U.S. AIR FORCE SPACE COMMAND HISTORY

 

FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE SPACE COMMAND

Riding twin plumes of flame produced by its Solid Rocket Boosters, Space Shuttle Atlantis clears the tower as it launches on mission STS-46. Credit: NASA

AFSPC MIlestone: Two DSCS-III satellites launched from the Space Shuttle "Atlantis"
10/3/2012 - Peterson AFB, Colo. -- Air Force Space Command is celebrating its 30th Anniversary! Here is a significant milestone from the command's history ...

Lift-off of the Space Shuttle "Atlantis" occurred on 3 October 1985, at 11:15 a.m. EDT, from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center. Its cargo was classified, but it was reported that the shuttle carried two (USA-11 and USA-12) Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS-III) satellites, which were propelled to geosynchronous orbit, 22,500 miles above the Earth by an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS). The mission was deemed successful.

Each DSCS-III satellite had a design life of ten years, although several of the DSCS satellites have far exceeded their design life expectancy.

GERMANY AND SABRE JUNCTION 2012

Map Credit:  CIA World Factbook

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Saber Junction Reflects Post-Afghanistan Training Model
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 2012 - An exercise under way in Germany – the largest in more than two decades in terms of the training area committed, the scope of operations and the number of participants – is providing a template for the way U.S. ground forces will incorporate the lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan as they train for future operations.

Saber Junction 2012 kicked off Oct. 7 and will continue through October. It brings together almost 4,000 participants from the Army's 2nd Cavalry Regiment and 17 allied and partner nations, as well as U.S. government agencies.

Saber Junction represents a lot of firsts as it sets the stage for post-Iraq and -Afghanistan training, explained Army Lt. Col. Eric Smith, brigade observer-controller-trainer at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center.

Rather than training specifically for counterinsurgency operations -- the focus of the center's training rotations for the past decade -- participants will conduct the full spectrum of combat operations as they also face medium- and high-intensity threats.

"The [2nd Cavalry] regiment will have to deal with enemy conventional forces that are almost as good as they are," Smith said. "They will have to deal with insurgents, terrorists, criminals and the population, as well as allied forces, the interagency and media. All of that will be out there, and all of it will affect the operational environment they are working in."

This "decisive action training environment," referred to as DATE, is incorporated in the Army's new unified land operations training doctrine. It's transforming training not just at the JMRC in Germany, but also at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., and the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La.

"The Army has decided that there are a whole lot of important lessons we have learned coming out of Afghanistan and Iraq, and we have to keep those," Smith said. "But we can't just train for those environments. We have to train for something that is going to happen in the next 10 to 15 years, and that is what the DATE is."

The hundreds of military aircraft and wheeled and tracked vehicles participating in Saber Junction require more expansive maneuver space than the Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels training areas in Germany offer. So, for the first time since the Return of the Forces to Germany exercise series ended in 1989, participants will operate across a sweeping area that encompasses not only the two training areas, but also the Bavarian villages, forests and farmland between them.

This extended maneuver rights area, more than 1,300 square miles, is only slightly smaller than the massive National Training Center in California's Mojave Desert, said Ernest Roth, Joint Multinational Training Command's maneuver control officer, who negotiated with the German government to get the required permissions.

"We needed a lot of area to replicate the appropriate battle space because of the mission sets the 2nd Cavalry Regiment will be called upon to execute in terms of low-, mid- or high-intensity conflict," Roth said.

"It requires a lot of space to work the command, control and communications piece and all the digital constructs," he explained. "And at the same time, this gives the soldiers a variety of terrain in order for their leaders to meet certain training objectives based on realistic terrain like what they could have to fight on."

Smith called the chance to conduct the largest U.S. maneuver exercise in Germany since 1989 vital to ensuring U.S., partner and allied countries are prepared for the future.

"It's absolutely critical, as we move forward, to be able to do that," Smith said. "Because then, we really stress the units in terms of their ability to operate over distances, to communicate, to run logistics. All of those things get worked that wouldn't if constrained to just the training areas we have."

As they operate together during Saber Junction helping the notional oil-rich country of Atropia confront a litany of challenges, the participants forge relationships as they increase their interoperability, he said.

"We learn from each other and really get to work together under stressful, realistic circumstances," Smith said. "It is really fantastic to be able to bring all that together. It is something that you can't really do anywhere else."

Carefully constructed training scenarios are designed to force participants to stretch beyond the experiences many of them gained in Iraq or Afghanistan.

"As we look toward these threats in the future, we really have to go back and challenge some of our basic assumptions we have going in," Smith said. "Because we have been doing a similar mission for the last 10 years, we run the risk of assuming that this is how things are going to be for the next 10 years. But this type of environment forces people to go back and say, 'Hey, I have gotten used to doing this for a decade, and I have grown accustomed to one thing. But now I have to do something else."

That "something else" will continue to include interagency partners, said Jim Derleth, JMRC's senior interagency training advisor. He was instrumental in getting seven U.S. agencies to commit representatives to the exercise, integrating their goals, capabilities and authorities into the play.

"If you don't have the rest of the [U.S. government] involved in a DATE rotation, how can you replicate the conditions that the military will be asked to accomplish?" Derleth questioned.

Training scenarios have been designed to ensure that military participants recognize their tactical operations can't be conducted in a vacuum, and have to support U.S. government goals, he explained. "The question will be how this fits into the bigger context of U.S. foreign policy or U.S. national security policy," he said.

Saber Junction, Derleth said, will help ensure that interagency cooperation strengthened during the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan continues into the future. "We are trying not to lose those lessons," he said. "If we don't keep track of the lessons of the last 10 years, we are not going to be effective."

DVIDS - Video - Commissioning Ceremony Of USS Michael Murphy

DVIDS - Video - Commissioning Ceremony

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE DAILY BRIEFING

http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNFYzDlKeLL_IMEm7XBQrYQa1f17Zg

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR OCTOBER 9, 2012

Photo Credit:  U.S. Department Of Defense 

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Afghan-led Force Arrests Taliban Facilitator
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 2012 - An Afghan-led security force, supported by coalition troops, arrested a Taliban facilitator and improvised explosive device producer in Afghanistan's Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The arrested facilitator is suspected of managing the construction of large quantities of IEDs, and organizing the transfer of the IEDs and other weapons to support the insurgency.

He also was believed to be directly involved in organizing and executing IED placement, targeting Afghan and coalition forces.

The security force detained several suspected insurgents and seized 2 pounds of illegal narcotics.

In other operations today around Afghanistan:

-- A combined security force in Paktika province arrested a Haqqani network member believed to be responsible for January and May suicide bombings in Paktika and to have direct ties to a recent suicide bombing in Khost province. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents and seized firearms.

-- A combined security force in Paktia province arrested a Haqqani member believed to have developed and executed complex attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also facilitated the transport of weapons to support other insurgent attacks. The security force seized a fully configured remote-controlled IED, bulk explosives, IED components, grenades and fuses.

In operations yesterday:

-- A combined force killed a Taliban leader and two other insurgents in Kunar province. The Taliban leader, Abdullah, was accused of shooting down a CH-47 Chinook helicopter in Kunar on July 25, 2011. The combined force conducted a precision airstrike after identifying Abdullah engaging in insurgent activity with two other militants in an isolated area away from civilians.

-- A combined force in Kunar province killed Manzoor, a weapons facilitator and Taliban leader, and two other insurgents. The combined force conducted a precision airstrike after identifying Manzoor engaging in insurgent activity with two other militants in an isolated area away from civilians.

-- In Ghazni province, a combined force killed a Taliban leader and arrested another. As the Afghan and coalition troops tried to take Abdul Rahman into custody, the armed leaders attempted to fire upon them. The security force engaged, killing Abdul Rahman. Also known as Mola Kaka, he is alleged to have recruited suicide bombers for assassination attempts on Afghan Local Police leadership and also to have organized the safe passage of Taliban leadership. The Taliban leader who was arrested is believed to have conducted attacks against Afghan citizens and to have been behind an IED attack that targeted a coalition convoy. The security force also detained a several suspected insurgents and seized assault-style rifles.

In Oct. 7 operations:

-- A combined force killed a Taliban leader and another insurgent in Wardak province. The security force conducted a precision airstrike after identifying the Taliban leader, Izzatullah, and another militant engaging in insurgent activity in an isolated area away from civilians.

-- In Ghazni province, a combined force saw a man engaging in insurgent activity, and after ensuring no civilians were in the area, killed him with a precision airstrike.

In Oct. 6 operations:

-- A combined security force in Nangarhar province arrested a Taliban leader suspected of being a part of the Shirafat attack network operating in Nangarhar and to be associated with numerous kidnappings and murders. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents and seized firearms.

-- An Afghan-led security force in the Gardez district of Paktia province, supported by coalition troops, arrested a senior Taliban leader suspected of maintaining working relationships with senior Haqqani network leaders. He also is believed to be responsible for planning and directing attacks on Afghan and coalition forces, smuggling weapons, and planting IEDs throughout Logar province's Pul-e Alam and Baraki Barak districts. In addition, he is alleged to have managed the storage and delivery of IEDs and assault rifles to Taliban insurgents for use against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also detained several suspected insurgents.

-- A combined force in Kunduz province's Qalah-ye Zal district detained several suspected insurgents during a search for a senior Taliban leader believed to be planning an attack targeting Afghan and coalition forces.

-- Afghan and coalition forces killed several insurgents in Kandahar province's Panjwai district with a precision airstrike after identifying the insurgents burying an IED and ensuring no civilians were in the area. No civilians were harmed and no civilian property was damaged.


-- In Ghazni province's Waghaz district, a combined security force killed an armed insurgent and arrested a senior Taliban leader believed to have attacked Afghan and coalition forces using IEDs, mortars and rockets. He also was believed to be in charge of the Ghazni's Taliban education system. The security force also detained another suspected insurgent and seized grenades, blasting caps and weapons accessories.

-- A combined force in Paktia province's Dzadran district detained several suspected insurgents during a search for a Haqqani network facilitator suspected of coordinating the acquisition of suicide vests and weapons to be used in attacks on Afghan and coalition forces.

-- After identifying militants engaging in insurgent activity in an isolated area in Paktia province's Dzadran district, Afghan and coalition forces killed them with a precision airstrike. No civilians were harmed, and no civilian property was damaged.

-- A combined security force in Nangarhar province's Achin district arrested a senior Taliban leader believed to provide lodging, weapons and intelligence knowledge to support the insurgency. The security force detained several suspected insurgents and seized a firearm and explosive material.

-- In Kunar province's Watahpur district, a combined security force killed two armed insurgents with a precision airstrike after identifying a group preparing to attack Afghan and coalition forces. No civilians were harmed, and no civilian property was damaged.

In Oct. 5 operations:

-- The Afghan special police crisis response unit, enabled by coalition forces, seized a large cache of weapons during a short-notice operation in Kabul province's Surobi district. The combined force recovered 85 mortar rounds, about two dozen recoilless rifle rounds and 20 rocket-propelled grenades.

-- A targeted raid by a coalition unit on a suspected insurgent compound in Helmand province's Nahr-e Saraj district yielded 1,600 pounds of materials used in making explosives. The coalition force retained a small portion of the materials for future exploitation and destroyed the rest. No civilians were harmed.

-- An Afghan-led operation rescued several Afghan civilians held hostage in a Taliban compound in Ghazni province's Nawah district. The insurgent captors fled the compound when they saw the Afghan and coalition forces approaching. The hostages were found in poor health, officials said, but they have received medical care and are recovering.

-- Using a precision airstrike, Afghan and coalition forces killed a Haqqani network leader and another insurgent while they were placing an IED for a future attack.

In Oct. 4 operations:

-- Afghan Local Police defended Marzak village in Paktika province's Sar Howzah district when insurgents attacked their checkpoint. Partnered with Afghan uniformed police, national army special forces and coalition special operations forces, the local police quickly responded to the attack, reportedly killing dozens of insurgents and forcing the rest to flee into the mountains. A few local police members taken captive by the insurgents during the attack were rescued. They received medical treatment and were in stable condition, officials said. No civilians were harmed in the engagement.

-- Afghan and coalition forces arrested a Taliban leader in Ghazni province, along with a Taliban facilitator and IED manufacturer and another insurgent.

-- Mullah Abdul Ghafar Akhund, a Taliban leader based in Kandahar province's Panjwai district, was killed during a security operation in the province's Zhari district. A security force conducted a precision airstrike after identifying Abdul and other militants engaging in insurgent activity in an isolated area away from civilians, killing Abdul and two other insurgents. He is believed to have organized numerous IED attacks and coordinated the movement of weapons and ammunition for use against Afghan and coalition forces. No civilians were harmed, and no property was damaged.

In other news, Afghan special police and coalition forces, enabled by the Afghan Interior Ministry's Special Mission Wing, recovered narcotics and weapons during operations throughout Helmand province from Sept. 22 to Oct. 6. The missions resulted in the recovery of about 1,760 pounds of hashish, 1,100 pounds of marijuana seeds, 420 pounds of poppy seeds, several rocket-propelled grenade warheads, a suicide bomber vest and about 20 weapons. The combined force also engaged and killed several insurgents during the two weeks of operations.

U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA SPEAKS TO CONFERENCE OF DEFENSE MINISTERS OF THE AMERICAS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, left, shakes hands with Urugayan Defense Minister Eleuterio Fernandez Huidobro before a meeting during a conference for defense ministers in Punta del Este, Uruguay, Oct 7, 2012. Panetta is visiting South America to strengthen defense partnerships with countries in the region. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

10th Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas

As Delivered by Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, Punta Del Este, Uruguay, Monday, October 08, 2012
Muchas gracias. Buenos dias. Mr. President, Mr. Minister, my fellow Ministers, military leaders who are here, distinguished guests, and ladies and gentlemen.

It is truly a great honor to have the privilege for me to be here in Uruguay, and to be with so many distinguished leaders to talk about defense cooperation in the Americas. I'm particularly pleased to be able to participate in this conference, which has become I believe the premier forum in the Americas to discuss ways to advance peace and security across the region and around the world.

When this forum was established in the mid-1990s, I was serving in the U.S. government as Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton. The Cold War had ended and we confronted a changed security environment with an array of new challenges. In this hemisphere and around the world, national economies were growing and becoming more integrated. Senior leaders in the Administration at that time, including Defense Secretary Bill Perry, knew that by virtue of shared geography – by virtue of shared challenges in the post-Cold War world that we were living in – it would be even more important to strengthen defense ties across the Americas.

This forum remains a central part of all of our efforts to enhance regional security and promote greater cooperation between Western Hemisphere military forces. Over the last two decades, our people, our economies, our cultures, and our values have become even more connected not just because we are neighbors but because we are one family in this hemisphere. And as one family, we confront many of the same threats that face our nations across borders and across oceans, from terrorism, to drug trafficking, to nuclear proliferation, to humanitarian disasters. We cannot deal with these threats alone or in isolation; we can only deal with them if we work together.

We have seen a remarkable transformation in defense collaboration in this hemisphere. All of you, representing the nations of this hemisphere, are contributing more and more capabilities to meet our collective defense responsibilities in the 21st century. We have an historic opportunity to renew and strengthen these defense partnerships. We have an historic opportunity to create "a new era" in our relationship – an era of broad and constructive hemispheric defense collaboration.

As part of our new defense strategy in the United States, we are strongly committed to strengthening our defense partnerships in the Americas and in other regions of the world. Last week, I released our Western Hemisphere Defense Policy Statement which describes this new era that I discussed, and will guide our approach to defense cooperation across the region. The statement recognizes that the nations in this region have a growing capability and willingness to help address the security challenges of the 21st century. Our Western Hemisphere defense policy also states that the United States will reinvigorate our defense partnerships and pursue new ones on the basis of mutual respect and mutual interest consistent with President Obama's approach to the region.

The statement includes three objectives:
First, strong institutions of government. It is essential that our nations have strong national institutions of government in order to address legitimate threats to the state and to our citizens;
Second, shared action. If we face shared threats, then we need shared action by more effectively and efficiently coordinating our defense forces; and
Third, multilateral forums. If we are to have shared actions, we must have forums that can bring us together. The purpose of multilateral mechanisms and institutions like this conference, like the Inter-American Defense Board, the whole purpose of that is to achieve consensus on the direction of hemispheric defense collaboration.
Therefore, the themes of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, peacekeeping, and defense and security are very appropriate for this 10th CDMA.

On Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, the United States supports the Chilean initiative to accelerate and coordinate our support for civilian-led relief efforts. Nations of this hemisphere, including my own, have faced devastating disasters – earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, fires – that have destroyed lives and property. As one family, we have a responsibility to work together to provide immediate, comprehensive, and organized relief for our people. For example, following the destructive earthquake in Haiti, millions of people faced a desperate shortage of food, clean water, and shelter – and urgently needed those supplies from neighboring countries.

Western Hemisphere nations worked together to provide much-needed help, but we lacked a mechanism to collaborate in real-time and focus our efforts where they were most needed. That's what the Chilean initiative is all about – rapid and fully integrated response. We should implement that initiative now so that we're ready to respond quickly and effectively when the next disaster strikes.

On peacekeeping, countries in the Western Hemisphere have assumed a very impressive leadership role by engaging, addressing, and improving United Nations peacekeeping. Uruguay has in particular been a leader in that area. Since the turn of the 21st century, 13 countries from this hemisphere have contributed to or led multi-national security operations and UN peacekeeping missions around the globe. That includes the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, which is comprised mainly of Western Hemisphere nations working side-by-side to accomplish their shared mission.

On the issues of defense and security, the United States recognizes that sometimes it is difficult to determine whether transnational threats to peace and stability are matters of defense or matters of law enforcement. In some cases, countries have turned to their defense forces to support civilian authorities. To be clear, the use of the military to perform civil law enforcement cannot be a long-term solution. But as partners, the United States will do what we can to bridge the capability gaps between armed forces and law enforcement. And we are committed to do so in a manner that respects human rights, the rule of law, and civilian authority. We can and we will provide a helping hand, but ultimately civilian authorities must be able to shoulder this burden on their own.

Let me conclude by noting once again that we are in a new era of defense cooperation in this hemisphere. This era is characterized by nations that have the capability and willingness to share the full range of security burdens and responsibilities. Unlike the past, the United States is not interested in establishing permanent bases or in assuming the dominant role of defending others. Our goal is to work with you, nations that want us to help them to develop their capabilities so that they can defend and secure themselves. Our interest is to work with you, not against you.

Let me quote from the conclusion of our Western Hemisphere Defense Policy Statement:

"During the past decade, a remarkable transformation has taken place in the Western Hemisphere. Across the region, countries are doing more than they ever have before to advance peace and security within and beyond their borders. Their efforts are promoting security and stability not only in the Americas, but across the globe – and provide the United States with an historic opportunity to renew and strengthen our defense partnerships across the region."

My nation welcomes this new era of Western Hemisphere defense cooperation, standing together with our neighbors and our friends to advance peace and prosperity as true security partners. At the very core of our relationship is that we are one family of nations – now and forever. "Somos una familia de naciones, hoy y siempre."

Muchas Gracias.

U.S. NAVY PHOTOS FROM 'OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM'

FROM: U.S. NAVY
011104-N-8117K-003 Southwest Asia (Nov. 4, 2001) -- An F/A-18 "Hornet from the "Mighty Shrikes" of Strike Fighter Squadron Nine Four (VFA-94) carries a strike payload consisting of an AIM-9 "Sidewinder" missile and JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) ordnance. Carl Vinson and its carrier air wing are conducting missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Ken Koelbl. (RELEASED)

011212-N-2383B-516 At sea aboard USS Bataan (LHD 5) Dec. 12, 2001 -- A flight deck director aboard USS Bataan gets the CH-53E "Super Stallion" heavy-lift helicopter in the air as it deploys with U.S. Marines of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) bound for the war zone. The Bataan Amphibious Ready Group is deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy Photo by Chief Photographer’s Mate Johnny Bivera. (RELEASED)

OVER $803 MILLION IN EARNINGS FROM EXPORT-IMPORT BANK

Photo Credit:  Wikimedia.

FROM: U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK

Export-Import Bank Earns Over $803 Million for Taxpayers
During Fiscal Year Just Ended; October 5, 2012

Since 2008 Bank Operations Net $1.6 Billion to Help Reduce Deficit

WASHINGTON, D.C. --- In what promises to be a fourth record-setting year for export finance authorizations and jobs, the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has announced that in the fiscal year that ended September 30, 2012 the Bank earned for U.S. taxpayers $803.7 million dollars above the cost of all operations. The Bank transferred the funds this week to the U.S. Treasury’s General Fund.

"I’m proud that the Bank is able to contribute to reducing the deficit while at the same time helping create and sustain the jobs of America’s talented export workers," said Fred P. Hochberg, chairman and president of Ex-Im. "Although we’ve not finished closing the books on Fiscal Year ’12, it looks like we’ll again have another record-setting year. To do that at no cost to taxpayers while earning over $800 million is a testament to Ex-Im’s dedicated staff and the many private and public sector partners that work with us everyday."

From fiscal years 2008 through 2012 Ex-Im Bank sent a net amount of $1.6 billion to the U.S. Treasury.

U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA TALKS ABOUT THREATS IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE

Photo:  Uraguay/Argentina.  From:  CIA World Factbook.  The Rio de la Plata is the brown, rather short, sediment-filled river in the center of the image. It is the widest river in the world, ranging from around 40 km (25 mi) in width near Buenos Aires, to approximately 220 km (140 mi) near its mouth. As its water mixes with clearer ocean water, it creates swirls and cloudy formations. Visible in this image (in gray) is Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina, located inland near the head of the river. Montevideo, Uruguay's capital, is located downstream on the opposite side of the Rio de la Plata (and also appears gray). Photo: NASA.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSEPanetta: Western Hemisphere Nations Face Threats in Common
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

PUNTA DEL ESTE, Uruguay, Oct. 8, 2012 – Nations of the Western Hemisphere are a family sharing many of the same threats that confront them across borders and oceans, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said here today.

Panetta spoke at the plenary session of the 10th Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas. The themes of the conference include defense and security, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The secretary called these themes a central part of efforts to enhance regional security and increase cooperation between military forces in the hemisphere.

"Over the last two decades, our people, our economies, our cultures and our values have become even more connected, not just because we are neighbors but because we are one family in this hemisphere," Panetta told participants from many nations.

"We have seen a remarkable transformation in defense collaboration in this hemisphere," he added.

"All of you, representing the nations of this hemisphere, are contributing more and more capabilities to meet our collective defense responsibilities in the 21st century," the secretary said.

Last week, Panetta released the Western Hemisphere Defense Policy Statement, a framework for implementing the new U.S. defense strategy across Latin America.

In the Western Hemisphere, according to the new policy, the United States will reinvigorate its defense partnerships and pursue new ones, consistent with President Barack Obama’s approach to the region, the secretary said.

The statement’s three objectives include promoting the following:

- Strong national government institutions that allow all nations in the region to address legitimate threats to the state and their citizens.

- Shared action against shared threats through more effectively and efficiently coordinating defense forces.

- Multilateral mechanisms and institutions, like the current conference and the Inter-American Defense Board, to achieve consensus on the direction of hemispheric defense collaboration.

"On the issues of defense and security, the United States recognizes that it is sometimes difficult to determine whether transnational threats to peace and stability are matters of defense or law enforcement," Panetta said.

In some cases, he added, countries have turned to their defense forces to support civilian authorities.

"To be clear, the use of the military to perform civil law enforcement cannot be a long-term solution," the secretary said. "But as partners, the United States will do what we can to bridge the capability gaps between armed forces and law enforcement."

The United States is committed to do so in a manner respectful of human rights, the rule of law and civilian authority, he added.

"We can and we will provide a helping hand, but ultimately civilian authorities must be able to shoulder this burden on their own," he said.

On humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, the United States supports the Chilean initiative to accelerate and coordinate support for civilian-led relief efforts, Panetta said.

Nations of the hemisphere have faced earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and fires that have destroyed lives and property, he added, and they must work together to provide immediate, comprehensive and organized relief to their citizens.

The Chilean initiative facilitates a rapid and fully integrated response to disasters, the secretary noted, adding that "we should implement that initiative now so that we’re ready to respond quickly and effectively when the next disaster strikes."

On peacekeeping, countries in the Western Hemisphere have assumed an impressive leadership role by engaging, addressing and improving United Nations peacekeeping, Panetta said.

"Since the turn of the 21st century, 13 countries from this hemisphere have contributed to or led multinational security operations and U.N. peacekeeping missions around the globe," he added. These included part of the U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti, composed mainly of Western Hemisphere nations working side by side to accomplish their mission.

In a new era of defense cooperation in the hemisphere, Panetta said, "Our goal is to work with those nations that want us to help them to develop their capabilities so that they can defend and secure themselves. Our interest is to work with you, not against you."

U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT TOWN HALL-DVIDS - VIDEO-

DVIDS - Video - Town Hall

Sea and space meet for business in Ireland

Sea and space meet for business in Ireland

SEC. OF DEFENSE PANETTA VISITS URAGUAY

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSEU.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta Arrives In Parguay.

　

Panetta: Western Hemisphere Nations Face Threats in Common

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

PUNTA DEL ESTE, Uruguay, Oct. 8, 2012 - Nations of the Western Hemisphere are a family sharing many of the same threats that confront them across borders and oceans, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said here today.

Panetta spoke at the plenary session of the 10th Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas. The themes of the conference include defense and security, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The secretary called these themes a central part of efforts to enhance regional security and increase cooperation between military forces in the hemisphere.

"Over the last two decades, our people, our economies, our cultures and our values have become even more connected, not just because we are neighbors but because we are one family in this hemisphere," Panetta told participants from many nations.

"We have seen a remarkable transformation in defense collaboration in this hemisphere," he added.

"All of you, representing the nations of this hemisphere, are contributing more and more capabilities to meet our collective defense responsibilities in the 21st century," the secretary said.

Last week, Panetta released the Western Hemisphere Defense Policy Statement, a framework for implementing the new U.S. defense strategy across Latin America.

In the Western Hemisphere, according to the new policy, the United States will reinvigorate its defense partnerships and pursue new ones, consistent with President Barack Obama's approach to the region, the secretary said.

The statement's three objectives include promoting the following:

- Strong national government institutions that allow all nations in the region to address legitimate threats to the state and their citizens.

- Shared action against shared threats through more effectively and efficiently coordinating defense forces.

- Multilateral mechanisms and institutions, like the current conference and the Inter-American Defense Board, to achieve consensus on the direction of hemispheric defense collaboration.

"On the issues of defense and security, the United States recognizes that it is sometimes difficult to determine whether transnational threats to peace and stability are matters of defense or law enforcement," Panetta said.

In some cases, he added, countries have turned to their defense forces to support civilian authorities.

"To be clear, the use of the military to perform civil law enforcement cannot be a long-term solution," the secretary said. "But as partners, the United States will do what we can to bridge the capability gaps between armed forces and law enforcement."

The United States is committed to do so in a manner respectful of human rights, the rule of law and civilian authority, he added.

"We can and we will provide a helping hand, but ultimately civilian authorities must be able to shoulder this burden on their own," he said.

On humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, the United States supports the Chilean initiative to accelerate and coordinate support for civilian-led relief efforts, Panetta said.

Nations of the hemisphere have faced earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and fires that have destroyed lives and property, he added, and they must work together to provide immediate, comprehensive and organized relief to their citizens.

The Chilean initiative facilitates a rapid and fully integrated response to disasters, the secretary noted, adding that "we should implement that initiative now so that we're ready to respond quickly and effectively when the next disaster strikes."

On peacekeeping, countries in the Western Hemisphere have assumed an impressive leadership role by engaging, addressing and improving United Nations peacekeeping, Panetta said.

"Since the turn of the 21st century, 13 countries from this hemisphere have contributed to or led multinational security operations and U.N. peacekeeping missions around the globe," he added. These included part of the U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti, composed mainly of Western Hemisphere nations working side by side to accomplish their mission.

In a new era of defense cooperation in the hemisphere, Panetta said, "Our goal is to work with those nations that want us to help them to develop their capabilities so that they can defend and secure themselves. Our interest is to work with you, not against you."

NEW AL-QAIDA ALIAS LEADS TO NEW TERRORIST DESIGNATION

Photo Credit:  CIA World Factbook. 

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Terrorist Designations of Ansar al-Sharia as an Alias for Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
October 4, 2012

The Department of State amended the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and E.O. 13224 designations of al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula to include the new alias, Ansar al-Shari’a (AAS). The Department of State previously designated AQAP as an FTO and under E.O. 13224 on January 19, 2010.

AAS – which is based in Yemen and is a separate entity from Ansar al-Shari’a in Libya – was established to attract potential followers to shari’a rule in areas under the control of AQAP. However, AAS is simply AQAP’s effort to rebrand itself, with the aim of manipulating people to join AQAP’s terrorist cause. AAS has publicly stated that the particular brand of shari’a they hope to implement is the same as that espoused by the Afghan Taliban and the Islamic State of Iraq, a militant umbrella group and designated Foreign Terrorist Organization that includes al-Qa’ida in Iraq.

AAS has taken responsibility for multiple attacks against Yemeni forces. One such attack, which took place in May 2012, killed more than 100 Yemeni soldiers in a suicide bombing during a parade. In March 2012, a series of attacks and armed assaults by AAS in southern Yemen killed 100 people, many of whom were Yemeni soldiers.

The consequences of adding the new alias for AQAP include a prohibition against knowingly providing material support or resources to, or engaging in transactions with, Ansar al-Shari’a, and the freezing of all property and interest in property of the organization that are in the United States, or come within the United States, or the control of U.S. persons. The Department of State took these actions in consultation with the Departments of Justice and Treasury.

In addition, today the United Nations 1267/1989 Al-Qa’ida Sanctions Committee listed AAS. As a consequence the group now faces a worldwide assets freeze, a travel ban, and an arms embargo. The actions taken today against AAS support the U.S. effort to degrade the capabilities of its parent organization, AQAP. We are determined to eliminate AQAP’s ability to execute violent attacks and to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat their networks.

LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY MARKS 20 YEARS WITHOUT ONE

Divider Being Hoisted.  Credit:  Los Alamos National Laboratory

FROM: LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY
Los Alamos National Laboratory Marks 20 Years Without Full-Scale Nuclear Testing

LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO, September 26, 2012—Two decades ago the last full-scale underground test of a nuclear weapon was conducted by Los Alamos National Laboratory at the Nevada Test Site.

The test, code named "Divider," was detonated on Sept. 23, 1992 as the last of an eight-test series called "Julin."

The test had an announced yield less than the equivalent of 20,000 tons of TNT. The purpose of the test, also announced at the time, was "to ensure the safety of U.S. deterrent forces."

Divider was the last of 1,030 nuclear tests carried out by the U.S. The first nuclear test, Trinity, also conducted by Los Alamos, took place in southern New Mexico 47 years earlier on July 16, 1945.

Early in September of 1992, Congress adopted the Hatfield-Exon-Levin amendment to the Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill calling for a nine-month moratorium on nuclear testing. In 1991, Mikhail Gorbachev unilaterally declared a halt on all Soviet nuclear tests. Because of this, Los Alamos scientists were well aware that Divider might be the last U.S. test for a while, though they did not envision a future completely without testing.

Los Alamos physicist Gary Wall was part of the two-person design team for the Divider test. "We knew there was a short period of time to conduct a few tests before the moratorium took effect," said Wall, "so there was a lot of discussion surrounding the importance of the last tests. Of course we still believed there would be many more than there were."

Shortly after the Divider test, the Energy and Water bill including the Hatfield-Exon-Levin amendment was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush mandating the nine-month moratorium on full-scale nuclear testing, a mandate that has been extended by every subsequent U.S. President into the present day.

"Once the moratorium went into effect," said Wall, "there were many high-level discussions about what kind of science program we would build to take care of the stockpile without testing — this ramped up very quickly once it was clear the moratorium was serious." These discussions led to what was eventually called the Stockpile Stewardship Program.

"Over the past 20 years, the United States has been able to innovate and develop the tools we need to keep our stockpile safe, secure, and effective without underground testing," said NNSA Administrator Thomas D’Agostino. "We have the world’s leading scientific facilities, the world’s fastest computers, and the world’s brightest minds working to ensure that we never again have to perform nuclear explosive testing on U.S. nuclear weapons."

"Because of the talent, intellect, creativity, and determination of the scientists, engineers, and technicians at Los Alamos, and across the NNSA's nuclear enterprise, we have been able to deliver on the promise of Stockpile Stewardship for 20 years without full-scale testing," said Laboratory Director Charlie McMillan. "It is our most important job, one that will continue well into the future."

The Stockpile Stewardship Program carried out by scientists and weapons experts at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and the Nevada National Security Site (formerly the Nevada Test Site) has significantly advanced the nation’s ability to understand the stockpile without nuclear explosive testing through analysis of legacy data, new data from sub-critical experiments, supercomputer modeling and simulation, and other non-nuclear experiments.

Facilities and capabilities at Los Alamos that have enabled the successes of Stockpile Stewardship include the Dual Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test (DARHT) facility, the Proton Radiography facility, the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research facility, the Plutonium facility, and a wide variety of dynamic experiments facilities.

Computing advancements have include the development of massively parallel computers like the Connection Machines CM-5 and the "Q" supercomputer — and the more modern computing "clusters" like Roadrunner (the first to reach a million billion calculations per second in 2008) and the Cielo and Luna supercomputers now shouldering the bulk of classified, weapons-related computing at Los Alamos.

According to Wall, data from the Divider test is still applicable today. "Divider was a rousing success," he said, "it clearly demonstrated a concept that remains viable for future stockpile options."

SPACEX LAUNCHES TO THE ISS

FROM: NASA
SpaceX Launches to the International Space Station
Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida is illuminated by a Falcon 9 rocket as it lifts off at 8:35 p.m. EDT carrying a Dragon capsule to orbit. Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, built both the rocket and capsule for NASA's first Commercial Resupply Services, or CRS-1, mission to the International Space Station.

SpaceX CRS-1 is an important step toward making America’s microgravity research program self-sufficient by providing a way to deliver and return significant amounts of cargo, including science experiments, to and from the orbiting laboratory. NASA has contracted for 12 commercial resupply flights from SpaceX and eight from the Orbital Sciences Corp.

Image Credit- NASA

FALXON 9 ROARS INTO THE FINAL FRONTIER

The Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule lift off of the pad on a mission to open America's new operational cargo capability to the International Space Station!

MARY LOU LEARY SPEAKS ON CAMPUS SECURITY

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary Speaks at the Clery Center for Security on Campus

Washington, D.C. ~ Friday, October 5, 2012

Thank you, Alison. I’m very pleased to be here – and delighted to help celebrate the Clery Center for Security on Campus’s 25th anniversary. Let me also express my support for the Center’s new name, which honors both the vital mission of the Center and the memory of the young woman who inspired its creation.

To that end, I want to say how much I appreciate and admire the tremendous leadership that Connie Clery continues to provide. Her passion and advocacy – and that of her late husband, Howard – gave life to the campus security movement, and their work remains a touchstone of campus safety today.

Let me also congratulate Officer Jacobs and Officer Campbell, whose award is well-deserved. And finally, my thanks to Alison and the Board and staff of the Clery Center for their leadership and for working so hard to keep the issue of campus security prominent on our nation’s public safety agenda.

When we think about the history of the campus safety movement and the important accomplishments of the Clery Center over the last 25 years, I think that perhaps the greatest achievement is the change in culture the Center has done so much to promote. There was a time when we didn’t talk about campus violence. We took for granted that our institutions of higher education were peaceful havens for learning. Meanwhile, victims were left to suffer in silence.

That changed significantly with the passage of the Clery Act. That landmark piece of legislation brought transparency to the issue of campus security and helped university officials understand the importance of disclosing crimes and security risks. Thanks to the Clery Act – and to the education and awareness the Clery Center has provided over the years – colleges and universities now are much more focused on solving a problem than on admitting one exists.

Campus crime victims are now more likely to get the attention and the services they need. But we’re far from meeting all our challenges. Crime and violence continue to be a reality for too many students – in some cases, as in the recent death of Alexandra Kogut, a tragic reality.

One challenge in particular stands out: the problem of sexual assault. Several studies sponsored by our National Institute of Justice indicate that between 14 and 30 percent of college students experience some type of sexual violence during their college careers. In one study, close to 12 percent reported being a victim of forcible rape. And current research suggests that a vast majority of campus sexual assaults – as many as 85 to 90 percent – are perpetrated by someone known to the victim. Often, alcohol is involved. These factors help explain why only a fraction of rapes of college students are reported – victims feel they bear some responsibility.

But sometimes victims don’t report because they simply don’t know how, or because they think they’ll be poorly treated by the police or other parts of the system. As long as this fear of reporting prevails, we have more to do.

Several years ago, our National Institute of Justice issued a report setting forth a number of recommendations for schools on how to deal with this issue. Number one – and somewhat obviously – it said they should make sure adequate services are available. It also recommended they have written response protocols, and that they provide prevention education to the general student population. Awareness is as much a part of the solution as services.

We’ve been working with our friends at the Office on Violence Against Women to make sure we have systems in place to address campus sexual violence. Several years ago, our Office for Victims of Crime funded the Clery Center to develop a training curriculum for university administrators and law enforcement executives about the requirements of the Clery Act. The Center continues to deliver the training throughout the country.

Meanwhile, the Office on Violence Against Women continues to provide significant funding under its Campus Program, which helps colleges and universities improve their prevention and response to sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, and stalking. Since the program was launched in 1999, $132 million has gone to 360 institutions of higher education. OVW also supported development of standards to guide schools in their efforts to address violence against women on campus. And each year, it convenes two training and technical assistance institutes to provide the latest in research and practice to universities and colleges.

OVW was also part of a forum organized by our Office for Victims of Crime on enhancing criminal investigations of campus sex crimes. OVC brought together federal agencies – the Department of Justice’s COPS Office and the Department of Education, in addition to the Office on Violence Against Women – as well as our partners at the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. The Clery Center was part of this meeting, along with law enforcement officials, campus administration and security personnel, non-profit groups, and federal partners. This was a very productive discussion, and it resulted in a report on promoting effective investigations, which we expect to publish in the next couple of months.

Of course, just as important as the law enforcement response and victim services is prevention – and I’m pleased my agency is playing a role here, as well.

Our Bureau of Justice Assistance supported a review of campus crime prevention efforts. In addition to a national survey of universities on evidence-based crime prevention practices, we held two focus groups to discuss where to focus campus crime prevention efforts. A team of researchers is analyzing the survey results and planning the next stages of the project, but I should note that both of the focus groups indicated that addressing sexual assault should be a top priority.

Information gathered from these and other efforts have helped produce useful tools, like a mobile app that provides students and parents access to campus crime statistics and resources on campus safety. This is a terrific tool, given the lack of information about campus crime that students and others have historically had access to. It’s also great news for those of us who work with and support victims. Victim services has long been on the wrong side of the technology gap. We need to find ways to bridge that gap and build a more effective victim service response capacity.

Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary Speaks at the Clery Center for Security on Campus

Washington, D.C. ~ Friday, October 5, 2012

Over the last two years, our Office for Victims of Crime has been leading a major effort to expand this capacity. It’s called Vision 21. The idea behind it is to determine how we can best meet the enduring challenges confronting victim services, as well as the emerging challenges.

OVC’s leadership and staff have met with stakeholders from across the country to talk about what those challenges are and what we need to do, collectively, to meet the needs of victims. We’re in the final stages of a report encapsulating what we’ve found and outlining a strategic vision of what the victim service field should look like going forward.

To offer you a quick preview, the report will reflect the need to institutionalize victim services – to make them part of our criminal justice and human services infrastructure. It will show that policymakers should think strategically about how to link services so we’re ensuring a comprehensive response. It’ll explain that we need more data and research to guide our policy and planning activities. It will emphasize the need to reach every segment of the victims population. And finally, the report will underscore that we must expand our capacity by leveraging tools like mobile apps and other technologies.

Victim services began as a grassroots movement some four decades ago – and much of its effectiveness is rooted in local-level advocacy – but the movement has grown up. It’s now a bona-fide profession, and we need to start treating it as a profession, putting it on a par with law enforcement and other criminal justice disciplines.

The campus safety movement has been integral to this growth, and it will remain central to our progress going forward. Leaders like Connie Clery and organizations like the Clery Center have raised the profile of campus crime victims and made student safety a top priority of our system of higher education. Let’s continue to build on that momentum, working to put systems in place that protect students, help victims, and ensure that our colleges and universities are safe communities for learning and growth.

Thank you for your time and for your commitment – and congratulations again to the Clery Center.

FIRST ROCK CONTACT ON MARS

ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER SPEAKS ON HUGE MEDICARE FRAUD TAKEDOWN

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Health Care Fraud Takedown Press Conference

Washington, D.C. ~ Thursday, October 4, 2012

Good afternoon. Today I’m joined by Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius; Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Lanny Breuer; FBI Associate Deputy Director, Kevin Perkins; HHS Inspector General for Investigations, Daniel R. Levinson; and Deputy Administrator for Program Integrity of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. Peter Budetti – to announce a critical step forward in our ongoing fight against health care fraud.

Over the last 24 hours, Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations in seven different cities have conducted one of the largest health care fraud takedowns on record. Through a series of coordinated, nationwide law enforcement actions, charges have been brought against 91 individuals – including doctors, nurses, and other licensed medical professionals – for their alleged participation in fraud schemes involving nearly $430 million in false billings. That total includes over $230 million in home health care fraud, more than $100 million in mental health care fraud, and approximately $49 million in ambulance transportation fraud. Thanks to the outstanding work of federal authorities – and the assistance of state and local partners – as of today, most of these individuals have been arrested or surrendered.

Charges against these defendants include health care fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, wire fraud, violations of the anti-kickback statutes, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering. These charges are based on a variety of allegedly fraudulent activities involving treatments and services that were either medically unnecessary or, in some cases, never actually rendered – ranging from home health care and mental health services, to psychotherapy, physical and occupational therapy, durable medical equipment services, and the largest ambulance fraud scheme ever prosecuted by the Medicare Fraud Strike Force.

Such activities not only siphon precious taxpayer resources, drive up health care costs, and jeopardize the strength of the Medicare program – they also disproportionately victimize the most vulnerable members of society, including elderly, disabled, and impoverished Americans. And, unfortunately, we allege that many of those charged today not only broke the law – but also violated their professional obligations, and sacred oaths, as medical practitioners. For example, in one case in Dallas, a doctor and two registered nurses are charged with writing more than 30,000 prescriptions for over 2,000 Medicare beneficiaries, resulting in roughly $100 million in fraud. These alleged actions represent an alarming, and unacceptable, nationwide trend – of individuals attempting to exploit federal health care programs – and, collectively, to steal billions in taxpayer dollars – for personal gain.

But we are fighting back. And today’s takedown underscores the fact that federal efforts to combat health care fraud have never been more strategic, more comprehensive, or more effective.

Since the creation of the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team – known as "HEAT" – in May of 2009, preventing and shutting down health care fraud schemes has become a top priority – for DOJ and HHS, for the entire Administration, and for our partners at every level of government and across both the public and private sectors. Today’s announcement represents the fifth significant enforcement action taken under HEAT. And there’s no question that this level of commitment is paying dividends.

Joint DOJ/HHS Medicare Fraud Strike Forces are now operating in 9 locations nationwide – in Miami, Los Angeles, Detroit, Houston, Brooklyn, Baton Rouge, Tampa, Chicago, and Dallas. Since the first Strike Force was launched in 2007, these teams have charged nearly 1,500 defendants for falsely billing the Medicare program more than $4.8 billion. And during the last fiscal year, those convicted in Strike Force cases received an average prison sentence of four years.

In addition to disrupting health care fraud schemes and advancing prosecutions, we’re also working to return precious funds to the public coffers – and, since 2009, have been able to recover more than $10.6 billion. Over the same period, for every dollar spent on combating health care fraud, we’ve returned more than seven dollars to the U.S. Treasury, the Medicare Trust Funds, and others.

However, as today’s announcement proves, we are not yet satisfied. And, in the fight against health care fraud, we will never be complacent.

Through HEAT, we’re taking this fight to a new level – by expanding engagement with state, local, and tribal partners; by streamlining federal investigations and prosecutions; and by leveraging resources and expertise. In each of our Strike Force locations, we’re moving aggressively to eradicate health care fraud in all its forms, to strengthen federal health care programs, and to bring the perpetrators of fraud crimes to justice.

I want to thank each of the dedicated investigators, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, and other agency partners whose tireless, collaborative work has made today’s announcement possible – and who stand on the front lines of our efforts to identify and shut down large-scale fraud schemes, like those detailed in the indictments handed down today.

Their actions prove that, despite the size of the challenge we face, progress is possible. And their dedication to this work is sending a clear message to those willing or attempting to commit health care fraud: that we will use every available tool and resource to find you, to stop you, and to punish you to the fullest extent of the law.

At this time, it is my privilege to turn things over to another critical leader in this work – my good friend, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius – who will provide additional information on today’s actions, as well as our efforts to build on this success and to carry this work into the future.

INTEGRATION OF BUSINESS TECHNIQUES WITH MILITARY ACQUISTIONS

Army Maj. Matthew Bisswurm, plans and operations officer with the 903rd Contingency Contracting Battalion in Kaiserslautern, Germany, was selected for a position at Google Inc. as part of the Army's Training with Industry Program. U.S. Army photo  

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Face of Defense: Army Acquisition Officer Works With Google
By Jonathan Pruett
21st Theater Sustainment Command

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany, Oct. 5, 2012 - An Army acquisition officer assigned here is the first in his branch selected to work with Google Inc. as part of the Army's Training with Industry Program.

Maj. Matthew Bisswurm, plans and operations officer with the 903rd Contingency Contracting Battalion, 409th Contracting Support Brigade, began his one-year internship with the Fortune 100 company in August and will bring back to the Army any lessons learned.

"I'm looking to bring some of the innovative processes and successful techniques that Google has used, and help integrate them into the Army," Bisswurm said.

The Army, as well as the acquisition career field, has prepared Bisswurm for this opportunity.

"I love the expeditionary side of contingency contracting," Bisswurm said. "I love doing missions, and I love being on a team."

One of the objectives of the TWI is to provide soldiers hands-on experience in top defense, information technology and pioneering commercial companies, officials said. The program helps improve communication between commercial industry and the Army. Working with major corporations helps the Army speak the same language as its industry partners.

Bisswurm joined the Army in 2000 and made the transition into contracting in 2008 following a second combat deployment to Iraq.

"I wanted to broaden my skills," he said. "Being in a combat deployment, I saw the direct impact contracting had on the warfighter."

Bisswurm said he wants to use the skills he learns at Google and take them back with him to his next assignment.

"I want to have a different perspective on decision making, theory, manufacturing, and problem solving," he said. "I think the Army gains ten-fold on this program. The experience and insight are immeasurable."

Selected officers, warrant officers and noncommissioned officers are placed in jobs with industry partners and exposed to innovative industrial management tactics, techniques and procedures that can benefit the Army, officials said.

After completing the training, participants are immediately placed in a mandatory follow-on Army assignment to improve the Army's ability to interact and conduct business with industry.

"We want our guys to benchmark lessons learned and effect positive change in the Army Acquisition Corps," said Scott Green, acquisition education and training branch chief, U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center.

MERCURY AND LAKE SUPERIOR FISH

FROM: U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
EPA Awards Grant to Protect Women and Children from Mercury in Lake Superior Fish
Chicago (Oct. 4, 2012) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a $1.4 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) grant to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to reduce mercury exposure risk for women and children who live along Lake Superior’s north shore. Excessive blood mercury levels have been documented in infants in this area. The funding will be used to improve health screening and to develop more effective fish consumption advisories.

"Many Great Lakes fish are unsafe to eat because of mercury contamination," said EPA Regional Administrator and Great Lakes National Program Manager Susan Hedman. "This project will help women make choices that minimize their exposure to mercury, but maximize the health benefits of eating fish."
The Grand Portage Chippewa Tribe and the Sawtooth Mountain Clinics in Grand Portage and Grand Marais, Minnesota will participate in the MDH project. Physicians affiliated with the clinics will survey consenting female patients of childbearing age about fish consumption and test blood mercury levels. Patients will also be counseled to promote safe fish consumption choices.

The work supported by the grant will build on an earlier EPA-funded study which was completed last year by MDH. In that study, 1,465 newborns in the Lake Superior Basin – including 139 infants from Wisconsin and 200 from Michigan – were tested for mercury in their blood. The study found that 8 percent of the infants had mercury levels higher than those recommended as safe by EPA.

"In our prior study we measured mercury levels in the blood of newborns in the Lake Superior Basin and found that these infants were, in fact, being exposed to mercury," said Aggie Leitheiser, Assistant Commissioner of Health, Minnesota Department of Health. "We strongly suspect – but we don’t know for certain – that the mercury came from eating fish. The new EPA grant will fund work to identify and test new strategies for addressing this issue."

"Fish are critical to the diets of people all over Minnesota and all around the Great Lakes region – including members of Minnesota's Native Tribes," said Sen. Al Franken. "That's why it's so important that we do everything we can to protect Minnesotans from dangerous contaminants like mercury that can become concentrated in fish. For years, I've been working to support efforts to protect Minnesotans' health and restore the Great Lakes – including the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative – and I'm so pleased that the Minnesota Department of Health and Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa have received this funding."

"The Great Lakes region has some of the highest levels of mercury in the country. We know this neurotoxin has serious consequences for pregnant women and children. This grant will help the Minnesota Department of Health move forward with a strategic approach to reduce prenatal mercury exposure from fish consumption," said U.S. Representative Betty McCollum.

1ST SPACE OPEATIONS SQUADRON CELABRATES ONE YEAR ORS-1 ANNIVERSARY

FROM: U.S. AIR FORCE SPACE COMMAND
Col. James Ross, 50th Space Wing commander, celebrates Operationally Responsive Space-1's latest milestone with the 1st Space Operation Squadron here Sept. 28

1 SOPS celebrates one year with ORS-1
by Staff Sgt. Robert Cloys
50th Space Wing Public Affairs

10/2/2012 - SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The 1st Space Operations Squadron celebrated one year of sending operational data to U.S. Central Command via Operationally Responsive Space-1 Sept. 29.

Launched in June 2011, ORS-1 is the first satellite in the Operationally Responsive Space Program and Air Force Space Command's first dedicated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance asset providing critical imagery capability to CENTCOM.

"The significance of this milestone cannot be understated for 1 SOPS, the 50th Space Wing and even Air Force Space Command. In many ways, ORS-1 is redefining how we do satellite operations," said Col. Tommy Roberts, 50th Operations Group commander.

"Thanks to the lessons learned and the innovations during the past year, 1 SOPS is aggressively moving this mission area forward on numerous fronts."

Taking only three years to develop from concept to launch and orbit, ORS-1 distinguished itself through its rapid deployment.

"With ORS-1 Air Force Space Command proved it could deliver exceptional space capabilities faster and cheaper to meet urgent needs of the joint force," said Lt. Col. Mike Manor, 1 SOPS commander, during a ceremony here Sept. 28. "This system has demonstrated innovation is not just a buzz word, but alive and well in the 50th Space Wing, and has truly become the hallmark of how our squadron operates."

ORS-1 was built maximizing the use of existing capabilities, systems and architectures. Its payload technology was derived from a camera developed for use aboard U-2 spy planes decades ago. By attaching a larger telescope contractors gave the system adequate resolution from orbit.

Innovative thinking led to success operationally as well as recognition.

Shortly after 1 SOPS took satellite control authority, C4ISR Journal, an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance industry magazine named the satellite system to its Big-25 list as one of the top 25 most important ISR concepts of the year. The journal then listed ORS-1 as a Top Five Sensor in 2011. The satellite also received a nomination for the Air Force Space Command Getty award as well as two others.

More recently, ORS-1 was awarded the 2012 Mission Sustainment Integrated Product Team award in September for providing urgent-need imaging to CENTCOM at 20 percent of the cost of traditional satellite systems.

ORS-1 is proof that the Air Force can respond to the needs of the warfighter efficiently.

"During the past year, I've observed a squadron full of people working diligently to make sure that ORS-1 far exceeded the user's expectations," said 1st Lt. Sarah Stewart, ORS-1 space vehicle engineer. "It's amazing how far we have come since launch and early orbit. ORS-1 has continuously proven that with hard work and dedication, you can do more with less."

With such a successful start, Manor is sure there is much more to come.
"We're taking a moment to celebrate, but this is just the beginning for our team and this outstanding satellite," he said.


　

SEC CHARGES BROKERS WITH OVERCHARGING CUSTOMERS $18.7 MILLION

Credit:;  Wikimedia

FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C., Oct. 5, 2012 – The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged four brokers who formerly worked on the cash desk at a New York-based broker-dealer with illegally overcharging customers $18.7 million by using hidden markups and markdowns and secretly keeping portions of profitable customer trades.

The SEC alleges that the brokers purported to charge customers very low commission fees that were typically pennies or fractions of pennies per transaction, but in reality they were reporting false prices when executing the orders to purchase and sell securities on behalf of their customers. The brokers made their scheme especially difficult to detect because they deceptively charged the markups and markdowns during times of market volatility in order to conceal the fraudulent nature of the prices they were reporting to their customers. The surreptitiously embedded markups and markdowns ranged from a few dollars to $228,000 and involved more than 36,000 transactions during a four-year period. Some fees were altered by more than 1000 percent of what was being told to customers.

The SEC further alleges that when a customer placed a limit order seeking to purchase shares at a specified maximum price, the brokers filled the order at the customer’s limit price but used opportune times to sell a portion of that order back to the market to obtain a secret profit for the firm. They falsely reported back to the customer that they could not fill the order at the limit price. Meanwhile, the brokers made millions of dollars in illicit performance bonuses based on the fraudulent earnings they were generating on the cash desk.

The brokers charged in the SEC’s complaint are Marek Leszczynski, Benjamin Chouchane, Gregory Reyftmann, and Henry Condron.

"These brokers stole millions of dollars by overcharging customers for trades involving stocks with high trading volumes and price volatility, which are characteristics they wrongly thought would conceal their illicit pricing scheme," said Robert Khuzami, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement. "They underestimated the SEC’s ability and resolve to pursue such illegal schemes."
In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York today announced criminal charges against Leszczynski and Chouchane. Condron has pled guilty to criminal charges.

According to the SEC’s complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan, the brokers were employed at an interdealer broker firm. Interdealer brokers typically operate only as agents and execute large volumes of securities trades on behalf of customers for low commissions. The cash desk where these brokers worked executed trades in U.S. and Canadian stocks, and customers were primarily large foreign institutions and foreign banks. The firm’s internal records show that customers were to be charged flat commission rates between $0.005 and $0.02 per share.

The SEC’s complaint alleges that the scheme spanned from 2005 to 2009. Reyftmann, Chouchane, and Leszczynski were sales brokers on the cash desk who were responsible for finding customers, developing relationships, and taking orders from customers. Reyftmann supervised the cash desk. Condron was a sales trader and middle-office assistant on the cash desk who entered orders received from the sales brokers and ensured the orders were executed.

The SEC alleges that the fraudulent scheme worked as follows:
Leszczynski, Chouchane, or Reyftmann received a customer order by phone, instant message, or e-mail and gave the order to Condron, who executed the trade.
Condron recorded the actual execution price on the trade blotter and informed the sales brokers of the execution.
Shortly after the trade was executed, Leszczynski, Chouchane, or Reyftmann examined other market executions around the time of the actual execution to determine whether the stock price fluctuated.
If the stock price’s fluctuation was favorable to the firm and sufficient to conceal the fraud from customers, the sales brokers instructed Condron to record a false execution price in the gross price field on their internal trade blotter.
Leszczynski, Chouchane, Reyftmann, or Condron then reported the false execution price and the commission to the customers.
The SEC alleges that the brokers further defrauded customers by stealing portions of their profitable trades and keeping them for the firm:
After receiving and executing a customer’s limit order to buy shares, Reyftmann, Chouchane, or Leszczynski looked for an opportunity to sell that same stock at a higher price than the price at which the customer’s trade was executed.
Leszczynski, Chouchane, or Reyftmann then instructed Condron to sell a portion of that customer execution back at the higher price.
Rather than properly recording the actual price and quantity of the order fill, Condron entered a partial fill into the trade blotter, keeping the secret profits for the firm.
Leszczynski, Chouchane, Reyftmann, or Condron then reported a partial fill to the customer, falsely stating that they were unable to fully execute the customer’s limit order.
Meanwhile, the SEC alleges that the brokers’ scheme enriched not only the firm but themselves as well. The four brokers received substantial performance bonuses totaling more than $15.6 million based, in part, on the fraudulent earnings generated by the cash desk.

The SEC alleges that Leszczynski, Chouchane, Reyftmann, and Condron violated Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The SEC is seeking disgorgement of ill-gotten gains with prejudgment interest, financial penalties, and a permanent injunction against the brokers.

The SEC’s investigation, which is continuing, has been conducted by Mary P. Hansen (Assistant Director in the Market Abuse Unit in the Philadelphia Regional Office), A. Kristina Littman (Senior Counsel in the Philadelphia office) and Darren Boerner (Specialist in the Market Abuse Unit in the Chicago Regional Office). G. Jeffrey Boujoukos (Regional Trial Counsel) and John V. Donnelly (Senior Trial Counsel) in the Philadelphia office are handling the litigation.

The SEC acknowledges the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Federal Bureau of Investigation