Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Bush to Troops: 'The American People Stand Behind You'

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2005 - Victory in Iraq will require the strength and courage of U.S. servicemembers, who by fighting terrorists in Iraq are defeating a direct threat to the American people, President Bush said today at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

Speaking to the brigade of midshipmen, Bush said that although there is vigorous debate in Washington about the war in Iraq, the troops shouldn't doubt that the American people support them.

"When you're risking your life to accomplish a mission, the last thing you want to hear is that mission being questioned in our nation's capital," he said. "I want you to know that while there may be a lot of heated rhetoric in Washington, D.C., one thing is not in dispute. The American people stand behind you."

Debate should not be feared, because it represents one of the greatest strengths of America's democracy, Bush said. The service of military members is what ensures people have the right to debate, he said, and because of servicemembers' sacrifices, people in Baghdad are expressing their opinions freely as well.

Tough days are ahead before the mission is accomplished in Iraq, and America already has lost many fine men and women, Bush said, but the best way to honor their sacrifice is to continue the fight until the mission is complete.

Demonstrating the resolve of America's servicemembers, Bush read a letter left on the laptop computer of Marine Cpl. Jeff Starr, who was killed in Ramadi, Iraq, earlier this year.

"If you're reading this, then I've died in Iraq. I don't regret going,'" Bush read from the letter. "Everybody dies, but few get to do it for something as important as freedom. It may seem confusing why we're in Iraq. It's not to me. I'm here helping these people, so they can live the way we live, not to have to worry about tyrants or vicious dictators. Others have died for my freedom. Now this is my mark."

America mourns the loss of all its fallen servicemembers, Bush said, and to ensure their sacrifices were not in vain, he pledged commitment to the troops serving today.

"To all who wear the uniform, I make you this pledge: America will not run in the face of car bombers and assassins, so long as I am your commander in chief," he said.

America will take the fight to the terrorists and will help the Iraqi people lay the foundations for a strong democracy, Bush said. He thanked the troops for their work establishing freedom in Iraq, which he said will ensure freedom for generations to come.

"Our freedom and our way of life are in your hands; and they're in the best of hands," he said.

Related Sites:

Transcript of President Bush's Remarks [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/11/20051130-2.html]

National Strategy for Victory in Iraq [http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/iraq_strategy_nov2005.html]

Related Article:

Bush: Clear Strategy Will Ensure Victory in Iraq [http://www.dod.mil/news/Nov2005/20051130_3487.html]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051130_3502.html.

====================================================

Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

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Iraq Security Successes Critical to Victory in Iraq, Bush Says

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2005 - As Iraq's security forces gain capability and take on more and tougher missions, they're winning the confidence of the Iraqi people and setting the stage for coalition forces to stand down, President Bush said today in Annapolis, Md.

Bush visited the U.S. Naval Academy to unveil details of the U.S. National Strategy for Victory in Iraq, which lays out political, economic and security aspects of the plan.

Helping the Iraqis build capable, effective security forces is critical not just to the plan's success, but also to Iraq's future as a stable, democratic country, the president said.

It's also a huge indicator of when U.S. troops can begin to return home, he said.

"As the Iraqi forces gain experience and the political process advances, we will be able to decrease our troop levels in Iraq without losing our capability to defeat the terrorists," he told the group.

Bush cited "real progress" toward that end, particularly within the past year.

Last fall, only a few Iraqi battalions were ready for combat. Today, more than 120 Iraqi army and police combat battalions are in the fight against terrorists. Of these, 80 battalions are fighting side by side with coalition forces, and 40 are taking the lead in combat missions.

Most of those 40 battalions are controlling their own battle space and conducting their own operations against terrorists, with some coalition support, Bush said.

This progress is particularly clear when comparing recent anti-terrorist operations in Tal Afar with those last year in Fallujah, the president said.

In Fallujah, Iraqi forces played a limited role as coalition forces carried out the brunt of the mission. In Tal Afar, 11 Iraqi battalions took the lead, with five coalition battalions providing support, he said.

As Iraqi forces lead more operations, they're also taking control of more Iraqi territory, Bush said. More than 30 Iraqi army battalions have assumed control of their own areas of responsibility, including most of Baghdad.

Meanwhile, coalition forces are transferring more forward operating bases to Iraqi control. Last week, the Iraqi government took control of Saddam Hussein's former place in Tikrit.

This progress hasn't been easy and has been uneven at times, Bush noted.

Lessons learned early on, and changes made in response, have helped move the process forward, he said. These include:

- Increasing capabilities of the Iraqi civil defense corps so they're better trained and equipped to defend against enemy forces within the country;
- Increasing training time for Iraq's police spent outside the classroom, with intensive hand-on training in anti-terrorism operations and real-world survival skills; and
- Promoting a "train-the-trainer" concept, with more Iraqis involved in training Iraqi military and police, creating an institutional capability that will develop and grow.
As the training has improved, so too has the quality of new recruits, the president said. "Even though the terrorists are targeting Iraqi police and army recruits, there is no shortage of Iraqis who are willing to risk their lives to secure the future of a free Iraq," he said.

More work remains ahead, not only in training forces, but also in helping the Iraqis build the institutions they need to support their own forces, Bush said.

But Bush expressed optimism that progress will continue. "Iraqi units are growing more dependent and capable. They are defending their new democracy with courage and determination," he said. "They're in the fight today, and they will be in the fight for freedom tomorrow."

As Iraqi forces become more capable, the U.S. military's mission in Iraq will shift to more specialized operations targeting the most dangerous terrorists, he said.

And as Iraqi security forces continue to stand up, he said, coalition forces will be able to begin standing down. "We will increasingly move out of Iraqi cities, reduce the number of bases from which we operate and conduct fewer patrols and convoys," he said.

"Our goal is to train enough Iraqi forces so they can carry the fight," Bush said. "This will take time and patience.

"And it's worth the time and it's worth the effort, because Iraqis and Americans share a common enemy," the president said. "And when that enemy is defeated in Iraq, Americans will be safer at home."

Related Sites:

Text of President Bush's Speech [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/11/20051130-2.html]

National Strategy for Victory in Iraq [http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/iraq_strategy_nov2005.html]

Related Articles:

Bush to Troops: 'The American People Stand Behind You' [http://www.dod.mil/news/Nov2005/20051130_3502.html]

Bush: Clear Strategy Will Ensure Victory in Iraq [http://www.dod.mil/news/Nov2005/20051130_3487.html]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051130_3503.html.

====================================================

Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

====================================================
Visit the Defense Department's Web site for the latest news
and information about America's response to the war against terrorism: "Defend America" at http://www.DefendAmerica.mil.

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Gaming is More Than Just Play for Military Services

By Capt. Steve Alvarez, USA
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2005 - A team of eight U.S. soldiers is engaged by a larger enemy force behind unfriendly lines. The team is hit by three rocket-propelled grenades and three improvised explosive devices, yet they still fight, killing 35 enemies.

This may soon be one of the many scenarios introduced into "America's Army," a video game created for the Army which is available online or on compact disc, and recently was made available commercially to the gaming community. But the virtual reality that may someday be a click away from millions of gamers is based on a soldier's personal reality.

That firefight was real. In 2003, Cincinnati native Army Sgt. Tommy Rieman was in Iraq fighting for his life with his fellow soldiers. His actions that December day earned him the Silver Star and a Purple Heart for the more than 30 gunshot and shrapnel wounds he suffered that day.

Today, the infantryman is assigned to the Pentagon, detailed to work with the Army's video game project and the "Real Heroes" program, which attempts to put a face on today's military heroes.

"They're trying to take people who have been in the fight and incorporate them into the game," Rieman said. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he added. "How many people can say, 'I'm going to be an action figure'?"

America's Army was launched in 2002. Today, according to the game's Web site, it has more than 6 million registered players. More than 3 and a half million have completed the basic training phase, and more than 160,000 have joined the game since Nov. 1.

Each day, 500,000 to 600,000 missions are played, and more than 50 million hours have been played overall. The game is available as an online download. The MOVES Institute -- Modeling, Virtual Environment and Simulation -- at the Naval Postgraduate School was the birthplace of America's Army. Initially sponsored by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, the game's development has since left the institute.

The game is a squad-based, first-person shooter game consisting of basic training progressing to a series of team-based missions that involve operations, Special Forces and combat medic specialties. The game is different things to many. To the new recruit, it is a familiarization tool; to the soldier, it is a training tool; to gamers, it is simply fun.

"It's good for kids that are going to join the Army," Rieman said. "I know a lot of people who play the game and enjoy it."

The basic training portion prepares and familiarizes recruits with what they will face in basic military training. At the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference here, two soldiers watched an exhibitor explain the basic training program. On the computer screen, a virtual soldier demonstrated the correct way to execute a push-up.

But Rieman said the game also helps retain soldiers and enables the public to get to know their soldiers through the game, which incorporates the Army's core values throughout.

"It's a morale booster," Rieman said. "It's a way to look up to a normal person - a role model."

Rieman said he was in a dead-end job before he enlisted in the Army. The game takes soldiers' heroic actions in combat and shares them with the world, showing that "This is an everyday guy who did some good things."

The Army is not alone in its venture into the gaming world. The National Guard began distributing "Guard Force" in 2002 just months after the Army released its game. The game is available at Army National Guard recruiting offices to U.S. residents.

Guard Force is a real-time strategy game using modern military equipment and units, including M1A1 tanks and M2 Bradley fighting vehicles. The game contains six missions that take place in snow covered mountains and lush jungles, performing covert assaults, counter-insurgency and rescue.

The game focuses on the Guard's combat and non-combat missions, and includes missions like training foreign forces, base protection and flood rescues: all missions the Guard has been involved with in recent years.

The Navy's Recruiting Command launched its new online video game July 15 to build interest and awareness of Navy high-tech jobs. Since then, gamers have completed more than 3,000 missions in the "Navy Training Exercise Strike and Retrieve" game. The game, Navy officials said, "provides those age 17 to 24 a chance to participate in a highly sensitive, top-secret mission, and tests their skills in different areas that sailors in the Navy experience in their everyday life."

Using video games as a way to reach potential recruits makes sense, a Navy Recruiting Command official said. "Gaming and interactive electronic media have increasingly become an aspect of this audience's daily lives," the officials said. "Accordingly, the Navy is working to reach them via these new avenues."

In one of the Navy game's scenarios, players are challenged to locate and secure top-secret documents from within a downed unmanned reconnaissance plane while navigating underwater terrain, battling deep-sea creatures and racing against enemy forces trying to locate the downed aircraft.

Players also have an opportunity to learn more about the Navy while searching for special codes that guide them through the game. The game directs players to www.navy.com to find the special codes. The game is available online as a single-player download online.

The Air Force launched its video game, "USAF: Air Dominance," in the last year, and according to Air Force recruiters, the game's purpose is not only to attract recruits, but also to highlight some of the service's missions to the public.

The game ordinarily is available to be played at high-profile public events, such as major sporting events. Players can select to fly three missions using the Air Force's most advanced technological hardware: an F-22 Raptor, a Predator unmanned air vehicle and a C-17 Globemaster III transport.

But unlike the Army, Navy and National Guard games, the Air Force game can be played only on computers in Air Force mobile recruiting centers. The game is designed to give gamers a short experience of about five minutes at public events, enabling them to get a feel for the Air Force, but also opening the doors for recruiters to perform their outreach, Air Force officials said.

The Marine Corps' video game venture coupled experiences from combat Marines with technology from the private sector to create "Close Combat: First to Fight," a game solely distributed to Marines to help them hone their combat skills. It involves a team of four Marines battling insurgents in the Middle East. The game can last more than 20 hours.

But video games are not just being used by the services to recruit, for community outreach, and in retention; they also are being used to prepare the force. For example, games like the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency-sponsored "DARWARS Ambush!" is a networked, multi-player, PC-based trainer that allows troops to experience lessons learned in Afghanistan and Iraq and to construct scenarios based on field experience. Up to 64 trainees can practice together to anticipate and respond to ambushes, IEDs, and other threats.

The Air Force is developing "Avant Guard" for the Air Force Research Laboratory's Human Effectiveness Directorate. This game models an urban convoy protection mission using UAVs. The player directs the UAV and manages the sensor stream to search for hostile personnel. The objective is to detect an ambush ahead of the convoy's arrival.

And the Naval Air Warfare Center has created "Bottom Gun," a periscope training game that allows players to practice missile firing.
"I'm not a big PC gamer," admitted Rieman. But he insisted that the games help develop soldier skills.

"It's a great trainer," Rieman said. Anyone who spends a day training on the devices that use the America's Army platforms, such as the lightweight robot trainer used to conduct explosive ordnance disposal missions, or an anti-armor weapon system, will be successful in live fire exercises, he added.

As one who has seen the realities of war firsthand, Rieman said the games are "as real as it gets."

Related Sites:

America's Army [http://www.americasarmy.com]

Guard Force [http://www.1800goguard.com/guardforce/index.asp]

Navy Strike and Retrieve [http://nte.navy.com/dlgetgame.jsp]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051130_3501.html.

====================================================

Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

====================================================
Visit the Defense Department's Web site for the latest news
and information about America's response to the war against terrorism: "Defend America" at http://www.DefendAmerica.mil.

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Iraqi Troops Kill Man Who Tried to Take Soldier's Weapon

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2005 - Troops from the Iraqi army's 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 7th Division, killed a man Nov. 29 after he tried to take a soldier's weapon near Ramadi, Iraq, military officials reported.

Soldiers fired on the military-aged man after he refused to open his trunk during a vehicle search and went for a soldier's weapon.

Iraqi and coalition forces detained several insurgents and seized weapons caches Nov. 29 during operations throughout Iraq.

Iraqi police detained three men fleeing the scene of a rocket attack on a high school near Musayyib.

Near Rawah, an ineffective would-be suicide car bomb detonated near troops from the 1st Iraqi Intervention Force's 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, while they were providing security for an explosives ordnance team. The soldiers swept the area and apprehended nine men in connection with the incident. Three car bombs were also found nearby. The car bombs were detonated in place by the explosives team and the detainees were turned over to authorities.

Troops from the 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division, discovered and confiscated five one-pound blocks of explosives north of Ramadi.

During sweeps of Karmah, troops from the 1st Iraqi Intervention Force's 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade, and coalition forces discovered and confiscated four weapons caches.

The first cache, found north of Karmah, included cans of black gunpowder, a rifle and about 120,000 primer caps.

The other three caches, found south of Karmah, included 71 82 mm mortar rounds, 13 61 mm mortar rounds, a 122 mm rocket, seven 120 mm mortar rounds, 600 mortar fuses and other various bomb-making materials.

In the skies over Iraq, coalition aircraft flew 55 close-air-support missions Nov. 29. These missions included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities, and operations to deter and disrupt terrorist activities. Coalition aircraft also supported Iraqi and coalition ground forces focused on creating a secure environment for the Dec. 15 parliamentary elections.

U.S. Navy F/A-18s performed a successful air strike near Baghdad, expending a Maverick missile against a building used by terrorists. Air Force F-16s also provided close-air support to coalition troops in contact with insurgents near Hawijah and Miqdadiyah.

Seven U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and Royal Australian Air Force intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft also flew missions in support of operations in Iraq.

(Compiled from Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq and U.S. Central Command Air Forces Forward news releases.)

Related Sites:

Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq [http://www.mnstci.iraq.centcom.mil]

U.S. Central Command Air Forces [http://www.centaf.af.mil/]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051130_3489.html.

====================================================

Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

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Rumsfeld: Iraq's Terrorists Not Worthy of 'Insurgent' Label

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2005 - "Insurgents" just seems like too positive a word to describe terrorists in Iraq and implies a level of legitimacy they don't have and don't deserve, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told Pentagon reporters Nov. 29.

The secretary mused during a Pentagon news briefing about terms that might be more appropriate: "terrorists" and "enemies of the government" among them.

"We frequently call them insurgents, (but) I'm a little reluctant to, for some reason," Rumsfeld said. "They don't have broad support in that country. ... They're against a legitimate government. ... There are also growing divisions among the enemies of the government."

Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, slipped later during the briefing and used the "i" word. "I have to use the word 'insurgent,' because I can't think of a better word right now," he said with a smile.

"Enemies of the legitimate Iraq government," Rumsfeld responded, drawing laughter from reporters. "How's that?"

Jesting aside, both Rumsfeld and Pace affirmed that the enemy threat in Iraq is no laughing matter.

But Rumsfeld said he believes divisions are popping up within the terrorists groups in Iraq and that they're continuing to lose popular support. He predicted that
Iraq's upcoming Dec. 15 elections will take more wind out of the terrorists' sails.

"When the Iraqi people have their own constitution, that they wrote, that they voted for, and then they elect people under that constitution, it becomes increasingly clear that anyone going around killing the Iraqi people (is) fighting against a legitimate government," the secretary said.

"They are against a legitimate constitution, (and) they will be against people who have been legitimately elected under the Iraqi constitution," he said.

Once Iraq's new democratic government stands up, "any contention that there's some sort of an occupation taking place or that coalition forces are there at anything other than the invitation of the government and the United Nations becomes a weaker argument," Rumsfeld said.

Success in fighting terrorism is critical to U.S. security, he said.

"Let's be clear," Rumsfeld emphasized. "U.S. forces are in Iraq to help the Iraqis fight the terrorists there, so we don't have to fight them here in the United States."

Biographies:

Donald H. Rumsfeld [http://www.defenselink.mil/bios/rumsfeld_bio.html]

Gen. Peter Pace, USMC [http://www.defenselink.mil/bios/pace_bio.html]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051130_3488.html.

====================================================

Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

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Bush: Clear Strategy Will Ensure Victory in Iraq

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2005 - A clear, comprehensive U.S. strategy is showing solid progress in Iraq and will ultimately defeat terrorists there and ensure a free Iraq that inspires democratic reformers throughout the Middle East, President Bush said today in Annapolis, Md.

Bush shared details of the "U.S. National Strategy for Victory in Iraq" today, emphasizing that the United States won't surrender Iraq to terrorists and won't abandon its mission there until it's finished.

Speaking to the brigade of midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy, Bush assured the group he wants the same thing all Americans want: to see U.S. troops win and to see them come home as soon as possible. "And those are my goals as well," Bush said. "I will settle for nothing less than complete victory."

Victory against terrorism is critical around the globe, and "the enemy must be defeated on every battlefield," the president said.

But victory in Iraq is particularly important, he said. "The terrorists have made it clear that Iraq is the central front in their war against humanity," he said, "and so we must recognize Iraq as the central front in the war on terror."

A comprehensive national strategy that's helping assure victory in Iraq that has three major elements: political, economic and security, Bush told the group. An unclassified version of that strategy is posted on the White House Web site.

Politically, the United States is helping Iraqis build inclusive democratic institutions to protect all Iraqis, engage those who can be persuaded to join the new government, and marginalize those who never will, the president said.

Economically, he continued, the United States is helping the Iraqis restore infrastructure, reform their economy and build the economic framework that will give all Iraqis a stake in the free and peaceful Iraq.

On the security front, Iraqi and coalition forces are on the offensive against terrorists and those who harbor or support them, Bush said. They're clearing out areas controlled by terrorists, holding that territory using Iraqi forces, and following up with targeted reconstruction to help Iraqis rebuild their lives, he said.

At the same time, the coalition is helping the Iraqis build capable and effective security forces.

Bush cited solid progress in all three areas as more Iraqi security forces stand up and the country moves toward democracy, with national elections scheduled for Dec. 15.

"In just over two and a half years, the Iraqi people have made incredible progress on the road to lasting freedom," he said. "Iraqis have gone from living under the boot of a brutal tyrant to liberation, free elections and a democratic constitution - and in 15 days they will go to the polls to elect a fully constitutional government that will lead them for the next four years."

To critics who say the only U.S. plan in Iraq is to stay the current course, Bush offered a retort.

"If by 'stay the course' they mean we will not allow the terrorists to break our will, they're right,' he said. "If by 'stay the course' they mean we will not permit al Qaeda to turn Iraq into what Afghanistan was under the Taliban - a safe haven for terrorism and a launching pad for attacks on America-they're right as well."

But if critics think "stay the course" means the United States isn't learning from its experience or adjusting tactics to meet the challenges on the ground, "then they're flat wrong," the president said.

"Our strategy in Iraq is clear," he said. "Our tactics are flexible and dynamic. We have changed then as conditions required, and they are bringing us victory against a brutal enemy."

Conditions on the ground, not calls for artificial deadlines, will dictate when that victory is achieved and when U.S troops can return home, Bush told the group.

"Setting an artificial deadline to withdraw would send the message across the world that America is weak and an unreliable ally," he said. "Setting an artificial deadline to withdraw would send the signal to our enemies that if they wait long enough, America will cut and run and abandon its friends.

"And setting an artificial deadline to withdraw would vindicate the terrorist tactics of beheadings and suicide bombings and mass murder, and invite new attacks on America," he said.

Related Sites:

Text of President Bush's Speech [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/11/20051130-2.html]

National Strategy for Victory in Iraq [http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/iraq_strategy_nov2005.html]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051130_3487.html.

====================================================

Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

====================================================
Visit the Defense Department's Web site for the latest news
and information about America's response to the war against terrorism: "Defend America" at http://www.DefendAmerica.mil.

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Standard Federal ID to Replace Common Access Cards

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2005 - A new, standardized identification card is being developed for all federal employees.

The new card will replace the common access cards that military personnel, government civilians and contractors now hold, said Mary Dixon, deputy director of the Defense Manpower Data Center.

The new cards will look much the same as CACs, with a few changes, Dixon said. The color scheme of the card will be different, and more information will be embedded in the card, she said.

The added information on the card will be a biometric of two fingerprints, to be used for identification purposes, and a string of numbers that will allow physical access to buildings, Dixon said.

The biggest change on the new cards will be the addition of wireless technology, which will allow the cards to be read by a machine from a short distance away, Dixon said. This will make the new cards much easier to use for access to buildings than CACs, which must be swiped through a reader, she said.

The new cards themselves will not be enough to grant access to all federal buildings, Dixon said. Rather, they will be checked against each building's database to determine if an individual has access.

One benefit of the new cards will be that each individual will have to meet the same security standards to get the card, so there is a level of confidence implied, Dixon said.

"It means that I can have more trust in somebody else's credential, because I will know that they met at least some basic minimum standards for issuing that card," she said. "I will know that they did the proofing of the person and they made sure they were issuing it to the right person, and they did some background vetting on that person. They're not just issuing it to some person that appears on the scene."

A prototype of the new card is being developed now and will be finalized in the next couple months, Dixon said. The cards will be issued starting in October to all military personnel, government civilians and qualified contractors. In the Defense Department, all employees should have the new cards within three or three and a half years, she said. A timeline has not been set for the rest of the federal government.

Related Site:

DoD Access Card Office [http://www.dmdc.osd.mil/smartcard/owa/ShowPage?p=index]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051130_3486.html.

====================================================

Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

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Visit the Defense Department's Web site for the latest news
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Army's Ongoing Transformation Was Decades in the Making

By Capt. Steve Alvarez, USA
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2005 - Although the Army only began its transformation in 2002, the process has been ongoing and decades in the making, the military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology said here Nov. 29.

Lt. Gen. Joseph L. Yakovac said that when he entered the service in the early 1970s, the soldier was a "cheap instrument of war" outfitted at roughly $2,000 per soldier. "It was a very simplistic Army," he said.

Yakovac was the keynote military speaker at the opening ceremony for the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference.

The general offered anecdotes from his time as a young officer. He recalled that during field exercises, opposing-force vehicles would be marked with numbers. Friendly forces would engage the opposing forces by telling an exercise referee that they could see a particular vehicle, they would offer the vehicle number, and a grid location, and then explain how they would attack the vehicle. Yakovac also recalled using pneumatic mortar rounds, instead of the usual explosive type, to train his soldiers in front of the barracks.

"The revolution in training in the '80s and '90s ... makes us the best Army on the face of the planet," Yakovac said. He added that the transformation of U.S. forces would not be a destination, but a continual evolution.

Part of the training revolution of past decades, Yakovac said, includes the application of lessons learned to forces still in theater. Deployed soldiers currently train between operations and missions, and they train as scenarios change in theater. They adapt to the missions much faster these days, he noted.

An example of this, Yakovac said, is a convoy trainer, a mobile device used by more than 100,000 soldiers deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan. In essence, it replicates what a soldier has seen on the battlefield and brings it to the training field.

But the systems, Yakovac said, are also critical in maintaining skills that tend to erode during deployments. Ultimately, the soldier retains and hones his core skills, but also is able to operate in the unique environment of his mission.

"Training has gone (from) an instrument used at home station to a fully integrated capability," Yakovac said.

Some platoon leaders now in Iraq are being debriefed by a computer application that asks leaders about their operations when they return to their bases, Yakovac said. The information and data are then submitted into a network shared with other forces for training.

Yakovac closed his address by stating that the success of the Army's Future Combat Systems program for the Army and the joint world relies on "reconfigurable trainers" that can be used across the uniformed services. Sharing data was essential, he added.

"The soldier needs what you have shown and demonstrated. It gives us tremendous flexibility," Yakovac said. To support his point, he linked live to an Army officer serving in Mosul, Iraq. The officer's unit deployed with a mobile trainer to help the unit train its younger, less experienced members.

While some mission skills would be honed while deployed, other more routine skills used in peacetime missions might suffer atrophy, the officer said, if not for the mobile trainer. The officer also supported Yakovac's position that sharing and networking improved air and ground forces operations.

The conference continues through Dec. 1.

Related Site:

Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference [http://www.iitsec.org/]

Related Articles:

Today's Operations Building Military of Future [http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051130_3479]

Exhibition Focuses on Joint Operations, Disaster Preparation [http://www.dod.mil/news/Nov2005/20051128_3463.html]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051130_3485.html.

====================================================

Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

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America Supports You: Organization Flies High for Wounded

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2005 - Wounded servicemembers recuperating at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, look to doctors and nurses for their medical care. For creature comforts, they look to the skies.

Terry Goforth is an American Airlines flight attendant who has been working troop transport flights - military chartered flights on commercial airlines into Kuwait since March 2003. Regular layovers in Frankfurt, Germany, allowed her to visit Landstuhl and learn of the needs of the wounded servicemembers there.

Goforth said she asked volunteers at Landstuhl what the patients might like her to bring from the United States during her weekly stopovers. "They started giving us lists of things, and we started (bringing) things on our trips," she said.

At first, Goforth said, she solicited items needed in small quantities from people she knew, but occasionally the hospital staff would request certain items in bulk. That's when she turned to corporations for help and learned she could do more if she incorporated her organization, which she did a year and a half ago as the U.S. Wounded Soldier Foundation.

The Dallas-based organization has donated about 12 tons of goods to the wounded patients at Landstuhl. The value of the donations so far - both goods and cash - is more than $500,000, she said.

The Landstuhl "wish list" changes based on how many patients are at the hospital, and also depends on the time of year, Goforth said. Winter items such as coats, gloves, hats and fleece throw blankets have made the list as winter approaches, but tennis shoes always have been in demand regardless of the season, she added. Along with the organization assistant directors Missy Bauer and Patti Pearson -- also American Airlines flight attendants - Goforth is planning an event with a local radio station to raise funds to purchase tennis shoes.

The donations mean a lot more than just warm fingers and toes to the servicemembers receiving them.

"They're just so grateful for anything that's given to them," Goforth, the foundation's executive director, said. "They want to know that we actually care about them, that we thank them and that we're supporting them. They just want the American public to support them."

The foundation is planning a "Someone Cares Benefit Concert" in conjunction with the United Service Organizations. The country music concert is scheduled for May in Dallas, and the profits raised will benefit the U.S. Wounded Soldier Foundation and the USO.

"It'll bring awareness to the needs of the wounded and thank them and welcome them home," Goforth said. "We should be behind every single soldier."

Related Sites:

America Supports You [http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/]

U.S. Wounded Soldier Foundation [http://www.uswoundedsoldiers.com/]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051130_3484.html.

====================================================

Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

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Iraqi 2nd Army Brigade Ready to Take Over Babil Province

American Forces Press Service

HILLAH, Iraq, Nov. 30, 2005 - The 2nd Iraqi Army Brigade here successfully completed its certification process Nov. 29, military officials reported.

From Nov. 24 to 27, military instructors from Multinational Division Central South tested the combat readiness of 2nd Brigade headquarters and sub-units.

The exam confirmed that the brigade is ready to plan and conduct military activities independently, officials said, opening the way for coalition forces to hand over security responsibility in Iraq's Babil province to Iraqi army units.

From now on, 2nd Brigade will plan and conduct independent operations within its area of responsibility, officials said. Multinational division support will be given only in emergencies by a quick-reaction force, medical evacuation or air support. Multinational division military advisers and trainers will still monitor 2nd Brigade activities, officials said.

The 2nd Brigade consists of two battalions located in different places within the province. It numbers about 1,800 soldiers equipped in light armored vehicles with a variety of weapons. The brigade has taken part in five combat operations so far in cooperation with coalition forces.

During these operations, 2nd Brigade soldiers searched hundreds of vehicles, persons and buildings, seizing illegal weapons and a large amount of ammunition and detaining many terrorism suspects.

During Iraq's Oct. 15 constitutional referendum, the 2nd Brigade established 41 checkpoints and 12 mobile patrols, effectively preventing any attacks.

(From a Multinational Force Iraq news release.)

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051130_3483.html.

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Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

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Rumsfeld: U.S. Obliged to Train Iraqis to Prevent Abuse

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2005 - Though Iraq is responsible for dealing with prisoner abuse or mistreatment by Iraqi security forces, the United States has an obligation to ensure Iraqis are properly trained and are aware of the damage such abuses can cause, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here Nov. 29.

Iraqi leaders know they need the support of the international community and they understand the consequences of abuse allegations, Rumsfeld said at a Pentagon news conference.

"A good way to lose (international support) is to make a practice of something that's inconsistent with the values of the international community," he said. "And I think they know that."

If U.S. servicemembers witness or hear about abuse, it is their responsibility to intervene and stop it, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the same news conference.

"It is absolutely the responsibility of every U.S. servicemember, if they see inhumane treatment being conducted, to intervene to stop it," Pace said.

There already have been cases where U.S. commanders hear of abuse and report it to the Iraqi government, and the government takes responsibility for the problem and stops it, Pace said.

Dozens of countries are involved in training and equipping the Iraqi security forces, Rumsfeld said, all committed to making sure the training includes preventing abuse.

Biographies:

Donald H. Rumsfeld [http://www.defenselink.mil/bios/rumsfeld_bio.html]

Gen. Peter Pace, USMC [http://www.defenselink.mil/bios/pace_bio.html]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051130_3482.html.

====================================================

Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

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Chairman Calls White Phosphorous Legitimate Military Tool

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2005 - White phosphorous is a legitimate military tool, but U.S. forces have been highly judicious about using it to avoid harming civilians, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Pentagon reporters Nov. 29.

Pace defended use of the substance, which U.S. forces use primarily as a smokescreen, to mark targets or to flush enemy combatants out of protected positions. "It is well within the law of war to use those weapons as they are being used for marking and screening," he said.

U.S. troops used limited white phosphorous munitions against legitimate targets during Operation Al Fajr in Fallujah, Iraq, last year, defense officials confirmed. However, officials refuted recent news reports that U.S. forces have used the substance as an incendiary weapon. White phosphorous can cause serious burns if it comes into contact with skin.

U.S. forces have never used white phosphorous to target innocent civilians, officials said, and have taken great pains to avoid doing so.

Just as with any other weapon, troops use a variety of factors to determine the appropriateness of using white phosphorous, explained Air Force Maj. Todd Vician, a Pentagon spokesman. These include the target vulnerability and location, available munitions, and the potential risk to civilians and friendly forces, he said.

"No armed force in the world goes to greater effort than your armed force to protect civilians and to be very precise in the way we apply our power," Pace said.

"A bullet goes through the skin even faster than white phosphorous does. So I would rather have the proper instrument applied at the proper time as precisely as possible to get the job done in a way that kills as many of the bad guys as possible and does as little collateral damage as possible," the chairman said. "That is just the nature of warfare."

White phosphorous was commonly used during the Vietnam War, where it garnered the nickname, "Willie Pete" among troops.

Biography:

Gen. Peter Pace, USMC [http://www.defenselink.mil/bios/pace_bio.html]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051130_3481.html.

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Huge Weapons Cache Yields Thousands of Buried Rounds

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2005 - Iraqi and U.S. forces have removed more than 4,200 mortar rounds from a major weapons cache found Nov. 27 outside of an abandoned military base near Kirkuk, Iraq, military officials reported.

Iraqi soldiers discovered the buried rounds that morning.

The soldiers removed about 800 mortar rounds before realizing the cache was much larger than originally thought. U.S. soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team were called in to help excavate the munitions and secure the area.

The ammunition was buried under concrete blocks with dirt mounded on top. All ammunition removed so far has come from one mound located in a field full of similar mounds. The explosives ordnance disposal team at the site expects to find more rounds as the search expands throughout the field.

"It was a good find," said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Wayne, the explosives team chief at the site. "I'm glad we found it over someone else. All those rounds are potential (improvised explosive devices). We just stopped that many more IEDs."

The rounds will be destroyed in a controlled detonation.

Multiple caches found Nov. 28 on an island in the Euphrates River already have been destroyed, Task Force Baghdad officials said.

Military officials had been monitoring suspicious activity near the Euphrates River southwest of Baghdad for a couple of weeks, officials said. When conditions were right, soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, were ready to spring into action.

"The timing was right to attack the target," said Army Col. Todd Ebel, 2nd Brigade Combat Team commander. "The pieces of the puzzle fit close enough."

Soldiers from the team's 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, secured the objective and discovered three significant weapons caches. Soldiers also searched surrounding homes and facilities, detaining two suspected terrorists.

In total, the soldiers uncovered 11 500-pound bomb shells, C4 explosives, welding equipment, mortar rounds, miscellaneous bomb-making material, 57 mm rockets, 40 bags of fertilizer, 12 directional charges, five 155 mm rounds, 100 feet of detonation cord, three rocket-propelled grenades, eight bags of 20 mm rounds, and other munitions and explosives.

"The large bombs and welding material are critical," Ebel said. "It is likely this material was used for improvised explosive devices and possibly vehicle-borne IEDs that threaten Iraqi citizens and coalition forces. I could not be more proud of these 2/101st soldiers. They do this every day to help bring peace. No one could ask more of them."

In other news, operations have begun to clear weapons and terrorists from the streets for the Dec. 15 national elections. Iraqi army soldiers and U.S. Marines, sailors and soldiers began operations near Hit in the Hai Al Becker region today.

About 500 Iraqi army soldiers from 2nd Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division, and 1,500 Marines and sailors from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, along with 500 soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 114th Field Artillery Regiment, are conducting Operation Iron Hammer east of Hit, about 170 miles from Baghdad.

The Hai Al Becker region is suspected to be an al Qaeda safe area and base of operations for the making of car bombs and roadside bombs, officials said. It also is believed to be a stopping point for terrorists as they transit the "rat lines" down the Euphrates River from Syria into the interior of Iraq.

In early July, Iraqi and U.S. forces established a long-term security presence in Hit during Operation Sword. During Sword, few terrorists were located; however, a score of weapons caches have been discovered in the region.

Iron Hammer will clear the area on the eastern side of the Euphrates River, an area not typically patrolled by Iraqi and U.S. forces.

On Nov. 29, Task Force Baghdad soldiers teamed up with Iraqi security forces to conduct Operation Thunder Blitz in southern Baghdad, resulting in the capture of 33 terror suspects.

Moving rapidly into the area, hundreds of U.S. soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, and Iraqi forces from the 1st Battalion, 2nd Commando Brigade, Wolf Battalion, took the enemy by surprise, securing seven different objective areas along the Tigris River.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Task Force Baghdad news releases.)

Related Site:

Multinational Force Iraq [http://www.mnf-iraq.com/]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051130_3480.html.

====================================================

Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

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Today's Operations Build Future Military

By Capt. Steve Alvarez, USA
American Forces Press Service

ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 30, 2005 - The military of the future is evolving today, military and defense industry officials said at the opening of the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference here Nov. 29.

Before a packed audience of attendees from academia, international armed services and the defense industry, speakers expressed the training and simulation community's vision for the future of joint operational training, touching slightly on the challenges that must be navigated to deliver complex systems such as the Army's Future Combat Systems.

"The ideas and collaboration that occur here at I/ITSEC," Dennis Muilenburg said, make an immense difference to those serving abroad in the global war on terrorism. Muilenburg is the Boeing Company's program manager for the Army's FCS project. He called FCS a "system of systems."

The FCS is considered a critical element in the Army's transformation. Officials say FCS integrates the soldier and combat network into one system. It is the core of the Army's efforts to ensure the service, as part of the joint team, will operate better than ever before and better than any opponent it may face in the 21st century. It is designed to deploy forces any time, anywhere.

FCS modernizes the Army using unmanned and manned systems connected by a common network. The system enables the modular force to provide soldiers with leading-edge technologies to operate in complex environments. At the core of the system is embedded training.

Lessons learned in Operation Iraqi Freedom and other facets of the global war on terrorism, FCS officials said, show that joint, combined-arms, network-centric forces can defeat the enemy quickly and then be key to peacekeeping missions. The Army, as the lead military service at this year's conference, is using these lessons to transform into a faster, more agile force, officials said.

The FCS will deploy 3,200 soldiers in an FCS brigade combat team and train them at the soldier and system level. Project officials said that the program will bring 70 to 80 percent commonality between vehicles used for different missions -- such as infantry operations, reconnaissance, maintenance and recovery, and command and control -- and other vehicles.

"The system will improve the ability to insert combat force into the white space, if you will," Muilenburg said.

FCS, officials said, will decrease the logistical "footprint" of the Army on the battlefield by 30 to 50 percent. The project, they said, was about providing an affordable, but lethal, force to the Army. FCS personnel pointed out that the project is no longer just in its "paper stages," but that many project concepts are being tested in the field, around the world.

For example, hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles are being tested at stateside military installations, and unmanned robots are being used to clear improvised explosive devices, caves and urban terrain obstacles throughout Iraq.

The FCS will enable soldiers to train on their "go-to-war vehicle" prior to deploying and during their deployment, both mounted and unmounted. And officials predict that as the FCS is developed, product designs will reduce the training burden on units and decrease training costs. They predict lowered costs partly due to the commonality between the training and operational systems.

"The joint environment is implicit in how we run this program," Muilenburg said. "Success here is highly dependent on the one-team concept. This is truly the leading edge of training transformation," he said.

More than 360 companies in 35 states are involved in the FCS project. The Army began transforming three years ago with the premise of taking training to the soldier, not the soldier to the training.

Muilenburg showed a video "glimpse of the future" to attendees, titled "Assault on Normandy," in which a small Army unit deploys to secure an objective. The soldiers are tracked on a computer screen by the command element as they make their way to the objective. Overhead, UAVs provide a broad view of the battlefield in real time to the soldiers.

As the soldiers begin to move toward the objective, the enemy repels the assault. Unmanned gun vehicles engage the enemy forces and assist the friendly forces in neutralizing targets. Satellites help identify targets and aid in the launch of missile and artillery fire onto enemy strongholds.

When the soldiers reach their objective, a robotic vehicle enters a room and offers the soldiers a view of what's there before they enter it. Soldiers wounded while breaching the room are monitored as their medical and physiological data is transmitted to personnel watching the force's health.

FCS will begin further field experimentation in 2006 and is scheduled for delivery in 2008. The first functional FCS combat brigade will roll out in 2014.

Related Sites:

Future Combat Systems [http://www.army.mil/fcs/]

Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference [http://www.iitsec.org/]

Related Article:

Exhibition Focuses on Joint Operations, Disaster Preparation [http://www.dod.mil/news/Nov2005/2005112]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051130_3479.html.

====================================================

Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

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