U.S. EUROPEAN COMMAND WORKS WITH OTHER AGENCIES TO STOP ILLICIT GOODS

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

A counterpiracy vessel protection detachment from the Maltese armed forces demonstrates aerial boarding procedures during the Eurasia Partnership Capstone 2011 exercise, Dec. 5, 2011. Some 100 representatives from Azerbijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Malta, Romania, Ukraine and the United States focused on strengthening maritime relationships among Eurasian nations to counter trafficking, piracy and other threats. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Caitlin Conroy  

New Task Force Supports Countertrafficking in Europe
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
STUTTGART, Germany, May 8, 2012 - A new task force at U.S. European Command is helping other U.S. government agencies and their international counterparts confront trafficking in illicit goods and services that officials call a major national security threat to the United States.


Eucom stood up the Joint Interagency Counter Trafficking Center here in September to focus on trafficking in drugs, weapons, humans and other illicit commodities, as well as their financing, Army Brig. Gen. Mark Scraba, the center's director, told American Forces Press Service.


Its role is to marshal military resources to support a whole-of-government approach to a skyrocketing problem that extends far beyond European borders.
"Europe has become the illicit trafficking intersection of the world," Scraba said, a transit zone for illicit shipments originating not only in Europe, but also in the Middle East, Asia, and increasingly, South and Central America.


Scraba noted a variety of factors: Europe's central location, a lucrative cocaine market that pays four to five times the U.S. street value, and increasing challenges traffickers face getting drugs across the southern U.S. border.


"So there is an incredible incentive for drug organizations to expand and open up new franchises in Europe," Scraba said.


Compounding the challenge, he explained, is the fact that traffickers who once operated independently have aligned their efforts. They see the value of working together as they use the same organized networks to traffic their materials.


The result, Scraba said, is far more sophisticated criminal networks able to operate across national borders. Among the greatest concerns, he said, has been the convergence of drug and terror networks.


All of this contributes to corruption of legitimate governments as well as global financial and trade networks, Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, the Eucom commander, said during an interview with the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service. "It undermines fragile democracies. It has a real human cost."


Scraba described the step-by-step process that occurs. "Trafficking feeds corruption. And if you have corruption, that leads to instability within the governing process of a country," he said. "If you then have instability and corruption in the day-to-day governing of a country, then that spreads to regional instability. And regional instability ... has the second- and third-order effects of impacting multiple regions, requiring a response by the international community."


Particularly troubling, Stavridis recently told Congress, is the trafficking networks' links to terrorism and insurgencies and their ability to undermine stability, security and sovereignty. The same networks that move narcotics, weapons and people also transport terrorist operatives, he said, and this trafficking, regardless of the commodity, bankrolls organized crime, terrorists and insurgents.


For example, drug trafficking through Europe has had a significant impact on security in Afghanistan. The Taliban made more than $150 million in 2009 alone through the sale of opium, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime estimated in its 2011 World Drug Report. That same year, the U.N. estimated that 75 to 80 metric tons of Afghan heroin reached Central and Western Europe, and another 90 metric tons transited through Central Asia to Russia.


Concerned about this growing threat, Stavridis took the lessons of U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South in Florida that he previously commanded to create Eucom's smaller-scale operation from existing resources.
With fewer than 40 staff members, including representatives of the FBI, Drug Enforcement Agency and other U.S. government agencies focused on trafficking, it serves as a "fusion organization" matrixed to other Defense Department and U.S. government agencies. This, Scraba said, leverages military capabilities to help them operate more effectively.


"We are the cog in the wheel" that reaches out to and helps connect the other spokes, he said. That runs from providing translators to monitor known trafficking networks and technology to help federal law enforcement officials to more efficiently inspect shipping containers to teaching police dogs to sniff out drugs or explosives.


Eucom shares intelligence and lessons the military has learned supporting U.S. interagency partners' counternarcotics efforts in the United States, Scraba said. The command recently ran a conference for 14 partner nations, providing law enforcement communications training and sharing lessons learned in running an operations center.
"This gets at the center of gravity for why we exist: to support our U.S. agency efforts," Scraba said.


"The bottom line," he explained, "is that trafficking is a network of networks. And in order for us – the United States and international community – to have the best chance of disrupting and dismantling illicit trafficking, we, too, have to be a network of networks.
"That is the U.S. military, supporting the U.S. interagency and then collaborating with international organizations that share the same concern and have the same objectives with regards of disrupting and dismantling illicit trafficking," he added.


Just eight months after it stood up, the new Eucom task force is getting a warm reception from interagency and international partners alike, who recognize the contribution it can make to their countertrafficking efforts.


All recognize the extent of the problem, Scraba said, and the need to work together to confront it.


"There is no question that it is a problem, and there is no question that this is a team sport and that it requires the international community working together to combat this," he said.
That's essential to disrupting trafficking and making Europe inhospitable to traffickers, he said. Americans should care that it succeeds, he added, because it's a matter of "invest now, save later."


"It is clear and documented that trafficking distorts economies. It erodes sovereignties. It corrupts democracies. It accelerates extremism. It weakens allies and feeds terrorism," he said.


"All that adds up to a threat to the U.S. homeland," he continued. "And that, from a national security perspective, is the 'So what?' as far as why trafficking is such a significant issue here in Europe."

NAVAL AIR STATION IN JACKSONVILLE COMPLETES SOLAR PROJECT

FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE
NAS Jax Completes Rooftop Solar Power Generating System
By Clark Pierce, Editor, Jax Air News, Naval Air Station Jacksonville
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- Engineers and technicians gathered at Naval Air Station Jacksonville's Hangar 1122, May 1, to celebrate completion of the station's largest rooftop solar power generating system.

Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (Light) (HSL) 42, Executive Officer Cmdr. Derek Fleck, whose squadron is a tenant of the hangar, cut the ribbon at the ground-level DC inverter array.

"This system will contribute about 25 percent of the hangar's annual electricity consumption," said Lt. j.g. Luis Velazquez, construction manager of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast solar project. "A total of 2,534 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels are installed on the roof of Hangar 1122 located near the St. Johns River seawall."

The $5.7 million project was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 and was completed ahead of schedule.

Fleck said he was honored to cut the ribbon for the project. "Our hangar's solar roof epitomizes the alternative energy commitment of SECNAV (Secretary of the Navy) Ray Mabus and CNO (Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan) Greenert - who are determined to change the way our Navy produces and procures energy."

William Allen is the field engineering manager for Atlantic Contingency Constructors of Norfolk, the contractor for the project.

"The PV panels convert sunlight into direct current (DC) voltage that is fed into combiner boxes from which electric cables run to the ground-level inverters. The inverters turn the DC into alternating current (AC), which then flows into the hangar's mechanical room where it's distributed through the base power grid," explained Allen.

"There are meters in the mechanical room that monitor how the inverters are performing. Hangar 1122 is also on the base central monitoring system in order to determine exactly how much power is being generated."

Velazquez concluded, "This project contributes to achieving the Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus' energy goal of increasing alternative energy afloat and ashore - and by 2020 - producing at least 50 percent of shore-based energy requirements from alternative sources."

The hangar is home to three MH-60R Seahawk helicopter squadrons (Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 70 "Spartans," HSM-74 "Swamp Fox," and HSL-42 "Proud Warriors") and the rooftop PV construction activity did not impact their operational readiness.

PRACTICE LOADING PATIENT ONTO BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER

FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE
Tactical Air Control Party members from the 2nd and 4th Air Support Operations Squadron practice loading a patient onto a UH-60 Blackhawk during training on contingency aeromedical evacuation procedures, Grafenwoehr Army Airfield, Germany, April 7, 2010.The 2nd ASOS kicked off a 45 day pre-Afghanistan training plan, sharpening critical combat skills in preparation for upcoming Operation Enduring Freedom deployments. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Tony R. Ritter)

SEC. OF DEFENSE PANNETA WARNS AMERICA TO REMAIN VIGILANT REGARDING TERRORIST ATTACKS

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Panetta: U.S. Must Stay Vigilant Against Terrorist Attacks
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 8, 2012 - A recent attempt by Yemeni-based terrorists to plant an explosive device on an airliner bound for the United States shows the nation needs to remain vigilant against new acts of terrorism, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said.

In a plot whose details may never be fully known, U.S. and Yemeni operatives last month disrupted the plans of a bomber affiliated with al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, to detonate a plastic explosive device aboard a commercial aircraft.

"What this incident makes clear is that this country has to continue to remain vigilant against those who would seek to attack this country," Panetta said during a news conference yesterday. "And we will do everything necessary to keep America safe."

On Air Force One today, White House spokesman Jay Carney said President Barack Obama, who was briefed on the operation in early April, is pleased with the success of intelligence and counterterrorism officials in foiling the attempt by al-Qaida to use the explosive device.

"It is indicative of the kind of work that our intelligence and counterterrorism services are performing regularly to counter the threat posed by al-Qaida in general, and AQAP in particular," Carney said. "At no time were Americans in danger as a result of this."
During an interview this morning on NBC's "Today," John Brennan, chief White House counterterrorism advisor, said international cooperation was key to the operation's success.

"It took very close cooperation with our international partners," Brennan said. "This is something that we have really emphasized over the past many years -- working very closely with our Yemeni partners -- because al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula poses a serious threat to us."

Having the intelligence and being able to take action before any IEDs can reach an airplane or an airport, he added, is instrumental in disrupting such attacks.

According to news reports, the IED was plastic, similar to the one Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to use on Christmas Day 2009 on Northwest Airlines flight 253, en route from Amsterdam to Detroit. AQAP claimed credit for that attempted attack.

"AQAP's bomb maker, Ibrahim al-Asiri, has demonstrated real proficiency as far as concealment methods as well as the materials that are used in these IEDs," Brennan said.
The FBI is examining the IED to see what kind of modifications or refinements may have been made, he added.

The United States also adapts its countermeasures, Brennan said.
"Whatever we learn from this IED, we're going to ensure that it's going to be incorporated into the measures that we take at airports, as well as any other avenues of approach that the would-be terrorists would take," the president's counterterrorism advisor said.
Brennan said no one has to worry about the IED or the would-be bomber.
"This is still in a sensitive stage," he added. "We're working very closely with those partners. We want to protect sources and methods, as well as operational equities. But neither the device nor the would-be bomber poses a threat."

Now, Brennan added, "we're taking additional measures in the event that there are other efforts out there on the part of al-Qaida to try to evade security."

In New Delhi, today, on the last segment of her trip to Asia, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the thwarted terrorist attack is on the minds of U.S. and Indian officials.

Both governments "know the tragedies and losses that come with terrorism on our soil," she told reporters.

"We have increased our cooperation between India and the United States," she added, and we're going to continue to do everything we can not only to prevent terrorists from carrying out their evil acts of violence, but also to try to convince people not to be recruited into terrorism, which is very much of a dead end, literally and figuratively, when it comes to pursuing any kind of political or ideological aims."
The plot itself indicates that the terrorists will keep trying, she said.

"They keep trying to devise more and more perverse and terrible ways to kill innocent people," the secretary of state added. "And it's a reminder as to why we have to remain vigilant at home and abroad in protecting our nation and in protecting friendly nations and peoples like India and others."

Die Raumstation ISS und ihr Nutzen für den Menschen - Special -

Die Raumstation ISS und ihr Nutzen für den Menschen - Special -

Get Your Family Moving During National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

Get Your Family Moving During National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

HOLLYWOOD MOVIE PRODUCER CHARGED WITH INSIDER TRADING

FROM:  SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
May 8, 2012
The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged a Hollywood movie producer along with his brother, cousin, and three others in his circle of friends and business partners with insider trading in the stock of a company for which he served on the board of directors.

The SEC alleges that Mohammed Mark Amin, prior to a company board meeting, learned confidential information about expanding business opportunities for DuPont Fabros Technology Inc., which develops and manages highly-specialized and secure facilities that maintain large computer servers for technology companies through long-term leases with them. The SEC alleges that Amin tipped his brother Robert Reza Amin, cousin Michael Mahmood Amin, and long-time friend and business manager Sam Saeed Pirnazar with nonpublic details about three new leases that DuPont Fabros was negotiating and three loans it was obtaining to develop new facilities.  The SEC also alleges that the three illegally traded on the basis of that inside information.  Reza Amin went on to tip his friends and business associates Mary Coley and Ali Tashakori, who also illegally traded.  Together they made more than $618,000 in insider trading profits when DuPont Fabros stock rose 36 percent after the company issued an earnings release highlighting the development of these new facilities.
Mark Amin and the five others agreed to settle the SEC’s charges by collectively paying nearly $2 million.

According to the SEC’s complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Mark Amin is a motion picture executive with his own production company.  He lives in Los Angeles and is credited as the producer or executive producer for more than 75 Hollywood movies including Frida,Eve’s Bayou, and four movies in the Leprechaun series.  In 2007, Amin began serving on the board of directors at DuPont Fabros, a real estate investment trust (REIT) whose common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.  DuPont Fabros develops and operates wholesale data centers that maintain computer servers for such companies as Microsoft, Facebook, and Google. Amin resigned from the board in February 2011.

The SEC alleges that Mark Amin first learned nonpublic information about new leases and loans pending for DuPont Fabros during a board meeting in December 2008, and he further discussed their status in a phone conversation with the company’s CEO on Jan. 7, 2009.  According to the SEC’s complaint, that same day, Mark Amin tipped his cousin Michael Amin of Los Angeles and his friend and business manager Pirnazar of Manhattan Beach, Calif.  The SEC alleges that in fact, Mark Amin initially asked Michael to lend him money and discussed Michael’s purchasing DuPont Fabros stock for both of them in Michael’s name.

On February 4, Mark Amin received materials for a special board meeting to approve the three new loans.  The SEC alleges that the next morning, he tipped this inside information to his brother Reza Amin of Los Angeles, who began buying DuPont Fabros stock just 17 minutes after receiving the tip.  The board approved the three new loans later that day.
According to the SEC’s complaint, Reza Amin tipped Coley, a British citizen who lives in Los Angeles with whom he has a daughter.  They are also business partners in a small chain of video stores.  On February 6, he brought Coley into the local E*Trade branch office where he maintained a brokerage account so she could open a new brokerage account to purchase DuPont Fabros shares.  The SEC alleges that Reza Amin also tipped his friend Tashakori, who lives in Rolling Hills, Calif. and as a self-employed licensed general contractor was engaged in various construction projects for both Mark and Reza Amin.  The SEC also alleges that Tashakori purchased DuPont Fabros stock based on Reza Amin’s tip.

According to the SEC’s complaint, DuPont Fabros issued its 2008 earnings release after the market closed on February 11, 2009, and highlighted that it had obtained the three new loans and entered into the three new leases.  The SEC alleges that from January 8 to February 10, Michael Amin had purchased 145,000 DuPont Fabros shares that yielded him $318,646 in insider trading profits when the stock price soared upon news of the earnings release.  The SEC also alleges that Pirnazar purchased 10,500 shares and made $19,915 in illicit profits.  From February 5 to February 11, Reza Amin purchased 214,600 DuPont Fabros shares for an eventual illegal profit of $241,767.  Coley purchased 20,050 shares and realized insider trading profits of $23,690.  Tashakori purchased 15,000 shares and profited $14,479.

The SEC’s complaint charges the Amins, Pirnazar, Coley, and Tashakori with violating Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rule 10b-5(a) and (c) thereunder.  They have agreed to collectively pay disgorgement of $618,497, prejudgment interest of $78,000, and penalties totaling $1,236,994.  They also have agreed to the entry of a final judgment permanently enjoining them from violating Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5.  Mark Amin has additionally agreed to a bar from serving as an officer or director of a public company for 10 years.  The settlement is subject to court approval.

The SEC’s investigation was conducted by Los Angeles Regional Office enforcement attorney John Britt.  The SEC thanks the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for its assistance in this matter.

DEFENSE BRIEFING ON CHINA'S MINISTER OF NATIONAL DEFENSE VISIT

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Presenter: Senior Defense Official May 07, 2012
Background Briefing on the Visit of China's Minister of National Defense from the Pentagon
             STAFF:  Good afternoon, everybody.  I know we're just a couple minutes late, so I won't delay with this.
            We have with us today (briefer name and title deleted).  (Briefer schedule deleted.)  I've asked him today to provide a little bit of perspective on today's visit from the Chinese minister of defense.   And he will be, for reporting purposes, a senior defense official.
            Just a couple of housekeeping notes:  We got about 30 minutes.  So again, I'd ask you to please limit your follow-up questions so that everybody can get a chance.  Please identify yourself and who you're with before you ask the question.  I'll call on you.  And I think that's it.  I thought I had -- (off-mic exchange) -- oh, yeah, thanks.  Yeah, this is -- (chuckles) -- the most important thing.  These discussions -- embargoed until 1500, till the arrival of the -- of General Liang.  So 1500 embargo is when it's lifted.
            We good?  Yeah?  OK, sir.
            SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Actually, one initial point of clarification before we begin.  My title is actually (briefer title deleted).  (Laughter, cross talk).
            STAFF:  But since you're only going to be referred to as a senior defense official, it doesn't matter.
            (Cross talk.)
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Right.
            STAFF:  I mean, it matters, but not -- (inaudible).  (Laughter.)  No offense -- (inaudible).
            Q:  Yeah, it's just like this building to grab more territory.  (Laughter.)
            STAFF:  OK, sir.  I'm going to give it over to you for a few minutes if you'd like to take that up.
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Thank you very much.  And thank you all for being here.  As indicated, I'm going to be talking today about the visit of China's minister of defense, General Liang Guanglie, who's visiting the United States as a guest of Secretary Panetta.
            This is the first visit by a Chinese minister of defense to the United States in nine years.  Secretary Panetta looks forward to receiving General Liang this afternoon, where he'll have an extended meeting with him, as well as hosting him for dinner this evening.
            This visit is occurring at an important time for our two militaries as we're seeking to expand cooperation, improve mutual understanding, build greater mutual trust and reduce our differences.
            We seek to develop a military-to-military relationship that's healthy, stable, reliable and continuous.  And senior levels -- senior-level visits such as the one we're having today as well as upcoming visits to both countries as part of our mutually agreed-to military-to-military exchange program are important parts of achieving the vision that our two presidents have of building a positive, cooperative and comprehensive U.S.-China relationship.
            We're working to expand areas of cooperation such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and counterpiracy, really looking to find ways where we can expand those areas where our interests converge and build our ability to work together to deliver international public goods.
            At the same time, we do continue to discuss differences that we might have, questions that we have about each other's defense modernization programs, areas like space and cyber, nuclear and missile defense.  These are all important issues to talk about in the military-to-military relationship.  They're critical because they can help to reduce the chances for miscalculation or misperceptions.
            As part of General Liang's visit, he'll be going to a number of U.S. defense installations, which is customary for secretary of defense-hosted counterpart visits.  The visits were chosen to highlight areas of existing or potential cooperation, such as a visit yesterday to the San Diego Naval Base, where the delegation discussed counterpiracy operations with the commander of a U.S. naval ship that recently returned from the Gulf of Aden.
            In addition, the sites were selected to highlight the contributions of the United States military to global peace and stability and to demonstrate what the United States means when we discuss transparency.  And I can talk a little bit later about some of the additional places that the general will be visiting on this trip.
            Again, this is a very important visit.  It's the highest level military-to-military exchange that we've had to date this year, and I look forward to taking any questions that you have.
            STAFF:  Just one minor clarification, I think that the San Diego was Saturday, isn't that right?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Saturday --
            STAFF:  I think you said yesterday.
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Yeah.
            STAFF:  It was actually on Saturday.
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  So, OK, yep, on Saturday.
            Q:  So you're even -- corrected each other once?
            STAFF:  That's right.  We are even now.
            (Inaudible.)
            Q:  No.
            STAFF:  Go ahead.
            Q:  Hi, is this more symbolic since -- well, (briefer's colleague name deleted), before he stepped down, he said, the only time he went to China was for the S&ED (Strategic and Economic Dialogue) at the invitation of Secretary Clinton.  And he said that there was no other level contacts other than the high-level strategic talks.  So I don't know whether you can explore on that?  And also, when can we get a China military power report out this year?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Well, I would -- first, I would say that this -- the visit that the secretary's having with General Liang is important and that there will be -- it is part of a substantive set of exchanges where we're trying to maintain --
(inaudible)--
            STAFF:  -- South Carolina?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Right -- (laughter) -- where -- this visit is part of -- is part of our military-to-military exchange program where we cover a whole range of very substantive topics.  Obviously there's an important symbolic aspect to the visit itself.  But make no mistake:  When we have these types of discussions, when we have these dialogues, we're talking about, you know, critical issues in our relationship, where we can -- where we can cooperate, but also to be able to talk about questions or to be able to manage any differences that we might have.  This is -- this is, you know, the very essence of what we're trying to achieve with our military-to-military relationship.
            Q:  Would the South China Sea and Taiwan be -- come up?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Well, the meeting actually hasn't happened yet.  So I think I'd probably defer to the outbrief of that meeting.  But these are all important issues, and these are issues that routinely come up in these types of exchanges.
            STAFF:  Again, please identify yourself -- (inaudible).
            Thom.
            Q:  Thom Shanker with the Times.  I'll ask my question and the follow-up together, at the same time.  Are there going to be deliverables expected out of the meeting today?  A small question.
            And the bigger one:  This building and the government's made a big deal about the pivot to Asia.  The Chinese view that as hostile and containment.  How do you answer that criticism?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  I'll answer the first question.  There's no specific deliverable that we have set up for this -- for this visit.  While there's no specific deliverable, I think the -- there are outcomes that will come out of it, and that's maintaining a sustained senior-level dialogue between our two militaries, maintaining open channels of communication, which is an important part of what we're trying to do with the military-to-military relationship.  It offers opportunities to build mutual understanding, improve and build towards greater mutual trust.  So that in and of itself, I think, is an important product and outcome of this meeting.
            I mean, in terms of the rebalance towards Asia, I mean, this is something that we've talked about with our -- with our Chinese counterparts in the past.  And what we've tried to do is use the opportunity -- every opportunity that we have to engage the PLA [People's Liberation Army], to be able to, you know, help them to improve the understanding of what we're doing -- what we're doing in Asia, not only from a defense perspective but across the U.S. government.
And I think the very fact that we're having the talks are intended to assuage concerns by being very open and transparent about what we're doing in the region.
            STAFF:  Yeah, Bob?
            Q:  Bob Burns of AP.  Do you expect Secretary Panetta to raise in any way the question of China eventually joining into international nuclear arms reduction talks at some point?  And also, is the secretary planning to go to -- has that been worked out for the secretary to go to Beijing?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  The secretary very much looks forward to visiting Beijing.  We're still working details with our -- with our Chinese counterparts on when that could happen.  And I'd prefer not to speculate on the specific things that might come up in the meeting today on nuclear.
            Q:  I thought we were here to hear about what the U.S. side was planning to raise or not raise or what to expect from the meeting.
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Well, they're going to talk about a whole -- a whole range of issues, but talking specifically the issue of entering into arms control, I don't believe that's on the agenda for today.
            STAFF:  John.
            Q:  (Inaudible)  Have any Chinese officials raised concerns or had any discussions with your side about the administration's agreement to accept Senator Cornyn's request to look into further arms sales to Taiwan?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Taiwan is something that -- I mean, Taiwan arms sales is a topic that frequently comes up in our exchanges with the Chinese.  And our position on that has been very clear.  Our policy is guided by the three joint U.S.-China communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act, and under the Taiwan Relations Act, we'll make available to Taiwan defense articles and services that are necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense; and that the Senator Cornyn letter -- or, actually, it was a letter from the White House to Senator Cornyn, is fully consistent with that policy.
            Q:  But have Chinese officials specifically addressed that issue of talks yet?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Not that I'm aware of.
            STAFF:  Julian.
            Q:  Julian Barnes, Wall Street Journal.  Does the Chen asylum case and events surrounding that -- do you anticipate that -- what effect will that have on these talks?  Obviously, it was not anticipated when this visit was planned.  Is it going to be discussed?  Do you plan to discuss it openly?  Would -- is it straining the talks in any way that you see, or is this a normal -- that's settled, doesn't matter?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  I'd have to refer you to the State Department on --
            Q:  No, but the effect on your talks, not their talks?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  We're not planning on raising it.
            Q:  Gopal Ratnam with Bloomberg News.  Of the January 2012 defense strategy, one of the key elements of that was the Anti-Access/Area Denial by some of the adversaries.  And the last time Secretary of Defense Gates was in Beijing, China did a test flight of a J-20, the stealth aircraft program.  And also, there've been -- reported that they're developing this anti-ship missile.  To what extent are some of those military capabilities a concern to the United States, and are they likely to come up in this meeting?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Well, I -- you know, part of -- one of the real values that we get out of these exchanges is we have the opportunity to, you know, improve greater understanding in terms of what China's military modernization program is.  I don't know if specific weapon systems or capabilities will come up, but certainly we have some questions about the direction that China's military is taking.  And that's a pretty standard part of -- part of our dialogue is to help to get greater openness and a better understanding of where they're going with their military modernization.
            Q:  William Wan -- from the Washington Post.  I was wondering, can you talk about the trajectory of the communication, where you hope it ends up?  You know, there that was that period of radio silence between the military, and it seems like you're building towards something.  What would the end goal be?  Would it be, like, annual kind of bilateral talks?  Or what's -- like, where is it headed?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Well, I -- yeah, I think -- I don't know if there is necessarily an end goal in sight.  I mean, it's -- and I appreciate the question.  I mean, what we're trying to do is build a military-to-military relationship that is -- that is healthy, stable, reliable and continuous.  And so that means that we're trying to establish a foundation for the military-to-military relationship that is solid enough and strong enough to be able to weather the types of turbulence and friction that's natural and a relationship that's as broad, diverse and complex as the relationship that we have with China.
            Yeah, as you know, in the past there have been ups and downs in the military-to-military relationship.  And we're looking to break the on-again-off-again cycle of our military-to-military exchanges and institutionalize some of these types of interactions.
            You know, we're looking, obviously, to be able to maintain senior-level communication so that if there are questions that we have or that China has about something that we're doing, that we have the ability to have open communication between both sides to help to address any misperceptions that may occur in the relationship.  So I think maintaining that type of healthy, stable, reliable and continuous dialogue is our objective.
            Q:  Were you going to detail some of the different stops?  You had mentioned the -- (inaudible).
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Yes.  In addition to the San Diego Naval Base, which is on Saturday, he's meeting at the Pentagon today, this afternoon.  After he leaves Washington, D.C., he's scheduled to travel to USSOUTHCOM to meet with General Fraser.
            Then he's going to be traveling to -- on Wednesday, traveling to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina for some meetings and interactions with II MEF, or the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force.  He'll also travel to Fort Benning, Georgia.
            And then on Thursday he will visit Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, and he will also visit West Point, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on Thursday as well, and then he departs -- departs the country on Thursday.
            Q:  And are there goals toward -- you talked about San Diego has a specific goal -- just highlighting other -- just like a top three or any kind of --
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Like, for example, the meeting with SOUTHCOM is going to be an opportunity to highlight opportunities for practical cooperation in things like humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and expand the conversations that we have with the PLA on nontraditional security cooperation efforts, such as counternarcotics, which is something that is an important part of USSOUTHCOM's mission area.
            The visit to the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force will be an opportunity to meet and interact with some of the senior noncommissioned officers that are part of our Marine Corps.  And one of the main objectives there is to provide an opportunity to meet and interact with some of those -- you know, our NCOs in the Marine Corps.
            The visit to Fort Benning, Georgia, is to be able to observe some very basic level training, and it demonstrates openness and transparency on the U.S. side.
            The Seymour Johnson Air Force Base -- again, he'll have an opportunity to view some flight training activities with F-15E aircraft.  And again, this just demonstrates the openness and transparency from the U.S. military.
            The visit to West Point is fully consistent with our efforts to enhance military academic and professional military education exchanges between our two sides.  And West Point is just a fantastic institution for that.
            Q:  Is he going to speak there, by any chance?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  I don't believe he's scheduled to speak at West Point.
            STAFF:  No, there's no speaking -- (inaudible).
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Yeah.  He is ongoing to have lunch with cadets, though, in the mess hall.
            STAFF:  Ma'am, you've had your hand up there.  You're --
            Q:  Thank you.  Wei Jing from the Global Times of China.   Two questions.  What is the Pentagon's position on the Filipinos' claims or dispute on the Chinese island of Scarborough Island, the Huangyan Island?  And secondly, can -- are you confident that the Pentagon can maintain a good relationship -- military relationship with the Filipino military at the same time with the Chinese military?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  In terms of your first question, you know, our policy on that has been -- has been very clear.  We -- the United States has a national interest in freedom of navigation, in the maintenance of peace and stability, respect for international law, and unimpeded lawful commerce everywhere in the world, including in the South China Sea.
            We don't take a position on competing territorial claims over land features in the South China Sea, and we support a collaborative diplomatic process by all claimants to resolve their disputes without coercion.  That position has been -- has been consistent, and that hasn't -- that hasn't changed.
            And I also -- to address your second question, I don't see any challenge or conflict in maintaining good and positive relations with our Philippine treaty allies and the PRC.
            STAFF:  Just to remind, we had a very productive two-plus-two meeting last week with the -- with the foreign minister and the defense minister from the Philippines.
 Chris.
            Q:  Does the secretary plan to bring up or gauge the current state of China's relationship with North Korea, in terms of does the secretary expect to come away with a better understanding of exactly how much influence China currently has in North Korea?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Certainly that's going to be an important -- and important topic.  And I think that, you know, one of the aspects of this -- of this visit will be a discussion of regional security issues.  And so I'm sure North Korea will come up in that context.
            The specific nature of that -- of that conversation -- I mean, I think that, you know, we'll highlight our concerns over North Korean behavior, in particular the recent missile launch, and encourage China, as we do other countries, to encourage North Korea to adhere to its international obligations.
            STAFF:  Chris.
            Q:  Two ideas that have been mentioned before -- establishing a defense hotline to Beijing and possibly doing a -- like, an INCSEA [Incidents at Sea] agreement with China.  Either of those still on the table?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Well, actually, we do have a defense telephone link, which is a defense hotline.  And that's been in place since, I think, 2007.  And so that's already -- that's already been in place.
            Q:  But the issue is whether they pick up the phone when it rings, right?  (Inaudible) -- have, that's been -- I mean, you reference yourself improving communications between senior leaders.
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Well, we have used the defense telephone link a number of times.  And when we've -- when we've called, they've -- they have answered it.  So I mean, that defense telephone link is in place.
            Q:  Right.
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  But I mean, quite frankly, it's always going to be an open question given any -- on any given issue whether or not they'll answer the phone.  To date, though, they have answered it.
            Q:  And on the --
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  On the -- on the INCSEA, right now what we have is an agreement that was signed in 1998, it's called the U.S.-China Military Maritime Consultative Agreement.  And that agreement is focused on improving our capabilities to work together to focus on operational and tactical safety in the -- in the maritime domain and the airspace above it.  At this time, I think the MMCA agreement, Military Maritime Consultative Agreement, provides for the same types of things that the INCSEA agreement provided for in the Cold War with -- between the United States and the Soviet Union.  And that's the agreement that we have.
            Q:  There was no plenary meeting on that last year, right?  No main meeting?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  We did have a meeting last year on it.  I think it was a -- it was a working group.  And we're looking to schedule a plenary meeting this year, probably sometime this summer.
            STAFF:  Lalit.
            Q:  Lalit Jha from Press Trust of India.  How do you balance your -- (inaudible) -- relationship with India and China in Asian context?  And could Afghanistan be coming up in the talks here, the drawdown of troops or the security position in Afghanistan?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Well, I'm pretty sure in the context of a discussion of regional security issues, the question of Afghanistan will come up.
            And in terms of our -- in terms of our relationship with China and India, I mean, same with the earlier question about the Philippines -- we can and do maintain positive relations with India and China at the same time.  We're working to build a strategic partnership with India, as we talk about in the Defense Strategic Guidance, and that is in no way in conflict with the type of military-to-military relationship that we're seeking to develop with China or the -- or, you know, the larger cooperative partnership that we're seeking to develop with China based on mutual respect and mutual benefit.  There's no conflict there.  We can pursue both.
            Q:  Rob Gentry with TV Asahi.  I wanted to follow on one of the points you mentioned about the meeting in Camp Lejeune will involve senior NCOs.  Who are they meeting with?  And in the past, there's been an emphasis from your side on trying to develop some sort of program of midlevel to junior-level officer exchanges.  Is that a topic you're going to bring up again and are you expecting any progress on that?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  I don't have specific details on who specifically they're going to meet outside of noncommissioned officers from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune.
            Q:  But -- (inaudible) -- the Chinese side.
            (Cross talk.)
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  (Inaudible) -- what he's saying?
            Q:  Yeah.
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Well, I mean, the Chinese -- the Chinese -- the Chinese delegation has got a good number of folks from across the different services on China.
            Just to give you a list of some of the -- some of the top individuals that are part of this group:  General Liang Guanglie, who, as you know, is the minister of defense; General Zhang Youxia, who is the commander of the Shenyang Military Region, is part of this delegation; Vice Admiral Su Shiliang, he's the deputy commander of the PLA Navy; Lieutenant General Yang Guohai, he's the chief of staff of the PLA Air Force; Major General Gao Jin, he's the chief of staff of the PLA 2nd Artillery Corps.
            So again, we have, you know, senior officers from all the different services in China are part of this delegation.  And it totals 24 different people, so it's a pretty good-size -- pretty good-size group.
            Q:  Are there going to be any Chinese NCOs?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  There are no Chinese NCOs on this delegation.  And -- yeah, there are no Chinese NCOs on this delegation.
            And then as part of your second question on the midgrade and junior-officer exchange program, we have had a number of rounds of that exchange in the past, and we obviously would be looking to continue that in the future, but we don't have the next iteration of that midgrade and junior-officer exchange planned right now.
            STAFF:  We'll get you a list of the delegation, if that's what you guys are asking for.
            Yeah, Luis.
            Q:  Way in the back here.  Luis Martinez with ABC.  Did they have a wish list of facilities that they intended to visit and that you may have decided not to let them go to?  I only bring it up because I think in the past, American secretaries have visited the 2nd Artillery Corps and I think you've said that that was something that you desired to visit and that they relented.  What did they want to see here that you may not have wanted them to see?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Well, I guess the only thing I could say is the Chinese have expressed satisfaction with the itinerary that we developed in concert with them.
            So I mean, it's something that we've worked out with them over the course of the past several weeks.  So there's some things that they wanted, some things that they are in there.  Other things that they wanted may not have been available at the time.  But we worked very hard to put together a program that would meet both of our objectives, the Chinese objectives and U.S. objectives.  And the Chinese have expressed satisfaction with all the arrangements that we've made.
            Q:  And what were some of the ones that they wanted?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  I don't have the specific details on the ones that they wanted.  I know that they do want and they are -- they're very pleased with the ones that they've got.
            STAFF:  Lita.
            Q:  On -- you mentioned cybersecurity.  Can you give us just a little better idea of what type -- the tenor of the discussion about cybersecurity?  I mean, obviously, the U.S. intelligence community has come out fairly strongly about China cyberattacks, particularly data exfiltration.  Is that going to be part of the conversation, or is it more along the lines of international cooperation on cybersecurity issues?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Well, I mean, I think the -- you know, I mean, cyber issues is an important area for dialogue and discussion with the Chinese government and the Chinese military in particular.  I mean, we obviously have some concerns about some behavior, cyber behavior that appears to originate in China.  This is something that we've talked about in the past.  We've mentioned it in our annual report to Congress on military and security developments involving the People's Republic of China.  I mean, there's -- I guess there's two aspects to that.  And you know, one is the question of norms, and another is the question of intrusions.  And you know, these are all important issues that we need to be able to talk about with the Chinese.
            Q:  But will they come up?  Will these four come up?  Will they come up?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  I think, yeah, cyber as a general topic will likely come up, yeah.
            STAFF:  Again, so we started late, so we're going to go just a couple more minutes.  (Inaudible.)
            Q:  Jim Miklaszewski, NBC.  What specific questions does the U.S. have about China's military modernization?  And what sort of answers have you received in the past when you ask about that?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  Well, I think, you know, we would like to have a better understanding of the purposes, you know, objectives and desired end states of China's military modernization.  We'd like to be able to understand a little bit more about why the Chinese are investing in this very robust and rapid military modernization program, given the security environment that we see in the Asia-Pacific today, which is a region that's at peace.  And so we'd like to understand what is motivating China to invest so much of their resources at such a rapid pace.
            We have had some success in getting greater openness from the Chinese in years past.  The Chinese now routinely publish defense white papers every other year, and that provides greater insights on what they're doing with their military and where they'd like to take the military in the future.
            They've done things like establish a Ministry of National Defense press office and information office to better provide -- make more information available about the military.  But we think that there's a lot more that can be said by the Chinese about the direction that its military is taking.
            STAFF:  OK.  This is going to be the last question.
            Q:  Thank you.
            STAFF:  (Inaudible.)
            Q:  (Inaudible) -- with -- (inaudible).  As you know -- (inaudible) -- North Korea has -- (inaudible) -- underground nuclear test.  (Inaudible) Secretary Panetta raised this issue at this time?
            SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL:  We continue to have significant concern about peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and -- particularly as North Korea continues to engage in provocative actions that risk instability in Northeast Asia.  I had mentioned earlier North Korea's failed missile launch.  That's one example of provocative behavior, and we're watching very carefully for the potential for additional provocation from North Korea.  And as I had mentioned before, I mean, this is -- this is a topic that will likely come up with the secretary, in particular given China's long-standing relationship with North Korea and its status as a country that has perhaps the greatest influence over North Korea.
            STAFF:  OK, guys, thanks.  I appreciate it.
            Just a little housekeeping -- (inaudible).  I forgot to mention that we do now have the press briefing scheduled at 1630 here in the -- (inaudible) -- finally worked out all the kinks.  So 1630 on camera with both Secretary Panetta and the minister.

USS ENTERPRISE ASSIGNED TO OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
ARABIAN GULF (April 18, 2012) The aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) and the Military Sealift Command fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE 6) conduct a replenishment at sea. Enterprise is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nick C. Scott/Released)

Enterprise, CVW-1 Support Operation Enduring Freedom
By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Steve Smith, Enterprise Carrier Strike Group Public Affairs
USS ENTERPRISE, At Sea (NNS) -- Aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1 began flying combat missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), May 1.

Through these missions, the Navy and Marine Corps squadrons aboard Enterprise are providing direct support to coalition forces on the ground in Afghanistan.

The missions include close-air support, electronic warfare, reconnaissance, and airborne command and control.

In Afghanistan, these missions degrade terrorist activities, diminish Taliban influence and improve security, which leads to stability and economic prosperity.

CVW-1 spent months preparing for these missions, and is ready to join coalition forces in the region.

Enterprise joins the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group in the region. Thus far, Abraham Lincoln has flown more than 1,400 sorties, totaling more than 8,700 flight hours in support of coalition efforts in Afghanistan, according to the Lincoln's Public Affairs Office.

Over the course of May 1, their first day supporting OEF, CVW-1 aircraft flew 29 sorties.

According to Capt. Jeffrey Trent, commander, CVW-1, the number of sorties flown on the first day will be the standard throughout much of the time CVW-1 is supporting OEF.

"That will be a very standard number," said Trent. "This is a marathon. We're going to be here for a number of months, and we're in it for the long haul, and getting jets on and off the deck is no easy task."

Accomplishing this task falls on the shoulders of the Sailors and Marines working aboard Enterprise every day.

"It's not just the airplanes flying. It's the Sailors and Marines working on the flight deck; it's the men and women working in the engineering plant, and those working everywhere in between, that support this mission," said Trent.

Enterprise should fly approximately 170 OEF sorties per week.

Commander U.S. 5th Fleet reported U.S. Navy aircraft have averaged about 5,000 close-air support missions per year in support of OEF, since 2009. As they did in 2011, Enterprise and CVW-1 will directly contribute to that total in 2012. During last year's deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility, Enterprise and CVW-1 supported OEF with a total of 1,450 combat sorties.

"During this deployment we get to capitalize on all the experience gained last year," said Trent. "However, training is happening every flight and every event improves overall readiness."

Enterprise and CVW-1 will not be the only Navy assets supporting operations in Afghanistan during the carrier's final deployment. Sailors serve throughout all 34 Afghan provinces and in the six Navy-led Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs), promoting governance, enhancing security and aiding in reconstruction efforts.

CVW-1 is comprised of the "Red Rippers" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11, the "Checkmates" of VFA 211, the "Knighthawks" of VFA 136, the "Thunderbolts" of Marine Attack Fighter Squadron (VMFA) 251, the "Rooks" of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 137, the "Screwtops" of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 123, and the "Dragonslayers" of Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron (HS) 11.

Enterprise is deployed on its 22nd and final deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility, conducting maritime security operation efforts and support missions for Operation Enduring Freedom.

MONTANA PARALEGAL AND FATHER CHARGED IN INSIDER TRADING SCHEME

FROM:  U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
SEC Charges Montana-Based Paralegal and Her Father in Insider Trading Scheme
Washington, D.C., May 7, 2012 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged a former paralegal at a Kalispell, Mont.-based semiconductor company and her father with insider trading on confidential information about the 2009 acquisition of the company.

The SEC alleges that Angela Milliard wired money to her boyfriend’s brokerage account so she could illegally trade on nonpublic details she learned while working as a legal assistant on Semitool Inc.’s then-secret deal with a Silicon Valley company. She also tipped her father Kenneth Milliard with the confidential information. He then traded on the nonpublic information and tipped his sons, who also made trades. The morning the acquisition was announced, the Milliards sold their shares for illicit profits of more than $67,000.

Angela and Kenneth Milliard have agreed to settle the SEC’s charges by paying more than $175,000.  “Angela Milliard exploited her access to confidential merger and acquisition information to illicitly enrich herself and her family,” said Marc Fagel, Director of the SEC’s San Francisco Regional Office. “As a member of a legal department entrusted with sensitive deal documents, she had a duty to safeguard that information, not trade on it.”

According to the SEC’s complaint filed in federal court in Montana, Angela Milliard first gained access to confidential deal information in October 2009, when she learned that Semitool and the acquiring company – Applied Materials Inc. – had entered into advanced merger negotiations. After learning that the tender offer was to happen in mid-November at a nearly 30 percent premium over Semitool’s then-trading price, she wired money to her boyfriend’s brokerage account and used it to surreptitiously buy shares of Semitool.
The SEC alleges that Angela Milliard tipped her father, who also purchased Semitool shares and encouraged his sons to do the same, which they did. They reaped their illegal insider trading profits following the public announcement of the merger on Nov. 17, 2009.

The Milliards settled the SEC’s charges without admitting or denying the allegations. Angela Milliard agreed to pay full disgorgement of her trading profits totaling $20,355 plus prejudgment interest of $1,614.60 and a penalty of $54,022.11. Kenneth Milliard agreed to pay full disgorgement of his and his sons’ trading profits totaling $47,805 plus prejudgment interest of $3,765.19 and a penalty of $47,805.11.
The SEC’s investigation was conducted by Jennifer J. Lee and Jina L. Choi of the San Francisco Regional Office.

POLARIS WARRIOR COMPETITION

FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
A CV-22 Osprey with the 20th Special Operations Wing at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., descends on the Air Force Academy Cadet Area during the Academy's Polaris Warrior event April 28, 2012. Polaris Warrior combined several military training challenges designed to reinforce skills that cadets may need in the field. (U.S. Air Force photo/Raymond McCoy) 
AFSOC headlines 1st USAFA Polaris Warrior 
by Don Branum
Air Force Academy Public Affairs

5/7/2012 - U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Almost a year of cadet training in military field skills culminated Saturday in what Commandant of Cadets Brig. Gen. Rich Clark called a "boom event."

The Polaris Warrior competition featured 10 events themed around skills cadets may need in deployed environments after they graduate.

"It's a chance for cadets to really show what they've learned, to have their skills tested and to compete, squadron against squadron, in all the skill areas they've been training in," Clark said.

Cadet Squadron 39 took top honors in the competition, which included self-aid and buddy care, mobile operations in urban terrain, combat arms and land navigation. CS 40 and CS 33 took second and third place, respectively.

Two teams each from the commandant's staff, the Dean of Faculty mission element and the 10th Air Base Wing also competed in the Battlefield Airman portion of the event.

Polaris Warrior started with Clark's stated desire to institute more military-style training during the academic year, culminating in a large-scale event, said Maj. John Schroeder, deputy chief of the Cadet Wing Training Division here.

"We tried to build an academic-year plan accordingly," Schroeder said. "We had to make course corrections along the way because this was our first year trying to plan such a large-scale event."

The overall training plan came together in spring of 2011, Schroeder said. Planning for Saturday's challenge began in December. Cadet 1st Class Michael Oakley of Cadet Squadron 30 and Cadet 2nd Class Tyler Stearns of CS 36 became involved a month later as the event's cadet in charge and cadet NCO in charge, respectively.

"We had to make sure every squadron was prepared," said Stearns, a native of Anchorage, Alaska. "We had to make sure they knew what Polaris Warrior was, that they knew about the final event, and most importantly, that they knew how to prepare for the final event."

Six of the events were compulsory. Another four, including a physical training challenge and a "sprint" from the Cadet Area to Falcon Stadium and back, were optional, Stearns said. After each event, squadron cadets in charge called in scores, which Oakley and Stearns tabulated with Schroeder's help.

Polaris Warrior allowed juniors to ease into leadership roles, which they will do to a larger degree as seniors during summer and 2013 academic year, Oakley said.

"Putting second-class cadets in charge is key for preparing them for next year. It gave them the opportunity for trial and error on a smaller scale before they really take charge of their squadrons," he added.

More than 50 Airmen with the 20th Special Operations Squadron at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., also supported the event, along with six aircraft, including two CV-22 Ospreys and an MC-130 Combat Talon, said Lt. Col. Tony Valerio, the Cadet Wing Training Division director and a 1992 Academy graduate.

"We got remarkable support from Air Force Special Operations Command," Valerio said.

Airmen with the 20th SOS interacted directly with cadets, including a gathering at Arnold Hall the evening of April 25 as well as attendance alongside cadets in classes and at the April 27 noon meal formation. The interaction worked well, said Maj. David Penuela, the squadron's assistant director of operations.

"Integration into the actual Polaris Warrior training events also proved to be a great recruitment tool" for special operations career fields, Penuela said. Cadets' enthusiasm also motivated the AFSOC Airmen who took part.

Valerio said he would like to refine the process of preparing for Polaris Warrior in future years but added that he was "extremely proud of the blood, sweat and tears" that Schroeder and the two cadets invested in coordinating and pulling off the inaugural Polaris Warrior.

"I couldn't be more proud of the job they did and the efforts they put out there," he said.

LABOR DEPARTMENT AWARDS OVER $65 MILLION TO FUND RE-EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY ASSESSMENTS

FROM:  U.S. LABOR DEPARTMENT
US Labor Department awards nearly $65.5 million to fund re-employment, eligibility assessments for Unemployment Insurance in 40 states, Puerto Rico and DC
Increased funding to help speed job seekers’ return to work while maintaining integrity of UI system
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded nearly $65.5 million in grants to 40 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia to implement and/or continue re-employment and eligibility assessments for Unemployment Insurance beneficiaries.

"Today's grant announcement will allow states to provide personalized assessments for recipients of Unemployment Insurance to help them get back on their feet faster," said Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis.

The funds will be used to conduct in-person assessments in One-Stop Career Centers. The assessments include the development of a re-employment plan for claimants, the provision of labor market information that is appropriate to the claimants' locations and employment prospects, a complete review of claimants' eligibility for Unemployment Insurance benefits, and a referral to re-employment services and/or training provided by the One-Stop Career Centers separate that is from the UI program.

This is the eighth year that the Labor Department has awarded grants through its Re-employment and Eligibility Assessment initiative. Recent evaluations of REA programs have shown that REAs reduce the number of weeks UI benefits are claimed by expediting the re-employment of the UI claimants. This evidence justifies expanding the use of REAs as provided for in the federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, which is authorized by the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012.
"These grants allow us to bring UI beneficiaries into the One-Stop Career Center where they are introduced to all of the re-employment services that are available. REA participants get the best available help needed to find good jobs," said Jane Oates, assistant secretary of labor for employment and training.

Two new states, Pennsylvania and Wyoming, are receiving grants to implement REA programs, while 38 states plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia are being awarded additional funds to continue their programs. Montana did not request a new grant this year but will continue to operate its program using funds from a prior year.
Information about the positive impact and effectiveness of REAs can be found in a report by Impaq International LLC athttp://s.dol.gov/RK. Read more about REAs in a Labor Department blog post at http://s.dol.gov/RL.

MQ-9 REAPER GATHERS INTELLIGENCE AND MAKES PRECISION STRIKES

CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- An MQ-9 Reaper sits ready to be remotely piloted for missions such as intelligence gathering and precision strike.  The MQ-9's capabilities make it uniquely qualified to conduct irregular warfare operations in support of Combatant Commander objectives. 

CREW CHIEF FLIES IN A MARINE HUEY HELICOPTER

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jay R. Wright watches the horizon for possible threats while flying aboard a UH-1N Huey helicopter during a training exercise, April 30, 2012. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Cory D. Polum

Face of Defense: Crew Chief Reveals Passion for Flying
By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Cory D. Polom
2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C., , May 4, 2012 - A UH-1N Huey helicopter crew chief here is confident both on the ground and in the air.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jay R. Wright is a dual-qualified crew chief with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 467, where he works on Hueys and Cobras. He maintains the aircraft and serves as an extra set of eyes in the helicopter during missions and testing.

Wright, a Wasicca, Alaska, native, stepped on the yellow footprints, Sept. 15, 2008, at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Calif.

"I knew right out of high school I wanted to join the military," He said. My father was in the Air Force, and I told myself I wanted to join a more rugged branch. I also made it clear that I wanted to be in the air. I wanted to fly, and that was it."

Wright said his recruiter gave him two options: either go to college and become an officer or enlist as a crew chief. Choosing the latter, Wright arrived here after his military occupational school, and his supervisors say he thrived immediately.

"Lance Corporal Wright is the junior Marine every shop hopes to have," said Marine Corps Sgt. Stephen M. Salinas, a fellow crew chief in Wright's squadron. "Wright has learned so much about both the Hueys and the Cobras. He has qualifications under his name that some corporals do not. Wright could be a sergeant with the amount of weight he carries in both knowledge and leadership abilities."

Wright's aerial duties include making sure the rotor blades are free of debris, monitoring gauges, communicating with pilots, and keeping a 360-degree watch around the helicopter. Each morning, he goes out with other crew chiefs to test fuel samples for debris or water. If they find any issues, they must drain and replace the fuel so it doesn't damage the helicopter's engine.

"On the ground, the biggest variable is the weather," Wright said. "In the air, it is a whole new ball game. So many different things could go wrong, from an engine failing to a dust storm coming upon us. Also, when we are operating the guns, there is a possibility of jams and other weapon malfunctions."

While in flight, Wright said, he has to be able to make a quick judgment call and let the pilot know whether he feels a situation is safe to proceed or unsafe to land. "In the sky, we are an extra set of eyes for the pilots," he said.

The 22-year-old Alaskan said he enjoys what he does and credits his work ethic to the influence and mentorship of Salinas. But his first taste of Marine Corps motivation about his job field came at boot camp, he added.

"One of my drill instructors was a crew chief, and the best thing he did for me was tell me I would never make it in his job field," Wright said. "Those words still motivate me today to be the best I can be as a crew chief."

A few months after Wright arrived at the squadron, he was able to show and test his skills as a crew chief during a six-month deployment with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.

"On the MEU, Wright spent his off time studying or lifting weights instead of playing video games like some of his peers," Salinas. "He is constantly trying to better himself as a person and a Marine."

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WORKS TO PREVENT HEAT-RELATED ILLNESSES

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
US Labor Department kicks off summer campaign to prevent heat-related illnesses and fatalities among outdoor workers
Educational materials and mobile application available
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has kicked off a national outreach initiative to educate workers and their employers about the hazards of working outdoors in hot weather. The outreach effort builds on last year's successful summer campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of too much sun and heat.

"For outdoor workers, 'water, rest and shade' are three words that can make the difference between life and death," Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis said. "If employers take reasonable precautions, and look out for their workers, we can beat the heat."

Every year, thousands of workers across the country suffer from serious heat-related illnesses. If not quickly addressed, heat exhaustion can become heat stroke, which has killed — on average — more than 30 workers annually since 2003. Labor-intensive activities in hot weather can raise body temperatures beyond the level that normally can be cooled by sweating. Heat illness initially may manifest as heat rash or heat cramps, but quickly can become heat exhaustion and then heat stroke if simple prevention steps are not followed.

"It is essential for workers and employers to take proactive steps to stay safe in extreme heat, and become aware of symptoms of heat exhaustion before they get worse," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "Agriculture workers; building, road and other construction workers; utility workers; baggage handlers; roofers; landscapers; and others who work outside are all at risk. Drinking plenty of water and taking frequent breaks in cool, shaded areas are incredibly important in the hot summer months."

In preparation for the summer season, OSHA has developed heat illness educational materials in English and Spanish, as well as a curriculum to be used for workplace training. Additionally, a Web page provides information and resources on heat illness — including how to prevent it and what to do in case of an emergency — for workers and employers. The page is available athttp://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/index.html.

OSHA also has released a free application for mobile devices that enables workers and supervisors to monitor the heat index at their work sites. The app displays a risk level for workers based on the heat index, as well as reminders about protective measures that should be taken at that risk level. Available for Android-based platforms and the iPhone, the app can be downloaded in both English and Spanish by visiting http://s.dol.gov/RI.

In developing last year's inaugural national campaign, federal OSHA worked closely with the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration and adapted materials from that state's successful campaign. Additionally, OSHA is partnering with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the second year to incorporate worker safety precautions when heat alerts are issued across the nation. NOAA also will include pertinent worker safety information on its heat watch Web page athttp://www.noaawatch.gov/themes/heat.php.

ABBOT LABS TO PAY $1.5 BILLION IN OFF-LABEL PROMOTIONS SETTLEMENT

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Monday, May 7, 2012
Abbott Labs to Pay $1.5 Billion to Resolve Criminal & Civil Investigations of Off-label Promotion of DepakoteCompany Maintained Specialized Sales Force to Market Drug for Off Label Purposes; Targeted Elderly Dementia Patients in Nursing Homes

Global Health Care Company Abbott Laboratories Inc. has pleaded guilty and agreed to pay $1.5 billion to resolve its criminal and civil liability arising from the company’s unlawful promotion of the prescription drug Depakote for uses not approved as safe and effective by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Justice Department announced today.  The resolution – the second largest payment by a drug company – includes a criminal fine and forfeiture totaling $700 million and civil settlements with the federal government and the states totaling $800 million.  Abbott also will be subject to court-supervised probation and reporting obligations for Abbott’s CEO and Board of Directors.

“Today’s settlement shows further evidence of our deep commitment to public health and our determination to hold accountable those who commit fraud,” said James M. Cole, Deputy Attorney General.  “We are resolute in stopping this type of activity and today’s settlement sends a strong message to other companies.”

The FDA is responsible for approving drugs as safe and effective for specified uses. Under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), a company in its application to the FDA must specify each intended use of a drug.  A company’s promotional activities must be limited to only the intended uses that FDA approved.   In fact, promotion by the manufacturer for other uses – known as “off-label” uses – renders the product misbranded.

Abbott has pleaded guilty to misbranding Depakote by promoting the drug to control agitation and aggression in elderly dementia patients and to treat schizophrenia when neither of these uses was FDA approved.   In an agreed statement of facts filed in the criminal action, Abbott admits that from 1998 through 2006, the company maintained a specialized sales force trained to market Depakote in nursing homes for the control of agitation and aggression in elderly dementia patients, despite the absence of credible scientific evidence that Depakote was safe and effective for that use.   In addition, from 2001 through 2006, the company marketed Depakote in combination with atypical antipsychotic drugs to treat schizophrenia, even after its clinical trials failed to demonstrate that adding Depakote was any more effective than an atypical antipsychotic alone for that use.
         
Illegal Promotion of Depakote to Control Agitation and Aggression in Dementia Patients
       The FDA approved Depakote for only three uses: epileptic seizures, bipolar mania and the prevention of migraines.  The FDA never approved the drug as safe and effective for the off-label use of controlling behavioral disturbances in dementia patients.  In 1999, Abbott was forced to discontinue a clinical trial of Depakote in the treatment of dementia due to an increased incidence of adverse events, including somnolence, dehydration and anorexia experienced by the elderly study participants administered Depakote.
Abbott trained its sales force to promote Depakote to health care providers and employees of nursing homes as advantageous over antipsychotic drugs for controlling agitation and aggression in elderly dementia patients because Depakote was not subject to certain provisions of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA) and its implementing regulations designed to prevent the use of unnecessary medications in nursing homes.   Exploiting the fact that certain OBRA provisions did not yet apply to Depakote, Abbott sales representatives stated that by using Depakote, nursing homes could avoid the administrative burdens and costs of complying with OBRA.

Abbott’s off-label promotion of Depakote was multifaceted.   The company entered into contracts that provided long-term care pharmacy providers with payments of rebates based on increases in the use of Depakote in nursing homes serviced by the providers.   In addition to using its sales force to promote the drug to health care providers and employees of nursing homes, Abbott created programs and materials to train the pharmacy providers’ consultant pharmacists about the off-label use of Depakote to encourage them to recommend the drug for this unapproved use.   Under these contracts, Abbott paid millions of dollars in rebates to the pharmacy providers.

 “Not only did Abbott engage in off-label promotion, but it targeted elderly dementia patients and downplayed the risks apparent from its own clinical studies,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West.  “As this criminal and civil resolution demonstrates, those who put profits ahead of patients will pay a hefty price.”

Illegal Off-Label Promotion of Depakote for Schizophrenia
In the agreed statement of facts, Abbott also admitted that from 2001 through 2006, the Company misbranded Depakote by marketing the drug to treat schizophrenia.  Abbott funded two studies of the use of Depakote to treat schizophrenia, and both failed to meet the main goals established for the study.  When the second study failed to show a statistically significant treatment difference between antipsychotic drugs used in combination with Depakote and antipsychotic drugs alone, Abbott waited nearly two years to notify its own sales force about the study results and another two years to publish those results.  During this time, Abbott continued to promote Depakote off-label to treat schizophrenia.

 “ Today’s settlement demonstrates our continued scrutiny of the sales and marketing practices of pharmaceutical companies that put profits ahead of patient health,” said U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, M.D.  “The FDA will continue its due diligence and hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for marketing practices that undermine the drug approval process.”

Criminal Plea
Today’s global resolution has criminal, civil and administrative components.   First, Abbott has pleaded guilty to a criminal misdemeanor for misbranding Depakote in violation of the FDCA.  Under the plea agreement, Abbott will pay a criminal fine of $500 million, forfeit assets of $198.5 million, and submit to a term of probation for five years.   In addition, Abbott will also pay $1.5 million to the Virginia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.   As a condition of probation, Abbott will report any probable FDCA violations to the probation office, its CEO will certify compliance with this reporting requirement, and its board will report annually on the effectiveness of the company’s compliance program.   In addition, Abbott agrees that during the term of probation, the company will not compensate sales representatives for off-label sales, will ensure that continuing medical education grant-making decisions are not controlled by sales and marketing, will require that letters communicating medical information to healthcare providers be accurate and unbiased, and will have policies designed to ensure that clinical trials are approved by the company’s medical or scientific organizations and published in a consistent and transparent manner.   Abbott’s guilty plea and sentence are not final until accepted by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia.

“As the agreed statement of facts filed in court today demonstrates, Abbott promoted Depakote to control behaviors in elderly dementia and schizophrenia patients without significant evidence of its effectiveness for that use, and even after clinical data established that it was not effective,” said Timothy Heaphy, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia.   “The resolution announced today includes a self-policing mechanism by which Abbott’s board of directors will monitor compliance with the law and report any violations, as well as a period of probation and court supervision.   We credit Abbott’s acceptance of responsibility and encourage other pharmaceutical companies to impose the similar mechanisms to prevent off-label marketing, which damages health care consumers.”

Civil Settlement 
Under the civil settlement, Abbott has agreed to pay $800 million to the federal government ($560,851,357) and the states ($239,148,643) that opt to participate in the agreement to resolve claims that its unlawful marketing and illegal remuneration practices caused false claims to be submitted to government health care programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE and to the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs.

The civil settlement addresses broader allegations by the United States that from 1998 through 2008, Abbott unlawfully promoted Depakote for unapproved uses, including behavioral disturbances in dementia patients, psychiatric conditions in children and adolescents, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, conduct disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol and drug withdrawal, attention deficit disorder and autism.   .  Some of these unapproved uses were not medically accepted indications for which the United States and state Medicaid programs provided coverage for Depakote.  The United States contends that this promotion included, in part, making false and misleading statements about the safety, efficacy, dosing and cost-effectiveness of Depakote for some of these unapproved uses, and claiming use of Depakote to control behavioral disturbances in dementia patients would help nursing homes avoid the administrative burdens and costs of complying with OBRA regulatory restrictions applicable to antipsychotics.

The civil settlement also covers allegations that Abbott offered and paid illegal remuneration to health care professionals and long term care pharmacy providers to induce them to promote and/or prescribe Depakote and to improperly and unduly influence the content of company sponsored Continuing Medical Education programs, in violation of the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute.   The claims settled by the civil agreement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability, except to the extent that Abbott has admitted facts in the civil settlement agreement or in the criminal plea and agreed statement of facts filed in the criminal action.

The civil settlement resolves four lawsuits pending in federal court in the Western District of Virginia under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private citizens to bring civil actions on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery. As part of today’s resolution, the whistleblowers will receive $84 million from the federal share of the settlement amount.

Corporate Integrity Agreement

In addition to the criminal and civil resolutions, Abbott has also executed a Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).   The five-year CIA requires, among other things, that Abbott's board of directors review the effectiveness of the company's compliance program, that high-level executives certify to compliance, that Abbott maintain standardized risk assessment and mitigation processes, and that the company post on its website information about payments to doctors.   Abbott is subject to exclusion from federal health care programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, for a material breach of the CIA and subject to monetary penalties for less significant breaches.

 “As a result of OIG’s joint investigation with our federal and state partners, Abbott Laboratories will enter one of the pharmaceutical industry’s largest settlements and pay $1.5 billion for unlawfully promoting its drug Depakote, including to nursing home patients with dementia,” said HHS Inspector General Daniel R. Levinson.  “Our integrity agreement will hold Abbott accountable for preventing future violations of federal health care laws and FDA requirements, which will protect federal programs, taxpayers and our most vulnerable patients.”

A Multilateral Effort 
The criminal case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia and the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch.   The civil settlement was reached by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia and the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch.   Assistance w as provided by representatives of the HHS Office of Counsel to the Inspector General; the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Office of the General Counsel, CMS Division; FDA’s Office of Chief Counsel; and the National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units.

 “Crimes involving the misbranding of drugs for financial gain will not be tolerated,” stated Richard Weber, Chief IRS Criminal Investigation.  “The special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation will use all their investigative tools, including the use of asset forfeiture statutes, to combat financial crimes and hold corporations accountable for their actions.”

This matter was investigated by the Virginia Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit; the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation; the FDA - Office of Criminal Investigation; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; the Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General; the West Virginia State Police; the Office of Personnel Management - Office of Inspector General; the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Office of Inspector General; the Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General; and TRICARE Program Integrity.

This resolution is part of the government's emphasis on combating health care fraud and another step for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced in May 2009 by Attorney General Eric Holder and Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of HHS.  The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation.  One of the most powerful tools in that effort is the False Claims Act, which the Justice Department has used to recover more than $7.4 billion since January 2009 in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs.  With the settlement announced today, the Justice Department's total recoveries in False Claims Act cases since January 2009 will exceed $10.2 billion.   During this same time, the department has secured $3.9 billion in criminal fines, forfeiture, disgorgement, and restitution relating to violations of the FDCA.