American Forces Press Service
Feb. 4, 2010 - A combined Afghan and international security force captured a Taliban leader and seized multiple weapons in Afghanistan yesterday, military officials reported.
The force searched a series of compounds around the village of Saleh Kheyl in Ghazni province's Jaghatu district after intelligence confirmed militant activity there. The force captured a Taliban sub-commander and another insurgent responsible for conducting homemade-bomb attacks and ambushes against Afghan and international troops. The force also found multiple weapons.
In Helmand, a combined security force searched a vehicle northwest of Marjah in Nad Ali district after intelligence indicated militant activity there. The force discovered several AK-47 assault rifles, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, several RPG rounds, handheld radios and a machine gun. The force detained the men in the car for further questioning.
Meanwhile, an International Security Assistance Force patrol discovered bomb-making materials in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province. The force found numerous homemade blasting caps, detonation cord, batteries, wire and a mortar round. The items were destroyed at the site.
Elsewhere, an Afghan civilian turned in four 81 mm mortar rounds in Kandahar province's Arghandab district.
An Afghan-led team also confiscated three AK-47s, three grenades, 1,000 machine-gun rounds, RPG boosters and assorted bomb-making materials including wire, batteries and electronic components. The team also discovered about 1,500 pounds of suspected ammonium nitrate fertilizer, which recently was banned because of its potential for use in bombs, and 50 pounds of black-tar opium.
No civilians were harmed and no shots were fired in any of these operations.
(From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command news release.)
Thursday, February 04, 2010
McChrystal Notes Progress in Afghanistan
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 4, 2010 - Although he stopped short of saying the worst is over for troops as they prepare to surge into some of the toughest Taliban-held areas, the top NATO and U.S. commander in Afghanistan said here today that conditions no longer are deteriorating. "I am not prepared to say that we have turned the corner. I am saying that the situation is serious. But I think we have made significant progress in setting conditions in 2009, and ... we'll make real progress in 2010," said Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, commander of the International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces Afghanistan.
The general spoke in an interview with reporters who accompanied Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to Istanbul for a meeting of the alliance's defense ministers to determine how many more additional resources, if any, they will contribute to the fight in Afghanistan.
Last summer, McChrystal delivered a much harsher description of the situation on the ground to the Defense Department and the White House, saying that conditions were deteriorating, Taliban influence was growing and the confidence of the people of Afghanistan in U.S. efforts there was waning.
President Barack Obama directed a revamped strategy for Afghanistan. As part of that change, Obama ordered 30,000 more U.S. troops to deploy to Afghanistan by this summer.
McChrystal called 2010 an important year, as critically needed troops flow into the country as fast as facilities and bases can be built for them. U.S. forces will number about 100,000 by the time all of them arrive this summer. NATO has offered up an additional 9,000 forces, but that still leaves ISAF about 4,000 short of the mentors and trainers it needs, officials said.
Sixty-four mentoring teams are operating now in all five regions of Afghanistan. Another 80 are expected in the next few months, but 20 more are needed as the Afghan security forces grow this year.
McChrystal's prediction of continued progress in Afghanistan comes as coalition and Afghan forces prepare for one of their largest combined operations to remove insurgents from areas of central Helmand province not already cleared by ISAF troops. It is not typical of military commanders to announce operations in advance, but the general said they are trying to send a message.
"We're trying to signal to the Afghan people that we are expanding security where they live. We are trying also to signal to the insurgents ... that it's about to change," McChrystal said.
The general said he also wants to give those Taliban members and other insurgents who would rather not fight a chance to consider their options.
"If they want to fight, then obviously that will have to be an outcome. But if they don't want to fight, that's fine too," he said. "We're not interested in how many Taliban we kill. We'd much rather have them see the inevitability that things are changing and just accept that."
The general said he considers this operation a "next step" as NATO forces continue to work to develop the size and capacity of the Afghan national security forces.
Over the past few months, McChrystal said, ISAF has made internal command changes and has begun partnering more closely with the Afghan government, from the ministries down to the local level.
He said progress has taken place as the government now works to direct the planning efforts to provide security.
Recruiting is up for the Afghan forces, McChrystal said. More than 11,000 joined in December and January. Attrition still is higher than officials would like, he acknowledged, but it is dropping.
As of December, the Afghan army had just more than 100,000 troops, and officials want to grow its force to more than 171,000 by October 2011. As of December, the Afghan police had just under 100,000 members, and officials want to expand their ranks to 134,000 officers by October 2011.
Along with growing the size of the force, the Afghan government wants to develop the professionalism of the force. An Afghan military academy is ready to graduate a four-year class and the police academy just graduated a class after completing a three-year program, McChrystal said.
Before, only about one quarter of the Afghan National Police had any formal training. Now, the training will become standardized across the country. The Afghans are standing up a command to manage police training.
Literacy is a challenge, McChrystal said, but that doesn't mean the recruits are not trainable.
"Being illiterate doesn't mean you're not smart," he said. "The Taliban's illiterate. It means you haven't had a chance to learn to read."
Literacy issues do, however, make it harder to train the recruits on the more modern equipment, the general acknowledged. However, he said, programs are being built within the force to help with literacy skills.
McChrystal described 2010 as "an exceptionally important year," as he observed the Afghan people are ready for the decades of war to come to an end. The general predicted significant growth of the Afghan national security forces as the summer 2011 deadline looms when U.S. troops are slated to start their withdrawal.
How many and how fast U.S. troops depart Afghanistan, McChrystal said, will depend on how much progress has been made between now and then.
"I'm not prepared to say we are winning. I'm prepared to say we are very much engaged, and I am confident we are going to see serious progress this year," he said.
The progress has come at a price, McChrystal acknowledged.
"We have paid for progress we've made," the general said. "We've paid for it individual by individual."
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 4, 2010 - Although he stopped short of saying the worst is over for troops as they prepare to surge into some of the toughest Taliban-held areas, the top NATO and U.S. commander in Afghanistan said here today that conditions no longer are deteriorating. "I am not prepared to say that we have turned the corner. I am saying that the situation is serious. But I think we have made significant progress in setting conditions in 2009, and ... we'll make real progress in 2010," said Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, commander of the International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces Afghanistan.
The general spoke in an interview with reporters who accompanied Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to Istanbul for a meeting of the alliance's defense ministers to determine how many more additional resources, if any, they will contribute to the fight in Afghanistan.
Last summer, McChrystal delivered a much harsher description of the situation on the ground to the Defense Department and the White House, saying that conditions were deteriorating, Taliban influence was growing and the confidence of the people of Afghanistan in U.S. efforts there was waning.
President Barack Obama directed a revamped strategy for Afghanistan. As part of that change, Obama ordered 30,000 more U.S. troops to deploy to Afghanistan by this summer.
McChrystal called 2010 an important year, as critically needed troops flow into the country as fast as facilities and bases can be built for them. U.S. forces will number about 100,000 by the time all of them arrive this summer. NATO has offered up an additional 9,000 forces, but that still leaves ISAF about 4,000 short of the mentors and trainers it needs, officials said.
Sixty-four mentoring teams are operating now in all five regions of Afghanistan. Another 80 are expected in the next few months, but 20 more are needed as the Afghan security forces grow this year.
McChrystal's prediction of continued progress in Afghanistan comes as coalition and Afghan forces prepare for one of their largest combined operations to remove insurgents from areas of central Helmand province not already cleared by ISAF troops. It is not typical of military commanders to announce operations in advance, but the general said they are trying to send a message.
"We're trying to signal to the Afghan people that we are expanding security where they live. We are trying also to signal to the insurgents ... that it's about to change," McChrystal said.
The general said he also wants to give those Taliban members and other insurgents who would rather not fight a chance to consider their options.
"If they want to fight, then obviously that will have to be an outcome. But if they don't want to fight, that's fine too," he said. "We're not interested in how many Taliban we kill. We'd much rather have them see the inevitability that things are changing and just accept that."
The general said he considers this operation a "next step" as NATO forces continue to work to develop the size and capacity of the Afghan national security forces.
Over the past few months, McChrystal said, ISAF has made internal command changes and has begun partnering more closely with the Afghan government, from the ministries down to the local level.
He said progress has taken place as the government now works to direct the planning efforts to provide security.
Recruiting is up for the Afghan forces, McChrystal said. More than 11,000 joined in December and January. Attrition still is higher than officials would like, he acknowledged, but it is dropping.
As of December, the Afghan army had just more than 100,000 troops, and officials want to grow its force to more than 171,000 by October 2011. As of December, the Afghan police had just under 100,000 members, and officials want to expand their ranks to 134,000 officers by October 2011.
Along with growing the size of the force, the Afghan government wants to develop the professionalism of the force. An Afghan military academy is ready to graduate a four-year class and the police academy just graduated a class after completing a three-year program, McChrystal said.
Before, only about one quarter of the Afghan National Police had any formal training. Now, the training will become standardized across the country. The Afghans are standing up a command to manage police training.
Literacy is a challenge, McChrystal said, but that doesn't mean the recruits are not trainable.
"Being illiterate doesn't mean you're not smart," he said. "The Taliban's illiterate. It means you haven't had a chance to learn to read."
Literacy issues do, however, make it harder to train the recruits on the more modern equipment, the general acknowledged. However, he said, programs are being built within the force to help with literacy skills.
McChrystal described 2010 as "an exceptionally important year," as he observed the Afghan people are ready for the decades of war to come to an end. The general predicted significant growth of the Afghan national security forces as the summer 2011 deadline looms when U.S. troops are slated to start their withdrawal.
How many and how fast U.S. troops depart Afghanistan, McChrystal said, will depend on how much progress has been made between now and then.
"I'm not prepared to say we are winning. I'm prepared to say we are very much engaged, and I am confident we are going to see serious progress this year," he said.
The progress has come at a price, McChrystal acknowledged.
"We have paid for progress we've made," the general said. "We've paid for it individual by individual."
Georgia Guardsmen set up radio stations for Afghan villagers
by Sgt. Tracy J. Smith
CJTF-82 PAO
(2/3/10) -- In a perfect world, accurate information would be as close as a radio. For a country at war, accurate information is invaluable. Georgia Army National Guardsmen of 1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment are giving the Shinwari and Muhmandari Mountain border villagers of Afghanistan their own voice through the gift of radio.
The two stations, located in the Shinwar and Muhmand Dara provinces, will give outlying villages communication security and while countering Taliban propaganda.
Popularly known as the Radio in a Box, the new media program is one of the initiatives of the International Security Assistance Force counterinsurgency process, and will belong entirely to the Afghan people.
"It will not be a facilitator of military or security mandates," Afghan Border Police, 6th Kandak commander, Col. Niazy said. He punctuated the importance of the mission by stressing how the station's messaging will embrace the needs of the community. "It will be a powerful tool to give our people a voice – a resource. Our mullahs, district government leaders, or our local shop keepers and villagers will have full access and know that they can come to us in a crisis for honest information."
The Kandak headquarters is a temporary location for the Shinwar radio station. It was also once the site for Radio Spin Ghar, part of a 2005 independent media opportunity project called Support for Independent Radio Stations in Afghanistan, which was co-sponsored by U.S. Agency for International Development.
Both stations are fully funded by the coalition with Afghan National Security Force partners offering security, and employ full-time local Afghan station managers and on-air personalities.
"The Gate" (102.1 MHz FM) began airing full-time Jan. 17 at Forward Operation Base Torkham in Muhmand Dara province near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
The Shinwar station [95 MHz FM] celebrated its debut Jan. 21 during the anti-Taliban Shinwari Pact jirga. The gathering of about 170 tribal representatives, a first of its kind, was organized by the 6th Kandak ABP and prominent tribal leaders. It was held embracing the strictest traditions of the six district Shinwari tribal councils to denounce Taliban tyranny and passive governance. The radio station gave prominent Afghan leaders and security forces a new media platform to announce their solidarity during the station's first broadcast.
"It brings us together as one community," Malik Usman said of the opening and the reading of the council's decision to stand with their uniformed brothers in arms. "We can share information with the people immediately when a crisis is identified and ensure their safety."
Council elders received gifts of hand-held radios at the conclusion of the jirga. The same radios will also be distributed by ANSF and coalition forces during patrols to outlying villages.
Niazy welcomes the new media as an extension of service to the people and says programming will be created by local people with call-in segments and unique on-air radio talk shows that will engage government and village officials.
"The station will have a strict traditional format, from the reading of mourners' names, to jirga results and the distribution of public service information," Niazy said. "They will celebrate with music programs, but we can reinforce their personal security with information."
Route-clearance Soldiers Experience Firsts
By Army Sgt. Jon E. Dougherty
Special to American Forces Press Service
Feb. 4, 2010 - The active-duty Army and National Guard members of a new route-clearance patrol formed here last month would experience many "firsts" in their maiden voyage.
For many members of the 17th Fires Brigade's 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery, based at Joint Base McChord-Lewis, Wash., last week's opening mission marked the first time they'd served as part of a route-clearance unit – a job typically left to combat engineers.
The soldiers are taking on a substantially different role from their normal mission of manning multiple-launch rocket system batteries.
For the members of the Missouri Army National Guard's 203rd Engineer Battalion, it was their first time serving in a route-clearance capacity in Afghanistan with an active Army element. When the 203rd was ordered to mobilize in August, these citizen-soldiers initially were slated to perform a personnel security role, but that changed once they arrived here and the need for more route-clearance patrols became evident.
For all of them – who are collectively nicknamed the "Black Jacks" – the mission marked the first time they worked together "outside the wire" as a team.
The first time they went out they had their hands full.
While these route-clearance soldiers already were prepared to expect the unexpected, no one could have predicted they would engage in a three-hour vehicle recovery operation caused not by a roadside-bomb detonation, but by bad luck. But the experience proved to be extremely valuable and helped the unit come together as a team, the soldiers said later.
A few hours into the mission, the "Black Jacks" were preparing to turn around and begin the second phase of their operation when the lead mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle, an RG-31, suddenly sank three feet into a ditch that had been hidden by road work and softened by two days of rain and snow.
"Leader, this is Two," said the convoy's second vehicle, which had watched the incident unfold just ahead. "One is stuck. They're buried on their right side in mud up to their axle."
"Can we pull them out?" Leader responded.
"I don't know," said Two.
Unbeknownst to the convoy prior to the start of the mission, the local villagers had begun a project to lay new pipe across the roadway, which forced local traffic onto a much softer bypass. The smaller cars and trucks driven by Afghans had little problem negotiating the obstacle, but for the much-heavier MRAPs, the soggy, muddy bypass became a vehicle trap.
"We didn't have any intelligence that the roadway was out," said Army 1st Lt. Phil Kirk, originally from Waterloo, Ill., the route-clearance patrol platoon leader whose unit is attached to the 203rd Engineer Battalion. "When we got up there, we discovered the route was completely torn out.
"I thought our people on the ground definitely took charge and developed plans and made it happen," Kirk continued, noting that a few of his soldiers who had route-clearance experience from Iraq took control of the situation right away and began implementing possible solutions.
Local Afghans also took an immediate role in helping the Americans – much to the surprise of a number of convoy team members. One man offered the use of his road grader, which was parked nearby. And several Afghan National Police officers also arrived to help the Americans keep crowds away and locate more heavy equipment to pull their vehicle out.
"It was great how the [Afghan police] were able to go into the village and get the construction operators to bring their equipment, rollers and graders, out to assist in helping us get our vehicle out," Kirk said.
Initial attempts to dislodge the heavily armored vehicle using only the road grader proved unsuccessful, as the mud gripped the right side of the MRAP like a vise. But the Americans and Afghans soon realized they would need more than one vehicle – and other road-building support – to free it.
By the time the vehicle was freed, more than three hours had passed. It was well after dark, and the temperature had fallen well below freezing. But Kirk's patrol and their Afghan supporters never gave up. When one idea failed, another was tried. When the situation seemed hopeless, the soldiers were at their most professional.
"It could've gone better, maybe, but it was our first time out as our own element. It wasn't that bad," said Army Staff Sgt. Nathanial Muller, an MRAP vehicle commander and member of the 5-3rd Field Artillery Company, originally from Vancouver, Wash.
Indeed.
In a combat zone, no plan is ever perfect and few conditions are ever ideal. What's more, every soldier will tell you there is always a first time for everything, and how a unit collectively handles those unforeseen problems can indicate the way they will deal with future mission-related issues, both big and small.
If their first-time performance is any indication of future success, perhaps "Black Jack" is a new synonym for accomplishment.
(Army Sgt. Jon E. Dougherty serves with the 203rd Engineer Battalion.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Feb. 4, 2010 - The active-duty Army and National Guard members of a new route-clearance patrol formed here last month would experience many "firsts" in their maiden voyage.
For many members of the 17th Fires Brigade's 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery, based at Joint Base McChord-Lewis, Wash., last week's opening mission marked the first time they'd served as part of a route-clearance unit – a job typically left to combat engineers.
The soldiers are taking on a substantially different role from their normal mission of manning multiple-launch rocket system batteries.
For the members of the Missouri Army National Guard's 203rd Engineer Battalion, it was their first time serving in a route-clearance capacity in Afghanistan with an active Army element. When the 203rd was ordered to mobilize in August, these citizen-soldiers initially were slated to perform a personnel security role, but that changed once they arrived here and the need for more route-clearance patrols became evident.
For all of them – who are collectively nicknamed the "Black Jacks" – the mission marked the first time they worked together "outside the wire" as a team.
The first time they went out they had their hands full.
While these route-clearance soldiers already were prepared to expect the unexpected, no one could have predicted they would engage in a three-hour vehicle recovery operation caused not by a roadside-bomb detonation, but by bad luck. But the experience proved to be extremely valuable and helped the unit come together as a team, the soldiers said later.
A few hours into the mission, the "Black Jacks" were preparing to turn around and begin the second phase of their operation when the lead mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle, an RG-31, suddenly sank three feet into a ditch that had been hidden by road work and softened by two days of rain and snow.
"Leader, this is Two," said the convoy's second vehicle, which had watched the incident unfold just ahead. "One is stuck. They're buried on their right side in mud up to their axle."
"Can we pull them out?" Leader responded.
"I don't know," said Two.
Unbeknownst to the convoy prior to the start of the mission, the local villagers had begun a project to lay new pipe across the roadway, which forced local traffic onto a much softer bypass. The smaller cars and trucks driven by Afghans had little problem negotiating the obstacle, but for the much-heavier MRAPs, the soggy, muddy bypass became a vehicle trap.
"We didn't have any intelligence that the roadway was out," said Army 1st Lt. Phil Kirk, originally from Waterloo, Ill., the route-clearance patrol platoon leader whose unit is attached to the 203rd Engineer Battalion. "When we got up there, we discovered the route was completely torn out.
"I thought our people on the ground definitely took charge and developed plans and made it happen," Kirk continued, noting that a few of his soldiers who had route-clearance experience from Iraq took control of the situation right away and began implementing possible solutions.
Local Afghans also took an immediate role in helping the Americans – much to the surprise of a number of convoy team members. One man offered the use of his road grader, which was parked nearby. And several Afghan National Police officers also arrived to help the Americans keep crowds away and locate more heavy equipment to pull their vehicle out.
"It was great how the [Afghan police] were able to go into the village and get the construction operators to bring their equipment, rollers and graders, out to assist in helping us get our vehicle out," Kirk said.
Initial attempts to dislodge the heavily armored vehicle using only the road grader proved unsuccessful, as the mud gripped the right side of the MRAP like a vise. But the Americans and Afghans soon realized they would need more than one vehicle – and other road-building support – to free it.
By the time the vehicle was freed, more than three hours had passed. It was well after dark, and the temperature had fallen well below freezing. But Kirk's patrol and their Afghan supporters never gave up. When one idea failed, another was tried. When the situation seemed hopeless, the soldiers were at their most professional.
"It could've gone better, maybe, but it was our first time out as our own element. It wasn't that bad," said Army Staff Sgt. Nathanial Muller, an MRAP vehicle commander and member of the 5-3rd Field Artillery Company, originally from Vancouver, Wash.
Indeed.
In a combat zone, no plan is ever perfect and few conditions are ever ideal. What's more, every soldier will tell you there is always a first time for everything, and how a unit collectively handles those unforeseen problems can indicate the way they will deal with future mission-related issues, both big and small.
If their first-time performance is any indication of future success, perhaps "Black Jack" is a new synonym for accomplishment.
(Army Sgt. Jon E. Dougherty serves with the 203rd Engineer Battalion.)
Rehearsal Preps 101st for Afghanistan Mission
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 4, 2010 - As his staff wraps up the final mission rehearsal exercise before taking command of Afghanistan's Regional Command East this summer, the 101st Airborne Division commander is enjoying a new-found luxury: the ability to focus his entire training effort on a single combat theater.
Army Maj. Gen. John Campbell, whose headquarters will take on the mission it passed to the 82nd Airborne Division in June, no longer has to divide his attention between combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
All four of his brigade combat teams and his aviation brigade are deploying to or slated to deploy to Afghanistan, beginning with the 3rd BCT, which cased its colors in late January and is expected to be fully deployed by the month's end. The 1st BCT, which just wrapped up its training rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La., will deploy next, followed by the 2nd BCT.
And, in a decision announced earlier this week, the 101st's 4th BCT will deploy to Afghanistan this summer, expected to operate within the Regional Command East region under Campbell's command.
This dynamic gives Campbell a level of "campaign continuity" he said is proving invaluable as he prepares to take on a mission now guided by a new strategy and with a new command structure overseeing its implementation.
As Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, maintains the strategic-level watch, Army Lt. Gen. David M. Rodriguez is overseeing day-to-day operations as commander of the new ISAF Joint Command.
With all Campbell's forces headed to Afghanistan, he said, all eyes are now trained solely on that fight.
"The division focus on one [area of responsibility] is just absolutely critical," he said.
"We are totally focused on Afghanistan," he said of his command staff. "And all our brigades are focused on Afghanistan. So our training and our resources and energy go toward that [mission]."
So as his soldiers sharpen their capabilities at the Joint Readiness Training Center -- and with some getting training in Pashto, Dari and other Afghan languages -- Campbell and his command group are wrapping up a two-week mission rehearsal exercise sponsored by U.S. Joint Forces Command.
Dubbed Unified Endeavor, the computer-driven exercise prepares combined and joint task force commanders and their staffs to operate in complex environments.
Army Maj. Gen. Stephen Layfield, commander of Joint Forces Command's Joint Warfighting Center in Suffolk, Va., said his staff created the most realistic training environment possible to ensure Campbell and his team are ready for the upcoming mission.
"One of our learned keys to success in creating a training environment that is real for the audience is to make sure it is current and relevant," he said.
Joint Forces Command officials brought together the myriad dynamics Campbell and his Combined Joint Task Force 101 staff will face in Afghanistan – with the blend of military and civilian capabilities provided by the coalition, as well as Afghan officials and national security forces.
Afghan army commanders, as well as military leaders from French and Polish military units that the task force will work with in Afghanistan, traveled to Fort Campbell, Ky., to participate in the exercise.
"In today's complex battlefield, we do not fight alone, and our training reflects that," Layfield said. "We rely upon and integrate with our multinational, interagency and nongovernmental partners in all that we do, ... and they are all present in this exercise this week." Meanwhile, the 101st leaders applied joint tactics, techniques and procedures as they worked through training scenarios based on real-world ones.
"We are giving them every challenge we can," Layfield said. "We are throwing things at this outfit so they can be the best they will be able to be when they hit the ground running."
The training challenges ranged from dealing with an insurgency that operates in high-population areas to employing combined action involving U.S. forces and Afghan units in counterinsurgency operations, to infrastructure gaps to narcotics and corruption issues.
Population-centric operations, a keystone of the new Afghan policy, are woven into every aspect of the training. Minimizing civilian casualties always has been important to U.S. operations, Layfield said, but it's become even more so since the new policy took effect. That, in turn, has had a big impact on training.
"It has caused us to scrub every single training venue, every training vignette we put on a training audience, to make sure we are giving them the opportunity to be challenged with that sort of guidance from their new commander, General McChrystal," Layfield said. "[It] has clearly refocused us on what we want to present to the training audience" so they deliver exactly what McChrystal wants.
With the rehearsal slated to wrap up tomorrow, Layfield declared the 101st ready for its mission in Afghanistan.
"The 101st Airborne Air Assault is ready, and I want to say that in no uncertain terms," he said.
Campbell said he's taking a lot away from the training. Most important, he said, are the relationships he's had an opportunity to build, and that will prove critical in Afghanistan. Ultimately, he said, it comes down to two driving imperatives: to save soldiers' lives, and to succeed in the mission.
"This is a critical year for Afghanistan," he said, citing President Barack Obama's as well as McChrystal's call for demonstrable progress within the next 12 to 18 months. "With exercises like this, it will help move us toward that quicker."
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 4, 2010 - As his staff wraps up the final mission rehearsal exercise before taking command of Afghanistan's Regional Command East this summer, the 101st Airborne Division commander is enjoying a new-found luxury: the ability to focus his entire training effort on a single combat theater.
Army Maj. Gen. John Campbell, whose headquarters will take on the mission it passed to the 82nd Airborne Division in June, no longer has to divide his attention between combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
All four of his brigade combat teams and his aviation brigade are deploying to or slated to deploy to Afghanistan, beginning with the 3rd BCT, which cased its colors in late January and is expected to be fully deployed by the month's end. The 1st BCT, which just wrapped up its training rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La., will deploy next, followed by the 2nd BCT.
And, in a decision announced earlier this week, the 101st's 4th BCT will deploy to Afghanistan this summer, expected to operate within the Regional Command East region under Campbell's command.
This dynamic gives Campbell a level of "campaign continuity" he said is proving invaluable as he prepares to take on a mission now guided by a new strategy and with a new command structure overseeing its implementation.
As Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, maintains the strategic-level watch, Army Lt. Gen. David M. Rodriguez is overseeing day-to-day operations as commander of the new ISAF Joint Command.
With all Campbell's forces headed to Afghanistan, he said, all eyes are now trained solely on that fight.
"The division focus on one [area of responsibility] is just absolutely critical," he said.
"We are totally focused on Afghanistan," he said of his command staff. "And all our brigades are focused on Afghanistan. So our training and our resources and energy go toward that [mission]."
So as his soldiers sharpen their capabilities at the Joint Readiness Training Center -- and with some getting training in Pashto, Dari and other Afghan languages -- Campbell and his command group are wrapping up a two-week mission rehearsal exercise sponsored by U.S. Joint Forces Command.
Dubbed Unified Endeavor, the computer-driven exercise prepares combined and joint task force commanders and their staffs to operate in complex environments.
Army Maj. Gen. Stephen Layfield, commander of Joint Forces Command's Joint Warfighting Center in Suffolk, Va., said his staff created the most realistic training environment possible to ensure Campbell and his team are ready for the upcoming mission.
"One of our learned keys to success in creating a training environment that is real for the audience is to make sure it is current and relevant," he said.
Joint Forces Command officials brought together the myriad dynamics Campbell and his Combined Joint Task Force 101 staff will face in Afghanistan – with the blend of military and civilian capabilities provided by the coalition, as well as Afghan officials and national security forces.
Afghan army commanders, as well as military leaders from French and Polish military units that the task force will work with in Afghanistan, traveled to Fort Campbell, Ky., to participate in the exercise.
"In today's complex battlefield, we do not fight alone, and our training reflects that," Layfield said. "We rely upon and integrate with our multinational, interagency and nongovernmental partners in all that we do, ... and they are all present in this exercise this week." Meanwhile, the 101st leaders applied joint tactics, techniques and procedures as they worked through training scenarios based on real-world ones.
"We are giving them every challenge we can," Layfield said. "We are throwing things at this outfit so they can be the best they will be able to be when they hit the ground running."
The training challenges ranged from dealing with an insurgency that operates in high-population areas to employing combined action involving U.S. forces and Afghan units in counterinsurgency operations, to infrastructure gaps to narcotics and corruption issues.
Population-centric operations, a keystone of the new Afghan policy, are woven into every aspect of the training. Minimizing civilian casualties always has been important to U.S. operations, Layfield said, but it's become even more so since the new policy took effect. That, in turn, has had a big impact on training.
"It has caused us to scrub every single training venue, every training vignette we put on a training audience, to make sure we are giving them the opportunity to be challenged with that sort of guidance from their new commander, General McChrystal," Layfield said. "[It] has clearly refocused us on what we want to present to the training audience" so they deliver exactly what McChrystal wants.
With the rehearsal slated to wrap up tomorrow, Layfield declared the 101st ready for its mission in Afghanistan.
"The 101st Airborne Air Assault is ready, and I want to say that in no uncertain terms," he said.
Campbell said he's taking a lot away from the training. Most important, he said, are the relationships he's had an opportunity to build, and that will prove critical in Afghanistan. Ultimately, he said, it comes down to two driving imperatives: to save soldiers' lives, and to succeed in the mission.
"This is a critical year for Afghanistan," he said, citing President Barack Obama's as well as McChrystal's call for demonstrable progress within the next 12 to 18 months. "With exercises like this, it will help move us toward that quicker."
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Army Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device Feb. 2 in Zabul province, Afghanistan. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Killed were:
Capt. Daniel Whitten, 28, of Grimes, Iowa; and
Pfc. Zachary G. Lovejoy, 20, of Albuquerque, N.M.
For more information the media may contact the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office at 910 432-0661 or 910-384-4550.
Killed were:
Capt. Daniel Whitten, 28, of Grimes, Iowa; and
Pfc. Zachary G. Lovejoy, 20, of Albuquerque, N.M.
For more information the media may contact the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office at 910 432-0661 or 910-384-4550.
Counterterrorism at Super Bowl
Prepared Remarks Special Agent in Charge Hugo Barrera Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Miami Field Division
Super Bowl XLIV Security News Conference February 1, 2010
While the NFL has brought its best teams to South Florida, the best teams in public safety are already on the ground. As with all of our public safety partners, ATF’s primary goal is to help provide a safe, secure and enjoyable Super Bowl experience for the fans, the teams and the citizens of South Florida. We began planning collectively for this year’s event since the last Super Bowl in Miami.
With over 40 years experience in the explosives arena, ATF has taken what we have learned and put our best practices into action. We will provide technical assistance and explosives expertise to the Miami Dade Police Department and to all, of our law enforcement partners.
ATF is happy to continue our long-standing partnership with the NFL and NFL Security Vice President Milt Ahlerich. Thank you, for recognizing our expertise.
ATF has primary federal jurisdiction for crimes and issues involving explosives. This focused expertise has and will continue to be deployed at similar National Security Events including Presidential Inaugurations, Republican and Democratic National Conventions, the Olympic games, the World Series and of course, the Super Bowl. Our presence here today, marks 10 years of Super Bowl experience for ATF.
We have brought in some of the world’s best-trained and experienced individuals, many of whom have recently returned from the ‘war on terror’ in both Iraq and Afghanistan in support of our troops. ATF explosives specialists and bomb techs have already begun to work, having seamlessly integrated with local bomb squads, and are providing additional render-safe capabilities to the region. Explosives-detection, or bomb-sniffing, canine teams have been deployed to Miami from across the country. These dogs can detect an estimated 19,000 known explosives compositions.
It is our job, law enforcement’s job, to help make a safe environment during this week-long celebration. Most of you will never see these or other components in action and that’s the way we want it. We want to be unobtrusive yet effective.
While the scoreboard will be there to tally touchdowns, rest assured, our goal is to score a ‘safety.’
Thank you.
Super Bowl XLIV Security News Conference February 1, 2010
While the NFL has brought its best teams to South Florida, the best teams in public safety are already on the ground. As with all of our public safety partners, ATF’s primary goal is to help provide a safe, secure and enjoyable Super Bowl experience for the fans, the teams and the citizens of South Florida. We began planning collectively for this year’s event since the last Super Bowl in Miami.
With over 40 years experience in the explosives arena, ATF has taken what we have learned and put our best practices into action. We will provide technical assistance and explosives expertise to the Miami Dade Police Department and to all, of our law enforcement partners.
ATF is happy to continue our long-standing partnership with the NFL and NFL Security Vice President Milt Ahlerich. Thank you, for recognizing our expertise.
ATF has primary federal jurisdiction for crimes and issues involving explosives. This focused expertise has and will continue to be deployed at similar National Security Events including Presidential Inaugurations, Republican and Democratic National Conventions, the Olympic games, the World Series and of course, the Super Bowl. Our presence here today, marks 10 years of Super Bowl experience for ATF.
We have brought in some of the world’s best-trained and experienced individuals, many of whom have recently returned from the ‘war on terror’ in both Iraq and Afghanistan in support of our troops. ATF explosives specialists and bomb techs have already begun to work, having seamlessly integrated with local bomb squads, and are providing additional render-safe capabilities to the region. Explosives-detection, or bomb-sniffing, canine teams have been deployed to Miami from across the country. These dogs can detect an estimated 19,000 known explosives compositions.
It is our job, law enforcement’s job, to help make a safe environment during this week-long celebration. Most of you will never see these or other components in action and that’s the way we want it. We want to be unobtrusive yet effective.
While the scoreboard will be there to tally touchdowns, rest assured, our goal is to score a ‘safety.’
Thank you.
First fixed-wing redeployment moves 8,000 Soldiers
By Spc. Michael Camacho
13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Public Affairs
(2/2/10) - More than 3,000 Soldiers participated in the first fixed-wing redeployment operation out of here Jan. 27. Traditionally, Soldiers would be transported via helicopter to Joint Base Balad, Iraq, or Baghdad International Airport in Baghdad before they departed to Ali Al Salim Air Base in Kuwait, said Staff Sgt. Rufus Brumfield, senior enlisted adviser with the 384th Movement Control Team from the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary).
"We are able to move numerous [passengers] straight from here, and they don't have to stop at another installation like BIAP," said Brumfield. "They can fly from [Camp Taji] straight to Ali Al Salim and then to the states. We can cut out a lot of travel time and moving back and forth."
This major redeployment involved the transportation of more than 3,000 Soldiers in roughly two weeks, said Capt. William Bailey, commander of the 384th MCT.
"Soldiers get to Kuwait faster by offering a fixed-wing solution out of Taji, as opposed to having to connect somewhere else," said Bailey.
Roughly 200 to 300 Soldiers were moved each night, he said.
The Soldiers are moved in a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III or a Lockheed C-130 Hercules out of Camp Taji, said Bailey. Their gear is palletized and loaded onto the plane.
The operation had been in the initial planning stages since August, said Maj. Richard Michaels, division transportation officer with the 1st Cavalry Division.
The 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division and the North Carolina Army National Guard's 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team redeployed at the same time, said Michaels.
With two heavy brigade combat teams being redeployed at once, BIAP would have had more than 800 Soldiers a day bound to Ali Al Salim, which would have caused heavy congestion in the terminal and complicated the redeployment process.
To mitigate travel flow congestion, they decided to use the flight line at Camp Taji to conduct a mass redeployment of the 1st Cavalry Division, he said.
The 30th HBCT would leave the Baghdad area through BIAP. "Redeploying the 30th and 1st Cavalry was 8,000 Soldiers leaving Iraq at the same time," Michaels said.
The operation out of Camp Taji reduced the units' overall travel time by four days, said Michaels. With two to three flights each night, the operation took roughly 16 days, said Michaels.
"This allowed us to keep the Soldiers in the battle space doing [transition training] with the incoming unit, for two days longer," said Michaels. "This gained them a little more efficiency with their [relief in place] and their efficiency of getting out of Iraq."
Several units assisted in the process, Michaels said. The MCT, the Air Force logistics teams on the flight line and the senior airfield authority combined with expertise from the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, made for quick and efficient operation execution, said Michaels.
"The ease and smoothness of this operation is about 10 times better than any brigade redeployment or deployment we've experienced out of BIAP," said Michaels. "Having a whole C-17 dedicated to a redeployment has been huge to the mission's success."
The operation was a major success due to cooperation with the different military branches and groups that played a role, said Michaels. The success at Camp Taji was a testament to what can be accomplished when the branches come together in the aid and support of one another, he said.
"Being able to leverage all the joint capabilities that reside within this theater to redeploy Soldiers and get them out on time is certainly what we have to work for even as the drawdown approaches," said Michaels.
Counterterrorism During Olympics
Secretary Napolitano and Minister Toews Announce Joint Enforcement Efforts to Patrol Waterways During the 2010 Winter Games
February 3, 2010 - Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano and the Honorable Vic Toews, Canadian Minister of Public Safety, today announced a new Shiprider pilot project designed to bolster cross-border security operations in the waters of Puget Sound and off the Pacific Coast before and during the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. The project enables the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the U.S. Coast Guard to cross-train, share resources and personnel and utilize each others’ vessels in the waters of both countries.
“The United States and Canada are committed to securing our shared waterways against threats on both sides of the border,” said Secretary Napolitano. “This pilot project will enhance coordination and information-sharing between our two countries and strengthen our joint efforts to protect our citizens and visitors from around the world during the 2010 Winter Games.”
“This announcement supports our efforts to ensure a safe and secure 2010 Olympic Winter Games. During the Olympics, Canadian and U.S. law enforcement will work together to combat criminal activity in our shared waterways,” said Minister Toews. “Together with the United States, we are sending a strong message to criminals that illegal activity at our shared border will not be tolerated.”
The pilot will be consistent with the Framework Agreement governing Shiprider operations in shared waterways signed by Secretary Napolitano and former Public Safety Minister, the Honorable Peter Van Loan, in May 2009. Both countries remain committed to fully implementing this agreement and jointly protecting against shared threats.
February 3, 2010 - Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano and the Honorable Vic Toews, Canadian Minister of Public Safety, today announced a new Shiprider pilot project designed to bolster cross-border security operations in the waters of Puget Sound and off the Pacific Coast before and during the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. The project enables the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the U.S. Coast Guard to cross-train, share resources and personnel and utilize each others’ vessels in the waters of both countries.
“The United States and Canada are committed to securing our shared waterways against threats on both sides of the border,” said Secretary Napolitano. “This pilot project will enhance coordination and information-sharing between our two countries and strengthen our joint efforts to protect our citizens and visitors from around the world during the 2010 Winter Games.”
“This announcement supports our efforts to ensure a safe and secure 2010 Olympic Winter Games. During the Olympics, Canadian and U.S. law enforcement will work together to combat criminal activity in our shared waterways,” said Minister Toews. “Together with the United States, we are sending a strong message to criminals that illegal activity at our shared border will not be tolerated.”
The pilot will be consistent with the Framework Agreement governing Shiprider operations in shared waterways signed by Secretary Napolitano and former Public Safety Minister, the Honorable Peter Van Loan, in May 2009. Both countries remain committed to fully implementing this agreement and jointly protecting against shared threats.
Statement by Special Agent in Charge John V. Gillies Regarding Super Bowl Preparations
February 3, 2010 - There were no significant problems with security at Sunday’s Pro Bowl thanks to the support of our local, state, and federal partners. We expect the same seamless effort because the Miami-Dade Police Department and the FBI have been preparing for Super Bowl XLIV for over a year. While the Miami-Dade Police Department is leading the law enforcement effort, the FBI’s role is to protect and defend against terrorist threats.
As the special agent in charge of the FBI in Miami, I want to stress that there is no indication that there are any specific threats to the Super Bowl. But we are prepared.
Our tactical teams have been training throughout the year for different scenarios (active shooter, bombs, and other hazards related to chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear threats). We have hundreds of agents and professional staff prepared to respond. For example, we have SWAT, Evidence Response Teams, and hostage negotiators to name a few. Many have traveled from other FBI offices across the country.
In addition to the FBI Mobile Command Post stationed at Sun Life Stadium, the FBI established a Joint Operations Center to manage resources and coordinate an investigative response to threats, federal crimes, and critical incidents in support of overall event security.
Our Joint Operations Center, which is off-site, houses more than 70 total agencies and their components involved with the security of the Super Bowl.
Here’s the bottom line: Fans don’t have to worry, just enjoy the festivities and the Super Bowl.
As the special agent in charge of the FBI in Miami, I want to stress that there is no indication that there are any specific threats to the Super Bowl. But we are prepared.
Our tactical teams have been training throughout the year for different scenarios (active shooter, bombs, and other hazards related to chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear threats). We have hundreds of agents and professional staff prepared to respond. For example, we have SWAT, Evidence Response Teams, and hostage negotiators to name a few. Many have traveled from other FBI offices across the country.
In addition to the FBI Mobile Command Post stationed at Sun Life Stadium, the FBI established a Joint Operations Center to manage resources and coordinate an investigative response to threats, federal crimes, and critical incidents in support of overall event security.
Our Joint Operations Center, which is off-site, houses more than 70 total agencies and their components involved with the security of the Super Bowl.
Here’s the bottom line: Fans don’t have to worry, just enjoy the festivities and the Super Bowl.
James McJunkin Named Assistant Director of the Counterterrorism Division
February 3, 2010 - FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III has named James W. McJunkin the assistant director of the Counterterrorism Division. Mr. McJunkin most recently served as one of the division’s deputy assistant directors. “Jim has extensive experience and a record of success in managing counterterrorism investigations and creating successful partnerships, tools that will help the FBI, along with our partners, defeat the groups and individuals who wish to harm us,” said Director Mueller.
Mr. McJunkin became a special agent in 1987 and has served in the San Antonio, Atlanta, and Washington D.C. field offices. He spent the majority of his time in the Atlanta Division as a supervisory senior resident agent, supervising FBI investigations in northern Georgia. During these assignments, he led investigations in the organized crime, white collar crime, violent crime, drug trafficking crime, civil rights, and counterterrorism arenas.
In 2003, Mr. McJunkin was promoted to unit chief within the International Terrorism Operations Section I (ITOS I) at FBI Headquarters, where he earned the National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation for his efforts. In 2004, Director Mueller appointed Mr. McJunkin to direct a multi-agency task force assembled to address threats to the presidential election. He was later recognized with the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award for his work. That same year, Mr. McJunkin was selected as an assistant section chief of ITOS I, where he provided direction and supervision to the FBI’s counterterrorism operations within the continental United States.
Mr. McJunkin was selected as the assistant special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office, the FBI’s second largest division, in 2005. There, he led the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF); managed all substantive counterterrorism investigations conducted within the National Capital Region; and oversaw significant overseas investigations involving terrorism attacks against U.S. citizens. In March 2006, he led a team of FBI personnel with the on-scene investigation of a terrorist attack against the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan that claimed the life of a career diplomat and several foreign nationals. In August 2006, Mr. McJunkin was designated acting special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office, Counterterrorism Division.
In January 2007, Mr. McJunkin was selected as a member of the Senior Executive Service, and after a brief period as the deputy director for law enforcement at the Central Intelligence Agency, he was appointed the section chief of ITOS I. Director Mueller designated Mr. McJunkin as the deputy assistant director for FBI Counterterrorism Operations - Branch I in January 2008.
Before joining the Bureau, Mr. McJunkin was a trooper with the Pennsylvania State Police. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration of Justice from the Pennsylvania State University.
Mr. McJunkin became a special agent in 1987 and has served in the San Antonio, Atlanta, and Washington D.C. field offices. He spent the majority of his time in the Atlanta Division as a supervisory senior resident agent, supervising FBI investigations in northern Georgia. During these assignments, he led investigations in the organized crime, white collar crime, violent crime, drug trafficking crime, civil rights, and counterterrorism arenas.
In 2003, Mr. McJunkin was promoted to unit chief within the International Terrorism Operations Section I (ITOS I) at FBI Headquarters, where he earned the National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation for his efforts. In 2004, Director Mueller appointed Mr. McJunkin to direct a multi-agency task force assembled to address threats to the presidential election. He was later recognized with the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award for his work. That same year, Mr. McJunkin was selected as an assistant section chief of ITOS I, where he provided direction and supervision to the FBI’s counterterrorism operations within the continental United States.
Mr. McJunkin was selected as the assistant special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office, the FBI’s second largest division, in 2005. There, he led the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF); managed all substantive counterterrorism investigations conducted within the National Capital Region; and oversaw significant overseas investigations involving terrorism attacks against U.S. citizens. In March 2006, he led a team of FBI personnel with the on-scene investigation of a terrorist attack against the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan that claimed the life of a career diplomat and several foreign nationals. In August 2006, Mr. McJunkin was designated acting special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office, Counterterrorism Division.
In January 2007, Mr. McJunkin was selected as a member of the Senior Executive Service, and after a brief period as the deputy director for law enforcement at the Central Intelligence Agency, he was appointed the section chief of ITOS I. Director Mueller designated Mr. McJunkin as the deputy assistant director for FBI Counterterrorism Operations - Branch I in January 2008.
Before joining the Bureau, Mr. McJunkin was a trooper with the Pennsylvania State Police. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration of Justice from the Pennsylvania State University.
FBI Joint Operations Center for Super Bowl XLIV
February 3, 2010 - The nerve center for Super Bowl security is at the FBI’s Joint Operations Center (JOC). The FBI established the JOC to manage resources and coordinate an investigative response to threats, federal crimes, and critical incidents in support of overall event security.
The JOC houses more than 70 total agencies and their components involved with the security of the Super Bowl. Having all the agencies (federal, state, and local) in one room makes it easier to share information and intelligence in a seamless operation.
“The FBI has a team of intelligence analysts in the Joint Operations Center to process information 24/7 to make sure we have the latest intelligence on possible threats,” said John V. Gillies, special agent in charge of the FBI Miami Division. “I want to stress there is no indication that there are any specific threats to the Super Bowl at this time.”
Inside the JOC, there are dozens of computer work stations for each agency, three-dimensional models of the South Florida area, and four wall monitors. The monitors show:
• Surveillance camera views of the stadium
• Television news broadcasts
• Law Enforcement Online’s Virtual Command Center website that tracks security incidents and can be accessed remotely by any law enforcement member
• Other intelligence information
• The JOC has been operating since January 29, 2010 to provide security for the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl. But the FBI and the Miami-Dade Police Department have been preparing for Super Bowl XLIV for more than a year. The FBI’s role is to protect and defend against terrorist threats. The Miami-Dade Police Department is leading the law enforcement effort.
The JOC will be duplicated in Dallas and Indianapolis, where the subsequent Super Bowls will be played. FBI agents from those two cities are already in Miami to observe and learn best practices to prepare for Super Bowl XLV and XLVI in their respective cities.
The JOC houses more than 70 total agencies and their components involved with the security of the Super Bowl. Having all the agencies (federal, state, and local) in one room makes it easier to share information and intelligence in a seamless operation.
“The FBI has a team of intelligence analysts in the Joint Operations Center to process information 24/7 to make sure we have the latest intelligence on possible threats,” said John V. Gillies, special agent in charge of the FBI Miami Division. “I want to stress there is no indication that there are any specific threats to the Super Bowl at this time.”
Inside the JOC, there are dozens of computer work stations for each agency, three-dimensional models of the South Florida area, and four wall monitors. The monitors show:
• Surveillance camera views of the stadium
• Television news broadcasts
• Law Enforcement Online’s Virtual Command Center website that tracks security incidents and can be accessed remotely by any law enforcement member
• Other intelligence information
• The JOC has been operating since January 29, 2010 to provide security for the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl. But the FBI and the Miami-Dade Police Department have been preparing for Super Bowl XLIV for more than a year. The FBI’s role is to protect and defend against terrorist threats. The Miami-Dade Police Department is leading the law enforcement effort.
The JOC will be duplicated in Dallas and Indianapolis, where the subsequent Super Bowls will be played. FBI agents from those two cities are already in Miami to observe and learn best practices to prepare for Super Bowl XLV and XLVI in their respective cities.
Extremist Threat to U.S. 'Evolving,' Intel Leaders Say
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 3, 2010 - The violent extremist threat is evolving, senior U.S. intelligence officials told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence yesterday. Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair and CIA Director Leon Panetta told lawmakers that al-Qaida remains at the center of the extremist threat against the United States.
Meanwhile, al-Qaida, its affiliates, and other terror groups are changing as they continue to plot and attempt attacks, the intelligence officials said.
"My greatest concern and what keeps me awake at night is that al-Qaida and its terrorist allies and affiliates could very well attack the United States in our homeland," Panetta told the senators.
"We have made the complex, multiple-team attacks very difficult for al-Qaida to pull off," Blair, a retired Navy admiral, said. "As we saw with the recent successful and attempted terrorist attacks, however, identifying individual terrorists, small groups with short histories using simple attack methods, is a new degree of difficulty."
Al-Qaida is adapting to the new situation. "What's happening is that they are moving to other safe havens and to other regional nodes in places like Yemen and Somalia, the Maghreb and others," Panetta said.
Trends in the Muslim world show a decreasing minority of the population support violent extremism. "But even with a decreasing and smaller amount, al-Qaida's radical ideology still seems to appeal strongly to some disaffected young Muslims, a pool of potential suicide bombers and other fighters," Blair said. "And this pool unfortunately includes Americans."
Blair said the United States does not have the same high-level, home-grown threat that Europe faces now, but self-radicalizing people will continue to be a problem and may grow.
The threat to the United States comes more from "lone-wolf" terrorists, Panetta said.
"We are being aggressive at going after this threat," he said. "We've expanded our human intelligence. We are engaging with our liaison partners in other countries to try to track these kinds of threats. We obviously are checking and reviewing watch-lists and other lists to determine who among them could be that potential lone wolf. And we are taking the fight to the enemy, and we will continue to do that."
But this may not be enough. "However much we improve our intelligence – and we intend to improve it even more than it is – we cannot count on it to catch every threat," Blair said.
Mounting intensified counterterrorism efforts in the Afghan-Pakistan region as well as in places like Yemen, Somalia and elsewhere, he said, will "be critical to further diminishing the threat."
In Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Taliban has increased its influence and expanded the insurgency, Blair said. That's why the United States and its allies need to reverse the Taliban's momentum while reinforcing security elsewhere, he said.
Another goal is to improve Afghan security forces, governance and economic capabilities, Blair said, so security gains will endure and can be transferred to the Afghans.
"Early successes in places like Helmand, where Marines have been deployed for several months, where aggressive counter-drug and economic programs are in place, and where local governance is competent show that we can make solid progress even when the threat is high," he said.
Last year, Blair cited the global financial meltdown as a danger to the security of the world. "But an unprecedented policy response by governments and central banks around the world laid a foundation for global recovery that most forecasters expect will continue through 2010, although high unemployment and pockets of difficulty will still persist," he said.
Meanwhile, China is becoming a bigger world player thanks to its burgeoning economy, Blair said. China's economy, he said, "will grow from being a third of the size of that of the U.S. to roughly half by 2015, an earlier date than we had previously projected."
The Chinese, indeed, are playing a larger role on the world stage, with its naval forces helping anti-piracy efforts off Somalia and through contributions to the International Monetary Fund.
But there are worrying trends too, Blair said, as the Chinese continue their military build-up.
"Preparation for a Taiwan conflict involving a U.S. intervention continues to dominate their modernization and contingency plans," Blair said of China's efforts to bulk up its military capabilities. "And China also increasingly worries about how to protect its global interests."
Meanwhile, Iranian leaders are keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons, Blair said. "One of the key capabilities Iran continues to develop is its uranium enrichment program," he told the senators.
"The United States and other countries announced last September that Iran for years has been building in secret a second enrichment facility near Qom," Blair said. "Overall, we continue to assess that Iran has the scientific, the technical and the industrial capacity to produce enough highly-enriched uranium for a weapon in the next few years if it choose to do so, and ultimately, to produce nuclear weapons. The central issue is a political decision to do so."
Iran also continues to test and build ballistic missiles, giving Tehran a means of delivering a possible nuclear payload, officials said.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 3, 2010 - The violent extremist threat is evolving, senior U.S. intelligence officials told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence yesterday. Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair and CIA Director Leon Panetta told lawmakers that al-Qaida remains at the center of the extremist threat against the United States.
Meanwhile, al-Qaida, its affiliates, and other terror groups are changing as they continue to plot and attempt attacks, the intelligence officials said.
"My greatest concern and what keeps me awake at night is that al-Qaida and its terrorist allies and affiliates could very well attack the United States in our homeland," Panetta told the senators.
"We have made the complex, multiple-team attacks very difficult for al-Qaida to pull off," Blair, a retired Navy admiral, said. "As we saw with the recent successful and attempted terrorist attacks, however, identifying individual terrorists, small groups with short histories using simple attack methods, is a new degree of difficulty."
Al-Qaida is adapting to the new situation. "What's happening is that they are moving to other safe havens and to other regional nodes in places like Yemen and Somalia, the Maghreb and others," Panetta said.
Trends in the Muslim world show a decreasing minority of the population support violent extremism. "But even with a decreasing and smaller amount, al-Qaida's radical ideology still seems to appeal strongly to some disaffected young Muslims, a pool of potential suicide bombers and other fighters," Blair said. "And this pool unfortunately includes Americans."
Blair said the United States does not have the same high-level, home-grown threat that Europe faces now, but self-radicalizing people will continue to be a problem and may grow.
The threat to the United States comes more from "lone-wolf" terrorists, Panetta said.
"We are being aggressive at going after this threat," he said. "We've expanded our human intelligence. We are engaging with our liaison partners in other countries to try to track these kinds of threats. We obviously are checking and reviewing watch-lists and other lists to determine who among them could be that potential lone wolf. And we are taking the fight to the enemy, and we will continue to do that."
But this may not be enough. "However much we improve our intelligence – and we intend to improve it even more than it is – we cannot count on it to catch every threat," Blair said.
Mounting intensified counterterrorism efforts in the Afghan-Pakistan region as well as in places like Yemen, Somalia and elsewhere, he said, will "be critical to further diminishing the threat."
In Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Taliban has increased its influence and expanded the insurgency, Blair said. That's why the United States and its allies need to reverse the Taliban's momentum while reinforcing security elsewhere, he said.
Another goal is to improve Afghan security forces, governance and economic capabilities, Blair said, so security gains will endure and can be transferred to the Afghans.
"Early successes in places like Helmand, where Marines have been deployed for several months, where aggressive counter-drug and economic programs are in place, and where local governance is competent show that we can make solid progress even when the threat is high," he said.
Last year, Blair cited the global financial meltdown as a danger to the security of the world. "But an unprecedented policy response by governments and central banks around the world laid a foundation for global recovery that most forecasters expect will continue through 2010, although high unemployment and pockets of difficulty will still persist," he said.
Meanwhile, China is becoming a bigger world player thanks to its burgeoning economy, Blair said. China's economy, he said, "will grow from being a third of the size of that of the U.S. to roughly half by 2015, an earlier date than we had previously projected."
The Chinese, indeed, are playing a larger role on the world stage, with its naval forces helping anti-piracy efforts off Somalia and through contributions to the International Monetary Fund.
But there are worrying trends too, Blair said, as the Chinese continue their military build-up.
"Preparation for a Taiwan conflict involving a U.S. intervention continues to dominate their modernization and contingency plans," Blair said of China's efforts to bulk up its military capabilities. "And China also increasingly worries about how to protect its global interests."
Meanwhile, Iranian leaders are keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons, Blair said. "One of the key capabilities Iran continues to develop is its uranium enrichment program," he told the senators.
"The United States and other countries announced last September that Iran for years has been building in secret a second enrichment facility near Qom," Blair said. "Overall, we continue to assess that Iran has the scientific, the technical and the industrial capacity to produce enough highly-enriched uranium for a weapon in the next few years if it choose to do so, and ultimately, to produce nuclear weapons. The central issue is a political decision to do so."
Iran also continues to test and build ballistic missiles, giving Tehran a means of delivering a possible nuclear payload, officials said.
Letter to the Editor on FBI’s Scientific Work in Anthrax Case
A version of this letter was published in The Wall Street Journal on February 1, 2010.
Letters to the Editor
The Wall Street Journal
1211 Avenue of the Americas,
New York, NY 10036
Dear Editor:
Monday’s opinion piece, “The Anthrax Attacks Remain Unsolved,” was filled with inaccuracies and omitted several relevant facts that are necessary for a balanced discussion of the science applied in the anthrax investigation.
From the outset, the FBI’s scientific work in the anthrax case has had a foundation in validation and verification of its approach and conclusions. This process began within weeks of the initial events of 2001 and has included:
• consultation with numerous subject matter experts in technical panels;
• collaboration with partner laboratories in government, academia and the private sector throughout the course of the investigation;
• ongoing efforts to publish our work and that of our partner labs in peer-reviewed technical journals; and
• analytical data and reports provided to the National Academy of Sciences so they can evaluate the scientific analysis applied to the evidence in the anthrax investigation.
The FBI is confident in the scientific findings that were reached in this investigation. We utilized established biological and chemical analysis techniques and applied them in an innovative manner to reach these findings.
D. Christian Hassell, Ph.D
Director
FBI Laboratory
Letters to the Editor
The Wall Street Journal
1211 Avenue of the Americas,
New York, NY 10036
Dear Editor:
Monday’s opinion piece, “The Anthrax Attacks Remain Unsolved,” was filled with inaccuracies and omitted several relevant facts that are necessary for a balanced discussion of the science applied in the anthrax investigation.
From the outset, the FBI’s scientific work in the anthrax case has had a foundation in validation and verification of its approach and conclusions. This process began within weeks of the initial events of 2001 and has included:
• consultation with numerous subject matter experts in technical panels;
• collaboration with partner laboratories in government, academia and the private sector throughout the course of the investigation;
• ongoing efforts to publish our work and that of our partner labs in peer-reviewed technical journals; and
• analytical data and reports provided to the National Academy of Sciences so they can evaluate the scientific analysis applied to the evidence in the anthrax investigation.
The FBI is confident in the scientific findings that were reached in this investigation. We utilized established biological and chemical analysis techniques and applied them in an innovative manner to reach these findings.
D. Christian Hassell, Ph.D
Director
FBI Laboratory
Iraqi Forces Arrest 8 Terrorist Suspects
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 3, 2010 - Iraqi security forces arrested eight suspected terrorists today during separate operations conducted in northern Iraq and Baghdad, military officials said.
Iraqi forces arrested five suspected terrorists during two joint security operations today to degrade the al-Qaida in Iraq network in northern Iraq. In Haditha, Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors searched two buildings for a suspected al-Qaida member believed to finance and traffic explosives into the Abu Ghraib area to carry out vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attacks. Iraqi forces identified and arrested the wanted man and two suspected criminal accomplices.
During a separate operation in Khanaqin, the 3rd Emergency Response Unit and U.S. advisors searched two buildings for a suspected al-Qaida member who coordinates attacks for the terrorist group in the Baghdad and Baqubah areas. Evidence collected at the scene led Iraqi police to arrest two suspected criminal associates of the warranted person.
Meanwhile, Iraqi soldiers today arrested two suspected terrorists during a joint security operation conducted in northeastern Baghdad to capture a suspected Promised Day Brigade terrorist leader.
Operating under a court-issued warrant, Iraqi soldiers and U.S. advisors searched a residential building for a suspected terrorist leader linked to coordinating IED attacks in the Baghdad area. The suspect also is wanted for smuggling weapons into Iraq and for engaging in extortion activity, which serves as a source of funding for Promised Day, an Iranian-backed terrorist group.
While searching the building, the security team discovered a concealed compartment where the suspect was found hiding, armed with an AK-47 rifle and a significant amount of ammunition.
Information and evidence gathered at the scene led Iraqi soldiers to identify and arrest the suspected Promised Day leader and an alleged associate.
(Information compiled from U.S. Forces Iraq news releases.)
Feb. 3, 2010 - Iraqi security forces arrested eight suspected terrorists today during separate operations conducted in northern Iraq and Baghdad, military officials said.
Iraqi forces arrested five suspected terrorists during two joint security operations today to degrade the al-Qaida in Iraq network in northern Iraq. In Haditha, Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors searched two buildings for a suspected al-Qaida member believed to finance and traffic explosives into the Abu Ghraib area to carry out vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attacks. Iraqi forces identified and arrested the wanted man and two suspected criminal accomplices.
During a separate operation in Khanaqin, the 3rd Emergency Response Unit and U.S. advisors searched two buildings for a suspected al-Qaida member who coordinates attacks for the terrorist group in the Baghdad and Baqubah areas. Evidence collected at the scene led Iraqi police to arrest two suspected criminal associates of the warranted person.
Meanwhile, Iraqi soldiers today arrested two suspected terrorists during a joint security operation conducted in northeastern Baghdad to capture a suspected Promised Day Brigade terrorist leader.
Operating under a court-issued warrant, Iraqi soldiers and U.S. advisors searched a residential building for a suspected terrorist leader linked to coordinating IED attacks in the Baghdad area. The suspect also is wanted for smuggling weapons into Iraq and for engaging in extortion activity, which serves as a source of funding for Promised Day, an Iranian-backed terrorist group.
While searching the building, the security team discovered a concealed compartment where the suspect was found hiding, armed with an AK-47 rifle and a significant amount of ammunition.
Information and evidence gathered at the scene led Iraqi soldiers to identify and arrest the suspected Promised Day leader and an alleged associate.
(Information compiled from U.S. Forces Iraq news releases.)
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Rusty H. Christian, 24, of Greenville, Tenn., died Jan. 28 in Oruzgan province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
For more information media may contact the U.S. Army Special Operations Command public affairs office at 910-432-6005; after hours 910-689-6187, or visit http://news.soc.mil.
Staff Sgt. Rusty H. Christian, 24, of Greenville, Tenn., died Jan. 28 in Oruzgan province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
For more information media may contact the U.S. Army Special Operations Command public affairs office at 910-432-6005; after hours 910-689-6187, or visit http://news.soc.mil.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Colorado Guardsmen protect the force in Iraq
Colorado National Guard
(2/2/10) - The force protection Soldiers of the Colorado National Guard's 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team have a mission that is misunderstood. Many people think of it as being dressed in "battle rattle" and providing security at a tower. Actually, force protection is also what happens behind the scenes.
"In the most general term, force protection is construction," said Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Safley, non-commissioned officer-in-charge of the 41st force protection team. "We upgrade, repair and maintain the entry control points and towers."
Taking care of the ECPs and towers began shortly after the battalion arrived in Iraq in July 2009.
"My sole focus, along with the commanders, was with the ECPs," said Lt. Col. William Prendergast, commander of the 1/82 CAV. "In an infantryman's terms 'improving the foxhole' --meaning the way we did business, how the ECPs looked, and how it operated."
The improvement came in different areas—setting standards, putting up more jersey barriers, and altering traffic patterns and the flow of individuals and vehicles onto VBC.
One force protection project was to set blast barriers weighing between 8-16,000 pounds each around an ECP on Jan. 9.
"We are adding T-walls so there will be no more driving through, only foot traffic," Safley said.
The project also includes adding support and protection to an observation post with Hesco barriers and sand bags. Hesco barriers were also added to the perimeter wall.
Other duties of force protection include stringing concertina wire and cables along the tops of the barriers, maintaining the light towers on the gun lines of the convoy security companies and on the towers. They also make repairs to areas around the perimeter where it may be compromised.
"Doing those things may deter someone, who wants to do harm to VBC, from going out and actually doing it," Prendergast said, "because they say 'That's a hard target.'"
More Campbell Troops to Deploy to Afghanistan
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2010 - The 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division will deploy to Afghanistan as part of the surge of American troops into that country, Defense Department officials said today.
The 3,200 soldiers of the Fort Campbell, Ky.,-based unit will deploy in late summer, along with another 900 active and reserve component soldiers.
"This is the last of the major units to be announced," said Army Lt. Col. Mark Wright, a Pentagon spokesman.
The process started with President Barack Obama's speech in November announcing a new Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy. Obama also called for a surge of 30,000 American troops to reverse the momentum of the Taliban and defeat al-Qaida in the region.
On Dec. 7, the Pentagon announced that 16,000 American soldiers and Marines would deploy to Afghanistan as part of the surge. These servicemembers were mainly from Camp Lejeune, N.C.; Fort Drum, N.Y, and Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Just before Christmas, the department announced the deployment of 6,000 more troops – again from Fort Campbell. On Jan. 12, the Pentagon announced the deployment of another 3,100 soldiers – mostly from Fort Hood, Texas, – to Afghanistan.
Today's announcement brings the total number of additional U.S. troops scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan as part of the surge to 29,200.
Officials would not say where any of the forces will be used. "That's up to the [International Security Assistance Force] commander," Wright said. "And that can change right up to when the troops come into country."
By summer, the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan is expected to surpass the number of servicemembers in Iraq.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2010 - The 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division will deploy to Afghanistan as part of the surge of American troops into that country, Defense Department officials said today.
The 3,200 soldiers of the Fort Campbell, Ky.,-based unit will deploy in late summer, along with another 900 active and reserve component soldiers.
"This is the last of the major units to be announced," said Army Lt. Col. Mark Wright, a Pentagon spokesman.
The process started with President Barack Obama's speech in November announcing a new Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy. Obama also called for a surge of 30,000 American troops to reverse the momentum of the Taliban and defeat al-Qaida in the region.
On Dec. 7, the Pentagon announced that 16,000 American soldiers and Marines would deploy to Afghanistan as part of the surge. These servicemembers were mainly from Camp Lejeune, N.C.; Fort Drum, N.Y, and Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Just before Christmas, the department announced the deployment of 6,000 more troops – again from Fort Campbell. On Jan. 12, the Pentagon announced the deployment of another 3,100 soldiers – mostly from Fort Hood, Texas, – to Afghanistan.
Today's announcement brings the total number of additional U.S. troops scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan as part of the surge to 29,200.
Officials would not say where any of the forces will be used. "That's up to the [International Security Assistance Force] commander," Wright said. "And that can change right up to when the troops come into country."
By summer, the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan is expected to surpass the number of servicemembers in Iraq.
Marine Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Lance Cpl. Michael L. Freeman Jr., 21, of Fayetteville, Pa., died Feb. 1 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the II Marine Expeditionary Force public affairs office at 910-451-7200.
Lance Cpl. Michael L. Freeman Jr., 21, of Fayetteville, Pa., died Feb. 1 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the II Marine Expeditionary Force public affairs office at 910-451-7200.
Fiscal 2011 Request Improves Terror Fight
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2010 - The President's Fiscal 2011 Defense Budget request grows a department fighting two wars and attacking an amorphous terror network, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told the Senate Armed Services Committee today. Reforming the department's acquisitions system and related processes also is important, Gates said. The secretary bluntly told senators today that he will recommend President Barack Obama veto the 2011 budget if it contains continued C-17 airlifter production and a second engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
The base budget – the budget without the money funding actions in Iraq and Afghanistan – is $549 billion, 3.4 percent increase over the current budget and a 1.8 percent real increase after adjusting for inflation.
The budget request reflects the administration's commitment to modest, steady and sustainable real growth in defense spending, the secretary said.
But overall, the budget request is $708 billion. "We are also requesting $159 billion in FY 2011 to support overseas contingency operations, primarily in Afghanistan and Iraq, plus $33 billion for the remainder of this fiscal year to support the added financial costs of the president's new approach in Afghanistan," Gates said.
DoD officials asked that Congress pass the $33 billion fiscal 2010 supplemental before Memorial Day, as delays would mean that other parts of the military would be starved for funds.
"The commitments made and the programs funded in the overseas contingency operations and supplemental requests demonstrate the administration's determination to support our troops and commanders in combat so they can accomplish their critical missions and come home safely," Gates said.
The base budget reflects the major continuing priorities of the defense department. The base budget is what department officials think is a continuing and real need for the department. Gates has been shifting monies from supplemental requests to the base budget since he's been in office. Having a place in the base budget means that "you are at the table" when monetary decisions are being made, the secretary said.
Today's wars were being funded via supplemental funding. Gates has said that prevailing in today's wars must be front and center in the department and that the funding needs to be institutionalized within the base budget.
People lead the list of priorities for the base budget, which the secretary said reaffirms and strengthens "the nation's commitment to care for the all-volunteer force, our greatest strategic asset."
The second priority addressed within the budget, Gates said, involves "rebalancing America's defense posture by emphasizing capabilities needed to prevail in current conflicts, while enhancing capabilities that may be needed in the future."
A third budget priority, he said, focuses on "continuing the department's commitment to reform how DoD does business, especially in the area of acquisitions."
The Quadrennial Defense Review informs the base budget request, Gates said. "The 2010 QDR and fiscal 2011 budget build upon the substantial changes that the president made in the fiscal 2010 budget request to allocate defense dollars more wisely and reform the department's processes," he told the senators.
The fiscal 2011 budget builds on changes the secretary recommended last year, including ending the following programs: the Navy EP(X) intelligence aircraft; the Third Generation Infrared Surveillance program; the next generation CG(X) cruiser; the Net Enabled Command and Control program; and the Defense Integrated Military Human Resources System due to cost overruns and performance concerns.
Gates also said he wants to complete the C-17 program and close the production line, saying studies in recent years show that the Air Force already has more of the aircraft than it needs.
Gates also wants to end the alternate engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. "I am fully aware of the political pressure to continue building the C-17 and proceed with an alternate engine for the F-35," he said. "So let me be very clear: I will strongly recommend that the president veto any legislation that sustains the unnecessary continuation of these two programs."
The Defense Department is making tough choices and changing, Gates said, noting force sizing constructs as one example.
"For years, U.S. defense planning and requirements were based on preparing to fight two major conventional wars at the same time – a force-sizing construct that persisted long after it was overtaken by events," he told the committee. "The department's leadership now recognizes that we must prepare for a much broader range of security challenges on the horizon."
These threats range from the use of sophisticated new technologies to deny U.S. forces access to the global commons of sea, air, space and cyberspace to the threat posed by non-state groups delivering more cunning and destructive means to attack and terrorize – scenarios that transcend the familiar contingencies that dominated U.S. planning after the Cold War, Gates said.
"We have learned through painful experience that the wars we fight are seldom the wars that we plan," Gates said. "As a result, the United States needs a broad portfolio of military capabilities with maximum versatility across the widest possible spectrum of conflict."
This strategic reality has shaped the fiscal 2011 budget request, he said.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2010 - The President's Fiscal 2011 Defense Budget request grows a department fighting two wars and attacking an amorphous terror network, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told the Senate Armed Services Committee today. Reforming the department's acquisitions system and related processes also is important, Gates said. The secretary bluntly told senators today that he will recommend President Barack Obama veto the 2011 budget if it contains continued C-17 airlifter production and a second engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
The base budget – the budget without the money funding actions in Iraq and Afghanistan – is $549 billion, 3.4 percent increase over the current budget and a 1.8 percent real increase after adjusting for inflation.
The budget request reflects the administration's commitment to modest, steady and sustainable real growth in defense spending, the secretary said.
But overall, the budget request is $708 billion. "We are also requesting $159 billion in FY 2011 to support overseas contingency operations, primarily in Afghanistan and Iraq, plus $33 billion for the remainder of this fiscal year to support the added financial costs of the president's new approach in Afghanistan," Gates said.
DoD officials asked that Congress pass the $33 billion fiscal 2010 supplemental before Memorial Day, as delays would mean that other parts of the military would be starved for funds.
"The commitments made and the programs funded in the overseas contingency operations and supplemental requests demonstrate the administration's determination to support our troops and commanders in combat so they can accomplish their critical missions and come home safely," Gates said.
The base budget reflects the major continuing priorities of the defense department. The base budget is what department officials think is a continuing and real need for the department. Gates has been shifting monies from supplemental requests to the base budget since he's been in office. Having a place in the base budget means that "you are at the table" when monetary decisions are being made, the secretary said.
Today's wars were being funded via supplemental funding. Gates has said that prevailing in today's wars must be front and center in the department and that the funding needs to be institutionalized within the base budget.
People lead the list of priorities for the base budget, which the secretary said reaffirms and strengthens "the nation's commitment to care for the all-volunteer force, our greatest strategic asset."
The second priority addressed within the budget, Gates said, involves "rebalancing America's defense posture by emphasizing capabilities needed to prevail in current conflicts, while enhancing capabilities that may be needed in the future."
A third budget priority, he said, focuses on "continuing the department's commitment to reform how DoD does business, especially in the area of acquisitions."
The Quadrennial Defense Review informs the base budget request, Gates said. "The 2010 QDR and fiscal 2011 budget build upon the substantial changes that the president made in the fiscal 2010 budget request to allocate defense dollars more wisely and reform the department's processes," he told the senators.
The fiscal 2011 budget builds on changes the secretary recommended last year, including ending the following programs: the Navy EP(X) intelligence aircraft; the Third Generation Infrared Surveillance program; the next generation CG(X) cruiser; the Net Enabled Command and Control program; and the Defense Integrated Military Human Resources System due to cost overruns and performance concerns.
Gates also said he wants to complete the C-17 program and close the production line, saying studies in recent years show that the Air Force already has more of the aircraft than it needs.
Gates also wants to end the alternate engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. "I am fully aware of the political pressure to continue building the C-17 and proceed with an alternate engine for the F-35," he said. "So let me be very clear: I will strongly recommend that the president veto any legislation that sustains the unnecessary continuation of these two programs."
The Defense Department is making tough choices and changing, Gates said, noting force sizing constructs as one example.
"For years, U.S. defense planning and requirements were based on preparing to fight two major conventional wars at the same time – a force-sizing construct that persisted long after it was overtaken by events," he told the committee. "The department's leadership now recognizes that we must prepare for a much broader range of security challenges on the horizon."
These threats range from the use of sophisticated new technologies to deny U.S. forces access to the global commons of sea, air, space and cyberspace to the threat posed by non-state groups delivering more cunning and destructive means to attack and terrorize – scenarios that transcend the familiar contingencies that dominated U.S. planning after the Cold War, Gates said.
"We have learned through painful experience that the wars we fight are seldom the wars that we plan," Gates said. "As a result, the United States needs a broad portfolio of military capabilities with maximum versatility across the widest possible spectrum of conflict."
This strategic reality has shaped the fiscal 2011 budget request, he said.
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