A VIEW FROM THE CUPOLA

 

FROM: NASA
An Astronaut's View from Station
A view of Earth as seen from the Cupola on the Earth-facing side of the International Space Station. Visible in the top left foreground is a Russian Soyuz crew capsule. In the lower right corner, a solar array panel can be seen.

This photo was taken from the ISS on June 12, 2013. Image Credit: NASA

State/INL Peru Program

State/INL Peru Program

Daily Press Briefing - June 24, 2013

Daily Press Briefing - June 24, 2013

U.S. Department of Defense Armed with Science Update: Timeloc

U.S. Department of Defense Armed with Science Update

ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR JUNE 24, 2013

 

U.S. soldiers patrol through Kajir Kheyl village in Afghanistan’s Khowst province, June 12, 2013. The U.S. soldiers have partnered with Afghan national security forces to establish relationships with key village elders and learn about the needs of residents. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Robert Porter

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Combined Force Arrests Extremists in Wardak Province

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release
 KABUL, Afghanistan, June 24, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested two extremists during a June 22 search for a Haqqani network facilitator in the Pul-e Alam district of Afghanistan's Wardak province, military officials reported.


The facilitator oversees transportation and distribution of weapons, ammunition and other supplies to extremist groups and has participated in attacks targeting Afghan and coalition forces, officials said.

In a June 21 operation, a combined force in Paktia province's Gardez district wounded an extremist during a search for a Haqqani network leader who leads extremists responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in several provinces. He also oversees improvised explosive device operations and facilitates the acquisition and distribution of weapons.


In June 20 operations:
-- Afghan and coalition forces disrupted an extremist command and control point in Helmand province's Sangin district. The forces seized 33 IED pressure plates, 23 liters of homemade explosives and 10 battery packs.

-- In Ghazni province's Deh Yak district, a combined force arrested a high-level operational commander who supervised the activities of several extremist groups responsible for IED operations and the acquisition and distribution of weapons. The security force also arrested three other enemy fighters.
 

COURT BACK EX-IM BANK AIR INDIA DEALS

FROM: U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK

Appeals Court Decision Rejects Delta Request for Invalidation of Ex-Im Bank Air India Transactions

Washington, DC --- The U.S. District Court of Appeals in Washington, DC today rejected a request by Delta Air Lines to vacate the Export-Import Bank of the United States’ ("Ex-Im Bank’s") support of sales of U.S.-manufactured aircraft to Air India. The Court has asked Ex-Im Bank to further explain its financing decision for the Air India transactions, but the Court chose to leave undisturbed the Bank’s financing of the Air India transaction and did not question the Bank’s flexibility in carrying out its statutory mandate.


The decision comes following the appeal by plaintiffs Delta Airlines, Inc. and the Airline Pilots Association of a lower court decision in July 2012 that determined that Ex-Im Bank properly approved financing for purchases of certain Boeing aircraft by Air India.

"I am gratified by the court’s recognition that these transactions should not be impeded by litigation. The Bank maintains significant flexibility in complying with its statutory mandates and its effort to support American jobs." said Fred P. Hochberg, chairman and president of Ex-Im Bank. "This represents a victory for tens of thousands of American aerospace workers."

Delta Airlines alleged in its suit that Ex-Im failed to consider the economic impact of its loan guarantees for the purchase of wide-bodied Boeing aircraft by Air India. Boeing, which by dollar volume is the number one exporting company in the U.S., employs about 85,000 American workers in the manufacturing of its commercial aircraft.

U.S.-India Joint Fact Sheet: A Remarkable Expansion of U.S.-India Cooperation on Science & Technology

U.S.-India Joint Fact Sheet: A Remarkable Expansion of U.S.-India Cooperation on Science & Technology

HHS launches Health Insurance Marketplace educational tools

HHS launches Health Insurance Marketplace educational tools

SEVEN INITIATIVES FOR SUPPORTING WARFIGHTER AUTONOMY

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Cost-saving Pilot Programs to Support Warfighter Autonomy
By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 19, 2013 - A call from the Defense Department to industry and government for autonomous technology ideas that support the warfighter has been answered with seven initiatives.


Chosen from more than 50 submissions, the selected ideas will be tested in the Autonomy Research Pilot Initiative, officials said.

"We believe autonomy and autonomous systems will be very important for how we operate in the future," said Al Shaffer, acting assistant secretary of defense for research and engineering. Autonomous systems are capable of functioning with little or no human input or supervision.

"If we had better autonomous systems for route clearance in Afghanistan, we could offload a lot of the dangerous missions that humans undertake with autonomous systems, so we have to make a big push in autonomy," Shaffer said.

The pilot research initiative's goal is to advance technologies that will result in autonomous systems that provide more capability to warfighters, lessen the cognitive load on operators and supervisors, and lower overall operational cost," explained Jennifer Elzea, a DOD spokeswoman.

"The potential cross-cutting advances of this initiative in multiple domains provide an exciting prospect for interoperability among the military services, and potentially [in] meeting future acquisitions requirements," she said. "The seven projects are at the fundamental cutting edge of the science of autonomy. The projects also integrate several scientific disciplines [such as] neurology [and] mimetics."

The seven projects are not looking at autonomous weapons systems, but rather are investigating autonomous systems for potential capabilities such as sensing and coordination among systems, Elzea noted.

The projects focus on cost savings to DOD, critical in a time of budget cuts, Shaffer said.

The program for the initiatives is estimated to cost about $45 million in a three-year period, which is not considered to be a lot of money for a government research program, DOD officials said.

"We are trying to -- especially as we go through this tough budget period -- incentivize our younger work force," Shaffer said. "Scientists work to solve problems, and what we are doing with this project is we've challenged our in-house researchers to come up with topics that will help us better understand how to do autonomous systems."

When the pilot initiatives are completed, DOD will have the intellectual property to generate a prototype or to provide to industry to produce the systems, officials said.


The seven initiatives are:
-- Exploiting Priming Effects in Autonomous Cognitive Systems: Develops machine perception that is relatable to the way a human perceives an environment. (Navy Center for Applied Research in Artificial Intelligence, Army Research Laboratory)

-- Autonomous Squad Member: Integrates machine semantic understanding, reasoning and understanding, perception into a ground robotic system. (Army Research Laboratory, Naval Research Laboratory, Navy Center for Applied Research in Artificial Intelligence)

-- Autonomy for Adaptive Collaborative Sensing: Develops intelligent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability for sensing platforms to have capability to find and track targets. (Air Force Research Laboratory, Army Research Laboratory; Naval Research Laboratory)

-- Realizing Autonomy via Intelligent Adaptive Hybrid Control: Develops flexible unmanned aerial vehicle operator interface, enabling the operator to "call a play" or manually control the system. (Air Force Research Laboratory, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, Naval Research Laboratory, Army Research Laboratory)

-- Autonomy for Air Combat Missions, Mixed Human/Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Teams: Develops goal-directed reasoning, machine learning and operator interaction techniques to enable management of multiple team UAVs. (Air Force Research Laboratory, Naval Research Laboratory, Naval Air Warfare Center, Army Research Laboratory)

-- A Privileged Sensing Network-Revolutionizing Human-Autonomy Integration: Develops integrated human sensing capability to enable the human-machine team. (Army Research Laboratory, Army Tank Automotive Research Center, Air Force Research Laboratory)

-- Autonomous Collective Defeat of Hard and Deeply Buried Targets: Develops small UAV teaming algorithms to enable systems to autonomously search a cave. (Air Force Research Laboratory, Army Research Laboratory, Defense Threat Reduction Agency)

KOREAN WAR VETEANS HONORED WITH DISPLAY

 

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, center, Ahn Ho-young, South Korean ambassador to the United States, left, and Lewis M. "Lew" Ewing, national director of the Korean War Veterans Association, cut the ribbon June 18, 2013, to dedicate a new permanent display in the Pentagon to commemorate the Korean War. Hagel thanked Korean War veterans at the event for their service, and said the war and their service will never be forgotten. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Hagel Dedicates Pentagon Korean War Exhibit
By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2013 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today dedicated what he called a "magnificent" permanent display in the Pentagon to honor veterans of the Korean War.

The display opened in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the 1953 armistice that ended hostilities on the Korean Peninsula, and of the U.S.-South Korean alliance.

"We not only acknowledge you, we thank you," Hagel said to Korean War veterans who attended the dedication of the display, located on the first floor of the Pentagon's "A" ring. "We assure you that through this dedication today, your efforts and your noble cause will live on. You have helped shape history in a unique and magnificent way."

The exhibit comprises a collection of photographs, videos, weapons and other artifacts of the Korean War. It also highlights the advancements of women, medicine and technology and the integration of African-Americans into the U.S. military.

"The Korean War has been known in this country too long as 'The Forgotten War,'" Ahn Ho-young, South Korea's ambassador to the United States, said at the dedication ceremony. "We should change it to 'The Forgotten Victory.'"

Since the war, South Korea has made significant economic progress and a transition to democracy, Ahn said, and has an important role in global issues. "[The war] was a victory and must not be forgotten," he added.

Echoing Ahn, Hagel said the South Korean people have come far in many ways.

"I know of no other nation that has done as much in such a little bit of time to improve their people and the region, and I know of no country [that is] a better ally to the United States than the Republic of Korea," the secretary said. "We are grateful for this relationship, [and] ... what anchors it ... is that special bond of people wanting a better life, who are willing to risk anything for it."

Referencing his recent trip to Singapore for the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit, Hagel emphasized how the 60-year bilateral relationship between the United States and South Korea was evident in the two nations' relationships with Japan, the Philippines, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Chinese and European allies.

"This special relationship is bigger than just the Korean Peninsula or the North Asia region," the secretary said. "It has affected the world."

The secretary said he is particularly proud of the Americans who left their cities and towns and "went far away to a very bloody conflict in a distant land, where very few knew a lot about the Korean Peninsula." Yet when the veterans returned home to the United States, he added, little acknowledgment of their service awaited them.

"Very few people knew where Korea was," he said. "But ... it was just as important in any conflict we've been in. The Republic of Korea still plays a key role as a very key ally in maintaining peace, stability and security in that part of the world."

Hagel offered his gratitude to Korean War veterans on behalf of the Defense Department's men and women.

"We acknowledge your service, everything you've done, what you mean to this country [and] the world, and the model you've provided for our young men and women for generations to come," Hagel told veterans. "It will be evidenced by this great display that we are dedicating today."




 

THE MULTI-MISSION B-1B LANCER

Capt. Brandon Packard performs pre-flight checks of a B-1B Lancer June 11, 2013, at the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing in Southwest Asia. Packard is a 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron weapons systems officer deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Benjamin Stratton)


FROM: U.S. AIR FORCE 
B-1B Lancer: More than meets the eye
by Senior Airman Benjamin Stratton
379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

6/18/2013 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) -- Carrying the largest payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the Air Force inventory, the multi-mission B-1B Lancer is the backbone of America's long-range bomber force, and is flown here by the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron.

"We have a lot of coalition forces on the ground in Afghanistan," said Lt. Col. Seth Graham, the 34th EBS commander. "They're able to focus on executing their various missions because of the air support we provide 365, 24/7."

The colonel said it's hard to put into words the importance of what his unit does, but instead explained in a vignette the importance of his units air support to the nation's ground forces.

"On one occasion my crew arrived overhead of U.S. ground forces pinned down in a compound receiving small arms fire from multiple directions," Graham said. "They tell the crew they are running low on ammo and need immediate air support. My crew employed a single 500 pound JDAM in close proximity to the friendly forces which forced the enemy to break contact, and allowed our guys to walk out of that compound and back to their base. On the way out they told my guys 'thanks ... you saved our lives today!' We make life and death decisions every day ... that's the importance of what we do."

This air support wouldn't be possible, however, without all the work going on behind the scenes in the squadron.

"We are tasked by the air tasking order from the Combined Air and Space Operations Center and in turn our mission planning cell (MPC) puts together everything the aircrew will need to be successful," said Maj. Aaron Mate, the 34th EBS assistant director of operations. "The mission planning cell is comprised of a chief of operations, two flyers, intelligence and an Army liaison officer."

The MPC collects and processes data, integrating it into flight plans and mission folders that include all the information necessary for B-1 crews to dynamically support every regional command in Afghanistan on a given sortie. A pre-flight crew is then used to ready the aircraft. They run pre-flight checks to get the jet mission-ready for the crew who will fly the mission. The pre-flight crew also secures a secondary aircraft in the event the primary encounters a malfunction prior to takeoff.

"We want our number of takeoffs to equal our landings," said Capt. Brandon Packard, a 34th EBS weapons systems officer. "So we go through these checks for the mission crew in order to, one, streamline the process and, two, for the safety and security of our crews and jets. We take this job just as seriously as flying a mission."

Once the jet is ready to go and the mission crew has completed their pre-mission briefs, it's time for takeoff.

The roles of pre-flight and mission crews are rotated as directed by their aviation resources managers and policy in order to manage fatigue.

"We can't have all the fun," Mate said jokingly. "Per AFI, we limit our crews to a 16-hour day -- 13 hours in the air and three hours of mission preparation."

The 16-hour rule can be waived by the operations group commander up to 24-hours to accommodate longer missions as directed by higher headquarters.

Every crew is composed of an aircraft commander, copilot and two weapons systems officers. With an intercontinental range and the ability to carry up to 48,000 pounds of munitions at 900-plus mph, the B-1 can rapidly deliver massive quantities of precision and non-precision weapons against any adversary, anywhere in the world, at any time.

"We are one of the most flexible close-air support airframes in the Air Force," said Capt. Nikki Jansen, a 34th EBS pilot. "The B-1's speed and superior handling characteristics allow it to seamlessly integrate in mixed force packages. These capabilities, when combined with its substantial payload, diverse targeting system, long loiter time and survivability, make the B-1B a key element of any joint or coalition strike force."

The aircrews and B-1s are deployed here from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., and Dyess AFB, Texas.

"We get the greatest sense of satisfaction when the ground crew's joint terminal attack controller radios in thanking us for keeping them safe," Graham said.

During the first six months of Operation Enduring Freedom, eight B-1s dropped nearly 40 percent of the total tonnage delivered by coalition air forces. This included nearly 3,900 Joint Direct Attack Munitions. The B-1 continues to be deployed today, flying missions daily in support of continuing operations.

WORKING WITH JORDANIAN ARMED FORCES

Marines of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit's amphibious assault vehicle platoon order their vehicles for transport to the training area after conducting an amphibious landing on the coast of Jordan as part of Exercise Eager Lion, June 6, 2013. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Michael S. Lockett

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Marine Platoon Works With Jordanian Armed Forces
By Marine Corps Cpl. Michael S. Lockett
26th Marine Expeditionary Unit

AL QUWEIRA, Jordan, June 14, 2013 - Marines of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit's amphibious assault vehicle platoon had its first bilateral training event of Exercise Eager Lion 2013 here June 12, conducting a live-fire shoot in their AAVs with members of the Jordanian armed forces in their own light armored mechanized vehicles.

"In any training event, one of the major end states is that we build relationships and the understanding that we're not just building military skills, but also establishing rapport on a personal and professional level," said Marine Corps Capt. Jonathan Riebe, the platoon's commander.

"I think it's important that we take part in these multinational operations in order to share methods on how we maintain our military and how we employ our military," added Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Michael Conners, platoon sergeant.

Eager Lion has proven to be more than just a yearly exercise in the high deserts of Jordan involving service members from the United States, Jordan and other partner nations, Riebe said. It is a significant training exercise solidifying already strong partnerships, he added.

"Jordan has been a partner of ours, supporting us through Operation Enduring Freedom," Riebe said. "Eager Lion is an annual training exercise with the Jordanians ... to strengthen our military and political ties and foster a friendly relationship in the area."

The platoon's Marines are focusing their training by tailoring to their Jordanian hosts and thoroughly observing the Jordanian skillsets.

"We're approaching the training in a logical fashion [by] really getting the host nation's input on what they're trying to get out of the training," Riebe explained. "We're adapting the assets we have to give them the training [that will most benefit them]."

The Marines of AAV Platoon and the rest of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit will be in Jordan for the remainder of Eager Lion, training with their Jordanian and United Kingdom counterparts.

U.S. Department of Defense Armed with Science Update

U.S. Department of Defense Armed with Science Update

ABN AMRO SETTLES CHARGES WITH CFTC

FROM: COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION
CFTC Orders ABN AMRO Clearing Chicago LLC to Pay $1 Million to Settle Charges of Segregated and Secured Fund Deficiencies, a Minimum Net Capital Violation, Books and Records Violation, and Supervision Failures

Washington, DC –The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued an Order on June 18, 2013, filing and settling charges against ABN AMRO Clearing Chicago LLC (ABN AMRO) of Chicago, Illinois, for failing to segregate or secure sufficient customer funds; failing to meet the minimum net capital requirements, failure to maintain accurate books and records, and failure to supervise its employees.

According to the CFTC Order, during the period March 19, 2009, through January 2012, ABN AMRO reported three instances of under-segregated customer funds in violation of Section 4d(a)(2) of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA), 7 U.S.C. § 6d(a)(2) (2006 & Supp. V 2012), and Commission Regulation 1.20(a), 17 C.F.R. § 1.20(a) (2011) and one instance of under-secured customer funds in violation of Section 4d(a)(2) of the CEA, 7 U.S.C. § 6d(a)(2) (2006 & Supp. V 2012), and CFTC Regulation 30.7, 17 C.F.R. § 30.7 (2011). Each of these violations was the result of clerical errors and/or a lack of adequate policies and procedures related to customer movement of funds.

The Order also states that during a CME Group routine audit of ABN AMRO’s books and records as they were on the close of business on May 31, 2011, the CME Group found that ABN AMRO had improperly used a customer’s withdrawn warehouse receipts as collateral for margining purposes. Without these warehouse receipts, the customer’s accounts were under-margined on several occasions, and ABN AMRO had to reduce its adjusted net capital by an amount equal to the margin deficits. Once these reductions were calculated, it was determined that ABN AMRO failed to meet the minimum net capital requirements for a single month-end, in violation of Section 4f(b) of the Act, 7 U.S.C. § 6f(b) (2006), and Regulation 1.17(a)(1)(i), 17 C.F.R. § 1.17(a)(1)(i) (2011).

Also, the CFTC’s Division of Swap Dealer and Intermediary Oversight (DSIO) Examination staff conducted a limited review of ABN AMRO beginning January 27, 2012. According to the Order, at that time, ABN AMRO was unable to produce a complete and accurate margin report listing for a very limited number of certain types of accounts (e.g., omnibus accounts that offset margin requirements for certain spread transactions). The Order finds that ABN AMRO violated Section 4g(a) of the CEA, 7 U.S.C. § 6g(a) (2006), and CFTC Regulation 1.35(a), 17 C.F.R. § 1.35(a) (2011), when it failed to keep accurate books and records sufficient to determine the margin status of each customer.

The Order finds that each of these violations was a result of ABN AMRO’s insufficient controls, reflecting a lack of supervisory controls over commodity interest accounts and/or other activities of its partners, employees, and agents relating to its business as a Commission registrant in violation of CFTC Regulation 166.3, 17 C.F.R. § 166.3 (2011).

Based on these violations of the CEA and CFTC Regulations, the Order imposes a $1 million civil monetary penalty, a cease and desist order, and requires ABN AMRO to retain an independent consultant to review and evaluate the effectiveness of its existing internal controls and policies and procedures and adopt any recommendations for improvement made by the consultant.

The CFTC thanks the CME Group for its assistance with this matter.

CFTC Division of Enforcement staff responsible for this action are Allison Baker Shealy, John Einstman, Paul G. Hayeck, and Joan Manley. Kevin Piccoli, Melissa Hendrickson, Carrie Coffin, and Michael Guritz of DSIO also assisted in this matter.

NSA DIRECTOR TOLD CONGRESS SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMS FOILED 50 TERROR PLOTS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
NSA Chief: Surveillance Stopped More Than 50 Terror Plots

By Nick Simeone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2013 - The director of the National Security Agency told Congress today more than 50 terrorist plots worldwide have been prevented since the 9/11 attacks through the classified surveillance programs the government uses to gather phone and Internet data, programs he said are legal and do not compromise the privacy and civil liberties of Americans.


Army Gen. Keith B. Alexander, who also commands U.S. Cyber Command, told the House Intelligence Committee he plans as early as tomorrow to provide lawmakers with classified details about the plots that were foiled in an effort to show how valuable the programs are to national security.

Alexander and other senior U.S. officials were called to testify in response to unauthorized disclosures to the media by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who revealed details about the agency's gathering of telephone numbers and the monitoring of Internet activity by foreigners overseas, leaks that Alexander said have caused irreversible and significant damage to the security of the United States and its allies.

Testifying alongside Alexander, Deputy FBI Director Sean Joyce discussed two terrorist plots that he said the surveillance programs helped to prevent. In one, emails intercepted from a terrorist in Pakistan helped to stop a plot to bomb New York City's subway system. Another involved a failed attempt by a known extremist in Yemen who conspired with a suspect in the United States to target the New York Stock Exchange. Both cases led to arrests and convictions, Joyce said.

"These programs are immensely valuable for protecting our nation and the security of our allies," Alexander said, and added that they may have helped to prevent the 9/11 attacks themselves if the government had the legal authority, as granted by the Patriot Act, to use them at the time.

The disclosure of the NSA programs has generated a nationwide debate over what techniques the government can legally use to monitor phone and Internet data to prevent terrorism without violating the privacy and civil liberties of Americans. Alexander and other senior U.S officials emphasized that the gathering of phone numbers that already are being collected by service providers as well as the tracking of U.S-based Internet servers used by foreigners are legal and repeatedly have been approved by the courts and Congress.

"These programs are limited, focused and subject to rigorous oversight," and their disciplined operation "protects the privacy and civil liberties of the American people," Alexander said.

The details of the foiled terror plots that he plans to provide to Congress will remove any doubt about the usefulness of the surveillance in keeping the homeland safe, the NSA director told the House panel.

"In the 12 years since the attacks on Sept. 11, we have lived in relative safety and security as a nation," he said. "That security is a direct result of the intelligence community's quiet efforts to better connect the dots and learn from the mistakes that permitted those attacks."

To prevent another damaging leak such as the breach caused by Snowden's disclosures, Alexander told lawmakers, the NSA is looking into where security may have broken down and for ways to provide greater oversight for the roughly 1,000 or so system administrators at NSA who have access to top secret information.

LABOR ANNOUNCES $7.7 MILLIOIN IN GRANT COMPETITION TO REDUCE WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
US Department of Labor announces $7.7 million multi-country grant competition to reduce the worst forms of child labor

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced a $7.7 million competitive solicitation for a cooperative agreement to support a reduction of the worst forms of child labor by building local and national capacity of governments in at least 10 countries.

Despite global progress in addressing the worst forms of child labor, it is estimated that more than 215 million children around the world still work, with more than half of them engaged in hazardous work. This project will advance ILAB's ongoing effort to combat child labor through capacity building activities that support: (1) development, improvement and adoption of national legislation addressing child labor issues, including compliance with international standards; (2) improved monitoring and enforcement of policies and laws related to child labor; (3) adoption of improved national plans of action on child labor; and (4) enhanced implementation of policies and programs to reduce and prevent the worst forms of child labor, including programs to increase access to basic education, vocational training, social protection services and poverty reduction initiatives.

Eligible applicants must propose to work with host governments to implement actions in countries that have expressed an interest in receiving support to reduce child labor. Applicants must propose specific activities to build capacity in Bangladesh, Paraguay, the Philippines, Suriname and Uganda to combat child labor. Applicants must also describe their capacity to implement similar activities in five additional countries to be selected by the Bureau of International Labor Affairs.

AXIUS CEO SENTNECED IN STOCK SALES BRIBERY SCHEME

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Friday, June 14, 2013
Axius CEO Roland Kaufmann Sentenced for Conspiracy to Pay Bribes in Stock Sales

Roland Kaufmann, CEO of Axius Inc., was sentenced today to serve 16 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to bribe purported stock brokers and manipulate the stock of a company he controlled, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Loretta Lynch.


Kaufmann, 60, a Swiss citizen, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John Gleeson in the Eastern District of New York. In addition to his prison term, Kaufmann was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a fine of $450,000.

Kaufmann pleaded guilty in January 2013 to one count of conspiracy to violate the Travel Act in connection with a scheme to bribe stock brokers to purchase the common stock of a company he controlled and to manipulate its stock price. As part of his plea agreement, Kaufmann forfeited $298,740 gained through this crime.

According to court documents, Kaufmann controlled Axius, Inc., a purported holding company and business incubator located in Dubai. As part of the scheme, the defendant and his co-conspirator, Jean Pierre Neuhaus, enlisted the assistance of an individual who they believed had access to a group of corrupt stock brokers, but who was, in fact, an undercover law enforcement agent. Court documents reveal that they instructed the undercover agent to direct brokers to purchase Axius shares in return for a secret kickback of approximately 26 to 28 percent of the share price. Kaufman and Neuhaus also instructed the undercover agent as to the price the brokers should pay for the stock and that the brokers were to refrain from selling the Axius shares they purchased on behalf of their clients for a one-year period. By preventing sales of Axius stock, Kaufmann and Neuhaus intended to maintain the fraudulently inflated share price for Axius stock.

Jean Pierre Neuhaus has pleaded guilty and been sentenced for his role in the scheme.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Justin Goodyear of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilene Jaroslaw, with assistance from Fraud Section Trial Attorney Nathan Dimock. The case was investigated by the FBI New York Field Office and the Internal Revenue Service New York Field Office. The Department also recognizes the substantial assistance of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

This prosecution was the result of efforts by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL SAYS AFGHAN GOVERNMENT IS KEY

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel responds during a question-and-answer session with students from the University of Nebraska-Omaha in Omaha, Neb., June 19, 2013. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo


FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Afghan Government Key to Transition, Hagel Stresses
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, June 20, 2013 - Milestone 2013, which happened June 18 and marked Afghan forces' assumption of the lead in security responsibility for their country, is an unprecedented achievement for the Afghan people, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said yesterday.

During a speech in Omaha, Neb., at his alma mater, the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Hagel said the milestone
"keeps us on track to responsibly end the war next year in Afghanistan and allows us to transition to a far more limited, noncombat mission to assist the Afghan government as it takes full responsibility for the country's future."

The secretary noted the United States and other nations will continue to engage in Afghanistan and will work with Afghanistan, Pakistan and India "to advance security in that critically important region in the world."

After his speech, Hagel responded to a question about the role of the Taliban in Afghanistan's future. The group has opened an office in Qatar, he noted, and the United States supports that initiative.

"We've always supported a peaceful resolution to the end of the bloodshed in the war in Afghanistan," Hagel said, noting that acceptable conditions are in place for the United States to accept the possibility of a next set of meetings between Taliban and Afghan government representatives.

He cautioned, however, that the Taliban would have to "agree to certain things" before meetings would involve the United States.

"I think it's worth the risk," he added. "But it can't be done without President [Hamid] Karzai, without the government of Afghanistan."

Hagel pointed out that NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen attended the Milestone 2013 ceremony in the Afghan capital of Kabul, representing the 50 member nations of NATO's International Security Assistance Force. Both NATO and U.S. forces have worked to establish stability in Afghanistan for more than a decade, he noted.

"This is really about the people, or it should be -- giving the people of Afghanistan ... rights and freedom to make their own lives," Hagel said.

The secretary noted that as a senator, he was part of the first congressional delegation to travel to Afghanistan after 9/11. "I've dealt with President Karzai right from the beginning," he said. "I've known him since 2001 and have a very good relationship with him. But he represents his government, his people. He needs to do what he thinks is right."

Hagel acknowledged the process is a bit frustrating. "But we have to continue to work at it," he added, and we will continue to work at it."

Afghanistan's future depends largely on a political situation based on peace, Hagel said. If a politically negotiated settlement is possible, he asked, "Isn't it smarter, isn't it worth some risk, if the terms are right, to try to facilitate some agreement here that would ... give the poor people of Afghanistan some opportunity to not to have to live in constant war that they've had to live in for decades?"

U.S. and NATO leaders are cleared-eyed about the possible obstacles to political settlement, the secretary said.

"But I think we have to continue to work it," he added. "And it can't be done without the government of Afghanistan."

GETTING A READINESS BOOST AT SOCOM

An Air Force special operations pararescueman gets hoisted off a ship by Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Kurt Leisenring during the Emerald Warrior 2013 exercise off Florida's Gulf Coast, April 24, 2013. U.S. Special Operations Command's Preservation of the Force and Family Task Force is implementing a holistic program to promote operators' physical, psychological, spiritual and social performance to support mission readiness. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Quinton Russ

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Socom Strives to Boost Operators' Resilience, Readiness

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
TAMPA, Fla., June 14, 2013 - Maintainers across the military take pride in keeping aircraft, vehicles and weapons systems well-oiled and ready to go whenever the mission calls. A major initiative is underway at U.S. Special Operations Command here to better maintain what Navy Adm. William H. McRaven, the Socom commander, calls the most important system of all: the operator.


"Humans are more important than hardware" is the first of the "truths" McRaven espouses for the nation's special operations forces. This fundamental recognizes that what makes the "tip of the spear" so sharp is the education, rigorous training and experience of the operators themselves.

But shortly after arriving at his headquarters in 2011, McRaven received sobering confirmation that the special operations community was in trouble. An extensive study directed by the previous commander, Navy Adm. Eric T. Olson, found "the SOF force as a whole was frayed," McRaven told a forum of defense industry representatives and special operators who gathered here last month.

The study revealed that the current operational environment has been more difficult than operators and their families expected, leaving little time for them to adjust to the daily strains of perpetual absences. The study noted troubling consequences, with increases in domestic and family problems, substance abuse and self-medication, risk-taking behaviors, post-traumatic stress, and even suicides.

With continued high operational demands, the fraying continues, McRaven lamented. "I would say, in the last 20 months, the force is fraying at a rate I am not comfortable with at all," he said at the SOF Industry Conference.

So as McRaven implements his Special Operations Forces 2020 vision to posture Socom for the future, he has made "preservation of the force and family" one of the key pillars.

"That is my No. 1 mission," he told the forum. "It is a moral imperative that we do all that we can to preserve the force and care for their families."

While seeking ways to increase predictability in special operations forces' schedules, McRaven has charged what he renamed the "Preservation of the Force and Family Task Force" to come up with innovative, holistic approaches to deal with the pressure on the special operations community.

The task force is working to build performance across four interconnecting domains: human, psychological, spiritual and social, explained Navy Capt. Thomas Chaby, the task force chief.
The idea is not to duplicate programs already being provided through Defense Department and military services, he emphasized. Rather, it builds on them, filling in gaps and increasing accessibility for operators and their families.

"If there was one word you would say the [task force] is all about, it is readiness," Chaby said. "It is all about being ready for our battlefield requirements, and taking care of our people helps them be as ready as possible."

Building resilience in the force helps to set operators up for success, Chaby said, adding, "It's all about building their capacity. It is readiness, readiness, readiness."

Yet the special operations community didn't always recognize that. Chaby remembered his first visit to SEAL Team 3's fitness center in 1990 after graduating from basic underwater demolition/SEAL training. Despite requirements to work in challenging and often unforgiving environments, the SEALs had limited fitness equipment and were basically on their own to figure out the best way to physically train for it.

As a result, many SEALs were injured during missions or while training for them. Chaby has had eight operations since becoming a SEAL, and considers himself fairly representative of his contemporaries.

"Is that the best way to prepare the primary weapon system? Probably not," he said. "There was no thought, science or planning put into [physical training]. The [Preservation of the Force and Family Task Force] is changing that."

Today, Socom has a human performance program designed to meet special operations forces' unique physical needs. It includes training that aims to prevent physical injuries through strength and conditioning, nutrition and physical therapy.

The program also looks at other ways to maintain the body: teaching operators how to mitigate the effects of operational demands through everything from hydration to psychological and social support.

"Putting some thought into it, applying some science, and backing it up with resources is just common sense," Chaby said. "This is a small investment that I believe will reap itself two-, three-, four-, who-knows-how-many-fold benefits."

While paying more attention to operators' bodies, the task force is committed to boosting their psychological strength and resilience, too.

Chaby noted the mental and emotional strain of more than a decade of continuous operations, and the need to do everything possible to mitigate the stressors. So in addition to helping operators develop positive ways to cope, Socom has joined the rest of the military in working to take the stigma out of seeking help.

Gone are the days when operators had to fear getting flagged or having their security clearance revoked if they sought out psychological help.

"It is not like that any more. Now, it's not help against you if you go seek help, and leadership is setting the example," Chaby said. "It's not a negative any more, like it used to be."

Ready access to mental health experts is particularly important in light of Socom's consistently high operating tempos, he noted. "We are so dynamic in our deployment cycles and our work-up cycles that by the time [a scheduled] appointment comes up, you could well find yourself back on the battlefield or training somewhere else and have to cancel it," he said.

So to make services more available and to encourage operators to take advantage of them, the command has started embedding mental health professionals attuned to the needs of the special operations community directly into its units. "The idea is, 'Let's give [the operator] somebody he trusts and feels he can talk to, and let's give him for better accessibility,'" Chaby said.

And to ease operator's transition from the battlefield to their homes and families, Socom now typically sends them to alternate sites so they can talk to a chaplain or psychologist and "decompress" before returning home.

Meanwhile, the Preservation of the Force and Family Task Force is helping operators get in touch with their spiritual sides as well.

Chaby emphasized that what Socom calls "spiritual performance" isn't necessarily about religion. "It could be for some, but that's not what it is about," he said. "It is about spirituality," which he defined as core spiritual beliefs, values, awareness, relationships and experiences.

These elements affect how operators live, the choices and decisions they make, the quality of their relationships and their overall ability to find meaning in life, Chaby said. All ultimately affect their mission performance and their ability to deal with the challenges of serving in special operations.

So the task force has turned to chaplains and the wealth of programs they lead or support to help special operations forces members address their spiritual needs. This, Chaby said, helps to round out a holistic program while directly supporting initiatives to build physical and psychological resilience.

Meanwhile, the task force is exploring ways to boost operators' "social performance" -- the ability to establish and maintain healthy, meaningful relationships, particularly within their families.

The typical special operator is 29 years old for enlisted members and 34 for officers, and is married with two children. Chaby remembered the days not so long ago when Socom gave little thought to family needs. "The mentality was obvious: 'If it's not in your sea bag, it's not our responsibility,'" he said.

That's changed 180 degrees, he reported. Socom now understands that family members have a big say in whether a highly trained, experienced operator will remain in the military. But even more importantly, command leaders recognize that problems at home can distract operators, potentially putting them and their buddies at increased risk and directly affecting the mission.

As a result, the Preservation of the Force and Family Task Force has made a concerted effort to help build "social performance" within special operations forces families. The goal, Chaby said, is to strengthen communication skills and overall resiliency to better deal with the challenges of multiple, extended separations, many that involve sensitive, high-risk and secretive missions.

"We are looking for opportunities to bring families into the equation, because we have found that the more you do that, the stronger they become," Chaby said. "This is empowering them to be part of the team, which in turn increases and improves the readiness of that soldier, sailor, airman or Marine."

Adding up these elements -- improving operators' physical, psychological, spiritual and social performance -- can only result in a better force, Chaby said.

"If each element gives a 1 percent advantage, you end up with a 4 or 5 or 10 percent better operator, capacity-wise, resiliency-wise, readiness-wise" he said. "You start adding these things together, and it makes such a difference."

It all comes back, he said, to the special operations forces truism that people -- operators who are ready to be effective and respond to the demands of the job -- are more important than hardware.

"If you take care of your people, that is the foundation of everything we do. Without them, the hardware doesn't matter and we are going to have mission failure," he said. "You have to have your people ready to go, for whatever the battlefield calls for."

CNO Delivers Naval War College Graduation Address

CNO Delivers Naval War College Graduation Address