Military News: 22 July 2007 - 28 July 2007

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22 July 2007  --  Marine General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, just concluded an overseas tour that included many stops in Afghanistan, Iraq and Germany.  Part of his tour included many conference visits with top U.S. commanders stationed overseas and local Iraqi and Afghanistani officials.  These talks come as the September deadline looms for the final report to Congress regarding progress in Iraq.  Pace emphasized the importance of gaining many different perspectives on the situation in Iraq in order to formulate strategies going forward as well as to measure progress to date.  The remainder of his trip included several "townhall" meetings at camps stationed throughout U.S. occupied territory, in which question-and-answer sessions with troops were a popular feature.  Pace said he "wanted to thank servicemembers for their service, and to explain personally to soldiers the reasoning behind the decision to extend their deployments."  "I owe it to them," he said, "to stand in front of them and explain...how my thinking emerged, why I made the recommendations I did, and most importantly, tell them that we understand their sacrifice."  While in Germany, Pace also met with the spouses of deployed servicemembers, thanking them for their support and hard work to hold their families together.  Pace told them that "[They] serve as well as anyone who has worn the uniform."

23 July 2007  --  Several news sources report today that arguments are heating up between the U.S. and Pakistan regarding intelligence estimates that Osama bin Laden may be alive and well in pro-Taliban areas of Pakistan.  Mike McConnell, the U.S. director of national intelligence, said that al Qaeda members, including bin Laden, have likely regrouped in Pakistani "safe havens" controlled by pro-Taliban tribal leaders.  White House homeland security advisor Frances Townsend, and White House spokesman Tony Snow both reiterated that all "instruments" at the disposal of the U.S. will be committed to taking effective action against bin Laden and Taliban forces; even if that action includes direct military force in Pakistan.  However, Pakistan's Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao, its chief military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad and its Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri have all stated that Pakistan is committed to performing its own operations against militants and have asked the U.S. to provide creditable proof of the Taliban's presence in Pakistan.  Wish to comment on this issue?  Check out the MyMilitaryYears Forum page and post your comments.  (click here to be taken to the Forum page)

24 July 2007  --  A four month-long humanitarian mission to several Latin American and Caribbean countries continues today.  The USNS Comfort hospital ship departed from Norfolk, VA, on 15 June, and has since made its way along the Central American corridor.  Already having treated over 55,000 patients in Belize, Guatemala and Panama, the Comfort is now off the shore of Nicaragua.  The ship's staff includes approximately 500 medical personnel from various fields, hailing from the Navy and other military services, governmental agencies and non-governmental groups.  The purpose of the mission is to provide on-going training, strengthen regional partnerships and promote interoperability across nations.  One example of the missions carried out by Operation Comfort is "Operation Smile."  A "whole team of nurses, anesthesiologists, plastic surgeons, dentists, orthodontists, a speech therapist, a nutritionist and a psychologist" will complete around 35 surgeries by the time their Nicaragua visit ends.  The objective of "Smile" is to give medical care to Nicaraguan children who suffer from facial deformities, cleft lips and palates.  Other services provided by Operation Comfort include everything from immunizations and primary care for adults and children to dentistry and prescription services.  Paul Padilla, whose son Darwin had an extra toe surgically removed by the Comfort Team, said " like the ship, but what I like most about it is the people,” Padilla said. “[The people on the ship] are loving and caring. It’s good to know that there are people that care about other countries and are willing to help.”

25 July 2007  --  In a Reuters report released today, a close look is given to the U.S. military health care system.  A presidential commission assigned by President George W. Bush to investigate the current condition of the health care system in place to care for returning troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan delivered a 29-page report to the Commander in Chief today.  The findings were startling.  Among its recommendations, the panel called for an overhaul of the "complex and confusing" military health care system and urged an overhaul of the standards now used to determine how troops' disabilities are determined and compensated.  It also asked Congress to broaden laws targeted toward "easing the burden on families of wounded troops."  The report also proposed that the Pentagon and the VA: streamline the current system, so as to make it more easily understood by and accessible to wounded troops and their families; "develop integrated teams of medical professionals, social workers and vocational rehabilitation staff to create recovery plans for injured troops"; and create a single standardized medical exam to be used as a means of establishing a wounded servicemember's level of disability and whether or not he/she is fit to serve.  The findings of the panel, originally called the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors, were based on surveys taken from over 1,700 current and former servicemembers wounded in the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

26 July 2007  --  James R. Clapper Jr., undersecretary of defense for intelligence and retired Air Force lieutenant general, gave a report before a joint committee meeting of U.S. House of Representatives yesterday.  Clapper was called to testify before the hearing members regarding the recently released 2007 National Intelligence Estimate.  Clapper told the legislators that the ongoing U.S. offensive abroad has helped prevent more 9/11-like attacks on U.S. soil.  He did stress, however, that al Qaeda's resolve to conduct further "visually dramatic mass-casualty attacks here at home" is still intact.  Clapper told committee members that al Qaeda and affiliate groups have carried out attacks in more than two dozen countries since September 11, 2001, and they continue to try to procure "chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials."  "[T]here’s no doubt that al Qaeda or some other terror group would use such weapons on America if they had the chance," he added.  Clapper said that the current war on terrorism must be fought wherever in the world terrorists operate, and that wars of this type do not have "finite start and finish dates."  He maintained that the Intelligence Estimate clearly points to the fact that the U.S.' involvement in Iraq is part of the global war on terror, and so is a necessary part of providing homeland security.

27 July 2007  --  Two articles appeared today on the American Forces Press Service website, highlighting groups' contributions to military personnel and their families.  "America Supports You" recognized the Emmy awards' nomination of the Sesame Street program "When Parents Are Deployed."  Originally aired by PBS on December 29, 2006, the program is hosted by Cuba Gooding Jr., and is part of the Sesame Workshop's outreach initiative called "Talk, Listen, Connect: Helping Families During Military Deployment."  Also recognized for its efforts to assist military families, is a unique therapy program called "Back in the Saddle Bit by Bit" (BITS).  BITS is based in Colorado; its purpose is to identify qualified programs around the U.S. that utilize equine therapy techniques.  These programs are then used to "help wounded military heroes and their families regain physical and mental fitness by riding and working with horses," says Jeanie Clifford, BITS founder.  According to the BITS website, "Case studies have proven that equine therapy helps improve self-esteem, coordination, problem-solving skills, balance and strength."  BITS also assists veterans in the program to find employment.  In fact, the first national BITS fundraiser is now being conducted.  To participate, all people need to do is use their cell phones to text message "BITS" to number 90999.  The cost for each message is $9.99, and net proceeds will benefit the BITS program.

28 July 2007  --   Any successful Iraqi strategy will be able to address many facets of developing government institutes and economic structures.  In an article published yesterday by the AFPS, the spotlight was moved to Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Teams (EPRTs) stationed throughout Iraq.  EPRTs were established as a means to assist local businesspeople and local governments become established and functional within the democratic government being established in Iraq.  Lou Latner, a U.S. State Department public affairs officer who directs an EPRT working with 10th Mountain Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, said that "National government is new for [local people in Iraqi villages]," he said. "People are getting used to this new way of doing things. They're not used to dealing with planning projects, doing budgets, submitting them to government, getting them funded; it's our job to help that happen."  He pointed out that, under Saddam Hussein's reign, only those projects and businesses that were of personal interest to Hussein achieved any funding and growth.  It will take extensive education and training to develop local business and governmental foundations, which will in turn support the new National government.  Another challenge to EPRT efforts is the need to "[Adapt] U.S. marketing culture to Iraqi modes of doing business," said Jeff Kaufman of the U.S. Agency for International Development.  Kaufman does point out the many benefits of brigade and EPRT functions.  Micro-loans clinics and marketing classes planned by the 2nd Brigade Combat Team will help businesses improve their services and expand; job will then be created, and terrorism linked to joblessness will be reduced.  Emergency plans and strategies are also being formulated and implemented.  In areas where agriculture is a mainstay, farmers and veterinarians are also receiving special attention and training.  Local veterinarians are being helped  to establish their own practices, and farmers are receiving assistance in forming cooperatives and associations that will remain in place once government subsidies are phased out.  While these, and other, reconstruction efforts are not as visible as tactical military operations, they remain a vital part of the team effort to guide and assist local Iraqis establish themselves without strong dependence on more "concrete assets" that will be removed once U.S. forces are withdrawn.