MARS SMELLS

FROM: NASA

 
SAM Sniffs the Martian Atmosphere

NASA's Curiosity rover uses SAM to make the most sensitive measurements ever to search for methane gas on the red planet

HAPPY 237TH BIRTHDAY U.S MARINE CORPS



121107-N-AC887-002 WASHINGTON (Nov. 7, 2012) Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Ray Mabus and Gen. James F. Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps, cut a cake at the Marine Corps birthday celebration at the Pentagon. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Sam Shavers/Released

FROM: U.S. NAVY
NMCP Celebrate 237th Marine Corps Birthday

By Rebecca A. Perron, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth Public Affairs

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (NNS) -- Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) celebrated the 237th Marine Corps birthday with a cake-cutting ceremony, Nov. 9. Marines of Wounded Warrior Battalion-East Portsmouth Detachment and Marine Liaison Detachment-Portsmouth led the event.

About 60 Marines and NMCP staff attended the traditional Marine Corps ceremony, where they were reminded of the annual renewal of each Marine's commitment to the Corps, and the Corps' commitment to the nation's quest for peace and freedom worldwide. Maj. Steve Miller, Marine Corps Liaison officer in charge, gave the opening remarks.

Miller thanked everyone for attending, as well as NMCP's medical providers for the great care they gave his Marines. Following Miller's remarks, Cpl. Joseph McGuirk read the birthday message from Gen. John A. Lejeune, the 13th commandant of the Marine Corps, from November 1921.

1st Lt. Chase Llewellyn then read the birthday message from the current Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. James F. Amos, who began with the Marine's reputation for answering the nation's call in the past.

"We carry that same legacy of resolute commitment and valor today," Amos wrote. "Over the past year, Marines have stood firm in the toughest of circumstances and on numerous occasions. We've taken the fight to the enemy in Helmand and to the Horn of Africa. We've manned the ramparts of beleaguered embassies in the Middle East and North Africa, fought alongside our allies throughout the world, while behind the scenes, afloat and ashore, other Marines did the painstaking hard work required to maintain our high levels of readiness and efficiency."

Amos also wrote about the role of Marines in America's future.

"Now, more than ever, America needs its Marines as we confront a dangerous and unpredictable world," Amos said in the message. "Faced with difficult days ahead, we will continue to draw strength from our rich heritage and the shared values of the Marines to our left and to our right."

With the traditional ceremonial sword in hand, the cake was then cut by the oldest Marine at the detachment, Master Sgt. Paul Starner, who presented the first piece to the guest of honor, Bill Marx, from the Navy Exchange Headquarters in Virginia Beach. Marx has been a passionate supporter of the Marines at NMCP for more than seven years.

The second piece of cake was presented to Starner by the youngest Marine at the detachment, Lance Cpl. Justin Burbank. The ceremony closed with the Marine Hymn.

DOD News Briefing on Better Buying Power 2.0 with Deputy Secretary Carter and Under Secretary Kendall from the Pentagon

DOD News Briefing on Better Buying Power 2.0 with Deputy Secretary Carter and Under Secretary Kendall from the Pentagon

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR NOVEMBER 13, 2012



Drug Bust In Afghanistan.  Credit:  U.S. DOD.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
 Combined Force Detains Insurgent, Seizes Firearms

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2012 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force detained an insurgent during a search for a Haqqani network senior leader in Afghanistan's Paktia province today, military officials reported.

The security force also seized firearms in the operation, officials said.

In Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- An Afghan and coalition security force killed Taliban leader Mir Jan Lala in Helmand province. He was responsible for providing intelligence to Taliban senior leadership for planning attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- An Afghan-led security force, supported by coalition troops, arrested a Taliban leader who leads an improvised explosive device attack cell in Kandahar province and detained some other suspected insurgents in the operation.

-- A combined Afghan and coalition security force in Helmand province detained several suspected insurgents during a search for a Taliban weapons distributer.

-- In Paktia province, security combined force arrested a Haqqani network leader suspected of being responsible for transferring weapons and IEDs. The security force also detained another suspected insurgent and seized an assault-style rifle.

-- A combined force in Logar province arrested a Haqqani leader alleged to be responsible for facilitating weapons and directing attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also detained two other suspected insurgents and seized a rifle.

In Nov. 11 operations:
-- An International Security Assistance Force patrol seized and destroyed nearly 1,320 pounds of homemade explosives and a banned fertilizer used to make explosives, along with IED initiators and components, during a joint air and ground patrol in Zabul province. The patrol destroyed all cache items at the location.

-- A combined force in Kunduz province arrested a senior Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan facilitator suspected of having organized the purchase and storage of rifles, machine guns, ammunition, mortar systems and fertilizer used in making explosives. The security force also seized grenades and assault-style rifles with large quantities of ammunition.

-- In Ghazni province, security combined force arrested a Taliban leader suspected of having organized and directed attacks on Afghan and coalition forces.

-- A combined force in Paktia province arrested a Haqqani network leader believed to have planned and organized the transfer and emplacement of IEDs. The security force also detained two other suspected insurgents and seized a stockpile of Afghan army uniforms, grenades, a rifle and associated gear.

-- In Logar province, a combined force arrested an insurgent during a search for a Taliban leader suspected of supplying Taliban fighters with IEDs and mortars.

-- Afghan and coalition forces in Helmand province seized and destroyed 5,048 pounds of dry opium, 44 pounds of brown heroin and more than 145 gallons of a chemical used in heroin manufacturing.

In Nov. 10 operations:
-- Afghan and coalition forces killed two heavily armed insurgents engaged in threatening activity in Paktia province.

-- A combined force arrested three insurgents during a search for a Taliban IED facilitator in Kandahar province.

-- In Helmand province, a combined force killed Zafran, a Taliban direct-action cell leader believed to be responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- A Taliban IED facilitator and suicide-bomber operations coordinator in Kunduz province was arrested along with another suspected insurgent.

-- In Kandahar province, a combined force arrested three insurgents during a search for a Taliban IED facilitator.

-- A combined force in Helmand province arrested a Taliban leader believed to be involved in the illegal movement of explosives and IED materials across the Afghan border. The security force also detained a several other suspected insurgents.

-- A combined force detained two insurgents during a search for a Taliban operative who is believed to coordinate the movement of IEDs throughout Kunduz province.

-- In Kandahar province, a combined force arrested a Taliban leader believed to be responsible for coordinating suicide-bomber operations and high-profile attacks targeting Afghan and coalition troops. The security force also seized 6 pounds of heroin.

-- A combined force detained an insurgent and seized 2 pounds of opium during a search of a Taliban IED construction and attack facilitator in Nangarhar province.

In Nov. 9 operations:
-- A combined force in Jowzjan province arrested a senior leader who directed Taliban fighters. The security force also detained another suspected insurgent and seized grenades, an assault-style rifle, a handgun and ammunition.

-- Afghan and coalition forces seized and destroyed nearly 2,400 pounds of opium and 33 pounds of heroin in Helmand province after observing and following a pickup truck traveling along a known drug-smuggling route.

-- Afghan and coalition forces killed two armed insurgents engaged in threatening activity in Kunar province.

Meet Charles, Maggie, and Alan

Meet Charles, Maggie, and Alan

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

 

FROM: U.S. NAVY
Wounded Warriors participate in wheel chair basketball practice as part of the first ever Wounded Warrior Pacific Trials at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Gym. Nearly 50 seriously wounded, ill and injured Sailors and Coast Guardsmen from across the country are competing for a place on the 2013 Warrior Games Navy-Coast Guard team. The U.S. Navy has a 237-year heritage of defending freedom and projecting and protecting U.S. interests around the globe. Join the conversation on social media using #warfighting. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Daniel Barker (Released) 121112-N-RI884-118


　

Electronics Technician 2nd Class Shawn Cutter, assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), removes debris from a street in Staten Island, New York, that was leveled during Hurricane Sandy. More than 130 Sailors and Marines volunteered to help remove debris from sections from the hard hit Breezy Point neighborhoods, roads, and alleys. Wasp, USS San Antonio (LPD 17), and USS Carter Hill (LSD 50) are positioned in New York City's harbor to provide relief support to areas affected by Hurricane Sandy. The U.S. Navy has a 237-year heritage of defending freedom and projecting and protecting U.S. interests around the globe. Join the conversation on social media using #warfighting. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Gretchen Albrecht (Released) 121109-N-NR998-161

U.S. Department Of State Daily Press Briefing - November 13, 2012

Daily Press Briefing - November 13, 2012

U.S. DOJ ENSURES ALL STUDENTS CAN ATTEND SCHOOL IN GEORGIA SCHOOL DISTRICT

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Friday, November 9, 2012
Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Georgia School District to Ensure All Students Can Enroll in and Attend School

The Justice Department announced that it has entered into a settlement agreement with the Henry County School District in Henry County, Ga., to ensure that all students in the district are able to enroll in school, regardless of national origin or immigration status. The settlement agreement resolves the department’s investigation into allegations that the district improperly notified parents that their children would be withdrawn from school for not providing a social security number, and failed to make its enrollment procedures accessible to parents with limited proficiency in English.

Under the settlement agreement, the district will ensure that all parents understand that providing their child’s social security number is voluntary, and no child will be denied enrollment or attendance in school for declining to provide a social security number. The settlement agreement also requires the district to provide parents who have limited English proficiency with enrollment and registration information in a language they can understand. The district further agreed to conduct training for administrators and staff on registration and enrollment procedures and proper communication with limited English proficient parents.

"Public schools serve all children in this country, no matter where they or their parents were born," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "No one benefits when a child is kept out of the classroom. The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that all that students and their families are welcomed in school, regardless of background. "

"No child should face barriers to enrolling in school," said Sally Quillian Yates, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia "We commend the Henry County School District for working collaboratively with the department and for taking the steps necessary to enroll all students and communicate effectively with limited English proficient families."

The settlement agreement reflects guidance that the Georgia Department of Education issued to all Georgia school districts in September 2012, after the Justice Department raised concerns about student enrollment practices in the state. The new guidance makes clear that no student can be denied enrollment in any public school or program for declining to provide a social security number or declining to apply for a social security number.

The enforcement of Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race or national origin in public schools, and of the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974, which requires schools to take appropriate action to overcome language barriers that impede students’ equal participation in instructional programs, are top priorities of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

U.S. GENERAL DEMPSEY SEES CHANGING GLOBAL FOOTPRINT

South Korean and U.S. soldiers stand guard at the Demilitarized Zone in South Korea facing North Korea, Nov. 11, 2012. DOD photo by D. Myles Cullen

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Chairman Looks at Changes to U.S. Global Footprint
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
PERTH, Australia, Nov. 12, 2012 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is ready to move on to the next step of determining the footprint of U.S. troops based overseas.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said in an interview today that service members can expect changes in the numbers of troops based overseas, with increases in some cases and decreases in others.

The determination is an outgrowth of the new defense strategy adopted earlier this year, the chairman said, and officials have been working to learn what is necessary to implement the strategy.

"That's part of the strategic seminars I've been holding with the combatant commanders and service chiefs," he said. "I also said when we implemented the strategy that we wouldn't get just one at-bat to deliver this strategy. We'll have several to deliver these over the plate."

The rebalancing of the force to the Asia-Pacific region has received most of the attention since the strategy was announced.

"That was a horizontal rebalancing globally," the chairman said. "This year, I want to look at a vertical rebalancing, and what I mean by that ... is how we array the forces we have ... and how many should be forward stationed and how best to reap the benefits of forward stationing which are close, binding, traditional enduring relationships."

This includes cultural awareness that leads to deep relationships and deep contacts, he said.

The chairman said he also will look at where and how to rotate troops in and out of areas, "and where we base troops in the homeland, where we build readiness and connect with America."

As the military compares the horizontal and vertical rebalancing, he said, "I believe I'll have a pretty good understanding of how to best apply the resources we have as we go through the continuing budget discussions."

But budget uncertainty makes all this more difficult, Dempsey said. There still is no fiscal 2013 budget, and the cloud of sequestration hangs over discussion of fiscal 2014's budget. If Congress fails to find an alternative by January, a sequestration mechanism in budget law will trigger about $500 billion in defense spending cuts over the next decade in addition to $487 billion in cuts already scheduled over that period.

Development of a strategy that takes those spending reductions into account proves the Defense Department is adaptable, Dempsey said.

"I've often said that the military is seen as being resistant to change," the general said. "We're really not. If you look at the force we were 10 years ago and the force we are today, I would compare the way we've changed with any other sector of the United States.

"We're not averse to change, but uncertainty is the thing that is troubling, because you don't want to put the force in the position where it has to make major change every year," he continued. "Tell us what you want us to change once and let us get after it, and I think you'll find we'll deliver."

The chairman is here to participate in annual consultations between the United States and Australia.

Eclissi totale di Sole in diretta web dall’Australia

Eclissi totale di Sole in diretta web dall’Australia

U.S. TOUTS ACCOMPLISHMENTS ON UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

Credit:  Wikimedia. 

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

U.S. Accomplishments During Its First Term on the UN Human Rights Council
Fact Sheet
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
November 12, 2012

The United States is pleased and proud of its reelection to the UN Human Rights Council earlier today. Since joining the Council in 2009, the United States has ardently worked to help the Council realize its full potential. Our efforts to reform the Council from within have resulted in historic and concrete actions against human rights violators around the world. While much work remains to be done at the Council, in particular ending its excessive and unbalanced focus on Israel, with U.S. leadership the Council has spoken up for those who are suffering major human rights violations and are living under the grip of the world’s cruelest regimes. The Council also has taken action to promote accountability for violations and expand human rights and fundamental freedoms worldwide. Today’s vote will allow us to further strengthen the Council and build on what we have already accomplished at the Council by working together with our international partners.

As we prepare for another three years of close collaboration with partners from all corners of the globe to address the many human rights challenges remaining before us, we reflect on the Council’s key accomplishments during our first term, including:

Robust Response to Country-Specific Situations:

Syria: The Human Rights Council has been an active, vocal body in condemning the atrocities in Syria, holding four special sessions and establishing an independent International Commission of Inquiry, as well as a Special Rapporteur to follow up on the work of the Commission of Inquiry once its mandate expires. The Council has adopted eight resolutions on Syria since 2011, all of which the United States co-sponsored, sharply and repeatedly criticizing and illuminating the conduct of the Syrian government.

Libya: Similarly, in 2011 the Council took assertive action to address the dire human rights situation in Libya, establishing a Commission of Inquiry mandated, among other things, to investigate all alleged violations of international human rights law in Libya and to make recommendations on accountability measures. With the support of the United States and on the recommendation of the Council, the UN General Assembly took unprecedented action in March 2011 to suspend Libya’s membership rights on the Council helping to catalyze broader UN action to prevent the slaughter of civilians in Libya.

Iran: In 2011, the United States led the Council in adopting a resolution that re-instituted the mandate of a Special Rapporteur on Iran to highlight Iran’s deteriorating human rights situation. Today, the Special Rapporteur is speaking out on behalf of those Iranians who have suffered egregious human rights violations by the Iranian government.

Belarus: In 2012, the United States co-sponsored a resolution at the Council that established a Special Rapporteur to highlight human rights abuses in Belarus. In doing so, the Council re-instituted a mandate that the Council eliminated in 2006, when the United States was not a member.

Sri Lanka: In 2012, the United States led the Council in adopting a resolution on Sri Lanka, which sent a strong signal that Sri Lanka still needs to address outstanding issues of reconciliation and accountability.

Cote d’Ivoire: When the political and human rights environment in Cote d’Ivoire deteriorated in 2011, the Council acted quickly to establish a Commission of Inquiry to investigate human rights abuses. The Council later created an Independent Expert on human rights in Cote d’Ivoire, with a mandate to follow up on the Commission of Inquiry’s recommendations and assist the Government of Cote d’Ivoire in combating impunity.

Burma: Since joining the Council in 2009, the United States supported the adoption of four resolutions addressing the human rights situation in Burma. The most recent resolution extended the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights for another year. In doing so, the Council took into account the many recent positive changes in Burma, including the Government of Burma’s stated commitment to democratization and the reconciliation process as well as the Government’s engagement with Aung San Suu Kyi and opposition parties.

Promoting Universal Human Rights:

Advancing the Rights of LGBT Persons: In June 2011 the Council adopted the first-ever UN resolution on the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons. This resolution commissioned a groundbreaking UN report on the human rights abuses that LGBT persons face around the globe, and has opened a broader international discussion on how to best promote and protect the human rights of LGBT persons. As a co-sponsor of this resolution, the United States demonstrated its commitment to an active role in ensuring fair treatment and equality for all people.

Promoting Freedom of Assembly and Association: Since 2010, the United States has led a cross-regional core group of countries in successfully presenting two landmark resolutions on the protection and promotion of freedom of assembly and association. The first resolution created the first new special rapporteur focused on fundamental freedoms in 17 years, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association. The second resolution underscores the important role that civil society plays in the promotion and protection of human rights.

Highlighting Internet Freedom: In July 2012, the United States co-sponsored a landmark resolution, that underscores that all individuals are entitled to the same human rights and fundamental freedoms online as they are offline, including the freedom of expression, and that all governments must protect those rights regardless of the medium.

Underscoring the Right to Nationality: In 2012 the United States successfully introduced a landmark resolution addressing the right to a nationality, with a specific focus on women and children. The equal right to a nationality for women, including the ability to acquire and retain nationality and confer it on their children, reduces the likelihood that women and children will become stateless and vulnerable to serious harm.

Reinforcing Freedom of Expression in the Context of Religious Intolerance: The United States worked with a wide range of partners, including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to secure adoption in 2011 of the "Combating Discrimination and Violence" resolution, also known as resolution 16/18, which calls on states to take a range of positive actions to combat discrimination, violence, and intolerance on the basis of religion or belief without violating the freedom of expression. This resolution marked a sea change in the global dialogue on countering offensive and hateful speech based upon religion or belief.

U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA SAYS REBALANCE IS PROGRESSING

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta conducts a press conference during his flight to Perth, Australia, Nov. 12, 2012. Panetta participated in Veterans Day ceremonies in Hawaii Nov. 11, before continuing on a six-day trip to Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Panetta: Rebalance to Asia-Pacific Shows Early Progress
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service
ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, Nov. 12, 2012 - The Defense Department's strategic rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region is a long-term effort that is beginning to show tangible progress, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said today.

The secretary is traveling to Perth, Australia, to attend the annual ministerial consultations between the United States and Australia, known as AUSMIN. It's his first official visit to Australia, an ally and partner to the United States for more than 60 years.

Panetta will join Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, in meetings with Prime Minister Julia Gillard and sessions of the conference.

The secretary also will meet with Defense Minister Stephen Smith and Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett before continuing on to Thailand and Cambodia on his fourth official visit to the region, three of them this year.

In a briefing with reporters on his military aircraft, Panetta characterized the region as one in which the historical sacrifices of many nations, including the United States, have not been in vain.

"We've obviously sacrificed a great deal in the Pacific region, and the sacrifices that have been made have produced a safer and more secure and prosperous Asia-Pacific region," he said. "That sacrifice led to some 60 years of stability and allowed our many allies and partners in this region to be able to rise and prosper. Many of them have been able to take millions out of poverty."

Panetta said the region's success is equally important to the United States' national security and economic future.

"Looking ahead, we're going to continue to invest in the region in order to continue the progress that's been made," the secretary noted, describing some tangible early results of the long-term effort.

Panetta cited the deployment of Marines for rotations to Darwin, Australia, and an effort to send littoral combat ships to Singapore.

"We have announced that we're looking at a 60-40 split with regards to our Navy ships between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and that will ... take effect over the next few years as we go towards 2020," he said.

The Defense Department has completed the deployment of 12 MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor transport aircraft to Japan, Panetta said, and it is working closely with U.S. Pacific Command on investing in the capabilities of several countries in the region.

"In Korea, we've strengthened our cooperation on space and cyberspace, [and] we will continue to strengthen that relationship in a very critical nation that is extremely important to our security for the future," the secretary said.

"We're working with the Philippines to develop a greater presence and access there [and] ... working to develop their capabilities," he added.

Panetta noted he traveled to Beijing in September to improve the U.S.-China military-to-military relationship and develop a strategic dialog in key areas, and that Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter is working closely with officials in India to develop increased defense cooperation.

"But let me emphasize that the rebalance cannot just be about moving more ships or aircraft or troops to the region," the secretary said. "Ultimately, it has to be a whole-of-government approach. That means we have to continue high-level engagements [such as those] with the secretary of state, the chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff and myself at AUSMIN."

President Barack Obama also will visit the region next week, Panetta said.

"We need to continue diplomatic, economic and development assistance and engagement, and we need resourcing to ensure that this commitment is sustainable for the future," the secretary told reporters traveling with him. He added that the hope is to continue to make new partners in the region, working with countries to develop their capabilities and opportunities for a rotational U.S. military presence.

Later this week in Bangkok, Panetta will meet with his counterpart, Defense Minister Sukampol Suwannathat, and Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Afterward, he will travel to Siem Reap, Cambodia, where he will meet with Cambodian Defense Minister Gen. Tea Banh and with defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations at the organization's annual security conference.

"We want to deepen and modernize our existing partnerships and alliances," Panetta said, "and build regional institutions, particularly working with ASEAN."

The secretary said ASEAN can bring countries together to deal with some of the challenges in the region. "There's a real opportunity here to make that work," he said.

The rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region will not take U.S. attention off critical events in the Middle East, Panetta said.

"The United States is the strongest military power in the world, ... and that means ... we have to cover the threats that exist in the world -- not just in the Asia-Pacific region -- and that's what we're doing," he said. "Even as we rebalance our efforts to the Pacific, we are maintaining a significant force in the Middle East to deal with contingencies there. We are still meeting our responsibilities with regards to other allies and partners in the world."

The new defense strategy accommodates the rebalance and U.S. responsibilities elsewhere, Panetta said. "That's why it's very important that ... we have some degree of certainty as to what the defense budget is going to look like," he added, "not just now, but in the next five years."

In the meantime, Panetta said, there are new areas of potential cooperation in the Pacific.

"It's going to take a lot of work and a lot of focus, but we are ... a Pacific nation, a Pacific power, [and] we're going to remain a Pacific power," the secretary said. "Our fundamental goal here is to work with other countries to advance the peace and prosperity of the region.

Hearts, personally

Hearts, personally

U.S. CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF MEETS WITH COUNTERPART IN AUSTRAILIA



Map Credit:  U.S. State Department.



FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
PERTH, Australia, Nov. 12, 2012 – After meeting with his Australian counterpart here today, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has met with the military leaders of America’s three closest allies in the Asia-Pacific region during his current overseas trip.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey met Gen. David Hurley, chief of Australia’s defense force, upon his arrival for the annual ministerial consultations between the United States and Australia.

Earlier today, the chairman met with Gen. Shigeru Iwasaki, chief of staff of the Japanese joint staff. Yesterday, he met with his South Korean counterpart Gen. Jung Seung-jo following a full day of meetings in the South Korean capital of Seoul and a trip to Korea’s Demilitarized Zone.

In an interview, Dempsey said the alliances among the United States, South Korea, Japan and Australia are the most enduring in the Asia-Pacific. "What I’m trying to do is rise above the very topical and tactical issues and to gain some clarity and consensus on how we can find our way forward together," he added.

Reason exists to pursue multilateral architectures in the Asia-Pacific region, "but we have to take into account their preferences," the general said. He noted that a number of significant exercises have taken place in the region, citing the Thai-hosted Cobra Gold and the U.S.-sponsored Rim of the Pacific exercises as examples of multilateral cooperation among the region’s nations.

Asia-Pacific nations also are working more closely together in the counterpiracy mission from the Straits of Malacca to the Gulf of Aden.

Generally, the allies in the Pacific are comfortable with bilateral relations with the United States as a step toward multilateral relations, the chairman said.

During his trip to South Korea, Dempsey visited U.S. and South Korean troops at the Demilitarized Zone. Though he has been to Korea a number of times, it was his first visit to the frontier between the North and South.

"What I was struck by was 60 years of vigilance and partnership, and what that has meant," he said. "This generation of young Korean and American service members are following in the footsteps of previous generations. I felt damn glad to have them up there."

While he and Jung discussed the changes in North Korea, Dempsey said, they didn’t dwell on them. "We took stock of activities over time, whether it’s the obvious ones like the shelling of islands of the sinking of the Cheonan, or GPS jamming or the missile tests," he said. "Then we looked at not only what we should be doing to better prepare ourselves for whatever the future security situation brings up."

The alliance is successful, but it is going to change, the chairman said, noting that he and Jung discussed what needs to happen to transition to the strategic alliance of 2015. The United States will remain committed to the defense of South Korea, he explained, but the command relationship will change, and he and Jung discussed the path the two countries are on and what still needs to happen.

In Australia, Dempsey will join Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta in meetings with their counterparts. "This shows we are paying more attention to the Asia-Pacific," he said. "How that will manifest itself will be determined."

Dempsey said he expects the conversations to run the full gamut of issues both nations are concerned with, including force posture and partnering, freedom of navigation, counterpiracy, and all things that affect the maritime domain.

"I will also try to encourage a conversation about how in the Asia-Pacific there is a nexus or convergence of maritime issues with space issues with cyber issues," he said. "This convergence is worthy of our time to think through together."

ISAF COMMANDER GEN. JOHN ALLEN UNDER INVESTIGATION

Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, ISAF Commander  

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

DOD Inspector General Investigates ISAF Commander
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, Nov. 13, 2012 - The Defense Department inspector general has opened an investigation of Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said today in a statement.

The statement said the FBI referred a matter involving Allen to the Defense Department on Nov. 11.

Today, Panetta directed that the matter be referred to the DOD IG for investigation and informed the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The House Armed Services Committee also has been notified, he said.

"While the matter is under investigation and before the facts are determined, General Allen will remain ISAF commander," the secretary said.

"His leadership has been instrumental in achieving the significant progress that ISAF, working alongside our Afghan partners, has made in bringing greater security to the Afghan people," Panetta added, "and in ensuring that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorists. He is entitled to due process in this matter."

Allen took over as ISAF commander and commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan in July 2011. President Barack Obama recently nominated him to succeed Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis as commander of U.S. European Command and as NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe.

Obama also nominated Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., now assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, to succeed Allen in Afghanistan. Panetta said he has asked the president, who has agreed, to put Allen's nomination on hold until the relevant facts are determined.

The secretary also said he has asked the ranking members of the Senate Armed Services Committee – Sen. Carl Levin, a Democrat from Michigan, and Sen. John McCain, a Republican from Arizona -- that they delay tomorrow's scheduled confirmation hearing on Allen's pending nomination.

"I respectfully requested that the Senate act promptly on [Dunford's] nomination," Panetta added.

U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY PANETTA IS STAYING FOR NOW

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta places a wreath at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Nov. 11, 2012. Panetta stopped in Hawaii as he began a six-day trip to Australia and Asia. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Panetta Says He Will Stay in Washington to Meet Challenges
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service
ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, Nov. 12, 2012 - Amid speculation that he will excuse himself from President Barack Obama's second-term national security team, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said today his immediate goal is to finish the job he began in 2010.

"It's no secret that at some point I'd like to get back to California," Panetta told reporters traveling with him on his fourth official trip to the Asia-Pacific region. "It's my home." The secretary and he and his wife, Sylvia, founded the Panetta Institute for Public Policy there in 1997.

But in Washington, Panetta said, he is grappling with defense issues that range from looming spending cuts and budget issues to long-term planning in Afghanistan, "and the president and I are working very closely to make sure that we meet those defense challenges."

Right now, the secretary said, his most important focus is to meet his immediate responsibilities in the Defense Department.

In Afghanistan, coalition forces are gradually leaving the war zone in advance of the plan to withdraw foreign combat troops by the end of 2014.

There, Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, is developing options for the post-2014 U.S. presence in Afghanistan that the secretary said the White House and defense officials are now reviewing.

"My hope," Panetta said, "is that we will be able to complete this process within the next few weeks. I'm confident that we're going to be able to get to the right number for the post-2014 presence."

The secretary said Allen presented several options based on missions in Afghanistan that include counterterrorism, training and assisting the Afghan army and the ability to provide enabling capability.

"All of those are being carefully reviewed ... [to] determine the best course in order to have an effective enduring presence in the post-2014 period" in Afghanistan, Panetta added.

A harder job for the defense secretary will be to try to influence the outcome of the intractable problem of sequestration, a mechanism in the 2011 Budget Control Act that would trigger another $500 billion across-the-board defense spending cuts over the next decade, in addition to $487 billion in cuts already programmed, unless Congress identifies equivalent savings by January. Sequestration would require leaders to make very hard choices to ensure the department maintains technological superiority, maintains faith with its workforce and achieves the necessary cuts, the secretary said.

Since President Barack Obama's Nov. 6 re-election, Panetta said, some members of Congress have been speaking hopefully about finding a compromise on the issue.

"I really do think that, coming out of the election, this is a real opportunity for both Republicans and Democrats to address the fundamental challenge that faces this country with regards to our deficit," Panetta said.

From his own experience in dealing with budget deficits, the secretary said the only fair and effective way to reach an agreement on the bottom line is to consider all key areas of the federal budget.

"The fact is that we have addressed the discretionary area, taking almost $1 trillion out of discretionary areas, including almost half a trillion dollars from defense alone," Panetta said. "I think the responsibility now for both Republicans and Democrats has to be to look at ... what savings could be achieved on entitlements and what additional revenues need to be on the table as well."

The Defense Department already has made a significant contribution to deficit reduction, the secretary said, adding that the department has taken $487 billion over 10 years out of the defense budget "in a responsible way that's tied to a defense strategy that will take us into 2020 and beyond."

Before Congress looks for any more money from the Defense Department, Panetta added, "I want to see some progress with regards to both entitlements and revenues."

If Congress decides to delay the decision -- what Panetta calls "kicking the can down the road" -- he said the unsolved issue will represent a cloud over the Defense Department that is an unwelcome source of uncertainty.

Even when such issues are resolved, a reporter asked, does Panetta intend to stay on as defense secretary for four more years?

"Who the hell knows?" the secretary responded. "My experience in Washington is you'd better do this day to day."

THE DEAUVILLE PARTNERSHIP WITH ARAB COUNTRIES IN TRANSITION MEETING IN LONDON

The Houses of Parliament building in Westminster, London, with its famous Clock Tower. The nickname Big Ben is today frequently applied to the tower, the clock, and the bell, but originally it applied solely to the largest bell inside the tower. The clock holds the distinction of being the world's largest four-faced chiming clock.

　
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

The Deauville Partnership with Arab Countries in Transition Meeting on Policies for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in London, United Kingdom

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
November 8, 2012
On November 1, the Deauville Partnership with Arab Countries in Transition, under the U.S. G8 Presidency, met in London at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to discuss the development and promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the transition countries of Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, and Jordan. For the first time, Yemen joined the discussion as a new country in transition within the Deauville Partnership.

The Deauville Partnership with Arab Countries in Transition, formed in the aftermath of the Arab Spring by the 2011 French G8 Presidency, includes G8 members, the European Union, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, multilateral development banks, and regional partners comprising the governments of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The G8 at the 2012 Camp David Summit in May, and other partners at the United Nations General Assembly Deauville Partnership Foreign Ministerial in September, identified the development and growth of small and medium-sized enterprises as critical steps towards economic reform, employment stability, and prosperity in the Middle East-North Africa region.

In London, transition countries, in consultation with experts from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), developed country-specific, near-term action plans to foster SME growth, improve job creation, and increase economic development.

Following the transition countries’ presentations of their action plans in London, partners will continue to collaborate, in particular with multilateral institutions, to provide functional expertise and technical assistance. Given challenges related to reform of the regulatory environment, market access, and access to finance, these institutions and G8 and regional partners will help structure arrangements that give current and prospective business owners a stable operating environment, useful advice, and support to start up, grow, and sustain their businesses.

Work at the Deauville Partnership meetings in London to support the development of SMEs will be further promoted at the Forum for the Future Ministerial to be held in Tunis December 12-13. The Forum will bring together the G8, regional governments, civil society, and the private sector to discuss specific ways to help improve the SME environment throughout the Middle East and North Africa region, drawing on the progress and commitments made in London.

SCIENCE AND THE QUEST FOR THE MILITARY SUPER ENGINE

Two international contractors inspect a sample of JP8 at the Truck Fill Stand near Camp Arifjan, Kuwait in 2010. Fuel trucks had been daily distributing millions of gallons of fuel to warfighters in the Central Command area of operations. (Photo by Army Sgt. David Reardon, 1st Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs)

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Written on November 7, 2012 at 7:33 am by jtozer
ARL Working Toward Super Engine Developemnt
Studies are underway at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) to create a ‘super engine’ that could allow military ground vehicles, stationary power generators, and small unmanned air vehicles, for example, to operate with the same kind of fuel.

In the late 1980s, the Department of Defense (DoD) issued its "Single Fuel Forward" policy calling for use of the kerosene-based JP-8 fuel to reduce the significant logistic burden associated with managing and transporting multiple fuels on the battlefield.

But using a single fuel exposes a host of incompatibility issues, namely in lubrication, large variation in Cetane numbers which measure the time period between the start of fuel injection and the start of engine ignition or combustion, and the fact that none of the engines that use JP-8 are designed – including their fuel systems – and calibrated for JP-8, said Dr. Chol-Bum "Mike" Kweon, acting team lead of the Engines Team of ARL’s Vehicle Technology Directorate at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Md.

He said this design gap is namely due to the fact that not enough information exists in industry and government on the specific combustion characteristics associated with JP-8′s use in intermittent combustion engines.

"Usually large companies are not willing to develop engines specific for JP-8 because it requires significant effort and funding while the market for the military is relatively small and unstable. Therefore, relatively small companies have been developing JP-8-fueled engines for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), while diesel engines are used for ground vehicle engines. Small companies do not have the capability to perform basic fundamental research," Kweon explained

ARL research is bridging that knowledge gap, which could eventually lead to the creation of an engine that operates optimally with JP-8.

"Fuel spray liquid penetration, quenching, vaporization, and mixing characteristics must be precisely understood to properly design combustion chambers and fuel injection systems because a fundamental understanding of fuel spray and combustion is essential in optimizing combustion processes of JP-8-fueled engines to improve fuel efficiency, engine performance and reliability," Kweon said.

ARL’s Combustion Research Laboratory is a state-of-the-art, high-temperature and high-pressure combustion chamber that opened this summer for fuel spray and combustion research, critical areas of interest Defense-wide to facilitate the basic research and development work necessary for the successful development of JP-8-fueled combustion systems.

ARL is currently collaborating with Army Materiel Systems Analysis Activity to assess a fuel injector that is used in a Caterpillar C7 engine, used in Strykers. Results will define how fuel properties affect the performance of the fuel injection systems that are currently used in ground vehicle engines.

Unique laboratory, unmatched in industry
ARL’s vehicle technology research dates back to the early 1980s in gas turbine engines, but when this research area relocated to APG in 2011 from NASA Glenn in Cleveland, Ohio, due to Base Realignment and Closure Activity, ARL broadened its vehicle technology focus to include internal combustion engines. This laboratory is accomplished with the ARL infrastructure fund that was awarded at the end of 2010.

The only combustion lab space of its kind in DoD, the Combustion Research Laboratory will also be used to facilitate the development of heavy fuel injection systems that will ultimately lead to the development of high-efficient UAV engines.

"Currently, there is no ‘robust’ heavy fuel injection system for UAV engines," said Kweon, who received Master of Science and doctorate degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison), which has a big engine research program in its Engine Research Center. He conducted research on diesel engines, various fuels (diesel, alternative diesel fuels, diesel fuels mixed with gasoline streams, alcohols, etc.), combustion, emissions, specification of diesel particulate matters, optical diagnostics, etc., as degree requirements.

ARL’s combustion laboratory contains a high-temperature – up to 1,000 Kelvin (K) – and high-pressure – up to 150 bar -combustion chamber that can simulate real engine operating conditions except for fluid motion. This type of combustion chamber allows the investigation and study of uninterrupted spray and combustion processes.

"Currently, this is the only laboratory within DoD that has this capability," Kweon emphasized.

General Motors, in Warren, Mich., has the first generation of this chamber that has a 100 bar at 1,000 K – and Caterpillar, in Peoria, Ill., has its second generation, which offers 150 bar at 1,000 K.

ARL has a third generation chamber.

The ARL facility also has air and onsite nitrogen supply systems in which we can control oxygen concentration from 0 (almost pure nitrogen) to 21% (pure air) in the gas mixing system. Through the high-pressure compressor, air, nitrogen, or a mixture of air and nitrogen can be supplied to the combustion chamber at pressures over 300 bar(g) to study spray only, spray and combustion, or to simulate exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) that is common in current engines.

"However, we use only 150 bar(g) in the combustion chamber because this represents most of turbocharged internal combustion engine operating conditions. Sandia National Laboratories, NM and Michigan Technological University have a different type of combustion chamber (i.e., constant volume chamber) that has similar capabilities to the one at ARL in terms of temperature and pressure".

"The main difference is that the one at ARL is a flow-through type combustion chamber that controls chamber pressure, temperature, and flowrate (very slow compared to fuel injection velocity) at set points in the test section, while the constant volume chamber has varying chamber temperature and pressure as it uses premixed combustion gases. And the injection frequency is much higher for a flow-through chamber than the constant volume chamber. Therefore, we can perform multiple injections per cycle and perform testing much faster in the flow-through chamber than in the constant volume chamber," said Kweon, who was formerly employed at General Motors R&D in Warren, Mich., and at GM Powertrain in Pontiac, Mich., where he conducted research in cylinder pressure-based control.

For that research, Kweon and several former colleagues developed more than 21 intellectual properties. Currently, he has 30 intellectual properties that include 19 patents, seven patent applications, three patents pending, and one tool method invention.

The new laboratory will also be used to assess the performance of heavy fuel injection systems for various fuels such as JP-8, diesel, bio, and synthetic fuels; investigate the impact of various fuel properties on spray and combustion processes, ultimately on engine performance and efficiency; assess the impact of the aging of fuel injection systems on the engine performance and fuel efficiency, especially for ground vehicle engines and assess JP-8 surrogate fuels that are being formulated under the various DoD programs.

"This laboratory has a unique capability to assess the various JP-8 surrogate fuels and to compare the results with the combustion mechanisms developed by various universities and government laboratories," said Kweon.

"This will help the scientists and researchers to develop a universal JP-8 combustion mechanism. This laboratory will be used to generate spray and combustion database that will be needed for the development and validation of computation fluid dynamics (CFD) models for engine spray and combustion processes to support the development of advanced concepts and practical designs. These CFD models will be used to optimize internal combustion engines for both UAS and ground vehicles in terms of injector parameters and combustion chamber designs. These research efforts will enable UAS engines to efficiently run on heavy fuels such as JP-8."

"The combustion research laboratory was commissioned this year and is up and running. I am confident that this laboratory will be a critical asset to the Army and DoD to support the development and/or advancement of various ground and UAV engines," Kweon said.

21ST CENTURY MILITARY COURIERS

Air Force Staff Sgt. Kelly Adler, right, goes over customer service training with Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Evan Seller at the Defense Courier Station at Royal Air Force Station Mildenhall, Great Britain, Feb. 14, 2012. Adler is one of six airmen and Seller one of four sailors assigned to the station, one of 18 operated around the world by U.S. Transportation Command's Defense Courier Division. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jerilyn Quintanilla

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Couriers Ensure Prompt, Secure Delivery of Classified Materials
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill., Nov. 7, 2012 - A vintage 12-inch action figure now found only on the Internet depicts the stereotypical defense courier, complete with a black brief case, handcuffs, cell phone and secret papers.

Air Force Col. Darryl Stankevitz, chief of U.S. Transportation Command's Defense Courier Division, quickly dispels the "G.I. Joe Defense Courier" image as he kicks off orientation classes here for service members selected to join the elite corps of defense couriers.

"I tell them, 'You all thought that when you were coming out here that you would get your own briefcase and set of handcuffs,'" he said. "Well that's not it. That's not how we really operate."

With a heritage dating back to the Military Postal Express Service that moved highly classified and sensitive mail abroad during World War I, the Defense Courier Division remains true to its original mission.

"We move anything that is highly sensitive or classified that our government needs us to move," Stankevitz said. "It can be anything from an envelope all the way up to large crypto[logical] equipment that's thousands of pounds."

One might think the development of the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network, better known as SIPRNet, would make most personal deliveries a thing of the past.

Not so, Stankevitz said. That's because the vast quantity of highly classified messages, documents and images the Defense Department relies on to conduct its day-to-day business would consume so much computer bandwidth that it would overwhelm the classified network, he said.

"There is still a lot of material that must be physically hand-delivered -- partly to ensure that the SIPRNet can keep going," Stankevitz explained. "Given how much has to be transmitted, real-time, for different operations and events going on, sometimes there's more that needs to be moved than you can physically do, electronically.

"And it is actually quicker for us, at times, to move some of that physically with our couriers, because of the volume of what we are carrying," he added.

In addition, many of the courier deliveries involve equipment used to run the Defense Department's secure networks and cryptologic operations, he said.

"These are items that have to be kept secure while in transit," Stankevitz said. "It's not something that you can put in the mail or hand off to [a commercial parcel service] because there could be a risk of tampering in transit. That's why we need to send a courier."

The 235 soldiers, sailors and airmen who make up the Defense Courier Division are assigned to 18 stations around the world that maintain 24/7 operations and several other substations. Collectively, according to John McAllister, deputy director, they move about 1.5 million pounds of material annually -- made up of about 80,000 pieces ranging from envelopes, referred to as "flats," to giant crates transported using the division's own vans, trucks and tractor trailers.

Although the "James Bond" mystique may be misleading, the couriers operate according to a strict Transcom instruction designed to protect the classified material they handle, store and transport. Working in two-person teams, they are required to maintain constant physical or visual contact with their shipments. The couriers can't be out of each other's sight for more than 15 minutes. And contrary to popular assumption, they carry weapons only when traveling through a combat zone.

Couriers typically fly on military, contract or commercial aircraft. But increasingly, especially for deliveries within the continental United States and Europe, they drive the shipments themselves using the courier division's own fleet of vans, trucks and tractor trailers, Stankevitz said.

"Even though you may think traveling by air would be faster, sometimes you have to rely on the availability of aircraft and their timing," he noted. "So sometimes it is actually quicker and more convenient for us to use one of our vehicles and drive it on the road."

McAllister said he spends much of his time planning out missions in the courier division's operations center. "What are we carrying? How big is it and where does it need to go?" he said. "Those are really the only questions we need to know. We don't need to know what's in the package."

In fact, couriers never know what they are carrying. "What we do know is that it is all highly sensitive material," Stankevitz said. "It's some of the most-sensitive material that our nation has."

Just as computers have changed the nature of many courier shipments, they have helped make the process faster and more efficient. Introducing technology similar to that used by commercial shipping companies, courier division planners now consolidate shipments whenever possible so they can dispatch a single courier team to make deliveries to a single destination.

"Ten years ago, every station was independent," McAllister said. "But over the years, there has been greater and greater visibility through a centralized command center. We set up a network and started to merge requirements."

Planners now collaborate with the State Department's Diplomatic Courier Service, particularly when servicing countries where the U.S. military has no status of forces agreement, McAllister said.

"It all comes down to, what needs to move and who is in the best position to move it, through the interagency," he added. "So we do a lot of cooperation through the interagency to make the most-efficient move possible."

These and other efficiencies have made a big impact in the courier division's bottom line, Stankevitz said, eliminating duplication and reducing costs. Adopting a new air transportation system saved the division $1 million a year, he noted, while having couriers hitch rides on other Transcom air missions eliminated the need for a $4.3 million air carrier and air taxi service contract.

"We've become much more efficient in the way we do business," Stankevitz said. "Our operating cost, which directly ties to what we charge our customers, has dropped about 40 to 45 percent, because of actions we took."

As he's witnessed evolution within the Defense Courier Division, Air Force Master Sgt. Delano Lucas still calls it the best job a service member could ever have.

Like all couriers, he came to the field from another military specialty, in his case, he said, attracted by the "chance to do something different." He added what's kept him in the career field has been the opportunity to broaden his military portfolio while working in a joint command.

"When you are progressing through the grades, your potential is based on not only what you have done, but your potential to lead effectively in the next grade," he said. "And what better way of actually displaying that talent and character trait than by going and executing in something that is outside your normal [career field]?"

Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Moon said he "jumped at the chance" to join the courier division 14 years ago and has never looked back. He currently serves as chief of the Baltimore Station at Fort Meade, Md., the largest of 18 worldwide, where he oversees 35 fellow couriers.

"It's much better than I could have expected or hoped for," he said.

McAllister summed up much of the allure. "Traveling the world delivering top-secret material. It is not a bad way to tell your cousins what you do," he said.

Another big motivator, Lucas said, has been the opportunity to operate almost autonomously with a level of responsibility rarely afforded a mid-level or senior noncommissioned officer.

"[Couriers] are not only seeing a lot of things and doing something different, but they have an incredible amount of responsibility -- just those two people carrying some of the most-sensitive material that our nation has," he said.

Stankevitz agreed, adding, "Being entrusted with that is a huge responsibility."

It's a responsibility he expects to continue long into the future.

"Changing requirements may change how we operate and where we operate out of, but we will still continue to operate," Stankevitz said. "Overall, we are still going to see a demand for our business for the foreseeable future."

ANNIVERSARY OF THE SIGABA CIPHER MACHINE

Photo:  SIGABA Cipher Device.  Credit:  Wikimedia

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFESNE

Cryptologists Reunite at NSA's 60th Anniversary
By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service
 FORT MEADE, Md., Nov. 8, 2012 - Many intelligence analysts and historians contend the SIGABA cipher device is one of the most important encryption systems the U.S. military has ever known.

Yesterday, it was also a time machine.

The unusual contraption first brought two young cryptologists together during World War II, and nearly 60 years later it has reunited them, sparking memories of their critical work.

The National Security Agency's National Cryptologic Museum in Fort Meade, Md., recognized Helen Nibouar and Marion Johnson during a ribbon cutting ceremony unveiling a new exhibit entitled, "60 Years of Cryptologic Excellence."

"We not only break codes, but we make codes ... and we stand on the shoulders of giants," NSA Deputy Director Chris Inglis said of Nibouar and Johnson. "When we celebrate Marion and Helen's return to the scene of their early work, we're actually celebrating a long legacy of the history of the National Security Agency."

As the United States stepped up its search to fill non-combat positions in support of World War II, Nibouar and Johnson initially interviewed for typist-clerk positions. On the day of her interview in the Signal Corps building, Nibouar, while at a water fountain, met a woman who encouraged her to give cryptology a try.

She did, but confessed to having no prior familiarity with the field. Johnson said she took a similar path to cryptology, although she was more outspoken during her interview.

"The [hiring officials] asked me if I liked to do crossword puzzles and I said, 'No, I hate them!'" Johnson said. "But they hired me anyway."

Nibouar trained at Morrison Field in West Palm Beach, Fla., where she met Johnson, and the two became fast friends, with no idea they were forging their place in history by obscuring troop movements and other classified material.

"What was really, really difficult was all the messages came in five random letter groups separated by spaces," Nibouar said. And though she typed about 100 words per minute, putting code to tape was considerably more painstaking.

"You couldn't type very fast because you couldn't make a mistake or it would mess up the message," Nibouar said.

After Florida, Nibouar's cryptology journey took her to California, Hawaii and even Japan. And though Johnson worked in different locations, the women wrote letters to keep in touch.

All the while, a shrouded, arduous work life and extended time apart from family became the norm for the two women. A single message could take hours to process. They often received messages so secret that even they were excluded from seeing them.

"The first thing the message would say is 'eyes only,' and we had to stop, not hit another key, get up and go somewhere," Nibouar said. "And an officer in charge came and decoded the message, taking it by hand straight to Gen. [Douglas] MacArthur."

When asked what she thought the messages might have said, Nibouar quipped, "It might have been to have a party."

Transition back into normal life couldn't come too soon for the women, they said.

"I just wanted to go home and get married," Johnson said.

Nibouar also wed, had three children, became a teacher and spent a great deal of time volunteering -- which, at age 91, she continues to this day.

She marvels at modern intelligence technology, but describes SIGABA developer Frank Rowlett as a genius for the machine's simple design and complex capabilities.

National Cryptologic Museum Curator Patrick Weadon said the SIGABA derives from an earlier randomizing system, Enigma, developed by the U.S. Army's Signals Intelligence Service Director William Friedman.

During World War II, people frequently used electro-mechanical devices to communicate securely, Weadon said.

"Enigma was thought to be utterly secure by the Germans because it produced permutations and possibilities of 3x10114 which made it theoretically impossible to crack," he said.

But the Allies did crack Enigma -- as early as 1940 -- prompting the Signals Intelligence Service to develop SIGABA, Weadon said.

SIGABA designers looked at the shortcomings and the frailties of Enigma and designed a machine that had the power of Enigma without its shortcomings, Weadon said.

SIGABA's distinctive ability to advance rotors with another set of rotors made it impenetrable, Weadon explained.

"It was never cracked, it was a perfect machine from the moment it was put on line and it was perfect the day that they took it off," he said. "You're talking about a perfect encryption machine, which many people even today believe is practically impossible [to crack]," he added.

Weadon said he's sure the courage and bravery of U.S. and Allied troops won the war, but the ability to communicate securely on a more consistent basis than the Axis powers ultimately cinched victory.

"When you're reading the other guys traffic and they can't read yours -- you got 'em," he said