HOX GENES AND OUR FUTURE

FROM:  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 
Understanding how our genes help us develop

Hox genes are the master regulators of embryonic development for all animals, including humans, flies and worms. They decide what body parts go where. Not surprisingly, if something goes wrong with these genes, the results can be disastrous.

In Drosophila, the fruit fly, a Hox mutation can produce profound changes--an extra pair of wings, for example, or a set of legs, instead of antennae, growing from the fly's head.

"The job of the Hox genes is to tell cells early on in embryonic development what to become--whether to make an eye, an antenna or wings," says Robert Drewell, associate professor of biology at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, Calif. "Just a single mutation in the Hox gene can produce these dramatic anomalies."

Humans have Hox genes too. For this reason, Drewell is trying to understand the molecular function of Hox genes in the fruit fly, including what happens when they work properly and what happens when they don't, in order to learn more about their behavior in humans.

Genetically, humans and fruit flies are very much alike; in fact, many known human disease genes have a recognizable match in the genetic code of the fruit fly. Thus, the information researchers gain from studying flies could provide insights into certain birth defects, such as extra ribs and extra digits, and potentially serious diseases.

"We have exactly the same genes, and use them in exactly the same way," he says. "By understanding them in Drosophila, we can understand them in humans."

Drewell is conducting his research under a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award, which he received in 2009. The award supports junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education, and research within the context of the mission of their organization. He is receiving about $600,000 over five years.

Hox genes have been entirely conserved throughout animal evolution, meaning "since around 530 million years ago, when many complex animal life forms appeared, they had Hox genes," Drewell says.

Fruit flies are model organisms for studying genetics since they have a short lifespan--several generations can be studied in a matter of weeks--and are small and easy to grow. More importantly, they can provide a wealth of information for computational analysis because scientists have deciphered their entire genetic blueprint.

"We live in this post-genomic era, so we can do comparisons across species to look at exactly how the regulatory regions at Hox genes are changing over time," Drewell says.

Drewell's lab uses several different approaches, applying biology, genetics and computational methods to learn more about the behavior of Hox genes.

"We make what are called 'reporter' genes," he says. "We construct these artificial genes in the lab, then reintroduce them back into Drosophila. This allows us to measure what is happening to those genes. The genes we are putting in are combinations of fragments from Hox genes--different DNA regions--and we are testing if these different regions are responsible for regulating when and where the Hox gene is turned on and off."

Through their experiments, "We can look at what genes are turned on and off, and can detect exactly which DNA elements regulate the process, and how they regulate it."

Because the fruit fly's genome is available, "we are able to do comparisons across species to look at exactly how these regulatory regions are changing over time," using computational biology methods, he says. Moreover, "through that process, we can essentially start to get a handle on the role that Hox genes play in controlling cell identify in the developing embryo. We can do this in all animals, including humans."

The educational component of his CAREER grant has allowed Drewell to incorporate new elements to the curriculum, including mathematical and computational approaches, and provides undergraduate students the opportunity to conduct research that typically would not be available to them.

"Harvey Mudd doesn't have a graduate program, so all the research, essentially, is done by undergraduates," Drewell says. "They get an opportunity to do something they might not otherwise get to do. Each student is fully encouraged to take ownership of his or her own project. In this way, this often exposes them to a research field for the very first time and establishes a great foundation for their future endeavors in research."

-- Marlene Cimons, National Science Foundation

REMARKS BY SECRETARY KERRY AND CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER WANG YI BEFORE MEETING

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Remarks With Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi Before Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Benjamin Franklin Room
Washington, DC
September 19, 2013


SECRETARY KERRY: Good morning, everybody, thank you very much for joining us. And it’s my great privilege to welcome His Excellency, the Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi.
He was here 15 years ago as a visiting scholar at Georgetown, and I know that he remembers well this kind of weather, this kind of a beautiful day along the Potomac. And we’re very happy to have him back in Washington.

I met with Foreign Minister Wang in April in Beijing where he gave us a very generous and warm welcome, and we had excellent conversation, and then in Brunei this summer. And I’m very pleased that he has taken the time to strengthen our relationship by visiting here ahead of our very busy week in New York.

As President Obama has frequently stated, the United States welcomes the continued peaceful rise of China, and we have a vested interest in China’s growing prosperity and partnership, not only in the Asia-Pacific region, but also around the world.

President Obama has also made what I believe is a strategic and appropriate commitment to rebalance our interests and our investments in Asia. A stronger partnership with China is very much a part of that effort. The United States is a Pacific nation, and we take our Pacific partnerships very seriously, and we will continue to build our enduring presence in that area, working with our partners to promote peace and prosperity.

China and the United States have also agreed to a new model of relations, and that was worked on and announced at the Sunnylands summit with our presidents. It is based on practical cooperation and constructive management of differences. We recognized the need to avoid falling into a trap of seeing one another as strategic rivals, and that recognition is now driving our partnership on issues from climate change to wildlife trafficking to military consultations and the promotion of balanced growth around the world.

Importantly, part of our new relationship is a commitment to engage in frank discussions on sensitive issues, particularly where we disagree, where misunderstanding could lead to a miscalculation.

We plan to discuss Syria today, and while we appreciate China’s support for a political solution, the only solution we believe is ultimately available and possible, we do have differences between our nations and have disagreed sharply over how the international community should respond to the Syrian regime’s use of chemical weapons. With negotiations ongoing at the Security Council, we look forward to China playing a positive, constructive, important role.

We will also engage in very important conversation about North Korea today. China plays a very special role in addressing the North Korean nuclear challenge and in achieving our shared goal: the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

China and the United States also have a shared interest in preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and our close cooperation will be critical to that effort, and the Foreign Minister and I will discuss this further today.

From our dialogue on intellectual property to maritime security and human rights, we are committed to working through difficult issues, and, as you can tell, we have a very big agenda. And it’s through the process of working through these difficulties that we can actually forge a stronger friendship, a stronger partnership, and a stronger future for both of our nations.

So, Foreign Minister Wang, thank you again for your visit. I welcome you here. I hope you feel at home during your time in Washington. It’s good to see you again.

FOREIGN MINISTER WANG: (Via interpreter) Secretary Kerry has on several occasions asked me to visit the United States, and I’m very happy that finally I have come to visit this country.

This year is an important year for China-U.S. relationship to build on past achievements and make new progress. Since the change of government in both countries, China-U.S. relationship has had a smooth transition, got off to a good start, and now enjoys strong momentum. President Xi Jinping and President Barack Obama met successfully twice in less than three months. They reached important agreement on our two countries working together to build a new model of major country relationship, charting the future course for China-U.S. ties.

I have come to the United States to work with the U.S. side to push forward the building of this new model of major country relationship between our two countries with concrete actions and enrich its (inaudible) with our specific cooperation. I look forward to having in-depth and candid discussion with Secretary Kerry on all these issues of mutual interest, to which that Mr. Secretary just referred. And the Chinese side is ready to work with the United States to make good preparations for our upcoming high-level engagement, and for pushing forward our mutually beneficial cooperation. At the same time, we are also ready to have in-depth communication with the United States with an open mind on those issues, including Syria, issues on the Korean Peninsula, climate change, and cyber security. We also want to discuss with the United States the relevant issues in the Asia-Pacific region, to work with the U.S. side for sound interaction in the Asia-Pacific between our two countries.

I have come to the United States to implement the agreement reached between our top leaders to strengthen the mutually beneficial cooperation between our two countries and to enhance the China-U.S. friendship. We look forward to working with the United States to ensure that we will be able to translate the defining feature of this new model of major country relationship, namely non-conflict and confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation into all aspects of China-U.S. relationship to bring benefits to our both countries and beyond. And it is my belief that there is tremendous potential for us working together to further expand and deepen our cooperation.

Just now, Secretary Kerry referred to the two important issues of Syria and the DPRK. Let me make a few brief comments here.

On Syria, China welcomes the framework agreement reached not long ago by the United States and Russia. We believe that there needs to be early agreement on the decision to be taken by the OPCW, and at the same time, the Security Council of the United Nations also needs to recognize and support this decision. Ultimately, the issue of Syria needs to be resolved through political means. The Chinese side will continue to play its positive and constructive role in that direction.

Addressing issues on the Korean Peninsula have been an important area for China-U.S. cooperation. Today marks the 8th anniversary of the issuance of September 19th

Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks. I believe it is an important time for the Six Parties to review the past, summarize the good experience, and open up brighter prospects for the future. To achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and maintain peace and stability in Northeast Asia serves the common interests of China and the United States. I look forward to having a deep discussion with Secretary on how we can work together to re-launch the Six-Party Talks and effectively push forward the denuclearization process. And I am confident that we will be able to reach new, important agreement.

Well, today is also the Chinese traditional festival, a mid-Autumn day for family reunion. And the moon tonight will be the fullest in this whole year, which augurs well, I suppose, for a brighter future. And let me use this opportunity to convey the festive greetings to all of you and through all of you to the American people. Thank you.

(In English) Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: (In Chinese.)

FOREIGN MINISTER WANG: (In Chinese.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very, very much.

HHS SITES SURVEY, YOUNG CHILDREN DRINKING SUGARY DRINKS MAY HAVE FUTURE WEIGHT PROBLEMS

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 
Little kids and sweet drinks
From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Nicholas Garlow with HHS HealthBeat.

Starting off as a little kid with lots of sweet drinks may lead to weight problems later. At the University of Virginia, Mark DeBoer saw evidence in national survey data on 9,600 children who were followed at ages 9 months, and 2, 4 and 5 years.

“Children who consumed sugary drinks regularly were more likely to be overweight and obese at age 5.”

DeBoer says weight went up over time with the amount of sugar, and was quite noticeable at 4 and 5.

DeBoer recommends kids get water and milk, but not sugar-sweetened drinks. He also notes that keeping kids active helps to control weight.

The study in the journal Pediatrics was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at healthfinder.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Nicholas Garlow.

VA ISSUES STATEMENT ON HEALTH CARE TREATMENT OF AARON ALEXIS

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
Statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs On Aaron Alexis
September 18, 2013

WASHINGTON -- The Department of Veterans Affairs issued the following statement:
Health care treatment
Aaron Alexis received treatment on August 23, 2013, when he visited the emergency room at the VA Medical Center in Providence, R.I., complaining of insomnia. After a medical examination, he was given a small amount of medication to help him sleep and was instructed to follow up with a primary care provider.
On August 28, he went to the emergency room at the VA Medical Center in Washington, D.C., to request a medication refill and attributed his insomnia to his work schedule.  He was given a small refill and was instructed to follow up with a primary care provider.  On both occasions, Mr. Alexis was alert and oriented, and was asked by VA doctors if he was struggling with anxiety or depression, or had thoughts about harming himself or others, all of which he denied.

Alexis enrolled in VA health care in February 2011.  According to VA records, he never sought an appointment from a mental health specialist, and had previously either canceled or failed to show up for primary care appointments and claims evaluations examinations he had scheduled at VA medical centers.

 Benefits
Alexis filed a disability compensation claim with the VA and was granted a 20 percent disability rating by VA for orthopedic issues on December 12, 2011, which was increased to 30 percent on December 19, 2012, when he was awarded an additional 10 percent for tinnitus.  Alexis received benefits in the amount of $395 monthly.  The 30 percent was retroactive to his separation from service.

Controlling norovirus

Controlling norovirus

VICE CHAIR JOINT CHIEFS SAYS AIR FORCE MUST MAKE INVESTMENT CHOICES BECAUSE OF SEQUESTRATION

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Strategy, Threats, Resources Must Balance, Winnefeld Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2013 - The tough fiscal environment means the Air Force must make investment choices that protect America and its interests today, but also in the future, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said at the Air Force Association's annual Air and Space Conference today.

Navy Adm. James A. "Sandy" Winnefeld Jr. said that with less money, it is even more important to make the correct operational and investment decisions.

The threats are out there, the admiral said. In the past, he added, there was enough money to fund responses to those threats to the nation and its interests and allies. But with fewer dollars, he said, it is imperative to prioritize the competing claims on a shrinking defense budget.

Threats run the gamut, "beginning with major nation-states, who have watched the U.S. military's impressive capability -- with some anxiety -- and who are working hard to catch up," Winnefeld said. These states cannot challenge American military superiority head to head, he added, but they will try to do so asymmetrically.

The threats include highly insecure authoritarian states such as Iran, North Korea and Syria. Such nations, the vice chairman explained, conclude that obtaining deliverable nuclear weapons is the best insurance policy for their regimes.

"This also has huge implications, ranging from the importance of limited missile defense to how we might handle a conflict on the Korean Peninsula," Winnefeld said.

And the threat from violent extremists hasn't disappeared, the admiral said. These terrorists have "morphed from a centrally controlled apparatus within a supportive host nation, to a group of highly diversified, feisty and independent yet weakened franchises living mostly in poorly governed or ungoverned spaces," he told the audience.

These groups are learning and have become "operationally wiser" over time, and they still threaten American citizens and interests across the globe, he said.

"There are other threats, including transnational criminal organizations and cyber-empowered individuals," Winnefeld said. "Even the threat of disasters is changing along with the Earth's climate."

The Pentagon's strategy prioritizes these threats, the vice chairman said. But Congress, he added, must provide the Defense Department with the flexibility to manage whatever funds it gets to meet those missions.

Congress should give the department "as much freedom to maneuver as possible within our budgets, and by removing restrictions on our ability to become more efficient," Winnefeld added. Congress needs to remove limitations on the "downsizing glideslopes," the vice chairman said, "where we need to get our old stuff out of the system so we can buy and sustain new stuff."

Congress also needs to authorize a new round of base closures and realignments so the Defense Department can get rid of the 20 percent excess infrastructure it is carrying, Winnefeld said, adding that Congress and DOD officials need to look at personnel accounts as well.

"While everyone here would agree that our magnificent men and women in uniform deserve more than the average bear, we simply cannot sustain our recent growth trajectory in pay and benefits and expect to preserve a properly sized, trained and equipped force," he said.

"Some will fight some of these needed changes, but I would ask you to stand up and understand that the most important benefit we can provide for our people is to train and equip them to fly, fight and win and come home safely to their families," Winnefeld said.

DOD SAYS MILITARY SALES PROMOTES COOPERATION

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Foreign Military Sales Promote Security Cooperation
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2013 - Though 2012 was a banner fiscal year with $69.1 billion in foreign military sales, that program and others like it are not in the business of selling equipment, but rather are promoting military-to-military relationships with international partners, a Defense Security Cooperation Agency official said here yesterday.

Speaking at a ground robotics symposium hosted by the National Defense Industrial Association, Derek Gilman, DSCA's general counsel, said his agency promotes relationships by facilitating the purchase of defense equipment and services, financing, defense education and training and more.

"The idea," Gilman said, "is if partners have U.S. equipment and U.S. training and are following U.S. doctrine, our interoperability is greater with them."

Interoperability also can be leveraged through international acquisition and cross-servicing agreements for sharing such things as ammunition and spare parts, he added.

"That can lead, if you're sharing joint doctrine, to joint exercises and other types of military-to-military cooperation and ... to decades-long relationships -- core relationships -- with partners around the world," Gilman said.

The Foreign Military Sales program is a form of security assistance authorized by the Arms Export Control Act through which the United States may sell defense articles and services to foreign countries and international organizations. Under the program, the U.S. government and a foreign government enter into a sales agreement called a letter of offer and acceptance. The State Department determines which countries will have programs, and the Defense Department executes the program.

DSCA is the central agency that synchronizes global security cooperation programs, funding and efforts across the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the State Department, the combatant commands, the services and U.S. industry. The agency is responsible for the policy, processes, training and financial management needed to execute security cooperation within DOD.

The agency's mission areas cover a lot of ground, ranging from foreign military sales and foreign military financing to humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and mine action. DSCA also has programs for international military education and training and partnership capacity building.

DSCA has 12,881 active foreign military sales cases valued at $394 billion, 443 humanitarian projects worldwide, 768 security cooperation officers in 148 countries, 7,344 international students from 141 countries, and 7,090 participants in five regional centers around the world. DSCA does business with 227 countries and international organizations.

Foreign military sales represent the largest percentage of DSCA funds, with $69.1 billion in fiscal 2012, Gilman said, "but $29 billion of that is from the sale of 84 F-15s to Saudi Arabia, along with weapons and training and basing." He said that going forward, the agency expects about $30 billion a year, with about $25 billion in 2013 sales.

"But that's a significant increase over what we've had historically," he added.

Before fiscal 2006, DSCA foreign military sales hovered between $10 billion and $13 billion, Gilman said, adding that the agency has been doing more than twice that amount each year and expects that trend to continue because of an increased emphasis on foreign sales, interoperability and fighting in a coalition environment.

Other DSCA programs include:

-- Foreign Military Financing, $1.1 billion in fiscal 2012-2013: The bulk of this funding goes to Israel and Egypt, with the rest divided among several other countries. Funding amounts go out in grant letters so it is considered a conditional grant to the foreign country. "The money, however, does not go to the foreign country," Gilman said. "It stays in the FMF trust fund in the account for those countries and becomes new-year money. It's obligated upon apportionment, so it continues to be available for the purposes set forth in the current-year congressional budget justification."

-- International Military Education and Training program, $105.8 million in fiscal 2012: "IMET is a significant program whereby we provide education and training to folks from foreign militaries," Gilman said. "It has been a significant aid to the United States over the last 30 years in terms of helping build relationships with those who later go on to be senior members of partner militaries."

-- Special Defense Acquisition: "[This program] allows us to anticipate what the sales are going to be to foreign partners to buy defense articles in advance of those sales of high-demand sorts of items," Gilman explained, "and then to provide those items to our partners."

-- Excess Defense Articles: A major effort is going on now in this longstanding program with regard to Afghanistan, Gilman said, "and how we provide what we anticipate will be a large number of defense articles [there] to our foreign partners. It's a way to make sure we reduce the possibility of waste in terms of demilitarization on the ground in Afghanistan."

Looking ahead for DSCA, Gilman said building interoperability and sustainability and staying ahead of the competition are among the agency's key opportunities and challenges.

DSCA differs from what a customer might see in a direct commercial sale, such as in the Foreign Military Sales program, because the agency provides what Gilman described as a total-package approach. A partner in a direct commercial sale would have to go to several commercial vendors to determine its own commercial requirements, he explained.

"But DSCA will work with partners to say, 'This is the equipment you want to meet a certain need, these are the weapons you'll need to go with that equipment, this is the training you will need [and] these are the requirements you will need on your base,'" Gilman said. "And we can provide all that through letters of offer and acceptance as to an estimate of how much it will cost."

The agency also offers the advantage of the U.S. contracting process, he added, "so we can leverage our ability, especially if they're contracting for something that's already in the U.S. system, because we have an existing contract."

DSCA can leverage the fact that the agency is buying the item to keep the price down for the customer, Gilman said.

"Some customers have a less-than-transparent acquisition system [at home], and they like the transparency the U.S. acquisition system offers them, so there are a number of benefits," he added.

Other countries have had experience with foreign military sales, he said, and they prefer the DSCA approach.

"At the end of the day, we don't care whether they use FMS or DSCA, but what we do care about is that they buy U.S. products in whatever way is most effective for them," he said.

The agency also is seeing more pressure from traditional competitors such as the United Kingdom, France and Russia, and emerging competitors in China, India, Brazil, the European Union and elsewhere, Gilman said.

"China is becoming more and more of a player in the international armaments sales arena, and South Korea is becoming a significant competitor in the international armaments sales arena," he said. "The United States wants to maintain its role as the preeminent competitor for the reasons of building relationships with our partners."

IRS ANNOUNCES THE DISBARMENT OF A CPA FOR STEALING FROM DAUGHTER'S TRUST FUND

FROM:  INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE NEWSWIRE 
CPA Disbarred for Stealing from Daughter’s Trust Fund

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced that its Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) has prevailed in seeking the disbarment of David O. Christensen after he was convicted of theft for misappropriating funds as the conservator of his daughter’s trust account. Christensen’s CPA licenses in Washington and Oregon were revoked previously as a result of his conviction.

In a Final Agency Decision the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) declined to carve out a request by Christensen for limited practice as a tax return preparer, and instead, disbarred him from all practice before the IRS finding that Christensen’s conviction for theft, and the revocation of his CPA licenses, constituted disreputable conduct under Circular 230.  Christensen had argued that he should be permitted to continue to prepare tax returns because his theft conviction resulted from a family matter that had nothing to do with his tax return preparation practice before the IRS.

"OPR strives to protect the integrity of the tax system from unscrupulous and incompetent practitioners regardless of how those traits become known,” said Karen L. Hawkins, Director of OPR.

Agreeing with OPR’s proposed sanction, the ALJ held the seriousness of Christensen’s offense warranted disbarment from practicing before the IRS finding that the “Respondent has displayed a lack of integrity, including in his testimony at trial, in attempting to distinguish his professional actions from his ‘father-daughter’ relationship.”

Christensen is prohibited from any practice (including tax return preparation) before the IRS for a five year period.

FDA APPROVES GENERIC VERSION OF XELODA CHEMOTHERAPY PILL

FROM:  U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION 
FDA approves first generic capecitabine to treat colorectal and breast cancers

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first generic version of Xeloda (capecitabine), an oral chemotherapy pill used to treat cancer of the colon or rectum (colorectal cancer) that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic), and metastatic breast cancer.

Teva Pharmaceuticals USA has gained FDA approval to market generic capecitabine in 150 and 500 milligram strengths.

“Generic drugs are important options that allow greater access to health care for all Americans,” said Kathleen Uhl, M.D., acting director of the Office of Generic Drugs in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “This medication is widely used by people living with cancer, so it is important to have access to affordable treatment options.”

According to the National Cancer Institute, it is estimated that 1.6 million people in the United States will be diagnosed with and 580,000 will die of cancer in 2013. It is estimated that 142,820 people will be diagnosed with and 50,830 will die of cancer of the colon and rectum in 2013. An estimated 232,340 women will be diagnosed with and 39,620 women will die of cancer of the breast in 2013.

In the clinical trials for Xeloda, the most commonly observed adverse reactions included: diarrhea; vomiting; nausea; pain, redness, swelling, or sores in the mouth; hand-and-foot syndrome (pain, swelling, or redness of hands or feet that prevents normal activity); and fever or infection.

It is important that the prescriber know if the patient is also taking a medicine used to thin the blood, such as warfarin. Capecitabine could increase the effect of this medicine, possibly leading to serious side effects. Capecitabine has a boxed warning to alert health care professionals and patients about this risk.

Generic drugs approved by the FDA have the same high quality and strength as brand-name drugs. Generic drug manufacturing and packaging sites must pass the same quality standards as those of brand-name drugs.

Information about the availability of generic capecitabine can be obtained from Teva.

GSA MAKES NEARLY A MILLION SELLING BOSTON HARBOR LIGHTHOUSE

FROM:  U.S. GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
Government Sells Boston Harbor Lighthouse for Nearly $1 Million
September 16, 2013

BOSTON - Today, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced it has found a new owner for the historic Graves Light in Boston Harbor. David Waller was officially awarded the lighthouse today and will take ownership within sixty days. GSA received an unprecedented $933,888 bid for the lighthouse, which is a record amount for any lighthouse ever sold in the United States.

As part of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act (NHLPA) program, GSA offered the lighthouse to the public through an online auction. So far, more than 100 lighthouses have been sold or transferred out of federal ownership. Through this innovative program, proceeds from the public sales go back into the Coast Guard’s aid to navigation fund, a fund that pays for the equipment, maintenance, and resources (fog horns, lights, battery cells, solar panels, etc.) to continue preservation and maintenance of lighthouses that are still active and federal ownership. .”

"Lighthouses are an important part of our maritime history, both in New England and national heritage. Enthusiastic new owners like David Waller, help us ensure that these architectural treasures will be preserved without burdening taxpayers," said Robert Zarnetske, GSA Regional Administrator for New England.

The open and competitive public auction lasted 25 days between 10 different parties before bidding closed last Saturday. The property boasts 360-degree million dollar views that include the Boston skyline, the harbor, and the Atlantic Ocean. The new owner now possesses a truly historic maritime treasure and iconic property in Boston Harbor.

Graves Light, constructed in 1905 and designed by Royal Luther, is located on The Graves, the outermost island of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, nine miles offshore from Boston. At 113 feet, it is the tallest lighthouse in the Port of Boston. The light is a striking conical structure with granite blocks on a granite foundation and includes interior keeper’s quarters.

Since 2000, in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Park Service, GSA administers the federal program that transfers ownership of historic lighthouses to caretakers through the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act program. GSA also offers lighthouses for public sale at www.realestatesales.gov.

ISSUE WITH NERVE AGENT ANTIDOTE AUTOINJECTOR

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
DOD, Manufacturer Address Issue with Antidote Autoinjector
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13, 2013 - Defense Department and interagency officials are working closely with the Maryland-based manufacturer of an autoinjector for deployed troops that contains a two-drug antidote for some kinds of nerve agents, a military official said.

In March the company, Meridian Medical Technologies, a Pfizer Inc. subsidiary, found after an internal inspection that a small number of the autoinjectors -- seven out of 1,000 -- were not completely filled with antidote. The company also notified the Defense Department in March.

Since then, Meridian has been working with the Food and Drug Administration, which licensed the product in 2006, to improve product-quality issues in the manufacturing process, and with government agencies on a priority replacement plan.

There are no plans to recall the equivalent civilian product, called DuoDote, or the military product, called Antidote Treatment Nerve Agent-Autoinjector, or ATNAA, the official said. In the meantime, nothing has changed for service members in the field who are issued the product when a threat looms, the military official said.


With the current ATNAA product, the military official said, "warfighters are protected and there is no operational impact. The FDA has opined that all autoinjectors are safe and effective and can be used under current tactics, techniques and procedures."

The autoinjector is a spring-loaded syringe designed to overcome the hesitation someone might show when self-injecting even a small needle. To user removes a cap on the back, puts the front end on the outer thigh or buttocks, pushes until the device activates, then holds it in place for 10 seconds.

The ATNAA autoinjector has two internal chambers, one on top of the other. The top chamber contains the drug atropine, and the bottom chamber holds pralidoxime chloride. When the injector activates, the drugs flow together through a syringe and into the body.

Nerve agents are fast-working and deadly, andinhibit a range of physiological processes in the nervous system, causing pinpoint pupils, eye pain, sweating, drooling, tearing, vomiting and seizures.

Atropine reduces secretions in the mouth and respiratory passages, relieves respiratory passage constriction and spasms, and may reduce respiratory paralysis caused by toxic agents on the central nervous system.

Pralidoxime chloride relieves paralysis of respiration muscles and is always used with atropine to treat nerve-agent poisoning.

For the Defense Department to date, Meridian has put 1.1 million ATNAA autoinjectors through a process of remediation that includes first a visual examination by trained technicians and then weighing the autoinjectors to make sure they're properly filled with antidote, the military official said, adding that improperly filled devices are being rejected.

The Defense Logistics Agency is working through the contractual details about how Meridian will replace the defective devices, the official added.

"There are two lines of effort: new manufacturing and remediation. We're hopeful the FDA will approve the enhancements to [Meridian's] manufacturing process within the next 12 weeks, and then as soon as DLA works through the details on acceptance of the remediated product, it will be available [to DOD]," the military official said.

In addition to DLA, the Joint Program Executive Office forChemical and Biological Defense is working in close coordination with the FDA, the Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, and the Army Office of the Surgeon General to help resolve the issue.

The military official said Meridian is working closely with regulators from the FDA and internally to make sure a more rigorous quality-control process is in place so the problem won't happen again.

"The company has made a good-faith effort to remediate the issues, both with current product and in the future," Pentagon spokeswoman Jennifer D. Elzea said, "so from the department's perspective, they've been cooperative."

U.S. MARSHALS SELLING JESSE JACKSON JR., STUFF

From:  U.S. Marshals Service

FROM:  U.S. MARSHALS JESSE JACKSON 

U.S. Marshals Selling Personal Items from Jesse Jackson, Jr., Fraud Case
Washington – The U.S. Marshals Service is selling 12 items from the Jesse Jackson, Jr., fraud conspiracy case via an online auction at www.txauction.com starting Tuesday and ending Sept. 26.

Items for sale include Michael Jackson and Bruce Lee memorabilia and fur coats and capes. Net proceeds from the sale of these assets will be subtracted from the $750,000 money judgment against Jackson that was filed in federal court Aug. 19.

Jackson pleaded guilty in February in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia to conspiring to defraud his re-election campaigns of about $750,000 in funds that were used to pay for personal items and expenses. According to the government’s evidence, Jackson carried out a fraud scheme from 2005 until 2012. Rather than using donated funds for legitimate campaign expenses, he used a substantial portion for personal expenditures. Jackson was sentenced in August to 30 months in prison.

U.S. MILITARY SAYS IT IS READY TO BACK UP DIPLOMACY WITH SYRIA

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Military Assets Ready to Back Up Diplomatic Push With Syria
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2013 - U.S. military assets remain ready to launch attacks if the diplomatic efforts to secure and dismantle the Syrian regime's chemical arms should fail, senior defense officials said here today.

In a Pentagon news conference, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the military role today is limited.

"The current role of the military is to provide some planning assistance to the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons ... who has the lead, and as well as to maintain the credible threat of force, should the diplomatic track fail," Dempsey said.

The chairman said he believes forces loyal to Syrian president Bashar Assad have maintained control of the regime's chemical weapons. The environment inside Syria is "very challenging," he added.

Still, Dempsey said, he believes it is possible for the international community to work in the country.

"So long as [Syrian leaders] agree to the framework, which causes them to be responsible for the security, the movement, the protection of the investigators or the inspectors, then I think that ... it is feasible," Dempsey said. "But we've got to make sure we keep our eye on all of those things."

The chairman acknowledged that disposing of chemical weapons is a complicated task.

"The framework calls for it to be controlled, destroyed or moved," he said. "In some combination, it is feasible, but those details will have to be worked by the OPCW."

Overall, the conflict in Syria ebbs and flows, the chairman said, and rebel groups in the country are concerned that the focus on chemical weapons will detract from the willingness of partners to support them.

"But ... in terms of direct threats to U.S. interests, I think ... that the elimination of the Assad regime's chemical capability is right at the top of our national interests," Dempsey added. "If this process bears fruit and achieves its stated purpose, we will be in a better position."

Press Briefing | The White House

Press Briefing | The White House

DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY CARTER SAYS PAKISTAN'S ECONOMIC SUCCESS CRITICAL

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Success of India, Pakistan Critical to Region, Carter Says
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, Sept. 18, 2013 - Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter today wrapped up a weeklong overseas trip that included stops in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.

After spending three days in Afghanistan, Carter stopped in Islamabad, Pakistan, for talks with senior defense and government officials. Among the topics discussed was the importance of Pakistan's continued economic development to the security of the region, Carter said today.

The economic development of Pakistan is essential, he said.

"Their neighbor to the east is running away from them economically," Carter noted. To develop its economy, Pakistan first needs peaceful relations with India to begin trading with them, the deputy defense secretary said.

Pakistan is critical to U.S. and regional security, the deputy secretary said.

"Unless it's part of the solution, it becomes part of the problem in Afghanistan," Carter said.

"The government of Pakistan has flirted over time with using terrorism as an instrument of state policy," Carter added. "It is coming to the realization that terrorism is a boomerang, and it comes back on you when you try to use it for your own purposes."

The principal threat to Pakistan is terrorism, he said, not its neighbors.

Carter spent yesterday meeting with senior Indian defense officials in New Delhi, including Defense Secretary Radha Krishna Mathur and Defense Minister A.K. Antony. He also met with U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Michael Pelletier at the American Embassy.

The U.S. and India are destined to be security partners on the world stage, Carter said. The two countries share common interests, values and outlooks, he added, noting that the multifaceted defense relationship between them is the defining partnership of the 21st century.

A central topic of discussion was the Defense Trade and Technology Initiative, which is intended to increase defense industrial and technology cooperation, Carter said. The agreement isn't just about selling defense equipment to India, the deputy defense secretary noted; it's about fostering joint ventures.

"They don't want to just buy our stuff," Carter said. "They want to build our stuff with us and they want to develop new things with us, and they want to do research with us."

The joint C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft venture between the Indian multinational conglomerate Tata and Lockheed Martin is a perfect model of co-production, he said.

"India is now part of the supply chain [for the aircraft], and has the economic benefit -- the jobs benefit -- of being part of that," Carter said.

Future defense projects between the two countries will include both co-development and co-production, the deputy defense secretary said.

Today, Carter traveled to Hindon Air Force Station in Ghaziabad, India, the largest air base in Asia and home to No. 77 Squadron, which operates the six C-130J aircraft India acquired in 2008. The aircraft have been used in several humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations throughout the country. In August, a pilot from the squadron set a world record for the highest-altitude landing and takeoff, landing at an airstrip 16,614 feet above sea level.

Hindon also is home to the recently formed No. 81 Squadron. Known as the Skylords, the squadron was formed in September to fly the Indian air force's new C-17 Globemaster III transport jets, which began arriving earlier this year. Three of the heavy-lift aircraft have been delivered so far under the $4 billion deal, and seven more are scheduled to arrive by November 2014.

"We want India to have all the capabilities it needs to meet its security needs, and we want to be a key partner in that effort," Carter said.

"When you look at pictures of the Indian air force's C-130s participating in the recent flood relief efforts in the north, ... that tells us we're on the right track," he added.

U.S. Department of Defense Armed with Science Update: Anti-Ship Prototype Missile Tested

U.S. Department of Defense Armed with Science Update

DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY CARTER TAKES NOTE OF PROGRESS IN AFGHANISTAN

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Carter Meets With Afghan Officials, Notes Progress
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2013 - Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter has wrapped up a three-day visit to Afghanistan, where he met with senior International Security Assistance Force, coalition and Afghan officials.
In a statement summarizing the visit, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said Carter met in the Afghan capital of Kabul with Defense Minister Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, Interior Minister Umar Daudzai and members of the Afghan Parliament to stress the importance of a timely conclusion to the bilateral security agreement that will spell out the terms of the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan once the current mission ends there in December 2014.
Carter also stressed the importance of timely, free and fair elections in Afghanistan next year, the press secretary added.

In addition, he said, the deputy secretary noted the "tremendous progress" made by the Afghan national security forces this fighting season, the first in which they've assumed full lead.

Carter also met with U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan James Cunningham and ISAF Commander Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. to discuss progress made on concluding the bilateral security agreement, supporting the Afghan forces and setting conditions for a stable and secure Afghanistan in 2015 and beyond, Little said.

The deputy secretary also visited ISAF and Afghan forces in Bastion, Shindand, Gardez and Ghazni to commend them on their ongoing efforts and successes, the press secretary said, and he thanked Polish forces at Ghazni and the 203rd Afghan National Army Corps at Gardez.

He also visited Herat to pay tribute to the men and women affected by the Sept. 13 attack on the U.S. consulate there, and to praise Afghan and ISAF forces for their quick and decisive action, Little said.

SIGAR INSPECTION LETTER ABOUT AFGHANISTAN'S JUSTICE TRAINING TRANSITION PROGRAM

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Letter Regarding the SIGAR Inspection of INL Justice Training Transition Program
September 11, 2013
John F. Sopko
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR)
2530 Crystal Drive
Arlington, Virginia 22202

Re: SIGAR Inspection of INL Justice Training Transition Program

Dear Mr. Sopko:

This is in response to your letter about the U.S. Department of State’s partnership with the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) to implement the Justice Training Transition Program (JTTP) in Afghanistan.

The Department of State respects the role played by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) in safeguarding U.S. taxpayer investment, and we share your goals of implementing programs free from waste, fraud, and abuse. The Department of State will continue to work closely with your office to address questions or concerns with any of our assistance programs associated with reconstruction in Afghanistan. Particularly as we heed Congress’ clear interest in seeing the U.S. government move away from the use of private contractors – and as we gradually reduce the military footprint that ensures security for U.S. government employees implementing assistance and development programs on the ground in Afghanistan – we are, of course, intent on finding responsible implementing partners among international organizations and non-profit, non-governmental organizations.

The Department has carefully reviewed your alert letter of July 22, 2013 and the programs that it discussed. We found that the results of JTTP thus far have been impressive, and the robust oversight and monitoring and evaluation requirements we put into place in our agreement with IDLO are fully functioning and have revealed no deficiencies in program performance or management.

As a public international organization with UN Observer Status, IDLO has its own internal auditing procedures agreed to by its member states, which includes the United States Government. In addition, as the current President of the Assembly of Parties of IDLO, the United States sits on the Standing Committee and has played a leading role in ensuring that IDLO continually improves those procedures. It is important to note that there has been no evidence—nor have allegations been made—of fraud, waste, or mismanagement of JTTP. As we would do with any project implemented by any organization, if waste, fraud, or abuse were to be uncovered, or an allegation thereof, the Department of State would promptly investigate and undertake corrective action or terminate the program. IDLO has already agreed to third-party financial auditing of JTTP. We welcome your views on the appropriate timing of such audits and potential auditors.

My staff and I stand ready to help ensure that you and your staff are able to conduct as accurate a review of JTTP as possible. In that spirit, I offer the following comments to address the various items raised in your letter:

JTTP Promotes the Sustainability of U.S. Investments in Afghanistan

The Department appreciates and concurs with the statement in your letter describing justice programs run by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) as “central to U.S. efforts to promote the rule of law in Afghanistan.” The Department routinely engages international organizations like IDLO for program implementation in Afghanistan and around the world because they are cost effective, offer unique capabilities and expertise, and enjoy international credibility. As not-for-profit entities that answer not only to us but also to other donors and their own governing structures, they also are subject to multiple layers of oversight.JTTP is a ground-breaking initiative within broader INL justice sector work that is transitioning legal training in Afghanistan from a primarily donor-funded and led effort to a sustainable Afghan government-provided continuing legal education system. Mechanisms like continuing legal education programs help promote stronger rule of law, protect the security of citizens through robust criminal justice capabilities, combat corruption, and create a more welcoming environment for investors in Afghanistan—all contributing to a more stable, prosperous, and secure Afghanistan. JTTP is designed to cement positive changes that have already been made in the justice sector in Afghanistan. The Afghan government has indicated that it both wants and needs the JTTP program, and is strongly vested in IDLO as an organization. As you are likely aware, the Afghan government is also a member state of IDLO.

Why the International Development Law Organization?

The Department of State has been engaged in criminal justice sector training and development projects throughout Afghanistan since 2003. The primary vehicle for training had been the Justice Sector Support Program (JSSP), which began in 2005 and was implemented by for-profit, commercial contractor Pacific Architects and Engineers (PAE). Due to the changing operational and security environment in Afghanistan, INL believed that during and after the security transition, the regional training efforts of JSSP could no longer be adequately implemented by an institutional contract with a private U.S. company. There were two primary reasons. First, during and after military transition, private contractors would no longer be able to utilize regional training centers previously secured by international forces, as these platforms were transferring to Afghan government control. Second, U.S. companies like PAE would not be exempt from President Karzai’s decrees banning private security contractors and creating the Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF), creating an uncertain future for this critical training initiative.

INL examined several options for continuing nationwide justice sector training in Afghanistan. INL ultimately selected IDLO as the best partner, and also the only feasible partner. With eleven years of experience in Afghanistan, IDLO had strong local partnerships and is a respected and known organization to the Government of Afghanistan. IDLO is the only international organization with an exclusive mandate to improve the rule of law in the developing world. As an international organization it enjoys a diplomatic waiver from using APPF for security protection. This factor weighed heavily in IDLO’s favor, as INL recognized the potential to significantly reduce security costs while also increasing freedom of movement in Afghanistan during and after transition. In addition, INL had worked with IDLO on a separate project in Afghanistan since 2010 and was familiar with IDLO’s strong and effective relationships with Afghan government officials, and—as an international organization—IDLO does not generate profit on programs it implements, and accordingly would return unspent funds to the U.S. Government or propose creative ways to use them to advance program objectives.

INL was aware that IDLO was in a period of broad organizational reform and transition when it entered into negotiations regarding JTTP, and thus worked with the organization to stand up a unit within IDLO dedicated solely to the JTTP project. As a result, the implementation unit for JTTP contains special management controls including the establishment of dedicated financial, procurement, human resources, monitoring and evaluation, legal, and program officers to run the program. The Department of State believes that the demonstrated program performance during the first six months of JTTP, including full performance, full reporting, and responsible preparation for future sustainability plans, reinforces the selection of IDLO.

The Nature of the JTTP Agreement

The funding mechanism for this project is a Letter of Agreement with a public international organization. The term used in your letter, “sole source,” is not legally applicable in this circumstance, as the INL agreement with IDLO is not a Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) contract—in fact, it is not a contract at all. It is a Letter of Agreement between the U.S. government and a public international organization to which it belongs. According to State Department Circular 175, the Secretary of State has delegated authority to INL to enter into Letters of Agreement with both foreign governments and also public international organizations, although the terms of those two types of agreements differ in some respects given the different status of sovereign countries versus international organizations with multiple member state parties.

Consistent with this authority, INL obligated funds to IDLO for JTTP through a Letter of Agreement that references two binding attachments: a Program Proposal and a budget. When attached to the Letter of Agreement, the 50-page Program Proposal became the official guiding document for project implementation; this document was provided to SIGAR and contains five pages exclusively addressing monitoring and evaluation and program oversight. The 805 line-item budget along with a 34-page budget justification narrative were developed jointly by IDLO and INL. These documents lay out in detail the financial plan of the program, with the budget narrative explaining and justifying each budget line-item and accounting for every dollar of the $47,759,796 project. SIGAR did not specifically ask IDLO or the Department for the JTTP project budget or budget justification. The Department will provide these documents upon SIGAR’s request.

1999 State Department Action Memorandum

In your alert letter, you referenced language from a 1999 State Department action memo regarding Circular 175, and also referenced a template containing “a ‘required’ provision establishing INL’s ‘monitoring and evaluation’ rights under agreements like the one signed with IDLO. This provision states in pertinent part:

A. Each party shall have the right . . . (2) to inspect and audit any records and accounts with respect to funds, property and contract services furnished by that party under this agreement to determine that such funds, services or property are being utilized in accordance with the terms of this agreement.

* * * *

C. Each party will furnish the other with information necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of the project operations under the terms of this agreement. At the termination of the project a completion report shall be issued as an integral part of this process. The completion report will include a summary of United States Government and [the other party’s] project contributions, a record of activities performed, objectives achieved and related basic data.”

Your letter inaccurately characterizes options from the 1999 memo as binding requirements. For example, the 1999 action memorandum states that the template language “could be used for agreements with international organizations” but it is not required. While this language has been used in bilateral agreements with foreign countries, INL has searched its records and found no instance where this language has been used in an agreement with an international organization, including a Letter of Agreement between INL and an international organization signed less than two months after the approval of the 1999 memo you cited.

This precedent suggests that the language proved fundamentally inappropriate for an agreement with an international organization for two reasons: First, the language requires mutual examination of any records relating to funds or services provided by that party. The State Department would not agree to an international organization examining its books or records, should an international organization independently make a monetary or non-monetary contribution to a project; and second, the monitoring and evaluation language cited only requires a completion report. INL went above and beyond the language you cited because we determined that stronger monitoring standards were necessary. INL’s current standard requires quarterly reports in its agreements with all international organizations. Given the importance and cost of the JTTP project, INL set the bar even higher with this IDLO agreement, requiring bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, mid-project, and end of project reporting. In addition, INL conducts other oversight activities as described below.

Access to IDLO Records

The standard for access to the organizational finances and reports of international organizations is enshrined in U.S. law. Under the International Organizations Immunities Act, 22 U.S.C. § 288, IDLO is a “public international organization” in which the United States participates. Under this status as a public international organization, IDLO has a distinct legal personality and capacity to perform acts required to carry out its core functions. § 288 provides that IDLO “enjoys the same immunity from suit and every form of judicial process as is enjoyed by foreign governments,” and further mandates that IDLO’s property and assets “shall be immune from search, unless such immunity be expressly waived . . .The archives of international organizations shall be inviolable.” The IDLO Program Proposal further elucidates this distinction in the intellectual property section found on page 2 of the document. It states in relevant part that:

The title to intellectual property in relation to all documents and materials which IDLO develops under the terms of this program shall be vested in INL or its assignee. INL shall grant to IDLO a permanent, irrevocable, non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, adapt and otherwise exploit all such documents and materials developed by IDLO under this program. Notwithstanding the above, IDLO shall retain the intellectual property or other proprietary rights of any documents and materials that pre-existed IDLO’s performance under the Letter of Agreement or that IDLO may develop or acquire independently of its performance under the Letter of Agreement.

Under the agreement with IDLO, INL owns what it paid for and has a right to access it. IDLO is required to furnish to the Department any non-confidential records requested concerning the JTTP project specifically, and under the Letter of Agreement, INL owns and licenses to IDLO all intellectual property produced in furtherance of JTTP. IDLO is not required to release proprietary materials prepared prior to, or outside the scope of, the agreement with INL. These include proprietary training materials being used worldwide, but not on the JTTP program in Afghanistan. IDLO and INL may agree on additional safeguards to permit the conditional disclosure of confidential proprietary information used in the JTTP program in Afghanistan. It is our understanding that the only document IDLO refused to disclose in full (and instead provided excerpts of) was the Training of Trainers manual, which was not produced for JTTP training and is therefore outside SIGAR’s mandate. When informed of IDLO’s concerns for its proprietary information, SIGAR did not offer any terms or conditions to safeguard this information. Training materials or curricula prepared for JTTP in Afghanistan would be furnished if requested; SIGAR has not requested these materials.

On the broader issue of auditing IDLO as an institution, member states do not employ their own mechanisms to audit international organizations. Doing so would duplicate the work of those organizations’ own auditors, constitute an inefficient additional burden on organizations, undermine the organizations’ duty of confidentiality that normally exists in voluntary funding agreements between member states and organizations, and result in additional financial burdens to U.S. taxpayers, since a proportionate share of U.S. contributions to international organizations support the organizations’ international auditing staff. To ensure proper financial processes, international organizations conduct external audits of their financial records and make those audit results available to member states. IDLO has its own internal auditing procedures agreed to by its member states, including the U.S. Government. This includes an annual financial audit conducted by an independent firm to international auditing standards. SIGAR has not requested to review these materials.

Upon receipt of your draft alert letter, INL engaged IDLO to discuss your recommendations. As previously conveyed to SIGAR, IDLO agreed to amend the JTTP Letter of Agreement to explicitly reaffirm INL’s right to inspect IDLO records or accounts related to the JTTP program that are not of a confidential nature, which both we and IDLO believe was already assured by the original language of the Letter of Agreement.

Oversight of the JTTP Program

Although JTTP was not implemented through a contract, it was and is vitally important to the State Department that appropriate oversight provisions were included in the funding document, and that appropriate oversight personnel were assigned to manage the project.

The authority to enter into a bilateral arrangement with IDLO does not stem from the general authority to enter into contracts, but from § 481(a)(4) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, which provides: “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the President is authorized to furnish assistance to any country or international organization, on such terms and conditions as he may determine, for ... anticrime purposes.” This authority has been delegated by the President to the Secretary of State, and re-delegated to the Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs with prior program approval by the Director of Foreign Assistance.

Your reference to “contracting officer” and “contracting officer representative” are not applicable to bilateral international agreements. Contracting officers and contracting officer representatives are specific legal terms applying to the administration of contracts entered into under authority to contract, and as such are governed by the Federal Acquisition Regulations (see FAR Parts 1.602, 1.603, and 1.604 and definitions 2.101).

Nonetheless, the Department recognizes that program oversight is an essential and vital function to ensure appropriated funds are used for their intended purposes and that programs are effectively and efficiently managed regardless of the type of instrument used to establish obligations. Under the framework of a Letter of Agreement, the oversight functions that a contracting officer's representative would perform for contracts are provided by highly skilled and experienced program officers. INL assigned four program officers (a program officer and a Justice Team Lead in Kabul, and a program officer and a Justice Team Lead in Washington) to have primary oversight responsibility. Program officers have responsibility for frequent management meetings with IDLO, site visits, review of all required reporting, review of financial reporting, and verification of program implementation. Should changing environments or circumstances warrant program adjustments, program officers are permitted to negotiate modifications to the project which are then memorialized as amendments to the Letter of Agreement.

As part of its management of the JTTP program, INL conducts continuous communication via daily oversight of the IDLO program through email, phone calls, and site visits. In addition, every week, INL offices in Kabul and Washington conduct a joint phone call with IDLO headquarters in Rome and its field team in Kabul. To date, IDLO has completed all scheduled reporting required under the JTTP agreement, and has worked closely with INL to ensure that the reporting meets INL’s requirements. IDLO is diligently applying a results-based management approach that tracks the outputs of the programs as well as the outcomes and impact demonstrated in the Afghan justice sector. INL takes seriously its mandate to improve the criminal justice system in Afghanistan and requires implementers like IDLO to demonstrate positive change as a result of INL-funded projects.

Conclusion

The Department of State values independent oversight, including from SIGAR, and is working closely with the oversight community to protect taxpayer resources and enhance and improve the return on our investment. The Department is pleased so far with the results of JTTP and with our partnership with IDLO. We are confident that we have adequate and appropriate oversight mechanisms built into our Letter of Agreement with this public international organization. Because of our collective efforts, we believe that the Government of Afghanistan now has the ability to deploy at least a minimally adequate and functioning system that will effectively support continuing reform past the 2014 military transition. JTTP will cement that ability with a permanent training function inside Afghan government justice institutions. In doing so, it will decidedly advance the national interests of both Afghanistan and the United States.

We stand ready to answer any questions or supply any documents that would help SIGAR complete a more accurate review of the JTTP program. As always, members of the Department remain ready to meet at SIGAR’s convenience to clarify any persisting questions.

Sincerely,

James F. Dobbins
Special Representative for
Afghanistan and Pakistan

William R. Brownfield
Assistant Secretary for
International Narcotics and
Law Enforcement Affairs

SCIENTISTS LOOKING AT MOUTH GERM CAUSING COLON CANCER

FROM:  U.S. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 
Mouth germs and cancer
From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Researchers suspect a germ in the mouth could raise the risk of colon cancer. Scientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine in Cleveland say it’s the bacterium known as Fn, which lives in the mouth and can be carried to other body sites. The researchers say Fn attaches to a cell receptor in the colon. The process can spur cancer cell growth.

So researcher Yiping Han created a substance that blocks the process experimentally. She can’t tell whether it will lead to a treatment. So she advises people to control mouth microbes the way we know:

“Practice good oral hygiene and keep the gum healthy because the mouth is the gateway to our health.”

The study in the journal Cell Host and Microbe was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at healthfinder.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

8 PLEAD GUILTY IN THE CASE OF THE ARMENIAN POWER GANG

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 
Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Eight Defendants Plead Guilty in Los Angeles in Armenian Power Gang Case
Four members and associates of the Armenian Power gang and four other individuals pleaded guilty late yesterday to charges relating to the activities of the Armenian Power criminal enterprise, including racketeering conspiracy, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, drug-trafficking and illegal possession of firearms.

The guilty pleas were announced today by Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney André Birotte Jr. of the Central District of California and Assistant Director in Charge Bill L. Lewis of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.

 The following defendants pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dean D. Pregerson in the Central District of California:

• Karo Yerkanyan, aka “Guilty,” 32, of Tujunga, Calif., pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and felon-in-possession of a firearm;

• Arman Tangabekyan, aka “Spito” and “Thick Neck,” 34, of Encino, Calif., pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft;

• Artur Pembejian, aka “Cham,” 36, of Burbank, Calif., pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy;

• Raymond Tarverdyan, aka “Rye,” 35, of Montrose, Calif., pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and bank fraud;

• Simon Antonyan, aka “Simo,” 38, of Hollywood, Calif., pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft;

• Khachatur Arakelyan, aka “Khecho,” 39, of Glendale, Calif., pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft;

• Vartenie Ananian, 29, of Tujunga, pleaded guilty to bank fraud; and

• Adam Davoodian, 32, of Glendale, Calif., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana.

The defendants who pleaded guilty yesterday were among 70 individuals charged in a 140-count indictment in July 2011 for criminal activities associated with the Armenian Power gang.  The indictment accused 29 defendants, including four of those who pleaded guilty yesterday, of participation in the Armenian Power RICO conspiracy.  The RICO conspiracy charge alleges a host of illegal activities, many of which involved sophisticated fraudulent schemes of identity theft, bank fraud, credit card skimming, manufacturing counterfeit checks and laundering criminal proceeds, often electronically.  In addition, defendants were involved in a variety of violent crimes, such as extortion, kidnapping and firearms offenses.  Among the schemes charged in the racketeering indictment is a bank fraud and identity theft scheme that victimized hundreds of customers of 99 Cents Only Stores throughout Southern California.  Through the scheme, defendants caused more than $2 million in losses when they secretly installed sophisticated “skimming” devices to steal customer debit card account information at cash registers, and then used the skimmed information to create counterfeit debit cards to steal money from victims’ bank accounts.

The eight defendants who pleaded guilty yesterday played various roles in the activities of the Armenian Power gang, including participating in bank fraud, drug distribution, access device fraud, identity theft and illegal firearm possession.

Yerkanyan, a member of the Armenian Power conspiracy, participated in a bank fraud scheme that obtained the personal identifying information and account information of victims.  He and his co-conspirators used the information to open fraudulent bank accounts, loans and lines of credit at HSBC Bank and Bank of America without the knowledge of the victims.  Tangabekyan, a member of the Armenian Power conspiracy, participated in a bank fraud scheme by obtaining personal information and account information for victims and then obtaining or transferring over $475,000 in funds.

Yerkanyan also participated, along with Davoodian, in a scheme to steal approximately 207 pounds of marijuana, worth approximately $450,000, from another drug distributor.

Pembejian, a member of the Armenian Power conspiracy, abetted the illegal possession of a firearm by a leader of the Armenian Power gang, Mher Darbinyan.

Tarverdyan, an Armenian Power member, and Antonyan, Arakelyan and Ananian participated in the scheme to install secret “skimming” devices at the 99 Cents Only Stores in order to obtain victims’ account information.

According to court documents, the Armenian Power street gang formed in the East Hollywood district of Los Angeles in the 1980s.  The gang’s membership consisted primarily of individuals of Armenian descent, as well as of other countries within the former Soviet bloc.  The Armenian Power has been designated under California state law as a criminal street gang and is believed to have over 250 documented members, as well as hundreds of associates. According to court documents, Armenian Power members and associates regularly carry out violent criminal acts, including murders, attempted murders, kidnappings, robberies, extortions, and witness intimidation in order to enrich its members and associates and preserve and enhance the power of the criminal enterprise.

The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced beginning on Nov. 25, 2013.  Yerkanyan faces a maximum penalty of 102 years in prison.  Tangabekyan faces a maximum penalty of 52 years in prison.  Tarverdyan faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison.  Ananian faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.  Pembejian and Davoodian each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.  And Antonyan and Arakelyan each face a maximum penalty of two years in prison.

Fifty-one defendants have previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the activities of the Armenian Power gang.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martin Estrada, Elizabeth Yang and Stephen Wolfe of the Central District of California and Trial Attorney Andrew Creighton of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.  The case was investigated by the Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force, which is comprised of the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Glendale Police Department, the Burbank Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations.

BOLD QUEST

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Bold Quest Promotes Coalition Interoperability
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13, 2013 - Representatives from every U.S. military service and 11 other nations are taking part in a coalition capability demonstration designed to increase combat effectiveness and interoperability while minimizing the risk of fratricide.

Bold Quest 13.2, officially kicked off Sept. 2 at Camp Atterbury, Ind., with testing commencing earlier this week.

The Joint Staff-sponsored exercise includes about 800 participants from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and U.S. Special Operations Command, as well as Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Finland, France, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, John Miller, joint operational manager for the exercise, told reporters yesterday.

In addition, members of NATO's Airborne Early Warning and Control program are taking part in the demonstration.

Bold Quest 13.2 is the latest in a unique problem-solving cooperative aimed at promoting interoperability and testing out systems and concepts to support the future force, Joint Force 2020. Warfighters, developers and analysts are working together at Camp Atterbury's Muscatuck Urban Training Complex, where they are testing not only their different technologies, but also their tactics, techniques and procedures to ensure they're interoperable, Miller explained.

Among the technologies being demonstrated are radios, tactical data links and network equipment used to support joint forces, joint terminal attack control, personnel recovery and other missions.

The demonstration provides a forum for participants to assess the integration of joint fires, maneuver and cyber in a live-virtual environment, Miller said. The lessons, he told reporters via teleconference, will help to enhance combat effectiveness, reduce fratricide and improve situational awareness.

"Our primary objective in Bold Quest 13.2 is to assess the interoperability and integration of integrated systems, both lethal and nonlethal," he said. "Bold Quest remains focused on the need to develop and assess tools that make warfighters more effective in engaging their targets within a coalition context."

The premise, Miller said, is that coalition members that operate together need to develop and test their capabilities together before they employ them in combat.

Bold Quest 13.2 is the eighth in the Bold Quest series, created in 2003 to provide realistic conditions for the services and international partners to test their combat identification systems and the techniques and procedures they use to engage them, he said.

Historically, Bold Quest has focused on ground-to-ground and air-to-ground initiatives. But Bold Quest 13.1, conducted in June, represented a new step in the demonstration's 10-year evolution. It focused for the first time on the air-to-air and surface-to-air combat domains, an effort to address gaps that could impact future operations, Miller said.

Miller said enthusiasm for the exercise, particularly during a period of budgetary constraints, reflects the effectiveness of Bold Quest as a collaborative technological test bed that informs all participating nations' acquisition processes.

"An event like this enables U.S. and coalition partners to collectively assess solutions and share information," he said. And because every service and participating nation brings its own aircraft, ground units, systems and other technologies to the exercise, they share the cost of the demonstration.

After Bold Quest 13.2 concludes Sept. 24, analysts will collect technical data on the systems and feedback from service members using them and compile it in a report to be released later this year.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL LAYS WREATH TO HONOR NAVY YARD SHOOTING VICTIMS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Hagel to Lay Wreath at Navy Memorial to Honor Shooting Victims
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17, 2013 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and other senior Defense Department leaders will lay a wreath at the U.S. Navy Memorial plaza at 10 a.m. today to honor the victims of yesterday's shooting rampage at the Washington Navy Yard.

The wreath will be placed adjacent to "The Lone Sailor," who represents "all people who have ever served, are serving now, or are yet to serve in the United States Navy," Pentagon officials said.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama has ordered that U.S. flags be flown at half-staff through sundown Sept. 20 to honor the victims.

Hagel issued a statement yesterday in the aftermath of the shooting spree that authorities said killed 12 people and wounded at least eight others. The suspected shooter was killed in an encounter with security personnel, officials said.

"I have been receiving regular updates on the shooting at the Washington Navy Yard, and continue to monitor the situation closely," Hagel said in his statement. "This is a tragic day for the Department of Defense, the national capital area, and the nation. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this outrageous act of violence, their families, and all those affected by today's events.

"I am grateful for the swift response of federal and local law enforcement, and for the professionalism of DOD personnel at the Navy Yard complex," the secretary continued. "The Department of Defense will continue to offer its full assistance in the investigation of this terrible and senseless violence."

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said he was "deeply shocked and saddened" by the shooting.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families," he said. "I have complete confidence in our first responders, and I continue to be completely focused on this very difficult situation."

Mabus pledged his support in a video message to those affected by the shooting. Earlier in the day, during a news conference at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Mabus announced he had conferred "SECNAV Designee" status on injured personnel. The Secretary of the Navy Designee Program provides special eligibility for medical and dental care from naval medical facilities for patients affected by the shooting.

The Navy's top military officer also expressed condolences to the victims and their families on behalf of himself and his wife, Darleen.

"Our team of sailors and Navy civilians at the Navy Yard deserve our care and concern at this time," Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert said. "I applaud the efforts of all who immediately responded to this course of events in order to care for the injured victims and ensure the safety of our personnel."

Navy officials have established an emergency family support task force to assist victims, workers and families with related issues. The task force is led by Navy Vice. Adm. William D. French, commander of the Navy's Installations Command.

DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY DIRECTOR HIGHLIGHTS FUTURE TRENDS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Intelligence Agency Director Discusses Roadmap for Future
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2013 - In a global environment where crises such as the one occurring in Syria become sudden priorities and where fiscal, cyber and geopolitical disasters simmer on the world's back burners, intelligence is a critical guarantor of U.S. national security, the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency said here last week.

Army Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn spoke to those attending a panel on intelligence community challenges and priorities at the Intelligence and National Security Alliance Summit. INSA is a nonprofit public-private organization whose members include current and former high-ranking intelligence, military and government agency leaders, analysts and experts.

"In light of future trends ... and in light of the absolutely critical role of intelligence for our national security, we must do the following," Flynn said. "We must adjust our operating model to refocus on our mission and our unique strengths. We must continually emphasize burden sharing, partnerships and integration. And we must instill flexibility and agility to respond to crises. That is our new normal."

Flynn said these undertakings must be woven into the fabric and culture of DIA and everything it does.

"At DIA," he said, "we have already laid the groundwork for that future."

The agency recently reorganized into a centers-based model that networks and integrates talent from across the agency -- analysts, collectors, collections managers, technicians, technical experts, targeteers -- and brings them together as one team to solve critical problems, Flynn said, describing the model as a "critical personal lesson that I learned from the past decade of war."

At the core of the centers are the following three qualities, the general explained.

-- A fusion of analysis and collection, which, based on experience from Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, is the most successful model for intelligence production and support;

-- Flexibility, so team members no longer have to contend with organizational boundaries; and

-- Integration, as each center has interagency embeds from across the intelligence community and tight relationships with combatant commands and service intelligence centers.

"That's not the model that we had coming into the last decade of war," he said.

Today, Flynn said, DIA's Middle East-Africa Regional Center, in close coordination with U.S. Central Command, the Joint Staff, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the White House, is handling the DIA assessments of the Syria crisis.

"And I have the utmost faith that they have the right talent, the right tools and the right resources to get the job done," he said.

The agency also has pushed more of its intelligence professionals -- collectors and analysts -- into the field to "thicken the edges," the general said, ensuring that they and the agency have an appreciation and working understanding of developments across the globe.

"My constant drumbeat is to make the edge the center," Flynn said. "The unique perspective of these officers in the field often made the crucial difference in our support to policymakers during the [al-Qaida] threats in Yemen, operations in Mali, instability in Egypt and certainly growing unrest in Syria."

Recently, he added, feedback from an intelligence officer in a particular country went directly to the secretary of defense in advance of his talks to allies about instability in the Middle East.

As the United States finds itself with new national security crossroads to navigate, the general observed, DIA is focused on being in the right place at the right time.

Flynn said DIA's role in the U.S. government's response to the crisis in Syria has been intense and continuous from the beginning.

"In our agency we have over 6,000 civilians who have served in a combat environment in the last decade," he said. "That's pretty extraordinary. Those that served in Iraq and focused on ... al-Qaida, ... but certainly on the Middle East militaries and the kinds of capabilities they have. They're worth their weight in gold right now."

The Defense Intelligence Agency is deeply involved as a member of the community, the general added. DIA, he said, is part of "an integrated team supporting Central Command, European Command, Africa Command, certainly Cyber Command. And we also support the military planning that's going on at every level up to and including the Joint Staff."

DIA also is involved on the policy side, he said.

"We have provided what I would call the nation's experts on chemical warfare to the State Department. They are today helping Secretary [John F.] Kerry negotiate that issue. They were called on a dime, and the individual I'm thinking about in this case absolutely jumped right into it," Flynn said.

The crisis in Syria shows how rapidly a challenge from the list of global threats can bubble up to the surface and completely change the nation's course and commitment of resources, the general said.

Another such issue on the horizon, he noted, could be the tactical use of cyberattacks for strategic purposes.

"We are all aware of the cyber threat," Flynn said.

Summit attendees spent a significant part of the afternoon talking about a range of cybersecurity topics, he said, from rogue hackers to insider threats to state-sponsored actors.

In May, the general added, appropriately at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in no uncertain terms that the destructive potential of cyberattacks has become the national security challenge of the age.

"While we grow ever more worried about threats to infrastructure in our increasingly wired society, DIA is increasingly focused on threats that can degrade our military capabilities," Flynn said.

Militarized cyber weapons are a new world for DIA, he added, one in which the agency needs to understand the doctrine and intent of cyber foes to best manage the risk such enemies pose to the nation.

"DIA has been the all-source leader on enemy doctrine and discipline, order-of-battle research and offensive capabilities for more than 50 years," Flynn said.

The agency is working hard with its intelligence community partners, he added, "to understand the security challenges that we face in our era."

HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Hispanic Heritage Month an Opportunity to Explore Contributions
By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2013 - Hispanic Heritage Month, which began Sept. 15, marks a time to showcase the many contributions Hispanic Americans have made to the Defense Department, the Deputy Director of DOD's Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity said.

Continuing through Oct. 15, the month-long observance gives people the opportunity to explore the Hispanic culture, F. Michael Sena said in a recent interview with American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon Channel, though Hispanic heritage is not for a specific demographic group.

"It's for everyone," he added. "It's our history."

The department's Hispanic-American population of service members and civilian employees is increasing, Sena said.

"Military and civilians throughout the world are in critical roles in DOD," he said. "Hispanic-Americans have a deep, profound impact on DOD, and it's through that impact that their commitment to family, faith, hard work and public service has influenced and enhanced our national culture through multicultural and multiethnic traditions. You can see that in everyday life through our food, language and art."

About 11.5 percent of DOD's military total force is Hispanic, and about 5.5 percent of that comprises officers, Sena said. The greatest strides are being made in Hispanic women, or Latinas, and Latina officers in particular, whose numbers have nearly doubled to 2,000 in the military in recent years, he said.

"[Latina officers] are fantastic role models to our folks throughout the country," he said, adding that of the estimated 800,000 civilians who work for DOD worldwide, Hispanics make up about 6.5 percent.

Still, he said, Pentagon officials hope to recruit more Hispanic service members. "DOD still needs to do a lot of work to increase our numbers to be reflective of the nation," he acknowledged.

DOD's major strategies to increase the Hispanic population in its ranks include having a robust outreach and recruitment program, working on educational and developmental programs for future employees, and developmental programs for existing employees to refresh their skills and make them more competitive in their occupations, Sena said.

While strides have been made, he added, more progress also is needed within the realm of civilian DOD employment.

"DOD is committed to increasing its diversity and inclusion numbers," he said, adding that diversity represents more than demographics. "We're talking about individuals who have skills, knowledge and abilities that bring different perspectives -- diversity is key to our readiness."

To spread the word among Hispanics that DOD is a model employer, the department engages with affinity groups, such as Latina Style, the National Organization of Mexican American Rights and the League of United Latin American Citizens to reach out to Hispanic Americans, Sena said. The department also is pursuing opportunities for Hispanics in the science, technology, engineering and math fields -- also known as STEM -- by working with students, parents and teachers.

STEM investments in individuals such as Hispanic-Americans leads to innovation, Sena noted.

"Innovation requires individuals who are creative [and] have diverse thoughts and ideas to make our lives better," he said. "It increases quality of life, which leads to a better economy, and a better economy is a pillar of our national security."

GUARDSMEN RESUME MISSION AFTER BEING STRANDED

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Guardsmen Stranded by Rising Waters Resume Their Mission
From a Colorado National Guard News Release


CENTENNIAL, Colo., Sept. 17, 2013 - Sixteen Colorado National Guard members and first responders who were unable to evacuate themselves after they were stopped by rising flood waters Sept. 15 have resumed their regularly scheduled mission.

A mix of 51 Colorado National Guard members, Urban Search and Rescue personnel and civilians, along with five pets and six high-mobility military trucks, were reported to be stopped by rising waters in Lyons, Colo.

Fort Carson aviators piloting two helicopters evacuated all 10 civilians and their pets, along with a number of Guard members and Army Reserve personnel, before weather took another bad turn and aviation operations were suspended for the night. Flights were limited for most of the day, as heavy rain and low ceilings hampered visibility, causing flight safety issues.

Rather than wait out the storm, the remaining 16 service members -- seven Colorado Guard members and nine Army Reserve soldiers -- spent several hours going door to door in the flood area, looking for anyone else who may have needed help. As the stranded rescuers were knocking, a family offered the group a warm place to stay overnight.

The group headed back out early yesterday to search for more people in distress. Later, they teamed up with Colorado Department of Transportation and Boulder County professionals to build a makeshift bridge that would allow the Guard and Army reserve members to leave the area, along with one evacuee.

As of 5:45 p.m. MDT yesterday, more than 700 military members in tactical trucks and helicopters had rescued more than 2,400 people and hundreds of pets displaced by flooding in Colorado, and all 21 military helicopters scheduled to perform evacuation operations were in service.

In addition to ground and aerial evacuation operations, Colorado National Guard members also are manning more than 40 traffic control points in several affected counties to ensure public safety and protect property.

The Colorado National Guard, Wyoming National Guard, and the Army's 4th Combat Aviation Brigade from Fort Carson are working in direct support of civilian authorities, officials said.

Lance Blyth, U.S. Northern Command historian, said the military response to the Colorado floods, dubbed "Operation Centennial Raging Waters," likely is the biggest rotary-wing airlift mission since the 2005 Hurricane Katrina response.