Monday, January 28, 2013
MOTOR TRANSPORT OPERATOR IN AFGHANISTAN
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| Marine Corps Cpl. Stephen Karavolos is serving in Afghanistan as a convoy commander, motor transport chief and operations chief, all billets typically held by officers or staff noncommissioned officers. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Anthony Ward Jr. |
Face of Defense: Marine Shoulders Heavy Responsibilities
By Marine Corps Cpl. Anthony Ward
Regional Command Southwest
HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Jan. 22, 2013 - Vehicle convoys are one of the easiest ways to supply Marines in combat with essential gear and equipment. These logistics trains can carry more supplies than a helicopter and can reach areas that may not be feasible to reach by air.
The responsibility of orchestrating these multiple vehicle trips usually doesn't fall upon the shoulders of a junior noncommissioned officer, but Marine Corps Cpl. Stephen Karavolos is an exception, serving as an asset to the Regimental Combat Team 7's liaison team with the Georgian military in Regional Command Southwest.
Karavolos, a motor transport operator by trade, enlisted into the Marine Corps in September 2009 after an unfortunate injury opened the door for him.
"I wrestled for Longwood High School in New York," said Karavolos, 22. "I injured my neck, so I wasn't able to go to college. I had a scholarship to go to Penn State. I decided to take my next step and join the Marine Corps. I wanted to serve my country honorably."
Karavolos served in Afghanistan for his first time with Combat Logistics Battalion 8. "On my first deployment, I was an MK-19 gunner and a vehicle commander," he said. "That's pretty much all I did."
He was in Afghanistan from January to August last year. He volunteered to return, and was sent back as a part of the Georgian liaison team in September.
A seasoned veteran, Karavolos said, he has a much higher workload than his previous deployment and is expected to conduct work above his pay grade.
"This time around, I'm the convoy commander," he explained. "I'm the motor transport chief, as well as the operations chief."
A convoy commander billet usually is held by a junior officer. The motor transport chief and operations chief billets usually are held by staff noncommissioned officers, usually staff sergeants or gunnery sergeants. Karavolos holds all these billets and the responsibility that comes with them.
"As a convoy commander, you're responsible for the entire convoy -- every person, every action the Marines do -- and getting the mission done," he said. "As a motor [transport] chief, all the operators and personnel have to be accounted for. As the operations chief, I have to be accountable for all the convoys, patrols and operations that are going on."
Karavolos keeps track of nearly 47 Marines and 150 pieces of gear, and he provides logistical support for the Georgian battalions and the bases they have nearby.
His efforts and dedication to mission accomplishment has impressed his leadership.
"For him to step up as a junior NCO says a lot," said Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Robert E. Dzvonick, supply officer for the Georgian liaison team. "He oversees everything, and he is in charge of the logistics train that keeps things going."
As his deployment draws closer to an end, Karavolos said, he will continue to serve honorably and provide his unit with the support they need.
ANTARTICA AIRCRAFT CRASH : NO SURVIVORS FOUND
FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Loss of Three Canadian Aircrew Members in Antarctica Is Confirmed
January 28, 2013
On behalf of the U.S. National Science Foundation and all in the U. S. Antarctic Program, I wish to extend our profound sympathies to the families, friends, and colleagues of the three Kenn Borek Twin Otter crew, whose deaths in Antarctica while en route to support the Italian national Antarctic science program have recently been confirmed.
We have been privileged to experience first-hand their professionalism, skill, and dedication to the arduous task of supporting science in an extremely remote and inhospitable environment. In many ways, their contributions make possible hard won but vital advances in scientific knowledge that serve all of mankind. Although everyone associated with the pursuit of science in Antarctica makes personal sacrifices to do so, very infrequently and sadly, some make the ultimate sacrifice.
While it may come as little consolation at this very sorrowful time, the families, friends, and colleagues of the crew members should know that the thoughts of everyone in the U.S. Antarctic Program were with them through the long ordeal of the past few days and remain so now.
To the families and friends of the crew, I commend your loved ones for their commitment and dedication to their profession and offer our condolences. The sense of loss is keenly felt throughout the U.S. program and no doubt throughout the international Antarctic community.
Loss of Three Canadian Aircrew Members in Antarctica Is Confirmed
January 28, 2013
On behalf of the U.S. National Science Foundation and all in the U. S. Antarctic Program, I wish to extend our profound sympathies to the families, friends, and colleagues of the three Kenn Borek Twin Otter crew, whose deaths in Antarctica while en route to support the Italian national Antarctic science program have recently been confirmed.
We have been privileged to experience first-hand their professionalism, skill, and dedication to the arduous task of supporting science in an extremely remote and inhospitable environment. In many ways, their contributions make possible hard won but vital advances in scientific knowledge that serve all of mankind. Although everyone associated with the pursuit of science in Antarctica makes personal sacrifices to do so, very infrequently and sadly, some make the ultimate sacrifice.
While it may come as little consolation at this very sorrowful time, the families, friends, and colleagues of the crew members should know that the thoughts of everyone in the U.S. Antarctic Program were with them through the long ordeal of the past few days and remain so now.
To the families and friends of the crew, I commend your loved ones for their commitment and dedication to their profession and offer our condolences. The sense of loss is keenly felt throughout the U.S. program and no doubt throughout the international Antarctic community.
USDA MOVES AGAINST RETAILER CHEATS OF SNAP PROGRAM
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| Photo Credit: NIH |
USDA Announces Latest Actions to Enhance Integrity in America’s Most Critical Nutrition Assistance Program
Measures Help Fight Retailer Misuse, Preserve Taxpayer Investment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24, 2013 – USDA Under Secretary Kevin Concannon today announced results of USDA’s efforts to identify and eliminate fraudulent retailers from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in fiscal year 2012. Last year, USDA compliance analysts and investigators took action to:
• Review over 15,000 stores;
• Conduct investigations on more than 5,000 stores nationwide;
• Impose sanctions, through fines or temporary disqualifications, on 692 stores found violating program rules; and
• Permanently disqualify 1,387 stores for trafficking in SNAP benefits (i.e. exchanging SNAP benefits for cash) or falsifying an application.
"Our message today is clear and firm: abuse of SNAP benefits—and the American taxpayer’s trust—will not be tolerated and carries severe consequences," said Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon. "In the coming year, we will take further steps to strengthen SNAP integrity and continue to hold accountable those few bad actors that try to take advantage of the program. We are committed to ensuring these dollars are spent as intended - helping millions of American families put healthy food on the table."
In addition, as part of its ongoing effort to combat fraud among SNAP-authorized retailers, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service published a Request for Information (RFI) soliciting cost-effective, automated solutions from all current and potential partners to help identify fraudulent activity and exclude retailers who violate the rules from participating in SNAP. The USDA is looking for innovative solutions which will identify connections between stores applying to accept SNAP benefits and store owners who have been previously disqualified from accepting SNAP benefits. The RFI also seeks to identify store owners applying or already authorized to accept SNAP benefits who have business integrity violations such as a criminal conviction, a history of fraud, violations of certain laws, or a history of non-compliance with other government programs.
"Enforcing SNAP business integrity is critically important," added Concannon. "The RFI continues our efforts to look at how improvements in commercial technology may be used to obtain accurate information on ownership so that fraudulent retailers can be excluded or removed from SNAP."
USDA continues to work with local, state and federal partners to root out fraud, waste and abuse in SNAP and ensure the integrity of our nation's most important food assistance program. Recent actions include:
• Published a proposed rule that allows USDA to not only permanently disqualify a retailer who traffics, but also assess a monetary penalty in addition to the disqualification.
• Published a final rule to establish standards and expectations regarding State matching requirements to prevent ineligible people from participating in the program. The final rule sets expectations for States to conduct matches against persons in prison, those who are currently disqualified from participating due to past program violations, and deceased persons.
• Updated the Agency’s Anti-fraud Locator using EBT Retailer Transactions (ALERT) system. The re-designed ALERT system, which monitors electronic transaction activity and identifies suspicious stores for analysis and investigation, allows USDA to quickly implement fraud detection scans as new schemes are identified, better target high risk areas, and incorporate better data mining driven models.
• Helped State Agencies conduct automated searches to monitor social media websites for attempts by individuals to buy or sell SNAP benefits online. Notified state social service agencies and federal agency partners about violators to better protect our public programs. This includes information on program recipients with suspicious transactions at stores that have been sanctioned for trafficking so that the recipients can be further investigated by States.
SNAP—the nation's first line of defense against hunger—helps put food on the table for millions of low income families and individuals every month. SNAP is a vital supplement to the monthly food budget for low-income individuals. Nearly half of SNAP participants are children and more than 40 percent of recipients live in households with earnings.
CRASHED IN ANTARTICA: MISSING AIRCRAFT FOUND
FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
January 26, 2013
The wreckage of a Twin Otter aircraft that was reported missing earlier this week in Antarctica has been found in a remote and mountainous area of the continent.
An initial assessment by Kenn Borek Air Ltd. of Calgary, Canada, the owner of the plane, deemed the crash "not survivable."
Weather has prevented search-and-rescue personnel from landing at the site.
The National Science Foundation (NSF), as manager of the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP), has been cooperating with the Rescue Coordination Centre in Wellington, New Zealand, since the search-and-rescue effort to locate the missing aircraft--a de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter--began earlier this week.
Communication with the Twin Otter was lost on Wednesday night, New Zealand time, and search-and-rescue operations have been hampered by bad weather and poor visibility since that time.
The plane was flying in support of the Italian Antarctic Program under the logistical responsibility of the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA). The aircraft was enroute from NSF's Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station to the Italian research station at Terra Nova Bay when contact was lost.
The three crew members were the only people aboard the plane at the time.
On the afternoon of Saturday, Jan. 26, local time, a ski-equipped LC-130 aircraft--operated by the New York Air National Guard for the USAP and flying from NSF's McMurdo Station--overflew the last known position from the aircraft emergency beacon and spotted the aircraft tail at an elevation of about 3,900 meters (13,000 feet) on Mt. Elizabeth, a 4,480-meter (14,500-foot) summit in the Queen Alexandra Range of the Transantarctic Mountains.
Subsequently, a Twin Otter carrying U.S. and New Zealand search-and-rescue personnel conducted an aerial survey of the site and determined that a landing by fixed-wing aircraft was not possible.
Later, two helicopters--one under New Zealand charter and the other flown for the USAP by PHI, Inc. of Lafayette, Louisiana--arrived at a small camp established roughly 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the crash location to support the operation.
The rescue teams will attempt to reach the site, if conditions permit, before returning to McMurdo Station.
January 26, 2013
The wreckage of a Twin Otter aircraft that was reported missing earlier this week in Antarctica has been found in a remote and mountainous area of the continent.
An initial assessment by Kenn Borek Air Ltd. of Calgary, Canada, the owner of the plane, deemed the crash "not survivable."
Weather has prevented search-and-rescue personnel from landing at the site.
The National Science Foundation (NSF), as manager of the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP), has been cooperating with the Rescue Coordination Centre in Wellington, New Zealand, since the search-and-rescue effort to locate the missing aircraft--a de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter--began earlier this week.
Communication with the Twin Otter was lost on Wednesday night, New Zealand time, and search-and-rescue operations have been hampered by bad weather and poor visibility since that time.
The plane was flying in support of the Italian Antarctic Program under the logistical responsibility of the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA). The aircraft was enroute from NSF's Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station to the Italian research station at Terra Nova Bay when contact was lost.
The three crew members were the only people aboard the plane at the time.
On the afternoon of Saturday, Jan. 26, local time, a ski-equipped LC-130 aircraft--operated by the New York Air National Guard for the USAP and flying from NSF's McMurdo Station--overflew the last known position from the aircraft emergency beacon and spotted the aircraft tail at an elevation of about 3,900 meters (13,000 feet) on Mt. Elizabeth, a 4,480-meter (14,500-foot) summit in the Queen Alexandra Range of the Transantarctic Mountains.
Subsequently, a Twin Otter carrying U.S. and New Zealand search-and-rescue personnel conducted an aerial survey of the site and determined that a landing by fixed-wing aircraft was not possible.
Later, two helicopters--one under New Zealand charter and the other flown for the USAP by PHI, Inc. of Lafayette, Louisiana--arrived at a small camp established roughly 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the crash location to support the operation.
The rescue teams will attempt to reach the site, if conditions permit, before returning to McMurdo Station.
NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR JANUARY 28, 2013
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| U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers run to a compound to take cover while receiving enemy fire during Operation New Hope in Kajaki, Afghanistan, Jan. 16, 2013. The Marines are assigned to Regimental Combat Team 7. During the three-day operation, Afghan forces cleared weapons caches, improvised explosive devices and enemy fighting positions from the area. Marine advisors accompanied the Afghan forces, providing call for fires and tactical input when needed. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Mark Garc |
Afghan, Coalition Troops Arrest Taliban IED Expert
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in the Baghlan-e Jadid district of Afghanistan's Baghlan province today, military officials reported.
The leader built and distributed IEDs and acquired bomb components for insurgents. The security force also detained a suspected insurgent in the operation.
In other Afghanistan operations today:
-- In Kandahar province's Kandahar district, Kandahar province, a combined force arrested a Taliban leader who planned and executed IED attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and assisted in the transfer and delivery of IEDs, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents and seized nearly $3,000 in the operation.
-- A combined force in Helmand province's Nad-e Ali district arrested a Taliban leader who equipped insurgents with weapons and supplies for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He directed the distribution of heavy machine guns and rockets to his insurgent fighters. The security force also detained a suspected insurgent.
-- In Logar province's Pul-e Alam district, a combined force arrested a Haqqani network financier who funded Haqqani insurgents operating in the district and coordinated the purchase and transfer of weapons with insurgent leaders.
In operations yesterday:
-- An Afghan-led security force in Khost province's Khost district, supported by coalition troops, arrested a Taliban facilitator who acquired and transferred weapons and ammunition to Taliban and Haqqani network cells operating in Logar province and sold and delivered machine guns, rockets and IEDs to insurgents throughout the Kabul, Pul-e Alam and Baraki Barak districts.
-- In Nangarhar province's Khugyani district, a combined force detained two insurgents during a search for a Taliban leader who executes attacks on Afghan and coalition forces.
In Jan. 26 operations:
-- A combined force in Helmand province's Lashkar Gah district arrested a Taliban leader who facilitated the movement of weapons, ammunition, fighters and equipment into Washer district for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also directed the emplacement of IEDs and targeted Afghan army officers for assassination. The security force also detained three suspected insurgents.
-- In Pakyia province's Zurmat district, a combined force arrested a Taliban leader who planted IEDs and conducted attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also oversaw the movement of suicide bombers in the district.
In other news, Afghan and coalition forces searching a vehicle during a partnered drug-interdiction mission Jan. 25 in Helmand province's Garm Ser district seized and destroyed more than 1,600 pounds of dry opium.
FLORIDA FINANCIAL ADVISER CHARGED BY SEC WITH TIPPING INSIDE INFORMATION
FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSIONWashington, D.C., Jan. 25, 2013 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged a financial adviser in Boca Raton, Fla., with illegally tipping inside information he learned about the upcoming sale of a pharmaceutical company in exchange for $35,000 and a jet ski dock.
The SEC alleges that Kevin L. Dowd got details about the impeding acquisition of Princeton, N.J.-based Pharmasset Inc. by California-based Gilead Sciences from one of his supervisors at the brokerage firm where he worked. The supervisor learned about the deal from a customer who sat on Pharmasset’s board of directors. Dowd, who knew the customer, breached his duty to keep the information confidential by tipping a friend in the penny stock promotion business who bought Pharmasset stock on the last trading day before the public announcement of the deal. The trader also tipped another individual who bought Pharmasset call options, and collectively they made $708,327 in illicit insider trading profits in just two trading days. The SEC’s investigation is continuing.
The SEC alleges that Dowd profited from the scheme in a roundabout way, receiving the jet ski dock from his tippee and a cashier’s check for $35,000, which he used for expensive upgrades to a pool at his home.
"As an industry professional, Dowd surely knew what he was doing was wrong, but he incorrectly thought that his scheme was clever enough to avoid detection by investigators," said Daniel M. Hawke, Chief of the SEC Enforcement Division’s Market Abuse Unit. "Professionals in the securities industry or any sector should know that you’ll be held accountable for violating insider trading laws, even if you don’t trade the securities yourself."
In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey today announced criminal charges against Dowd.
According to the SEC’s complaint filed in federal court in New Jersey, the Pharmasset director told Dowd’s supervisor in confidence as his financial adviser that Pharmasset was going to be sold and the price would be in the high $130s per share. Dowd’s supervisor provided Dowd with the information along with an instruction that he was restricted from trading or recommending Pharmasset securities. Despite the warning, Dowd tipped his penny stock promoter friend, who wired $196,000 into a brokerage account with a zero balance and bought 2,700 shares of Pharmasset stock on Friday, Nov. 18, 2011. Dowd’s friend tipped another individual who bought 100 out-of-the-money call options, which are securities that derive their value from the underlying common stock of the issuer and give the purchaser the right to buy the underlying stock at a specific price within a specified time period. Investors typically purchase call options when they believe the value of the underlying securities is going up.
According to the SEC’s complaint, Gilead and Pharmasset announced the acquisition on Monday, November 21. Dowd’s tippees immediately sold all of their Pharmasset securities to obtain their illegal profits.
The SEC alleges that Dowd violated Sections 10(b) and (14)(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rules 10b-5 and 14e-3 thereunder. The SEC is seeking disgorgement of ill-gotten gains with prejudgment interest, a financial penalty, and a permanent injunction against Dowd.
The SEC’s investigation is being conducted by Market Abuse Unit staff Mary P. Hansen, Paul T. Chryssikos, and John S. Rymas in the Philadelphia Regional Office. The litigation will be handled by G. Jeffrey Boujoukos and Christopher R. Kelly. The SEC has coordinated its action with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, and appreciates the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Options Regulatory Surveillance Authority.
FEMA AWARDES CLOSE TO $3.3 MILLION TO LOUISIANA DPS FOR HURRICANE ISAAC EMERGENCY MEASURES
FROM: U.S. FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
FEMA Obligates Nearly $3.3 Million to Louisiana Department of Public Safety for Hurricane Isaac Emergency Measures
January 24, 2013
BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Department of Public Safety will receive a nearly $3.3 million federal grant to reimburse the costs it incurred to provide measures to save lives and property before, during and after Hurricane Isaac, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said Thursday.
"When disasters strike, the men and women of the Department of Public Safety are on the front lines to help protect Louisiana and its residents," said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar of FEMA. "This grant helps reimburse the department for its efforts to protect the health, safety and property of Louisianians during Hurricane Isaac."
Between Aug. 26 and Sept. 10, Hurricane Isaac produced high winds, rain and flooding throughout the state. The department and its divisions provided emergency protective measures necessary to eliminate and reduce immediate threats to life, public health and safety, and public and private property. The FEMA Public Assistance grant, totaling $3,277,030, helps reimburse the department for the costs of equipment, personnel and supplies used during the Hurricane Isaac response and recovery effort.
The newly obligated funds are a portion of the $189 million in total Public Assistance recovery dollars approved for the state since the Aug. 29, 2012, disaster declaration.
Once FEMA reimburses the state of Louisiana it is the state’s responsibility to manage the funds, which includes making disbursements to local jurisdictions and organizations that incurred costs.
FEMA Obligates Nearly $3.3 Million to Louisiana Department of Public Safety for Hurricane Isaac Emergency Measures
January 24, 2013
BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Department of Public Safety will receive a nearly $3.3 million federal grant to reimburse the costs it incurred to provide measures to save lives and property before, during and after Hurricane Isaac, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said Thursday.
"When disasters strike, the men and women of the Department of Public Safety are on the front lines to help protect Louisiana and its residents," said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar of FEMA. "This grant helps reimburse the department for its efforts to protect the health, safety and property of Louisianians during Hurricane Isaac."
Between Aug. 26 and Sept. 10, Hurricane Isaac produced high winds, rain and flooding throughout the state. The department and its divisions provided emergency protective measures necessary to eliminate and reduce immediate threats to life, public health and safety, and public and private property. The FEMA Public Assistance grant, totaling $3,277,030, helps reimburse the department for the costs of equipment, personnel and supplies used during the Hurricane Isaac response and recovery effort.
The newly obligated funds are a portion of the $189 million in total Public Assistance recovery dollars approved for the state since the Aug. 29, 2012, disaster declaration.
Once FEMA reimburses the state of Louisiana it is the state’s responsibility to manage the funds, which includes making disbursements to local jurisdictions and organizations that incurred costs.
FINANCIAL CONSULTANT EXTRADITED TO U.S. FOR ALLEGED SCHEME TO DEFRAUD EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICEFriday, January 25, 2013
Financial Consultant Extradited to the United States for Alleged Scheme to Defraud the U.S. Export-import Bank
Manuel Ernesto Ortiz-Barraza, an independent financial consultant, was extradited to the United States today for his alleged role in a scheme to defraud the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) of over $2.5 million, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Robert Pitman and Osvaldo L. Gratacos, Inspector General of the Ex-Im Bank.
Ortiz-Barraza, 56, was charged in an indictment unsealed on Oct. 19, 2011, in the Western District of Texas with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, three counts of wire fraud and one count of bank fraud for his alleged role in a scheme with several others to defraud the Ex-Im Bank. Based on a provisional arrest warrant, Mexican authorities arrested Ortiz-Barraza in Mexico on Feb. 13, 2012, and he has been awaiting extradition to the United States, a process which was recently finalized by the Mexican courts.
According to the U.S. indictment and court documents, Ortiz-Barraza and his co-conspirators allegedly conspired to obtain Ex-Im Bank guaranteed loans through banks by creating false loan applications, false financial statements and other documents purportedly for the purchase and export of U.S. goods into Mexico. Ortiz-Barraza and his co-conspirators allegedly falsified shipping records to support their claims of doing legitimate business and did not ship the goods that were guaranteed by the Ex-Im Bank. After the loan proceeds were received, Ortiz-Barraza and his co-conspirators allegedly split the loan proceeds among themselves. As a result of the alleged fraud, the conspirators’ loans defaulted, causing the Ex-Im Bank to pay claims to lending banks on a loss of over $2.5 million.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Ex-Im Bank is an independent federal agency that helps create and maintain U.S. jobs by filling gaps in private export financing. The Ex-Im Bank provides a variety of financing mechanisms to help foreign buyers purchase U.S. goods and services.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Patrick Donley and Trial Attorney William Bowne of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Spitzer of the Western District of Texas, El Paso Division. The case was investigated by the Ex-Im Bank Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations in El Paso, under the leadership of Acting Special Agent in Charge Dennis Ulrich; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation in Washington, D.C., under the leadership of Special Agent in Charge Rick A. Raven; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Washington, D.C., under the leadership of Inspector in Charge Daniel S. Cortez. Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs in Washington, D.C. The Department of Justice is particularly grateful to the government of Mexico for their assistance in this matter.
DEALING WITH THE ACTIVE SHOOTER SCENARIO
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| A team of 50th Security Forces Squadron Airmen clears a room in the shoot house during an active-shooter response live training scenario Aug. 20, 2012, as part of its annual training program. The 50th Space Wing Antiterrorism office, 50th Security Forces Squadron and the 50th Civil Engineer Squadron Emergency Management Flight recently issued guidance on how to survive an active-shooter incident. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Julius Delos Reyes) |
Schriever issues active-shooter guidance
by Staff Sgt. Julius Delos Reyes
50th Space Wing Public Affairs
1/24/2013 - SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo -- Every emergency scenario requires having a plan, including an active-shooter scenario. The 50th Space Wing Antiterrorism office, 50th Security Forces Squadron and the 50th Civil Engineer Squadron Emergency Management Flight recently issued guidance on how to survive an active-shooter incident.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, an active shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and/or populated area. In most cases, active shooters use firearms and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims. Active shooter situations are typically unpredictable and can evolve quickly.
"The active shooter phenomenon represents a significant change in criminal methodology, and has in turn required a significant change in tactics for both responders and potential victims," said Lt. Col. Jasin Cooley, 50 SFS commander. "In decades past, bystanders were only a tool for acquiring another target, now they are the target. With this in mind, escape and compartmentalization need to be the primary motivation of bystanders. Everyone should have a plan for escape, and assist others if forced to escape."
How individuals respond to an active shooter will be dictated by the specific circumstances of the encounter, bearing in mind there could be more than one shooter involved in the same situation.
"As active-shooter scenarios become more and more prevalent, people need to realize that it can happen to them at any time," said Lou Fischer, 50th Space Wing antiterrorism officer. "Now is the time to think about it, not when the crisis is happening. "
Increased attention should be placed on personnel who have been involuntarily discharged or fired from their job, awaiting disciplinary action, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and making unsolicited comments about violence, firearms or death. People should also observe individuals who have been served with a restraining order, are known to be mentally or emotionally unstable, made comments about being disenchanted with the military and displayed anti-war or anti-military sentiments.
"Personnel need to maintain a reasonable level of awareness at all times and to have a plan in place if presented with this situation," Fischer said. "It's all about going home to your family at the end of the day."
The following are tips on how to survive an active-shooter scenario:
If caught outside in the open:
- Seek cover and concealment. Use whatever is available, such as walls, trees or buildings, to obscure yourself from the shooter. Hide behind something capable of stopping a bullet such as masonry or brick wall.
- Run if safe. Do not run in a straight line.
- Play dead if unable to run or hide, then wait for help.
- Summon help when safe.
- Fight as a last option; use any object to disable the shooter.
- Upon arrival of security forces, leave hands in plain view. Do not make sudden movements. Wait for all clear signal from recognized authority.
If shooter is outside the building:
- Lock doors and windows; close curtains and shades.
- Lay down on floor or crouch below the window line out of the line of fire.
- If safe, move to a central secure area.
- Stay in place until all clear signal issued by recognized authority.
- Follow all directions of police and security personnel.
If shooter is inside the building:
- If safe to exit, flee the area; if not safe, stay in place (do not roam hallways).
- Do not pull the fire alarm.
- Lock and barricade door; stay low; remain silent; use furniture for cover; if possible hide behind something capable of stopping a bullet.
- Stay in place until all clear signal issued by recognized authority.
- Follow all directions of police and security personnel.
If shooter enters room or office:
- Immediately drop to the floor; seek cover and concealment; play dead.
- As a last resort, fight the shooter. Rush with available people, throw things or use improvised weapons to take shooter to the ground.
- Stay in place until all clear signal issued by recognized authority.
- Follow all directions of police and security personnel.
After the scenario
- Follow the direction of emergency responders.
- Do not speak to the media. Information will be released to the community and media as quickly as possible by official sources. Refer inquiries to the 50 SW Public Affairs office at 567-5040. Straight Talk Line, 567-8255, is also available for accurate information about the status of any disturbance or crisis situation and the actions taken or being taken
- The entire area will be treated as a crime scene.
- Once evacuated, people will not be permitted to retrieve items or access the crime scene.
- After evacuation, people will be taken to a holding area for medical care, interviewing, counseling, etc.
For all situations, dial 911 from a landline or 567-3911 from a personal phone and give information, such as location, incident details such as number of shooters, physical description, type of weapons and number of potential victims.
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT CLARIFIES OBLIGATIONS OF SCHOOLS TO OFFER EXTRACURRICULAR ATHLETICS TO DISABLIED STUDENTS
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
U.S. Department of Education Clarifies Schools' Obligation to Provide Equal Opportunity to Students with Disabilities to Participate in Extracurricular Athletics
Today, the Department's Office for Civil Rights issued guidance clarifying school districts' existing legal obligations to provide equal access to extracurricular athletic activities to students with disabilities. In addition to explaining those legal obligations, the guidance urges school districts to work with community organizations to increase athletic opportunities for students with disabilities, such as opportunities outside of the existing extracurricular athletic program.
Students with disabilities have the right, under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, to an equal opportunity to participate in their schools' extracurricular activities. A 2010 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that many students with disabilities are not afforded an equal opportunity to participate in athletics, and therefore may not have equitable access to the health and social benefits of athletic participation.
"Sports can provide invaluable lessons in discipline, selflessness, passion and courage, and this guidance will help schools ensure that students with disabilities have an equal opportunity to benefit from the life lessons they can learn on the playing field or on the court," said Education Secretary Arne Duncan.
The guidance letter provides examples of the types of reasonable modifications that schools may be required to make to existing policies, practices, or procedures for students with intellectual, developmental, physical, or any other type of disability. Examples of such modifications include:
The allowance of a visual cue alongside a starter pistol to allow a student with a hearing impairment who is fast enough to qualify for the track team the opportunity to compete.
The waiver of a rule requiring the "two-hand touch" finish in swim events so that a one-armed swimmer with the requisite ability can participate at swim meets.
The guidance also notes that the law does not require that a student with a disability be allowed to participate in any selective or competitive program offered by a school district, so long as the selection or competition criteria are not discriminatory.
"Participation in extracurricular athletics can be a critical part of a student's overall educational experience, said Seth Galanter, acting assistant secretary for the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). "Schools must ensure equal access to that rewarding experience for students with disabilities."
The mission of the Office for Civil Rights ("OCR") is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation through the vigorous enforcement of civil rights. Among the federal civil rights laws OCR is responsible for enforcing are Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title IX of the Education Amendment Act of 1972; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
U.S. Department of Education Clarifies Schools' Obligation to Provide Equal Opportunity to Students with Disabilities to Participate in Extracurricular Athletics
Today, the Department's Office for Civil Rights issued guidance clarifying school districts' existing legal obligations to provide equal access to extracurricular athletic activities to students with disabilities. In addition to explaining those legal obligations, the guidance urges school districts to work with community organizations to increase athletic opportunities for students with disabilities, such as opportunities outside of the existing extracurricular athletic program.
Students with disabilities have the right, under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, to an equal opportunity to participate in their schools' extracurricular activities. A 2010 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that many students with disabilities are not afforded an equal opportunity to participate in athletics, and therefore may not have equitable access to the health and social benefits of athletic participation.
"Sports can provide invaluable lessons in discipline, selflessness, passion and courage, and this guidance will help schools ensure that students with disabilities have an equal opportunity to benefit from the life lessons they can learn on the playing field or on the court," said Education Secretary Arne Duncan.
The guidance letter provides examples of the types of reasonable modifications that schools may be required to make to existing policies, practices, or procedures for students with intellectual, developmental, physical, or any other type of disability. Examples of such modifications include:
The waiver of a rule requiring the "two-hand touch" finish in swim events so that a one-armed swimmer with the requisite ability can participate at swim meets.
The guidance also notes that the law does not require that a student with a disability be allowed to participate in any selective or competitive program offered by a school district, so long as the selection or competition criteria are not discriminatory.
"Participation in extracurricular athletics can be a critical part of a student's overall educational experience, said Seth Galanter, acting assistant secretary for the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). "Schools must ensure equal access to that rewarding experience for students with disabilities."
The mission of the Office for Civil Rights ("OCR") is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation through the vigorous enforcement of civil rights. Among the federal civil rights laws OCR is responsible for enforcing are Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title IX of the Education Amendment Act of 1972; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
FEMA SAYS NEW JERSEY HURRICANE SANDY ASSISTANCE HAS REACHED $800 MILLION
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| Belmar, N.J., Jan. 21, 2013 -- As recovery measures continue, residents in this coastal community construct a memorial in honor of those who lost their lives and property due to Hurricane Sandy. At the direction of President Barack Obama, FEMA continues to lead the federal government's effort to provide assistance and support to states affected by Hurricane Sandy, ensuring the federal family and its public and private partners continue to provide all available resources to support state, local, and tribal communities in affected areas. Adam DuBrowa-FEMA |
FROM: U.S. FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
Hurricane Sandy Assistance Reaches Nearly $800 Million In New Jersey
January 26, 2013
TRENTON, N.J. -- While New Jersey survivors of Hurricane Sandy have until March 1 to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for disaster assistance, more than $780 million in disaster assistance has been approved to speed recovery.
FEMA has approved more than $300 million in housing assistance for more than 52,000 people. Housing assistance includes temporary rental assistance and grants to repair and replace storm-damaged primary residences. More than $42 million has been approved to help survivors replace hurricane-damaged personal property and to help meet medical, dental, funeral, transportation and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other federal, state and charitable aid programs.
In rare cases, FEMA is providing temporary housing to Sandy survivors. Empty apartments at Fort Monmouth are being renovated to house some survivors. More than 40 apartments are occupied and when work is complete, there will be 115 units ranging from one bedroom to four bedrooms. FEMA is also installing a limited number of manufactured homes at commercial mobile home parks.
Homeowners and renters are also being helped with low-interest disaster loans. The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved $277 million in loans to individuals. Another $31.7 million has been approved for New Jersey businesses.
More than $129 million has been channeled to state and local governments to help remove hurricane debris and restore disaster-damaged roads, bridges and other infrastructure. Among the largest grants was $11.2 million to the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission for emergency repairs to a wastewater treatment plant that serves 48 communities and treats 330 million gallons of sewage daily.
FEMA and federal partners such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have helped local communities replace critical public facilities damaged by the hurricane. The Sea Bright Fire Department, for example, was knocked out of commission by storm damage. The Corps set up a temporary fire station with a four-bay fire truck tent and a 56-foot trailer in a beach access parking lot.
FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
ROBOTIC REFUELING
FROM: NASA
ISS Update: Robotic Refueling Mission Payload Overview
Public Affairs Officer Kyle Herring talks by phone with Ben Reed, Deputy Project Manager of the Satellite Servicing Capabilities Office at Goddard Space Flight Center. They talk about the Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM) activities going on outside the International Space Station. The RRM is an experiment that uses Canadarm2 and Dextre to test techniques to service and refuel satellites to extend their original missions.
ISS Update: Robotic Refueling Mission Payload Overview
Public Affairs Officer Kyle Herring talks by phone with Ben Reed, Deputy Project Manager of the Satellite Servicing Capabilities Office at Goddard Space Flight Center. They talk about the Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM) activities going on outside the International Space Station. The RRM is an experiment that uses Canadarm2 and Dextre to test techniques to service and refuel satellites to extend their original missions.
DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY CARTER HONORS DEFENSE THREAT REDUCTION AGENCY WITH AWARD
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSECarter Honors Defense Threat Reduction Agency
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2013 - In an auditorium filled with nearly 400 Defense Threat Reduction Agency employees and other defense officials, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter presented the Joint Meritorious Unit Award to agency representatives yesterday.
It was the fourth time DTRA received the award, and Carter called it a great testament to those who have served the organization, past and present.
"In all your work you have aggressively pursued the president's vision for countering [weapons of mass destruction] around the world," the deputy secretary told the audience.
"You've kept WMD out of the hands of terrorists by locking down dangerous nuclear and biological materials, destroying legacy weapons and developing technologies to prevent, defend against and counter a WMD attack," he added.
Joining Carter at the ceremony were Frank Kendall III, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics; Andrew C. Weber, assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical and biological defense programs; and Kenneth A. Myers, director of DTRA and the U.S. Strategic Command Center for Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction.
DTRA's mission is to safeguard the nation and its allies from chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosive weapons of mass destruction by providing the capabilities needed to reduce, eliminate and counter the threat such weapons pose and to mitigate its effect.
The Joint Meritorious Unit Award, established in 1981, is the only ribbon award granted by the Defense Department and is the organizational equivalent of the Defense Superior Service Medal.
It's presented in the name of the defense secretary, and Leon E. Panetta signed a congratulatory statement that appeared on the award certificates.
"DTRA distinguished itself by exceptionally meritorious service from October 2009 thru September 2011," he wrote, "by their exemplary performance of duty, the members of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency have brought great credit upon themselves and the Department of Defense."
During the ceremony, Carter described the work performed around the world by DTRA scientists and specialists, and the kind of work the nation will need from the agency in the years ahead.
In March 2011 DTRA directly supported the crisis response in Libya through Operations Odyssey Dawn and Unified Protector, he said.
DTRA staff worked with U.S. Africa Command and the Joint Staff to generate more than 100 targeting support products to assess the effects of striking WMD targets in Libya.
The products were used to determine how WMD sites would be addressed during the crisis, the deputy secretary added, and now the United States is working with the Libyan authorities to secure and destroy chemical weapons.
In the same month, nearly 7,000 miles away in Japan, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake generated a 70-foot tsunami, devastating communities along Japan's coast and causing one of the world's worst nuclear disasters.
"You responded immediately from both the United States and Japan in Operation Tomodachi," Carter said.
"The United States has had a permanent presence at Yokota Air Base for arms control purposes, and that provided on-scene capability with all the backup consequence management capability of this great agency," he added, noting that a DTRA consequence management advisory team arrived in Japan within two days of the disaster.
There, DTRA experts provided technical assistance, modeling and simulation 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with rotational liaison, planning and technical personnel on scene until the crisis was under control. They advised on radiation, monitoring and safety issues, and with Navy experts modified a software model to visualize the extent and trajectory of contaminated water around the damaged nuclear power plants in Japan.
"Your effective response was facilitated by the close relationships you had built with U.S. Forces Japan, with Japan's own Self Defense Forces, with our State Department colleagues prior to the disaster," Carter said.
Several DTRA personnel provided direct assistance at the U.S. Embassy and the Japanese Ministry of Defense, he said, and the work continues today, strengthening the U.S.-Japan alliance and improving crisis response capability with U.S. partners and allies.
Describing other ways DTRA has fulfilled its core counter-WMD mission, Carter said the agency has become a premier government entity for research and a key partner for the Department of Homeland Security.
Specifically, he said, DTRA has continued to develop new capabilities to counter biological threats, including producing new candidate vaccines for deadly viral diseases like Ebola and Marburg.
DTRA personnel have played a technical role in New START Treaty negotiations, Carter added, and since the treaty entered into force DTRA teams have conducted 35 inspection missions at Russian strategic sites to verify weapon limits and locations.
"Going back all the way to the Manhattan Project, DTRA and its predecessors have performed a strong supporting role in preserving, protecting, understanding and advising the department on our overall nuclear stockpile and on the continuing need for a safe, secure and reliable nuclear deterrent for the United States," the deputy secretary said.
Today DTRA performs critical functions, among them helping the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Air Force and the Navy conduct nuclear safety and security inspections; providing people, procedures and tools to perform U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile accounting and tracking; and serving as the DOD executive agent for sustaining emphasis on nuclear weapons training expertise, and response protocols, procedures and practices for potential nuclear weapons accidents and incidents.
DTRA is also part of the 20-year-old Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program, Carter said, and its contributions to preventing the spread of loose nukes in the former Soviet Union.
"And in the past two decades ... DTRA personnel –- scientists, weapons specialists, inspectors, program managers, action officers, interpreters -- have assisted former Soviet states in deactivating and properly disposing of over 13,000 warheads," the deputy secretary said.
"Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus [are] all denuclearized," he added. "And DTRA assisted the Albanian government in becoming the first nation to completely eliminate a chemical weapons stockpile."
DTRA is an important protection against the increasing sophistication of terrorist organizations and leaps in technology that reduce barriers to WMD acquisition, Carter said. The agency also increasingly works with other government agencies and international partners to build capacity for among other things countering the threat of biological and chemical weapons.
"So we find ourselves today at an inflection point in our thinking and our strategy and wherever you look in that strategy you find a role for and a need for the work of DTRA," the deputy secretary said.
And as DOD resources and global security interests shift, Carter added, "the department will continue to depend on you for the core intellectual, technical and operational support to counter the threat of weapons of mass destruction."
GLOBAL HEALTH AND SECURITY
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| 120627-O-ZZ999-004 SAMAR, Philippines (June 27, 2012) Dutch army Maj. Christiaan Hoff, left, and Royal Australian navy Lt. Cmdr. John McHugh, perform oral surgery to remove a tumor from a 47-year-old Filipino woman aboard the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) during Pacific Partnership 2012. Now in its seventh year, Pacific Partnership is an annual U.S. Pacific Fleet humanitarian and civic assistance mission designed to work by, with and through host and partner nations, non-government organizations and international agencies to build partnerships and a collective ability to respond to natural disasters. (U.S. Navy photo by Kristopher Radder/Released) |
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Doctor Outlines Global Health's Tie to Security Operations
By Erika Christ and Lisa Daniel
Military Health System
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2013 - Defense Department efforts to improve global public health are an important and growing part of military stability operations around the world, the director of the department's Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine said.
"We do feel that there is a strong link between global health engagement and security," he said. Such engagement adds to security by improving the ability of governments to meet the needs of their populations, thereby reducing the tendency for insurgency or terrorism, he explained.
"Since 9/11, we know that we cannot ignore the global situation and rely on security only within our borders," Beadling added.
Until recently, the director noted, U.S. national security operated from two mostly independent pillars: diplomacy and force projection. Today, he said, national security is based on the "three D's" of diplomacy, defense and development.
For its part, the center, which is part of Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., operates under the premise that health is "a global common good," Beadling said.
"Along with safety, education and other public benefits, people expect their government to help provide health care," he said. "By assisting legitimate governments to build capability and capacity in health, the United States can create political stability that leads to our security."
Beadling's Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine has been doing just that with its "global health engagements." Through its partnership with U.S. Africa Command, the center has focused engagements in about a dozen countries in eastern and western Africa, holding workshops and exercises to explore how those nations would respond to a global pandemic, he said.
"The general intent is to assist each partner nation to build capacity and capabilities to protect their population from natural or manmade disasters, reducing human suffering and death," Beadling said.
As part of that work, the center created the Emergency Management and Preparedness Program and was invited by the government of Mozambique to make it the first country to partner in the program, the director said. Beadling was among those who traveled to Mozambique in December as a first step. Center and Africom personnel are scheduled to travel there again in April to finalize plans, which are to be tested in an exercise next year.
That partnership will follow standard protocol of the center and Africom to build trust in bilateral relations, Beadling said. "It is important that the U.S. representatives act as facilitators and let the host nation lead the process so that it is an appropriate plan for them," he added.
The center developed a study to measure the effectiveness of its health engagements. The study is designed to develop a standardized process across the Military Health System and the services to evaluate the effectiveness of the engagements in meeting strategic security objectives, Beadling said.
Beadling noted the success of Operation Pacific Angel, in which the Air Force partnered with the Australian air force, Nepalese army and others in September to provide two weeks of treatment in Nepal and surrounding countries. And a successful conference in Ghana in August was part of the center's pandemic response program with Africom, he said.
"We are still in the early stages of defining our roles in [the health engagements] and determining how to best use them to improve our national security," Beadling said.
It is imperative, he added, for the center to work in close coordination with the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the United Nations and nongovernmental organizations to meets its goals.
AFGHAN AIR FORCE AND BATTLEFIELD SUPPORT
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Afghan air force advances battlefield support tactics
by Capt. Agneta Murnan
438th Air Expeditionary Wing and NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan
1/25/2013 - KABUL, Afghanistan (AFNS) -- The commanders of the Afghan air force and NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan signed two operational decrees Jan. 23, implementing procedures to improve air response to Afghan battlefield casualties by the AAF's new Cessna C-208 Caravan fleet and its Mi-17 helicopters.
The decrees address the high-priority casualty evacuations and the dignified, culturally-appropriate transfer of fallen members of Afghan National Security Forces. The signings took place in the NATC-A headquarters at the Kabul, International Airport.
"These air support missions are critical to campaign success, augmenting ground CASEVAC resources when needed," emphasized Brig. Gen. Steven Shepro, the NATC-A commander. "To improve the effectiveness of these missions, the AAF and NATC-A team have accelerated the delivery, configuration and initial operating capability of the C-208 fleet in a matter of months."
The decree initiatives instruct aircrew and direct streamlined command, control and communication across security organizations. The AAF's primary unit for managing flying missions is the Afghan Air Force Command and Control Center. According to the NATC-A Director of Operations, Col. Reginald Smith, the AAF has transferred 146 patients for continued medical care in the last three months of 2012. The primary AAF aircraft used for casualty movements have been Mi-17s, C-27A Spartans and Cessna 208B.
"The ACCC functions to task AAF units and aircraft to conduct troop movement, resupply and equipment logistics along with the movement of the injured and fallen," said Smith. "The ACCC works in coordination with the Afghan Ministry of Defense to prioritize and task missions each day according to the position and availability of aircraft."
Current C-208 seating configurations accommodate up to eight ambulatory patients, but modifications to transport four litter patients along with two additional ambulatory patients are in progress, according to NATC-A medical personnel.
"The AAF's recent progress in these priority missions has been significant," Shepro said. "Three months ago, the air CASEVAC process would have taken over 24 hours. Today, response times average under five hours from battlefield request to hospital arrival -- and are increasingly Afghan-planned, coordinated and executed with minimal adviser input."
Air response and capability continues to improve, Shepro said. Over the last three months, the AAF air supply to the six fielded Afghan Army Corps has comprised more than 570 missions, 370,000 pounds of cargo and 5,400 passengers.
"The Afghan coalition team has a clear strategy for 2013 mission success and growth of the AAF's quantity and quality," Shepro said. "These operational decrees provide joint cohesion, direction and motivation to improve air support to Afghan National Security Forces and enhance campaign success."
Afghan air force advances battlefield support tactics
by Capt. Agneta Murnan
438th Air Expeditionary Wing and NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan
1/25/2013 - KABUL, Afghanistan (AFNS) -- The commanders of the Afghan air force and NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan signed two operational decrees Jan. 23, implementing procedures to improve air response to Afghan battlefield casualties by the AAF's new Cessna C-208 Caravan fleet and its Mi-17 helicopters.
The decrees address the high-priority casualty evacuations and the dignified, culturally-appropriate transfer of fallen members of Afghan National Security Forces. The signings took place in the NATC-A headquarters at the Kabul, International Airport.
"These air support missions are critical to campaign success, augmenting ground CASEVAC resources when needed," emphasized Brig. Gen. Steven Shepro, the NATC-A commander. "To improve the effectiveness of these missions, the AAF and NATC-A team have accelerated the delivery, configuration and initial operating capability of the C-208 fleet in a matter of months."
The decree initiatives instruct aircrew and direct streamlined command, control and communication across security organizations. The AAF's primary unit for managing flying missions is the Afghan Air Force Command and Control Center. According to the NATC-A Director of Operations, Col. Reginald Smith, the AAF has transferred 146 patients for continued medical care in the last three months of 2012. The primary AAF aircraft used for casualty movements have been Mi-17s, C-27A Spartans and Cessna 208B.
"The ACCC functions to task AAF units and aircraft to conduct troop movement, resupply and equipment logistics along with the movement of the injured and fallen," said Smith. "The ACCC works in coordination with the Afghan Ministry of Defense to prioritize and task missions each day according to the position and availability of aircraft."
Current C-208 seating configurations accommodate up to eight ambulatory patients, but modifications to transport four litter patients along with two additional ambulatory patients are in progress, according to NATC-A medical personnel.
"The AAF's recent progress in these priority missions has been significant," Shepro said. "Three months ago, the air CASEVAC process would have taken over 24 hours. Today, response times average under five hours from battlefield request to hospital arrival -- and are increasingly Afghan-planned, coordinated and executed with minimal adviser input."
Air response and capability continues to improve, Shepro said. Over the last three months, the AAF air supply to the six fielded Afghan Army Corps has comprised more than 570 missions, 370,000 pounds of cargo and 5,400 passengers.
"The Afghan coalition team has a clear strategy for 2013 mission success and growth of the AAF's quantity and quality," Shepro said. "These operational decrees provide joint cohesion, direction and motivation to improve air support to Afghan National Security Forces and enhance campaign success."
BANK TO PAY $7.1 MILLION FOR NOT USING PRUDENT UNDERWRITNG PRACTICES WITH SBA GUARANTEED LOANS
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICEFriday, January 25, 2013
Pittsburgh-based Bank to Pay U.S. for Failing to Engage in Prudent Underwriting Practices on SBA Loan Guarantees
PNC Bank N.A. has agreed to pay the United States $7.1 million to settle claims under the False Claims Act that it failed to engage in prudent underwriting practices in connection with the issuance of loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Justice Department announced today. PNC has also agreed to take corrective action to prevent similar occurrences in the future. PNC is a national banking association located in Pittsburgh.
The SBA Act allows banks to partner with the SBA to make loans to qualified small businesses. Participants in the SBA’s Preferred Lenders Program, like PNC, have authority to make and close these loans without obtaining the prior approval of the SBA. SBA guaranteed 75 percent of the balance of the loans in question. Banks are required to exercise prudent lending standards when making loans under the Preferred Lenders Program.
In 2005, under the Preferred Lender Program, PNC issued 64 SBA-guaranteed loans for the purchase of 98 Uni-Marts stores located primarily in the mid-Atlantic region. The United States alleges that in connection with these loans, PNC relied upon unaudited financial statements without further verifying whether the information contained in the financial statements was accurate. Of the 64 SBA-guaranteed loans issued by PNC, 36 have defaulted, triggering SBA’s obligations to pay PNC 75 percent of the balance of the defaulted loans. In May 2008, Uni-Marts filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.
"Banks that are SBA preferred lenders have a duty to prudently guard the public funds they commit to borrowers," said Stuart F. Delery, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice. "The government will pursue vigorously lenders that fail to adequately safeguard public funds due to deficient lending standards."
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Delery thanked the Justice Department’s Civil Division, the SBA Office of General Counsel and the SBA Office of Inspector General for the collaboration that resulted in the settlement announced today. The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
GREENLAND'S PAST CLIMATE CHANGE AND ICE MELT
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| On March 29, 2011, Operation IceBridge flew between deep canyons and over glaciers along the northwest coast of Greenland. IceBridge, now in its third year, makes annual campaigns in the Arctic and Antarctic where science flights monitor glaciers, ice sheets and sea ice. Image Credit-NASA-Michael Studinger |
Analysis of Greenland Ice Cores Adds to Historical Record and May Provide Glimpse into Climate's Future
The International North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling (NEEM) project results indicate that melting of Antarctic ice sheet may have contributed more to sea level rise than melting of the Greeland ice sheet some 100,000 years ago
A new study that provides surprising details on changes in Earth's climate from more than 100,000 years ago indicates that the last interglacial--the period between "ice ages"--was warmer than previously thought and may be a good analog for future climate, as greenhouse gases increase in the atmosphere and global temperatures rise.
The research findings also indicate that melting of the massive West Antarctic ice sheet may have contributed more to sea-level rise at that time than melting of the Greenland ice sheet.
The new results from the North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling (NEEM) project were published in the Jan. 24 edition of Nature.
Members of the research team noted that they were working in Greenland during the summer of 2012 during a rare modern melt event similar to those discussed in the paper.
"We were quite shocked by the warm surface temperatures observed at the NEEM ice camp in July 2012," said Dorthe Dahl-Jensen, of the University of Copenhagen, the NEEM project leader.
"It was simply raining, and, just as during the Eemian period, meltwater formed subsurface ice layers. While this was an extreme event, the present warming over Greenland makes surface melt more likely, and the predicted warming over Greenland in the next 50-100 years will potentially have Eemian-like climate conditions."
The Eemian interglacial period began about 130,000 years ago and ended about 115,000 years ago.
The project logistics for NEEM are managed by Denmark's Centre for Ice and Climate. The Arctic Sciences Section in the National Science Foundation's Division of Polar Programs manages the U.S. support for the project.
In addition to Denmark and the United States, researchers from Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom are also partners in NEEM.
The research published this week shows that during the Eemian interglacial, the climate in North Greenland was about 8 degrees Celsius warmer than at present. Despite this strong warming signal during the Eemian--a period when the seas were roughly four to eight meters higher than they are today--the surface in the vicinity of NEEM was only a few hundred meters lower than its present level, which indicates that the Greenland ice sheet may have contributed less than half of the total sea rise at the time.
"The new findings reveal higher temperatures in Northern Greenland during the Eemian than paleo-climate models have estimated," said Dahl-Jensen.
The researchers looked at surface elevation and ice thickness in the early and later parts of the Eemian. Following the previous glacial period, 128,000 years before present, the surface elevation in the vicinity of NEEM was 200 meters higher than the present and the ice thickness decreased at a very high rate of 6 centimeters per year. Some 122,000 years before the present, the surface elevation was 130 meters below the present. In the late Eemian, 122,000 to 115,000 before present, the surface elevation remained stable at a level of 130 meters below the present with an ice thickness of 2,400 meters.
The research team estimated the Greenland ice sheet's volume reduced by no more than 25 percent over 6,000 years. The rate of elevation change in the early part of the Eemian was high and the loss of mass from the Greenland ice sheet was likely on the the same order as changes observed during the last ten years.
"The good news from this study is that Greenland is not as sensitive as we thought to temperature increases in terms of disgorging ice into the ocean during interglacial periods," said Dahl-Jensen. "The bad news is that if Greenland did not disappear during the Eemian, Antarctica, including the more dynamically unstable West Antarctica, must be responsible for a significant part of the 4-8 meters of sea-level rise."
Jim White, director of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the lead U.S. investigator on the NEEM project, said that while three previous ice cores drilled in Greenland in the last 20 years recovered ice from the Eemian, the deepest layers were compressed and folded, making the data difficult to interpret.
With this study, although there was some folding of the lowest ice layers in the NEEM core, sophisticated ice-penetrating radar helped scientists sort out and interpret the individual layers to paint an accurate picture of the warming of Earth's Northern Hemisphere as it emerged from the previous ice age.
"When we calculated how much ice melt from Greenland was contributing to global sea rise in the Eemian, we knew a large part of the sea rise back then must have come from Antarctica," said White. "A lot of us had been leaning in that direction for some time, but we now have evidence that confirms that the West Antarctic ice sheet was a dynamic and crucial player in global sea rise during the last interglacial period."
The intense surface melt in the vicinity of NEEM during the warm Eemian period was seen in the ice core as layers of re-frozen meltwater. Meltwater from surface snow had penetrated the underlying snow, where it re-froze. Such melt events during the past 5,000 years are very rare by comparison, confirming that the surface temperatures at the NEEM site during the Eemian were significantly warmer than today, said the researchers.
The Greenland ice core layers--formed over millennia by compressed snow--are being studied in detail using a big suite of measurements, including stable water isotope analysis that reveals information about temperature and moisture changes back in time. Lasers are used to measure the water stable isotopes and atmospheric gas bubbles trapped in the ice cores to better understand past variations in climate on a year-by-year basis--similar in some ways to a tree-ring record.
"It's a great achievement for science to gather and combine so many measured ice core records to reconstruct the climate history of the past Eemian," said Dahl-Jensen. "It shows what a great team of researchers we have assembled and how valuable these findings are."
U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT DESCRIBES $205 MILLION MEDICARE FRAUD CASE
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Friday, January 25, 2013
Former Program Director and Marketers Sentenced to Prison in Florida in $205 Million Community Mental Health Fraud Scheme
The former program director and two former marketers for Miami-based mental health care company American Therapeutic Corporation (ATC) have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a $205 million Medicare fraud and kickback scheme in which patients were forced to attend inappropriate treatment programs.
The sentences were announced by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent-in-Charge Michael B. Steinbach of the FBI’s Miami Field Office; and Special Agent-in-Charge Christopher Dennis of the Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Office of Investigations Miami office.
Miami-area residents Lydia Ward, 47, a former program director, and Hilario Morris, 47, a former marketer, were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Seitz in Miami federal court to 99 months and 60 months in prison, respectively. In addition to the prison term, Judge Seitz sentenced Ward and Morris each to serve three years of supervised release and ordered them to pay more than $34.1 million and $82.2 million in restitution, respectively, jointly and severally with their co-defendants.
Ward was convicted on Nov. 15, 2012, by a federal jury of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Morris was convicted on June 1, 2012, by a federal jury of conspiracy to pay illegal health care kickbacks. Ward and Morris have been in federal custody since their convictions.
Former marketer Sandra Jimenez, 39, also from the Miami area, was sentenced to 36 months in prison yesterday, Jan. 24, 2013. In addition to the prison term, Judge Seitz sentenced Jimenez to serve three years of supervised release and ordered her to pay $20.5 million in restitution, jointly and severally with her co-defendants.
On Jan. 17, 2012, Jimenez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to receive and pay health care kickbacks.
In pleading guilty, Jimenez admitted that she served as a marketer for ATC and American Sleep Institute (ASI). ATC, a Florida corporation headquartered in Miami, operated purported partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) in seven different locations throughout South Florida and Orlando. A PHP is a form of intensive treatment for severe mental illness. Jimenez also admitted that she and co-conspirators used related company ASI to submit fraudulent Medicare claims.
Additionally, Jimenez admitted she participated in a separate Medicare fraud scheme through Priority Home Health, a Miami home health agency that submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare for home health services. Jimenez and her co-conspirators recruited Medicare beneficiaries to Priority Home Health who did not qualify for the services.
According to the plea agreement, Jimenez’s participation in the ATC fraud and the Priority Home Health fraud resulted in $46 million in fraudulent billings to Medicare.
Evidence at Ward’s and Morris’ trials demonstrated that the defendants and their co-conspirators caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare through ATC and ASI, and that ATC secured patients by paying kickbacks to assisted living facility owners and halfway house owners who would then steer patients to ATC.
According to the evidence, Morris was a marketer for ATC from September 2004 through October 2010, when ATC closed its doors due to the federal case. In that capacity, Morris acted as a liaison, maintaining relationships between ATC and those who were selling their patients to ATC. Morris would physically pay the kickbacks throughout North Miami and Florida’s Broward County. These patients, who attended ATC, were ineligible for the services billed to Medicare and did not receive them. After Medicare paid the claims, some of the co-conspirators then laundered the Medicare money in order to create cash to pay the kickbacks for patients.
Evidence at trial revealed that Ward was a program director at ATC’s Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., center from November 2008 until ATC’s closing in October 2010. The evidence showed Ward helped doctors at ATC sign patient files without reading them or seeing the patients, and that Ward and others would assist the owners of ATC in fabricating doctor notes, therapist notes and other documents to make it falsely appear in ATC’s patient files that patients were qualified for the individualized, specialized treatment. Included in these false and fraudulent submissions to Medicare were claims for patients who were in the late stages of diseases causing permanent cognitive memory loss and patients who had substance abuse issues and were living in halfway houses. These patients were ineligible for PHP treatments, and because they were forced by their assisted living facility owners and halfway house owners to attend ATC, they were not receiving treatment for the diseases they actually had.
ATC executives Lawrence Duran, Marianella Valera and Judith Negron were previously sentenced to 50 years, 35 years and 35 years in prison, respectively, for their roles in the fraud scheme. The 50- and 35-year sentences represent the longest federal sentences for health care fraud ordered to date in the United States.
ATC and Medlink pleaded guilty in May 2011 to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. ATC also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive illegal health care kickbacks. On Sept. 16, 2011, the two corporations were sentenced to five years of probation per count and ordered to pay restitution of $87 million. Both corporations have been defunct since their owners were arrested in October 2010. Dozens of individuals have been convicted at trial or pleaded guilty for their participation in the scheme, including doctors Mark Willner and Alberto Ayala, who were each sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Evidence at trial showed that the ATC scheme resulted in a total of $205 million in fraudulent Medicare billings.
The cases were prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Jennifer L. Saulino and Trial Attorney Laura M.K. Cordova of the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and James V. Hayes, Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Florida. The case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG, and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,480 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $4.8 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
PATRIOT MISSILE BATTERIES IN TURKEY GOING OPERATIONAL
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| A southwest-looking photograph of south-central Turkey and northwest Syria. The Plain of Adana, an extensive agricultural region, is located northwest of the Gulf of Iskenderun (the roughly rectangular-shaped gulf near the center of the photo) and is irrigated by the Seyhan River. Adana, the largest city in the region, can be seen midway between the Gulf and the Taurus Mountains to the west. The coastlines of Syria, Lebanon, and Israel are visible along the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The island of Cyprus can be seen off the Turkish and Syrian coasts. Photo courtesy of NASA. From: CIA World Factbook. |
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
U.S. Patriots Set To Begin NATO Missile Defense in Turkey
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2013 - The first elements of U.S. Patriot missile batteries deployed to Turkey earlier this month are expected to reach initial operating capability this weekend, a senior NATO officer reported.
Plans are on track for two PAC-3 Patriot anti-missile systems and about 400 U.S. personnel deployed to operate them to begin providing missile defense in the coming days, British Army Brig. Gen. Gary Deakin, director of the strategic operations center at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Brussels, reported yesterday on NATO TV.
Members of the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command from Fort Bliss, Texas; 3rd Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery, based at Fort Sill, Okla.; and the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command and 44th Expeditionary Signal Battalion in Europe deployed to Turkey earlier this month to support the mission. The 10th AAMDC will provide command and control for two Patriot missile batteries from the 32nd AAMDC.
"We are aiming for the first initial operating capability to be established this weekend," Deakin said.
"NATO will have the ability to defend some aspects of the population of what we're going to actually cover in the big picture," he explained during a news conference earlier this week. "The first units will arrive on station. They will plug into the NATO command and control network, and they will be then ready to defend the population. So that's what we're calling initial operating capability."
Meanwhile, four additional Patriot batteries from the Netherlands and Germany arrived by sea in Iskenderun, Turkey, earlier this week, he said. They are now fanning out to their designated sites along Turkey's southwest border.
The U.S. Patriots are in Gaziantep, the Dutch will position theirs in Adana, and the Germans in Kahramanmaras, Deakin reported.
"Those locations were decided in close coordination with our Turkish allies, based on the size of the population [and] how we could get the equipment to get the best effect," he said. "A number of factors were considered to get the best deployment options with the resources available from the nations that made the offers in this case."
The next milestone -- achieving full operational capability -- is expected by the month's end, Deakin said. This involves getting all six Patriot batteries in place, plugged into the NATO network and coordinated with Turkey's air defenses. It also includes the full roll-out of the associated sustainment package, consisting of the fuel, logistics and manpower support required to continue the mission long-term.
Once fully in place and at full operational capability, the NATO missile defense systems will help Turkey defend an estimated 3.5 million Turkish citizens, Deakin said.
Although the length of the NATO missile defense mission in Turkey is unclear, he said, all the three nations supporting it have committed assistance for up to a year.
NATO foreign ministers agreed in late November to provide Turkey the air defense support it had requested. The request came after shells from Syria's political unrest -– which a new United Nations report estimated this week has claimed 60,000 lives -- spilled into Turkey.
"NATO has decided to augment Turkey's air defense capabilities in order to defend the population and territory of Turkey and contribute to the de-escalation of the crisis along the alliance's border," the ministers said in a statement released following the meeting.
"Turkey is an important NATO ally, and we welcome the opportunity to support the Turkish government's request in accordance with the NATO standing defense plan," said Navy Vice Adm. Charles Martoglio, U.S. European Command's deputy commander.
Martoglio emphasized that the deployment will be defensive only, and won't support a no-fly zone or any offensive operation.
SOUTHCOM COMMANDER GEN. KELLY SAYS COOPERATION NEEDED TO CONFRONT THREATS
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Southcom Commander: Cooperation Vital in Confronting Threats
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2013 - Three months into the job as the top U.S. military officer at U.S. Southern Command, Marine Corps Gen. John F. Kelly is reaching out to partners in the region and emphasizing the importance of cooperation among nations directly to America's south.
Kelly, who assumed command Nov. 19, returned to his Miami headquarters this week after a two-day visit to Peru. There, he met with President Ollanta Humala, Vice Defense Minister Mario Sanchez, and Peruvian Chief of Defense Adm. Jose Cueto to explore ways to strengthen the two countries' military partnership and enhance regional collaboration in support of shared security goals, Southcom officials reported.
The visit followed one earlier this month to Honduras and El Salvador, where the discussions centered on enhancing the already-robust military-to-military relationships with both countries.
In Honduras, Kelly and other Southcom leaders met with President Porfirio Lobo Sosa, Foreign Minister Arturo Corrales, Defense Minister Marlon Pascua, and the chief of joint staff, Gen. Rene Osorio, as well as U.S. Ambassador to Honduras Lisa Kubiske and the embassy staff, officials said. In El Salvador, they visited Defense Minister Jose Benitez, Defense Chief Maj. Gen. Cesar Acosta and U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador Mari Carmen Aponte.
Central to the discussion was ways to cooperate closer to combat organized crime, drug trafficking and other transnational threats, and to improve natural disaster response and increase joint training opportunities, officials said.
Cooperation is vital in dealing with challenges throughout Southcom's area of responsibility, which encompasses Central and South America and the Caribbean and covers about 15.6 million square miles, Kelly told members of U.S. Army South, Southcom's Army component, while visiting its headquarters at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, Jan. 15.
"What we do in this part of the world is very, very different than what some of the other folks are doing," he said. "Clearly it's different than what they're doing in the Middle East, but it's no less important. We have challenges in this part of the [world], and the nations down here want to partner with us."
Kelly recognized the devastating toll of transnational threats, particularly narcotrafficking, and the need for regional nations to work together.
"[Nations within the region] have already been shouldering tremendous burdens in terms of drugs and narcoterrorism. Those are things that we want to help them get after," he told the U.S. Army South staff. "The issue of drugs is an influence in our country that costs nearly 200 billion dollars and somewhere around 30,000 lives a year."
Hosting defense and security leaders from 15 nations last month at the 2012 Caribbean Nations Security Conference, Kelly underscored the need to strengthen multinational security efforts to prevent traffickers from shifting their operations to the Caribbean.
"I'm very concerned about the Caribbean vulnerability," he told the forum. "[In response] to shifts in any illicit trafficking that could be on the horizon, and likely is, I'm confident we can take steps now to ensure continued regional security. The U.S. will continue to be engaged in the Caribbean."
While visiting U.S. Army South, Kelly recognized the key role members of Southcom play in helping stand up to these challenges.
"The first line of defense is here under Southcom," he told the group. "I would say to all of the professionals, regardless of the uniform that you wear, what you do here is important and it has a direct effect on large cities and small towns in America."
(Editor's Note: Michael Wimbish and Jose Ruiz from U.S. Southern Command and Robert R. Ramon from U.S. Army South contributed to this article.)
Southcom Commander: Cooperation Vital in Confronting Threats
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2013 - Three months into the job as the top U.S. military officer at U.S. Southern Command, Marine Corps Gen. John F. Kelly is reaching out to partners in the region and emphasizing the importance of cooperation among nations directly to America's south.
Kelly, who assumed command Nov. 19, returned to his Miami headquarters this week after a two-day visit to Peru. There, he met with President Ollanta Humala, Vice Defense Minister Mario Sanchez, and Peruvian Chief of Defense Adm. Jose Cueto to explore ways to strengthen the two countries' military partnership and enhance regional collaboration in support of shared security goals, Southcom officials reported.
The visit followed one earlier this month to Honduras and El Salvador, where the discussions centered on enhancing the already-robust military-to-military relationships with both countries.
In Honduras, Kelly and other Southcom leaders met with President Porfirio Lobo Sosa, Foreign Minister Arturo Corrales, Defense Minister Marlon Pascua, and the chief of joint staff, Gen. Rene Osorio, as well as U.S. Ambassador to Honduras Lisa Kubiske and the embassy staff, officials said. In El Salvador, they visited Defense Minister Jose Benitez, Defense Chief Maj. Gen. Cesar Acosta and U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador Mari Carmen Aponte.
Central to the discussion was ways to cooperate closer to combat organized crime, drug trafficking and other transnational threats, and to improve natural disaster response and increase joint training opportunities, officials said.
Cooperation is vital in dealing with challenges throughout Southcom's area of responsibility, which encompasses Central and South America and the Caribbean and covers about 15.6 million square miles, Kelly told members of U.S. Army South, Southcom's Army component, while visiting its headquarters at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, Jan. 15.
"What we do in this part of the world is very, very different than what some of the other folks are doing," he said. "Clearly it's different than what they're doing in the Middle East, but it's no less important. We have challenges in this part of the [world], and the nations down here want to partner with us."
Kelly recognized the devastating toll of transnational threats, particularly narcotrafficking, and the need for regional nations to work together.
"[Nations within the region] have already been shouldering tremendous burdens in terms of drugs and narcoterrorism. Those are things that we want to help them get after," he told the U.S. Army South staff. "The issue of drugs is an influence in our country that costs nearly 200 billion dollars and somewhere around 30,000 lives a year."
Hosting defense and security leaders from 15 nations last month at the 2012 Caribbean Nations Security Conference, Kelly underscored the need to strengthen multinational security efforts to prevent traffickers from shifting their operations to the Caribbean.
"I'm very concerned about the Caribbean vulnerability," he told the forum. "[In response] to shifts in any illicit trafficking that could be on the horizon, and likely is, I'm confident we can take steps now to ensure continued regional security. The U.S. will continue to be engaged in the Caribbean."
While visiting U.S. Army South, Kelly recognized the key role members of Southcom play in helping stand up to these challenges.
"The first line of defense is here under Southcom," he told the group. "I would say to all of the professionals, regardless of the uniform that you wear, what you do here is important and it has a direct effect on large cities and small towns in America."
(Editor's Note: Michael Wimbish and Jose Ruiz from U.S. Southern Command and Robert R. Ramon from U.S. Army South contributed to this article.)
RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS
FROM: U.S. NAVY
Lt. Nate Barton, left wing pilot, assigned to the U.S. Navy flight demonstration squadron, the Blue Angels, from Hummelstown, Pa., references checkpoints while flying in formation with the right wingman over Shadetree Range, near El Centro, Calif., during a training sortie. The Blue Angels are currently conducting winter training where pilots must complete 120 practice flights before kicking off the 2013 air show season at Naval Air Facility El Centro March 16. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael Lindsey (Released) 130124-N-SN160-195
130124-N-TB177-172 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 24, 2013) An F/A-18C Hornet from the Sharpshooters of Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron (VMFAT) 101 flies over the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77). George H.W. Bush is conducting training and carrier qualifications in the Atlantic Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kevin J. Steinberg/Released)
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