PHOTOS FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on the Virginia end of Assateague Island includes more than 14,000 acres of beach, dunes, marsh, and maritime forest. Within a workday’s access to millions of people, Chincoteague Refuge received 1.36 million visitors in 2010. Adjacent to Assateague National Seashore, it has a great view of Assateague Lighthouse. Visitors to this and other Virginia coastal refuges contributed an estimated $60 million to local economies in 2010.
FWS Photo

AMERICA’S GREAT OUTDOORS BEACHES GOLDEN GATE NRA Of the 85 marine and coastal units administered by the National Park Service, two national recreation areas have the highest visitation—Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California and the Gateway National Recreation Area in New York and New Jersey. The many beaches to enjoy and explore in Golden Gate include Stinson Beach, Muir Beach, Tennessee Valley Beach, Rodeo Beach, Baker Beach, and Ocean Beach. This NPS photo shows the famous Cliff House shot from Ocean Beach. In 2010, Golden Gate NRA had 14.3 million visits that contributed $264 million and 3,445 jobs to the local economy. Nationwide, coastal and marine units of the National Park System contributed $3.5 billion, not counting other Interior coastal units.NPS Photo.

Women and girls bingeing

Women and girls bingeing

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROVIDES AIRLIFT SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS OF ATTACK IN ALGERIA

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
DOD Provides Airlift Support to Algeria Attack Victims
By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2013 – The United States has provided airlift support to the Algerian government in the wake of recent terrorist attacks at a natural gas plant, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters here today.

Little confirmed that U.S. C-130 and C-17 aircraft configured for medical evacuation support moved wounded Americans and others from Algeria to Naval Air Station Sigonella on the Italian island of Sicily and to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, respectively.

The evacuations occur as the United States maintains participation in international efforts to thwart burgeoning terrorist cells in Northern Africa, Little said.

"The sole blame for what happened at this facility in Algeria rests with the terrorists, … and the responsibility lies with them," he added.

Little noted the United States has seen "strong indications" that Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb -- a Mali-based militant organization -- and other northern militant elements had a role in the attacks, but the groups are not solely an American issue.

"Countries in the region and beyond need to take AQIM very seriously," Little said. "This node has grown in threat over the years, and we need to do whatever we can to thwart them."

U.S.-NORWAY RELATIONS

Map:  Norway.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
The United States established diplomatic relations with Norway in 1905, following Norway's separation from its union with Sweden. The United States and Norway enjoy a long tradition of friendly relations based on democratic values and mutual respect. The bilateral Global Issues Dialogue is a forum through which the two countries coordinate and expand cooperation on issues of mutual interest in the promotion of human rights, civilian security, and democracy. The United States and Norway share a commitment to promoting universal human rights and economic development, respect for the United Nations, and peaceful resolution of disputes around the globe. The two work closely together as North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies. There is a strong shared interest in addressing the problems posed by climate change, particularly with respect to the Arctic and in building cooperation in the region through the Arctic Council. The United States and Norway benefit from cultural exchanges, both officially and privately.

U.S. Assistance to Norway
The United States provides no development assistance to Norway.

Bilateral Economic Relations
The United States is one of Norway's principal trading partners. The growth of Norway's petroleum sector has contributed significantly to its economic vitality. Many U.S. companies participate actively in the petroleum sector. U.S. exports to Norway include aircraft, machinery, optic and medical instruments, and inorganic chemicals. U.S. imports from Norway include mineral fuel and oil, machinery, nickel and nickel products, and Atlantic salmon. Reported U.S. direct investment in Norway is led by the mining and manufacturing sectors. Software and IT services, coal, oil and natural gas, and metals, account for the top three sectors in Norway's reported direct investment in the United States.

Norway's Membership in International Organizations
Norway and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, Arctic Council, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. Norway also is an observer to the Organization of American States.




Norway Locator Map.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOK

Two centuries of Viking raids into Europe tapered off following the adoption of Christianity by King Olav TRYGGVASON in 994. Conversion of the Norwegian kingdom occurred over the next several decades. In 1397, Norway was absorbed into a union with Denmark that lasted more than four centuries. In 1814, Norwegians resisted the cession of their country to Sweden and adopted a new constitution. Sweden then invaded Norway but agreed to let Norway keep its constitution in return for accepting the union under a Swedish king. Rising nationalism throughout the 19th century led to a 1905 referendum granting Norway independence. Although Norway remained neutral in World War I, it suffered heavy losses to its shipping. Norway proclaimed its neutrality at the outset of World War II, but was nonetheless occupied for five years by Nazi Germany (1940-45). In 1949, neutrality was abandoned and Norway became a member of NATO. Discovery of oil and gas in adjacent waters in the late 1960s boosted Norway's economic fortunes. In referenda held in 1972 and 1994, Norway rejected joining the EU. Key domestic issues include immigration and integration of ethnic minorities, maintaining the country's extensive social safety net with an aging population, and preserving economic competitiveness.

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTANT

Photo:  Afghanistan.  Credit:  U.S. Army.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Combined Force Arrests Haqqani Network Facilitator
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Haqqani network facilitator in the Pul-e Alam district of Afghanistan's Logar province today, military officials reported.

The facilitator acquired and delivered weapons to Haqqani fighters in the province and was directly involved in attacks against local police and Afghan government officials.

During the operation, the security force seized weapons, ammunition and $5,800 in Afghan currency.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- A combined security force in Helmand province's Lashkar Gah district arrested a Taliban leader who controlled improvised explosive device operations. Insurgents under his control recently began using magnetic IEDs to target Afghan army vehicles. He also was responsible for directing insurgent attacks against coalition forces.

-- In Kandahar province's Spin Boldak district, a combined force arrested a local Taliban leader who was directly responsible for IED attacks. The security force also detained a suspected insurgent.

In operations yesterday:

-- A combined force in Paktia province's Dzadran district detained a suspected insurgent while searching for a Haqqani network facilitator who provides weapons and IEDs to insurgents.

-- A combined force killed a Taliban leader and his subordinate in Kunduz province's Khanabad district. The pair worked together to coordinate and execute IED attacks. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents and seized firearms with associated gear and ammunition.

-- In Logar province's Pul-e Alam district, a combined force arrested a Haqqani network leader responsible for coordinating attacks targeting Afghan and coalition force, and overseeing the procurement and distribution of weapons to insurgents. He recently coordinated the acquisition of suicide vest materials in preparation for a future attack. The security force also detained one suspected insurgent.

In Jan. 20 operations:

-- A precision airstrike in Kunduz province's Khanabad district killed a Taliban attack facilitator involved in planning and executing IED attacks and facilitating the movement of weapons and explosives. The strike also killed a second insurgent.

-- A combined force in Paktia province's Zurmat district arrested a Taliban leader who acted as a liaison with senior Haqqani network leaders and oversaw the purchase and storage of rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons and ammunition. He also facilitated the movement of suicide bombers in the Afghan capital and was planning an attack at the time of his arrest. The security force also detained several suspected insurgents and seized grenades, weapons and ammunition.

-- In Helmand province's Nahr-e Saraj district, a combined force arrested a Taliban leader who planned and directed suicide attacks and coordinated the movement of materials used to build suicide vests. He also provided direct financial support to the Taliban.

-- A combined force in Paktia province's Sayyid Karam district arrested a senior Haqqani network leader who oversaw IED construction, storage, transportation and emplacement. He also oversaw the acquisition of weapons and ammunition. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents and seized firearms.

-- In Kandahar province's Maiwand district, a combined force arrested a Taliban leader who planned and conducted attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and facilitated the movement of IEDs, rockets, mortars and other weapons. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents.

-- A combined force in Logar province's Pul-e Alam district arrested a local Taliban leader who worked closely with senior Taliban leaders to coordinate insurgent attacks across several provinces. He also organized the transfer and delivery of weapons and ammunition to insurgents and was coordinating the movement of suicide bombers for a future attack.

In Jan. 19 operations:

-- Afghan and coalition forces in Kunar province's Ghaziabad district killed two insurgents during a search for a Taliban leader who organizes attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and enabled the movement of insurgents.

-- In Nangarhar province's Sherzad district, a combined force killed a local Taliban leader and arrested another. Both were involved in IED operations. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents and seized weapons and ammunition.

-- A combined force in Khost province's Terayzai district arrested a Haqqani network leader who directed attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also oversaw the construction and delivery of IEDs to insurgents and helped acquire IED components, ammunition and detonation materials. The security force also detained a suspected insurgent.

In Jan. 18 operations:

-- In Helmand province's Nahr-e Saraj district, a combined force arrested a local Taliban leader who planned IED attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also detained one suspected insurgent.

-- A combined force in Kandahar province's Arghandab district arrested a local Taliban leader who coordinated and executed IED attacks and oversaw the distribution of IEDs, weapons and ammunition to insurgents. The security force also detained a suspected insurgent.

Betelgeuse se prepara para una colisión

Betelgeuse se prepara para una colisión

U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ISSUES 2012 ACCOMPLISHMENTS REPORT

Credit:  Wikimedia Commons.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Friday, January 18, 2013
Environment and Natural Resources Division Issues 2012 Accomplishments Report

Assistant Attorney General Ignacia S. Moreno announced today the publication of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s (ENRD) Fiscal Year 2012 Accomplishments Report.

Outstanding Enforcement Results
Through its civil and criminal environmental enforcement actions, ENRD achieved dramatic reductions in emissions and discharges of harmful pollutants to America’s air, water and land. In 2012, the division secured more than $397 million in civil and stipulated penalties, cost recoveries, natural resource damages and other civil monetary relief, including almost $133 million recovered for the Superfund. The division obtained over $6.9 billion in corrective measures through court orders and settlements and concluded 47 criminal cases against 83 defendants, resulting in nearly 21 years in confinement and over $38 million in criminal fines, restitution, community service funds and special assessments. These outstanding results continue the division’s success in obtaining record-setting results over the past four years. During this time, the division has also advanced environmental justice, incorporating this important priority in a meaningful and enduring way into the work of the division.

"The extraordinary work reflected in this report is due to the dedication, expertise and professionalism of the division staff," said Assistant Attorney General Moreno. "I am extremely proud of our achievements over the past year. They have resulted in immeasurable benefits for human health and the environment for all of the American people, who should all enjoy the benefits of a fair and even-handed application of environmental and natural resources laws. Together with our colleagues at client agencies and state, local and tribal governments, the Department of Justice will continue to vigorously enforce the federal civil and criminal environmental and natural resources laws that protect our air, land and water from pollution and that preserve our natural resources for the use and enjoyment of generations to come."

Holding Those Responsible for the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Accountable

ENRD’s top civil and criminal enforcement priority is to bring to justice those responsible for the April 20, 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion, fire and oil spill. Under a consent decree lodged on Jan. 3, 2013, Transocean pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act and agreed to pay $1.4 billion in civil and criminal fines and penalties, including a record-setting $1 billion to resolve Clean Water Act civil claims. On Feb. 17, 2012, the Department of Justice announced an agreement with MOEX, which will pay $70 million in civil penalties to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Water Act and will spend at least $20 million to facilitate land acquisition projects in several Gulf States that will preserve and protect in perpetuity habitat and resources important to water quality.

Landmark Decisions Reducing Greenhouse Gases

ENRD’s responsibilities include defending lawsuits brought against the federal government challenging agency actions and programs. In a landmark example of its defensive work, the division, with agency counsel, successfully defended rulemakings under the Clean Air Act that reduce the emission of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. In June 2012, in one of the most significant environmental regulatory decisions of the past decade, a unanimous panel of the D.C. Circuit in Coalition for Responsible Regulation v. EPA upheld EPA’s greenhouse gas-related regulatory actions against all challenges.

Successfully Defending the Country’s Energy Agenda

The Obama Administration’s energy policy includes the responsible development of additional fossil fuels and renewable energy sources. In 2012, the division successfully defended challenges to permits and rights-of-way put in place to promote the development of renewable energy projects on western public lands. ENRD is defending more than 20 cases involving solar, wind and transmission projects located in California, Oregon, Tennessee, Delaware, Massachusetts and Vermont, and has successfully defeated motions for injunctive relief in California, Tennessee and Delaware to allow responsible energy development to proceed consistent with the permitting requirements of the issuing agencies.

Promoting National Security and Military Preparedness

Increasingly, the division is responsible for defending agency actions that support the national security of the United States. For example, in fiscal year 2012, the division successfully defended against challenges to critical Department of Defense training programs that ensure military preparedness, various agency projects to secure the nation’s borders and waters, and U.S. development of all forms of domestic energy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

Historic Results Protecting Tribal Rights and Resources and Addressing Tribal Claims

In 2012, the division achieved historic results for Indian tribes and resolved decades-long and costly litigation over tribal claims regarding the government’s management of trust funds and trust resources. In the past year, the United States settled cases with 62 tribes, agreeing to pay about $1.25 billion in total to resolve the tribes’ claims. The division will continue, through its cases, to vigilantly protect tribal sovereignty, safeguard tribal lands and resources, and honor tribal treaty rights.

One of the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government

At the same time that the division has achieved outstanding results in its cases, in each of the last three years, the Partnership for the Public Service (PPS) has ranked ENRD as one of the "Best Places to Work in the Federal Government." ENRD’s overall ranking has been in the top five for each of the past three years, including two #1 rankings. The division has also continued to make great strides in promoting diversity and a better quality of life for all its employees.

Registrazioni aperte per il NASA Academy 2013

Registrazioni aperte per il NASA Academy 2013

BUILDING THE FUTURE MILITARY WITH PEOPLE

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Joseph Gambles provides drill instruction to Senior Airman Kevin Gutierrez at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Jan. 9, 2013. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Cody H. Ramirez

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Face of Defense: Airman Builds Future Leaders
By Air Force Senior Airman Cody H. Ramirez
374th Airlift Wing

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan, Jan. 14, 2013 - Air Force Tech. Sgt. Joseph Gambles is familiar with leadership.

As a professional military education instructor for the Airman Leadership School here, Gambles ensures the Air Force is stocked with reliable noncommissioned officers to mold airmen into future leaders.

The Airman Leadership School program is a six-week course enlisted airmen must complete before assuming the rank of staff sergeant. Gambles said the course makes airmen better leaders by giving them the skills needed to be effective supervisors.

"My job as an instructor is to be a living extension of the ALS curriculum that students are responsible to read," Gambles said. "That is to say, if the students cannot grasp the material from the reading alone, I apply different methods of presentation until the student can comprehend it."

Air Force Senior Airman Robert Tangen, a 374th Medical Operations Squadron allergy and immunizations technician and current ALS student, said Gambles has an approachable and open teaching style, while still commanding authority as an instructor.

"If you do not understand something or you need clarification, [Gambles] is good at breaking it down and making it understandable," Tangen said. "You are not afraid to approach him, and you never feel like you have a stupid question.

"It really shows his professionalism overall, being approachable in that manner," Tangen added. "Gambles shows you what type of person you would want to be in a supervisory position."

Gambles said his goal is to allow students to see they are capable of becoming great supervisors and leaders.

"In-residence ALS is of the utmost importance, because these members are crossing into a new tier where they are going to be responsible for supervising other airmen," he said. "This course really highlights for them the weight of that responsibility while, at the same time, equipping them to face that challenge."

Gambles said that without this training, new NCOs can fall into one of the two extremes on the supervisory spectrum: being too strict or being a buddy rather than a leader. Most new NCOs think leadership is too far a destination to reach, he added, but by the time they graduate from ALS, they are well informed on what they need to do.

The curriculum includes one-on-one counseling, setting standards, evaluating and providing feedback, methods of motivating and how to produce quality written products. The program exposes the students to dozens of leadership philosophies and motivational theories, techniques to manage time and stress, group dynamics, human diversity and joint operations.

"What makes the learning experience complete is that students must incorporate concepts of time, stress and conflict management," the instructor said. "They need to actually be a better communicator, not only for briefings, but to actually function as a team."

Gambles said the highlight of his work is witnessing the moments when students realize their potential to be effective supervisors and become aware of the difference they can make in their subordinates' lives.

A conviction to do right by their airmen is the most important ideal a supervisor can maintain, Gambles said, adding that the lack of this conviction in many supervisors drove him to become an instructor.

"All across the service, there are members with mediocre to poor supervisors, and that was severely affecting how they, in turn, would supervise," he said. "After I graduated from the NCO Academy in December 2010, I realized I had strength in public speaking. I felt I could use this talent to help others and attempt to send a higher-quality supervisor back to the units."

Tangen noted that ALS focuses on leading by example and Gambles is able to be that example the students can look up to while they are learning.

"We can look back and think, 'He did it that way,' and try to emulate that style that he sets being an instructor, or basically a supervisor, for this course," Tangen said.

Every class evolves into a team during the course, Gambles said. It always is a pleasure to see service members "going from conflicting with one another to building friendships that will last for years," he added.

The pride and unity that culminate on graduation night for the students and staff "never gets old," he said.

PLANTS VS ZOMBIE PLANTS

FROM: U.S. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Global Plant Diversity Hinges on Local Battles Against Invasive Species
January 17, 2013
In Missouri forests, dense thickets of invasive honeysuckle decrease the light available to other plants, hog the attention of pollinators and offer nutrient-stingy berries to migrating birds.

They also release toxins that decrease the germination of nearby native plants.

Why, then, do studies of invasive species come to different conclusions about their effects and lead some organizations to suggest we accept their presence?

Biologists Kristin Powell, Tiffany Knight and Jon Chase of Washington University in St. Louis have found an answer.

Most studies of the effects of invasive plants are done at a single scale, report the scientists in this week's issue of the journal Science. Some studies scrutinize biodiversity in meter-square quadrats, while others scan biodiversity in entire islands or regions.

Meanwhile, invasives decrease biodiversity at small--but not at large--scales, the researchers discovered, leading them to conclude that how invasive species research is conducted can produce conflicting results.

"Perhaps not surprisingly, the big picture perspective is fundamentally different than the small-scale perspective," says Doug Levey, program director in the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Environmental Biology, which funded the research.

Probing for scale dependence

The biologists had long suspected that studies of invasive species came to different conclusions because of scale dependence.

To test this notion, they analyzed 57 previous studies and confirmed a pattern: Invasive plants cause a large loss in species richness at small scales, but this effect diminishes at larger scales.

To test for scale dependence in the field, they chose three study sites in different ecosystems across the United States, each straddling an invasion front: a hammock forest in central Florida; an oak-hickory forest in eastern Missouri; and a tropical forest on the Big Island of Hawaii.

The hammock forest, a mix of live oak, cabbage palm, sweet gum and pignut hickory, is being invaded by the flax lily (Dianella ensifolia). Native to Africa and Asia, the lily forms dense mats on the forest floor.

Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii), a mid-story shrub introduced from East Asia as an ornamental to provide bird habitat, is the issue in the oak-hickory forests.

The fire tree (Morella faya), a canopy tree that boosts nitrogen levels in the soil, making it inhospitable to native species and more suitable for invasives, is the troublemaker in the Hawaiian forest.

Invasives don't just sweep the board

"We counted the number of species per unit area in plots that varied in size from one meter square to 500 meters square--a quarter the size of a football field--on either side of the invasion front and then plotted the number of species against the size of the plot," Powell says.

"At small scales, invaded plots had many fewer species than uninvaded plots, but they picked up species more rapidly. At broad scales the invasives' effect on diversity virtually disappeared."

The reason for this "scale effect" is probability, says Powell.

"Invasives reduce the number of individual plants in a plot, and if there are fewer plants, there are fewer species," she says.

The invaded sites can catch up with uninvaded ones, Knight says, because the number of species does not increase indefinitely.

"At any site, if you sample larger and larger areas, the number of species will eventually plateau," Knight says.

At an invaded site, she says, "you reach that plateau later, but you do reach it eventually."

What it means for gardeners

The research helps to explain seemingly contradictory findings in the scientific literature, but what does it mean for people who've been hacking down honeysuckle in their backyards, and brushing their boots before entering conservation areas to avoid bringing in invasives?

Is it worth it or not?

"Emphatically yes," Knight says.

"Invasive species are a serious threat. If we're going to deal with them, we need the cooperation of the public."

Invasive plants have negative effects on plant communities at smaller scales--the scales that are crucial for ecosystem services like water management and nutrient cycling.

Take the bush honeysuckle choking Missouri's natural areas, for example.

It was seeded by birds carrying honeysuckle berries from backyards. To prevent it from turning nature preserves into shrub monocultures, people must remove it from their yards or choose not to plant it in the first place.

While the small scale justifies the fight, the large scale offers hope.

"Invasive plant species are reducing the abundance of native plant species, but most species are still present when we search for them at broad scales," says Knight.

"They haven't gone extinct yet."

Which means that it's not too late to restore habitat and increase abundances of native species, says Knight, "so they can contribute to critical ecosystem services and are less vulnerable to extinction."

THE NATIONAL MALL FROM SPACE

FROM: NASA
National Mall from Orbit
Astronauts on board the International Space Station captured this view of Washington, D.C. and the surrounding area on Sunday, Jan. 20, one day before the public Inauguration of President Barack Obama.

This detailed view shows the Potomac River and its bridges at left, with National Mall at the center, stretching eastward from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument toward the Capitol building, where the inaugural ceremony will be held.

NASA has been participating in inaugural activities this weekend, culminating in the appearance of the Curiosity rover and Orion spacecraft in the Inaugural Parade on Monday, Jan. 21. Credit-NASA

EPA SAYS POLLUTION INCREASED IN GREAT LAKES BASIN FROM 2010-2011

Sunset on Lake Michigan, From Wikimedia Commons, U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

FROM: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, , GREAT LAKES BASIN, TOXIC RELEASES INTO THE GREAT LAKES

EPA’s 2011 Toxics Release Inventory Shows Increase in Great Lakes Basin Pollution

(Chicago-January 16, 2013) Toxic releases into surface waters in the Great Lakes Basin increased by 12 percent from 2010 to 2011, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s annual Toxics Release Inventory report published today. Nationwide, toxic surface water discharges decreased by 3 percent.

"This is a significant increase in toxic releases to our waters – and an indication that the Great Lakes region is lagging behind other parts of the country," said Susan Hedman, EPA Region 5 Administrator and Great Lakes National Program Manager. "EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory is a valuable tool to help target areas for improvement and we will use this new information to work with municipalities, agricultural producers and manufacturers in the Great Lakes Basin to improve water quality."

Nitrates and pesticides from municipal wastewater treatment plants and agriculture account for most of the toxic surface water discharges to the Great Lakes Basin. Nitrates were also discharged by primary metals facilities, such as iron and steel mills and smelters, and food and beverage manufacturers.

The Great Lakes Basin consists of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario; a number of other smaller lakes and waterways; and the surrounding watershed. The watershed covers parts of Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and parts of Ontario in Canada. The Great Lakes are the largest surface freshwater system in the world.

Despite increases from 2010 to 2011, overall toxic releases in the Great Lakes Basin have decreased about 40 percent since 2003 and are currently at the second-lowest level in a decade. Surface water, air and land releases in the basin increased by 12, 1 and 4 percent respectively, while underground injection decreased 5 percent from 2010 to 2011.

Nationwide, the 2011 TRI data show total toxic air releases in 2011 declined 8 percent from 2010, mostly because of decreased emissions of hazardous air pollutants. Total releases of toxic chemicals increased for the second year in a row as a result of mining.

EPA’s TRI program collects information on toxic chemical releases to the air, water and land, as well as information on waste management and pollution prevention activities by facilities across the country. Facilities must report their toxic releases to EPA under the Federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act by the beginning of July each year.

The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 also requires information on waste management activities related to TRI chemicals. Also, EPA’s TRI mobile application, myRTK, geographically displays nearby facilities that report to the TRI program, as well as facilities with EPA air, water or hazardous waste program permits.

MARS IS A GOOD SOURCE OF CALCIUM

FROM: NASA

Curiosity Finds Calcium-Rich Deposits
NASA’s Curiosity rover finds calcium deposits on Mars similar to those seen on Earth when water circulates in cracks and rock fractures.

Credit-NASA-JPL-Caltech

A NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE

Vice President Joe Biden stops to smile for a photograph while packing care kits for deployed troops during a national day of service event at the District of Columbia Armory in Washington, D.C., Jan. 19, 2013. DOD photo by Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Volunteers Come Together For National Day of Service
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2013 - In conjunction with tomorrow's observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, about 10,000 people from all across the country traveled here to participate yesterday in the national day of service.

Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, were among many people who came out to support troops overseas by packing care kits to send to them.

"We all get what is so important today," the vice president said. "We still have 68,000 troops in harm's way. ... They're not looking for anything, but knowing that those of us here at home remember them and know what is going is an important piece of the equation."

Dr. Biden expressed her gratitude to the many volunteers who came out to pack care kits as a part of the national day of service, noting that she and First Lady Michelle Obama began the Joining Forces initiative to rally the nation behind military families.

"I'd like to thank each and every one of you for volunteering today to assemble these important care kits," she said. "Our military families have done so much for our country, and each of us can do something in return. [This] is why the first lady and I created Joining Forces -- to encourage all Americans to support and honor our military families."

John Adams, a former Marine Corps captain and a Milwaukee native, works with an organization called Operation Gratitude, which helped to sponsor the event.

"It means the world to me," he said. "I believe strongly in having everybody's efforts focused on supporting the military. For everybody to come here together and assemble care kits for Operation Gratitude to send to troops overseas is very special and very meaningful."

Adams also was able to speak from a service member's perspective, having served as an infantry officer, leading rifle and mortar platoons for two deployments – one in Afghanistan and another aboard a Navy vessel in Southeast Asia.

"It meant the world to me [then as well]," he said. "We received much needed items such as the hygiene kits and some letters of support that helped raise morale. So it meant the world to everybody, and I'm speaking on behalf of all the sailors and Marines that I was with. We really felt a connection with people back home."

Two volunteers, Paquilla Jones and Sajedea Chin, both sophomore students studying civil engineering at Howard University, said they enjoyed volunteering.

"It's a good thing to do for the troops," Jones said.

"I just like giving back, so this is an opportunity to give back and be with friends," Chin said.

Chin added that she enjoyed meeting new people and had volunteered previously, but nothing like the national day of service, where the event's goal was to pack 100,000 care kits.

"I think it's a good opportunity for us to get together with different people – meet people we don't know – and do something good," she said.

THREE AMERICANS CONFIRMED DEAD FROM TERRORISTS ATTACK IN ALGERIA

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Terrorist Attack in Algeria
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
January 21, 2013
　

We can now confirm the death of three U.S. citizens in the terrorist attack in Algeria: Victor Lynn Lovelady, Gordon Lee Rowan, and Frederick Buttaccio. We extend our deepest condolences to their families and friends. Out of respect for the families' privacy, we have no further comment. We are also aware of seven U.S. citizens who survived the attack. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further information to provide.

As the President said, the blame for this tragedy rests with the terrorists who carried it out, and the United States condemns their actions in the strongest possible terms. We will continue to work closely with the Government of Algeria to gain a fuller understanding of the terrorist attack of last week and how we can work together moving forward to combat such threats in the future.

 

President Obama Delivers His Second Inaugural Address | The White House

President Obama Delivers His Second Inaugural Address | The White House

USS GARY STOPS $22 MILLION COCAINE SHIPMENT

130104-N-ZZ999-001 U.S. 4TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Jan. 4, 2013) Approximately 600 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of $22 million was confiscated by the U.S. Coast Guard team aboard the guided-missile frigate USS Gary (FFG 51) after an interdiction while conducting Operation Martillo in the U.S. 4th Fleet area of responsibility in Central and South America. 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/Released)

FROM: U.S. NAVY

USS Gary Seizes $22 Million of Narcotics During Operation Martillo, Sinks Drug Boat

USS GARY, At Sea (NNS) -- The Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Gary (FFG 51) and its embarked U.S. Coast Guard team leveraged the capabilities of partner nations and the interagency to intercept a small drug trafficking vessel and confiscated more than 600 pounds of cocaine while on patrol in U.S. 4th Fleet while conducting Operation Martillo Jan. 4.

The estimated street value of the seizure is approximately $22 million.

"This was one of those vessels we were chasing in the dark," said USS Gary's embarked Naval Criminal Investigative Service Agent, Leatrice Daniels. "There was great open communication with everybody involved. Everything just flowed, from pursuit to initial contact and boarding."

Shortly after the intercept and search of the drug vessel and its contents, the ship was deemed a hazard to navigation and subsequently sunk. This case concluded a week in which the Gary's crew successfully boarded three vessels and disrupted the smuggling of more than 2,000 pounds of cocaine destined for the United States worth an estimated street value of $272 million.

Gary is homeported in San Diego and is currently deployed to Central and South America in support of Operation Martillo and U.S. 4th Fleet's mission, Southern Seas 2012.

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. military participation is being led by Joint Interagency Task Force South.

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

Fourteen countries are participating: Canada, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, France, Guatemala, Honduras, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

RETURNING TO DUTY AFTER WOUNDS AND SURGERY

After more than 20 surgeries resulting from machine-gun fire while serving in Afghanistan in 2010, Army Sgt. Michael Krapels returned to duty and is serving another deployment with Chosen Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael Sword

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT DEFENSE
Face of Defense: Soldier Returns to War After 20 Surgeries
By Army Sgt. Michael Sword
Combined Joint Task Force 1 Afghanistan

WARDAK PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Jan. 15, 2013 - Three years after suffering war wounds that resulted in more than 20 surgeries, Army Sgt. Michael Krapels is back where he wants to be: serving alongside his fellow soldiers in Afghanistan.

Krapels, who is with Chosen Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, had always wanted to join the military, and after attending college at the request of his parents, he enlisted in the Army on his birthday, Oct. 7, 2008.

"I made a promise to my parents that I would go to college first, so I did two years at the University of Maine," he said. "A friend went up there to play football and I got accepted, so we went up there and roomed together."

The intention was to finish his college education, but a visit to the recruiter by his best friend back home in Sparta, N.J., changed that plan, and his life, forever.

"Halfway through my sophomore year of college, my best friend from back home -- we had always talked about enlisting together -- told me that he had gone down and spoken to a recruiter and enlisted," Krapels recalled. "That started the ball rolling with me wanting to go, and later on that spring, a buddy of mine got hurt in Helmand province, and that made it definite."

Once he left Sparta, his transition from civilian to deployed soldier was a quick one. From Fort Benning, Ga., for his one-station unit training and airborne school, to Vicenza, Italy, home of 2nd Battalion and the 173rd ABCT, to training and a mission readiness exercise, Krapels quickly found himself high in the mountains of Afghanistan's Kunar province by the winter of 2010.

But almost as quickly as he arrived, Krapels left Afghanistan after machine-gun fire hit both of his legs, Jan. 14, 2010.

"One went through my left ankle, one through my right calf -- it cut my Achilles [tendon]," Krapels said, listing just a few of the rounds that hit him. "I lost a couple of inches of bone in my shin, [and] lost the feeling in my foot and a lot of mobility."

The serious nature of injuries took him to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and he began his fight to recover that would last more than two years.

"There were times when I thought it was going to be impossible," he said. "I was told I was never going to walk right. I was told I was never going to be able to run or carry weight on my back."

Between surgeries, Krapels spent 10 months in a wheelchair, struggling and wondering if he would ever be the same again, until a visit from 2nd Battalion's highest-ranking enlisted soldier, Army Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Ferrusi, changed everything.

"Sergeant Major Ferrusi came down in July of 2010 to talk to me," Krapels said. "That started the ball rolling with me really throwing myself into physical therapy and getting out of my wheelchair."

"He was struggling with identity," Ferrusi said. "Did he want to stay in the Army? Did he want to get out? He didn't know.

"I told him, 'There are two things you can do in life: you can either let adversity beat you, or you can beat adversity,'" he continued. "It's not the act that defines you. It's not what happened to you that will define you. It's what you're going to do from now and for the rest of your life based on what happened."

Ferrusi, who was the battalion sergeant major at the time, was on leave and visited Krapels at Walter Reed. "I stayed there about five days with him, hung out with him, and in the course of five days, I got to know him -- not just as a soldier anymore, but as a person."

Krapels said he learned that that Ferrusi had broken his neck in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom I, lending weight to his words and a voice of credibility and experience to his advice.

"It was motivating, because I found out that he had been injured, and having someone that high up who's been through the whole recovery process come in and share some of his wisdom with me, it was an eye-opener," Krapels said. "When the sergeant major came, that was the catalyst -- like, 'If he did it, I can do it.'"

After that visit, Krapels threw himself into rehabilitation and stated in no uncertain terms his desire to make it back to the fight.

"There were guys down there with no legs that were out running," he said. "I couldn't accept the fact that I wasn't going to be a whole person and be able to do my job anymore, so I just put my nose into recovering.

"Everyone in my chain of command at Walter Reed knew what my intentions were," he continued. "I actually removed myself from their physical therapy, because I thought it was moving too slow, and started doing a lot of it on my own."

In June 2011, Krapels traveled to the Center for the Intrepid at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. The center specializes in many things, including advanced outpatient rehabilitation for patients like Krapels. It was there that his rehabilitation made a breakthrough when he was fitted for an intrepid dynamic exoskeletal orthosis, or IDEO.

The IDEO is an external prosthesis that wraps around the leg, just below the knee, and has a footplate that stabilizes the foot and ankle and a pair of carbon fiber rods that connect the two. The device works by offloading the weight of the wearer, alleviating pain when walking or running.

"After I received the IDEO," he said, "I was able to start running again." After a month in San Antonio, Krapels returned to Walter Reed to check his status and evaluate his progress. He went through a physical therapy revaluation and was cleared to return to duty.

In November 2011, Krapels returned to Italy, to the same battalion, and back to Chosen Company, and tried to fit back in as quickly as possible.

"I didn't get any special treatment, which is good," he said. "They welcomed me with open arms, and it was like I had never left."

Ferrusi kept up with Krapels' progress during his rehabilitation, and though the 2nd Battalion's commander was a new one, by the time Krapels arrived back in Italy, Army Lt. Col. Michael Larsen knew who he was.

"When we finally got the word he was coming back, I was fired up," Larsen said. "What a great example of persistence and motivation, and when I met him for the first time and saw his energy and what a positive person he is, it inspired me.

"Easily, he's a guy that could have accepted what his wounds were, been medically discharged and no one would have second guessed, no one would have said a thing or judged him any differently," Larsen added. "But he powered through all of that just to be able to come back and deploy with Chosen Company again, and deploy with 'The Rock.'"

Once he returned to the company, Krapels got right back into the swing of things. With no physical profile limiting his actions, he resumed training with his unit for its upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. After three training rotations in Germany, he attended the Army's Warrior Leader Course and graduated on the Commandant's List.

He has been deployed to eastern Afghanistan since June with Chosen Company, battling the harsh weather and terrain, keeping up with every step of the other soldiers.

"He's still hurting," Larsen said. "But he still goes out and executes every patrol and never complains."

His solid performance and his perseverance led Ferrusi to fight for, and ultimately to succeed, in getting Krapels promoted. On Jan. 1, more than two years from his visit to Walter Reed, Ferrrusi was able to pin Krapels with the rank of sergeant.

"In this business, you invest in what you see, and his past performance to me was an indicator of his future potential," Ferrusi said. "I told him that, 'I know you can beat this. I know you can come back, and I'll support you. I know it's going to be hard, but I won't waver on you if you don't waver on me.'"

Krapels "didn't take no for an answer, continued to push himself physically and mentally to get himself back here to the unit where his true loyalties resided," Larsen said. "He's an awesome guy to have in the formation; I wish I had 100 of him.

"To have a tangible example that you can point to so other paratroopers can see in their midst, every day, the right mindset of a paratrooper," he continued. "I think that's what every commander wishes to have -- an example they can always point to of a guy that doesn't quit, a guy that doesn't give up, who found a way to make it back to the unit and deploy with us. It's a great success story."

While the paratroopers of Chosen Company continue to patrol Afghanistan's Wardak province, Krapels continues fighting the pain, but keeps a positive attitude as he does it, because he is finally back where feels he needs to be.

"When you sign up as an infantryman during a time of war, you're signing up to fight, and when you get hurt and pulled out of a combat situation with guys that you've been training with forever, you feel like you lost your family," he said. "I knew that they were going to be the same people -- just different names -- and I wanted to make sure that with some of the drive and experience I have, I could share it and help out.

"It was good coming back," he added. "I needed it."

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA'S FINAL TRIP IN OFFICE

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta speaks with troops at U.S. Army Garrison Vicenza, Italy, Jan. 17, 2013. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

On Final Official Trip, Panetta Shares Legacy of ServiceBy Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2013 - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta returned here yesterday after concluding a six-day tour of European capitals that he has said was likely his last official trip in office.

Along the way, the secretary touched down in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Great Britain. In each country, he discussed Afghanistan; all of the nations Panetta visited over the week are coalition partners in NATO's International Security Assistance Force.

He also grappled with the Algerian hostage situation, and talked to troops, world leaders and reporters about budgets, strategies and the crucial nature of strong alliances in a world facing 21st century threats, including the invisible but nightmarish specter of computer-based attacks that could shut down the world's flow of money, energy and information.

Panetta also outlined a legacy, a vision and a dream: a legacy of service; a vision of resolute, committed global security cooperation; and a dream that he often says is not exclusively American, but simply human: a better life "for our children."

Panetta frequently speaks about public service, as he did to soldiers in Vicenza, Italy, Jan. 17, and to students who attended his speech at London's King's College Jan. 18.

The secretary started his own nearly half-century career in public service with a stint as an Army lieutenant, later representing his home state of California in Congress for 16 years. He was chief of staff and director of the Office of Management and Budget during Bill Clinton's presidency, and as part of President Barack Obama's administration has led both the CIA and the Defense Department.

Panetta has visited troops -- primarily U.S. forces, but also Japanese, Afghan, South Korean and British service members, among others -- on virtually all of his foreign and domestic travels as defense secretary, and his respect for the military people he leads is clear, as it was in Vicenza.

"The proudest thing that I do as secretary of defense is have the honor and the pride to serve and to lead the men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line every day for our country," he said to the soldiers of U.S. Army Europe's 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. "A generation of young people since 9/11 who have come forward and been willing to serve this country and willing to fight and, yes, to die, has been a great tribute to the dedication of young people to what our democracy is all about."

Panetta told the students at King's College his love for democracy dates back to his formative memories of Monterey, Calif., during World War II. Born in 1938, he was too young, he explained, to understand all that was happening in the world.

"I can still remember the feelings of fear and uncertainty and vulnerability that pervaded those years," he said. "Blackout shades, the air raid drills, the paper drives, the soldiers and sailors who walked the streets of Monterey before they were sent off to battle. Those are all memories."

But his memories of that time also include some that seemingly still inspire him. The man who helped to bring down Osama bin Laden spoke warmly to the King's College crowd of his early impressions of Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Panetta perhaps displayed the roots of his own "no refuge" approach to terrorists as he described those leaders' resolve: "By making clear that they would accept nothing less than the total defeat of fascism, Roosevelt and Churchill were determined to shape a new world, and to do everything they could to ensure it would never again descend into total conflict," he said.

"Their stirring oratory, their personal friendship, their clear-eyed resolve inspired a generation at war and, I know, continue to inspire all of us today," he added.

Panetta likely will be remembered for some stirring oratory of his own. The former congressman has not been shy as defense secretary in exhorting his 21st century counterparts to carry out the duties they were elected to perform.

As he told the soldiers in Vicenza while discussing budget issues, "This is not an unsolvable problem. We can do this. People have just got to suck it up and ... take on some of the risks and take on some of the challenges that are required by people in leadership."

The secretary has taken on daunting challenges while leading the Pentagon. A war-weary force has struggled with high suicide and sexual assault rates. Insider attacks have tested the strength of the ISAF coalition. Constant budget uncertainty has strained the nation's defense industries and frustrated and worried military commanders, service members and the defense civilian workforce.

Panetta spoke about that last item at the National Press Club here in December, shortly after returning from a trip to Afghanistan.

"It's easy to get cynical and frustrated in this town," he admitted. "And after 40 years, I know my level of cynicism and frustration. But my confidence and my hope for the future is restored every time I have the opportunity to visit with our troops on the front lines, as I did last week. In them, I see the spirit of public service that has kept this country strong for more than two centuries and which has helped us to overcome every period of crisis and adversity in our history."

At that same event, Panetta also displayed some of the same empathy he showed in Vicenza, when a young soldier who had been standing in formation waiting for him -- likely for quite some time -- started to sway on her feet in the middle of the secretary's remarks. He stopped and gazed at her in concern as two fellow soldiers led her from the formation. "Are you all right, dear?" the leader of the world's mightiest military asked her.

At the press club in December, Panetta exhibited the same respect for others in discussing a far more serious situation. He paid tribute to a reporter who had suffered an explosive blast in Afghanistan, leaving her with a prosthetic left leg and a shattered right foot that had been pieced back together.


"Journalists who commit themselves to doggedly pursuing the truth and telling the everyday stories of American people are public servants in their own right," he said. "On my last trip, I was honored to be accompanied by Cami McCormick, an award-winning radio reporter for CBS News who three years ago suffered a terrible injury ... while covering the war in Afghanistan. It was truly an emotional experience to be with her as she returned back to Afghanistan for the first time after that injury. She put her own life at risk in order to tell the story of that war."

McCormick also accompanied Panetta on his European trip. She delighted in a photograph she took of the Roman Catholic secretary in Rome, after he attended a general audience with Pope Benedict XVI. In the photo, the secretary's grin is incandescent. "It's perfect Panetta," she said.

The secretary's legacy of public service reaches even into his years outside the Capital Beltway. Panetta and his wife, Sylvia, in 1997 founded the Panetta Institute for Public Policy at California State University, Monterey Bay. The institute, as its website details, serves the entire California state university system, and under the direction of Sylvia Panetta -- before his return to the national stage, the couple shared the job -- provides study opportunities in government, politics and public policy. The institute also sponsors other activities, such as the Monterey County Reads program, which recruits hundreds of reading volunteers from communities around Monterey to work with children in kindergarten through third grade.

The institute's mission, the secretary told his London audience, is to "help prepare the next generation for a career in public service." He added, "I look forward to returning to the institute, to ... my wife and family, and, yes, to our walnut farm."

But last week, Panetta's focus was far from Monterey. In Lisbon, in Madrid, in a Rome wracked by thunderstorms and a London slushy with snow, the secretary spoke of his vision: a NATO alliance retooled for a young century's new threats, ready to foster security alliances and military cooperation around the world.

"The goal of this trip is really in line with that," he told reporters traveling with him while en route to Lisbon. "It's to try to strengthen and reaffirm the transatlantic alliance, our relationship with NATO, to reflect on what we've accomplished over the last decade of war, and to also lay the groundwork for the future."

In Portugal, the secretary said the war on terrorism continues. "We have made good progress," he added. "We have undermined their ability to conduct the kind of attacks that they would like to conduct. But the war on terrorism continues."

In Italy, he noted that "this is the kind of war that's going to require continuing pressure over a period of time."

In Spain, he said efforts to implement the way forward in Afghanistan decided upon at a NATO summit in Chicago were continuing as the alliance members' leaders had hoped. "Because of the work that has been done by all the nations involved to help build the Afghan security forces, ... I believe we are on track to meet the goals that our nations agreed to last year in Chicago."

And in London, the secretary asserted, "NATO has been an unprecedented force for global security and prosperity, developing into the most effective and capable and enduring multilateral security alliance the world has ever seen."

During his previous travels -- 18 international trips over as many months leading the Defense Department -- Panetta has talked of a world that is united against threats, where relationships that are not alliances, as with China, can remain respectful and engaged, and where a common goal of peace and prosperity becomes not exclusively the American dream, but also a globally achievable objective.

Panetta famously credits his Italian parents, who brought him up on that walnut farm after immigrating to America with "no money and few skills," with instilling that dream in him and his brother. The Panetta sons were the first in their family to attend college, and then law school, he noted.

The secretary says openly he hopes to return soon to wife, family, farm and institute. He told the troops in Vicenza that when their turn comes to go home, "I hope ... you'll have the same deep sense of pride that I have in the service that we've provided this country. We don't make a hell of a lot of money in these jobs, but if we can have a sense that we have maintained our integrity and that we have given something back to this country that has given us so much, that's the best pay we could ever have."

His own greatest accomplishment, he told a soldier who asked, is "being a part of something that really, I think, in the end, helped all Americans and the whole world to be safer."

Sofortlieferung per Satellitennavigation

Sofortlieferung per Satellitennavigation

THE FIRST DANCE AT THE INAUGURAL BALL

Credit: White House Joyce N. Boghosian

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Service Members Chosen for Inaugural Ball First Dance
Joint Task Force – National Capital Region 57th Presidential Inauguration

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2013 – The Department of Defense has chosen four of its top men and women representing their respective service branches to join the Obamas and Bidens for the traditional first dance at the Presidential Inaugural Committee’s Commander-in-Chief’s Ball at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center Jan. 21.

The event will honor the brave men and women of the nation’s armed forces and their families -- a tradition started by then-President George W. Bush in 2005.

The selected service members -- representing the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force -- will dance with President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden during the event. A service member from the U.S Coast Guard will also be represented in the official event program.

The service members include:

-- Air Force Staff Sgt. Bria D. Nelson, who will dance with President Obama. Nelson, a native of Indianapolis, Ind., enlisted on July 31, 2002, as a medical technician. She deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Her awards include the Air Force Commendation Medal. She is currently assigned to the 579th Medical Operations Squadron, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C., as the noncommissioned officer in charge of Explorer Family Health Element.

-- Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Timothy D. Easterling, who will dance with First Lady Michelle Obama. Easterling, a native of Barnwell, S.C., enlisted on Aug. 21, 2000, as a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense specialist. He deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. His awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. In 2009, Easterling helped plan and execute the Chemical Biological Incident Response Force’s participation in the Presidential Inauguration and four subsequent Presidential State of the Union addresses and Joint Sessions of Congress. He is currently assigned to Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C., as a distance learning instructor.

-- Army Staff Sgt. Keesha N. Dentino, who will dance with Vice President Joe Biden. Dentino, a native of Homestead, Fla., enlisted on July 6, 2004, as a military police officer. She deployed to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Her awards include the Bronze Star Medal and four Army Commendation Medals. She is currently assigned to the 947th Military Police Detachment, Fort Myer, Va., as a patrol explosives detection dog handler and is working on her bachelors of science degree in criminal justice.

-- Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Patrick R. Figueroa, who will dance with Dr. Jill Biden. Figueroa, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, enlisted on Dec. 16, 2008, as a hospital corpsman. He deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. While there, Figueroa rescued Marine Cpl. Hoffman, who is now a Wounded Warrior at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. His awards include the Presidential Unit Citation and Navy Unit Commendation. Figueroa is currently assigned to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as a manpower transfer clerk.

The service members were chosen by a selection board made up of senior enlisted leaders from the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region, a task force of DOD military and civilian members brought together to support the 57th Presidential Inauguration.

The board met with and reviewed the records and accomplishments of more than 50 individuals who were submitted by senior leadership within each service. Considering factors like combat experience and volunteer efforts, the board aimed to identify individuals who would best tell the story of their services.

"These men and women represent their service in an honorable and professional way and we are excited to afford them this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as part of the Presidential Inauguration," said Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sgt. Julius Spain, who participated in the selection process as the senior enlisted board member representing the Marine Corps and serves as the senior enlisted advisor to the Joint Team Special Events, JTF-NCR.

The Commander-in-Chief’s Ball is for members of the U.S. military, including active duty and reserve military members, Medal of Honor recipients, and wounded warriors and their spouses, among others.

The 2013 Commander-in-Chief’s Ball will have a significantly larger footprint than that of 2009, nearly doubling in size, and tickets for invited military guests will be provided free of charge by the Presidential Inaugural Committee.

The Pentagon Channel will be carrying live coverage of inaugural events including the Commander-in-Chief’s Ball, the Kids’ Inaugural concert and the parade.

PRESIDENT OBAMA DESIGNATES SALEM, MASS AS BIRTHPLACE OF THE NATIONAL GUARD

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Salem Takes Honor as National Guard's Birthplace
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy
National Guard Bureau

ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 18, 2013 - On Jan. 10, President Barack Obama signed into law a bill that designates Salem, Mass., as the birthplace of the National Guard.

Local officials, politicians and members of the Massachusetts National Guard gathered at the Salem City Hall yesterday to celebrate the signing of the bill.

"What a lineage we have -- what an honor to be here," Massachusetts Guard Adjutant General Air Force Maj. Gen. L. Scott Rice said at the ceremony.

"What a great meeting of all the history in the place," Rice added.

The Guard's birth dates back to Dec. 13, 1636, when the North, South and East Regiments of the Massachusetts Bay Colony were formed. The first muster of those regiments then took place on Salem Common, though the actual date has been lost to history.

The area's significance as the Guard's birthplace has been widely known and accepted locally. In 2010, Massachusetts Gov. Patrick Duvall signed a similar bill into state law and in 2007 the Salem City Council passed a corresponding resolution.

Each April, Massachusetts National Guard members hold a mustering of troops on Salem Common as a way of celebrating Salem's role in the history of the Guard. The Massachusetts Army National Guard's 101st Field Artillery Regiment, 182nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Engineer Battalion and 181st Infantry Regiment all trace their lineage back to the original regiments that mustered on Salem Common.

HOMELAND SECURITY'S NEXT GENERATION OF X-RAY SCANNING TECHNOLOGY

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent conducts cargo inspections through the use of Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) equipment as part of the overall protection of Super Bowl XLVI. Photo Credit: Brian Bell-U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Compact, Multi-Energy X-Ray Generator

Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) imaging systems–or industrial x-ray imaging systems—are used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and port operators to inspect air, land, and sea cargo for contraband, including weapons, narcotics, explosives and potentially nuclear and radiological threat materials. Recent technological advances, funded through the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office’s Small Business Innovative Research program, have led to the next generation of technology used to produce the x-rays in these NII systems, facilitating faster scanning and more precise material discrimination for mobile operations.

The Technology

The x-ray generator features a source of high-energy electrons that are used to produce a spectrum of x-rays. This innovative and revolutionary x-ray source, called a linear accelerator, is more compact and has more capabilities than current x-ray sources, which include:
The capability to produce high pulse rates up to 1000 pulses of x-rays per second
The capability to produce multiple x-ray energies ranging from 2 MeV to 9 MeV
The capability to change the intensity of the x-rays from pulse-to-pulse
The high pulse rate enables faster and more efficient scanning of cargo, while the multiple x-ray energies facilitate material discrimination and detection of contraband. Depending on the density of the cargo being scanned, the intensity variation capability enables systems to easily increase or decrease the amount of x-rays being generated. Additionally, the compact size facilitates mobile applications with a reduced operational footprint.

Current Status

This compact, multi-energy x-ray generator has caught the attention of commercial vendors of NII systems and will soon become integrated in their systems. One vendor is already using a variant of this generator in its latest generation scanning solution. This integrated system provides multi-energy imaging performance in a bus-mounted platform.

FLYING INTO THE STORM

Photo: 130J Aircraft. Photo by Airman 1st Class Tim Bazar, USAF

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

'Hurricane Hunters' Weather Storms to Save Lives
By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2013 - As the nation rebounds from 19 named storms and 11 major hurricanes in 2012, a small but hardy military organization keeps relentless watch to track and prepare for such disasters.

Located at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, dubbed the "Hurricane Hunters" of the Air Force Reserve, is the Defense Department's sole organization dedicated to flying into tropical storms and hurricanes. The unit has performed the mission since 1944.

In a "DOD Live" bloggers roundtable today, Lt. Col. Jon Talbot, 53rd WRS chief meteorologist, and Capt. John Brady, a meteorologist with the squadron, said collecting winter storm, hurricane and tropical cyclone data for the National Weather Service is critical in mitigating loss of life and property.

Typically, a winter storm mission begins only if the weather system will have a large, societal impact somewhere in the United States, Talbot explained.

"Winter storms kill more people than hurricanes do," Talbot said, noting his team's specialty in analyzing data over water, where information is sparse. "If the National Weather Service is seeing a lot of uncertainty in their [data], they'll contact our liaison team."

Talbot and Brady oversee 20 flight meteorologists responsible for acting as mission directors aboard the fleet of 10 WC-130J reconnaissance aircraft and crews from the 403rd Wing, also based at Keesler. The weather experts collect and relay information such as storm center and intensity, known as models or numerical predictions, to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center.

"Over the open waters of the Pacific and Atlantic, there's nothing out there for the models to ingest, so we get extra data to pump into the model," Brady said. "The forecast accuracy can go up 15 to 20 percent just by gathering that data."

But winter-storm tracking missions in the Northeast and Northwest corners of the United States, Talbot said, differ from conventional hurricane tracking. These are high-altitude missions, usually at 30,000 to 34,000 feet, that supplement data from an upper-air balloon

"It's not an active environment [as with] a hurricane, where you're right in the middle of it [because] you're a lot lower," Talbot said.

Brady agreed and explained the squadron's use of dropsondes -- small, expendable, parachute-like meteorological devices that collect information and send the coded data back to weather trackers.

"Our goal is to fly as high as possible and drop our weather dropsondes at predetermined points to measure the atmosphere ... and get that information to the National Weather Service so they can increase the forecast accuracy for developing winter storms," Brady said. "The longer they flew, the lighter the aircraft got due to less fuel, so they were able to get higher and higher with each one." Hurricane Hunters, particularly in the Atlantic basin, often fly a day or so ahead of a weather system before its main impact, he added.

The data can even provide rescuers an immediate, life-saving advantage, Brady said, relating a recent example of collaboration with the Coast Guard. In October 2012, Tropical Storm-turned-Hurricane Rafael caused heavy rains and formidable gusts that thwarted rescue efforts for two men and one woman whose twin-engine Piper Aztec aircraft crashed near St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Coast Guard rescue crews called on the Hurricane Hunters, who were in the area and were able to spot from high above an oil slick and aircraft debris. Although the other two passengers perished, the woman was rescued, thanks to the Hurricane Hunters' ability to identify and relay critical coordinates of the survivor's location.

"[The Coast Guard] took over and ultimately did find the rest of the debris and one female survivor still clinging to life," Brady said. "I'm sure she was extremely grateful to see some folks coming to get her, [and] that's just one example of how we can intercoordinate with the different branches through search and rescue."

After Hurricane Katrina crippled the Gulf Coast in 2005, Talbot said, the use of instruments such as remote wind sensors now enable the team to provide even greater detail about how winds are likely to affect a coastal area when a hurricane comes ashore.

"We're able to map the entire area under a hurricane," Talbot said. "During Katrina, we had only one or two airplanes [with that] instrument installed, and now we've gone to the entire fleet."

Talbot added that being able to map the area under a hurricane is a "gigantic benefit" for not only forecasters at the hurricane center, but for the local emergency management workers assessing how and where to evacuate people. The colonel also noted that collaboration with the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service likely will pave the way to develop future capabilities such as enhancing radar and satellite communications to better track real-time hurricane changes.

"NASA has flown over hurricanes using ... high-altitude Global Hawks outfitted with special instrumentation," Talbot said. "We're trying to get to a point where we can develop [similar] remote sensors."

Still, mission requirements, Talbot noted, ultimately will be defined by the needs of the Hurricane Hunters' main customer, the National Weather Service's National Hurricane Center.

"[What we do at] the 53rd [WRS] and the Air Force Reserve has always been a great mission for us," Talbot said. "We're proud to be able to help mitigate the cost and protection of lives during hurricanes and we look forward to continuing this mission proudly."

MEASURING METABOLIC FUNCTIONS IN SPACE

FROM: NASA
PUMA Headgear
NASA engineer Dan Dietrich and a team of scientists at Glenn developed the Portable Unit for Metabolic Analysis (PUMA) to monitor the oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production rates of astronauts exercising during long missions. The portable unit was designed to give the crew the ability to move around the spacecraft without being tethered to a large immovable unit.

PUMA measures six components to evaluate metabolic function: oxygen and carbon dioxide partial pressure, volume flow rate, heart rate, and gas pressure and temperature. From those measurements, PUMA can compute the oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide output and minute ventilation (average expired gas flow rate). A small, embedded computer takes readings of each sensor and relays the data wirelessly to a remote computer via Bluetooth.

Image Credit-NASA

THE MARS FLOAT LANDS IN INAUGUARAL PARADE

FROM: NASA
Curiosity Replica Preps for Parade
On Saturday morning, Jan. 19, 2013, at Joint Base Anacostia Bolling (JBAB) in Washington, Steve LaDrew, with Capitol Exhibit Services, adjusts the Mastcam on a replica of the Mars Curiosity Rover.

The NASA float will participate in Monday's Inaugural Parade honoring President Barack Obama. Image Credit-NASA-Paul E. Alers

Active with Parkinson’s

Active with Parkinson’s