FORMER NAVY SEABEE HELPS DEVELOP AFGHAN AGRIBUSINESS

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENTArmy Spc. Michael Hilario measures wood before cutting it in southern Afghanistan, May 4, 2012. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Paul Evans
Face of Defense: Guardsman Uses Seabee Skills in AfghanistanBy Army Staff Sgt. Paul Evans
Kentucky National Guard

FORWARD OPERATING BASE PASAB, Afghanistan, July 25, 2012 - A former Navy Seabee who now serves with the Kentucky National Guard is putting his old skills to work as part of an agribusiness development team in Afghanistan.

"No matter what we have to go through and the hard things we have to deal with, to be able to know that you're here to help others, it's a way of life just because it's the way I was raised," said Army Spc. Michael Hilario, a 47-year-old Virginia Beach, Va., native, who resides in Lexington, Ky.

Hilario is deployed with the Kentucky Guard's Agribusiness Development Team 4.

Back in Kentucky, Hilario has served as an electrician with the Army National Guard's 149th Vertical Engineering Detachment, 201st Engineer Battalion, in Cynthiana, Ky., since leaving the Navy Reserve in 2008. During his 10 years with the Navy, Hilario deployed to Iraq twice as a Seabee, earning the Seabee Combat Warfare device and Fleet Marine Force Ribbon.

"I was active for right at two years," he said. "I was on the USS Kittyhawk for a little bit, and the USS Antietam out west in California, [then] I was out of the service for a very short period of time and wanted to get back into the Seabees. ... I've been an electrician for over 18 years. I'm a general contractor. That's what I do best, so I got with the Seabees and went to Ramadi, Fallujah and Baghdad."

In Iraq, he added, his construction battalion built airstrips, medical evacuation hospitals and schools. "It's quite a good feeling to know you can go over and help people like that," he said.

In Afghanistan, Hilario has put his past as a Seabee to good use by helping with the agribusiness development team's construction projects and serving as a liaison with the Seabees here.

"Things that we've needed, I've been able to go over and obtain," he said. "The things that they've needed, I've been able to help them as well. It's brotherhood taking care of brotherhood here. It's all family. ... I believe in helping others. That's the way I was raised."

"It's pretty evident that he knows how to do electric work pretty good," said Army Master Sgt. John Black, a 45-year-old Lawrenceburg, Ky., resident who works as a supervisor to Hilario on construction projects. "He's [also] a jack of all trades."

Hilario said service is in his bloodlines, as his father retired from the Navy as a chief petty officer, and his grandfather was a master chief petty officer.

"I wanted to be a part of the agribusiness development team because I knew they were doing some good things here," he said.

Hilario has three children at home. Two are teenagers who have learned to deal with his deployments.

"My oldest two -- Britney, 21, Michael, 18, -- they've been through it a couple of times. They know it's hard, but they're military children," he said. "It's gotten hard the first couple of times, but now they're understanding how things are, what we're here for, what we're here to do, and they know this is part of daddy's life as well as theirs."

His youngest child is almost 3, he said, and isn't old enough yet to understand. "I'm sure the video I sent him made him aware -- let him know where dad's going," he said. "He'll look back on it in the years to come. We'll sit down and we'll talk about it too."

After this deployment, Hilario said, he'll probably go home for a couple months and take it easy. But he'll be glad to return if necessary, he added.

"If they need me back, I'd go back again," he said. "I wouldn't hesitate."

Helping people is a family tradition, Hilario said.

"There's no amount of money that can ever replace the feeling that you get when you're able to help out people in your community and your country," he said. "There's nothing like the feeling of going and helping people."

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA PREDICTS ATTACKS ON ALEPPO WILL CAUSE ASSAD'S DOWNFALL

 

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Panetta: Aleppo Attacks Will Cause Assad's Downfall
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, July 29, 2012 - The Syrian regime's attacks on the citizens of Aleppo ultimately will be "a nail in Assad's coffin," Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said today.

Panetta is traveling to North Africa and the Middle East for a series of meetings, and Syria figures prominently in his conversations in Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Tunisia.

Bashar Assad's forces have launched heavy attacks against Aleppo, Syria's largest city. The violence that the regime is launching against its own people will ensure that the regime will fall eventually, Panetta told reporters traveling with him.

The international community has brought economic and diplomatic pressure on Syria to stop the violence and to have Assad step down for a transition to a democratic form of government. "The key right now is to continue to bring that pressure to bear on Syria to provide assistance to the opposition and to provide whatever humanitarian aid we can to assist the refugees," Panetta said en route to Tunisia.

The United States must not do anything to show that the international community is anything other than unified in the effort to bring the Assad regime down, the secretary said.

Panetta also discussed the chemical and biological warfare sites in Syria that U.S. planners say need to be secured. "We've been in close coordination with countries in the region to ensure that this is happening," the secretary said.

The United States also is working with Turkey and Jordan to provide humanitarian assistance to refugees from Syria.

U.S.-ERITREA RELATIONS

Map Credit:  U.S. State Department

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENTThe United States established diplomatic relations with Eritrea in 1993, following its independence and separation from Ethiopia. The United States supported Eritrea's independence, but U.S.-Eritrea relations became strained as a result of the 2001 government crackdown against political dissidents and others, the closure of the independent press, and limits on civil liberties, which has persisted to this day. Eritrea's authoritarian regime is controlled entirely by the president, who heads the sole political party; that party has ruled the country since 1991. Elections have not taken place since then. Regionally, Eritrea has had military confrontations with Ethiopia and Djibouti over border disputes It has also been cited by the UN for destabilizing activities in the broader Horn of Africa.

U.S. interests in Eritrea include encouraging Eritrea to contribute to regional stability, reconciling ongoing disputes with Ethiopia and Djibouti, urging progress toward a democratic political culture, citing and addresses human rights issues, and promoting economic reform.

U.S. Assistance to EritreaAt the Eritrean Government's request, the United States no longer provides bilateral assistance to Eritrea. The U.S. has no military-to-military cooperation with Eritrea.

Bilateral Economic RelationsEritrea's Government and ruling party control the economy. The United States and Eritrea have very little bilateral trade. Eritrea is a member of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, which has a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement with the United States.

Eritrea's Membership in International OrganizationsEritrea and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank.

DOD NEWS ON MILITARY OLYMPIANS

Navy Reserve Petty Officer 1st Class Sandra Uptagrafft pauses to collect herself while competing in the women's 10-meter air pistol event at the 2012 Summer Olympics at London's Royal Artillery Barracks, July 29, 2012. U.S. Army photo by Michael Molinaro

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Jitters Get Best of Uptagrafft in Olympic Pistol DebutBy Michael Molinaro
U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit

LONDON, July 29, 2012 - Despite having a difficult Olympic debut, Navy Reserve Petty Officer 1st Class Sandra Uptagrafft's experience in London today featured enough goosebumps and memories to last a lifetime.

Uptagrafft, wife of Sgt. 1st Class Eric Uptatgrafft of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, finished 28th with a score of 378 in the women's 10-meter air pistol event at the Royal Artillery Barracks.

First-time Olympic jitters, common to many shooters who toe the line for the first time on the world's grandest stage, led to a result that was not in her game plan.

"Once I hit the match button, it hit me that I am at the Olympic Games, and it kind of took me out of my rhythm," Sandra said. "It took me a while to settle down and refocus. That's what I was able to do my last two strings. It's really disappointing, because I knew going into the match that this would happen."

China's Wenjen Guo won the gold medal with a total score of 488.1 points. France's Celine Goberville (486.6) claimed the silver. Ukraine's Olena Kostevych (486.6) took the bronze.

Adding to Uptagrafft's displeasure was the fact that her sister Andrea traveled from Singapore yesterday to watch her compete in a match for the first time. Sandra said she was thinking, 'This is not an example of what to do,' and that she was disheartened because her sister saw her shoot poorly.

The outcome, though, had no bearing on the joy Andrea experienced while watching her sister compete in the biggest sporting event in the world.

"It was pretty cool," Andrea said. "I was surprised everyone was so calm and calculated. I was trying to keep calm as well, because I was slightly nervous and hoping for her to do well. I am very proud of her. I know this whole thing is overwhelming."

After the match, the sisters shared a hug. Uptagrafft's husband, however, was not there for the reunion. Eric missed his wife's Olympic debut because of a lack of training space at the Olympic shooting venue for upcoming competitors, which forced several Team USA shooters to return to Denmark to train.

Eric will compete Aug. 3 in men's prone rifle. Although he missed Sandra's match, they were able to share something much more memorable when they walked together in the Opening Ceremony at Olympic Stadium on the night of July 27. That was a moment Sandra said she will never forget.

"Walking into the opening ceremonies was the ultimate high," she said. "I still get goosebumps thinking about it now. To walk the opening ceremonies with my husband, hand-in-hand, just made it that much more meaningful and something I will carry the rest of my life."

Uptagrafft said she enjoyed the camaraderie and support exhibited by all of the U.S. shooters, something they normally do not get to share, because most matches are spread around the world. The venues and the athletes' village have been great, she said.

With one event completed, Sandra is ready to compete again Aug. 1 in the women's 25-meter sport pistol event.

"I definitely had a learning experience here, and I am hoping to take what I learned in this match and take it into my next one," she said. "Hopefully, this got the jitters out of the way, and if I can execute my shot plan, I hope to find myself in the finals."
　

　

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Army Spouse Competes in First Medal Event of OlympicsBy Michael Molinaro
U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit

LONDON, July 29, 2012 - In front of an enthusiastic crowd eager to witness presentation of the first medals of the London Olympic Games, Jamie Gray, wife of a U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit soldier, competed in women's 10-meter air rifle yesterday at the Royal Artillery Barracks here.

Gray, a two-time Olympian, finished fifth after making the final in the event for her second consecutive Olympics. She shot a qualification score of 397, followed with a final round of 102.7 for an overall score of 499.7, a little more than three points behind China's Siling Yi, who prevailed with 502.9 points.

Sylwia Bogacka of Poland won the silver medal with 502.2 points, and was followed by bronze medalist Dan Yu of China with 501.5.

"Personally, I think I shot 39 great shots," said Gray, who finished fourth in air rifle at the Beijing Games. "You can't ask for more than that. I knew I had to have a great final to have a chance. Bottom line is you can't win a medal with a 397. It's not good enough at the Olympics."

The day was a roller coaster of sorts for Gray, who is married to Army Staff Sgt. Hank Gray. After an equipment problem had her scurrying for tools and a quick fix, she started with a perfect 100 before shooting a 99 and a 98. Two of the three dropped shots were 9.9s, meaning she missed two more 10s by mere millimeters.

On the outside looking in with 10 shots to go, Gray nailed all 10 in the center ring, putting her into a five-woman shoot-off for the four remaining spots in the eight-person finale.

Among those in the shoot-off were U.S. teammate Sarah Scherer and good friend Katerina Emmons, the 2008 Beijing gold medalist in the event, who hails from the Czech Republic. All three women made the final.

"Of course, I was pulling for all three of us to make it," Gray said. "At the same time, my focus was on my own shooting, so I couldn't worry about what they were doing."

Heading into the final, Gray, a native of Lebanon, Pa., was in sixth place, but only one point out of medal contention. After the first three shots, she found herself in eighth place along with an old back problem that started to flare up. Similar to the qualification round, she forged ahead and clawed back into contention with a solid string of shots, but time ran out on her quest for a medal.

"She's always been a fighter," said Maj. Dave Johnson, the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program and USA Shooting rifle coach. "We've had her on the team since she was 16. She exhibited that toughness back then and still does."

Europe is known as the home of shooting, and the local competitors did not disappoint. The atmosphere was more fitting for an NCAA Final Four game, as the sold-out crowd made for a scene like no other in shooting sports. Music blared while the finalists prepared for the final round, and spectators from around the globe waved their countries' flags.

"The crowd was amazing," Gray said. "We don't have that outside of a final in our sport in the States. It was awesome. I think it would be awesome if every match was like that."

Jacques Rogge, the head of the International Olympic Committee, was among those in attendance to watch the event. Yi came into the match heavily favored and came out on top after a competitive back-and-forth competition with Bogacka and fellow countryman.

"I was up since 5 in the morning," said Yi. "There was a lot of pressure on me. I was quite nervous, but just focused on the competition."

The mission now for Gray and the coaches is to move on and refocus her attention to her next event, women's three-position rifle. Gray will have to wait seven days before getting another chance at a medal, which is a blessing in disguise, she said, because of her recurring back pain.

"It's great to have a break and try to get that under control," Gray said. "I am excited to get on the range tomorrow and get some range time and get in positions again now that air gun is over."

Gray just missed a medal in three events during her Olympic career, and despite a bad back, equipment issues or anything else that may disrupt her normal routine, her coach said there is no doubt that she will be game-ready for her next event.

"In Beijing, she just missed a medal and it was painful, but the experience helped her shoot well a couple days later," Johnson said. "She just got more experience in a final again with this match. I expect her to make another final, and we'll see what happens."

SEC GETS COURT TO FREEZE ASSETS OF HONG KONG AND SINGAPORE INSIDE TRADERS

FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSIONWashington, D.C., July 27, 2012
– The Securities and Exchange Commission today obtained an emergency court order to freeze the assets of traders using trading accounts in Hong Kong and Singapore to reap more than $13 million in illegal profits by trading in advance of this week’s public announcement that China-based CNOOC Ltd. agreed to acquire Canada-based Nexen Inc.

The SEC alleges that Hong Kong-based firm Well Advantage Limited and other unknown traders stockpiled shares of Nexen stock based on confidential information about the deal in the days leading up to the announcement. Well Advantage is controlled by prominent Hong Kong businessman Zhang Zhi Rong, who also controls another company that has a "strategic cooperation agreement" with CNOOC.

The SEC took the emergency action to freeze the traders’ assets within days of the public announcement of the deal and less than 24 hours after Well Advantage placed an order to liquidate its entire position in Nexen. The SEC’s investigation continues.

"Well Advantage and these other traders engaged in an all-too-familiar pattern of misusing inside information to place extremely timely trades and profit handsomely from their illegal acts," said Sanjay Wadhwa, Deputy Chief of the SEC Enforcement Division’s Market Abuse Unit and Associate Director of the New York Regional Office. "Despite the challenges of investigating misconduct in the U.S. by trading accounts located overseas, we have moved swiftly to freeze the assets of these suspicious traders and will hold them accountable for their actions."

According to the SEC’s complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan, CNOOC and Nexen announced before the markets opened on Monday, July 23 that CNOOC agreed to acquire Nexen for approximately $15.1 billion. Nexen’s stock subsequently rose sharply that day to close at nearly 52 percent higher than Friday’s closing price.

The SEC alleges that Well Advantage and certain unknown traders were in possession of material nonpublic information about the impending acquisition when they purchased Nexen’s stock in the days leading up to the public announcement. Well Advantage purchased more than 830,000 shares of Nexen on July 19 and had an unrealized trading profit of more than $7 million based on Nexen’s closing price on the day of the announcement. The other unknown traders used accounts located in Singapore to purchase more than 676,000 Nexen shares in the days preceding the announcement. They immediately sold nearly all of the stock once the announcement was made for illicit profits of approximately $6 million.

The emergency court order obtained by the SEC freezes the traders’ assets valued at more than $38 million and prohibits the traders from destroying any evidence. The SEC’s complaint charges Well Advantage and the unknown traders with violating Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Exchange Act Rule 10b-5. In addition to the emergency relief, the Commission is seeking a final judgment ordering the traders to disgorge their ill-gotten gains with interest, pay financial penalties, and permanently bar them from future violations.

The SEC’s Market Abuse Unit led by chief Daniel M. Hawke and deputy chief Sanjay Wadhwa has conducted the expedited investigation in this matter jointly with the agency’s New York Regional Office. The investigation has been conducted by the New York-based unit members Michael Holland, Simona K. Suh, Charles D. Riely, and Joseph G. Sansone along with Elzbieta Wraga in the New York Regional Office. The SEC thanks the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for its assistance in this matter.

U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WEIGHS IN ON MOSQUE'S OCCUPANCY APPLICATIONS IN TENNESSEE

FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Justice Department Files Lawsuit Requiring Rutherford County, Tenn., to Allow Mosque to Open in City of Murfreesboro Complaint Seeks Temporary Restraining Order and Injunction Compelling County to Process Mosque’s Applications for a Certificate of Occupancy

The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a federal lawsuit against Rutherford County, Tenn., alleging that the county violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) when, in compliance with a state chancery court ruling, it refused to process or issue a certificate of occupancy to the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro for a recently constructed mosque. The department’s complaint states that a certificate of occupancy is needed immediately so that the Islamic Center can hold worship services at the new facility during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which begins at sundown on July 19.

The lawsuit, filed today in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, alleges that the county’s refusal came as a result of a recent state chancery court order last month, which, acting in response to a motion brought by individuals opposed to the mosque, enjoined the county from processing or issuing a certificate. The chancery court ruled that the county had provided insufficient public notice prior to the hearing at which the county approved the mosque’s site-plan. The chancery court imposed a heightened notice requirement on the mosque, one not imposed on other religious or secular organizations.

"Our nation was founded on bedrock principles of religious liberty. The Department of Justice will continue to vigorously enforce civil rights laws that protect religious freedom," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "When a faith community follows the rules, as the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro has done in seeking to construct its place of worship, it is impermissible to change the rules in a discriminatory way that prevents people of faith from exercising their fundamental right to worship."

"The United States Attorney’s Office will zealously protect every citizen’s right to worship and assemble," said Jerry E. Martin, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. "If we do not protect the rights of these congregants in Rutherford County, then the rights of all people are endangered and diminished."

The government’s complaint seeks a court order requiring the county to act promptly on the Islamic Center’s application for a certificate of occupancy despite the chancery court’s injunction.

The case began when the Islamic Center, which has been operating in Rutherford County since 1982, sought to construct a new mosque for its growing congregation. In 2009, it purchased land for that purpose on Veals Road in Rutherford County and, in compliance with the county’s zoning regulation, subsequently applied for site-plan approval. After considering the proposal at a regularly scheduled, advertised meeting, the county approved the site plan. Following the county’s approval, opponents of the mosque filed a lawsuit in state court seeking to stop construction. Ultimately, with the exception of the plaintiffs’ public-notice claim, the chancery court dismissed the plaintiffs’ claims.

RLUIPA prohibits religious discrimination in land use and zoning decisions. Persons who believe that they been subjected to religious discrimination in land use or zoning may contact the Housing and Civil Enforcement Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division at 1-800-896-7743. Additional information about the Justice Department’s efforts to combat religious discrimination may be found at www.justice.gov/crt/spec_topics/religiousdiscrimination/.

The complaint is an allegation of unlawful conduct. The allegations must be proven in federal court.

Living on coffee

Living on coffee

U.S. NAVY TARGETS DRUG TRAFFICKING ROUTES

FROM: U.S. NAVY120717-N-DG679-006 MAYPORT, Fla. (July 17, 2012) The guided-missile frigate USS Nicholas (FFG 47) with embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment arrives at Naval Station Mayport to offload more than 7,500 pounds of cocaine and 240 pounds of marijuana in support of Operation Martillo. Operation Martillo, Spanish for "hammer," is a U.S., European, and Western Hemisphere partner nation effort targeting illicit trafficking routes in coastal waters along the Central American isthmus. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Toiete Jackson/Released)

USS Nicholas Brings Home 4 Tons of Drugs from Operation Martillo
From U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet Public Affairs
MAYPORT, Fla. (NNS) -- Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate USS Nicholas (FFG 47) delivered more than four tons of cocaine and marijuana to Naval Station Mayport, Fla., seized from drug interdictions conducted in support of Operation Martillo, July 17.

Crew members offloaded approximately 3,408 kilograms (7,500 pounds) of cocaine, and 109 kilograms (239 pounds) of marijuana, with an estimated wholesale value of more than $93 million. The amount of cocaine seized was enough for 7.2 million doses, each dose approximately the same size as a sugar packet.

USS Nicholas is returning to port after a 175-day deployment supporting counter illicit trafficking operations aimed at disrupting transnational organized crime and keeping drugs off the streets.

"With the help of some partners in the region we accomplished what we set out to do; disrupt the drug trade," said Cmdr. Stephen Fuller, USS Nicholas commanding officer. "Interdictions are challenging, but with the help of other naval units, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the partner nation navies, we executed a successful deployment."

During the deployment, Nicholas with embarked U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) conducted a combination of six disruptions and interdictions while in the Caribbean Sea, and the Atlantic and Pacific coastal waters of South and Central America.

Also during the deployment, Nicholas transited the Panama Canal twice, conducted passing exercises and an officer exchange with the Colombian Navy, certified 22 pilots through Helicopter Anti Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 42 Detachment 9, four underway replenishments with a Chilean oiler, celebrated the anniversary of the War of 1812, and a "Crossing the Line" ceremony when the ship crossed the equator.

U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels, U.S. military and patrol aircraft from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, along with the support of allied and partner nation (PN) forces assisted with patrolling coastal regions from Colombia to Mexico to detect and monitor illicit traffic in order to cue and support PNs and U.S. interagency interdiction efforts.

Patrol airplanes from Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 77 (VAW-77), Patrol Squadron Eight (VP-8) operating from El Salvador and U.S. Customs and Border Protection long range patrol aircraft operating from Jacksonville, Fla. And Corpus Christi, Tex., use sophisticated sensors to detect suspicious vessels and coordinate interdictions by the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard and partner nations patrolling the region.

More than 80 percent of the narcotics entering Central America and largely transiting through Mexico on their way to U.S. markets enter via maritime littoral routes, with the main conveyance being "go-fast" boats. By teaming up with regional partner nations and allied forces to scrutinize the littorals, transnational organized crime networks will be denied those routes.

LEDETs belong to Tactical Law Enforcement Team South or Pacific Tactical Law Enforcement Team and are an armed deployable specialized force under the USCG's Deployable Operations Group. They were created to support narcotics interdiction operations aboard U.S. Navy and allied ships and are capable of supporting DOD national defense operations. LEDETs provide specialized law enforcement capability and maritime security capabilities to enforce U.S. laws across a full spectrum of maritime response situations, maritime security augmentation and maritime interdiction anti-piracy operations.

Operation Martillo (Spanish for 'hammer') is a U.S., European, and Western Hemisphere partner nation effort targeting illicit trafficking routes in coastal waters along the Central American isthmus. This joint service, interagency, and multinational operation is being led by Joint Interagency Task Force South, the agency charged with detection, monitoring, and supporting the interdiction of illicit trafficking in a 42 million square mile area under the direction of U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM).

Operation Martillo is a component of the U.S. government's coordinated interagency regional security strategy in support of the White House strategy to combat transnational organized crime and the U.S. Central America Regional Security Initiative.

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet (COMUSNAVSO/C4F) supports USSOUTHCOM joint and combined full-spectrum military operations by providing principally sea-based, forward presence to ensure freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain, to foster and sustain cooperative relationships with international partners and to fully exploit the sea as maneuver space in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions.

U.S. - SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE RELATIONS

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

U.S. - SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE RELATIONSThe United States established diplomatic relations with Sao Tome and Principe in 1976, following its independence from Portugal. U.S. relations with Sao Tome and Principe are excellent. The two countries share a commitment to democracy and good governance. The Voice of America broadcasts to much of Africa from a relay transmitter station in Sao Tome.

U.S. Assistance to Sao Tome and PrincipeU.S. foreign assistance to Sao Tome and Principe is focused on improving the professionalism and capacity of the country’s small military and coast guard and enhancing its maritime security efforts. Situated in the oil-rich, strategically significant Gulf of Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe is a member of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), which is the focus of an increasing number of regional security initiatives. Sao Tome and Principe has been an active player in ECCAS’s Zone D maritime security exercises, and a participant in the U.S. Navy’s Africa Partnership Station ship visits to Gulf of Guinea countries.

Bilateral Economic RelationsU.S. exports to Sao Tome and Principe include vehicles, electrical machinery, aircraft, and iron and steel products, while its imports from Sao Tome and Principe include optic and medical instruments, cocoa, and furniture and bedding. Sao Tome and Principe is eligible for preferential trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act. The two countries do not have a bilateral investment treaty or taxation treaty.

Sao Tome and Principe's Membership in International OrganizationsSao Tome and Principe and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank. Sao Tome and Principe also is an observer to the World Trade Organization.

RECENT U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTOS

FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE
Capt. Blaine Jones, Thunderbird 6, Opposing Solo pilot, takes off during the Joint Base Lewis-McChord Air Expo, July 22, 2012. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Larry E. Reid Jr.)


　

Fighting the heat
Firefighters from the 51st Civil Engineer Squadron extinguish a fire started from a simulated C-130 Hercules cargo plane crash at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, during the operational readiness exercise Beverly Midnight 12-03, July 23, 2012. Each scenario tests their ability to defend the base and conduct daily operations during a heightened state of readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Craig Cisek)


　

Remove before flight
Maintainers from the 81st Fighter Squadron pull out firing pins and chocks to ready an A-10 Thunderbolt II for takeoff before a night combat search and rescue training mission July 20, 2012. The maintainers took part in Dacian Thunder, a month-long partnership building exercise that included U.S. Air Force, Romanian air force, U.S. Marine Corps and the Royal Air Force participants. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Natasha Stannard)

THE MYSTERY OF COLLEGE COSTS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Secretary Duncan addressed the 2012 National Council for Community and Education Partnership’s (NCCEP) Annual GEAR UP Conference this week. ED’s GEAR UP program awards six-year grants to states and partnerships to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education.

Unraveling the Mystery of College Costs
Posted on July 24, 2012 by Cameron Brenchley

Waiting for college acceptance letters can be a nerve-racking experience filled with excitement and anticipation, but once approved, students and their families begin another anticipatory wait for financial award letters. The letters, which intend on laying out the cost of college, too often do a poor job of providing the bottom line on how much aid, grants and scholarships, and student loans will be needed to pay for college.

To help solve this problem, the Obama Administration released a model financial aid award letter today called the Shopping Sheet. The Shopping Sheet will standardize award letters, making it easier to comparison shop and provide students with key information including:

How much one year of school will cost;
Financial aid options to pay this cost, with a clear differentiation between grants and scholarships, which do not have to be repaid, and loans, which do;
The net costs after grants and scholarships are taken into account;
Vital information about student results, including comparative information about default rates, graduation rates, and median debt levels for the school;
And potential monthly payments for the federal student loans the typical student would owes after graduation.

To coincide with the release, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent an open letter to college and university presidents, asking them to adopt the Shopping Sheet as part of their financial aid awards starting in the 2013-14 school year. In the letter, Duncan explained that "we must unravel the mystery of higher education so that students can invest wisely and make the best, most informed decision possible about where to enroll."

 (Left)An example of the easy-to-read information on the Shopping Sheet

SENIOR HOUSING OR NOT SENIOR HOUSING? THE FAIR HOUSING ACT ANSWERS THAT IN CALIFORNIA

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Friday, July 27, 2012
Justice Department Settles Housing Discrimination Lawsuit Related to Senior Housing in Santa Rosa, California

The Justice Department today announced an agreement with a California municipality and a homeowners’ association to resolve allegations of discrimination on the basis of familial status in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The settlement, in the form of a consent order, must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

The department’s lawsuit, which was filed on Nov. 21, 2011, alleged that the city of Santa Rosa, Calif., and La Esplanada Unit 1 Owners’ Association, a homeowners’ association, unlawfully sought to restrict residency at a housing development to seniors aged 55 and older. While the law allows an exemption for senior housing, the suit alleged that neither the city nor the homeowners’ association took the steps, such as routine age-verification, necessary to qualify for an exemption to the Fair Housing Act .

Under the terms of the consent order, the city of Santa Rosa will not take any enforcement action against the housing development to force it to exclude families with children, and will waive the estimated $12,500 in costs associated with any zoning changes that may be necessary to bring the city’s regulation of the property into compliance with federal law. Further, when the city, through its zoning code, permits or requires a developer or property owner to operate senior housing, it will, among other things, designate the age restriction of the zoned property in its ordinances and zoning maps, and require that property owners for these developments submit biennial age verifications for the city’s review and certification. The city will designate an agency to review and certify the biennial certifications.

The homeowners’ association also is prohibited from excluding families with children from the development unless it affirmatively elects to become an age-restricted community for persons 55 years of age or older and conforms to the requirements of the Fair Housing Act. The Fair Housing Act's requirements include ensuring that at least 80 percent of the occupied units are occupied by at least one person who is 55 years of age or older and ensuring there are proper age verification procedures in place. In addition, the homeowners’ association will provide compensatory damages to the aggrieved persons in an amount of $44,000 by providing a set-off to amounts it has claimed it is owed by the aggrieved persons.

The consent order also requires the homeowners’ association’s officers, agents and employees, as well as city employees and agents with responsibilities related to zoning and land use to receive fair housing training, and requires the homeowners’ association and the city to pay $5,000 each to the United States as a civil penalty.

"It is critical that families with children have opportunities to find housing," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. "We are pleased to achieve a resolution in this case that balances the housing rights of families against the ability of a municipality and community to maintain senior housing."

"The resolution of this action is another step in the United States’ continuing commitment to protect all of its citizens and to provide fair housing opportunities for people of all ages," said Melinda Haag, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California. "We are pleased to come to a just and speedy resolution with the city of Santa Rosa and the Homeowners’ Association."

This lawsuit arose as a result of a complaint filed with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by the owner and representative of a portion of the condominium development that was the subject of the defendants’ enforcement actions. After HUD investigated the complaint, it issued a charge of discrimination and the matter was referred to the Justice Department.

"This settlement gives Santa Rosa a path forward to have senior housing and protect the rights of families with children under the Fair Housing Act," said John Trasviña, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.

U.S. MARINE CORPS OLYMPIC BOXER

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSEMarine Corps Sgt. Jamel Herring raises his arms in victory after a hard-fought contest against Air Force Senior Airman Adan Hassan at the 2012 Armed Forces Boxing Championships at Paige Fieldhouse on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Feb. 3, 2012. Herring now is in London to represent the United States at the Olympic boxing competitions. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Trevon S. Peracca
　
Force of Defense: Marine Boxer Fights for Olympic GoldBy Gary Sheftick
Army News Service

LONDON, July 27, 2012 – After leading the U.S. boxing team in warm-ups yesterday, Marine Corps Sgt. Jamel Herring demonstrated the unique style and speed that may earn him an Olympic medal.

"I'm definitely an underdog here," said Herring, a light welterweight who surprised several opponents at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials with quick footwork and his ability to dodge punches. "It's like a hit and run. It's like a game of tag -- I'm hitting, and I'm gone."

"The minute you get frustrated, I'm right back on you."

Herring will be the first U.S. Marine boxer to climb into an Olympic boxing ring in 20 years. He said coaches sometimes compare him to "Sugar Ray" Leonard, who won Olympic gold at the 1976 games while fighting in the light-welterweight division. He said Leonard danced like Muhammad Ali -- avoiding punches and coming in for the knock-out.

"Speed creates power," Herring said.

Brazil's Everton Lopes, however, is the reigning world champion in the light-welterweight division and England's Thomas Stalker is the division's No. 1-ranked boxer.

"The odds are definitely not with us," said USA head boxing coach retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Basheer Abdullah, who added that all of his athletes have a fighting chance in London.

"You can't bet against this guy," Abdullah said. "There were a lot of people who didn't think he was going to win in the trials and he proved them wrong."

The coach said Herring demonstrates good team leadership and is one of the squad's three team captains.

"You'll see Jamel out front most of the time," Abdullah said. "That's a good NCO."

Yesterday, Herring led the team in warm-up exercises before participating in a number of agility and sparring drills around the mats with trainers such as U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program assistant coach Staff Sgt. Joseph Guzman, who also boxed for Abdullah.

"Jamel's a good mover," Guzman said. "He has good, strong legs. He boxes on the move. At times, he frustrates his opponents with the movement because his opponents never get a chance to set. By the time they want to throw a punch, he's already over here on the other side."

Herring said the Marine Corps has immensely helped him, in terms of discipline.

"I try to bring that Corps’ discipline to the athletes," Herring said. "Some of them are only 18 or 19 years old."

Herring, 26, said the Marine Corps helped him mature and that he has the respect of other boxers on Team USA. He said the Corps instilled him with a determination to "never give up," and that may be what takes him past the hurdles of the coming week.

Whatever happens, it won't be as tough as the fight in Fallujah, said Herring, who served in Iraq during 2005 and again in 2007.

Herring has been boxing for about 11 years, but he realizes that he's still a relative unknown in the ring.

"People don't think I have enough international experience and they don't give me a chance," Herring said. "It actually takes the pressure off me. I'd actually like to just come out of nowhere and win it all."

The day of the Olympic Opening Ceremony in London will mark the third anniversary of the death of Herring's daughter, Ariyanah, who died of SIDS. Her memory, he says, will be his inspiration for the London Games.

The first Olympic light-welterweight bouts are scheduled for July 29.

PRESIDENT OBAMA ON TAX CUTS

President Barack Obama holds a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House, July 26, 2012. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE
President Obama Pushes the House of Representatives on Middle Class Tax Cuts

Kicking off a Cabinet meeting this afternoon, President Obama again pushed the House of Representatives to follow the lead of the Senate and extend tax cuts for the middle class before the looming January 1 deadline.

"[My] administration is focusing on our economy, and how do we make sure that this is an economy in which people who work hard, who act responsibly, can get ahead," the President said.

At midnight on New Year's Eve, tax cuts for 114 million middle class families are set to expire, even though there's broad consensus in Washington about the need for a solution. Without an extension, a typical family of four would be asked to pay an additional $2,200 in 2013.

"[Yesterday], the Senate voted to ensure that 98 percent of Americans don’t see their taxes go up next year, that 97 percent of small businesses don’t see their taxes go up next year," the President told his Cabinet. "It was the right thing to do."

The President said he would push the members of the Cabinet to join him in amplifying that message in the days ahead.

"[One] of the things that I’m going to be doing, my Cabinet members are going to be doing over the next several days, is to make sure that the American people understand that we can provide them certainty right now for next year that their taxes will not go up, and they will then be able to plan accordingly," he told reporters before the meeting.

STATE DEPARTMENT'S CARTERASSESSES ASIA-PACIFIC TRIP

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSECarter Assesses Results of Asia-Pacific Trip

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, July 27, 2012 - Heading back to Washington yesterday after a 10-day Asia-Pacific tour, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said he had succeeded in informing allies and partners about specific aspects of the U.S. strategic rebalance, and had, in turn, received strategic and practical information about what the shift means to other nations.

"I think that what our partners and allies in this region are looking for is confirmation that the United States is serious and concrete about shifting ... a great deal of our emphasis from the places we have been -- of necessity -- preoccupied for the last decade, namely Iraq and Afghanistan, to the Asia-Pacific region," Carter noted.

He told American Forces Press Service that during his travels, he gave allies a level of planning detail and a number of examples relating to specific U.S. strategic rebalancing events that helped them understand "that we are, as I said at the beginning of the trip, walking the walk and not just talking the talk."

During his travels since July 17, the deputy secretary has told high-level ministers in Japan, Thailand, India and South Korea, as well as senior military officials in Hawaii and civilian and uniformed leaders in Guam, that the United States will increase its regional naval presence over time, invest in technologies relevant to the region's needs, and increase forward-deployed presence or troop rotations in several key areas of the theater, from Australia to Guam to Singapore.

Partnered training and exercises will also deepen U.S. strategic engagement in the Asia-Pacific region, he added. Carter said there are two reasons he's confident DOD can carry out the strategy even with a constrained defense budget.

First, he said, a lot of excess capacity has been freed up from Iraq and more will become available as resource commitments in Afghanistan ease. Pentagon leaders can re-invest that capital to build U.S. military posture in the Asia-Pacific region, the deputy secretary said.

"The second reason is that we are prioritizing capabilities that are particularly relevant to this region in our budget," the deputy secretary continued. "Even though we don't have all the money we want, we have all the money we need for the Asia-Pacific ... re-posturing."

Carter said he received valuable input from government ministers across the Asia-Pacific region and from U.S. military commanders.

"I got a lot of useful thinking -- strategic and practical -- about how we can carry the rebalance to the next level. Because this isn't a one-year thing; this isn't just a fiscal [2013] issue," he said. "We have to keep going. This is a transition that our department will undergo for several years."

"From our commanders out there, who are on the scene every day -- all of whom are superb -- I got lots of good ideas," Carter added.

The deputy secretary said the U.S. commanders he spoke with also discussed their operations and plans, including multinational exercises with partner and allied forces.

"[The commanders] are wonderful executors of the strategy, and also wonderful ambassadors for our department," Carter said. "All of them are spectacular."

Allied and partner senior officials he has spoken with this month offered suggestions to improve U.S. military-to-military or government-to-government cooperation, the deputy secretary said.

"For example, in India, which was very important ... I discussed with all of the senior leadership in the Indian government ways that we can strengthen our cooperation and deepen it technologically," he said, noting the Indians don't want to just buy American weapons systems.

"They have a proud technological heritage," Carter said of the Indians. "and they want a relationship that enriches that, and enables that -- not just a buyer-seller relationship."

Such technology-sharing partnerships are long-established with Japan, South Korea and Thailand, the deputy secretary noted. "We've had longer partnerships with them," he added. "So much more is established, but much more remains to be done. So I discussed with the ministers of defense and other leaders in Japan, the Republic of Korea and Thailand ways that we can step up our cooperation with them in a way that reflects the rebalancing."

As part of an overall force posture adjustment in the Asia-Pacific, DOD plans to relocate some U.S. troops based in both Japan and South Korea over the next several years. DOD officials have described those moves as intended, in part, to ease pressure on populations in congested urban areas. These kinds of responses to partner nation conditions are part of what the new strategy aims for, Carter said.

"I would say that our partners out here are overwhelmingly welcoming of our attention to them, and effort on [their] behalf," he said. "I emphasized, as I always do, that our perspective is regional and global. It's to keep a good thing going in the Asia-Pacific region."

For 70 years the region has enjoyed peace and stability "for everyone," Carter noted.

"I say 'everyone' because people always ask me about China, and I always say the rebalancing is not about China," he said. "It's not about the United States. It's not about any one country; it's about regional security. It's that environment of security that has led to 40 years now, in Asia, of remarkable progression in lifting people from poverty: first Japan, then South Korea, then Southeast Asia, now China and India."

"It's a great story of human progress, and it doesn't come automatically," Carter continued. "There has to be security for progress, [and] we have been an important part of providing that for decades. And we intend to do that for decades in the future."

The deputy secretary acknowledged that in some ways the rebalancing strategy is a "back to the future" approach to the region.

"We have been playing this role in the Asia-Pacific theater for many decades," Carter said. "And all we're saying is that we intend to continue to play it.That needs to be emphasized, because many people in the region and also in our own country have been preoccupied, very understandably, with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."

AIR FORCE AEROMEDICAL EVACUATION TRAINING

FROM:   U.S. AIR FORCE
86th Aeromedical Evacuation
　
U.S. Air Force members from the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany review the checklist before loading simulated patients aboard an C-17 Globemaster III aircraft from the Heavy Airlift Wing (HAW) before a training flight to Tbilisi, Georgia, July 25, 2012.

The mission marked the first aeromedical training mission executed by the HAW, a multinational C-17 Wing comprised of members from 12 nations. (U.S. Air Force photo/MSgt Wayne Clark, AFNE Regional News Bureau) (Released)

U.S. Air Force members from the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany conduct a simulated patient assessment aboard C-17 Globemaster III aircraft from the Heavy Airlift Wing (HAW) during a training flight to Tbilisi, Georgia, July 25, 2012. (U.S. Air Force photo/MSgt Wayne Clark, AFNE Regional News Bureau) (Released)

Ending Homelessness

Ending Homelessness

Cyber Security and American Power

SECRETARY SHINSEKI ADDRESSES VFW ANUUAL CONVENTION 2012

FROM:  U.S. VETERANS AFFAIRS
Remarks by Secretary Eric K. Shinseki
VFW Annual Convention
Reno, Nevada
July 24, 2012 Senior Vice Commander-In-Chief [John] Hamilton, thank you for that kind introduction, and congratulations on your election as the next Commander-in-Chief. I look forward to working with you on making things better for Veterans.

Commander-in-Chief [Richard] DeNoyer, thank you for your many years of devotion to Veterans, and for your significant leadership of the VFW this past year. Godspeed to you and your family as you turn over leadership to John.

Let me also acknowledge National Adjutant "Gunner" Kent, National Executive Director Bob Wallace, National Service Director Bill Bradshaw, and other members of your leadership.

To Gwen Rankin, President of your VFW National Ladies Auxiliary, let me offer my thanks for the unwavering support the Auxiliary has provided to Veterans and their families for 100 years now. Congratulations to you and your members—past and present—on reaching such a distinguished milestone of service on behalf of America's Veterans!

Other members of the VFW, fellow Veterans, VA colleagues, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:

I am greatly honored to be addressing an organization that has been, for well over a century now, a powerfully important voice for Veterans' rights in the halls of Congress, in the Oval Office, and across the country. Bob Wallace has been your diligent representative and our reliable partner in doing what's needed.

I am especially honored to be following President Obama, who addressed you yesterday, to thank you and your families for your patriotism and service to the Nation. The President's commitment to Veterans was clear from our first meeting. It is genuine, it runs deep, and it is unwavering. His vision to transform VA resonated with me when we first met in November of 2008. His initiatives to provide Veterans and families better transitions from the military; better healthcare—especially mental health; faster and more accurate processing of compensation claims; better educational opportunities, jobs counseling, employment opportunities—that's why I am proud to be here today to report to you on the state of your VA.

Let me review how things looked three and a half years ago, what changes we have put into motion since, and where we are headed in the future.

Three and a half years ago, the country was heavily engaged in two operations—the first major war of the 21st century being fought by a smaller, all-volunteer force. Repeated deployments of that force have created issues that don't show up until later deployments. It takes a superb, disciplined fighting force to handle this kind of strain. The men and women who wear our Nation's uniforms today are magnificent. More of them are surviving catastrophic injuries because of improved body armor, better combat lifesaving skills, and rapid medical evacuation from battle zone to state-side hospitals.

But higher battlefield survival rates also mean more complex casualties—the compounding effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and multiple amputations—five quadruple amputees from this war—with complications of blindness and deafness and genitourinary injuries. We had to create a word for this—polytrauma—and we have since built five polytrauma centers of excellence, the best in the world, and an entire system of polytrauma care to treat these patients and enable them to go home.

Three and a half years ago, we were also still grappling with unresolved issues from two past wars—the Gulf War, over 20 years ago, and the Vietnam War, nearly 50 years ago now. We didn't take care of business back then, when we should have, and some Veterans were dying without benefits.

Three and a half years ago, 107,000 Veterans were estimated to be homeless in this rich and powerful country. The President has said, "[We won't] be satisfied until every Veteran who has fought for America has a home in America." But this rich and powerful country had suffered an economic downturn the likes of which we had not seen since the Great Depression—certainly, not in my lifetime. In spite of a collapsing economy, the President was determined not to let Veterans homelessness spiral out of control.

In 2009, there were over 23 million living Veterans in this country, but only 7.4 million of them were enrolled in VA healthcare and only 3 million were receiving compensation and pension benefits from VA. With less than a third of the Veteran population enrolled in VA, we had an outreach problem: Many didn't know about VA or their possible benefits. We had an access problem: Even if they knew about us, they had difficulty getting the services they needed. And we had, even then, a backlog in disability claims, one which had been there for decades.

Well, that was the landscape in 2009, and we needed to put things into motion. We immediately focused on three key priorities that came out of my talks with a variety of stakeholders. Bob Wallace and I, and the executive directors of the five other major VSO's, still meet near monthly today. Those priorities are unchanged:
Increase Veteran access to VA benefits and services—one-third market penetration is not good enough;
Eliminate the backlog in disability claims in 2015;
And end Veterans homelessness in 2015.
Folks tighten up whenever you tag dates to goals, meaning the sense of urgency is probably about right.

The first order of business was to establish closer, more collaborative working relationships with DoD. As I often remind folks, very little of what we do in VA originates in VA—most originates in DoD. It takes both departments to create a seamless transition for separating Servicemembers to return home "career ready" to live, work, raise children, and contribute to restoring the strength of our economy.

The Secretaries of Defense—Bob Gates and Leon Panetta—and I have personally met nine times in the past 17 months. Leon Panetta is a dedicated public servant, who has been insightful, decisive, and a good friend to me and to Veterans, as is Bob Gates. Tomorrow, Secretary Panetta and I will testify together before a joint hearing of the house Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Committees—perhaps for the first time.

Our second priority was to fix VA's budget process. You can't create change without resources, and money is firepower. For the past three and a half years, VA has presented compelling arguments for strengthening VA's budget, and the President has been stalwart in his support.

In 2009, VA inherited a budget totaling $99.8 billion—a good budget, not spectacular, but a good one. In 2010, the President increased our budget to $127.2 billion—a near 30 percent increase in a single year. The President's 2013 budget request, currently before the Congress, is for $140.3 billion—a 40 percent increase since 2009.

During this period of economic downturn, few private-sector businesses and federal departments have sustained this kind of budget growth. In a discussion about values, I was once lectured, "Show me your budget, and I'll tell you what you value." Now, by that standard, there is no question where the President stands. He gets it—he understands our obligation to Veterans. He's provided VA the budgets that allow for meaningful change.

So, what have we put into motion these past three and a half years? First, we took care of some long overdue business:
For you Vietnam Veterans, we granted presumption of service connection for three new Agent-Orange–related conditions: Parkinson's disease, hairy cell and other chronic b-cell leukemias, and ischemic heart disease.
For you Gulf War Veterans, we granted presumption of service connection for nine diseases associated with Gulf War illness for Veterans of Desert Storm and Afghanistan. While we must continue to research what might have caused this illness, our responsibility is to diagnose and treat symptoms of these verifiable diseases.
And for all combat Veterans with verifiable PTSD—World War II, Korea, Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Somalia, Operation Desert Storm, Iraq, Afghanistan, and others—we granted the presumption of service connection.
These three decisions alone have dramatically expanded access to VA medical care for hundreds of thousands of Veterans. In addition, we have mounted an aggressive outreach campaign to educate Servicemembers and Veterans about VA's capabilities and their benefits. Since January 2009, enrollment in VA healthcare is up by nearly 800,000—a 10 percent increase. That's great news—we are expanding access.

And in expanding outreach and increasing access to VA healthcare, we also, understandably, increased the number of compensation claims—also good news. Veterans who previously had no access are now enrolling and submitting claims.

Three and a half years ago, the total claims inventory was roughly 400,000. Today, it's approximately 880,000. The backlog—the number of claims older than 125 days—was about 135,000 in 2009 and is roughly 580,000 today. Growth in these numbers—total and backlogged claims—is what happens when we increase access. But it was the right thing to do—for Vietnam Veterans, for Gulf War Veterans, and for combat Veterans of all wars.

One last snapshot of the claims backlog. In 2009, we completed 900,000 claims decisions—but took in one million claims in return. In 2010, we completed, for the first time, one million claims decisions—and took in 1.2 million claims. In 2011, we again produced a million claims decisions, but took in 1.3 million claims in return. Now look, if the total number of claims in our inventory today is 880,000 and we generated nearly three million claims decisions over the past three years, you know that today's inventory and backlog are not the same claims that were there three years ago, two years ago—not even a year ago. Now, there are sure to be a handful of exceptionally complex cases, but the process is dynamic.

It's also a big numbers process, and we do most all of it on paper. Paper is what we receive from DoD. With the planned draw-down of up to a million troops over the next five years, the number of new claims will continue to grow. It will take both departments for VA to go paperless. Hence, my close working relationship with Secretary Panetta—he and I are pulling our departments into the future.

You heard the President yesterday—solve the backlog! We are working hard and smart to solve this correctly. We already have a new automation tool called VBMS—the Veterans Benefits Management System—being piloted at two regional offices for over a year now. We'll have it up and running at 16 regional offices by the end of this year, and at all 56 regional offices by the end of 2013. We are also re-directing 1,200 of our most senior claims adjudicators—37 percent of our experienced staff—to the backlog, which ballooned while I asked them to focus on the 250,000 Agent Orange claims they just completed.

I have committed to ending the claims backlog in 2015, by putting in place a system that processes all claims within 125 days at a 98 percent accuracy level. With the President's strong support, we have the resources we need, and we are on track to do it.

To further increase access, we have added 57 new community-based outpatient clinics, 20 more mobile health clinics, and our fifth polytrauma center, opened in San Antonio last year. We have four new hospitals under construction—in Denver, Orlando, Las Vegas, and New Orleans. We will open Las Vegas on 6 August—the first new VA hospital opened in 17 years—and provide Veterans and Servicemembers stationed nearby the state of the art facility they need and deserve. As the President said yesterday, we keep our promises.

We have also invested heavily in new telehealth-telemedicine technologies to overcome the tyranny of distance and extend our reach into the most remote rural areas where Veterans live. Enhanced IT technologies are also making it easier for Veterans to make appointments, access their medical records, and find out about available benefits and services.

We have placed full-time women Veterans' program managers at 144 medical centers to advocate for women Veterans, and named women Veterans coordinators at all 56 regional offices to assist women with their claims. Since 2009, we've opened 19 clinics designed specifically to serve women, and provided training in women's health to more than 1,200 healthcare providers.

We've also increased access to our national cemeteries, opening three new national cemeteries and 14 new state cemeteries. Additionally, five more national cemeteries are planned, as well as five columbaria-only cemeteries in urban areas, and eight burial grounds in rural areas, owned and managed by VA but collocated with non-VA cemeteries. As some of you know, for the past 10 years, NCA has been the top-rated public or private customer service organization in the country, according to the University of Michigan's American Customer Satisfaction Index—outperforming Google, Lexus, Apple, all the others—not a surprise when nearly three-quarters of NCA employees are Veterans.

In 2009, I told you that Veterans lead the Nation in homelessness, depression, substance abuse, suicides, and they rank right up there in joblessness, as well. As I mentioned earlier, 107,000 Veterans were estimated to be homeless in 2009. By January 2011, that estimate was down to 67,500. We believe that when the Department of Housing and Urban Development announces its 2012 estimate before the end of the year, that the estimated number of homeless Veterans will be below 60,000, keeping us on track to break 35,000 in 2013 and moving to end the rescue phase of Veterans' homelessness in 2015.

The prevention phase of defeating Veterans homelessness is ongoing and requires VA to focus all our capabilities to keep an invisible "at risk" population of Veterans and families from slipping into that downward spiral that ends up in homelessness. We have over 900,000 Veterans and eligible family members in training and education today—universities, colleges, community colleges, tech schools, and in the trades. Part of our prevention mission is to see them all graduate. Every one who flunks out in this economy is at high risk of homelessness. So my one-word speech to any student Veteran audience is "Graduate!" If I sound like your dad, I am. I'm paying most of your bills. So, graduate!

In 2005, at the height of operations in Iraq, we had 13,000 mental health professionals handling the healthcare needs of our Veterans. Today, we have over 20,000. We recently announced that we are hiring another 1,600 to increase our ability to address the growth in mental health requirements spawned by a decade of repetitive deployments.

We know that when we diagnose and treat, people usually get better, and the long-term trends of our treatment efforts are good. Among the 8.6 million Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare, the number receiving mental health treatment is up. At the same time, for Veterans who receive treatment, our suicide rates are down—an indication that treatment, including evidence-based therapies, works.

However, too many Veterans still leave the military with mental health issues we never find out about—because the issues weren't noted in their DoD records or because Veterans never enrolled in VA's healthcare system. Most Veterans who commit suicide—perhaps as many as two out of three—were never enrolled in VA. As good as we think our programs are, we can't help those we don't treat—another reason two secretaries meet regularly, and another reason increasing access is so important.

One of our most successful outreach efforts is our Veterans Crisis Line. DoD knows it as the Military Crisis Line—same number, same trained VA mental health professionals answering the phone, no cost to DoD. Since start-up in 2007, over 640,000 people have called in, including over 8,000 active-duty service members. We've made over 99,000 referrals for care and rescued over 23,000 from potential suicide. Some younger Veterans are more comfortable with chatting and texting, so in 2009 we added an on-line chat service and in 2011 a texting service.

We have worked to ensure greater collaboration between VA and DoD, especially in that critical phase before Servicemembers leave the military. We simply must transition them better. We do this best with warm handoffs between the departments—that is key to preventing the downward spiral that often leads to homelessness and sometimes to suicide. Last year we completed expansion of our joint DoD/VA Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) from the original 27 sites to 139 sites—a major improvement towards a seamless transition to Veteran status. But there's still more VA and DoD can do together.

Secretary Gates and I worked these initiatives hard, and Secretary Panetta and I have worked them even harder. We are both committed to a fully operational integrated electronic health record (IEHR) by 2017.

Good jobs are essential for Veterans, and we are proud to have partnered with the First Lady's Joining Forces initiative and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Hiring Our Heroes campaign. The President, the First Lady, Dr. Biden have provided strong leadership in increasing employment opportunities for Veterans and spouses of military members. The President challenged private companies to hire or train 100,000 Veterans and spouses by the end of 2013. They have already received commitments from 2,100 companies for 175,000 hires—and 90,000 Veterans and spouses have already been hired.

VA has also joined private companies and other departments, like Defense, Homeland Security, and Transportation, in efforts to hire Veterans and assist others in hiring them.

In January, our hiring fair in Washington, DC, attracted over 4,100 Veterans, resulted in over 2,600 on-the-spot interviews, and more than 500 job offers on one day. We followed that success with an even bigger hiring fair last month in Detroit—in conjunction with our national Veterans small-business exposition. Over 8,000 Veterans participated, more than 5,700 were interviewed, and over 1,200 received job offers on the spot.

Simultaneously, 3,500 people participated in the Veteran small-business training exposition—it was our opportunity to bring Veteran small business owners into direct contact with our acquisition decision makers so they could better understand our procurement requirements, demonstrate their capabilities, and improve their ability to prepare competitive proposals for government contracts. It also increased the opportunity to hire unemployed Veterans—because Veterans hire Veterans.

So, where are we headed? I intend to be here to update you again next summer, and here's what I intend to report:
We will have increased spinal chord injury funding by 28 percent between 2009-2013. By 2014, that increase will likely be 36 percent.
We will have increased TBI funding by 38 percent between 2009-2013. By 2014, that increase will likely be 51 percent.
We will have increased mental health funding by 39 percent between 2009-2013. By 2014, that increase will likely be 45 percent.
We will have increased long-term care funding by 39 percent between 2009-2013. By 2014, that increase will likely be 50 percent.
We will have increased prosthetics funding by 58 percent between 2009-2013. By 2014, that increase will likely be 75 percent.
We will have increased women Veterans funding by 123 percent between 2009-2013. By 2014, that increase will likely be 158 percent.
We will have increased OEF/OIF/OND funding by 124 percent between 2009-2013. By 2014, that increase will likely be 161 percent.
Our Veterans Benefit Management System will be fully operational at most regional offices, and just 40 percent of claims will be older than 125 days.
Now, who doesn't think the President gets it down deep where it counts? "Show me your budget, and I'll tell you what you value." There is no question that our President highly values what Veterans, their families, and our survivors have meant to this country.

God bless our country. God bless our President. And may God continue to bless the men and women who serve and have served our Nation in uniform.

Thank you.

It's not 911 over there

It's not 911 over there

59TH ANNIVERSARY OF KOREAN WAR ARMISTICE OBSERVED

FROM: U.S DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE A member of the honor guard brings a wreath to Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta as South Korean Ambassador Choi-Young jin looks on during a ceremony to mark the 59th anniversary of the signing of the Korean War armistice at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., July 27, 2012. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo
Panetta Salutes Korean War Vets at 59th Armistice ObservanceBy Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 27, 2012 - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta observed the 59th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice today by reminding a gathering of Korean War veterans that America will not permit cuts to the military to again "allow us to lose our edge", as he says happened on the eve of that conflict more than 60 years ago.

Panetta was the keynote speaker at an observance of the armistice that ended the 1950-1953 conflict, held at Arlington National Cemetery, just across the river from Washington. It was an opportunity to remember the more than 50,000 U.S. service members who lost their lives in the Korean War, and to celebrate the "sheer grit, determination, and bravery" of those who fought for a noble cause in a distant land to make the world a safer place, he said.

"For three long, bloody years, American troops fought and died in Korea, in difficult conditions, where the country's mountainous terrain and the unrelenting cold of winter were bitter enemies in themselves," Panetta said.

"It was an uncompromising war, where capture by a vicious enemy often meant summary execution. In Korea, American troops and their allies were always outnumbered by the enemy, awaiting the chilling sound of bugles and horns that would signal another human wave attack."

Panetta said the troops that fought during that Cold War conflict will never forget the battles waged in the country's mountains and at Massacre Valle, Bloody Ridge, Chosin Reservoir and Pork Chop Hill. Those fights, he said, "became synonymous in our lexicon with the heroic sacrifice and the grim determination of the American fighting man."

The Korean War caught America unprepared, Panetta said, and the mighty military machine that liberated Europe and conquered the Japanese empire had been rapidly demobilized. Only a few years of under-investment had left the United States with a hollow force, he added.

"The American soldiers and Marines initially sent to Korea were poorly equipped, without winter clothing and sleeping bags, with insufficient ammunition and inadequate weapons, including bazookas that weren't strong enough to stop North Korean tanks."

But those green troops sent to stem the tide of communism soon turned into savvy combat veterans, he said, and what they weren't taught before their baptism by fire, they quickly learned on the unforgiving battlefield. They soon became a battle-hardened force, Panetta said, that fought from one end of Korea to the other, halting repeated drives to capture the peninsula, and in the process inflicting massive casualties on the enemy.

"As we honor our Korean War veterans we must also remember the more than 7,900 Americans missing in action," he said. "The Department of Defense is dedicated to resuming the search [to find] the remains of fallen service members missing in action in Korea. We will leave no one behind ... until all of our troops come home."

South Korea has grown strong and has become independent, and the Korean War's moniker as "The Forgotten War" no longer holds true, he added.

"Thanks to the service and sacrifice of our veterans six decades ago ... South Korea is a trusted ally, an economic power, a democracy and a provider of security in the Asia-Pacific region, and in other parts of the world."

Panetta contrasted the South's progress with "the bleakness" of the North, which he said remains a dangerous and destabilizing country bent on provocation, "and is pursuing an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction while its people are left to starve."

Two crucial lessons were learned from the Korean War, Panetta said.

"Too many American troops paid a heavy price in Korea because they were not provided the necessary training and the right weapons. They were sent into a tough fight with little preparation ...Only a few short years after World War II, dramatic cuts to the force made us lose our edge -- even though the world remained a dangerous place. We will not make that mistake again. That's why today, coming out of a decade of war, we have put forward a strategy-driven defense budget to meet the challenges of the future. The world remains a dangerous place, and America must maintain its decisive military edge."

America "must remain the strongest military power in the world, and ... make no mistake: We will be ready to defeat aggression – anytime, anyplace."

Panetta said the second lesson taught by the Korean War is the service and sacrifice made by a generation that bravely fought on its battlefields.

"Some 60 years ago, a generation of Americans stepped forward to defend those in need of protection and to safeguard this great country. America is indebted to them -- to you, for your service and your sacrifice. Sixty years ago, the bugles sounded and you helped strengthen this country for 60 years. America will never forget you."

Following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, another generation stepped forward to lead, and its strength will be America's strength for decades to come, Panetta said.

"Over the past decade of war this new generation has done all this country has asked of them and more," he said. "They take their place alongside all of you -- another greatest generation of heroes that exemplifies the best that America has to offer. Our nation is great because generation after generation after generation, when the bugle sounded, our [military] responded."

In commemoration of the Korean War, Panetta said America should always remember "the sacred call to duty," and to "renew our commitment to honoring those who have fought, who have bled, and who have died to protect our freedoms and our way of life."