Friday, June 7, 2013
AIR FORCE CHIEF SCEINTIST FINISHED HIS LAST DAY AT THE PENTAGON
FROM: U.S. AIR FORCE
AF science guru appointment closes out
by Staff Sgt. David Salanitri
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
5/31/2013 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Air Force's chief scientist spent his last day on the job May 31 after more than two and half years in the Pentagon.
Dr. Mark Maybury's time with the service is heavily marked by major strides in the science and technology.
Three of those major changes include studies that created roadmaps for energy, cyberspace and research and development.
All three define how the service can harness science and technology to its advantage.
His first research focused on energy. Why energy? The first sentence of the document entitled, "Energy Horizons" puts the bottom line up front.
"Energy is a center of gravity in war and assured energy advantage can enable victory," it reads.
The 72-page plan aims to increase energy supplies, reduce demand and change the culture to meet mission requirements.
His second study, Cyber Vision 2025, outlines the Air Force's vision for the science and technology, acquisition and operations needed to provide the assured cyberspace advantage to the Air Force, combatant commanders and interagency partners.
"It is cyberspace (science and technology) that can provide the assurance, reliance, affordability and empowerment to mitigate and defeat these risks," Maybury said. "However, this requires integration across authorities and domains, shaping of doctrine, policy, people and processes and intelligent partnering."
Finally, his third study, titled "Global Horizons", identifies threats and opportunities in the near, mid and far term through 2030. It identifies how to best leverage the $1.4 billion in global research to achieve revolutionary Air Force advancements.
"These three strategic studies should have long-term impact," said Maybury, who is slated to work in the nonprofit sector. "Already we have seen the Air Force benefit from the insights our Air Force team. It also has helped us focus our investments of what is most critical."
One of the accomplishments that stand out to him is linking the Air Force with other agencies as well as internationally.
When it comes to building those relationships, Maybury said "you only have a limited time."
With his days as the Air Force chief scientist closing fast, Maybury encourages the upcoming generation of students to explore the technology and cyber realm.
"I especially want to encourage parents and students to seek to excel both in science, technology, mathematics and engineering but also in the arts," he said. "STEM is the foundation of our productivity, economic competitiveness and military strength. Moreover, it's a doorway into an exciting and limitless career."
As Maybury makes his way out of the Air Force, his motivation to do great things is abundant.
"I'd like to say to any kids or parents listening out there, that I was just a little boy from a small town, Chelmsford, Mass." he said. "You can do anything if you work hard, excel in school and learn from (others)."
Those who worked with Maybury describe him as energetic with a "type A" personality who gets things done, and while he'll no longer be the service's top scientist, he isn't going far, as he's been nominated to serve another four years on the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board.
AF science guru appointment closes out
by Staff Sgt. David Salanitri
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
5/31/2013 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Air Force's chief scientist spent his last day on the job May 31 after more than two and half years in the Pentagon.
Dr. Mark Maybury's time with the service is heavily marked by major strides in the science and technology.
Three of those major changes include studies that created roadmaps for energy, cyberspace and research and development.
All three define how the service can harness science and technology to its advantage.
His first research focused on energy. Why energy? The first sentence of the document entitled, "Energy Horizons" puts the bottom line up front.
"Energy is a center of gravity in war and assured energy advantage can enable victory," it reads.
The 72-page plan aims to increase energy supplies, reduce demand and change the culture to meet mission requirements.
His second study, Cyber Vision 2025, outlines the Air Force's vision for the science and technology, acquisition and operations needed to provide the assured cyberspace advantage to the Air Force, combatant commanders and interagency partners.
"It is cyberspace (science and technology) that can provide the assurance, reliance, affordability and empowerment to mitigate and defeat these risks," Maybury said. "However, this requires integration across authorities and domains, shaping of doctrine, policy, people and processes and intelligent partnering."
Finally, his third study, titled "Global Horizons", identifies threats and opportunities in the near, mid and far term through 2030. It identifies how to best leverage the $1.4 billion in global research to achieve revolutionary Air Force advancements.
"These three strategic studies should have long-term impact," said Maybury, who is slated to work in the nonprofit sector. "Already we have seen the Air Force benefit from the insights our Air Force team. It also has helped us focus our investments of what is most critical."
One of the accomplishments that stand out to him is linking the Air Force with other agencies as well as internationally.
When it comes to building those relationships, Maybury said "you only have a limited time."
With his days as the Air Force chief scientist closing fast, Maybury encourages the upcoming generation of students to explore the technology and cyber realm.
"I especially want to encourage parents and students to seek to excel both in science, technology, mathematics and engineering but also in the arts," he said. "STEM is the foundation of our productivity, economic competitiveness and military strength. Moreover, it's a doorway into an exciting and limitless career."
As Maybury makes his way out of the Air Force, his motivation to do great things is abundant.
"I'd like to say to any kids or parents listening out there, that I was just a little boy from a small town, Chelmsford, Mass." he said. "You can do anything if you work hard, excel in school and learn from (others)."
Those who worked with Maybury describe him as energetic with a "type A" personality who gets things done, and while he'll no longer be the service's top scientist, he isn't going far, as he's been nominated to serve another four years on the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board.
UNDERSTANDING NATURES BIODIVERSITY: ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
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| Marbled Salamander. Credit: NSF/Wikimedia Commons |
Understanding Biodiversity Patterns in Nature: It Takes Two Fields--Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
What do marbled and spotted salamanders in ponds in eastern North America have to teach us about biodiversity patterns elsewhere on Earth?
Plenty, if research conducted by biologist Mark Urban of the University of Connecticut is any guide.
In a paper published today in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Urban reports results that may fundamentally change how scientists view the importance of evolution in ecological research.
"This project looked closely at the separate and interactive contributions of genetic and environmental factors in shaping pond food webs," says Alan Tessier, program director in the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s Division of Environmental Biology, which funded the research.
"The results add to a growing understanding of the importance of genetic variation within species, and of eco-evolutionary processes in explaining patterns of biodiversity."
The findings show that the evolutionary divergence of populations is as important as biodiversity patterns based on ecological features, such as the presence of a top predator.
In this study, the subjects were the marbled salamander, an apex, or, top predator, in temporary ponds; the spotted salamander; and their shared zooplankton prey.
The marbled salamander breeds in the autumn. Its larvae grow under the ice of ephemeral ponds during winter.
As a result, marbled salamander larvae eat zooplankton all winter--and grow large enough to eat the spotted salamander larvae that hatch in these same ponds in late spring.
But Urban discovered that spotted salamanders sharing space with marbled salamanders have evolved so that they're born with voracious appetites.
Their increased foraging makes sense, he says, given that these salamanders live in ponds largely depleted of zooplankton prey, due to the presence of marbled salamanders.
The smaller salamanders need to grow quickly to reach a size at which marbled salamanders can't easily capture them.
"The evidence suggests that the repeated evolution of high foraging rates in spotted salamanders is an adaptive response to marbled salamander predation," says Urban.
Knowing how apex predators such as marbled salamanders structure biological communities, he says, requires that scientists understand their direct ecological effects as predators, and their indirect effects via the natural selection they impose.
"Finding that adaptive evolution may disguise strong ecological effects means that a range of ecological predictions are likely to be unreliable if we ignore how evolution affects biological communities."
Urban refers to this as "the invisible finger of evolution" which, he says, may tip the scales toward or away from ecological influences.
"That the effect of an apex predator can be so strong that it causes evolutionary responses in other species," he says, "shows that ecology and evolution are inexorably intertwined."
-NSF-
Thursday, June 6, 2013
ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR JUNE 6, 2013
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| As seen through a night-vision device, U.S. Marine Sgt. Ryan Burks points at an objective during a mission rehearsal on Camp Bastion in Helmand province, Afghanistan, May 27, 2013. Burks, a squad leader, is assigned to Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 7. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Kowshon Ye |
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Combined Force Arrests Haqqani Leader
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release
KABUL, Afghanistan, June 6, 2013 - An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Haqqani leader and three other insurgents during an operation in the Matun district of Afghanistan's Khost province today, military officials reported.
At the time of his arrest, the Haqqani leader and his associates were planning to conduct a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attack in Khost province, officials said.
The security force also seized one AK-47 rifle, one pistol, magazines and some ammunition as a result of the operation, officials said.
In other Afghanistan operations today:
-- A combined force killed two extremists during a search for a senior Taliban leader in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province. The sought-after insurgent leader is the ranking Taliban official in the Nahr-e Saraj district. He has been a significant figure in the local Taliban network for years, and has control of a group of more than 200 insurgents responsible for a significant number of attacks involving small arms, rocket-propelled grenades, IEDs and suicide bombers against Afghan and coalition forces. He also runs an unlawful court system in Nahr-e Saraj that illegally punishes Afghan civilians for running afoul of the Taliban.
-- A combined force arrested a Haqqani leader in the Sayyid Karam district of Paktiya province. The leader maintains operational control over a group of extremists responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also serves as a financier for local extremist groups, oversees IED operations in the region, and performs intelligence and reconnaissance operations.
In operations yesterday:
-- A combined force killed two extremists during a search for a Taliban leader in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province. The sought-after Taliban leader is responsible for directing IED, indirect-fire and direct-fire attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also interfaces with senior Taliban leaders, trains subordinate fighters on IED operations, and facilitates the movement of weapons and military equipment in the local area.
-- Afghan National Army Special Forces Commandos of 1st Company, 4th Special Operations Kandak, and coalition forces recovered and destroyed 998 pounds of ammonium nitrate and detained an insurgent on the border of Farah and Nimruz provinces.
-- Members of the 8th Special Operations Kandak, Afghan Local Police, Afghan Uniformed Police, and coalition forces killed two insurgents and neutralized six IEDs in the Mya Neshin district of Kandahar province. The joint forces conducted the clearing operation in Seyed Usan village with a multi-purpose canine, who discovered all six IEDs.
EXPORT-IMPORT BANK REPORTS RECORD SUPPORT FOR SATELLITE INDUSTRY
FROM: U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
Ex-Im Bank Adds to Record-Level Support for American Satellite Industry, Authorizes $343.3 Million Loan Financing AsiaSat’s Purchase of Communications Satellites and Launch Services
Latest Ex-Im Satellite Authorization Supports an Estimated 2,400 U.S. Jobs
Washington, D.C. – The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has authorized a $343.3 million direct loan to Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (AsiaSat) to finance the purchase of two communications satellites designed and built by Space Systems/Loral LLC (SSL) in Palo Alto, Calif.
AsiaSat 6, a C-band satellite, and AsiaSat 8, a mixed Ku/Ka-band satellite, are being manufactured by SSL under a contract that was announced in November 2011. The launches are planned for the first half of 2014.
Ex-Im Bank’s financing also will support launch services supplied by Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) in Hawthorne, Calif., and launch insurance from Marsh USA Inc. in New York, N.Y.
Ex-Im’s satellite financing is its fastest-growing portfolio. In Fiscal Year 2013 to date, the Bank has authorized $891 million in support of U.S. satellites and related services. Ex-Im Bank has financed approximately 60 percent of U.S. commercial satellite sales in the last three years.
"The satellite industry is the quintessential 21st-century business. Worldwide demand for satellite-based telecommunications is expanding, and with Ex-Im’s support, more and more of these satellites are made in America. Ex-Im Bank’s financing of these SSL communications satellites and SpaceX launch services is further expanding the global reach of U.S. satellite companies and helping to sustain thousands of jobs in California and New York," said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg.
The export sale is supporting approximately 2,400 U.S. jobs, according to an Ex-Im Bank estimate derived from U.S. Departments of Commerce and Labor data and methodology.
"More than half of the communications satellites built at SSL in Palo Alto are manufactured for export," said SSL President John Celli. "We appreciate Ex-Im Bank’s support of U.S.-manufacturers and the space industry. The satellites that we are providing to AsiaSat help create jobs and keep hundreds of highly skilled engineers, technicians and managers employed."
AsiaSat is a satellite operator headquartered in Hong Kong that was established in 1988 and currently has a fleet of four satellites that provide transponder capacity for services in more than 50 countries across the Asia-Pacific region, covering over two-thirds of the world’s population. AsiaSat provides telecommunications operators and end-users with services that include voice networks, private very small-aperture terminal (VSAT) networks and broadband multimedia services. The company also serves more than 150 public and private television and radio broadcasters worldwide that offer in excess of 450 television and radio channels.
SSL is a satellite and space-systems manufacturer that currently has more satellite capacity on orbit than any other manufacturer. Beginning with the world’s first active-repeater communications satellite launched in 1960, SSL has manufactured more than 250 satellites. The company has 2,800 employees at its manufacturing facility in Palo Alto, Calif.
SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. The company was founded in 2002 to advance space transportation and today provides services with its family of Falcon launch vehicles and Dragon spacecraft, which have delivered cargo to and from the International Space Station. The company has more than 3,000 employees in California, Texas, Washington, D.C., and Florida.
Ex-Im Bank Adds to Record-Level Support for American Satellite Industry, Authorizes $343.3 Million Loan Financing AsiaSat’s Purchase of Communications Satellites and Launch Services
Latest Ex-Im Satellite Authorization Supports an Estimated 2,400 U.S. Jobs
Washington, D.C. – The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has authorized a $343.3 million direct loan to Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (AsiaSat) to finance the purchase of two communications satellites designed and built by Space Systems/Loral LLC (SSL) in Palo Alto, Calif.
AsiaSat 6, a C-band satellite, and AsiaSat 8, a mixed Ku/Ka-band satellite, are being manufactured by SSL under a contract that was announced in November 2011. The launches are planned for the first half of 2014.
Ex-Im Bank’s financing also will support launch services supplied by Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) in Hawthorne, Calif., and launch insurance from Marsh USA Inc. in New York, N.Y.
Ex-Im’s satellite financing is its fastest-growing portfolio. In Fiscal Year 2013 to date, the Bank has authorized $891 million in support of U.S. satellites and related services. Ex-Im Bank has financed approximately 60 percent of U.S. commercial satellite sales in the last three years.
"The satellite industry is the quintessential 21st-century business. Worldwide demand for satellite-based telecommunications is expanding, and with Ex-Im’s support, more and more of these satellites are made in America. Ex-Im Bank’s financing of these SSL communications satellites and SpaceX launch services is further expanding the global reach of U.S. satellite companies and helping to sustain thousands of jobs in California and New York," said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg.
The export sale is supporting approximately 2,400 U.S. jobs, according to an Ex-Im Bank estimate derived from U.S. Departments of Commerce and Labor data and methodology.
"More than half of the communications satellites built at SSL in Palo Alto are manufactured for export," said SSL President John Celli. "We appreciate Ex-Im Bank’s support of U.S.-manufacturers and the space industry. The satellites that we are providing to AsiaSat help create jobs and keep hundreds of highly skilled engineers, technicians and managers employed."
AsiaSat is a satellite operator headquartered in Hong Kong that was established in 1988 and currently has a fleet of four satellites that provide transponder capacity for services in more than 50 countries across the Asia-Pacific region, covering over two-thirds of the world’s population. AsiaSat provides telecommunications operators and end-users with services that include voice networks, private very small-aperture terminal (VSAT) networks and broadband multimedia services. The company also serves more than 150 public and private television and radio broadcasters worldwide that offer in excess of 450 television and radio channels.
SSL is a satellite and space-systems manufacturer that currently has more satellite capacity on orbit than any other manufacturer. Beginning with the world’s first active-repeater communications satellite launched in 1960, SSL has manufactured more than 250 satellites. The company has 2,800 employees at its manufacturing facility in Palo Alto, Calif.
SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. The company was founded in 2002 to advance space transportation and today provides services with its family of Falcon launch vehicles and Dragon spacecraft, which have delivered cargo to and from the International Space Station. The company has more than 3,000 employees in California, Texas, Washington, D.C., and Florida.
RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS
FROM: U.S. NAVY
Chief petty officers man the rails aboard the amphibious command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) as the ship departs Lisbon, Portugal, at the conclusion of a four-day port visit. Mount Whitney, homeported in Gaeta, Italy, is the U.S. 6th Fleet flagship and operates with a combined crew of U.S. Sailors and Military Sealift Command civil service mariners. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Collin Turner (Released) 130530-N-PE825-068
A landing craft air cushion (LCAC) enters the well deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3). Kearsarge is the flagship for the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group and, with the embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is deployed supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Corbin J. Shea (Released) 130530-N-SB587-098
U.S. OFFICIAL SAYS FURLOUGH DECISIONS DIFFICULT
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Furlough Decision 'Arduous,' Official Says
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 31, 2013 - The Defense Department continues to look at ways to reduce or avoid furloughs, the acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness said today, but she added that "right now, unfortunately, the department will furlough civilian employees for up to 11 days."
"The decision to furlough the civilian employees was a very hard, arduous decision," Jessica L. Wright said, but it was based on preserving the readiness of the force.
"About 85 percent of our [civilian] force will be furloughed," Wright said, including teachers at Department of Defense Education Activity schools.
But preserving the integrity of the academic year was the central concern for the department, she added. Teachers will be furloughed for five days at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year, she explained, but it is up to each superintendent to decide what days will be furlough days. Schools will be closed to students on those days, she said, and extracurricular activities scheduled for a furlough day will not be held that day.
"But, it's important to note that our summer school will be held this year, and that children will get a good academic year," Wright added.
The department has about 767,000 appropriated fund employees, said Navy Cmdr. Leslie Hull-Ryde, a Pentagon spokeswoman. About 652,000 are scheduled to be furloughed, she said, but that total will change as employees respond to furlough notices and final determinations are made. Appropriated fund employees include those employees who are not appointed by Congress or the president and who are paid by funds designated by Congress.
According to the Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Service website, nonappropriated fund employees may be furloughed for business-based reasons "if the reduction in appropriated fund resources leads to a curtailment in [morale, welfare and recreation] or exchange business operations. ... Furloughs of NAF employees are processed under DOD NAF human resources policies and component procedures."
Furlough notices starting going out to appropriated fund employees May 28, Wright said.
"They will either be hand-delivered," she said, "because the employee must sign that they've received the furlough notice, or, if the employee is on leave, it could be sent [via] certified mail."
Civilians excepted from furloughs generally fall into specific categories, Wright said. Examples include civilians working in combat zones, personnel with safety-of-life responsibilities, wounded warrior caregivers and full-time sexual assault prevention and response coordinators and sexual assault victim advocates for the active and reserve components.
Employees who receive a furlough notice will have seven days to respond if they believe their duties fall into one of the excepted categories, Hull-Ryde said. Otherwise, furloughs will start no later than July 8. The furlough days will be spread over the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.
Wright said she urges employees with furlough questions to reach out to their human resources department and to read the detailed guidance about furloughs on the Office of Professional Management's website.
The websites for the Labor Department and OPM can assist employees with questions about eligibility for unemployment compensation, Wright said. Those eligibility requirements differ from state to state, Hull-Ryde noted.
Not all states will be affected equally, Wright said. "The majority of our workers work outside the Washington, D.C., area," she noted.
More than 80 percent of the federal workforce is based outside the national capital region, Wright said. According to Defense Department figures, in the five states with the most federal employees -- California, Georgia, Maryland, Texas and Virginia -- workers will lose $819 million in wages due to furloughs.
Every employee's situation is unique, Wright said, but the bottom line is this decision was made to preserve readiness of the military force as a whole.
"Readiness is not a service-specific thing," she said, "It's a joint, departmental thing. "We made a very collective decision to be collective on this furlough -- that we would furlough the department as a whole."
Senior defense officials have stated that the effects of sequestration will be long-lasting. Uncertainty over whether sequestration will continue has made it difficult to know whether furloughs will continue into fiscal year 2014, Wright said.
"I think that next year is going to be a difficult year," she said. "We are in the process -- the department as a whole -- of working through some of the options for next year's budget. ... If sequestration is in effect, it will be very difficult, but we have not made a decision."
Pentagon officials will do "everything in our power" not to have to furlough employees, she added.
Furlough Decision 'Arduous,' Official Says
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 31, 2013 - The Defense Department continues to look at ways to reduce or avoid furloughs, the acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness said today, but she added that "right now, unfortunately, the department will furlough civilian employees for up to 11 days."
"The decision to furlough the civilian employees was a very hard, arduous decision," Jessica L. Wright said, but it was based on preserving the readiness of the force.
"About 85 percent of our [civilian] force will be furloughed," Wright said, including teachers at Department of Defense Education Activity schools.
But preserving the integrity of the academic year was the central concern for the department, she added. Teachers will be furloughed for five days at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year, she explained, but it is up to each superintendent to decide what days will be furlough days. Schools will be closed to students on those days, she said, and extracurricular activities scheduled for a furlough day will not be held that day.
"But, it's important to note that our summer school will be held this year, and that children will get a good academic year," Wright added.
The department has about 767,000 appropriated fund employees, said Navy Cmdr. Leslie Hull-Ryde, a Pentagon spokeswoman. About 652,000 are scheduled to be furloughed, she said, but that total will change as employees respond to furlough notices and final determinations are made. Appropriated fund employees include those employees who are not appointed by Congress or the president and who are paid by funds designated by Congress.
According to the Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Service website, nonappropriated fund employees may be furloughed for business-based reasons "if the reduction in appropriated fund resources leads to a curtailment in [morale, welfare and recreation] or exchange business operations. ... Furloughs of NAF employees are processed under DOD NAF human resources policies and component procedures."
Furlough notices starting going out to appropriated fund employees May 28, Wright said.
"They will either be hand-delivered," she said, "because the employee must sign that they've received the furlough notice, or, if the employee is on leave, it could be sent [via] certified mail."
Civilians excepted from furloughs generally fall into specific categories, Wright said. Examples include civilians working in combat zones, personnel with safety-of-life responsibilities, wounded warrior caregivers and full-time sexual assault prevention and response coordinators and sexual assault victim advocates for the active and reserve components.
Employees who receive a furlough notice will have seven days to respond if they believe their duties fall into one of the excepted categories, Hull-Ryde said. Otherwise, furloughs will start no later than July 8. The furlough days will be spread over the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.
Wright said she urges employees with furlough questions to reach out to their human resources department and to read the detailed guidance about furloughs on the Office of Professional Management's website.
The websites for the Labor Department and OPM can assist employees with questions about eligibility for unemployment compensation, Wright said. Those eligibility requirements differ from state to state, Hull-Ryde noted.
Not all states will be affected equally, Wright said. "The majority of our workers work outside the Washington, D.C., area," she noted.
More than 80 percent of the federal workforce is based outside the national capital region, Wright said. According to Defense Department figures, in the five states with the most federal employees -- California, Georgia, Maryland, Texas and Virginia -- workers will lose $819 million in wages due to furloughs.
Every employee's situation is unique, Wright said, but the bottom line is this decision was made to preserve readiness of the military force as a whole.
"Readiness is not a service-specific thing," she said, "It's a joint, departmental thing. "We made a very collective decision to be collective on this furlough -- that we would furlough the department as a whole."
Senior defense officials have stated that the effects of sequestration will be long-lasting. Uncertainty over whether sequestration will continue has made it difficult to know whether furloughs will continue into fiscal year 2014, Wright said.
"I think that next year is going to be a difficult year," she said. "We are in the process -- the department as a whole -- of working through some of the options for next year's budget. ... If sequestration is in effect, it will be very difficult, but we have not made a decision."
Pentagon officials will do "everything in our power" not to have to furlough employees, she added.
BOUYS RELEASED TO INCREASE ACCURACY OF WEATHER FORCASTS
FROM: U.S. NAVY
Global Drifter Buoys Released in Pacific Ocean
By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Samantha J. Webb
PACIFIC OCEAN (NNS) -- Sailors from the office of Naval Meteorology and Oceanography released ten global drifter buoys belonging to the University of California, San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography from the amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52), May 28, during Pacific Partnership 2013.
The buoys measure ocean currents up to 15 meters in depth, sea surface temperatures and atmospheric pressure. All are important elements in creating an observation network, allowing for more accurate weather forecasts.
"The mission of Pacific Partnership is disaster relief preparedness," said Lt.j.g. Jeffrey S. Grabon, Pacific Partnership Mobile Environment Team division officer. "Most of the disasters that are going on in this region are from typhoons and tsunamis, so if we have observations that we can use to help forecast typhoons, that benefits the area."
The buoys were deployed at specific coordinates while USS Pearl Harbor transited the Pacific Ocean to Samoa, the first mission port of Pacific Partnership.
Both Scripps and the Navy seek to benefit from the buoy drop and subsequent data to be collected.
The global drifter buoys provide real-time data in support of both civilian and DoD activities. That data can be used to improve forecasts, which can benefit the effectiveness of activities like search and rescue missions and disaster response operations.
"I think it is absolutely crucial we have the ability to engage with the U.S. Navy and work in a synergistic way to collect useful data and create deployment opportunities in regions that are hard to access with commercial and scientific vessels," said Luca Centurioni, scientist, Scripps physical oceanography research division. "We really welcome the opportunity to work together with the U.S. Navy 3rd Fleet. "
Grabon said that much of the ongoing research has the potential to impact the Navy.
"Because the Navy is a sea-going, war-fighting force, the better the universities understand the ocean, the better the Navy will understand it," said Grabon.
Pacific Partnership is about bringing people together. The collaboration of the University of California, San Diego Scripps Institute of Oceanography and the United States Navy demonstrates a cooperative approach to both disaster preparedness and prevention by working to understand the many variables that contribute to the long history of natural disasters that have earned the whole region the moniker, "The Pacific Ring of Fire."
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| 130528-N-HA376-137 PACIFIC OCEAN (May 28, 2013) Lt. j.g. Jeffrey Grabon launches a global drifter buoy into the Pacific Ocean from the amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) while underway for Pacific Partnership 2013. The buoy, belonging to the UCSD Scripps Institution of Oceanography, is used to measure ocean currents up to 15 meters in depth, sea surface temperatures, and atmospheric pressure. Pacific Partnership is the largest disaster response-preparation mission in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Lowell Whitman/Released) |
Global Drifter Buoys Released in Pacific Ocean
By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Samantha J. Webb
PACIFIC OCEAN (NNS) -- Sailors from the office of Naval Meteorology and Oceanography released ten global drifter buoys belonging to the University of California, San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography from the amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52), May 28, during Pacific Partnership 2013.
The buoys measure ocean currents up to 15 meters in depth, sea surface temperatures and atmospheric pressure. All are important elements in creating an observation network, allowing for more accurate weather forecasts.
"The mission of Pacific Partnership is disaster relief preparedness," said Lt.j.g. Jeffrey S. Grabon, Pacific Partnership Mobile Environment Team division officer. "Most of the disasters that are going on in this region are from typhoons and tsunamis, so if we have observations that we can use to help forecast typhoons, that benefits the area."
The buoys were deployed at specific coordinates while USS Pearl Harbor transited the Pacific Ocean to Samoa, the first mission port of Pacific Partnership.
Both Scripps and the Navy seek to benefit from the buoy drop and subsequent data to be collected.
The global drifter buoys provide real-time data in support of both civilian and DoD activities. That data can be used to improve forecasts, which can benefit the effectiveness of activities like search and rescue missions and disaster response operations.
"I think it is absolutely crucial we have the ability to engage with the U.S. Navy and work in a synergistic way to collect useful data and create deployment opportunities in regions that are hard to access with commercial and scientific vessels," said Luca Centurioni, scientist, Scripps physical oceanography research division. "We really welcome the opportunity to work together with the U.S. Navy 3rd Fleet. "
Grabon said that much of the ongoing research has the potential to impact the Navy.
"Because the Navy is a sea-going, war-fighting force, the better the universities understand the ocean, the better the Navy will understand it," said Grabon.
Pacific Partnership is about bringing people together. The collaboration of the University of California, San Diego Scripps Institute of Oceanography and the United States Navy demonstrates a cooperative approach to both disaster preparedness and prevention by working to understand the many variables that contribute to the long history of natural disasters that have earned the whole region the moniker, "The Pacific Ring of Fire."
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
U.S. CONDEMNS RACIALLY MOTIVATED ACTS IN MALI
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
U.S. Condemns Racially Motivated Acts and Supports Negotiations in Mali
Press Statement
Jen Psaki
Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
June 5, 2013
The United States supports an urgent negotiated resolution to Kidal that will permit the return of civil administration so that presidential elections can be carried out in the entire Malian territory on July 28. We also condemn the racially motivated acts of detention and expulsions in Kidal and call on all parties to respect human rights and fully comply with their obligations under international law. The United States is fully committed and providing financial assistance for the holding of free, transparent and credible elections throughout Mali. This is a vital part of restoring peace and stability in Mali and in the region and will set the stage for a broader process of national reconciliation in a unified Mali. The United States commends the leadership of ECOWAS mediator President Blaise Compaoré, and the support of the United Nations, the African Union, and other regional and international partners in this effort.
U.S. Condemns Racially Motivated Acts and Supports Negotiations in Mali
Press Statement
Jen Psaki
Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
June 5, 2013
The United States supports an urgent negotiated resolution to Kidal that will permit the return of civil administration so that presidential elections can be carried out in the entire Malian territory on July 28. We also condemn the racially motivated acts of detention and expulsions in Kidal and call on all parties to respect human rights and fully comply with their obligations under international law. The United States is fully committed and providing financial assistance for the holding of free, transparent and credible elections throughout Mali. This is a vital part of restoring peace and stability in Mali and in the region and will set the stage for a broader process of national reconciliation in a unified Mali. The United States commends the leadership of ECOWAS mediator President Blaise Compaoré, and the support of the United Nations, the African Union, and other regional and international partners in this effort.
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL WELCOMES SUSAN RICE AS NEW NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Hagel Welcomes Rice's Selection as National Security Advisor
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, June 5, 2013 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today said he looks forward to working with Susan Rice in her new role as national security advisor.
In a statement released after President Barack Obama announced that he had selected Rice -- currently the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations -- to succeed Tom Donilon, Hagel said he strongly supports the president's choice.
"Susan Rice has been a very important leader on President Obama's national security team who has helped galvanize the international community to act on some of the toughest security challenges facing the United States," he said. "I also look forward to working with President Obama's nominee to succeed her, Samantha Power. She brings years of experience at the White House, in academia, and as a journalist to this critical position."
Hagel also expressed thanks to Donilon for his "strong leadership and tireless efforts."
"For the past four and half years, both in my capacity as co-chairman of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board and now as secretary of defense, I have greatly valued Tom's intellect, skill, and dedication to an honest and open process that provides the president with the best advice on the toughest issues," the secretary said. "I wish Tom and his family the very best for the future."
Hagel Welcomes Rice's Selection as National Security Advisor
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, June 5, 2013 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today said he looks forward to working with Susan Rice in her new role as national security advisor.
In a statement released after President Barack Obama announced that he had selected Rice -- currently the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations -- to succeed Tom Donilon, Hagel said he strongly supports the president's choice.
"Susan Rice has been a very important leader on President Obama's national security team who has helped galvanize the international community to act on some of the toughest security challenges facing the United States," he said. "I also look forward to working with President Obama's nominee to succeed her, Samantha Power. She brings years of experience at the White House, in academia, and as a journalist to this critical position."
Hagel also expressed thanks to Donilon for his "strong leadership and tireless efforts."
"For the past four and half years, both in my capacity as co-chairman of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board and now as secretary of defense, I have greatly valued Tom's intellect, skill, and dedication to an honest and open process that provides the president with the best advice on the toughest issues," the secretary said. "I wish Tom and his family the very best for the future."
ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR JUNE 5, 2013
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| U.S. Army Sgt. Thomas Banner leads his squad on a dismounted presence patrol near Forward Operating Base Spin Boldak in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, June 2, 2013. Banner, a squad leader, is assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment. The soldiers were on patrol to meet area farmers and project force posture. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Shane Hamann |
Afghan, Coalition Forces Kill Enemy Fighters in Helmand Province
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release
KABUL, Afghanistan, June 5, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed three extremists and arrested a Taliban facilitator and another extremist in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Afghanistan's Helmand province today, military officials reported.
The facilitator procures weapons and equipment for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and helps to coordinate and execute those attacks. He also maintains several weapons caches.
During the operation, enemy fighters set up a fighting position against the security force. The force engaged them, killing three. The security force also seized an assault rifle and two magazines.
Also today, a combined force in Kandahar province's Zharay district arrested a Taliban facilitator who builds and places improvised explosive devices targeting Afghan and coalition forces. He also finances local Taliban cells. The security also arrested three enemy fighters in the operation.
In an operation yesterday, a combined force killed a senior Taliban leader and two other enemy fighters in Wardak province's Sayyidabad district.
The Taliban leader controlled a group responsible for ambushes and other attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also facilitated the movement of weapons and equipment to local Taliban cells and was involved in the construction and placement of IEDs.
In other news from Afghanistan, more than 600 members of the Afghan national security force gathered in Laghman province June 3 to execute a clearing operation in the areas surrounding Nawrah and Hakimabad villages. Supported by the provincial police chief and coalition advisors, they uncovered and neutralized 12 IEDs.
HHS TOUTS "SECURE HEALTH DATA" AS AN IMPROVEMENT IN CARE
FROM: U.S. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Secure health data helping patients, doctors improve care and health
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the release of new data and new opportunities for researchers and developers at the beginning of Health Datapalooza IV. This is the fourth annual national conference on health data transparency, which brings together government, non-profit, and private sector organizations to look at the potential for open data from HHS and other sources to help improve health and health care.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today released new data – including county-level data on Medicare spending and utilization for the first time, as well as selected data on hospital outpatient charges. In addition, the HHS Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) released additional information on the adoption of specific electronic health record (EHR) systems, as well as the winners of new opportunities for building innovative tools that build off health data.
"A more data driven and transparent health care marketplace can help consumers and their families make important decisions about their care," said Secretary Sebelius. "The administration is committed to making the health system more transparent and harnessing data to empower consumers."
Today HHS released data and tools that will help researchers and consumers take advantage of health information:
Building on the release last month of the average charges for the 100 most common inpatient procedures, CMS today released selected hospital outpatient data that includes estimates for average charges for 30 types of hospital outpatient procedures from hospitals across the country, such as clinic visits, echocardiograms, and endoscopies.
CMS today released new data sets for the first time at the county level: one on Medicare spending and utilization, and another on Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions. Both data sets will enable researchers, data innovators and the public to better understand Medicare spending and service use, spurring innovation and increasing transparency, while protecting the privacy of beneficiaries. The data will also be available through an interactive state level dashboard based on the spending information, allowing users of any skill level to quickly access and use the data.
ONC released data today from the Regional Extension Centers about the different brands of EHR products used by 146,000 doctors by state, specialty, and each doctor’s stage in meaningful use attestation.
HHS is also co-sponsoring a national competition – known as a "code-a-palooza" – to design an innovative app or tool using Medicare data that primary care providers can use to help manage patient care. The national competition, sponsored by ONC, the Health Data Consortium
, and the cloud software company Socrata, will give $25,000 in prizes to the teams of coders and medical experts that build the best tools or apps by the end of Datapalooza.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is demonstrating the latest applications of its two powerful health databases, the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). HCUP is the largest collection of longitudinal hospital care data in the U.S., representing 97 percent of all inpatient hospital discharges. MEPS is the most complete source of U.S. data on the cost and use of health care services and insurance coverage, obtained through large-scale, annual surveys of families, individuals, medical providers and employers.
ONC in coordination with the Health Resources and Services Administration selected the winners of the Apps4TotsHealth Challenge, which was launched to help parents and caregivers of young children better manage their nutrition and physical activity. The winning developers, researchers, and other innovators make use of Healthdata.gov data to strengthen these tools and make them more user-friendly. More on the winners here.
ONC also announced today the launch of the Blue Button Co-Design Challenge, designed to spur the creation of new applications that will allow patients to better use their own health data to improve their own care. The challenge will ask the public to vote on ideas from which developers will build tools to address health priorities determined by public voting.
Secure health data helping patients, doctors improve care and health
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the release of new data and new opportunities for researchers and developers at the beginning of Health Datapalooza IV. This is the fourth annual national conference on health data transparency, which brings together government, non-profit, and private sector organizations to look at the potential for open data from HHS and other sources to help improve health and health care.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today released new data – including county-level data on Medicare spending and utilization for the first time, as well as selected data on hospital outpatient charges. In addition, the HHS Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) released additional information on the adoption of specific electronic health record (EHR) systems, as well as the winners of new opportunities for building innovative tools that build off health data.
"A more data driven and transparent health care marketplace can help consumers and their families make important decisions about their care," said Secretary Sebelius. "The administration is committed to making the health system more transparent and harnessing data to empower consumers."
Today HHS released data and tools that will help researchers and consumers take advantage of health information:
CMS today released new data sets for the first time at the county level: one on Medicare spending and utilization, and another on Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions. Both data sets will enable researchers, data innovators and the public to better understand Medicare spending and service use, spurring innovation and increasing transparency, while protecting the privacy of beneficiaries. The data will also be available through an interactive state level dashboard based on the spending information, allowing users of any skill level to quickly access and use the data.
ONC released data today from the Regional Extension Centers about the different brands of EHR products used by 146,000 doctors by state, specialty, and each doctor’s stage in meaningful use attestation.
HHS is also co-sponsoring a national competition – known as a "code-a-palooza" – to design an innovative app or tool using Medicare data that primary care providers can use to help manage patient care. The national competition, sponsored by ONC, the Health Data Consortium
, and the cloud software company Socrata, will give $25,000 in prizes to the teams of coders and medical experts that build the best tools or apps by the end of Datapalooza.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is demonstrating the latest applications of its two powerful health databases, the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). HCUP is the largest collection of longitudinal hospital care data in the U.S., representing 97 percent of all inpatient hospital discharges. MEPS is the most complete source of U.S. data on the cost and use of health care services and insurance coverage, obtained through large-scale, annual surveys of families, individuals, medical providers and employers.
ONC in coordination with the Health Resources and Services Administration selected the winners of the Apps4TotsHealth Challenge, which was launched to help parents and caregivers of young children better manage their nutrition and physical activity. The winning developers, researchers, and other innovators make use of Healthdata.gov data to strengthen these tools and make them more user-friendly. More on the winners here.
ONC also announced today the launch of the Blue Button Co-Design Challenge, designed to spur the creation of new applications that will allow patients to better use their own health data to improve their own care. The challenge will ask the public to vote on ideas from which developers will build tools to address health priorities determined by public voting.
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