Cops, Careers and Crime

Editors Note: One of the authors is World War II Navy Veteran.

Police-Writers.com, a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books added three police officers who have written book.

Joseph Kaiser, a Suffolk County Police Department police officer wrote The Adventures of Sergeant Otto Wolfgang Snickerhaden. The book is his story of his career. According to the book cover description, “I doubt that in today's society, I could have done what I did then and gotten away with it. But things were very different some thirty or forty years ago. When a cop had a problem in his sector, he took care of it the best way he could. In many ways it was like the old west at the end of the last century. The sheriff or town marshal was hired to control the lawless and few cared how he did it. Similarly, in the early days of the Suffolk County Police Department, a police officer had pretty much a free hand when doing his job as long as he did it without hurting anyone.”

Anthony Zeoli is a retired Lieutenant with the New York Port Authority Police Department. He served the majority of his career assigned to the Bus Terminal Command in New York City. He is a graduate of John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the Police Command College at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. 625 8th Avenue is the address of the New York Port Authority Bus Terminal and the title of Anthony Zeoli’s first fiction novel. His book is a about the investigation into a “bizarre sex murder in the New York Port Authority Bus Terminal.” According to the back cover of his book, “Take some NYPD Blue, a little Hill Street Blues and a heavy dash of Barney Miller. This creates the only story ever written about one of New York’s most notorious landmarks and microcosms of urban American.”

Arnold M. Pine is a veteran of twenty years on the New York Police Department where he served as a very active "street cop". His experience with the criminal element on the street and in the department itself, enabled him to create memorable characters in thrilling situations. Arnold Pine attended Brooklyn College before and after his two year stint in the Navy during World War II. He lettered in Wrestling, which prepared him for the battles he encountered on the streets of New York City. Upon retirement from the Department, Mr Pine spent many years as the CEO of a water engineering business, before he engaged in writing as a full-time endeavor. His book is Cop on the Run.

Police-Writers.com now hosts 380 police officers (representing 159 police departments) and their 829 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.

Defense Secretary's Message to the Troops: Care for Wounded Soldiers

By Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense
Special to American Forces Press Service

March 8, 2007 – When I was nominated to take this post just over three months ago, I said that the patriots who have volunteered to serve in our armed services have no equal in the world. I made a solemn commitment to the Congress, to the nation, and to you to keep the welfare of men and women in uniform uppermost in my mind at all times. Like most Americans I was dismayed to hear reports about substandard outpatient care and facilities at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. When you join the military, you become part of a family, and it is unacceptable for any member of our family to be treated this way.

President Bush has since appointed a bi-partisan panel - the Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors - that will comprehensively review the treatment our government is providing recovering servicemen and women. The Independent Review Group I established will take a broad look at all of our rehabilitative care and administrative processes at Walter Reed and at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda. The latter effort has a very short deadline - next month - to make sure we identify additional flaws in the system and fix them as soon as possible.

This Department, however, will not wait for reports by outside panels before taking action on problems that we know about right now. To that end, the Under Secretary of the Army Pete Geren briefed me today on the Army's action plan to deal with Walter Reed outpatient care. I expect to receive progress reports every two weeks.

In addition, Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness Dr. David Chu and Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs Dr. William Winkenwerder will undertake a comprehensive, department-wide review of military medical care programs, facilities, and procedures.

I have told the senior military and civilian leadership of this Department that money will not be an issue. After the war itself, we have no higher priority than caring properly for our wounded.

We empower leaders with the responsibility, authority, and resources necessary to carry out their mission. With that responsibility comes accountability. As we learn more about these issues, let me be clear: Any individual, regardless of rank - officer or enlisted, military or civilian - will be held accountable when servicemen and women are not treated as they should be.

You deserve no less, as do your families who also serve. It is the family that takes on extra duties at home while servicemen and women are away. The family also suffers when their loved one is injured in battle. And it is the family who is there every step of the way as their wounded soldier, sailor, airman or Marine undertakes what can be long and painful recovery.

The injured troops at Walter Reed and in other military hospitals have paid a high price for putting their lives on the line for America. Like you, they volunteered to serve knowing full well the risks and dangers involved. They deserve our respect and gratitude and the very best that our great country can provide. We owe this to them, and we must deliver. I am totally committed to doing so.

This article was sponsored by police and military personnel who have authored books as well as online criminal justice leadership.

Groups Donate Gift Certificates to Troops, Families

By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service

March 9, 2007 – Two home-front groups are helping American citizens support servicemembers and their families worldwide through the donation of gift certificates. "Gift of Groceries" and "Gifts from the Homefront" allow contributions to be made through "CertifiChecks" that can be redeemed at military commissaries and exchanges worldwide.

Both groups are members of America Supports You, the Defense Department program connecting grassroots organizations with men and women of the military at home and abroad.

Mike Baskerville, vice president of sales at CertifiChecks, first contacted the Defense Commissary Agency about starting the program in 2002 after he had difficulty getting care packages to his nephew stationed in Pensacola, Fla. He soon branched out to include the Army and Air Force Exchange Service as well.

The certificates are accepted by the U.S. Treasury Department and are processed the same as certified checks. They can be purchased in person, on the Internet or by phone at 1-877-770-GIFT (4438).

Gift certificates can be mailed to troops deployed overseas for use in one of the many exchanges located in the combat zones of Iraq and Afghanistan. Rather than paying shipping costs for large, heavy packages, troops can use the certificates to purchase items they need.

Since the inception of the CertifiChecks program, more than $13 million have been donated or given as gifts to family members, Baskerville said.

"This was a great gift-giving alternative to care packages that are often cumbersome," he said. "It made a lot more sense, and it was a great idea for people to donate these to charitable organizations."

The Air Force Aid Society, United Service Organizations, Fisher House Foundation, American Red Cross and Operation Homefront are a few of the organizations highlighted on the Defense Commissary Agency and AAFES Web sites that receive the gift certificates to be distributed to families in need.

Operation Homefront, a non-profit organization that provides assistance to military families while servicemembers are deployed, is an America Supports You member benefiting from the CertifiCheck program.

After being involved in the program for nearly two years, Operation Homefront has distributed more than $32,000 in gift certificates to at least 600 families who have applied for assistance and proven they have a financial need, the organization's executive vice president, Amy Palmer, said.

The Fisher House Foundation, also a member of America Supports You, provides the certificates to families of the men and women in military or Veterans Affairs hospitals. The foundation became a recipient of the gift certificate programs in April 2003 and has since received more than $92,000 in donations.

"(The foundation) has made support of combat casualties and others hospitalized due to their service in operations Enduring or Iraqi Freedom our highest priority," said James Weiskopf, Fisher House Foundation vice president of communications. "Our largest donations go to these families, to help defray their living costs while they stay at one of our 37 Fisher Houses."

Weiskopf said the donations are sent to house managers, who use them to purchase common goods like cleaning supplies and also distribute them to family members to purchase food while away from their homes to be with injured servicemembers.

"(CertifiChecks) are making a difference in the lives of these families whose loved ones have suffered grievously while defending our nation in the global war on terrorism," Weiskopf said. "This has been an incredibly gratifying program."

This article was sponsored by police and military personnel who have authored books as well as online criminal justice leadership.

Army Guard Leader Visits Deployed Citizen Soldiers in Afghanistan

By Sgt. Tony J. Spain, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service

March 9, 2007 – The highest-ranking officer of the Army National Guard met with deployed Guardsmen here March 4. Army National Guard Director Lt. Gen. Clyde A. Vaughn received a warm welcome from fellow Guardsmen at the Kandahar Airfield main dining facility. More than 40 Guardsmen deployed from across the U.S. crowded into the dining facility for the opportunity to meet, shake hands with and listen to Vaughn address some of the issues facing the National Guard.

"It is a privilege to be here with you, and I am proud of your service," Vaughn said.

Vaughn said the American people are also proud of the National Guard's service. "The people in your communities are proud of you and are following what you are doing here very closely," he said.

Pfc. Dominic Abramson, a two-year member of the Oregon Army National Guard on his first deployment to Afghanistan, said he was glad to hear about the support from the home front.

"I think it is good to hear people back home are still following what we are doing, because at times you don't hear about it as much," he said. "It just helps to reassure you that people are thinking and they know what is going on over here."

Some key issues addressed by the three-star general included recruiting and retention in the National Guard. Vaughn noted that 18 months ago the Guard was wondering how they were going to meet the demands placed on them. The Guard was 20,000 troops understaffed and stretched thin due to deployments. Today the Guard is almost at its 350,000-soldier limit.

"Our recruiting and our retention are really good. Our younger soldiers now outnumber the older ones, and we have been able to retain experienced soldiers and keep that experience in the units," Vaughn said.

Spc. Jesse Thompson, a three-year member of the Oregon Army National Guard, said he was pleased that retention has improved.

"I like to hear that they are making efforts in the right direction to keep retention within the units so that the experience stays along with the youth," said Thompson, a forward observer who volunteered to deploy to Afghanistan.

Vaughn also attested to the uniqueness of National Guard soldiers, describing them as citizen soldiers with a heritage dating back to colonial times. The National Guard held its first formation in the Massachusetts Bay colonies on Dec. 13, 1636. This date is recognized as the birthday of the National Guard, and there have been citizen soldiers in formation ever since.

"We are the largest community-based defense force in the world, and we are the most powerful community-based defense force in the world," Vaughn said.

Vaughn further elaborated on what a citizen soldier is. He said most National Guard soldiers hold jobs in their communities ranging from farmers to teachers to law enforcement officers. In the National Guard they are serving in a variety of different kinds of units.

"The citizen soldier shows everything that is right about America. It's someone who is a patriot that will put their families and job on hold to serve their nation when called to duty," Vaughn said.

Vaughn also spoke to the Guardsmen of the importance of the fight. "We must win this thing in Afghanistan; it is a big piece of the puzzle in the war. Iraq is important too, but this is the global war on terror," Vaughn said.

As the director of the National Guard, Vaughn guides the formulation, development and implementation of all programs and policies affecting nearly 350,000 soldiers in all 50 states, territories and the District of Columbia. Approximately 700 National Guard soldiers are serving here.

(Army Sgt. Tony J. Spain is assigned to the U.S. National Command Element in Afghanistan.)

This article was sponsored by police and military personnel who have authored books as well as online criminal justice leadership.

Army Vice Chief Announces Walter Reed Leadership Changes

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

March 9, 2007 – The Army vice chief of staff yesterday announced leadership changes to the medical hold units at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, which he called an important first step in correcting administrative and bureaucratic challenges wounded soldiers face during recovery. Army Brig. Gen. Michael S. Tucker will serve as the deputy commanding general of Walter Reed, under newly appointed commander Army Maj. Gen. Eric Schoomaker, Army Gen. Richard Cody, vice chief of staff, announced at a news conference at the medical center.

Cody also announced the appointment of Army Col. Terrence J. McKenrick to lead the newly formed Wounded Warrior Transition Brigade, and Army Command Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey S. Hartless as the brigade's top enlisted man.

Tucker, a combat-arms officer who most recently was deputy commander of the U.S. Army Armor Center and Fort Knox, Ky., goes to fill a new position at Walter Reed, created to deal with the sometimes confusing administrative process wounded soldiers face, Cody said.

"He's going to be the guy that we look to to be the soldiers' and families' advocate as they go through inpatient and outpatient, but also he's going to be the 'bureaucratic buster' ... and take on this bureaucracy that at times frustrates our soldiers," Cody said of Tucker.

McKenrick and Hartless also come from combat-arms backgrounds, and Hartless spent time recovering at Walter Reed after being injured in Afghanistan. Cody said that combat-arms soldiers were chosen to fill these key leadership positions because the challenges facing soldiers in outpatient care have more to do with administrative issues rather than medical issues, and combat-arms leaders are in the business of taking care of soldiers.

"There is the medical piece to it, but it's more about first sergeant duties, platoon sergeant duties, and we have people that know how to do that," Cody said. "We have depth in our Army right now to be able to put combat-arms noncommissioned officers and officers to do that duty, to free up our medical service corps professionals ... to take care of the medical side of this."

These leadership changes are the first step in fixing the problems in Walter Reed's outpatient care and medical holdover units, which were brought to light through a series of Washington Post articles in February, Cody said.

The medical holdover units did not have the right ratio of leaders to soldiers or the right type of leaders, he said. McKenrick and Hartless, who are already on board, will be revamping the organization and ensuring soldiers' health, welfare, morale and administrative issues are taken care of.

"(Wounded soldiers) need to have good, caring leadership to help them make these transitions either back to their units or back to their civilian jobs or back to being regular citizens of this great Army and this great nation," Cody said.

To help address problems at Walter Reed, the Army also has set up a one-stop family and soldier assistance center in the hospital and a toll-free hotline for soldiers to report problems, Cody said. The Army also has increased the number of caseworkers, personnel specialists and financial specialists at the hospital, he said.

In addition, Cody said he has deployed a team from Army Medical Command to medical facilities across the country to evaluate conditions, and he is holding a video teleconference today with Army hospital commanders worldwide to talk about eliminating problems for wounded soldiers.

"There is no higher priority in our United States Army, and in our nation for that matter, than the well-being of our soldiers, whether that well-being is down range in combat, back at home camps and stations preparing to go to combat, and certainly, those soldiers that have borne the burden of combat and have come back to our medical system," he said.

The most daunting task facing Army leaders is fixing the system so that wounded soldiers don't have a battle when going through the process of establishing their duty status and transitioning out of the medical treatment facilities, Cody said. He pledged that he and other leaders are working hard to fix that system and to restore trust in a medical system that has lost credibility with its most important customers, the servicemembers.

"This national dialogue we're having right now, I think, is very helpful," he said. "It's a national dialogue as to what this country owes to these servicemen and women who have raised their right hand during war and enlisted, or raised their right hand again during war and re-enlisted, and said, 'America, in your time of need, I will go forward and defend you.'

"What does this country owe them when they do get wounded? Certainly not a bureaucratic system that makes them have to argue or stay longer so they get the right benefits and the right financial security for the sacrifice that they have given."

This article was sponsored by police and military personnel who have authored books as well as online criminal justice leadership.

Medical Independent Review Group Seeks Comments

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

March 9, 2007 – The Independent Review Group recently established by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates wants to hear from patients and family members about their experiences with military medical care, the review group announced today. Gates established the group this month, charging it with identifying shortfalls in rehabilitative care and administrative processes at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here and the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and with recommending needed improvements.

To identify shortcomings and recommend improvements, it is important for the group to get input from patients and families who are dealing with the system, said Marianne Coates, public affairs officer for the Independent Review Group. The group will sponsor public meetings next week, and patients and family members can also submit comments through the Internet and a phone hotline, she said.

"The way we learn about it is, obviously, to talk to people who are experts, but very importantly we have to talk to patients and families," Coates said.

The public meetings will be held at Walter Reed on March 13 and at the National Naval Medical Center on March 14. Locations for these meetings are the Joel Auditorium in Building 2 at Walter Reed and the Clark Auditorium, Building 10, in Bethesda. Both meetings will begin at 1:30 p.m. and end at 3 p.m.

The review group also is looking at the possibility of holding additional meetings for patients and families, Coates said.

Details about how patients and family members may offer comments at the meetings appear on the Independent Review Group's Web site: www.ha.osd.mil/dhb/irg.

In addition, patients and family members may provide their experiences and insights via the Internet, and may do so anonymously if they choose. In the left column of the review group Web site, there is a caption titled "How You Can Help." People can click on that caption and provide comments.

The independent review group also has arranged a hotline that may be accessed by dialing 1-866-268-2285.

Comments submitted via telephone also may be anonymous. When patients and family members use the telephone and Internet to provide their experiences and insights, Independent Review Group members or staff will not be on the line. Submissions, however, will be recorded and reviewed by the staff throughout the day. If the staff members determine that they need clarification regarding patient and family member comments, they will contact those who have provided contact information.

The two sources for providing information will be in operation for the duration of the Independent Review Group's charter, until April 16.

The Independent Review Group will use these comments as a basis for seeking further details from the military services and for summary inclusion in their final report.

Coates emphasized that the review group, chaired by former Veterans Affairs Secretary and Army Secretary Togo West and former Army Secretary John O. Marsh, has hit the ground running. Group members have visited Walter Reed several times and have toured housing facilities there, she said. Also, group members visited Andrews Air Force Base, Md., to see how wounded troops arrive from overseas and how they are met, received and transported.

This article was sponsored by police and military personnel who have authored books as well as online criminal justice leadership.

NORTHCOM Nominee Regards Command Position as 'Sacred Honor'

By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service

March 9, 2007 – The nominee to lead U.S. Northern Command and North America Aerospace Defense Command told the Senate Armed Services Committee here yesterday that he realizes the missions of both organizations are demanding and challenging, but that he would consider leading them to be a "sacred honor." Air Force Lt. Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr. said he would not let the country down if confirmed into the top position for the two commands focusing on homeland defense.

NORTHCOM was established following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, to provide for the defense of the United States and to provide military support to civil authorities when requested by the president or secretary of defense.

NORTHCOM also is responsible for overseeing military responses to natural and man-made disasters, such as hurricanes and incidents involving weapons of mass destruction within the United States.

Renuart told the Senators that his service both in the Joint Staff at the Pentagon and within the Office of the Secretary of Defense has reinforced the value of close working relationships among combatant commands, military services, defense agencies and Congress, in addition to governors and adjutants general across the nation.

"If confirmed, I'll join the men and women of NORAD and NORTHCOM in dedicating ourselves to the defense of the homeland," he said. "We'll work closely with our federal and state partners, our interagency partners, the National Guard, and the countries of Canada and Mexico, with whom we maintain a close relationship."

The general also told the members that he views intelligence sharing among relevant agencies as being vitally important.

Re-equipping National Guard troops and reservists also will be one of Renuart's focuses if confirmed for the position. "It will be one of my principal priorities to not only establish a better understanding on my behalf of the requirements for the Guard and Reserve," he said, "but to continue to be the strong advocate in the process for those requirements and to work towards getting them funded and resupplied."

The nominee assured the senators that one of his high priorities would be funding, training and equipping emergency response teams designated to work with local citizens and state first responders in the case of chemical or biological threats, in additional to natural disasters.

"It is important to have good visibility as the principal combatant commander on the readiness of potential forces," he said, "and to also understand carefully how the individual states view their capabilities to respond to a disaster or an emergency."

NORTHCOM will continue to work to deal with the effects of natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina. He said the command's current leadership has created pre-scripted mission orders and pre-positioned equipment in key areas for short-notice use.

"I'm completely committed to continuing that effort," he said, "with a special effort on the communications (so) that they're interoperable not just among the Guard and the active force, but among the various federal agencies who would respond."

This article was sponsored by police and military personnel who have authored books as well as online criminal justice leadership.

U.S. Strategic Command Refines, Fields New Capabilities

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

March 9, 2007 – To adapt to the shifting national security environment, United States Strategic Command is refining and fielding new capabilities, the organization's commander said yesterday. Army Gen. James E. Cartwright outlined the transformation from Cold War-era structures to "new functionally aligned organizations designed to improve our operational speed and progress" in a prepared statement he submitted to the strategic forces subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee.

"We've moved from the old triad construct of the bombers, the submarines and the (intercontinental ballistic missiles) to one that is more integrated and offers the country a broader range of activities that can deter and assure our allies," Cartwright said.

According to Cartwright's statement, the functional components for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; network warfare; global network operations; information operations; integrated missile defense; and combating weapons of mass destruction are at or nearing full operational capability.

In addition, STRATCOM is constructing an organizational system "that can be joint from the start, can move to combined or allied type of configuration ... so that we don't have to build those in a time of crisis," Cartwright said.

"Having a balanced ... defense infrastructure underpinned by command and control and the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance is critical to the strategy," he said.

Subcommittee members asked Cartwright how the newly organized STRACOM will address issues like the reliable replacement warhead program to modernize U.S. nuclear capabilities. They also asked about China's recent anti-satellite testing and the U.S. missile defense system, which some critics say has not yet sufficiently integrated the warfighters who operate it.

"One of the key issues before us today involving the nuclear arsenal is the reliable replacement warhead program," said Rep. Ellen Tauscher, the subcommittee's chair. "We must ask, first and foremost, do we really need such a significant modernization of our existing nuclear capabilities?"

Cartwright responded, "RRW is a form-fit function replacement, in that we're not changing any of the delivery vehicles. ... It puts us on the right path towards drawing this stockpile down to the minimum number necessary for national security.

"It has the same operational characteristics," he said, "but it is safer for the people who have to handle it. It's secure, so that one of these weapons does not end up in the wrong place, used in the wrong way. And it is reliable, which draws down the number of platforms I need and the number of weapons we have to deliver."

The general then addressed members' concerns about China's January anti-satellite test, which destroyed a Chinese satellite orbiting in the upper area of the low earth orbit belt, an estimated altitude of 530 miles.

Cartwright said debris from the destroyed satellite could interfere with commercial and government satellites and other space equipment orbiting in the same region.

"We're going to have to move to avoid this debris when it occurs; that is an impact on us," he said. "We're reactive in this; we're going to have to change our posture to (predict) where this debris is going to be."

Cartwright said such experiments are not unprecedented, referring to similar tests the U.S. and Soviet Union conducted during the Cold War, in which meddlesome debris took more than 20 years to disintegrate.

On the defensive side of the new triad, Cartwright said, the missile defense system has had success over the past year in forging the relationship between Strategic Command and the Missile Defense Agency.

"The test programs have moved to a much more successful footing," he said. "Technically, because Missile Defense Agency has done a great job, (and) operationally, because we have integrated the warfighter into the test program."

Cartwright said the system and its operators' readiness and capability were tested July 4, when North Korea launched several missiles.

"We stayed in an operational configuration for an extended period of time," he said. "The system worked well; we learned a lot. The system can be moved to an operational configuration any time."

This article was sponsored by police and military personnel who have authored books as well as online criminal justice leadership.

Commander Expresses Optimism About Pacific Region Missile Defense

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

March 8, 2007 – Spurred by North Korean missile testing in 2006, the United States has made significant strides this year in upgrading its missile detection in the Pacific region, the top U.S. Pacific Command official said yesterday. PACOM commander Navy Adm. William J. Fallon told the House Armed Services Committee that North Korea's testing forced the command "to really pay attention to the details of what we might do if the North Koreans, for example, were successful in actually getting (a Taepo Dong missile) to actually function as we think it was designed."

He said two failed North Korean Missile tests are encouraging, but U.S. leaders have got to assume that "sooner or later, they may figure out how to make (a missile) fly correctly."

"What we discovered was that we needed to really refocus our attention to the pieces of the chain which we would be able to detect and do something with these missiles if they threatened the U.S. today," Fallon said. "We've got to be prepared."

North Korea does not currently have a missile that can reach the U.S., Fallon said, but does have the ability to launch short- and medium-range missiles that can cover the Korean Peninsula and reach Japan.

A combination of linked sensors has been put in place to detect missiles fired from North Korea in the direction of the U.S. The first sensor is an X-band radar deployed in northwestern Japan.

Also, U.S. Navy ships equipped with the Aegis combat system, and integrated missile-guidance system, and Japanese naval ships, equipped with modified spy radar, are out in "significant" numbers in the Pacific Ocean, Fallon said.

Finally, a new sea-based X-band radar was deployed to a converted oil platform near the Aleutian Islands. This sensor is larger than the one in Japan and can detect and track missiles incoming to the U.S., Fallon said.

While the missile defense system still relies on overhead systems for the initial warning, the combination of the other sensors will pick up the missile and track it on the upside of its trajectory, Fallon said.

Ground based interceptors, as well as forward deployed newly modified standard missiles on U.S. Navy ships in the Pacific Ocean, would destroy any detected missile.

"These pieces, and the network that ties them together, are new this year. This is the first time we've actually had this system arrayed and tested, and we did it in real time during these (North Korean) missile shots in July," Fallon said.

"I think we've made a lot of progress here," he said.

Fallon was recently nominated to head U.S. Central Command, based in Florida.

This article was sponsored by police and military personnel who have authored books as well as online criminal justice leadership.

Colorado Town Welcomes Wounded Troops

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

March 8, 2007 – For the fourth consecutive year, 25 veterans wounded in the global war on terrorism will test their mettle on the slopes thanks to the Vail Veterans Program's winter sports clinic that kicked off here yesterday. "We're really a stepping stone in their recovery. This is therapeutic for them to be here," Cheryl Jensen, director of the Vail Veterans Program said during a kick-off dinner here yesterday. "By the time they leave here, they're totally comfortable with themselves or have confidence that they never had.

"They grow emotionally and physically while they're here in a matter of four days," she added.

Army Maj. Dave Rozelle, administrator for Walter Reed Army Medical Center's Amputee Care Center, knows how true this is. He lost part of his right foot while serving in Iraq in 2003. He told the group that skiing had made him feel free and independent after his injury.

"I felt like an angel coming down that mountain," he said. "I hope you all find the same freedom I did."

Rozelle served a second tour in Iraq after being injured.

The Vail Veterans Program can offers this weekend to the servicemembers thanks, in part, to the generosity of this community, Jensen said. Lodging for the troops and the majority of the airfare to get them to the slopes here was donated. The story is the same for equipment rental, lift tickets, instruction for the veterans and their guests. Most meals, including a special meal on the final evening prepared by the local firefighters, are gratis, as well.

For five of the veterans, this winter sports clinic is old hat, and they'll serve as mentors, Jensen said. The other 20 servicemembers are patients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, in Washington, and this is the first major trip away from the facility for most of them.

Throughout the program, which concludes March 11, the wounded warriors receive private instruction in a number of snow sports, including skiing and snowboarding. To accommodate their injuries, which include missing limbs, the instructors help them learn to use adaptive equipment, Jensen said.

While the veterans are acquiring or polishing their skills, their guests participate in group lessons. While Willow Fesmire's husband, former Marine Sgt. Christopher Fesmire, who has gone through the program three times, works with the first-timers, she'll polish her snowboarding skills.

"(I'm) very excited," she said about her first experience with the program.

Sgt. Fesmire, an avid snowboarder before his injury, was medically retired from the 1st Marine Division after losing both legs above the knee in Qaim, Iraq, in October 2004.

First organized in 2004 as a one-time event, the Vail Veterans Program has earned nonprofit status and doubled the number of veterans it invited the first year. Still, it remains small enough to provide the veterans one-on-one attention, and that's what attracted the support of this year's title sponsor, the Wounded Warrior Project. Defense contractor Lockheed Martin, an aerospace manufacturer, also is sponsoring this year's event.

The Wounded Warrior Project is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program highlighting the ways Americans and the corporate sector are supporting the nation's servicemembers.

"It's a small-enough group to where everybody can know everybody and support one another," Bruce Nitsche, executive vice president of the Wounded Warrior Project, said. "I think it's more like being with your family, and I think when it's really a community-based program ... the level of caring comes through easier."

Nitsche added that his organization has signed on to sponsor two summer sports clinics the Vail Veterans Program will offer this year. The first summer clinic was held in 2006.

This article was sponsored by police and military personnel who have authored books as well as online criminal justice leadership.

Armed Services YMCA Honors Military Medics, Corpsmen

By Steven Donald Smith
American Forces Press Service

March 8, 2007 – The Armed Services YMCA paid tribute to military medics and corpsmen here last night during its first Angels of the Battlefield awards dinner. The gala event singled out the contributions of military men and women who administer lifesaving medical treatment to U.S. troops on the front lines. Army medics and Navy corpsmen serve all branches of the military, including the reserves and National Guard.

"We cannot match the ultimate gift of hope that medics and corpsmen give to the wounded and their families," Eugene E. Habiger, chairman of the Armed Services YMCA, said. "Their brave and honorable service saves lives and allows families to be reunited. Their contributions are tremendous, and tonight we salute them."

Marine Gen. James T. Conway, commandant of the Marine Corps, was the keynote speaker at last night's event. Because of the efforts of medics and corpsmen, 75 percent of wounded troops return to duty, he told the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen that's a figure that has never been heard of before," he said. "It's just an absolutely incredible tribute to our medics and corpsmen."

Conway said medics and corpsmen exhibit a great deal of courage while performing their job. Instead of taking cover during a firefight, they enter the chaotic scene to aid those in need, he said.

"An incredible amount of heroism contributes in its entirety to the whole idea of those percentages I talked about," he said. "If you ask them about it, they say, 'It just goes with the job.'"

Habiger noted that one reason medics and corpsmen do their job so well is because of their outstanding training. "Training is the finest weapon in their arsenal," he said. "Thanks to their knowledge and training, these brave men and women are able to save lives of our wounded servicemembers."

Habiger also made the point that military medical personnel have a stellar record of treating journalists and other civilians injured on the battlefield. One such journalist is CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier, who was seriously wounded in Iraq in May 2006. She was on hand at the awards ceremony to thank Army medics for saving her life.

"It is because of Army medics that I'm able to stand here today and speak to you," she said.

Dozier and her crew were struck by a car bomb while reporting a story in Baghdad about American soldiers working with Iraqi security forces. Cameraman Paul Douglas, soundman James Brolan, a U.S. Army captain and an Iraqi translator were killed by the blast.

Spc. Izzy Flores, an Army medic, was one the first on the scene to treat Dozier and the other victims. "Izzy Flores and the soldiers who came to our aid did everything they could to keep us alive," Dozier said. "They saved three of us who should have been on the other side of death's door."

Dozier also thanked the medical personnel at the National Naval Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md., where she received long-term medical care. "They helped me keep my sanity and preserve my dignity," she said. "To all of them, thank you."

Flores, now assigned to Fort Hood, Texas, earned a Bronze Star for his actions that day.

"It was like going into robot mode," Flores told American Forces Press Service. "You do everything you're trained to do in a situation like that. My main concern was just to get everybody out of harm's way and fix them up."

The Armed Services YMCA is a nonprofit national affiliate of the YMCA of the USA. It is the leading provider of social and support services to members of the U.S. military and their families.

The organization is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program that highlights the way American individuals, groups and corporations are supporting the nation's men and women in uniform.

This article was sponsored by police and military personnel who have authored books as well as online criminal justice leadership.

DoD, State Department Criticize Red Cross Law of War Study

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

March 8, 2007 – The top lawyers in the State Department and DoD have sent a letter to the International Committee of the Red Cross criticizing the methodology authors used in compiling a study that purports to be a definitive explanation of the laws of war. The letter, signed by John B. Bellinger III, the legal adviser for the State Department, and William J. Haynes II, DoD's general counsel, says the books, titled "Customary International Humanitarian Law," - while noble - are flawed in execution.

Jean-Marie Henckaerts and Eric Mongelard, members of the ICRC's legal division, authored the study. Their 10-year effort produced three volumes, which together are about a foot thick.

"We recognize that a significant number of the rules set forth in the study are applicable in international armed conflict because they have achieved universal status," Bellinger and Haynes wrote in their letter. "Nonetheless, it is important to make clear -- both to you and to the greater international community -- that, based upon our review thus far, we are concerned about the methodology used to ascertain rules and about whether the authors have proffered sufficient facts and evidence to support those rules."

The study is an ICRC attempt to define "customary international humanitarian law." Even this term is somewhat contentious, officials said. In the letter to the ICRC, the U.S. officials state that the preferred term for this body of law is "the law of war" or "the law of armed conflict."

The ICRC tried to pull together the practices of all nations with respect to the law of war and compile rules that the ICRC concludes reflect customary international law binding on nations, said Charles A. Allen, DoD's deputy general counsel for international affairs.

"In doing so, however, they approached it in a way that was problematic, and we think, in terms of process and approach, they did some things wrong, as explained by Mr. Haynes and Mr. Bellinger, that call into question the validity of many of the rules articulated," Allen said.

The United States is the first country to comment officially on the ICRC work, and many countries have looked to the United States for its take on the study, DoD officials said. "We have always had a leadership role in respecting and implementing the law of war," said W. Hays Parks, DoD's premier expert on the law of war and the chairman of the DoD Law of War Working Group.

The main problem with the study is what appears to be a lack of rigor and discrimination in assessing information that was gathered, Parks said. He likened the methods the authors used to performing an Internet search and then not assessing the results for applicability or accuracy. The authors took information from many sources without judging whether it accurately mirrored that state's practice. For example, Parks said, one source the authors cited was a study prepared by an Air Force judge advocate for a class he was teaching. That study certainly was not official U.S. government policy, he said.

The study also fails to take into consideration what a country does, rather than what its officials say the country does. How military forces operate on the ground and how they put the law of war in practice are certainly more important than a "pie in the sky" government statement that does not reflect actual practices, Allen said.

The authors also seemed to give equal weight to statements of all countries. The statements by a country that hasn't been in a war in a century is given the same weight as those of countries that have participated in armed conflicts through the 20th century, Parks said. U.S. officials believe the authors should have given the positions of countries with experience in the law of war on the field of battle more weight than those whose armed forces haven't been involved in armed conflict, he said.

The U.S. letter detailed only four of the 161 rules the study published. "But there are problems with many others," Parks said, "and we anticipate further work to identify the more serious additional shortcomings of the study."

Although U.S. officials have issues with the report's methodology and conclusions, they applaud the commission's effort. "The law of war is extremely important and deserves our utmost attention in clarifying it and to ensure all of our forces understand their responsibilities for complying with it," Allen said. "The United States scrupulously adheres to the law of war, and DoD policies are clear that the law of war is to be adhered to in all DoD operations."

It is in part because of the importance of the law of war that the United States sees the need to bring to light the significant concerns the officials have with this study, he added.

"We work constantly with the ICRC in this and many other areas," Allen said. "We look forward to continuing that work in the future."

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Officials Concerned That Walter Reed Problems Could Damage Staff Morale

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

March 8, 2007 – Top DoD and Army officials are concerned that recent widely publicized problems in outpatient care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here might overshadow the quality of inpatient care and lower staff morale. It is critical that the military community remain confident in the military health system, Assistant Defense Secretary for Health Affairs Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., told members of the House Armed Services Committee today.

"I believe that it's very important at this time that we maintain the morale of our medical professionals, of all those who serve our warriors," Winkenwerder said.

"We need to maintain the confidence of our entire military in the military health system. It's critically important," he said. "People should not question, should not lose their confidence in the care that they are going to received."

Walter Reed employs about 600 full-time physicians, about 600 military and civilian registered nurses, and 550 licensed practical nurses and other para-professionals, according to the center's Web site. It is the Army's largest medical facility and one of the largest in DoD.

The Army's top officer expressed concerns that the widely reported images of substandard housing and administrative at the center paint a broad picture of poor care across the branch.

"Every day there are thousands of very dedicated medical professionals that are tending to our soldiers and their families," said Army Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, Army chief of staff.

"I really am concerned that we paint broadly across this entire professional community things that have been reported and fail to recognized that there are real heroes on the battlefield and everywhere else in the medical community that every day are working against great odds, great obstacles, great bureaucracy to tend to our soldiers and their families," he said. "I am very, very proud of these people."

The Army's top medical officer said soldiers don't go to war on the battlefield without combat medics.

"It is said a soldier won't attack an objective out of the sight of a medic. Our '68 Whiskey' medics are the best in the history of our Army," said Lt. Gen. Kevin C. Kiley, Army surgeon general.

"Care for soldiers on the battlefield is second to none," he said.

Kiley conceded that the center needs to fix problems with the outpatient managing of soldiers, their quality of life and the disability system, but said that no one has complained about the quality of medical care they have received at the top medical facility in the Army.

Dr. David S. C. Chu, defense undersecretary for personnel and readiness, said the high standards of the military's medical services are evident in their historic successes during this war.

"We have the lowest disease and non-battle injury rate in the history of the republic and the highest rate of survival from wounds the American military has ever sustained," he said.

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