MARS IS A GOOD SOURCE OF CALCIUM

FROM: NASA

Curiosity Finds Calcium-Rich Deposits
NASA’s Curiosity rover finds calcium deposits on Mars similar to those seen on Earth when water circulates in cracks and rock fractures.

Credit-NASA-JPL-Caltech

A NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE

Vice President Joe Biden stops to smile for a photograph while packing care kits for deployed troops during a national day of service event at the District of Columbia Armory in Washington, D.C., Jan. 19, 2013. DOD photo by Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Volunteers Come Together For National Day of Service
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2013 - In conjunction with tomorrow's observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, about 10,000 people from all across the country traveled here to participate yesterday in the national day of service.

Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, were among many people who came out to support troops overseas by packing care kits to send to them.

"We all get what is so important today," the vice president said. "We still have 68,000 troops in harm's way. ... They're not looking for anything, but knowing that those of us here at home remember them and know what is going is an important piece of the equation."

Dr. Biden expressed her gratitude to the many volunteers who came out to pack care kits as a part of the national day of service, noting that she and First Lady Michelle Obama began the Joining Forces initiative to rally the nation behind military families.

"I'd like to thank each and every one of you for volunteering today to assemble these important care kits," she said. "Our military families have done so much for our country, and each of us can do something in return. [This] is why the first lady and I created Joining Forces -- to encourage all Americans to support and honor our military families."

John Adams, a former Marine Corps captain and a Milwaukee native, works with an organization called Operation Gratitude, which helped to sponsor the event.

"It means the world to me," he said. "I believe strongly in having everybody's efforts focused on supporting the military. For everybody to come here together and assemble care kits for Operation Gratitude to send to troops overseas is very special and very meaningful."

Adams also was able to speak from a service member's perspective, having served as an infantry officer, leading rifle and mortar platoons for two deployments – one in Afghanistan and another aboard a Navy vessel in Southeast Asia.

"It meant the world to me [then as well]," he said. "We received much needed items such as the hygiene kits and some letters of support that helped raise morale. So it meant the world to everybody, and I'm speaking on behalf of all the sailors and Marines that I was with. We really felt a connection with people back home."

Two volunteers, Paquilla Jones and Sajedea Chin, both sophomore students studying civil engineering at Howard University, said they enjoyed volunteering.

"It's a good thing to do for the troops," Jones said.

"I just like giving back, so this is an opportunity to give back and be with friends," Chin said.

Chin added that she enjoyed meeting new people and had volunteered previously, but nothing like the national day of service, where the event's goal was to pack 100,000 care kits.

"I think it's a good opportunity for us to get together with different people – meet people we don't know – and do something good," she said.

THREE AMERICANS CONFIRMED DEAD FROM TERRORISTS ATTACK IN ALGERIA

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Terrorist Attack in Algeria
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
January 21, 2013
　

We can now confirm the death of three U.S. citizens in the terrorist attack in Algeria: Victor Lynn Lovelady, Gordon Lee Rowan, and Frederick Buttaccio. We extend our deepest condolences to their families and friends. Out of respect for the families' privacy, we have no further comment. We are also aware of seven U.S. citizens who survived the attack. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further information to provide.

As the President said, the blame for this tragedy rests with the terrorists who carried it out, and the United States condemns their actions in the strongest possible terms. We will continue to work closely with the Government of Algeria to gain a fuller understanding of the terrorist attack of last week and how we can work together moving forward to combat such threats in the future.

 

President Obama Delivers His Second Inaugural Address | The White House

President Obama Delivers His Second Inaugural Address | The White House

USS GARY STOPS $22 MILLION COCAINE SHIPMENT

130104-N-ZZ999-001 U.S. 4TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Jan. 4, 2013) Approximately 600 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of $22 million was confiscated by the U.S. Coast Guard team aboard the guided-missile frigate USS Gary (FFG 51) after an interdiction while conducting Operation Martillo in the U.S. 4th Fleet area of responsibility in Central and South America. Operation Martillo, Spanish for hammer, is a U.S., European and Western Hemisphere partner nation effort targeting illicit trafficking routes in coastal waters along the Central American isthmus. (U.S. Navy photo/Released)

FROM: U.S. NAVY

USS Gary Seizes $22 Million of Narcotics During Operation Martillo, Sinks Drug Boat

USS GARY, At Sea (NNS) -- The Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Gary (FFG 51) and its embarked U.S. Coast Guard team leveraged the capabilities of partner nations and the interagency to intercept a small drug trafficking vessel and confiscated more than 600 pounds of cocaine while on patrol in U.S. 4th Fleet while conducting Operation Martillo Jan. 4.

The estimated street value of the seizure is approximately $22 million.

"This was one of those vessels we were chasing in the dark," said USS Gary's embarked Naval Criminal Investigative Service Agent, Leatrice Daniels. "There was great open communication with everybody involved. Everything just flowed, from pursuit to initial contact and boarding."

Shortly after the intercept and search of the drug vessel and its contents, the ship was deemed a hazard to navigation and subsequently sunk. This case concluded a week in which the Gary's crew successfully boarded three vessels and disrupted the smuggling of more than 2,000 pounds of cocaine destined for the United States worth an estimated street value of $272 million.

Gary is homeported in San Diego and is currently deployed to Central and South America in support of Operation Martillo and U.S. 4th Fleet's mission, Southern Seas 2012.

Operation Martillo - Spanish for "hammer"- is a U.S., European and Western Hemisphere partner nation effort targeting illicit trafficking routes in coastal waters along the Central American isthmus. U.S. military participation is being led by Joint Interagency Task Force South.

Operation Martillo is part of the U.S. government's coordinated regional security strategy in support of the White House strategy to combat transnational organized crime and the U.S. Central America Security Initiative.

Fourteen countries are participating: Canada, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, France, Guatemala, Honduras, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

RETURNING TO DUTY AFTER WOUNDS AND SURGERY

After more than 20 surgeries resulting from machine-gun fire while serving in Afghanistan in 2010, Army Sgt. Michael Krapels returned to duty and is serving another deployment with Chosen Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael Sword

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT DEFENSE
Face of Defense: Soldier Returns to War After 20 Surgeries
By Army Sgt. Michael Sword
Combined Joint Task Force 1 Afghanistan

WARDAK PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Jan. 15, 2013 - Three years after suffering war wounds that resulted in more than 20 surgeries, Army Sgt. Michael Krapels is back where he wants to be: serving alongside his fellow soldiers in Afghanistan.

Krapels, who is with Chosen Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, had always wanted to join the military, and after attending college at the request of his parents, he enlisted in the Army on his birthday, Oct. 7, 2008.

"I made a promise to my parents that I would go to college first, so I did two years at the University of Maine," he said. "A friend went up there to play football and I got accepted, so we went up there and roomed together."

The intention was to finish his college education, but a visit to the recruiter by his best friend back home in Sparta, N.J., changed that plan, and his life, forever.

"Halfway through my sophomore year of college, my best friend from back home -- we had always talked about enlisting together -- told me that he had gone down and spoken to a recruiter and enlisted," Krapels recalled. "That started the ball rolling with me wanting to go, and later on that spring, a buddy of mine got hurt in Helmand province, and that made it definite."

Once he left Sparta, his transition from civilian to deployed soldier was a quick one. From Fort Benning, Ga., for his one-station unit training and airborne school, to Vicenza, Italy, home of 2nd Battalion and the 173rd ABCT, to training and a mission readiness exercise, Krapels quickly found himself high in the mountains of Afghanistan's Kunar province by the winter of 2010.

But almost as quickly as he arrived, Krapels left Afghanistan after machine-gun fire hit both of his legs, Jan. 14, 2010.

"One went through my left ankle, one through my right calf -- it cut my Achilles [tendon]," Krapels said, listing just a few of the rounds that hit him. "I lost a couple of inches of bone in my shin, [and] lost the feeling in my foot and a lot of mobility."

The serious nature of injuries took him to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and he began his fight to recover that would last more than two years.

"There were times when I thought it was going to be impossible," he said. "I was told I was never going to walk right. I was told I was never going to be able to run or carry weight on my back."

Between surgeries, Krapels spent 10 months in a wheelchair, struggling and wondering if he would ever be the same again, until a visit from 2nd Battalion's highest-ranking enlisted soldier, Army Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Ferrusi, changed everything.

"Sergeant Major Ferrusi came down in July of 2010 to talk to me," Krapels said. "That started the ball rolling with me really throwing myself into physical therapy and getting out of my wheelchair."

"He was struggling with identity," Ferrusi said. "Did he want to stay in the Army? Did he want to get out? He didn't know.

"I told him, 'There are two things you can do in life: you can either let adversity beat you, or you can beat adversity,'" he continued. "It's not the act that defines you. It's not what happened to you that will define you. It's what you're going to do from now and for the rest of your life based on what happened."

Ferrusi, who was the battalion sergeant major at the time, was on leave and visited Krapels at Walter Reed. "I stayed there about five days with him, hung out with him, and in the course of five days, I got to know him -- not just as a soldier anymore, but as a person."

Krapels said he learned that that Ferrusi had broken his neck in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom I, lending weight to his words and a voice of credibility and experience to his advice.

"It was motivating, because I found out that he had been injured, and having someone that high up who's been through the whole recovery process come in and share some of his wisdom with me, it was an eye-opener," Krapels said. "When the sergeant major came, that was the catalyst -- like, 'If he did it, I can do it.'"

After that visit, Krapels threw himself into rehabilitation and stated in no uncertain terms his desire to make it back to the fight.

"There were guys down there with no legs that were out running," he said. "I couldn't accept the fact that I wasn't going to be a whole person and be able to do my job anymore, so I just put my nose into recovering.

"Everyone in my chain of command at Walter Reed knew what my intentions were," he continued. "I actually removed myself from their physical therapy, because I thought it was moving too slow, and started doing a lot of it on my own."

In June 2011, Krapels traveled to the Center for the Intrepid at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. The center specializes in many things, including advanced outpatient rehabilitation for patients like Krapels. It was there that his rehabilitation made a breakthrough when he was fitted for an intrepid dynamic exoskeletal orthosis, or IDEO.

The IDEO is an external prosthesis that wraps around the leg, just below the knee, and has a footplate that stabilizes the foot and ankle and a pair of carbon fiber rods that connect the two. The device works by offloading the weight of the wearer, alleviating pain when walking or running.

"After I received the IDEO," he said, "I was able to start running again." After a month in San Antonio, Krapels returned to Walter Reed to check his status and evaluate his progress. He went through a physical therapy revaluation and was cleared to return to duty.

In November 2011, Krapels returned to Italy, to the same battalion, and back to Chosen Company, and tried to fit back in as quickly as possible.

"I didn't get any special treatment, which is good," he said. "They welcomed me with open arms, and it was like I had never left."

Ferrusi kept up with Krapels' progress during his rehabilitation, and though the 2nd Battalion's commander was a new one, by the time Krapels arrived back in Italy, Army Lt. Col. Michael Larsen knew who he was.

"When we finally got the word he was coming back, I was fired up," Larsen said. "What a great example of persistence and motivation, and when I met him for the first time and saw his energy and what a positive person he is, it inspired me.

"Easily, he's a guy that could have accepted what his wounds were, been medically discharged and no one would have second guessed, no one would have said a thing or judged him any differently," Larsen added. "But he powered through all of that just to be able to come back and deploy with Chosen Company again, and deploy with 'The Rock.'"

Once he returned to the company, Krapels got right back into the swing of things. With no physical profile limiting his actions, he resumed training with his unit for its upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. After three training rotations in Germany, he attended the Army's Warrior Leader Course and graduated on the Commandant's List.

He has been deployed to eastern Afghanistan since June with Chosen Company, battling the harsh weather and terrain, keeping up with every step of the other soldiers.

"He's still hurting," Larsen said. "But he still goes out and executes every patrol and never complains."

His solid performance and his perseverance led Ferrusi to fight for, and ultimately to succeed, in getting Krapels promoted. On Jan. 1, more than two years from his visit to Walter Reed, Ferrrusi was able to pin Krapels with the rank of sergeant.

"In this business, you invest in what you see, and his past performance to me was an indicator of his future potential," Ferrusi said. "I told him that, 'I know you can beat this. I know you can come back, and I'll support you. I know it's going to be hard, but I won't waver on you if you don't waver on me.'"

Krapels "didn't take no for an answer, continued to push himself physically and mentally to get himself back here to the unit where his true loyalties resided," Larsen said. "He's an awesome guy to have in the formation; I wish I had 100 of him.

"To have a tangible example that you can point to so other paratroopers can see in their midst, every day, the right mindset of a paratrooper," he continued. "I think that's what every commander wishes to have -- an example they can always point to of a guy that doesn't quit, a guy that doesn't give up, who found a way to make it back to the unit and deploy with us. It's a great success story."

While the paratroopers of Chosen Company continue to patrol Afghanistan's Wardak province, Krapels continues fighting the pain, but keeps a positive attitude as he does it, because he is finally back where feels he needs to be.

"When you sign up as an infantryman during a time of war, you're signing up to fight, and when you get hurt and pulled out of a combat situation with guys that you've been training with forever, you feel like you lost your family," he said. "I knew that they were going to be the same people -- just different names -- and I wanted to make sure that with some of the drive and experience I have, I could share it and help out.

"It was good coming back," he added. "I needed it."

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA'S FINAL TRIP IN OFFICE

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta speaks with troops at U.S. Army Garrison Vicenza, Italy, Jan. 17, 2013. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

On Final Official Trip, Panetta Shares Legacy of ServiceBy Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2013 - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta returned here yesterday after concluding a six-day tour of European capitals that he has said was likely his last official trip in office.

Along the way, the secretary touched down in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Great Britain. In each country, he discussed Afghanistan; all of the nations Panetta visited over the week are coalition partners in NATO's International Security Assistance Force.

He also grappled with the Algerian hostage situation, and talked to troops, world leaders and reporters about budgets, strategies and the crucial nature of strong alliances in a world facing 21st century threats, including the invisible but nightmarish specter of computer-based attacks that could shut down the world's flow of money, energy and information.

Panetta also outlined a legacy, a vision and a dream: a legacy of service; a vision of resolute, committed global security cooperation; and a dream that he often says is not exclusively American, but simply human: a better life "for our children."

Panetta frequently speaks about public service, as he did to soldiers in Vicenza, Italy, Jan. 17, and to students who attended his speech at London's King's College Jan. 18.

The secretary started his own nearly half-century career in public service with a stint as an Army lieutenant, later representing his home state of California in Congress for 16 years. He was chief of staff and director of the Office of Management and Budget during Bill Clinton's presidency, and as part of President Barack Obama's administration has led both the CIA and the Defense Department.

Panetta has visited troops -- primarily U.S. forces, but also Japanese, Afghan, South Korean and British service members, among others -- on virtually all of his foreign and domestic travels as defense secretary, and his respect for the military people he leads is clear, as it was in Vicenza.

"The proudest thing that I do as secretary of defense is have the honor and the pride to serve and to lead the men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line every day for our country," he said to the soldiers of U.S. Army Europe's 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. "A generation of young people since 9/11 who have come forward and been willing to serve this country and willing to fight and, yes, to die, has been a great tribute to the dedication of young people to what our democracy is all about."

Panetta told the students at King's College his love for democracy dates back to his formative memories of Monterey, Calif., during World War II. Born in 1938, he was too young, he explained, to understand all that was happening in the world.

"I can still remember the feelings of fear and uncertainty and vulnerability that pervaded those years," he said. "Blackout shades, the air raid drills, the paper drives, the soldiers and sailors who walked the streets of Monterey before they were sent off to battle. Those are all memories."

But his memories of that time also include some that seemingly still inspire him. The man who helped to bring down Osama bin Laden spoke warmly to the King's College crowd of his early impressions of Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Panetta perhaps displayed the roots of his own "no refuge" approach to terrorists as he described those leaders' resolve: "By making clear that they would accept nothing less than the total defeat of fascism, Roosevelt and Churchill were determined to shape a new world, and to do everything they could to ensure it would never again descend into total conflict," he said.

"Their stirring oratory, their personal friendship, their clear-eyed resolve inspired a generation at war and, I know, continue to inspire all of us today," he added.

Panetta likely will be remembered for some stirring oratory of his own. The former congressman has not been shy as defense secretary in exhorting his 21st century counterparts to carry out the duties they were elected to perform.

As he told the soldiers in Vicenza while discussing budget issues, "This is not an unsolvable problem. We can do this. People have just got to suck it up and ... take on some of the risks and take on some of the challenges that are required by people in leadership."

The secretary has taken on daunting challenges while leading the Pentagon. A war-weary force has struggled with high suicide and sexual assault rates. Insider attacks have tested the strength of the ISAF coalition. Constant budget uncertainty has strained the nation's defense industries and frustrated and worried military commanders, service members and the defense civilian workforce.

Panetta spoke about that last item at the National Press Club here in December, shortly after returning from a trip to Afghanistan.

"It's easy to get cynical and frustrated in this town," he admitted. "And after 40 years, I know my level of cynicism and frustration. But my confidence and my hope for the future is restored every time I have the opportunity to visit with our troops on the front lines, as I did last week. In them, I see the spirit of public service that has kept this country strong for more than two centuries and which has helped us to overcome every period of crisis and adversity in our history."

At that same event, Panetta also displayed some of the same empathy he showed in Vicenza, when a young soldier who had been standing in formation waiting for him -- likely for quite some time -- started to sway on her feet in the middle of the secretary's remarks. He stopped and gazed at her in concern as two fellow soldiers led her from the formation. "Are you all right, dear?" the leader of the world's mightiest military asked her.

At the press club in December, Panetta exhibited the same respect for others in discussing a far more serious situation. He paid tribute to a reporter who had suffered an explosive blast in Afghanistan, leaving her with a prosthetic left leg and a shattered right foot that had been pieced back together.


"Journalists who commit themselves to doggedly pursuing the truth and telling the everyday stories of American people are public servants in their own right," he said. "On my last trip, I was honored to be accompanied by Cami McCormick, an award-winning radio reporter for CBS News who three years ago suffered a terrible injury ... while covering the war in Afghanistan. It was truly an emotional experience to be with her as she returned back to Afghanistan for the first time after that injury. She put her own life at risk in order to tell the story of that war."

McCormick also accompanied Panetta on his European trip. She delighted in a photograph she took of the Roman Catholic secretary in Rome, after he attended a general audience with Pope Benedict XVI. In the photo, the secretary's grin is incandescent. "It's perfect Panetta," she said.

The secretary's legacy of public service reaches even into his years outside the Capital Beltway. Panetta and his wife, Sylvia, in 1997 founded the Panetta Institute for Public Policy at California State University, Monterey Bay. The institute, as its website details, serves the entire California state university system, and under the direction of Sylvia Panetta -- before his return to the national stage, the couple shared the job -- provides study opportunities in government, politics and public policy. The institute also sponsors other activities, such as the Monterey County Reads program, which recruits hundreds of reading volunteers from communities around Monterey to work with children in kindergarten through third grade.

The institute's mission, the secretary told his London audience, is to "help prepare the next generation for a career in public service." He added, "I look forward to returning to the institute, to ... my wife and family, and, yes, to our walnut farm."

But last week, Panetta's focus was far from Monterey. In Lisbon, in Madrid, in a Rome wracked by thunderstorms and a London slushy with snow, the secretary spoke of his vision: a NATO alliance retooled for a young century's new threats, ready to foster security alliances and military cooperation around the world.

"The goal of this trip is really in line with that," he told reporters traveling with him while en route to Lisbon. "It's to try to strengthen and reaffirm the transatlantic alliance, our relationship with NATO, to reflect on what we've accomplished over the last decade of war, and to also lay the groundwork for the future."

In Portugal, the secretary said the war on terrorism continues. "We have made good progress," he added. "We have undermined their ability to conduct the kind of attacks that they would like to conduct. But the war on terrorism continues."

In Italy, he noted that "this is the kind of war that's going to require continuing pressure over a period of time."

In Spain, he said efforts to implement the way forward in Afghanistan decided upon at a NATO summit in Chicago were continuing as the alliance members' leaders had hoped. "Because of the work that has been done by all the nations involved to help build the Afghan security forces, ... I believe we are on track to meet the goals that our nations agreed to last year in Chicago."

And in London, the secretary asserted, "NATO has been an unprecedented force for global security and prosperity, developing into the most effective and capable and enduring multilateral security alliance the world has ever seen."

During his previous travels -- 18 international trips over as many months leading the Defense Department -- Panetta has talked of a world that is united against threats, where relationships that are not alliances, as with China, can remain respectful and engaged, and where a common goal of peace and prosperity becomes not exclusively the American dream, but also a globally achievable objective.

Panetta famously credits his Italian parents, who brought him up on that walnut farm after immigrating to America with "no money and few skills," with instilling that dream in him and his brother. The Panetta sons were the first in their family to attend college, and then law school, he noted.

The secretary says openly he hopes to return soon to wife, family, farm and institute. He told the troops in Vicenza that when their turn comes to go home, "I hope ... you'll have the same deep sense of pride that I have in the service that we've provided this country. We don't make a hell of a lot of money in these jobs, but if we can have a sense that we have maintained our integrity and that we have given something back to this country that has given us so much, that's the best pay we could ever have."

His own greatest accomplishment, he told a soldier who asked, is "being a part of something that really, I think, in the end, helped all Americans and the whole world to be safer."

Sofortlieferung per Satellitennavigation

Sofortlieferung per Satellitennavigation

THE FIRST DANCE AT THE INAUGURAL BALL

Credit: White House Joyce N. Boghosian

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Service Members Chosen for Inaugural Ball First Dance
Joint Task Force – National Capital Region 57th Presidential Inauguration

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2013 – The Department of Defense has chosen four of its top men and women representing their respective service branches to join the Obamas and Bidens for the traditional first dance at the Presidential Inaugural Committee’s Commander-in-Chief’s Ball at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center Jan. 21.

The event will honor the brave men and women of the nation’s armed forces and their families -- a tradition started by then-President George W. Bush in 2005.

The selected service members -- representing the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force -- will dance with President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden during the event. A service member from the U.S Coast Guard will also be represented in the official event program.

The service members include:

-- Air Force Staff Sgt. Bria D. Nelson, who will dance with President Obama. Nelson, a native of Indianapolis, Ind., enlisted on July 31, 2002, as a medical technician. She deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Her awards include the Air Force Commendation Medal. She is currently assigned to the 579th Medical Operations Squadron, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C., as the noncommissioned officer in charge of Explorer Family Health Element.

-- Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Timothy D. Easterling, who will dance with First Lady Michelle Obama. Easterling, a native of Barnwell, S.C., enlisted on Aug. 21, 2000, as a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense specialist. He deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. His awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. In 2009, Easterling helped plan and execute the Chemical Biological Incident Response Force’s participation in the Presidential Inauguration and four subsequent Presidential State of the Union addresses and Joint Sessions of Congress. He is currently assigned to Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C., as a distance learning instructor.

-- Army Staff Sgt. Keesha N. Dentino, who will dance with Vice President Joe Biden. Dentino, a native of Homestead, Fla., enlisted on July 6, 2004, as a military police officer. She deployed to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Her awards include the Bronze Star Medal and four Army Commendation Medals. She is currently assigned to the 947th Military Police Detachment, Fort Myer, Va., as a patrol explosives detection dog handler and is working on her bachelors of science degree in criminal justice.

-- Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Patrick R. Figueroa, who will dance with Dr. Jill Biden. Figueroa, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, enlisted on Dec. 16, 2008, as a hospital corpsman. He deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. While there, Figueroa rescued Marine Cpl. Hoffman, who is now a Wounded Warrior at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. His awards include the Presidential Unit Citation and Navy Unit Commendation. Figueroa is currently assigned to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as a manpower transfer clerk.

The service members were chosen by a selection board made up of senior enlisted leaders from the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region, a task force of DOD military and civilian members brought together to support the 57th Presidential Inauguration.

The board met with and reviewed the records and accomplishments of more than 50 individuals who were submitted by senior leadership within each service. Considering factors like combat experience and volunteer efforts, the board aimed to identify individuals who would best tell the story of their services.

"These men and women represent their service in an honorable and professional way and we are excited to afford them this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as part of the Presidential Inauguration," said Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sgt. Julius Spain, who participated in the selection process as the senior enlisted board member representing the Marine Corps and serves as the senior enlisted advisor to the Joint Team Special Events, JTF-NCR.

The Commander-in-Chief’s Ball is for members of the U.S. military, including active duty and reserve military members, Medal of Honor recipients, and wounded warriors and their spouses, among others.

The 2013 Commander-in-Chief’s Ball will have a significantly larger footprint than that of 2009, nearly doubling in size, and tickets for invited military guests will be provided free of charge by the Presidential Inaugural Committee.

The Pentagon Channel will be carrying live coverage of inaugural events including the Commander-in-Chief’s Ball, the Kids’ Inaugural concert and the parade.

PRESIDENT OBAMA DESIGNATES SALEM, MASS AS BIRTHPLACE OF THE NATIONAL GUARD

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Salem Takes Honor as National Guard's Birthplace
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy
National Guard Bureau

ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 18, 2013 - On Jan. 10, President Barack Obama signed into law a bill that designates Salem, Mass., as the birthplace of the National Guard.

Local officials, politicians and members of the Massachusetts National Guard gathered at the Salem City Hall yesterday to celebrate the signing of the bill.

"What a lineage we have -- what an honor to be here," Massachusetts Guard Adjutant General Air Force Maj. Gen. L. Scott Rice said at the ceremony.

"What a great meeting of all the history in the place," Rice added.

The Guard's birth dates back to Dec. 13, 1636, when the North, South and East Regiments of the Massachusetts Bay Colony were formed. The first muster of those regiments then took place on Salem Common, though the actual date has been lost to history.

The area's significance as the Guard's birthplace has been widely known and accepted locally. In 2010, Massachusetts Gov. Patrick Duvall signed a similar bill into state law and in 2007 the Salem City Council passed a corresponding resolution.

Each April, Massachusetts National Guard members hold a mustering of troops on Salem Common as a way of celebrating Salem's role in the history of the Guard. The Massachusetts Army National Guard's 101st Field Artillery Regiment, 182nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Engineer Battalion and 181st Infantry Regiment all trace their lineage back to the original regiments that mustered on Salem Common.

HOMELAND SECURITY'S NEXT GENERATION OF X-RAY SCANNING TECHNOLOGY

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent conducts cargo inspections through the use of Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) equipment as part of the overall protection of Super Bowl XLVI. Photo Credit: Brian Bell-U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Compact, Multi-Energy X-Ray Generator

Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) imaging systems–or industrial x-ray imaging systems—are used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and port operators to inspect air, land, and sea cargo for contraband, including weapons, narcotics, explosives and potentially nuclear and radiological threat materials. Recent technological advances, funded through the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office’s Small Business Innovative Research program, have led to the next generation of technology used to produce the x-rays in these NII systems, facilitating faster scanning and more precise material discrimination for mobile operations.

The Technology

The x-ray generator features a source of high-energy electrons that are used to produce a spectrum of x-rays. This innovative and revolutionary x-ray source, called a linear accelerator, is more compact and has more capabilities than current x-ray sources, which include:
The capability to produce high pulse rates up to 1000 pulses of x-rays per second
The capability to produce multiple x-ray energies ranging from 2 MeV to 9 MeV
The capability to change the intensity of the x-rays from pulse-to-pulse
The high pulse rate enables faster and more efficient scanning of cargo, while the multiple x-ray energies facilitate material discrimination and detection of contraband. Depending on the density of the cargo being scanned, the intensity variation capability enables systems to easily increase or decrease the amount of x-rays being generated. Additionally, the compact size facilitates mobile applications with a reduced operational footprint.

Current Status

This compact, multi-energy x-ray generator has caught the attention of commercial vendors of NII systems and will soon become integrated in their systems. One vendor is already using a variant of this generator in its latest generation scanning solution. This integrated system provides multi-energy imaging performance in a bus-mounted platform.

FLYING INTO THE STORM

Photo: 130J Aircraft. Photo by Airman 1st Class Tim Bazar, USAF

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

'Hurricane Hunters' Weather Storms to Save Lives
By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2013 - As the nation rebounds from 19 named storms and 11 major hurricanes in 2012, a small but hardy military organization keeps relentless watch to track and prepare for such disasters.

Located at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, dubbed the "Hurricane Hunters" of the Air Force Reserve, is the Defense Department's sole organization dedicated to flying into tropical storms and hurricanes. The unit has performed the mission since 1944.

In a "DOD Live" bloggers roundtable today, Lt. Col. Jon Talbot, 53rd WRS chief meteorologist, and Capt. John Brady, a meteorologist with the squadron, said collecting winter storm, hurricane and tropical cyclone data for the National Weather Service is critical in mitigating loss of life and property.

Typically, a winter storm mission begins only if the weather system will have a large, societal impact somewhere in the United States, Talbot explained.

"Winter storms kill more people than hurricanes do," Talbot said, noting his team's specialty in analyzing data over water, where information is sparse. "If the National Weather Service is seeing a lot of uncertainty in their [data], they'll contact our liaison team."

Talbot and Brady oversee 20 flight meteorologists responsible for acting as mission directors aboard the fleet of 10 WC-130J reconnaissance aircraft and crews from the 403rd Wing, also based at Keesler. The weather experts collect and relay information such as storm center and intensity, known as models or numerical predictions, to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center.

"Over the open waters of the Pacific and Atlantic, there's nothing out there for the models to ingest, so we get extra data to pump into the model," Brady said. "The forecast accuracy can go up 15 to 20 percent just by gathering that data."

But winter-storm tracking missions in the Northeast and Northwest corners of the United States, Talbot said, differ from conventional hurricane tracking. These are high-altitude missions, usually at 30,000 to 34,000 feet, that supplement data from an upper-air balloon

"It's not an active environment [as with] a hurricane, where you're right in the middle of it [because] you're a lot lower," Talbot said.

Brady agreed and explained the squadron's use of dropsondes -- small, expendable, parachute-like meteorological devices that collect information and send the coded data back to weather trackers.

"Our goal is to fly as high as possible and drop our weather dropsondes at predetermined points to measure the atmosphere ... and get that information to the National Weather Service so they can increase the forecast accuracy for developing winter storms," Brady said. "The longer they flew, the lighter the aircraft got due to less fuel, so they were able to get higher and higher with each one." Hurricane Hunters, particularly in the Atlantic basin, often fly a day or so ahead of a weather system before its main impact, he added.

The data can even provide rescuers an immediate, life-saving advantage, Brady said, relating a recent example of collaboration with the Coast Guard. In October 2012, Tropical Storm-turned-Hurricane Rafael caused heavy rains and formidable gusts that thwarted rescue efforts for two men and one woman whose twin-engine Piper Aztec aircraft crashed near St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Coast Guard rescue crews called on the Hurricane Hunters, who were in the area and were able to spot from high above an oil slick and aircraft debris. Although the other two passengers perished, the woman was rescued, thanks to the Hurricane Hunters' ability to identify and relay critical coordinates of the survivor's location.

"[The Coast Guard] took over and ultimately did find the rest of the debris and one female survivor still clinging to life," Brady said. "I'm sure she was extremely grateful to see some folks coming to get her, [and] that's just one example of how we can intercoordinate with the different branches through search and rescue."

After Hurricane Katrina crippled the Gulf Coast in 2005, Talbot said, the use of instruments such as remote wind sensors now enable the team to provide even greater detail about how winds are likely to affect a coastal area when a hurricane comes ashore.

"We're able to map the entire area under a hurricane," Talbot said. "During Katrina, we had only one or two airplanes [with that] instrument installed, and now we've gone to the entire fleet."

Talbot added that being able to map the area under a hurricane is a "gigantic benefit" for not only forecasters at the hurricane center, but for the local emergency management workers assessing how and where to evacuate people. The colonel also noted that collaboration with the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service likely will pave the way to develop future capabilities such as enhancing radar and satellite communications to better track real-time hurricane changes.

"NASA has flown over hurricanes using ... high-altitude Global Hawks outfitted with special instrumentation," Talbot said. "We're trying to get to a point where we can develop [similar] remote sensors."

Still, mission requirements, Talbot noted, ultimately will be defined by the needs of the Hurricane Hunters' main customer, the National Weather Service's National Hurricane Center.

"[What we do at] the 53rd [WRS] and the Air Force Reserve has always been a great mission for us," Talbot said. "We're proud to be able to help mitigate the cost and protection of lives during hurricanes and we look forward to continuing this mission proudly."

MEASURING METABOLIC FUNCTIONS IN SPACE

FROM: NASA
PUMA Headgear
NASA engineer Dan Dietrich and a team of scientists at Glenn developed the Portable Unit for Metabolic Analysis (PUMA) to monitor the oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production rates of astronauts exercising during long missions. The portable unit was designed to give the crew the ability to move around the spacecraft without being tethered to a large immovable unit.

PUMA measures six components to evaluate metabolic function: oxygen and carbon dioxide partial pressure, volume flow rate, heart rate, and gas pressure and temperature. From those measurements, PUMA can compute the oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide output and minute ventilation (average expired gas flow rate). A small, embedded computer takes readings of each sensor and relays the data wirelessly to a remote computer via Bluetooth.

Image Credit-NASA

THE MARS FLOAT LANDS IN INAUGUARAL PARADE

FROM: NASA
Curiosity Replica Preps for Parade
On Saturday morning, Jan. 19, 2013, at Joint Base Anacostia Bolling (JBAB) in Washington, Steve LaDrew, with Capitol Exhibit Services, adjusts the Mastcam on a replica of the Mars Curiosity Rover.

The NASA float will participate in Monday's Inaugural Parade honoring President Barack Obama. Image Credit-NASA-Paul E. Alers

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U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY BLAKE SPEAKS IN KYRGYZSTAN



Map:  Kyrgyzstan.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Robert O. Blake, Jr.
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
January 17, 2013

Assistant Secretary Blake: Thank you very much, and I’m delighted to be back here in Bishkek. I was very pleased to participate in the second Annual Bilateral Consultations and I want to take this opportunity to thank Deputy Foreign Minister Otorbayev for his leadership and for his very strong partnership.

I also had the opportunity yesterday to meet with his Excellency President Atambayev, Prime Minister Satybaldiyev, and First Deputy Prime Minister Otorbaev.

We have had productive discussions about the broadening scope of bilateral relations between the U.S. and the Kyrgyz Republic as well as about the transitions in Afghanistan and their impact on the Kyrgyz Republic and Central Asia.

I also expressed our strong appreciation for the support the Kyrgyz Republic government has provided to regional security, including its support for the Transit Center at Manas.

I welcomed the Kyrgyz Republic’s work to advance regional economic integration through important projects such as the transport corridors of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program, as well as the CASA 1000 project; its embrace of an open trading system; and its accession to the WTO.

We also discussed a wide range of U.S. assistance programs to the Kyrgyz Republic which include more than $40 million over the last year and more than $1.3 billion since 1992. These totals do not include the considerable economic impact of the Transit Center at Manas which contributed approximately $200 million to the Kyrgyz economy last year alone.

Finally, we had a productive discussion on U.S. support for the Kyrgyz Republic’s democracy, human rights, rule of law and anticorruption efforts. The Kyrgyz Republic’s democracy is a model for the region. It has taken important steps to ensure an inclusive political process whereby civil society and business organizations provide their input on draft laws and government action plans. I urged the government to make progress on issues related to the 2010 violence in southern Kyrgyzstan and I welcomed the announcement of a new national strategy on inter-ethnic relations.

I also want to say that I was privileged to attend a lunch yesterday hosted by Ambassador Spratlen in which we had the opportunity to meet with civil society representatives.

Finally, I just want to take this opportunity to thank Ambassador Spratlen and her great team for the great work that they continue to do to represent the United States in this very important country for the United States.

We would be very glad to take whatever questions you have.

Question: [Through Interpreter]. The question is that maybe you know some experiences in the past from other countries within the United States or outside [inaudible] total success in cases where [inaudible] violence more or less was addressed and results.

Assistant Secretary Blake: I would say that every single case is different so you don’t want to try to apply a cookie-cutter approach to ethnic reconciliation. As I said, we welcomed the President’s efforts to establish an action plan on inter-ethnic issues, but we also talked about the importance of ensuring economic opportunity for not only the citizens of the south but also for all the citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic. And we also talked about the importance of justice and accountability for the crimes that were committed in the course of the June 2010 violence.

Question: [Through Interpreter]. Associated Press, [inaudible]. The first question, what kind of steps the United States has suggested to the Kyrgyz Republic regarding following the agreement term of [inaudible]? Second question, would U.S. join this effort to establish a logistical hub in the place of the Transit Center after 2014?

Assistant Secretary Blake: First of all, I expressed our appreciation to President Atambayev and to the Deputy Foreign Minister for the Kyrgyz Republic’s continued hosting of the Manas Transit Center, which is an important logistics and transportation hub which supports international efforts to establish a stable, prosperous and secure Afghanistan in a stable, secure and prosperous region.

We are engaged in discussions now with the Kyrgyz Republic about the future of the Transit Center, but I don’t want to speculate about the outcome of such discussions. We understand the President’s desire to establish a commercial and logistics hub at Manas and we’ve supported that effort and have given some advice about that.

Question: [Through Interpreter]. President Atambayev ordered [inaudible] 2014 [inaudible] Manas International Airport, and [inaudible] that Kazakhstan is willing to provide the airport [inaudible] for the French Republic to use it to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan. So the question is that will the United States be more active in seeing alternative ways to use it for withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The second question is that there was talks that in south Kyrgyzstan there will be training facility open. Do you have anything on that? Any focus on that?

Assistant Secretary Blake: First of all with respect to your question about Manas, as you know, President Karzai visited with President Obama last week. They described the process that is underway now toward a negotiated Bilateral Security Agreement between the United States and Afghanistan that will help to determine the number of troops that the United States might keep on the ground in Afghanistan after 2014. Once those important decisions are made, then we’ll be in a better position to plan for ourselves what kind of facilities we might need either in Afghanistan or in the wider region. Again, I don’t want to speculate on the future of what those might be.

As to your second question, that didn’t come up today in our conversations.

RECENT U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PHOTOS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, center, meets with members of Parliament in London, Jan. 18, 2013. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta visits Sir Thomas More's cell in the Tower of London with Dick Harrold, governor of the Tower of London, in London, Jan. 18, 2013. Panetta is on a six-day trip to Europe to visit with defense counterparts and troops. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo


　

THE WORK OF THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Ten Things You Should Know About the State Department
Fact Sheet
Bureau of Public Affairs
January 10, 2013


What do the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) do for the American people? With just over one percent of the entire federal budget, we have a huge impact on how Americans live and how the rest of the world engages America. For example:

1. We create American jobs. We directly support 20 million U.S. jobs by promoting new and open markets for U.S. firms, protecting intellectual property, negotiating new U.S. airline routes worldwide, and competing for foreign government and private contracts.

2. We support American citizens abroad. In 2011, we provided emergency assistance to U.S. citizens in countries experiencing natural disasters or civil unrest. We assisted in 9,393 international adoptions and worked on more than 1,700 child abduction cases -- resulting in the return of over 660 American children.

3. We promote democracy and foster stability around the world. Stable democracies are less likely to pose a threat to their neighbors or to the United States. In South Sudan, Libya and many other countries we worked through various means to foster democracy and peace.

4. We help to make the world a safer place. Together with Russia, under the New START Treaty, we are reducing the number of deployed nuclear weapons to levels not seen since the 1950s. Our nonproliferation programs have destroyed stockpiles of missiles, munitions and material that can be used to make a nuclear weapon. The State Department has helped more than 40 countries clear millions of square meters of landmines.

5. We save lives. Strong bipartisan support for U.S. global health investments has led to worldwide progress against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, smallpox and polio. Better health abroad reduces the risk of instability and enhances our national security.

6. We help countries feed themselves. We help other countries plant the right seeds in the right way and get crops to markets to feed more people. Strong agricultural sectors lead to more stable countries.

7. We help in times of crisis. From earthquakes in Haiti, Japan and Chile to famine in the Horn of Africa, our dedicated emergency professionals deliver assistance to those who need it most.

8. We promote the rule of law and protect human dignity. We help people in other countries find freedom and shape their own destinies. Reflecting U.S. values, we advocate for the release of prisoners of conscience, prevent political activists from suffering abuse, train police officers to combat sex trafficking and equip journalists to hold their governments accountable.

9. We help Americans see the world. In 2011, we issued 12.6 million passports and passport cards for Americans to travel abroad. We facilitate the lawful travel of international students, tourists and business people to the U.S., adding greatly to our economy. We keep Americans apprised of dangers or difficulties abroad through our travel warnings.

10. We are the face of America overseas. Our diplomats, development experts, and the programs they implement are the source of American leadership around the world. They are the embodiments of our American values abroad. They are a force for good in the world.

For a very small investment the State Department and USAID yield a large return by advancing U.S. national security, promoting our economic interests, and reaffirming our country’s exceptional role in the world.

FEMA SAYS $1.5 BILLION PROVIDED FOR NEW YORK HURRICANE SURVIVORS

Breezy Point, N.Y., Jan. 16, 2013 -- FEMA Disaster Recovery Center at Fort Tilden Park in Breezy Point, NY is still open to assist Hurricane Sandy survivors. Several FEMA partners are stationed here to provide one-stop assistance to residents affected by the storm, including the Small Business Administration (SBA), Housing & Urban Development (HUD), NY State Department of Motor Vehicles and the US Post Office. Andre R. Aragon-FEMA
 

FROM: U.S. FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
Nearly $1.5 Billion Provided by FEMA, SBA to New York Hurricane Sandy Survivors
January 18, 2013

NEW YORK — Federal disaster assistance to New York survivors of Hurricane Sandy totals almost $1.5 billion.

FEMA continues to reach out to all 13 counties designated for Individual Assistance, focusing on the hardest-hit areas. Assistance to residents in affected counties includes:
Bronx $2.3 million
Kings $188 million
Nassau $277 million
New York $12.8 million
Queens $218 million
Richmond $87.9 million
Suffolk $63.9 million
FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration have approved almost $1.5 billion for Hurricane Sandy survivors. FEMA has approved more than $855 million for individuals and households, including nearly $753 million for housing assistance and more than $102 million in assistance for other needs.
SBA has approved more than $590 million in disaster loans to homeowners and renters and nearly $40 million in disaster loans to businesses. The SBA has staff members at every FEMA/State Disaster Recovery Center and 17 Business Recovery Centers in the New York area to provide one-on-one help to business owners seeking disaster assistance.
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Disaster Recovery Centers are open in the affected areas. These include mobile sites as well as fixed sites. To date, nearly 133,000 survivors have been assisted at Disaster Recovery Centers in New York. 59 inspectors are currently in the field. To date, 172,727 home inspections have been completed, making a 99.4 percent completion rate.
13 New York counties are designated for both Individual Assistance and Public Assistance. These are Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester. Greene County has been designated for Public Assistance only.
More than $1.4 billion has been paid to National Flood Insurance Program policy holders in New York for losses resulting from Sandy. The National Flood Insurance Program, administered by FEMA, offers flood insurance to all homeowners, renters and business owners if their community participates in the NFIP.
Since Hurricane Sandy made landfall, FEMA has provided more than $413 million in Public Assistance grants in New York State. The FEMA PA program reimburses state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations 75 percent of costs for disaster-related expenses associated with emergency protective measures, debris removal, and the repair and restoration of damaged infrastructure. In order to qualify, damage must be a direct result of Hurricane Sandy.

SENIOR ENLISTED ADVISOR TALKS TO "THE ONE PERCENT"

Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan Battaglia, senior enlisted advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, talks to service members at Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport in Gulfport, Miss., Jan. 17, 2013. Battaglia and his wife, Lisa, toured the base. DOD photo by Army Master Sgt. Terrence L. Hayes

 FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
'Earn the Title,' Battaglia Tells Military Recruits
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 18, 2013 - The senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff returned home to New Orleans and the Military Entry Processing Station here today, retracing a route similar to the one he took when he enlisted in 1979.

The New Orleans MEPS is no longer in the same place as it was when Marine Corps Sgt. Major Bryan B. Battaglia first took the oath of enlistment. It was relocated to Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans in 2010, but the tour still "a walk down memory lane," the sergeant major said.

After the tour, the sergeant major administered the oath of enlistment to 16 recruits who represented the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.

"Earn the title," he told them. It's not enough to just meet the standard, he added. Most of their peers are ineligible for military service, he noted. "You're the one percent."

Being located on the base is a good opportunity for applicants to see a military installation, some for the first time, said Army Maj. Troy Alexander, the New Orleans MEPS commander.

More than 10,000 applicants a year come through the New Orleans MEPS, which serves 35 parishes in Louisiana and 4 counties in Mississippi, Alexander said.

Applicants undergo a series of aptitude exams and medical tests before speaking with a liaison from their chosen branch of service, Alexander said.

The final stop is the oath room, a wood-paneled space with flags lining one wall. Opposite the flags is a glass wall, so family members can watch as the oath of enlistment is administered.

The room is dedicated to John Besh, a New Orleans chef and philanthropist who served in the Marine Corps from 1986-1992.

Besh was chosen for the honor, said Army Capt. Jason Oradat, the New Orleans MEPS assistant operations officer, because "we wanted to showcase how the military is a stepping stone in life. Not everyone stays in for 20 years, and you don't have to serve 20 years ... [or] die in combat to be a hero."

"The oath of enlistment is given every day on the hour as long as applicants are here," Oradat said.

"When I took the oath, ... many years ago, ... I didn't know what I was in store for," the sergeant major told the recruits. He intended to serve only four years, he said, but "got addicted."

"It took ahold of me," Battaglia said. "If it does that to you, just let it ... if it doesn't, that's okay."

Battaglia said he was excited and honored to administer the oath of enlistment and help the recruits take the first step on their military journeys. Military service will help them attack life, he said.

"We want you to be proud of that, and represent your service," he said.