July 4, 1776: Birth of a Nation

Commentary:

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla., June 28, 2008 -- As we celebrate our nation's 232nd birthday, it's humbling to look back and imagine the difficulties faced by those leaders who were "eyes on" the formation of a new republic.

In 1776, the idea of a new world colony gaining independence from the world's most powerful country appeared a bit far-fetched, and in some circles of European society, an amusing and deadly venture. Yet despite the daunting challenges, there was enough creative energy among our very different colonial state leaders to organize a new government and fight for survival.

The key to success was leadership; both in the planning stages of a new government and directly on the battlefield. Our founding fathers understood the power of leading from the front.

In the planning stage for a new republic, the Continental Congress was wise enough to select five successful leaders to write and publish the Declaration of Independence. This ultimate working group included Thomas Jefferson, age 33; John Adams, age 41; and Benjamin Franklin, the senior mentor at age 70.

Their finished product brazenly told the world the United States of America was open for business. The signers of the Declaration of Independence publicly put their relatively cozy lives and fortunes on the line for a new form of government.

More importantly, the Declaration of Independence helped Gen. George Washington rally his troops by putting on paper the ideals and freedoms they were fighting to establish, preserve and protect. General Washington faced incredible manpower and resource shortfalls on the battlefield in 1776. He persevered by keeping our fighting forces intact, picking his battles wisely, and understanding that as long as we had a military we had a nation.

General Washington's art of the long view is something we all need to remember the next time we complain about resource shortfalls or the direction of our own organizations.

So a hearty "Happy birthday" to the United States of America! As a nation we have both sputtered and soared through the centuries and decades. We were, and still are, imperfect at times. Yet during other periods we seem blessed with providence. And while fate certainly is a factor in any nation's success, I believe leadership and just plain hard work generated our own good fortune.

In the end, we have survived every challenge and we remain this world's best example of what Abraham Lincoln called a nation of the people, by the people and for the people.

(Commentary by Col. Steve DePalmer, 53rd Wing.)

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Mine Action Center Works Toward Safer Afghanistan

Australian army Maj. David Bergman, Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan's, Mine Action Center officer in charge, and Army Maj. Paul V.Grahm, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, meet with Kefayatullah Eblagh, the president of Hemaya Brothers International Demining Company, during a visit to a mine fields, June 21. (Photographer: Pvt. Tamara Gabbard, Combined Joint Task Force 101.)

Australian army Maj. David Bergman, Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan's, Mine Action Center officer in charge, introduces himself to an Afghan, who frequently digs for scrap metal in the areas around BAF. The Afghan man has a prosthetic leg as a result of being hit by a mine explosion. (Photographer: Pvt. Tamara Gabbard, Combined Joint Task Force 101.)

Australian army Maj. David Bergman, Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan's, Mine Action Center officer in charge, is given the demining report by a contractor during his visit to a mine field, June 21. The visit was to determine where they are in the demining process that is taking place outside of BAF. (Photographer: Pvt. Tamara Gabbard, Combined Joint Task Force 101.)

Stones marked with red and whit paint line a trail going throught the mine beds that lay on the outter parts of Bagram Air Field. This area is being prepped for detination.These mine beds in this area are beeing cleared by the Hemayat Brothers International Demining Company, which has employed many local nationals from this area. (Photographer: Pvt. Tamara Gabbard, Combined Joint Task Force 101.)

Dispatches from the Front:

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan, June 28, 2008 -- Afghanistan was heavily mined by Soviet forces during their ten year occupation, ending in February 1989. Then, as the Taliban and Northern Alliance fought, they continued to lay out mines to protect their supply routes, airfields, military posts and front lines.

The Mine Action Center, led by Australian army Maj. David Bergman, works to remove these mines, which after 10 years, are still an obstacle to the relief, rehabilitation and developmental projects geared toward the re-growth of Afghanistan.

The MAC met with Kefayatullah Eblagh, the president of Hemayat Brothers International Demining Company, June 21, to discuss future plans for an area they are demining outside Bagram Air Field.

“I am from a village in this area and to be able to help my fellow Afghans makes me have a sense of pride,” said Eblagh. “Not only are we helping by demining the area, we are also giving the locals in the area an opportunity to work so that they can make money to feed their families.”

Though coalition forces try to be very proactive in mine detection and removal, reactive forces are also in place when necessary. The MAC works with Craig Joint Theater Hospital to ensure villagers and civilians are cared for in the event they fall victim to mines.

“Just the presence that the Mine Action Center brings makes a difference,” said Air force Maj. Phyllis F. Jones, Intensive Care Ward Flight commander. “Just the removal of one mine is a big step in the fight for freedom in Afghanistan.”

Still, Afghan and coalition officials are not the sole pool of mine-related knowledge. The BAF area is home to many victims with their own stories to tell.

“I was herding our cows in a field and they started straying,” said Romina, a 12-year-old Afghan mine victim, who lost his leg to a mine and was treated at Craig JTH. “All I remember is swatting them with a limb and the next thing I know I am on the ground and my sister is laying a little ways away from me bleeding. I didn’t even realize my leg was gone until I looked over and saw it.”

Fortunately for Romina, help was not far away when his tragedy struck.

A medical task force was on a nearby mission when this explosion occurred and was able to react expediently. Though Romina was treated on scene and soon taken to BAF for hospital care, it took an additional four days to locate his family through local nationals that lived in the area around where it happened. The fact is, for many Afghans, mine accidents are a common occurrence.

Afghan people are accustomed to mine strikes and are already striving to survive in a mine-ridden land, said Bergman. Still, he continued, “they need all the help that they can get.”

In cases like Romina’s, where the air field’s hospital is involved, the MAC has to do an investigation. With the removal of the shrapnel they do reports on it and try to scope out the area where the explosion happened to try and figure out what steps they can take next.

“An estimated one to two people a week get hurt and brought in by these mine explosions,” said Bergman. “If it is a local national we take on the complete investigation. But, if it is a contractor it is our duty to get all the information about the incident and the shrapnel and hand it into their company’s investigation department.”

Afghans have many ways to mark and warn people of mine locations. Some times they use red and white rocks, and other times they use bilingual signs – which are located in a lot of areas around BAF.

“We try as hard as we can to let the people know where the mines are and to stay away,” said Bergman.

A lot of the people dig in these areas for scrap metal, since it pays well on the market, creating other serious problems with keeping the number of victims closer to none.

“We do the best we can. (But, really,) what can you do?” stated Bergman. “This is these peoples way of living, and sometimes there is just no stopping them (from digging for scrap metal). People need money to live and to them, metal is money.”

With every mine that is lifted, it is another step in making Afghanistan a safer place for the people who live here. The MAC ensures their mission is done with safety and precision, from contracting to caring. They work by the motto, “Demining is a dangerous job. Where once you cautiously followed and stepped in my footsteps, you can now have the confidence to lead and make your own.”

(Story by Pvt. Tamara Gabbard, 382nd Pubic Affairs Detachment.)

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Living History: Korean War Memorial

Living History:

WASHINGTON, June 27, 2008 -- On June 25, 1950, the 38th parallel marked the beginning of a war that was to be like no other. In 1995, the Korean War Veterans Memorial was dedicated to recognize the contributions of these "forgotten heroes." At the memorial, there are 19 statues representing all the services who fought the war on foot: 15 Soldiers, three Marines, one Navy medic and one air forward observer. And the memorial is a tribute to the totality of the armed forces effort.

The Korean War Veterans memorial is directly across the reflecting pool from the Vietnam Veterans memorial. President Clinton said "In steel and granite, water and earth, the creators of this memorial have brought to life the courage and sacrifice of those who served in all branches of the armed forces from every racial and ethnic background in America. They represent, once more, the enduring American truth: From many we are one."

On the smooth granite wall, more than 2,500 photographic images of crew chiefs, mechanics, cooks, helmsmen, nurses, pilots, among many others -- all in an operational mode -- symbolize the vast effort that sustained the foot soldiers. The planners of this project want visitors to look at the mural, and see someone they think they know. They want the memorial to be a living tribute, not a grave stone.

Many have called the Korean War the forgotten war. We have learned time and time again, freedom is not free. And these same words are inscribed on the wall of the memorial.

In the aftermath of World War II., the country of Korea was divided between the U. S. and the former Soviet Union. The line of demarcation was the 38th latitude of parallel, commonly known as the 38th parallel. And immediately, much like the Berlin Wall, road blocks, barbed wire entanglements and other controls restricted traffic between the two regions.

The first American blood of the war was spilled by Task Force Smith, where the first American engagement of the war ended in a retreat. There were circumstantial reasons for the defeat -- foul weather prevented close air support which could have been used with extreme effectiveness; there was a lack of anti-tank weaponry and ammunition which could have prevented the North Korean tanks from over-running our defenses; and our men for various reasons beyond their control weren't trained as well as they should have been. American military leadership remember the lessons learned by keeping forces equipped, prepared and ready.

By the end of July,1950, only two months after the initial invasion, the Far East Air Forces' destruction of the enemy's aircraft, mainly on the ground, had reduced the North Korean Air Force to no more than a token force.

The U.N. Command air effort was directed against the advancing Northern army and in close support of the U.N. Army. Close air support had to make up for a lack of Army support fire, and this use of airpower prevented the North Korean Peoples' Army from accomplishing its mission. By sheer volume of firepower delivered against the whole of the enemy's forces, airpower weakened the enemy advance until U.N. ground forces could be consolidated on the Pusan perimeter.

Maj. Gen. William F. Dean, commanding general of the 24th Division, said, "Without question the Air Force definitely blunted the initial North Korea threat to the southward. Without this continuing air effort it is doubtful if the courageous combat soldiers, spread thinly along the line, could have withstood the onslaught of the vastly numerically superior enemy."

Air Force pilots faced the Soviet MiG, a superior jet fighter -- faster and more maneuverable than our jet fighters in the early stages of the conflict. Nevertheless, Air Force pilots decimated their force, knocking out more than 800 MiGs. An astonishing ratio of 13 to 1, since U.N. air forces lost only about 60 jet fighter aircraft.

Our forces and the allies endured terrible hardships -- numbing cold, an enemy of overwhelming numbers, the threat of imprisonment and torture. This war was fought on foot in desperate battles on hills with names such as Old Baldy, T-Bone, Heartbreak Ridge and Pork Chop. Airpower throughout the conflict brought to the enemy military forces and civilian population the full impact of the war, with all its attendant destruction.

The Korean War brought many lessons to the American public, to the military services as a whole and to the Air Force. We learned terms like limited action, 38th parallel and United Nations Command. Theater war replaced world war and limited objectives replaced the total defeat of the enemy, a trend still affecting the nature of conflict today.

Air rescue and front-line evacuation came into its own during the Korean War, transforming loosely-knit efforts into a highly efficient worldwide organization earning the respect of all the military services.

America had clear-cut victory in the war on fascism in World War II. But, when President Dwight Eisenhower called an end to the conflict in Korea, and the U.N. signed an armistice, peace didn't reign in the world, but only on a single battlefield. After such a long struggle, Americans failed to note the importance of Korea.

South Korean President Kim said that "the blood and sweat shed by the U.S. and the U.N. troops proved to be the mover behind the realization of freedom throughout the postwar world. The free world's participation in the Korean War, its first resolute and effective action to stem the expansion of communism, changed the course of history. In this sense, I would say that the Korean War was the war that heralded the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communism."

(From an article that appeared on AF.mil.)

Related: Korean War Veterans Memorical National Park Site

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Afghanistan Security Progress Detailed in Defense Department Reports

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, June 27, 2008 -- A pair of Defense Department reports published today on Afghanistan describe progress with regard to the country’s security and national forces.

The studies, which analyze results of Operation Enduring Freedom through March, were mandated by Congress and represent the first installment of what are slated to be semi-annual progress updates.

The Report on Progress Toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan depicts a “fragile” security environment in much of the country. It concludes, however, that coalition forces’ counterinsurgency approach has demonstrated how a hybrid of military and nonmilitary resources can create stability and connect Afghan citizens to their government.

Underscoring the fragility of situation in Afghanistan and its tendency for rapid change is the fact that some of the report’s assertions about security success -- based on information available several months ago and earlier -- no longer are as solid as once believed.

For instance, the report highlights Khowst province in eastern Afghanistan as an example of a once-troubled region transformed by counterinsurgency operations.

“Khowst was once considered ungovernable and one of the most dangerous provinces in Afghanistan,” the report states. “Today, tangible improvements in security, governance, reconstruction, and development are being made.”

But Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates yesterday expressed concern that attacks in NATO's Regional Command East section of Afghanistan, which includes Khowst province, rose 40 percent from January to May.

Gates, in a news conference yesterday, attributed the rise in violence to militants using Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province as a staging ground for launching attacks in Afghanistan. But the report does not identify threats emanating from the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region -- which Gates called a recent phenomenon -- as a primary security challenge.

Challenges outlined in the report include the narcotics trade and the Taliban. These militants regrouped after their fall from power and have coalesced into a resilient insurgency, according to the report, which notes a rise in insurgent violence in 2007. More that 6,500 people died as a result of suicide attacks, roadside bombs and combat-related violence, it said.

Despite coalition success in combating them, Taliban operatives are likely to maintain or even increase the scope and pace of terrorist attacks and bombings in 2008, the report concludes.

“The Taliban will challenge the control of the Afghan government in rural areas, especially in the south and east,” it states. “The Taliban will also probably attempt to increase its presence in the west and north.”

The security report credits a plus-up of U.S. forces over the spring with reinforcing Afghan and international forces’ momentum, and for enabling the Afghan national security forces to grow quickly – from 70,000 to 80,000 army personnel by 2010.

Meanwhile, the report states, the deployment of a U.S. Marine Corps Marine Air Ground Task Force is bolstering the ability of NATO’s International Security Assistance Forces to maneuver troops in Regional Command South.

The other security and stability highlights outlined in the report are:

• The Afghan National Army had taken the lead in more than 30 significant operations at the time of the report, and the force has demonstrated increasing competence, effectiveness and professionalism.

• Since 2001, Afghanistan has made significant progress rebuilding its national political institutions. Afghans wrote and passed a new constitution in 2004, 8.1 million people voted in the nation’s first presidential election, and 6.4 million voters helped reestablish the National Assembly after 32 years without a legislature.

• The gross domestic product, per capita income and foreign direct investment all are up since 2001. Afghanistan’s domestic revenues have grown considerably, and international reserves have nearly doubled since 2004.

Key points from the report titled, “United States Plan for Sustaining the Afghanistan National Security Forces” include:

• The capabilities of the Afghan National Army are improving steadily, with a long-term army posture that also may include a more robust army air corps capability and a larger force.

• The Afghan National Police force is making steady progress, but its capabilities still lag behind those of the national army. The current police force has not been sufficiently reformed or developed to a level at which it can adequately perform its security and policing mission; however, coalition governments are working to improve the police capabilities, with a target force size of 82,000 personnel.

• An independent, capable army and police are critical to counterinsurgency effort, thus it is crucial that coalition partners dedicate the necessary resources and personnel to ensure that the mission to develop the Afghan national security forces is a success.

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

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Forces in Iraq Kill 1, Detain 11, Find Weapons

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, June 27, 2008 -- Coalition forces killed one militant, detained 11 suspected terrorists and found numerous weapons caches during recent operations in Iraq, military officials said.

Coalition forces captured five suspected terrorists in separate operations today in Taji, Biaj and Anbar province.

Intelligence gathered from a June 14 operation resulted in U.S. troops detaining three suspected al-Qaida operatives in Taji. Another suspected terrorist was captured in Biaj, about 80 miles southwest of Mosul, for allegedly harboring terrorists, officials said.

In Anbar, coalition forces arrested one man for his alleged association with an al-Qaida cell. The cell is believed to be responsible for a bombing yesterday that killed three U.S. Marines and 20 Iraqi sheiks, officials said.

In operations yesterday:

• Coalition forces killed one terrorist, detained three others and found weapons during operations about 60 miles south of Mosul in Sharqat. The individuals are believed to be connected to a terrorist bomb cell leader in the area. Some of the weapons discovered were high-powered rifles, a machine gun, hand grenades, pistols and explosive-triggering devices, officials said.

• U.S. soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division captured three suspected terrorists, including an Iranian-backed “special groups” cell leader, in Baghdad’s Rashid district. The suspects allegedly are responsible for numerous attacks against U.S. and Iraqi forces in the area, officials said.

• Soldiers from the 1st Iraqi Army Division uncovered several weapons caches during operations in Baghdad’s Sadr City district. They found 19 artillery rounds, four rocket-propelled grenades, four AK-47 assault rifles, two roadside bombs designed to pierce armor-hulled vehicles, two sniper rifles and various bomb-making materials, officials said.

• U.S. and Iraqi forces confiscated multiple weapons caches during operations northwest of Baghdad and in the New Baghdad district. They found more than 25 various rifles and machine guns, three mortar rounds, three anti-tank mines, a rocket-propelled grenade, a surface-to-air missile and bomb-making materials, officials said.

• Iraqi soldiers operating in Diyala province found more than 1,000 pounds of explosives, 10 anti-tank mines, four rockets, three homemade bombs and various bomb-making materials, officials said.

• Tips from local civilians led U.S. troops from the 10th Cavalry Regiment and the 101st Airborne Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team to discover a weapons cache in western Baghdad’s Ameriyah neighborhood. The cache contained 122 mortar rounds, 17 rocket-propelled grenades, eight rockets, three sniper rifles, a machine gun, TNT explosives, mortar tubes and various bomb-making materials, officials said.

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

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National Guard on Duty From Coast to Coast

Staff Sgts. Troy Martin (right) and Cody Sorenson unload bails of hay used for erosion control near the Mississippi River June 18 in Burlington, Iowa. Sergeants Martin and Sorenson are both assigned to the Iowa Air National Guard's 185th Services Squadron in Sioux City, Iowa. While the numbers of troops needed has receded with the water, thousands still remain to help wherever needed. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jack Braden.)

On the Home Front:

ARLINGTON, Va., Jun2 27, 2008 -- About 2,300 Air and Army National Guard members remain on duty in the Midwest, down from a peak of more than 5,700, officials reported. Meanwhile, officials in California called for more aircraft to fight the wildfires.

While the number of guardmembers needed on the ground went down, the number of aircraft needed went up. UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters and C-130 Hercules aircraft dropped water and flame retardant while OH-58 Kiowa helicopters and RC-26 Metroliner aircraft flew fire-spotting and reconnaissance missions.

In Missouri, the National Guard was preparing for potential flooding downriver, said Capt. Tamara Spicer, a public affairs officer. The Missouri Guard posted liaison officers to four lower Mississippi River counties in anticipation of flooding, she said.

One levee, near Winfield, Mo., was in such a tenuous position that only vest-clad National Guard members and firefighters were allowed to stack sandbags, reports stated.

"The Missouri National Guard continues to work closely with state and local leaders to ensure we have our citizen Soldiers and Airmen where they are needed to help Missourians," said Maj. Gen. King Sidwell, who is Missouri's adjutant general. "We will continue to support our communities until local officials release the Soldiers and Airmen."

"The National Guard's Joint Operations Center has beefed up its staff to coordinate Guard response as floodwaters covered most of the southern half of the state," said Lt. Col. Tim Donovan, the Wisconsin National Guard's director of public affairs. "Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers and Airmen have conducted evacuations, delivered sandbags, operated traffic control points, performed security missions, completed engineer assessments and flown aerial assessment flights to assist in the state's multi-agency efforts."

Sgt. Jacek Gusciora, who is part of the Illinois National Guard's 341st Military Intelligence Company based in Chicago, has been working sandbag operations along the Sny levee.

"This is the reason we signed up for the National Guard; this is our duty," Sergeant Gusciora said. "We're honored to do it. We've received the training, and now we're doing our mission."

The Midwest flooding mission has seen Guard assistance to civilian authorities in five states since June 7. Troops have concluded flooding operations in Indiana but remain at work in four other states.

While the numbers of troops receded with the water, they are still in the thousands:

• Illinois: More than 1,100 guardmembers monitored levees as farmland remained at threat from the burgeoning Mississippi. Troops also conducted security patrols in affected communities.

• Missouri: With three dozen levees remaining at threat, more than 800 guardmembers were on duty providing communications and command and control, monitoring levees, positioning sandbags, assessing damage, removing debris, providing security and distributing fuel.

• Iowa: 200 troops continued mop-up operations.

• Wisconsin: 200 troops remained in the field pumping water, supplying power and giving communications and command support in addition to security, debris-removal, road-repair and transportation missions.

Guardmembers are on duty in the U.S. 365-days a year. On June 25 a National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter plucked an injured teen-ager from the side of a Colorado mountain after a car crash. The same day, guardmembers assisted Border Patrol agents in four Southwest Border states, ferried drinking water to residents of several New Mexico towns, supported Louisiana police, provided critical infrastructure protection in Northeast states and California, flew critical air sovereignty missions nationwide and continued Counterdrug operations.

Guardmembers also remained on duty on numerous overseas missions, including in Afghanistan and Iraq.

(Story by Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill, National Guard Bureau with contributions by Army Sgt. April McLaren of the Illinois National Guard.)

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Killed al-Qaida in Iraq Leader Identified

Dispatches from the Front:

BAGHDAD, June 27, 2008 -- A terrorist killed during a June 24 operation in Mosul, Iraq, has been positively identified as the city’s top al-Qaida in Iraq leader, military officials here reported today.

Officials said coalition forces killed Abu Khalaf, the al-Qaeda in Iraq "emir" of Mosul.

In the operation, coalition forces engaged and killed a man who was reaching for a pistol, another who was wearing a suicide vest, and a woman who tried to detonate the dead man's suicide vest. Associates later identified Abu Khalaf as one of the men killed in the operation.

As coalition forces were taking down the terrorist leader, officials said, they also were moving in on one of his suspected closest assistants, detaining him and uncovering more than $100,000 in U.S. currency.

Abu Khalaf previously had been a deputy and Mosul military commander for a close associate of former al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was killed in a June 2006 coalition bombing raid. He rose through the ranks to become the terror organization’s overall chieftan in Mosul.

In that capacity, officials said, he met with senior al-Qaida in Iraq leaders in Mosul and Jazeera, coordinating and ordering dozens of attacks against Iraqi citizens, Iraqi forces and coalition forces.

Information gleaned from associates in custody revealed that Abu Khalaf often traveled with foreigners, and associates identified the suicide-vest-wearing man killed with him as Abu Khalud, a Syrian who was a longtime close associate of the Mosul terrorist leader, officials said.

"With the declining morale [among al-Qaida in Iraq operatives] and paranoia within their ranks, Abu Khalaf's death and loss of funds will severely impact their terrorist operations," Navy Lt. David Russell, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, said.

(From a Multinational Force Iraq news release.)

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U.S. Navy Saves Millions in Fuel Costs

ATLANTIC OCEAN (2008 FILE PHOTO) The amphibious assault ship USS Nassau (LHA 4) leads a formation of ships during an Atlantic Ocean crossing of the Nassau Expeditionary Strike Group. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Andrew King.)

Focus On Defense:

WASHINGTON, June 27, 2008 -- The rewards reaped from the Navy's Energy Conservation (ENCON) Program save millions in fuel costs, while keeping ships at sea to support the nation's Maritime Strategy.

ENCON includes two major energy conservation and management programs spearheaded by Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) in Washington, D.C. One is the Incentivized Energy Conservation (i-ENCON) Program; the other is the Fleet Readiness, Research and Development Program (FRR&DP).

According to i-ENCON Program Manager Hasan Pehlivan, the programs are projected to save more than 1.14 million barrels of oil in 2008, enough to fill four million 12-gallon car gas tanks, resulting in a record cost avoidance of more than $157 million.

"Like the average consumer, the Navy's budget today is challenged by increasing fuel costs," FRR&DP Program Manager Petter Kristiansen said. "These programs are designed to help the fleet conserve fuel now through changed operating procedures and to find long-term fuel reduction solutions that enable us to meet mission requirements even when fuel prices go through the roof."

The i-ENCON program is a hands-on, "meet the fleet" initiative that routinely meets with ship operators to review specific fuel-saving operational procedures and recommends quarterly awards for ships with the most fuel-efficient operations. In the late 1990s implemented several initiatives that have reduced fuel consumption for almost two decades.

The second program, FRR&DP, kicked off in October 2007. The program examines new technologies available today that offer reduced fuel consumption and significant return on investment (ROI) but must be tested and validated before implemented throughout the fleet.

The i-ENCON Program created a $104 million cost avoidance in 2007 and a then-record $125 million savings in 2006. In 2002, the i-ENCON Program Managers won the prestigious White House Presidential Award for Outstanding Federal Energy Management.

Committed to reducing ships' energy consumption by 10 percent each year, i-ENCON provides ships' commanding officers and chief engineers energy-saving strategies and techniques along with consumption-reducing procedures and operations modifications. The i-ENCON team's training and awareness programs includes videos, packet books and specialized software.

The i-ENCON training focuses on "smart steaming," engineering procedures and guidelines that ensure maximum fuel efficiency for ships without impairing mission objectives. These procedures include running only those systems and power plants needed to support the mission. "Ship loading," the proper placement of ship's cargo and ballast to ensure balanced weight distribution, is another smart steaming procedure.

According to Pehlivan, i-ENCON distributes quarterly fuel usage reports based on the Navy Energy Usage Reporting Systems (NEURS) which detail the energy consumption of surface ships. The leading fuel conservers among underway surface ships receive special recognition and cash incentives upwards of $90,000. Pehlivan said -- on average -- 100 ships qualify for cash awards each quarter.

The award money goes to commanding officers' discretionary funds, which are often used to buy items like damage control gear or to augment the ships' welfare and recreation programs.

"The incentives are very important to i-ENCON's success," Pehlivan added. "It's a volunteer program that requires real commitment from ships' commanding officers, chief engineers and main propulsion assistants.

"I receive calls and emails from ships everyday wanting to know how they can participate and improve their fuel performance."

FRR&DP initiatives project more than $19 million in annual cost avoidance when implemented, primarily in fuel savings, according to Kristiansen. The projected annual fuel savings equate to more than 134,000 barrels, enough to fill tanks in 469,000 cars.

"Among FRR&DP's five initiatives, the stern flaps for dock landing ships (LSDs) and the stern flaps for multi-purpose assault ships (LHDs) initiatives should yield annual cost avoidance of around $6.3 million," Kristiansen said.

The initiatives propose installing stern flaps on LSDs and LHDs, making the ships more hydrodynamic and thereby reducing the energy required to propel them. He cited earlier initiatives in which stern flaps were installed on destroyers (DDGs), cruisers (CGs) and frigates (FFGs), generating annual cost avoidance of $365,000 to $450,000 per ship, based on $96 per barrel of oil.

Another promising FRR&DP initiative, the Combustion Trim Loop, will replace obsolete boiler control system components on general purpose assault ships (LHAs) and LHDs. The new components will allow system operators to adjust boiler inputs for maximum efficiency. This offers a potential avoidance of more than $3.6 million annually in fuel savings when implemented.

FRR&DP initiatives under consideration for next year include underwater hull anti-fouling coatings, solid state lighting and other energy-saving technologies that offer more efficient operations.

(Story form a Naval Sea Systems Command Public Affairs news release.)

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Success Ongoing for Iraqi, UK Joint Security Operation in Basra

British and Iraqi officers confirm target locations during an operation in Basra. (Photo by Corporal Rob Knight, RLC.)

Dispatches from the Front:

BASRA, June27, 2008 -- Operation Charge of the Knights, a joint operation involving UK soldiers and the Iraqi Army, which aims to restore order and improve security in Basra, is making further progress.

The Iraqi Army continues to demonstrate its commitment to improving the security situation in the city, carrying out a number of vehicle check points in recent days. Inspections were carried out on a number of vehicles which were going in and out of the city.

In addition, numerous house searches were carried out, leading to multiple arrests of suspected militants. 140 rounds of 150mm High Explosive shells were also found in one area of Basra.

Operation Charge of the Knights, which began in March, is now into its 14th phase. The operation has been one of the key drivers in bringing peace and stability to the streets of Basra in recent months. Elements of the Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police Service, with their US and UK Military Transition Teams (MiTTs), can now be seen working in the city.

The MiTTs are working closely with the Iraqi Security Forces and local contractors as pavements are replaced, sewers cleared and rubbish removed from the streets.

In addition elements of the 26th of 7th Division and the 50th, 51st, and 52nd Brigades from the 14th Division Iraqi Army have conducted a number of arms finds and arrests, with teams planning the operations without UK assistance.

"Once again this operation was fully planned and executed by the Iraqi Army," said Maj. Tom Holloway, spokesman for the Multi-National Division - South East. "These operations demonstrate their capability, professionalism and commitment to the residents of Al Basrah Province. It is enormously encouraging to see the progress made by the Iraqi Army in maintaining the security of the city and its residents.

"Iraqi confidence and capabilities are improving by the day with our help," he continued. "The overall feeling here is upbeat and cautiously optimistic. We will continue to push for security of Basra by helping the Iraqi Army."

The 50th, 51st, and 52nd Brigades continue to be mentored by their respective UK MiTT. The MiTTs are embedded with their Iraqi counterparts offering advice and guidance on request. MiTT responsibilities are currently undertaken by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, 2 Royal Anglian, 9th and 12th Royal Lancers and 4th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland. All are part of 7th Armoured Brigade on Op Telic 12.

(From a story that appeared on the MNF-I Web site.)

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Joint Chiefs Pave Way for Transition to Next Administration

News in Balance:

STUTTGART, Germany, June 26, 2008 -- Recognizing that the transition to a new presidential administration could be “a time of great vulnerability,” the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today that his Joint Staff already is working to ensure the transition goes as smoothly as possible for the next commander in chief.

“A lot of work is going into planning for the transition,” Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said while visiting the U.S. Africa Command and U.S. European Command headquarters.

Mullen also touched on the issue during a Pentagon town hall meeting earlier this week, saying he stood up a transition team on the Joint Staff “to look at planning and possibilities and [to] be able to be the very solid underpinning from a national perspective at a time of change in the country.”

But while the team goes to work, Mullen emphasized, personal politics is off-limits for anyone in uniform. A recently updated Defense Department directive, “Political Activities by Members of the Armed Forces,” details limits placed on servicemembers to ensure they remain apolitical.

“It’s important for us in the military to remain neutral,” Mullen said. “I am anxious to make sure that everybody in uniform stays out of politics.”

Mullen stressed that doesn’t mean military people can’t or shouldn’t vote. “Please do vote,” he said. “But understanding what the rules are, and not getting pulled in, even inadvertently, [to political activity] is really important.”

Mullen conceded that the upcoming conventions and November elections will create an up-tick in political activity, and urged servicemembers to beware. “It’s one of those things where, if a little red flag goes up, that’s a big flag,” he said. “And you ought to pay attention to it.”

Asked directly how he will advise the next president, Mullen emphasized that he will continue carrying out his responsibilities to President Bush until the next president takes office. On Jan. 20, regardless of who wins the election, “I will give my best advice to whoever that may be,” and carry out that president’s orders, he said.

Even as the presidency changes, challenges facing the country won’t, he said.

Mullen said he’s had “tremendous opportunity to advise the current president,” and expects to foster a similar relationship with the next president as well.

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

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National Guard Continues to Fight Floods, Fires

Army National Guard soldiers from Iowa work to complete a seven-foot sandbagged levy to protect an electrical generator from rising flood waters in Hills, Iowa, June 14, 2008. About 80 Guardsmen -- including those with the 34th Army Band out of Fairfield -- sandbagged at the generator plant. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Oscar M. Sanchez-Alvarez.)

On the Home Front:

ARLINGTON, Va., June 26, 2008 -- National Guard soldiers and airmen continued to fight Midwest flooding and California fires today.

About 2,300 Guard members remained on duty in the Midwest, down from a peak of more than 5,700, National Guard Bureau officials reported.

Meanwhile, the California wildfires called for fewer Guard members and more aircraft. UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters and C-130 Hercules aircraft dropped water and flame retardant, while OH-58 Kiowa helicopters and RC-26 Metroliner aircraft flew fire-spotting and reconnaissance missions. More than 90 Guard members responded to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s request for National Guard assistance.

In Missouri, the National Guard was preparing for potential flooding downriver, Army Capt. Tamara Spicer, a public affairs officer, said. The Missouri Guard posted liaison officers to four lower Mississippi River counties in anticipation of flooding, she said.

One levee near Winfield, Mo. was considered to be in such a tenuous position that only life vest-clad National Guard members and firefighters were allowed to stack sandbags, the Associated Press reported yesterday.

Army Spc. Daniel Maguire of the 1438th Engineer Company was one of hundreds of Guard members on duty from units across Missouri. “It’s my job,” he said. “I’m a National Guard soldier, and I help with state emergencies.”

Missouri’s adjutant general, Army Maj. Gen. King Sidwell, said his state’s Guard members will remain on the job as long as they’re needed. “The Missouri National Guard continues to work closely with state and local leaders to ensure we have our citizen-soldiers and –airmen where they are needed to help Missourians,” Sidwell said. “We will continue to support our communities until local officials release the soldiers and airmen.”

Army Lt. Col. Tim Donovan, the Wisconsin National Guard’s director of public affairs, detailed that state’s experience, typical of the affected Midwest states.
Unrelenting waves of heavy rain moved into Wisconsin on June 7, and by June 8 Gov. Jim Doyle declared 30 of the state's 72 counties disaster areas, Donovan said.

“The National Guard's Joint Operations Center beefed up its routine 24/7 staff to coordinate Guard response as flood waters covered most of the southern half of the state,” Donovan said. “Wisconsin National Guard soldiers and airmen conducted evacuations, delivered sandbags, operated traffic control points, performed security missions, completed engineer assessments and flew aerial assessment flights to assist in the state's multi-agency efforts.”

Army Sgt. Jacek Gusciora, part of the Illinois National Guard's 341st Military Intelligence Company based in Chicago, has been working sandbag operations along the Sny levee.

"This is the reason we signed up for the National Guard; this is our duty," Gusciora said. "We're honored to do it. We've received the training, and now we're doing our mission."

The Midwest flooding mission has seen Guard assistance to civilian authorities in five states since June 7. Troops have concluded flooding operations in Indiana, but remained at work today in four other states. While the numbers of troops receded with the water, they still were in the thousands:

• Illinois: More than 1,100 Guard members monitored levees as farmland remained threatened from the burgeoning Mississippi. Troops also conducted security patrols in affected communities.

• Missouri: With three dozen levees remaining at risk, more than 800 Guard members were on duty providing communications and command and control, monitoring levees, positioning sandbags, assessing damage, removing debris, providing security and distributing fuel.

• Iowa: 200 troops continued mop-up operations.

• Wisconsin: 200 troops remained in the field today, pumping water, supplying power and giving communications and command support in addition to security, debris removal, road repair and transportation missions.

Guard members are on duty in the United States 365 days a year. Yesterday, a National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter plucked an injured teenager from the side of a Colorado mountain after a car crash. The same day, Guard members assisted Border Patrol agents in four Southwest border states, ferried drinking water to residents of several New Mexico towns, supported Louisiana police, provided critical infrastructure protection in Northeast states and California, flew critical air sovereignty missions nationwide and continued counterdrug operations.

In addition, Guard members remained on duty on numerous overseas missions, including in Afghanistan and Iraq.

(Story by Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill, National Guard Bureau, with contributions by Army Sgt. April McLaren of the Illinois National Guard.)

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Coalition Air Strike Kills Insurgents, Disrupts Taliban in Afghanistan

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2008 -- Coalition and Afghan forces killed enemy fighters and detained four suspected militants in Afghanistan yesterday.

Afghan and coalition forces killed several insurgents while patrolling the Maywand district of Kandahar province.

Insurgents attacked the combined security patrol with small-arms fire, rocket-propelled grenades and indirect fire. The patrol returned small-arms fire before calling in a precision air strike that killed an unknown number of enemy fighters.

In a separate incident, coalition forces in Paktika province detained four militants during an operation aimed at disrupting Taliban activities.

One of the enemy fighters coalition forces captured in the Sar Hawza district raid was a Taliban Haqqani network leader known to conduct financing operations in the area, military officials said.

(Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 101 news releases.)

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Troops in Iraq Kill Militants, Detain 20, Find Weapons

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2008 -- Coalition and Iraqi forces killed three militants, detained 20 suspects and found weapons in Iraq over the past three days, military officials said.

During operations today:

• Coalition forces killed two enemy fighters, including an al-Qaida in Iraq cell leader, near Sharqat, about 55 miles south of Mosul. Military officials said forces engaged the men after perceiving them as a “hostile threat.” The slain enemies later were found to have been armed with guns and grenades. Troops detained three suspects in the operation.

• Coalition troops followed an alleged associate of al-Qaida in Iraq senior leaders to a remote area west of Sinjar, where they captured him and four other suspects. Troops used information gleaned in a May 11 operation to track the primary suspect, military officials said.

• Coalition forces captured two Egyptian men who military officials believe are linked to suicide bombings west of Baghdad in Abu Ghraib. In a separate operation in the area, forces captured a man wanted for providing weapons and suicide vests to al-Qaida in Iraq foreign terrorists.

• Troops nabbed two suspects bear Biaj, about 80 miles southwest of Mosul. One detainee is wanted for his alleged ties to senior leaders of a network that assists foreign terrorists.

• Forces in Mosul captured a suspected mid-level al-Qaida in Iraq leader believed to be associated with car bombings and other attacks. They detained an additional suspect during an operation targeting Mosul's terrorist propaganda network.

Iraqi soldiers yesterday seized numerous weapons caches in the Sadr City district of Baghdad. The soldiers uncovered mortar rounds, mines, rocket-propelled grenades and other military equipment.

During June 24 operations:

• Coalition forces conducted an air strike northeast of Tikrit that killed one suspected al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist. Military officials said ground forces called in the strike as a self-defense measure. Four women in a nearby building suffered minor injuries.

• Coalition troops captured a suspected senior leader of an Iranian-backed “special group” and three of the leader’s associates in Ash Shumali, about 70 miles south of Baghdad. At the scene, forces discovered numerous assault rifles and handguns, and a vehicle that tested positive for explosives, military officials said.

• Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained the leader of a roadside bombing cell in southern Baghdad’s Rashid district. Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Regiment, attached to the 4th Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, caught the suspect near Forward Operating Base Falcon, Baghdad.

• Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers found nine makeshift rockets in the bed of a vehicle in Baghdad’s Kadamiyah district. A local Iraqi tipped off soldiers to the weapon system’s whereabouts, military officials said.

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

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Combat Camera: U.S. Troops Train Iraqi Troops

1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment scouts; Staff Sgt. Nick LaPlant and Sgt. Josh Barr prepare to demonstrate how to properly advance on multiple targets while under fire as soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 15th Brigade, 4th Iraqi army division look on during recent training at a range in Hawijah, Iraq, June 20th, 2008. (Photographer: Staff Sgt. Margaret Nelson, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Public Affairs.)

A .223 round cartridge flies into the air as Sgt. Josh Barr of 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment's Scout Platoon, fires his M4 assault rifle during a demonstration on the proper technique for engaging multiple targets under fire. The scouts also known as 'Predators' were training soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 15th Brigade, 4th Iraq army division during a recent refresher/familiarization range in Hawijah, Iraq. (Photographer: Staff Sgt. Margaret Nelson, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Public Affairs.)

Staff Sgt. Nick LaPlant brings the elbow of an Iraqi soldier (Jundi) with the 1st Battalion, 15th Brigade, 4th IA Division down toward the Jundi's side, placing him in the correct, "standing", firing position, as Sgt. Josh Barr prepares for 'live fire' with ear protection. soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment's Scout Platoon, 'Predator', conducted a refresher/familiarization course with the Iraqi army during a recent range in Hawijah, Iraq. (Photographer: Staff Sgt. Margaret Nelson, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Public Affairs.)

A round is spent; a cartridge ejected, from a 1st Battalion, 15th Brigade, 4th Iraqi army division soldier's AK-47 assault rifle, during a recent weapon's refresher/familiarization range conducted by the Scout Platoon of 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment in Hawijah, Iraq. (Photographer: Staff Sgt. Margaret Nelson, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Public Affairs.)

Staff Sgt. Nick LaPlant, Scout Platoon, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, demonstrates proper body positioning to Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 15th Brigade, 4th Iraqi army division during a recent range in Hawijah, Iraq. (Photographer: Staff Sgt. Margaret Nelson, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Public Affairs.)

More Combat Camera Imagery on THE TENSION

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