than not” servicemembers’ remains are sent to their hometowns for cremations.

It is not unusual for crematoriums to serve both humans and pets, Morrell said. “My understanding is that it’s common practice.”

Morrell stressed that “we have absolutely no evidence whatsoever that any human remains were ever mistreated.” While it is permissible to cremate fallen soldiers in a facility that also cremates pets, Gates believes it is inappropriate, he said.

The servicemember who complained “did what he should have done, which was to report it to us,” said Lt. Gen. David Huntoon, director of Army staff.

“The senior leadership of all the services holds the mission of returning our fallen comrades of the highest order of importance,” Huntoon said.

Lt. Gen. Frank Klotz, director of Air Force staff, said the mortuary began contracting the facilities in 2001. Klotz said he will travel to Dover tomorrow to look into the matter. Because Dover is “a relatively small city,” the mortuary is limited in its ability to contract cremation services, he said.

(Story by Lisa Daniel, American Forces Press Service.)

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Afghanistan Mission Requires More NATO, International Support, Senior U.S. Military Leader Says

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, May 10, 2008 -- U.S., NATO and Afghan forces’ efforts are preventing Taliban insurgents and transnational terrorists from regaining a foothold in Afghanistan, but more support is required from NATO and the international community, a senior U.S. military officer told members of a local think tank here Thursday.

“NATO has not failed, and I assure you that we are succeeding and we will continue to succeed” in Afghanistan, Army Gen. Bantz J. Craddock remarked during his speech at the Heritage Foundation.

However, NATO and the international community “can and must do more” to support the mission in Afghanistan, said Craddock, who wears two hats as NATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe and as chief of U.S. European Command.

NATO “has not yet completely filled” its agreed-to commitment of troops and capabilities to Afghanistan, Craddock said, noting there’s still a shortage of key military functions and skills such as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; communications; and air support.

“Each nation has its own internal issues that it must address, but a completely resourced force sends a clear message to our adversary and to the Afghan people,” Craddock explained. “And, the message is: NATO is committed to achieving success.”

In addition, the more than 80 conditions of deployment, known as caveats, among NATO-member troops in Afghanistan reduce force flexibility and increases risk, Craddock noted.

Establishing peace and stability throughout Afghanistan is of paramount importance to U.S. and European security interests, Craddock said, noting the pace of globalization is causing many nations’ economic and security needs to intersect.

“Just as economies are increasingly interdependent in our globalized world, our external and internal security is equally interwoven,” Craddock explained.

“Afghanistan is a mission of necessity, rather than of choice,” the four-star general emphasized.

Less than a decade ago, al-Qaida terrorists used Afghanistan as a training ground, Craddock recalled. Today, it’s crucial “to ensure that the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is never again a place that transnational terrorists call home,” Craddock said.

What occurs in Afghanistan also affects the Middle East and Asia, the general observed.

“One only need look at the borders of Afghanistan to recognize the complexity of the geopolitical situation,” Craddock said. “Pakistan, Iran, China and the Muslim republics of the former Soviet Union are all affected by the situation in Afghanistan.”

Therefore, “extremism and terrorism must not continue to threaten stability in the region or even beyond,” Craddock said. NATO support in Afghanistan remains essential, he emphasized.

About 47,000 NATO International Security Assistance Force and U.S. troops are in Afghanistan, Craddock said. At last month’s NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania, alliance members reaffirmed their long-term commitment to Afghanistan, he said. France announced it would send a battalion of troops to eastern Afghanistan, with additional contributions pledged by Poland and the Czech Republic.

Meanwhile, successful military operations conducted by Afghan army and NATO forces have compelled Taliban and al-Qaida terrorists to adopt hit-and-run tactics, Craddock observed.

So far in 2008, about 91 percent of insurgent activity has occurred within just 8 percent of Afghanistan’s 396 districts, Craddock said.

The Afghan National Army continues to grow in numbers and capability, and increasingly is taking the lead in battles against terrorists, Craddock reported. Meanwhile, he added, efforts are continuing to improve the performance of Afghanistan’s national police, which still lags behind the Afghan army.

“Police performance must be urgently enhanced,” Craddock said. “Recent pay and structural reforms will help, but corruption, criminality and a lack of qualified leadership remain pressing issues.”

The application of military or constabulary authority all by themselves cannot address all of Afghanistan’s needs, Craddock said.

“Certainly, a military solution alone will not secure and stabilize the country of Afghanistan,” Craddock said. “Security, governance and reconstruction and development activities must complement and support each other.”

To date, more than 7,500 civil-military reconstruction projects have been launched across Afghanistan, Craddock said, of which about 75 percent have been completed. “We’re finally starting to see progress in the area of reconstruction and development,” Craddock said.

Children’s education programs are moving forward, he added, noting there are now more than 6 million students, 41 percent of them girls, who were not permitted under Taliban rule to attend school.

Afghanistan’s child-mortality rate has been reduced by 25 percent since 2001, Craddock reported, noting that more than 16 million vaccinations have been administered to Afghan children over the last five years.

“So, NATO is making a difference in Afghanistan, but as I said, we can and must do more,” Craddock said.

(Story by Gerry J. Gilmore, American Forces Press Service.)

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Forces in Iraq Kill Six Enemy Fighters, Capture Weapons Caches

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2008 -- Coalition and Iraqi soldiers in Baghdad killed six enemy fighters, fended off an attack, and captured and destroyed several weapons caches yesterday.

Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers killed six criminals, who attacked coalition forces with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms during multiple engagements in the Sadr City district of Baghdad yesterday.

• At about 1:30 p.m., soldiers from 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, were attacked by criminals with RPGs and small arms. Soldiers returned fire and killed one criminal.

• At about 2 p.m., soldiers from 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, identified one Iranian trained “special groups” fighter on a rooftop with a weapon. Soldiers engaged the individual and killed him.

• At about 4:30 p.m., soldiers from 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, attached to 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, and 1138th Engineer Battalion were attacked with RPGs and small arms while they were emplacing barriers to provide security for the residents of Sadr City. Soldiers fired one tank round and machine guns, killing three enemy fighters.

• Soldiers from 1138th Engineer Battalion were later struck by an improvised explosive device while conducting a route-clearing mission at about 5 p.m. Soldiers were then attacked with RPGs and returned fire, killing one enemy fighter. No soldiers were injured in the IED attack.

"Special group criminals continue to disrupt the security of local Iraqi communities," said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, a spokesman for Multinational Division Baghdad and 4th Infantry Division. "These barriers will improve security, life will get better for Sadr City residents, and together with the Iraqi security forces, we will bring the criminals to justice."

In other operations yesterday, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers engaged two enemy rocket teams and fended off an attack during night operations.

• At about 6:30 p.m., soldiers monitoring an aerial surveillance system witnessed two special groups members gathering around a rocket rail that had been used for an indirect-fire attack earlier in Sadr City. The enemy fighters then loaded two carts and pushed them down a street. An aerial weapons team was called in, engaged the individuals with one Hellfire missile, killing both.

• Soldiers from 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, attached to 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, were attacked by fighters using small-arms fire at about 8:35 p.m. in Sadr City. Acting in self-defense, the soldiers fired one M1A2 Abrams tank round and machine gun fire, killing two of the attackers.

• At about 10:45 p.m., soldiers from 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, operating an unmanned aerial vehicle witnessed four special groups members load a rocket rail into a vehicle and drive away in New Baghdad. The UAV followed the vehicle until it stopped and parked inside a garage in Sadr City. The UAV engaged the garage with a Hellfire missile. Two enemy fighters were killed, and the rocket rail, garage and vehicle were destroyed.

Iraq security forces and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers destroyed several weapons caches across Baghdad yesterday.

• At about 6 a.m., soldiers with Company C, 4th Battalion, 64th Armored Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, discovered a weapons cache containing eight 120 mm mortar rounds in West Rashid.

• At about 8 a.m., Iraqi army soldiers found three weapons caches during a combat patrol in Sadr City. The weapons caches contained five 155 mm artillery rounds, four 120 mm mortar rounds and assorted ammunition and equipment.

• At about 11:30 a.m., Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers patrolling the Mansour district of Baghdad discovered an improvised explosive device made up of a paint can filled with ammonium nitrate, wrapped in detonation cord. In addition, a 40 pound bag of ammonium nitrate and a 60 pound bag of an unknown chemical were found at the site.

• At about 2:30 p.m., Iraqi army soldiers discovered a weapons cache northwest of Baghdad containing three 30 pound bags of homemade explosive and four rocket-propelled-grenade initiators.

• At about 4:45 p.m., Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers discovered a weapons cache west of Baghdad containing a 155 mm artillery round, 130 mm mortar round, two rocket-propelled-grenade warheads, a rifle grenade and other assorted ammunition.

"The Iraqi Security Forces are visibly out on the streets securing and protecting the people of Baghdad," said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, spokesman, MND-B and 4th Infantry Division. "They sacrifice daily and are conducting independent operations."

A Multinational Division Baghdad air weapons team killed two enemy fighters and wounded four, all of whom were involved in launching a rocket attack on Sadr City citizens. The individuals were hiding in a building in the Sadr City district of Baghdad at approximately 2 p.m. May 8 after launching the rocket. The criminals launched the rocket attack at about 1:30 p.m. that killed two Iraqi citizens, injured eight more and damaged a house in central Baghdad. An unmanned aerial vehicle, conducting a surveillance mission in the area, observed the individuals moving rocket rails from the rocket site to an alley near a building. It then maintained positive identification as they entered a building and were observed on the rooftop.

An aerial weapons team was dispatched to the area and engaged the enemy fighters. The team fired three Hellfire missiles into the building, one at the first floor, one at the second floor and one at a shack on the roof, and killed and wounded the enemy fighters. Bomb damage was limited to the multi-story building involved in the attack.

"These criminals are responsible for the murder of innocent Iraqi civilians, who died as a result of their heinous, indiscriminate attack," said Army Col. Allen Batschelet, Multinational Division Baghdad and 4th Infantry Division chief of staff.

Also yesterday, Iraqi security forces detained a special groups cell leader and three al-Qaida in Iraq terrorists in two separate operations. Iraqi special operations forces conducted an operation in Baghdad and detained a Bayaa district special groups cell leader believed to be responsible for kidnapping operations and indirect-fire attacks on Iraqi and coalition forces. Two additional suspects were detained. In Ramadi, an Iraqi special weapons and tactics team detained three al-Qaida in Iraq terrorists known to be involved with coordinating improvised-explosive-device attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces and facilitating foreign fighters.

Earlier, Iraqi security forces, “Sons of Iraq” citizen security group members, and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers seized caches and recovered weapons across Baghdad on May 7.

• At about 9:20 a.m., Sons of Iraq members in Adhamiyah discovered a possible improvised explosive device that had been inadvertently picked up by a sanitation truck. The Sons of Iraq found two 81 mm projectiles, a 120 mm Hera Mark I mortar, a projectile booster and detonation cord.

• At about 10:45 a.m., Iraqi National Police, along with soldiers from Company D, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, seized munitions found in an abandoned mosque while conducting a patrol in eastern Rashid. Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers secured the area as the Iraqi police obtained permission to enter the mosque. The Iraqi police entered the abandoned mosque and seized two containers of homemade explosive, a rocket-propelled grenade with launcher, a smoke grenade, and an Iraqi army uniform.

• At about 6:50 a.m., soldiers with Company C, 4th Battalion, 64th Armored Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, discovered a weapons cache containing three 107 mm rockets, five RPGs, a 60 mm mortar, and 200 rounds of PKC light machine gun ammunition during a combat patrol in western Rashid.

• At about 4 p.m., soldiers with Company B, 4th Battalion, 64th Armored Regiment, discovered a weapons cache consisting of eight 155 mm projectiles and five 60 mm mortar rounds while on patrol in western Rashid.

"Along with our Iraqi security forces partners, we are taking these dangerous weapons off the streets," Batschelet said. "Reducing the number of weapons available to criminal elements contributes directly to the safety of Iraqi citizens."

In other earlier operations in Iraq:

• Multinational Division Center soldiers recovered nearly 200 weapons rounds near Shubayshen, about 30 kilometers southwest of Baghdad, May 7. Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), acted on a tip that there was a weapons cache in the area. The cache contained 82 57 mm rockets, 95 82 mm mortars, and 23 120 mm rounds, all of which could have been used as improvised explosive devices. Explosive ordnance disposal personnel will dispose of the ordnance at a later date, officials said.

• Iraqi army soldiers and Iraqi policemen prevented potential improvised-explosive-device attacks in the East Mansour district of Baghdad when they stopped a vehicle that was being used to transport IEDs in the area at about 1 p.m. May 7. Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 54th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, along with Jamia Iraqi policemen, conducted a traffic stop after noticing a suspicious individual driving down a road. After stopping the vehicle, the soldiers and policemen discovered the deadly weapons in the vehicle. The forces fired at the man and wounded him. Inside the vehicle, the forces seized three tanks of oxygen that were set up as IEDs. An explosive ordnance detachment detonated the device. "The Iraqi security forces continue to demonstrate their professionalism every day as the combat the terrorist forces," Batschelet said. "Their attention to detail prevented what could have been a deadly attack on the innocent people of Iraq."

• Soldiers from 320th Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), unearthed a cache during air assault operations in the Said Abdullah corridor, about 30 kilometers southwest of Baghdad, May 6. Soldiers from 320th Field Artillery, found a buried cache that contained 18 86 mm projectiles, three 82 mm rounds, three 130 mm rounds prepared as improvised explosive devices, one 75 mm rocket, one 60 mm mortar base plate, one rocket-propelled-grenade round, and one packing tube with 2,500 7.62 mm rounds. The unit destroyed the cache.

(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq and Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)

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Combat Camera: Several Militants Killed in Helmand Province, Afghanistan

Dozens of 60mm mortar rounds were discovered in a Taliban insurgent’s compound in Helmand province Thursday. Coalition forces destroyed the ammunition to prevent its future use, May 9, 2008. (Photographer: Combined Joint Task Force 101.)

Dozens of 60mm mortar rounds were discovered in a Taliban insurgent’s compound in Helmand province Thursday. Coalition forces destroyed the ammunition to prevent its future use. (Photographer: Combined Joint Task Force 101.)

Four rocket propelled grenade warheads and boosters were discovered in a Taliban insurgent’s compound in Helmand province Thursday. Coalition forces destroyed the ammunition to prevent its future use. (Photographer: Combined Joint Task Force 101.)

16 cases of 60 mm mortar fuses were discovered in a Taliban insurgents compound in Helmand province Thursday. Coalition forces destroyed the ammunition to prevent its future use. (Photographer: Combined Joint Task Force 101.)

Dispatches from the Front:

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan, May 9, 2008 -- Several insurgents were killed Thursday during a coalition forces operation to disrupt Taliban support operations in Helmand province.

Coalition forces searched compounds in Garmsir District, targeting a Taliban insurgent associated with weapons facilitation operations including the procurement and smuggling of various types of small-arms, munitions, fuses and explosives.

During their search, coalition forces were fired upon by an unknown number of insurgents from the compounds. Coalition forces responded with small arms and airstrikes, killing several of their attackers.

Numerous PK machine-guns, AK-47’s, rocket propelled grenades, mortar rounds, fuses, small-arms ammunition and ammunition vests were discovered on the compound. Coalition forces destroyed these items to prevent future use.

(Story from a Combined Joint Task Force - 101 press release.)

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U.S. Military's Roles and Missions Reviewed

News in Balance:

U.S. Defense Department Begins Review

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2008 -- Work has begun on a review of the U.S. military's roles and missions, senior defense officials said here yesterday.

The congressionally mandated study looks to ensure the department is organized effectively and in ways to make it easier for the warfighter, a senior military official, speaking on background, said.

He and a senior defense official said the report will be finished in November and must be turned in to Congress before the fiscal 2010 budget is submitted in February.

The study is a joint effort by the defense secretary and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Congress specifically asked DoD to look at eliminating unnecessary duplication of capabilities and efforts across the services. However, the department and the Joint Staff will take the opportunity to examine six other specific issues: unmanned aerial systems, intratheater airlift, cyber operations, irregular warfare, internal department organization and responsibilities, and interagency roles and missions capabilities.

In the unmanned aircraft system area, the department may include some larger intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance issues. The U.S. government also sees the cyber world continuing to grow in importance, and the study will look at ways the department should posture itself for the future.

A senior Senate-confirmed civilian and a three- or four-star general or flag officer will lead each of the seven roles and missions teams, the senior defense official said.

Expertise from around the department will inform the groups. U.S. Strategic Command will be heavily involved, for example, in the cyber team, and U.S. Special Operations Command will be heavily involved in the team looking at irregular warfare.

The teams will look at what the core mission areas are, what key military activities are required to support the strategic objectives in the various strategies, and how the department should best organize itself to accomplish these activities and goals, the senior military official said.

Many of the civilians involved with this effort are political appointees and will depart in January when the next administration takes office, "so we want to make sure we're looking at what is achievable in the timeframe of the report," the senior defense official said. The exercise also will help the next administration as it works on the next Quadrennial Defense Review.

The department will look at these questions from every angle and determine what joint capabilities are needed, the responsibilities of the services, and how the services fit together. Officials want to determine "how to best organize and govern to get those capabilities out there and develop future capabilities," the senior military official said.

The team looking at the interagency roles and missions will draw on the realities of the war on terror and the need for help from civilian agencies. The review is not an interagency effort, nor will any conclusions be binding on any department outside defense. Still, the study can point the way ahead both for core mission areas -- where other government agencies support DoD -- and in noncore areas in which DoD acts in support of other lead agencies.

(Story by im Garamone, American Forces Press Service.)

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Combat Camera: Operation Hammer Bonzai III in Taji, Iraq

Pvt. Victor Alaniz, a native of Montclair, Calif., pulls security during Operation Hammer Bonzai III, an operation aimed at clearing the area of terrorist weapons and improvised explosive devices in the Taji Qada, northwest of Baghdad, May 1. Alaniz serves as an infantryman with Company A, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment "Wolfhounds," 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team "Warrior," 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad. (U.S. Army photo/Sgt. Brad Willeford)

Staff Sgt. Michael Clark, a Doylestown, Wis., native, takes a knee after digging up several boxes of buried munitions during Operation Hammer Bonzai III in the Taji Qada, northwest of Baghdad, May 1. The mission focused on ridding the area of weapons and improvised explosive devices. Clark serves as an infantry squad leader with Company A, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment "Wolfhounds," 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team "Warrior," 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad. (U.S. Army photo/Sgt. Brad Willeford)

Spc. Jose Nunez, a Chicago native, pulls security for his fellow soldiers during Operation Hammer Bonzai III in the Taji Qada, northwest of Baghdad, May 1. The operation focused on ridding the area of terrorist weapons and improvised explosive devices. Nunez serves as an infantryman with Company A, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment "Wolfhounds," 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team "Warrior," 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad. (U.S. Army photo/Sgt. Brad Willeford)

Soldiers from Company A, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment "Wolfhounds," 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team "Warrior," 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, stroll through a field of wheat on a search for weapons caches as part of Operation Hammer Bonzai III in the Taji Qada, northwest of Baghdad, May 1. (U.S. Army photo/Sgt. Brad Willeford)

Spc. Jose Nunez, a Chicago native, pulls security during Operation Hammer Bonzai III in the Taji Qada, northwest of Baghdad, May 1. The operations focused on ridding the area of weapons and improvised explosive devices. Nunez serves as an infantryman with Company A, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment "Wolfhounds," 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team "Warrior," 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, and works to help build a safer Iraq for the future. (U.S. Army photo/Sgt. Brad Willeford)

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Waiver Recipients Take ‘Second Chance’ in Army

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, May 8, 2008 -- Army recruits who joined the ranks on conduct waivers are slightly more prone to misconduct, but also are promoted faster, re-enlist in higher numbers and represent higher-quality recruits than recruits who enlisted without needing a conduct waiver, an internal Army study revealed.

The analysis, conducted late last year, compared the re-enlistment rates, performance and effects on recruiting standards of soldiers who didn’t need a conduct waiver to enlist to those whose prior malfeasance was waived.

“For the most part, the individuals that we’re bringing in [on waivers] are not the folks that are dabbling in crime,” said Army Maj. Jake LaPorte, who works in the strength forecasting division of the Army’s personnel, policy and guidance office. “I think they’re the ones who have had a mistake, and we’re giving them a second chance.”

The Army runs potential recruits convicted of a felony or of both serious and minor offenses through a 10-person review. Before a waiver is granted, a general officer must approve the enlistment.

The study sample was made up of first-time recruits from fiscal 2003 to 2006, allowing time for re-enlistment figures to emerge. Findings that reflect positively on waiver recipients include:

• The conduct-waiver population from fiscal 2003 re-enlisted at a higher rate -- 28.4 percent percent -- compared to a rate of 26.7 percent for soldiers who didn’t need conduct waivers;

• The infantry conduct-waiver population was promoted to sergeant faster, at 34.7 months of service vs. 39;

• The conduct-waiver population had a higher ratio of valorous awards, 13.87 percent vs. 12.73 percent; and

• The conduct-waiver population represented higher-quality recruits, producing a higher percentage of high school graduates -- 86.58 percent vs. 84.2 percent -- and higher Armed Forces Qualification Test scores, 61.2 vs. 60.1.

However, the conduct-waiver population had higher losses in six of nine “adverse loss” categories:

• Misconduct: 5.95 percent vs. 3.55 percent;

• Pattern of misconduct: 1.78 percent vs. 1.35 percent;

• Alcohol rehabilitation failure: 0.27 percent vs. 0.12 percent;

• Desertion: 4.26 percent vs. 3.59 percent;

• Military prisoner, bad conduct discharge or dishonorable discharge: 0.5 percent vs. 0.4 percent;

• Discharge in lieu of courts-martial: 2.58 percent vs. 2.04 percent.

In 2007, the Army granted 511 felony waivers, an increase from the 249 it granted the previous year. Despite this spike, a senior officer said, the Army’s standards have not wavered.

“I would say they’re probably more stringent,” Lt. Col. Val Siegfried, the Army branch chief for enlisted accessions, said of today’s requirements for enlistment compared to those in recent decades.

He said that society judges petty theft and in-school fighting more harshly now than in the past. “If you get in a fight in school as a 14-year-old and kick somebody, it’s aggravated assault with a deadly weapon,” he said, adding that the Army takes a “whole person” look at each recruit, examining the context in which they committed their crime.

“Should that [person] not be brought into the Army and serve his country simply because he got in a fight in school?” he said. “Those are a lot of the kind of people that have been given a waiver for a felony offense in the juvenile life.”

(Story by John J. Kruzel, American Forces Press Service.)

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Gates: Marines in Afghanistan to Redeploy as Scheduled

Focus on Defense:

WASHINGTON, May 8, 2008 -- The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit will redeploy from Afghanistan in November as scheduled, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said today.

The unit deployed from Camp Lejeune, N.C., in March. It is operating in Regional Command South under NATO’s International Security Assistance Force.

“Just to reemphasize what the secretary said, … this deployment of Marines is seven months, and they’re going to come out toward the end of the year,” Mullen said.

As the drawdown of surge forces in Iraq continues, Gates said, the time may come to consider shifting more troops into Afghanistan. Despite his repeated calls on NATO to send more combat troops, the alliance has not come through with forces in the numbers needed and without restrictions on how they can be used.

“We are still going to be looking at what the options are in terms of augmenting our presence during 2009,” Gates said. “(But) at this point, as far as I know, there’s no specific planning going on along those lines.”

Mullen conceded that the Marines “have been on a very challenging rotation,” particularly with forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Concentrating their forces in Afghanistan is viewed by some Marine Corps leaders as a way to more effectively manage force rotations.

Also during today’s briefing, Gates said he supports an enhanced educational benefit, including a provision that would allow servicemembers to transfer unused benefits to family members.

However, he said, he takes issue with legislation that would enable troops to tap into their benefits after just three years of service. The Defense Department wants the service requirement to be six years.

“Our desire is to keep soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines in the military as long as possible,” Gates said. “And so our hope would be and our preference would be that the period of service be long enough to, in essence, require at least one re-enlistment.”

Gates emphasized that, with those provisions, he fully supports an educational benefit enhancements. “The notion that we’re against a better education benefit is just totally nonsense,” he said. “The veterans deserve it. It’s probably needed. But we’re trying to balance the benefit to veterans also with maintaining an all-volunteer force and having as experienced a force as we can.”

The secretary opened the briefing noting the 10th anniversary of the U.S. Senate’s declaration of Military Appreciation Month to honor servicemembers and their families. “And even as we mark Military Appreciation Month with two wars ongoing, it is important to remember the sacrifices and service of our troops and their families every day throughout the year.”

Gates noted “amazing acts of citizen support,” especially through the Defense Department’s America Supports You program. More than 370 citizen groups have joined that program and are augmenting the Defense Department’s work to provide assistance and support to the military community, he said.

Gates said he is “deeply grateful to the American people who continue to show their support for our men and women in uniform.”

(Story by Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service.)

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Forces in Iraq Kill Nine Enemy Fighters, Detain 13 Suspects

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, May 8, 2008 – Coalition forces in Iraq today killed nine enemy fighters and detained 13 suspects during a series of operations across the country that targeted al-Qaida and its foreign-terrorist network, military officials said.

• In Baghdad, coalition detained a wanted man who allegedly is part of al-Qaida operations north of the city. Another suspect also was detained.

• Sixty miles west of Baghdad, coalition forces captured a wanted man linked to the movement of terrorists into Iraq.

• Coalition forces detained 10 more suspected terrorists during operations in northwestern Iraq.

• Coalition forces used Hellfire missiles to kill nine insurgents in New Baghdad.

• Another insurgent was killed in Kadhamiyah when the roadside bomb he was emplacing detonated.

In yesterday’s operations:

• In Adhamiyah, local “Sons of Iraq” citizen security group members found explosives that had been picked up accidentally by a sanitation truck. The Iraqis found two 81 mm projectiles, a 120 mm mortar, a projectile booster and detonation cord.

• In eastern Rashid, Iraqi police and U.S. soldiers seized munitions found in an abandoned mosque. Seized items included homemade explosives, a rocket-propelled grenade with launcher, a smoke grenade, and an Iraqi army uniform.

• In western Rashid, U.S. soldiers found three 107 mm rockets, five rocket-propelled grenades, a 60 mm mortar and 200 rounds of machine-gun ammunition. Later in the same area, U.S. soldiers found eight 155 mm projectiles and five 60 mm mortar rounds.

• Coalition forces detained more than 20 suspected insurgents during an operation in the Khatoon district of Baqouba.

• U.S. soldiers operating in New Baghdad detained a suspected criminal linked to a recently thwarted attack using a bomb designed to pierce armor.

• During a raid in Baghdad’s Rashid district, U.S. soldiers seized an AK-47 rifle, knives and a satchel containing 15,000 U.S. dollars and more than 2 million Iraqi dinars.

• U.S. soldiers detained a suspected al-Qaida terrorist in the western Baghdad neighborhood of Jamiyah.

• Northwest of Baghdad, U.S. soldiers detained a criminal leader during an operation in the Taji Qada district.

• In Adhamiyah, a coalition-launched Hellfire missile killed two terrorists who had attacked a detachment of Iraqi police.

• West of Baghdad, U.S. soldiers discovered three mortar rounds, four grenades, a land mine and numerous blasting caps.

• In Kadhamiyah, Iraqi soldiers found 53 blocks of plastic explosives, two 107 mm rockets, an 82 mm mortar round, several rocket rails, six grenades and some maps of Baghdad. Material suitable for making roadside bombs was also found, including seven 10-inch copper plates, three four-inch copper plates, two lengths of detonation cord, 12 spools of wire, 10 grenade fuses, four blasting caps, two supplement charges and a detonator.

• In Sadr City, U.S. soldiers in an M1A2 Abrams tank fired two high-explosive rounds and killed two insurgents, while in another action, a group of U.S. soldiers killed one insurgent.

• In New Baghdad, a coalition aerial weapons team fired a Hellfire missile and killed two men who were planting a roadside bomb.

• Sons of Iraq killed four insurgents and found a large weapons cache in Salahuddin province. The cache yielded several suicide vests, 800 pounds of explosives and other material suitable for making roadside bombs.

• In Baghdad’s Adhamiyah sector, Iraqi security forces detained three insurgents. The detainees are linked to murders and displacement of Iraqi citizens.

• U.S. special operations troops killed two enemy fighters on a rooftop during security operations in the Sadr City area of Baghdad.

In May 6 operations:

• Sons of Iraq killed three enemy fighters in northwestern Baghdad and a coalition-fired missile killed an insurgent following a rocket attack in Sadr City that injured seven Iraqi civilians.

• In Baghdad’s Rashid district, U.S. soldiers found three mortar rounds, four rocket-propelled grenades and two boxes of ammunition.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

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U.S. Navy Releases Sen. John McCain's Military Record

An undated official U.S. Navy portrait of John S. McCain III. (Courtesy Naval Historical Center)

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, May 8, 2008 -- The U.S. Navy recently released Sen. John McCain's military record after a Freedom of Information Act request by The Associated Press.

Yesterday's AP story by Jim Kuhnhenn contained a link to the official Navy file. However, AP editors failed to double-check the erroneous URL, which the reporter mistyped.

I have included a link to the correct Web address below.

McCain was awarded a Silver Star Medal for resisting "extreme mental and physical cruelties" inflicted upon him by his captors from late October to early December 1967, the early months of his captivity, according to the citation. The North Vietnamese, according to the Navy, ignored international agreements and tortured McCain "in an attempt to obtain military information and false confessions for propaganda purposes."

McCain, now the Republican Party's presumptive presidential nominee, was taken prisoner in October 1967 after he was shot down while on a mission over Hanoi. He wasn't freed until March 1973, after the United States signed peace agreements with the North Vietnamese. His captors tortured him and held him in solitary confinement. Still, he declined an offer of early release until those who had been at the prison longer than him were let go.

The decision earned McCain a Navy Commendation Medal. Although McCain was "crippled from serious and ill-treated injuries," he steadfastly refused offers of freedom from those holding him prisoner. "His selfless action served as an example to others and his forthright refusal, by giving emphasis to the insidious nature of such releases, may have prevented a possibly chaotic deterioration in prisoner discipline," the citation says.

McCain attended the U.S. Naval Academy from 1954 to 1958, and was commissioned as an ensign in June of that year. He retired in April 1981 with the rank of captain. In that time he received 17 awards and decorations. Besides the Silver Star Medal, McCain also received the Legion of Merit with a combat "V" and one gold star, a Distinguished Flying Cross and a Bronze Star Medal with a combat "V" and two gold stars.

He earned his Bronze Star the day before he was shot down, for participating in a mission over an airfield in Phuc Yen, 11 miles north of Hanoi.

(Story from an AP article.)

Related: Official Military Personnel File Information Regarding Captain John S. McCain, III (http://www.npc.navy.mil/NR/rdonlyres/330F85C7-5982-4B09-A46A-373964430AFB/0/Document.pdf)

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Photo Essay: Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall Ceremony

Visitors pay tribute to the wall’s 58,260 etched names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which bear testament to the ultimate sacrifice made by U.S. troops. (Defense Dept. photo by Sebastian J. Sciotti, Jr.)

James Nicholson, former secretary of Veteran Affairs, speaks to the press about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial before the ceremony, May 7, 2008, Washington, D.C. Jan C. Scruggs, left, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, looks on. (Defense Dept. photo by Sebastian J. Sciotti, Jr.)

Priscilla Mason, the widow of U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Raymond C. Mason, who died a year ago from complications resulting from a wound he sustained in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive in 1968, talks to the press before the ceremony, May 7, 2008, Washington, D.C. Jan C. Scruggs, right, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, listens as Mason speaks. (Defense Dept. photo by Sebastian J. Sciotti, Jr.)

James Lee, who has engraved many names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, explains some of the technical aspects of the process to Priscilla Mason, whose deceased husband's name is being added to the wall, and to Jan C, Scruggs, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, May 7, 2008, Washington, D.C. Mason is the widow of U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Raymond C. Mason, who died May 28, 2006, of complications from wounds he received Feb. 28, 1968, during the Tet Offensive. (Defense Dept. photo by Sebastian J. Sciotti, Jr.)

James Lee, who has engraved many names onto the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, uses a sandblaster to stencil U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Raymond C. Mason's name onto the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, May 7, 2008, Washington, D.C. Mason died May 28, 2006, of complications from wounds he received Feb. 28, 1968, during the Tet Offensive. (Defense Dept. photo by Sebastian J. Sciotti, Jr.)

James Lee holds a piece of white paper so Priscilla Mason can get a rubbing of her late husband's name off the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., after Lee added his name on May 7, 2008. U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Raymond C. Mason died May 28, 2006, of complications from wounds he received Feb. 28, 1968, during the Tet Offensive. (Defense Dept. photo by Sebastian J. Sciotti, Jr.)

Related Article:
New Names Etched Into Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall

Related Resources:
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park Site
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall USA Web Site

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Heroic Last Stand; Marines Thwart Enemy Attack

CAMP RAMADI, Iraq - A Marine with 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, honors Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter, a fallen warrior, after a memorial service April 27. Haerter was killed in action April 22 while defending his post from a vehicle suicide bomber. "He was a United States Marine," said Capt. Jonathan Hamilton, Weapons Company commander. "He was a patriot; he served his country, just as you are doing now. He was a warrior and fulfilled his duty. He was loved by family and friends. We knew every bit of this before the 22nd of April. But we didn't have time to think about it. Now is our time to think about it. Think about our commitment. Think about the fact that Jordan lost his life for his fellow Marines. He lost his life fulfilling his duties and in the face of a committed enemy. We're all blessed for having the opportunity to meet a man like Jordan. We cannot and we will not fail him, because Jordan will and always be a member of this family." (Photo/ LCpl. Casey Jones)

CAMP RAMADI, Iraq - The Marines with 3rd Platoon, Police Transition Team 3, Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, come together April 29 to prove their resolve and to show support for one another. Cpl. Jonathan T. Yale, a rifleman with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment and Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter were killed in action April 22 by a suicide bomber inside a dump truck with approximately 1,000 pounds of high explosives. "I was on post the morning off the attack," said Lance Cpl. Benjamin Tupaj, a rifleman with 3rd Platoon, Police Transition Team 3, Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, with a hurtful tone in his voice. "I heard the (M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon) go off at a cyclic rate and then the detonation along with a flash. It blew me at least 3 meters from where I was standing. Then I heard a Marine start yelling 'we got hit, we got hit.' It was hectic." (Photo/ LCpl. Casey Jones)

RAMADI, IRAQ - Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter was killed in action April 22 by a suicide bomber inside a dump truck with approximately 1,000 pounds of high explosives. Haerter battled a hostile challenger, in turn saving the lives of countless Marines, sailors, Iraqi policemen, and civilians. He displayed heroic, self-sacrificing actions and truly lived up to the phrase honor, courage, and commitment while putting his own life in harm's way. (Photographer: Regimental Combat Team 1.)

Dispatches from the Front:

RAMADI, Iraq, May 8, 2008 -- It was a typical quiet morning on April 22, with the temperature intensifying as a bright orange sun emerged high from the horizon.

However, this morning would be different. Quickly it would turn chaotic, then tragic. Two Marines would gallantly sacrifice their lives so others could live.

Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter, a rifleman with 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, and Cpl. Jonathan T. Yale, a rifleman with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, RCT-1, were standing post, just as they’ve done numerous times before. It was during a standard length watch at a small checkpoint protected by concrete barriers where they overlooked a small gravel road lined with palm trees leading to their entry control point.

A truck packed with thousands of pounds of explosives entered the area where Haerter and Yale were standing guard. Realizing the vehicles intentions Haerter and Yale, without hesitation, stood their ground, drew their weapons and fired at the vehicle. The truck rolled to a stop and exploded, killing the two Marines.

“I was on post the morning of the attack,” said Lance Cpl. Benjamin Tupaj, a rifleman with 3rd Platoon, Police Transition Team 3, Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines. “I heard the (M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon) go off at a cyclic rate and then the detonation along with a flash. Then I heard a Marine start yelling, ‘we got hit, we got hit.’ It was hectic.”

In the face of a committed enemy, Haerter and Yale stood their ground, in turn saving the lives of numerous Marines, Sailors, Iraqi policemen, and civilians. Both Marines displayed heroic, self-sacrificing actions and truly lived up to the Corps' values of honor, courage, and commitment.

“They saved all of our lives; if it wasn’t for them that gate probably wouldn’t have held,” Tupaj said. “The explosion blew out all of the windows over 150 meters from where the blast hit. If that truck had made it into the compound, there would’ve been a lot more casualties. They saved everyone’s life here.”

“They are heroes because thousands of pounds (of explosives) would’ve made its way through the gate and many more of us wouldn’t be here,” said Lance Cpl. Lawrence Tillery, a rifleman with 3rd Platoon. “I have a son back home, and I know if that truck would’ve made it to where it was going – I wouldn’t be here today. Because of Lance Cpl. Haerter and Cpl. Yale, I will be able to see my son again. They gave me that opportunity.”

A week after the attack, the Marines with 3rd platoon, remember their fallen brethren as good friends and Marines

“Cpl. Yale was a great guy, really friendly and kind of shy,” said Hospitalman Eric Schwartz, a corpsman with the platoon.

“Haerter was an amazing guy. I knew everything about him; he was my best friend,” said Lance Cpl. Cody Israel, a rifleman with 3rd platoon and Haerter’s roommate for more than a year and half.

Haerter and Yale were both posthumously awarded the Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon and have been nominated for an award for their valor.

(Story by Lance Cpl. Casey Jones, Regimental Combat Team 1.)

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