PRESIDENT OBAMA DECLARES OHIO DISASTER

Photo Credit:  White House. 

FROM:  FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal emergency aid has been made available to the state of Ohio to supplement state and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from severe storms beginning on June 29, 2012, and continuing.

The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all 88 counties in the State of Ohio.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.  Emergency protective measures limited to direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent federal funding.

W. Michael Moore has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. 

MINNESOTA, NEVADA RECEIVE MILLIONS TO TURN AROUND LOWEST-PERFORMING SCHOOLS

Photo Credit:  Wikimedia.
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Minnesota to Receive Nearly $6 Million to Turn Around Lowest-Performing Schools
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that Minnesota will receive $5.9 million to turn around its persistently lowest-achieving schools through the Education Department's School Improvement Grants (SIG) program.

The funds are part of $535 million provided through the fiscal year 2011 budget and made available to states under the program. To date, Minnesota has received $44.9 million since the SIG program was redesigned in 2009.

Nevada to Receive $3.5 Million to Turn Around Lowest-Performing Schools
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that Nevada will receive $3.5 million to turn around its persistently lowest-achieving schools through the Education Department's School Improvement Grants (SIG) program.

The funds are part of $535 million provided through the fiscal year 2011 budget and made available to states under the program. To date, Nevada has received $30.4 million since the SIG program was redesigned in 2009.

"We've stood on the sidelines for too long as our lowest-performing schools failed our children year after year," said Duncan. "The School Improvement Grants program is providing courageous school leaders and teacher teams in more than 1,300 schools nationwide with the means to accomplish the very difficult work of turning around some of our hardest to serve schools."

When a school system applies to a state for SIG funding, it must indicate that it will implement one of four intervention models in each of its persistently lowest-achieving schools, based on school needs:
Turnaround Model: Replace the principal, screen existing school staff, and rehire no more than half the teachers; adopt a new governance structure; and improve the school through curriculum reform, professional development, extending learning time, and other strategies.
Restart Model: Convert a school or close it and re-open it as a charter school or under an education management organization.

School Closure: Close the school and send the students to higher-achieving schools in the district.
Transformation Model: Replace the principal and improve the school through comprehensive curriculum reform, professional development, extended learning time, and other strategies.

P5 # 3 AND THERMAL NUCLEAR WAR AVOIDANCE

Photo:  Hiroshima Students Monument.  Credit:  Wikimedia.
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Third P5 Conference: Implementing the NPT
Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
June 29, 2012
Following is the text of a joint statement issued by China, France, Great Britain, Russia, and the United States of America at the conclusion of the Third P5 Conference: Implementing the NPT June 27-29, 2012 in Washington, DC.
Begin text:

The five Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) nuclear-weapon states, or “P5,” met in Washington on June 27-29, 2012, in the wake of the 2009 London and 2011 Paris P5 conferences to review progress towards fulfilling the commitments made at the 2010 NPT Review Conference, and to continue discussions on issues related to all three pillars of the NPT – nonproliferation, the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and disarmament, including confidence-building, transparency, and verification experiences.

The P5 reaffirmed their commitment to the shared goal of nuclear disarmament and emphasized the importance of working together in implementing the 2010 NPT Review Conference Action Plan. The P5 reviewed significant developments in the context of the NPT since the 2011 Paris P5 Conference. In particular, the P5 reviewed the outcome of the 2012 Preparatory Committee for the 2015 NPT Review Conference, continued their discussion of how to report on their relevant activities, and shared views, across all three pillars of the NPT, on objectives for the 2013 Preparatory Committee and the intersessional period. The 2012 PrepCom outcome included issuance of a P5 statement comprehensively addressing issues in all three pillars (NPT/CONF.2015/PC.I/12).

The P5 continued their previous discussions on the issues of transparency, mutual confidence, and verification, and considered proposals for a standard reporting form. The P5 recognize the importance of establishing a firm foundation for mutual confidence and further disarmament efforts, and the P5 will continue their discussions in multiple ways within the P5, with a view to reporting to the 2014 PrepCom, consistent with their commitments under Actions 5, 20, and 21 of the 2010 RevCon final document.
Participants received a briefing from the United States on U.S. activities at the Nevada National Security Site. This was offered with a view to demonstrate ideas for additional approaches to transparency.

Another unilateral measure was a tour of the U.S. Nuclear Risk Reduction Center located at the U.S. Department of State, where the P5 representatives have observed how the United States maintains a communications center to simultaneously implement notification regimes, including under the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), Hague Code of Conduct Against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCOC), and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Vienna Document.

The P5 agreed on the work plan for a P5 working group led by China, assigned to develop a glossary of definitions for key nuclear terms that will increase P5 mutual understanding and facilitate further P5 discussions on nuclear matters.

Photo:  Missile Warning  System.  Credit U.S. Navy.

The P5 again shared information on their respective bilateral and multilateral experiences in verification, including information on the P5 expert level meeting hosted by the UK in April, at which the UK shared the outcomes and lessons from the UK-Norway Initiative disarmament verification research project. The P5 heard presentations on lessons learned from New START Treaty implementation, were given an overview of U.S.-UK verification work, and agreed to consider attending a follow-up P5 briefing on this work to be hosted by the United States.

As a further follow-up to the 2010 NPT Review Conference, the P5 shared their views on how to discourage abuse of the NPT withdrawal provision (Article X), and how to respond to notifications made consistent with the provisions of that article. The discussion included modalities under which NPT States Party could respond collectively and individually to a notification of withdrawal, including through arrangements regarding the disposition of equipment and materials acquired or derived under safeguards during NPT membership. The P5 agreed that states remain responsible under international law for violations of the Treaty committed prior to withdrawal.

The P5 underlined the fundamental importance of an effective International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards system in preventing nuclear proliferation and facilitating cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The P5 discussed concrete proposals for strengthening IAEA safeguards, including through promoting the universal adoption of the Additional Protocol; and the reinforcement of the IAEA’s resources and capabilities for effective safeguards implementation, including verification of declarations by States.

Photo:  Missile Interceptor.  Credit:  U.S. Air Force.

The P5 reiterated their commitment to promote and ensure the swift entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and its universalization. The P5 reviewed progress in developing the CTBT’s verification regime in all its aspects and efforts towards entry into force. Ways to enhance the momentum for completing the verification regime, including the on-site inspection component, were explored. The P5 called upon all States to uphold their national moratoria on nuclear weapons-test explosions or any other nuclear explosion, and to refrain from acts that would defeat the object and purpose of the Treaty pending its entry into force. The moratoria, though important, are not substitutes for legally binding obligations under the CTBT.

The P5 discussed ways to advance a mutual goal of achieving a legally binding, verifiable international ban on the production of fissile material for use in nuclear weapons. The P5 reiterated their support for the immediate start of negotiations on a treaty encompassing such a ban in the Conference on Disarmament (CD), building on CD/1864, and exchanged perspectives on ways to break the current impasse in the CD, including by continuing their efforts with other relevant partners to promote such negotiations within the CD.
The P5 remain concerned about serious challenges to the non-proliferation regime and in this connection, recalled their joint statement of May 3 at the Preparatory Committee of the NPT.

An exchange of views on how to support a successful conference in 2012 on a Middle East zone free of weapons of mass destruction was continued.

The P5 agreed to continue to meet at all appropriate levels on nuclear issues to further promote dialogue and mutual confidence. The P5 will follow on their discussions and hold a fourth P5 conference in the context of the next NPT Preparatory Committee.
End text.

RUSSIAN NAVY PARTICIPATES IN RIM OF THE PACIFIC EXERCISE

120629-N-WX059-039 JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM (June 29, 2012) The Russian Navy Udaloy-class destroyer RFS Admiral Panteleyev (BPK 548) arrives at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam to participate in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise 2012. Twenty-two nations, 42 ships, six submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel will participate in the biennial RIMPAC from June 29 to Aug. 3, in and around the Hawaiian Islands. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea-lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2012 is the 23rd exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Sean Furey/Released)
Russian navy rfs admiral pantelevevU.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Sean Furey

UNDERWATER SOLAR CELL RESEARCH

FROM:  DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ARMED WITH SCIENCE
Power density of GaInP and crystalline silicon cells, underwater, as a function of depth. (U.S. Naval Research Laboratory) 

Written on JUNE 30, 2012 AT 7:13 AM by JTOZER
Tapping Into Underwater Solar Energy
Scientists at theU.S. Naval Research Laboratory,Electronics Science and Technology Division, dive into underwater photovoltaic research to develop high bandgap solar cells capable of producing sufficient power to operate electronic sensor systems at depths of 9 meters.

Underwater autonomous systems and sensor platforms are severely limited by the lack of long endurance power sources.  To date, these systems must rely on on-shore power, batteries orsolar power supplied by an above water platform.
Attempts to use photovoltaics have had limited success, primarily due to the lack of penetrating sunlight and the use of solar cells optimized more towards the unimpeded terrestrial solar spectrum.

“The use of autonomous systems to provide situational awareness and long-term environment monitoring underwater is increasing,” said Phillip Jenkins, head, NRL Imagers and Detectors Section. “Although water absorbs sunlight, the technical challenge is to develop a solar cell that can efficiently convert these underwater photons to electricity.”

Even though the absolute intensity of solar radiation is lower underwater, the spectral content is narrow and thus lends itself to high conversion efficiency if the solar cell is well matched to the wavelength range.

Previous attempts to operate solar cells underwater have focused on crystalline silicon solar cells and more recently, amorphous silicon cells.

High-quality gallium indium phosphide (GaInP) cells are well suited for underwater operation. GaInP cells have high quantum efficiency in wavelengths between 400 and 700 nanometers (visible light) and intrinsically low dark current, which is critical for high efficiency in lowlight conditions.

The filtered spectrum of the sun underwater is biased toward the blue/green portion of the spectrum and thus higher bandgap cells such as GaInP perform much better than conventional silicon cells, states Jenkins.

Preliminary results at a maximum depth of 9.1 meters reveal output to be 7 watts per square meter of solar cells, sufficient to demonstrate there is useful solar power to be harvested at depths commonly found in nearshore littoral zones.
Information for this story provided by the Naval Research Laboratory

SEC CHARGES SOFTWARE COMPANY WITH BRIBERY

FROM:  SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
SEC Charges Long Island Software Company in Connection with Bribery Scheme
On June 27, 2012, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) charged that FalconStor Software, Inc., a Long Island, N.Y., data storage company, misled investors about bribes it paid to obtain business with a subsidiary of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. FalconStor has agreed to pay a $2.9 million civil penalty to settle the Commission’s case.

The Commission’s complaint, filed in federal district court in the Eastern District of New York, alleges that from October 2007 through July 2010, the Company’s co-founder and then-chief executive officer, president and chairman, who is now deceased (the “CEO’), ordered the bribes, which were paid to three executives of the subsidiary, JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, and their relatives. The bribes given and offered, which totaled approximately $430,000, included grants of FalconStor options and restricted stock, direct cash payments, gift cards, payment of golf club fees, and lavish entertainment, including gambling in Macau and Las Vegas casinos. The CEO resigned in September 2010, after admitting that he had been involved in improper payments to a customer.

The complaint further alleges that shortly after the bribes began, FalconStor secured a direct, multi-million dollar, contract with JPMC, which then became one of FalconStor’s largest customers and a major source of FalconStor’s revenue during the relevant period. Thereafter, on several quarterly earnings calls and in two earnings releases filed with the Commission on Forms 8-K in April 2008 and February 2009, the CEO touted FalconStor’s large, direct contract with JPMC as a vindication of the quality and desirability of FalconStor’s products and proof of its strides in moving to direct sales rather than relying on third-party distributors. FalconStor never disclosed that JPMC’s business resulted, in whole or in part, from the inducements that it was lavishing on JPMC’s employees.

The complaint also alleges that the Company also granted restricted stock and options to relatives of two of the executives even though the recipients provided no bona fide services to the Company and the grants were thus not covered by the Company’s registered Incentive Stock Plan. In addition, the Company failed to accurately record the expenses associated with the bribes on its books and records, and failed to devise or implement a system of effective internal accounting controls to detect or prevent the bribes, which violated state law and were inconsistent with the Company’s policies.

The complaint charges FalconStor with violating the books-and-records and internal controls provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Sections 13(b)(2)(A) and 13(b)(2)(B), and the offering registration provisions and certain antifraud provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, Sections 5(a), 5(c), and 17(a)(2) and (3).

FalconStor has agreed to settle this matter by consenting to a court order permanently enjoining it from violating Sections 5(a), 5(c), and 17(a)(2) and (3) of the Securities Act and Sections 13(b)(2)(A) and 13(b)(2)(B) of the Exchange Act; ordering it to pay a civil monetary penalty of $2.9 million; and ordering it to comply with certain undertakings. The proposed settlement is subject to court approval.

FalconStor is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Melville, New York. The Company also maintains offices in California, and throughout Europe, Asia and Australia. FalconStor’s common stock trades on NASDAQ under the symbol FALC.

The Commission thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and acknowledges to cooperation of the New York County District Attorney’s Office in this investigation.

IMAGE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

FROM:  NASA
Psychedelic Space
This is a composite of a series of images photographed from a mounted camera on the Earth-orbiting International Space Station, from approximately 240 miles above Earth. Expedition 31 Flight Engineer Don Pettit said of the about photographic techniques used to achieve the images: "My star trail images are made by taking a time exposure of about 10 to 15 minutes. However, with modern digital cameras, 30 seconds is about the longest exposure possible, due to electronic detector noise effectively snowing out the image. To achieve the longer exposures I do what many amateur astronomers do. I take multiple 30-second exposures, then ‘stack’ them using imaging software, thus producing the longer exposure." A total of 18 images photographed by the astronaut-monitored stationary camera were combined to create  this composite.
Image Credit: NASA

U.S & AFRICA COUNTER-DRUG COOPERATION

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE 
A team from the guided-missile cruiser USS Anzio and the U.S. Coast Guard dispose of bags of illegal narcotics from a vessel they boarded on Oct. 15, 2009. The team seized and disposed of more than four tons of hashish while conducting counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew Bash  

U.S. Paves Way for African Counter-Drug Cooperation, Success
By Donna Miles
STUTTGART, Germany, June 29, 2012 - Last October, when U.S. Africa Command was garnering unprecedented international attention during its campaign to protect Libyan civilians from Moammar Ghadafi's violent crackdown against a rebellion, the command achieved another, less headline-dominating victory.

Police in Cape Verde, a small group of islands off Africa's west coast, seized an estimated 3,300 pounds of cocaine in the country's largest-ever drug bust. The cocaine had originated in South America and was transiting through Cape Verde bound for Europe, Africom officials said.

And as confirmed by an International Institute for Strategic Studies report in April, proceeds from shipments like this one are a major funding source for terrorist activities.
Thanks in large part to the new Africom-funded Counter-Narcotics and Maritime Security Operations Center in Cape Verde, profits from the $100 million in captured cocaine there never made it into terrorists' hands.

The center, built with about $1.5 million from Africom and formally presented to the Cape Verdean government in May 2010, is enabling the country's police, coast guard and military to collaborate more closely to crack down on illicit trafficking, piracy and other transnational threats, U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Mark Huebschman said.

"We feel that interagency center was a key asset that helped facilitate this very significant drug seizure," Huebschman, chief of Africom's counternarcotics and law enforcement assistance division, told American Forces Press Service.

The center features inter-island communications relays that give Cape Verdean government agencies and offices the ability to share information and coordinate their activities against narco-trafficking and other illegal activities, Huebschman explained.

To complement its operations, the United States also helped Cape Verde upgrade its tiny, four-craft patrol boat fleet and donated another small high-speed vessel.

As a result, Cape Verde is better equipped to monitor and patrol its vast territorial waters and economic exclusion zone, with the United States providing only a supporting role, Huebschman said.

Army Gen. Carter F. Ham, Africom's commander, called these efforts an example of the capacity-building initiatives that are helping Africans to solve African problems.

Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee in February, Ham called narcotics trafficking a destabilizing influence throughout Africa, particularly in West Africa.

"The Africans are not the overall consumers of these drugs that are coming from Central and South America," he told the House panel. "But they are the transit point for the narcotics that go into Europe."

Yet the consequences impact Africa directly, he said, breeding corruption and undermining good governance wherever illegal narcotics flow. "That," he told Congress, "works contrary to our national interests."

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Tysinger searches the cargo of a vessel during a boarding on Oct. 15, 2009. The team seized and disposed of more than four tons of hashish. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew Bash  

As narco-traffickers move cocaine shipments through West Africa, their counterparts in Afghanistan and Pakistan are increasingly funneling heroin shipments through East Africa, Huebschman reported. In addition, traffickers are beginning to pay couriers in drugs rather than cash, he said, creating new local markets for drugs on the continent.

Africom is working with its African partners to confront narcotrafficking head-on, while also drawing on resources and expertise from its staff representatives from the Drug Enforcement Agency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, FBI and Coast Guard, all of which have reach-back to their agencies in the United States.
"This is really a problem we have approached through a whole-of-government effort," Huebschman said.

The efforts run the gamut, from training to building capacity within partners' civilian law enforcement agencies or equipment for them to operate, to minor construction projects to establish bases for their operations.

"We also do projects that promote information sharing, like computer systems and telecommunications systems," Huebschman said. "All are geared toward providing these law enforcement agencies with an enhanced capability to be able to attack these drug-trafficking organizations."

For example, officials used high-tech full-body scanners provided by Africom and ICE-led training to interdict a drug courier at one of Nigeria's international airports almost immediately after putting the system into operation, Huebschman reported. The scanners have proven so successful in supporting Nigeria's counter-narcotics efforts that the United States last year removed Nigeria from its list of major illicit drug-producing and drug-trafficking countries.

Meanwhile, Africom continues to promote cooperation among its African partners so they can provide a unified front to address the problem.

For example, law enforcement officials from seven West African countries met in Sierre Leone in December to explore ways to curtail drug trafficking in the region. The conference, organized by the U.S. State and Justice departments under the auspices of the West Africa Cooperative Security Initiative, focused heavily on the need to combat transnational organized crime activities, particularly corruption, in West Africa.
A new strategy document developed through that initiative is designed to take this effort to the next level by leveraging ongoing efforts by international partners and organizations: G8 partners, The European Union, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States, among them.

"We're trying to approach this problem from an international perspective, and to leverage all the resources and capabilities that these various countries and agencies bring to this challenging problem," Huebschman said.

Meanwhile, rather than basking in the glory of their recent cocaine interdiction, the Cape Verdeans are continuing to exercise with their counterparts from the United States and Europe to improve their maritime security operations.

They recently took part in the multinational Saharan Express 2012 exercise, part of the Africa Partnership Station mission focused on combating illicit activities -- such as illegal fishing, narcotics-trafficking and piracy -- that are endangering the maritime security in many of the participant nations.

Ten regional militaries participated in the training, conducted off the coasts of Cape Verde, Mauritania, Senegal and The Gambia, with scenarios that included visit, board, search and seizures, search-and-rescue scenarios, medical casualty and radio communication drills, and information management practice techniques.
"We live in a world that is confronted with many problems like piracy, drug trafficking, terrorism, organized crime," said Col. Alberto Ferdandes, chief of staff for the Cape Verde armed forces. "It's necessary for each of us to find a solution to respond to these problems in an efficient manner, we need to have a communal response and it is important that we are all prepared so we can produce a unified action."

"We all know that illegal fishing threatens the food security of our countries," agreed Senegalese Chief of Naval Staff Adm. Mohamed Sane. "Illegal acts like immigration, arms trafficking, pollution, piracy and terrorism threaten social stability. No maritime power can face these challenges alone."

MILITARY RECRUITMENT REMAINS ON TARGET

Photo Credit:  Wikimedia.

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

Recruiting Remains on Target for Active Components

WASHINGTON, June 29, 2012 - All four active services met or exceeded their numerical accession goals for fiscal 2012 through May, Defense Department officials announced today.
Here is the breakdown:
-- Army: 37,953 accessions, 101 percent of its goal of 37,700;
–- Navy: 21,160 accessions, 100 percent of its goal of 21,160;
-- Marine Corps: 14,457 accessions, 100 percent of its goal of 14,418; and
-- Air Force: 18,952 accessions, 100 percent of its goal of 18,952.
All four services exhibited strong retention through the eighth month of the fiscal year, officials said.


Also, five of the six reserve components had met or exceeded their numerical accession goals for the fiscal year through May:
-- Army National Guard: 32,542 accessions, 95 percent of its goal of 34,092;
-- Army Reserve: 18,237 accessions, 104 percent of its goal of 17,595;
-- Navy Reserve: 5,056 accessions, 100 percent of its goal of 5,056;
-- Marine Corps Reserve: 5,896 accessions, 106 percent of its goal of 5,583;
-- Air National Guard: 5,669 accessions, 100 percent of its goal of 5,655; 100 percent; and
-- Air Force Reserve: 5,691 accessions, 100 percent of its goal of 5,691.
All reserve components are on target to achieve their fiscal year attrition goals, officials said.

PRESIDENT OBAMA THANKED FIREFIGHTERS, VOWS TO MARSHAL FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Photo:  Colorado Fire.  Credit:  U.S. Air Force Photo By Master Sgt. Jeremy Lock

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Obama: Employ All Resources to Fight Colorado Wildfires
WASHINGTON, June 30, 2012 - As President Barack Obama thanked firefighters and volunteers, and met with impacted families in wildfire-devastated areas in and around Colorado Springs, Colo., yesterday, he also vowed to marshal all federal resources -- including military -- to combat the fires.

"We're going to continue to make sure that the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Forest Service, our military and National Guard and all the resources that we have available at the federal level are brought to bear in fighting this fire," Obama said today in his weekly video address to the nation. He recorded this week's address during his Colorado visit.

The federal government has marshaled thousands of firefighters, hundreds of fire engines, and more than 100 aircraft, including 19 air tankers, to support firefighting efforts in a number of Western states including Colorado, White House officials noted.
Meanwhile, four Department of Defense C-130 aircraft equipped with U.S. Forest Service Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems and under the command and control of U.S. Northern Command are assisting in the efforts to control fires in the Rocky Mountain region at the request of the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, according to a Northcom news release issued today.

Northcom, based at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., partners with other agencies to conduct homeland defense, civil support and security cooperation to defend and secure the United States and its interests.

Four additional MAFFS-equipped aircraft will be arriving later today to assist with firefighting efforts within the Rocky Mountain region, the Northcom release said.
As of early today, DOD aircraft have flown the following wildfire fighting missions in Colorado:

-- Waldo Canyon Fire, near Colorado Springs, Colo.: Fifty air drops, employing approximately 133,500 gallons of flame retardant;
-- Flagstaff Fire, near Boulder, Colo.,: Five air drops, employing about 13,200 gallons of flame retardant; and

-- Arapahoe National Forrest Fire, Colo.,: Six air drops, employing approximately 13,250 gallons of flame retardant.

Military units that conducted those missions are the 302nd Airlift Wing, Air Force Reserve, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., and the Wyoming Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing based in Cheyenne. Both units are currently flying missions out of Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.

The California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing, from Channel Islands, and the North Carolina Air National Guard's 145th Airlift Wing, from Charlotte, will soon join the 153rd and the 302nd, military officials said.

This is the first time since 2008 that all eight military aircraft have been activated at one time, said Air Force Col. Jerry Champlin, 153rd Air Expeditionary Group commander. In that year, the aircraft were stationed at McClellan Airpark in Sacramento, Calif., to fight fires in that state.

Champlin, a member of the Wyoming Air National Guard, has tactical control over the MAFFS aircraft.
Although all eight C-130s will operate from Peterson Air Force Base for now, where they will drop fire retardant depends on the daily situation in the region, officials said. The U.S. Forest Service also may choose to base one or more aircraft in other operating areas.

BOSTON

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
Sailors and Marines assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) stand at attention while manning the rails prior to the ship's arrival to Boston for the annual celebration of Fleet Week. The eight-day event coincides with the commemoration of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 and will host more than 6,000 service members from the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard team in addition to coalition ships from around the world. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Markus Castaneda (Released) 120628-N-WI365-100

USS CONSTITUTION IN BOSTON HARBOR

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
Performers march during the "Sunset Parade" at the site of the USS Constitution during Boston Navy Week 2012. Boston Navy Week is one of 15 signature events planned across America in 2012. The eight-day long event commemorates the Bicentennial of the War of 1812, hosting service members from the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard and coalition ships from around the world. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason Daniel Johnston (Released) 120629-N-RJ303-581

120629-N-RJ303-539 BOSTON (June 29, 2012) Spectators watch performers during the "Sunset Parade" at the site of the USS Constitution during Boston Navy Week 2012. Boston Navy Week is one of 15 signature events planned across America in 2012. The eight-day long event commemorates the Bicentennial of the War of 1812, hosting service members from the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard and coalition ships from around the world. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason Daniel Johnston/Released)

COLORADO GOVERNOR HICKENLOOPER SELECTS COMMANDER TO OVERSEE WILDFIRE RESPONSE

Photo:  C130 Fighting Wildfire.  Credit:  U.S. Air Force.
FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Commander to Oversee Colorado Wildfire Response
By Jim Greenhill
National Guard Bureau
ARLINGTON, Va., June 29, 2012 - A National Guard dual-status commander has been recently appointed to support wildfire response and relief efforts in Colorado, according to Defense Department and National Guard officials.

Air Force Col. Peter J. Byrne -- director of the joint staff, Joint Force Headquarters-Colorado -- was selected by Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper in agreement with Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, the Colorado National Guard reported.
"The dual-status commander will coordinate military firefighting efforts in the state," Hickenlooper said. "This commander operates as the liaison to make sure that we can take federal assets and airmen, soldiers, bulldozers, helicopters, Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems aircraft and get whatever tool we need."

Byrne, who is a Colorado resident, will work with fire incident commanders.
When agreed upon by the secretary of defense and the governor of an affected state, dual-status commanders can direct both federal active duty forces and state National Guard forces in response to domestic incidents, Defense Department officials said.
The unity of effort is intended to foster greater cooperation among federal and state military assets during a disaster.

The dual-status commander concept was most recently used in support of the NATO Summit in Chicago in May.

Byrne is a command pilot with more than 2,500 military flying hours and more than 145 combat hours, officials said. He was commissioned in 1984 and joined the Colorado Air National Guard in 1991.

"Working hand in hand with active duty forces is something the National Guard has performed seamlessly for more than 10 years in overseas missions," Byrne said. "Though the circumstances are tragic, bringing this experience of partnership to help friends, family and neighbors is a rewarding and natural extension of this valuable relationship."
According to Defense Department officials:

The nation's governors led the creation of this new opportunity for collaboration. Dual-status commanders ensure that state and federal military forces work together effectively together when states request federal forces. Through this improved partnership, military forces responding to the wildfires will be better able to avoid duplication of effort and support the needs of the incident and the American people.

The dual-status commander concept was codified in 2011, with 10 USC - 12304 as the usual and customary command and control arrangement for missions involving the simultaneous deployment of active duty, Reserve and National Guard forces in support of civilian authorities during major disasters and other emergencies.

STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL TESTIFIES ON TRADE EXPANSION IN AFRICA

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Economic Statecraft: Embracing Africa's Market Potential
Testimony Johnnie Carson
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs Washington, DC
June 28, 2012
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee:
Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to address the committee on what I feel is an important and timely topic. The U.S. Government is committed to expanding trade and investment in sub-Saharan Africa and the numbers show our commitment. U.S. trade to and from Africa has grown significantly in the past ten years. U.S. exports to sub-Saharan Africa tripled from just under $7 billion U.S. dollars in 2001 to over $21 billion dollars in 2011.

As Secretary of State Clinton said at the annual AGOA Forum two weeks ago: "twelve years ago, the United States passed the Africa Growth and Opportunity act because we believed that the countries of Africa had tremendous untapped economic potential that could and should be developed. We shared a vision with many of you of a future in which economic growth in Africa would fuel growth and prosperity worldwide…trade and investment would multiply…and people across the continent would have new opportunities to start their own businesses, earn higher salaries, improve their lives, and lift the fortunes of their families and communities."

In large part, this vision is becoming reality. It is my firm belief that Africa represents the next global economic frontier. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to weather the global economic crisis more successfully than other regions, and is home to six – and soon to be seven – of the ten fastest growing economies in the world. A recent McKinsey study documented that Africa offers the highest rate of return on foreign investment of any developing region and has for some years now. Consumer spending continues to rise, and 43 percent of Africans currently have discretionary income or could be considered middle class consumers. And a growing middle class is a market for American products – from ipads to Pampers to Caterpillar tractors which increase crop yields to GE turbines which create additional hours of on-grid electricity to Boeing airliners which facilitate African countries’ growing links with each other and with other continents.

However, we can do more. Africa's recent economic growth is impressive but the region still only accounts for approximately two percent of global trade. The second pillar of President Obama’s recently announced U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa directs the Administration to "spur economic growth, trade, and investment in sub-Saharan Africa." This new approach recognizes that it is in the interest of both the United States and our African partners to improve the region’s trade competitiveness, encourage the diversification of exports beyond natural resources, and ensure sustained economic growth which benefits all sectors of society.

This new strategy elevates economic growth, trade, and investment issues by calling for increased U.S. focus to (1) promote an enabling environment for trade and investment ; (2) improve economic governance; (3) promote regional integration; (4) expand African capacity to effectively access and benefit from global markets; and (5) encourage U.S. companies to trade with and invest in Africa.

In addition to the President’s new U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa, our efforts to increase our commercial engagement in Africa are firmly in line with Secretary Clinton's global focus on Economic Statecraft. The State Department's economic statecraft policy harnesses the forces of global economics to advance our diplomatic agenda and puts the tools of our diplomacy to work to meet our economic goals. We are committed to using every opportunity available to advance not only diplomatic and political priorities but our economic and commercial goals as well. I would like to highlight a few of the programs that the Bureau of African Affairs has been working on as we shift our economic orientation towards Africa from focusing almost exclusively on development assistance to promoting sustained economic growth through private sector, commercial, trade, and investment activities.

The African Growth and Opportunity Act continues to be the centerpiece of our trade policy with sub-Saharan Africa. It is Africa’s most important vehicle for market access and its unilateral trade preferences have created enormous goodwill for the United States on the continent. As you know, many African countries are not taking full advantage of the benefits of AGOA. However, some AGOA beneficiary countries take good advantage of the provisions for fabric and apparel product lines. The third country fabric provision component of AGOA was designed to provide an opportunity for AGOA-qualified countries to be more competitive in labor intensive textile processes such as sewing, stitching, and cutting fabric.

It was widely recognized that most African countries were not able to compete in the more capital intensive process of producing fabric from raw cotton. African manufacturers have successfully used the AGOA third country fabric provision to create jobs, not just in the manufacturing countries but have used this provision to create cross-border pan-African supply chains. These supply chains also encourage regional integration – one of our key goals for the continent. Fabric and apparel exports are the second largest AGOA export after extractive industry products. However, these imports still account for less than two percent of U.S. imports.

I’d like to say a few words about what is likely to happen if third country fabric legislation is not renewed. In our globally linked world, American buyers place orders six to nine to twelve months ahead. 95 percent of AGOA apparel and textile exports enter under the third country provision. And the AGOA third country fabric provision is the only way that African textile and apparel companies can remain competitive with larger producers such as China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.

Without our help, jobs will continue to disappear in some of Africa’s most vulnerable economies, affecting primarily women and the families they support. Eighty-five percent of these imports come from just four countries: Lesotho, Kenya, Mauritius, and Swaziland. I know that diplomats from these countries have come to see you to emphasize the disproportionate effect that lack of renewal of this provision will have on their economies.

The effects of the loss of orders are troubling. At the AGOA Forum, the Swazi Minister for Trade told AGOA delegates that the loss of the provision will "shut the country down". The textile and apparel sector is the largest formal sector employer with over 15,000 jobs and employment is already 41 percent in this small, landlocked country. Loss of just one of these jobs means that ten people lose their livelihood, since Swazi officials calculate that each textile job directly supports ten people. Lack of orders have already led to plants closures in Namibia, robbing people of their legitimate livelihoods and governments of much needed tax revenues. The Mauritians report that their orders are down 30 percent since January due to the uncertainty whether this provision will be renewed in a timely fashion.

Madagascar’s loss of AGOA eligibility in 2009 is a possible model of what could happen if this provision were to expire. Prior to its loss of AGOA eligibility, Madagascar was one of the top textile producing countries in Africa, exporting over $2050 million in textiles in 2007. Due to 2009 coup, the Government of Madagascar lost all AGOA benefits, including the textile provision. Apparel exports plummeted by $150 million in 2010. This more than $150 million drop in textile exports resulted in the loss of 50,000 jobs which will more than likely never return.

We continue to actively educate, inform and encourage U.S. companies to be more active in Africa. This is a continent on the move and there are enormous opportunities for U.S. companies to enter the market, make money, and create jobs for Americans here at home.

In February, I led a trade mission to Mozambique, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Ghana with 10 U.S. energy companies ready to do business. A lack of reasonably priced reliable power remains one of the most binding constraints to economic growth throughout Africa. Governments across the continent are working to attract new trade and foreign investment that will sustain their rapid economic growth and build their middle class. The goal of this mission was to highlight opportunities for U.S. companies and help address a glaring need for increased power sector infrastructure in Africa. The mission was a success and a number of these U.S. companies concluded partnership agreements with African companies to jointly develop power projects. Ex-Im Bank and USTDA representatives also participated in the mission to ensure that both the U.S. participants and our Africa partners are fully aware of U.S. financing options. We are in the process of putting together a trade mission to accompany the Secretary to South Africa for the U.S.-South Africa Strategic Dialogue. In addition, I plan to lead similar trade missions in the future and continue to help and encourage U.S. companies to be a part of the growing economic dynamism of Africa.

In our continuing efforts to inform, educate and encourage U.S. companies to pursue commercial opportunities on the continent, just last week, the State Department, in collaboration with the Department of Commerce’s U.S. Export Assistance Center in Cincinnati, the Department of Transportion, the Ex-Im Bank, USTDA, USAID, USTR, and several other U.S. Government agencies, hosted a U.S.-Africa Business Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. This conference attracted well over 400 participants, including African government officials, and representatives from the U.S. and African private sectors and civil society. The U.S.-Africa Business Conference expanded on the AGOA Forum infrastructure theme by focusing on infrastructure development, including energy, transportation, and water and sanitation. It showcased U.S. business expertise to potential African clients and highlighted trade and investment opportunities in Africa to U.S. exporters and investors through structured networking opportunities for African government officials and business leaders with U.S. state and local government officials and business leaders; informational sessions on U.S. Government opportunities and services from various federal agencies; and site visits to companies and research facilities highlighting potential technologies for Africa.

Cincinnati was selected as the conference location for its potential to increase commercial partnerships with Africa at local, state, and regional levels given its concentration of Fortune 500 and 1000 companies. I am pleased that the Cincinnati conference built on the successes of the 2010 Kansas City, Missouri business conference. Bringing African government officials and private sector representatives outside of the beltway allows us to more effectively focus on business-to-business linkages.

We also have two very popular programs which develop business capacity in Africa, the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) and the President’s Young African Leaders Initiative. This year delegates from both programs participated in both our AGOA Forum and U.S.-Africa Business Conference events. AWEP is an outreach, education, and engagement initiative that targets African women entrepreneurs to promote business growth, increase trade both regionally and to the United States using AGOA, create better business environments, and empower African women entrepreneurs to become voices of change in their communities. The State Department organizes an annual AWEP professional exchange program for these women to improve their skills and has created a series of public-private partnerships with ExxonMobil, Intel, Vital Voices, and the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.

This year’s President’s Young African Leaders Initiative included the Innovation Youth Summit and Mentoring Partnership with Young African Leaders and brought more than 60 participants to the U.S. for three weeks of professional exchange and entrepreneurial hands-on training. This initiative encourages U.S.-Africa collaboration to promote business innovation, investment, and corporate social responsibility activities in Africa.

However, there are still many barriers that stand in the way of companies that hope to do business there. In many places, corruption is too common. The cost of finance, including investment finance, is too high. Infrastructure is lacking or inadequate. Regulatory systems are often inconsistent and inefficient. Also, many U.S. businesses see African markets as too risky. The perception of Africa as poverty filled and strife ridden persists. We work closely with African governments so that they will continue to enact the kinds of reforms to support improved investment climates which will attract both domestic and foreign investment. In addition, we continue to highlight opportunities for trade and investment in the region for U.S. companies and to work with them to conclude deals. Our work with GE Transportation in Ghana on a locomotive tender where GE was ultimately able to win a deal worth $200 million in U.S. content is but one example. We are confident that the U.S. can compete effectively in Africa, but we have to continue to encourage American companies to go to Africa and we have to encourage African countries to continue to make their regulatory and business environment more conducive for American business. Greater U.S.-Africa trade is in the interest of both America and Africa.

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I want to thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. I will be happy to answer any questions you have.

Pension Funds as Owners and Investors: A Voice for Working Families

Pension Funds as Owners and Investors: A Voice for Working Families

PANETTA, DEMPSEY WARN OF SEQUESTRATION THREAT

Photo:  U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta.  Credit:  U.S. Navy.
FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
DOD Leaders: Sequestration Threatens Military's Successes
By Karen Parrish
WASHINGTON, June 29, 2012 - The nation's military has logged historic achievements in the past 12 months, but faces a future clouded by financial threat, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said today.

The secretary and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, both spoke about the topic of sequestration during a briefing with Pentagon reporters.

Panetta summed up the department's main activities since he became Defense Secretary last summer, noting that the Iraq War has ended, a "responsible drawdown" of U.S. forces in Afghanistan has begun, and the NATO mission in Libya concluded alongside the fall of Moammar Gadhafi.

The department has also "maintained a relentless focus on al-Qaida," and put in place a new defense strategy and a budget request focused on the future force and rebalancing toward the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East, the secretary said.
DOD has also maintained faith with troops by protecting pay and benefits, and has increased employment opportunities for veterans and spouses, he noted.
"We implemented the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,'" Panetta said. "We've also opened up 14,000 military positions to women, and we've put in place enhanced measures to prevent sexual assault."

The biggest threat to all of those accomplishments and initiatives is sequestration, he said.
Sequestration is a mechanism built into the Budget Control Act that will trigger an additional half-trillion-dollar cut to defense spending over the next 10 years if Congress doesn't otherwise identify spending reductions the act requires.

Panetta said the uniformed men and women he's met in war zones, and the wounded warriors he's visited in military hospitals and rehabilitation centers, "deserve better than the threat of sequestration."

"Too often today, the nation's problems are held hostage to the unwillingness to find consensus and compromise," the secretary said.

Next week on the Fourth of July Americans will celebrate their nation's birth, he noted.
"It is a time for our leaders and for every American to recognize that the blessings of freedom are not free," Panetta said. "They come from a legacy of sacrifice, of courage and of leadership. That legacy is now our responsibility to fulfill, so that hopefully our children can enjoy a better life in the future."

Panetta said the defense industry leaders he has consulted with also face an uncertain future which could include widespread layoffs and lasting damage to the nation's military modernization programs.

"We are very much a team," he said. " ... [Defense] companies, as well as the Defense Department, are making very clear to Capitol Hill that this is a matter that ought not to be postponed."

The department and the nation's defense industries seek assurance from Congress that sequestration won't happen and that "we can proceed with the budget as we've outlined [it], as opposed to facing ... the possibility of another drastic defense cut," the secretary said.

Dempsey said his travels in recent weeks, as well as over the past year, have brought him into contact with a wide range of service members.
"At every stop ... I was struck by their tremendous sense of pride and commitment," the chairman said. He praised service members' courage, selflessness, intelligence, and dedication to the mission.

"They'll do anything to take care of this country," he said.
Dempsey said he was also struck by troops' concern over the budget.
"I find it encouraging, on the one hand, that our military family is informed and interested," he said. "But it's unfortunate that it weighs so heavily on their minds. Frankly, they have enough to worry about."

The chairman noted, "We have to remember, too, that the force of the future -- that is, America's sons and daughters who may be out there contemplating a military career -- are also watching."

Dempsey said as Panetta has made clear, "We simply have to come together to prevent this across-the-board, unbalanced cut that could jeopardize our ability to deal with the very real and serious threats that we face."

The chairman said he and the service chiefs have no issue with military budgets facing scrutiny in the current challenging budget climate, or with the need to make tough program decisions.

"That's why our strategy and the budget that supports it constitute a carefully balanced set of choices," Dempsey said. "These choices make sure we have the right talent and the right tools to keep our country immune from coercion."

Dempsey said he, the secretary and the joint chiefs seek a balanced approach.
"A sensible way forward is what we expect," the chairman said. "That's the only way we can honor our commitment to our military family and to the American people."

SEC. OF EDUCATION COMMENTS ON STUDENT INTEREST RATE DEAL

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Statement from U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on Action to Prevent Student Loan Interest Rates From Doubling

JUNE 29, 2012

“In his January State of the Union address, President Obama called on Congress to work together to keep student loan interest rates from doubling. Today, I applaud leaders in Congress for answering the President’s call to action and striking a deal that will help make college more affordable for millions of students.

“But most importantly, I want to thank the nation's young people for making their voices heard on an important economic issue directly affecting them. You spoke, the nation heard you, and Congress acted. Democracy worked because of your tireless efforts.

“Both the President and I believe education is a public good. College should not be reserved only for those who can afford it. All of us share responsibility for making college affordable and keeping the middle-class dream alive.

“Investing in education is the best investment America can make to bolster our competitiveness in a knowledge-based, global economy. If we don’t invest today, we will lose tomorrow.”

LEADER OF TRANSNATIONAL BORDER GANG RECEIVES LIFE IN PRISON

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Friday, June 29, 2012
Barrio Azteca Leader Sentenced to Life in Prison and Two Barrio Azteca Soldiers Sentenced to 20 and 30 Years in PrisonTotal of 24 Barrio Azteca Members and Associates Convicted to Date

WASHINGTON – A leader and two soldiers in the Barrio Azteca (BA), a transnational border gang allied with the Juarez Cartel, were sentenced in El Paso, Texas, to life, 30 and 20 years in prison, respectively, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert Pitman for the Western District of Texas, FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Morgan of the FBI’s El Paso Office and Administrator Michele M. Leonhart of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Hector Galindo, 38, aka “Silent,” of El Paso, currently serving a 25-year Texas state sentence for murder, was sentenced to life prison.  Ricardo Gonzales, 44, aka “Cuate,” of Anthony, N.M., was sentenced to 30 years in prison, and Adam Garcia, 35, aka “Bad Boy,” of El Paso, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.  Galindo, Gonzales and Garcia were charged in a 12-count third superseding indictment unsealed in March 2011.  They were sentenced yesterday in the Western District of Texas.  Galindo, Gonzales and Garcia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit racketeering (RICO) on Jan. 26, 2012, Jan. 18, 2012, and Jan. 29, 2012, respectively.

According to court documents and information presented in court, Galindo was a top Lieutenant in the BA.  While incarcerated in the Texas Department of Corrections, he served as the right hand man to BA Captain Manuel Cardoza.  In that role, Galindo maintained communication with other BA Captains and Lieutenants in the United States and Mexico and was specifically in charge of BA operations in Texas.  Evidence was presented that Gonzales and Garcia were BA soldiers, whose duties included distributing drugs, picking up money from dealers and enforcement operations within their area of responsibility.

“As members of the Barrio Azteca gang, Hector Galindo, Ricardo Gonzales and Adam Garcia participated in a brutal criminal enterprise dedicated to spreading fear and violence on both sides of the border,” said Assistant Attorney General Breuer.  “These prison sentences send a strong message that even the most powerful and ruthless gangs cannot evade justice.  Our prosecution of the Barrio Azteca gang, including for the U.S. Consulate-related murders in Juarez, Mexico, in 2010, has led to convictions against 24 gang members and leaders.  We will continue aggressively to pursue the Barrio Azteca and other gangs so that communities in the United States and Mexico can live free from the violence and destruction of organized crime.”

“These sentences represent the FBI’s commitment to the aggressive pursuit of criminal enterprises such as the Barrio Aztecas whose presence pose a significant risk to citizens on both sides of the border,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Morgan.  “Through the ongoing and joint efforts of the law enforcement community we will continue the fight to bring to justice predators such as Galindo, Gonzales and Garcia.”

“This investigation highlights an unfortunate reality:  leaders within growing trans-national prison and street gangs like the Barrio Azteca continue to promote violence and manage their drug trafficking activities even after the cell door closes,” said DEA Administrator Leonhart.  “However, the successful prosecutions of Galindo, Gonzales and Garcia, and the conviction of other Barrio Azteca members reinforce another reality: that wherever these dangerous organizations operate, DEA and its partners will aggressively follow, investigate and prosecute.”

A total of 35 BA members and associates based in the United States and Mexico were charged in the third superseding indictment for allegedly committing various criminal acts, including racketeering, narcotics distribution and importation, retaliation against persons providing information to U.S. law enforcement, extortion, money laundering, obstruction of justice and murder, including the 2010 Juarez consulate murders.  Of the 35 defendants charged, 33 have been apprehended, including April Cardoza, who was found in Juarez, Mexico, last week.  Twenty-four of those defendants have pleaded guilty, one defendant committed suicide while imprisoned during his trial and six others are pending extradition from Mexico.  U.S. and Mexican law enforcement are actively seeking to apprehend the two remaining fugitives in this case, including Luis Mendez and Eduardo Ravelo, an FBI Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitive.

Today’s sentencing by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone of the Western District Court of Texas marks the closure of the case against the U.S.-based defendants charged in the superseding indictment.  Twenty-one of 22 U.S.-based defendants have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced, including another BA Lieutenant Roberto Angel Cardona, who was also sentenced to life by Judge Cardone on Feb. 17, 2012.  The remaining U.S.-based defendant, Ramon Renteria, aka “Spooky,” took his own life while in prison during his trial.  Witnesses testified that Renteria was a BA Captain, the highest rank of the Barrio Azteca, and the only U.S.-based Captain not currently serving a life sentence in prison.
According to court documents and information presented in court throughout this case, the Barrio Azteca is a violent street and prison gang that began in the late 1980s and expanded into a transnational criminal organization.  In the 2000s, the BA formed an alliance in Mexico with “La Linea,” which is part of the Juarez Drug Cartel (also known as the Vincente Carrillo Fuentes Drug Cartel or “VCF”).  The purpose of the BA-La Linea alliance was to battle the Chapo Guzman Cartel and its allies for control of the drug trafficking routes through Juarez and Chihuahua.  The drug routes through Juarez, known as the Juarez Plaza, are important to drug trafficking organizations because they are a principal illicit drug trafficking conduit into the United States.

According to evidence presented in court, witnesses testified to the brutality of the BA.  Inside and outside of prison, the gang thrives on violence – from gang beatings to drive-by shootings to murder – all in order to discipline its own members or fight against rivals.  Testimony also indicated that the BA is well-organized and militaristic in structure.  Its members, or “soldiers,” are governed by captains, various lieutenants and numerous sergeants in the United States and Mexico.

 Witnesses also testified that the sale of illegal drugs is the life-blood of the BA.  Evidence was presented that since 2003 the BA has trafficked hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and heroin.  Because of the BA’s alliance with the Juarez Drug Cartel, the gang receives illegal drugs at low cost and profits on its importation, sale and distribution within the United States.

Witnesses also testified to the Barrio Azteca’s practice of extorting “quota” or taxes on non-BA drug dealers who sold illegal narcotics in El Paso and the greater West Texas and Eastern New Mexico area.  Specifically, during today’s hearing, one witness recalled an instance in which Gonzales tried to collect an extortion fee from a New Mexico drug dealer, and when the dealer refused to pay, Gonzalez pulled a gun, put it to dealer’s head, and threatened to kill him.

When quota is collected by the BA, members and leaders deposit the money into the commissary accounts of incarcerated BA leaders, often using fake names or female associates to send the money by wire transfer.  Galindo was one of the ranking members of the BA who would receive laundered funds and disperse it within the Texas State prison system to further the criminal goals of the enterprise.

Witnesses also testified to the extensive communication web of the BA, including utilizing coded letters, contraband cell phones within state and federal prison facilities, and distribution of membership rosters and hit lists.  Witnesses specifically implicated Galindo, then incarcerated in the Coffield Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, as the central leader within the organization who kept track of membership records, hit lists and gang treaties for the BA.  To update those lists, members and other leaders would contact Galindo on his contraband prison cell phone to verify the status of persons claiming to be BA members and ensure that they were in good standing with the criminal organization.  Those not in good standing were targeted by the BA for assault or murder.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Joseph A. Cooley of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, Trial Attorney Brian Skaret of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal of the Western District of Texas - El Paso Division.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico provided significant assistance in this case, including by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Davenport.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Criminal Division’s Offices of International Affairs and Enforcement Operations.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s El Paso Field Office, Albuquerque Field Office (Las Cruces Resident Agency), DEA Juarez and DEA El Paso.  Special assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Federal Bureau of Prisons; U.S. Diplomatic Security Service; the Texas Department of Public Safety; the Texas Department of Criminal Justice; El Paso Police Department; El Paso County Sheriff’s Office; El Paso Independent School District Police Department; Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission; New Mexico State Police; Dona Ana County, N.M., Sheriff’s Office; Las Cruces, N.M., Police Department; Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility and Otero County Prison Facility New Mexico.

U.S./JAPAN GO AHEAD WITH OSPREY UPGRADE

Photo:  Soldiers Offload From Osprey.  Credit:  U.S. Navy. 
FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
DOD, Japan Move Forward on Osprey Fleet Upgrade
By Cheryl Pellerin
WASHINGTON, June 29, 2012 - Working closely with the Japanese government, the Defense Department will replace CH-46 helicopters used by the III Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa with MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft for operations beginning in August.

Recent mishaps involving an MV-22 and a CV-22 aircraft raised concerns about the fleet upgrade by the governor of Okinawa, according to Pentagon Press Secretary George Little. Senior DOD officials briefed a Japanese delegation on the incidents at the Pentagon June 22.

On April 11 in Morocco, an MV-22 crashed while taking part in a bilateral military exercise. There were no casualties. Flight data indicates the aircraft performed as expected. In a statement, DOD said the U.S. Marine Corps determined the aircraft did not suffer a mechanical or material failure and there were no problems with the aircraft's safety.

Earlier this month, a CV-22 crashed during a training mission in Navarre, Florida, leaving five crew members injured. A preliminary review uncovered no information that would preclude the aircraft's continued operation, DOD said.


PHOTO:  OSPREY CRASH .  CREDIT:  U.S. AIR FORCE

The Defense Department, including senior U.S. Air Force leaders, stands behind the CV-22's reliability and is convinced the aircraft is safe for operation, officials said.
The MV-22 Osprey operates with the speed and range of a turboprop, the maneuverability of a helicopter and the ability to carry 24 Marine combat troops. It travels twice as fast and five times farther than previous helicopters.

The Air Force CV-22 Osprey is a special operations variant of the aircraft. It can fly like an airplane and land like a helicopter.

In response to remaining safety concerns, according to DOD officials, the MV-22 will not fly in Japan until results of the investigations are presented to the Japanese government in August.

During this time, Japan will be the only location worldwide, including the continental United States, where MV-22 flight operations will be suspended, officials said.
The MV-22 Osprey has an excellent safety record and has logged more than 115,000 flight hours, officials said. About a third of those flight hours were flown during the last two years.

The Osprey achieved these flight hours performing combat operations, humanitarian assistance, training, and test and evaluation missions, officials said.
Basing the Osprey in Okinawa, according to the DOD statement, will strengthen the U.S. ability to provide for the defense of Japan, perform humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, and fulfill other alliance roles.

FEMA WARNS OF SUMMER HEAT, FIRE DANGERS

Photo Credit:  Air Force National Guard.
FROM:  U.S. FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
Make This A Safe Summer; Prepare For Heat And Wildfires Today
Kansas City, Mo.—This is the time of year for fun outdoor activities like Independence Day celebrations, camping, outdoor grilling and road trips, but before you head out, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reminds you to plan for the dangers associated with heat waves and wildfire threats. Learn and put into practice important summer-survival tips to help protect yourself, your property and the environment.

“To protect our eyes, most of us automatically grab our sunglasses before heading outside during the daytime. Many of the things we can do to protect ourselves from high temperatures and to prevent wildfires are just as easy and make just as much sense,” said Regional Administrator Beth Freeman, of Region VII.

SURVIVING THE HEAT
During an extended period of extreme heat, also known as a heat wave, the body must work extra hard to stay cool. This stresses the body and those who are very young, elderly, overweight or sick are at highest risk for heat-related illnesses. Here are a few quick tips to stay healthy.              
Consider spending the warmest part of the day in air conditioned buildings. Find a cooling off location near you by sending a text message to SHELTER + your ZIP code to 43362 (4FEMA) to find the nearest shelter in your area (example: shelter 12345).

Listen to NOAA Weather Radio for critical updates from the National Weather Service.
Never leave children or pets alone in closed vehicles.

Avoid strenuous outdoor work and play during the warmest part of the day. Use a buddy system when working in extreme heat, and take frequent breaks.

Protect face and head by wearing a wide-brimmed hat.

Eat well-balanced, light, and regular meals. Drink plenty of water; even if you do not feel thirsty. Avoid drinks with caffeine and limit intake of alcoholic beverages. Persons who have epilepsy or heart, kidney, or liver disease; are on fluid-restricted diets; or have a problem with fluid retention should consult a doctor before increasing liquid intake.

Dress in loose-fitting, lightweight, and light-colored clothes that cover as much skin as possible. Avoid dark colors because they absorb the sun’s rays.
Check on family, friends, and neighbors who do not have air conditioning and who spend much of their time alone.

BEFORE A WILDFIRE
Tips to protect your family
To begin preparing, you should build an emergency kit (www.ready.gov/build-a-kit) and make a family emergency plan (www.ready.gov/make-a-plan). Learn more at www.ready.gov.
Ask local emergency management officials or the local American Red Cross chapter how you would be warned if a wildfire threatened.

Meet with other household members to discuss where to go and what to bring if advised to evacuate.
Plan several escape routes away from your home - by car and by foot.
Talk to your neighbors about wildfire safety. Plan how the neighborhood could work together after a wildfire. Make a list of your neighbors' skills such as medical or technical. Consider how you could help neighbors who have special needs such as elderly or disabled persons. Make plans to take care of children who may be on their own if parents can't get home.

Tips to protect your home
It is recommended that you create a 30 to 100 foot safety zone around your home. Within this area, you can take steps to reduce potential exposure to flames and radiant heat. Homes built in pine forests should have a minimum safety zone of 100 feet. If your home sits on a steep slope, standard protective measures may not suffice. Contact your local fire department or forestry office for additional information.
Rake leaves, dead limbs and twigs. Clear all flammable vegetation, including any hiding under structures.
Make sure that fire vehicles can get to your home. Clearly mark all driveway entrances and display your name and address.

Thin a 15-foot space between tree crowns, and remove limbs within 15 feet of the ground.
Remove dead branches that extend over the roof.
Prune tree branches and shrubs within 15 feet of a stovepipe or chimney outlet.
Ask the power company to clear branches from power lines.
Show responsible family members how and when to shut off water, gas, and electricity at main switches.
Remove vines from the walls of the home.

Mow grass regularly.
Clear a 10-foot area around propane tanks and the barbecue. Place a screen over the grill - use nonflammable material with mesh no coarser than one-quarter inch.
Regularly dispose of newspapers and rubbish at an approved site. Follow local burning regulations.
Place stove, fireplace and grill ashes in a metal bucket, soak in water for 2 days, and then bury the cold ashes in mineral soil.
Store gasoline, oily rags and other flammable materials in approved safety cans. Place cans in a safe location away from the base of buildings.
Stack firewood at least 100 feet away and uphill from your home. Clear combustible material within 20 feet. Use only wood-burning devices evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
Review your homeowner's insurance policy and also prepare/update a list of your home's contents.

Practice Wildfire Safety
In the U.S., nine out of 10 wildfires are started by people being careless. Take these steps to protect lives, property and the environment from the devastation they cause.
Contact your local fire department, health department, or forestry office for information on fire laws.
Report hazardous conditions that could cause a wildfire.
Teach children about fire safety. Keep matches out of their reach.
Post fire emergency telephone numbers.

Follow Local Burning Laws 
Before burning debris in a wooded area, make sure you notify local authorities and obtain a burning permit.
Use an approved incinerator with a safety lid or covering with holes no larger than ¾ inch.
Create at least a 10-foot clearing around the incinerator before burning debris.
Have a fire extinguisher or garden hose on hand when burning debris.