Underground terror[ism] threat [Burkholderia pseudomallei]
"A deadly terrorist weapon could be buried in the backyards of Darwin's northern suburbs, United States scientists fear. US authorities say melioidosis - commonly known as Nightcliff Gardeners Disease - is [caused by] a potential bioterror[ism] threat. The US Government believes the tropical disease, caused by soil-dwelling bacteria, could become the next anthrax-style bioterrorism threat. Melioidosis caught the attention of the US Government when it realised the naturally-occurring bacteria had the potential to be used as biological weapon. Australian and American scientists are now on the verge of a breakthrough in the early diagnosis of the disease which killed 10 people in the Northern Territory in the wet season. Professor Bart Currie, who works in the infectious diseases department at Royal Darwin Hospital and is the melioidosis project manager at Menzies School of Health Research, said interest in the bacteria from countries outside the endemic regions had grown dramatically in the past 10 years, particularly since the 2001 anthrax attacks [sic] in the US." (Northern Territory News; 20Jun10; Larine Statham) http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/06/20/157481_ntnews.html
Survival rate up to 100% for late stage treatment of anthrax infections
"IQ Therapeutics B.V., Groningen, the Netherlands, announced this week that in collaboration with the University of Texas Medical Branch it has obtained outstanding results for the treatment of inhalation anthrax. In a rabbit model up to 100% survival could be achieved with extended time to treatment (48h post infection) with a combination of two specific monoclonal antibodies developed by IQ Therapeutics. This has significant potential for saving lives of infected people who have no immediate access to treatment. IQ Therapeutics' Chief Scientific Officer Herman Groen states: 'The results obtained in the recent studies are unprecedented. We have demonstrated in a rabbit model that we can achieve up to 100% survival after treatment with a single dose of two antibodies (anti-PA [anti-Protective Antigen] and anti-LF [anti-Lactoferrin]), at 48 hours after the infection. Our advanced stage treatment is unique and has a tremendous advantage in real life settings where an infected person might not immediately be aware of the infection or does not have immediate access to proper treatment. Especially in those cases, IQ Therapeutics' dual antibody approach can in the future help saving lives, as there is currently no cure available for that stage of disease.'" (PR Newswire; 22Jun10) http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/survival-rate-up-to-100-for-late-stage-treatment-of-anthrax-infections-96879099.html
Purdue [University] to work with Pakistan through Nunn-Lugar program
"Purdue University will receive a $1.6 million grant from the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program to work with three Pakistani institutions to develop real-time infectious disease surveillance and responses. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) informed U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar of the grant today. The objective of the five year collaboration is to develop a broadly-based real-time framework for collecting, communicating, analyzing, and visualizing infectious disease epidemic data in Pakistan. [...] [The DTRA announcement stated,] 'Each year, millions of Pakistanis are exposed to, and infected with, deadly pathogens[, causing diseases] including hepatitis, dengue, tuberculosis, H5N1 and H1N1. Lack of a robust infrastructure for timely collection, reporting and analyses of infectious diseases (IDs) data undermines epidemic preparedness and poses serious health challenges and security threats to the general public in Pakistan. In fact, monitoring and response to any natural or manmade ID outbreak is nonexistent in the country due to insufficient resources, ineffective screening, poorly trained staff and inadequate health policy implementation. The absence of security measures for protecting supply of food products and drinking water exposes additional serious health and security vulnerabilities.'" (U.S. Senate: Offices of Senator Richard G. Lugar; 21Jun10)
http://lugar.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=325808
Emergent [BioSolutions Inc.] sells anthrax vaccine to [U.S.] allies
"Emergent BioSolutions Inc., which supplies anthrax vaccines to the U.S. government, has delivered doses of its BioThrax vaccine to governments of several allied nations. The company did not identify the countries or disclose the number of doses sold [...] BioThrax is designed to protect against anthrax exposure and has been given to about 2.4 million military personnel. [...] Emergent bought a 55,000 square foot space in East Baltimore last year for $7.85 million with plans to hire 125 at the facility." (Baltimore Business Journal; 24Jun10; Jeff Clabaugh) http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2010/06/21/daily30.html
New weapons to protect against anthrax [causing] attacks
"The 2001 anthrax attacks [sic] in the United States are fostering development of a new generation of vaccines, antibiotics, and other medications to protect people against the potentially deadly bacteria in any future bioterrorist incident. That's the conclusion of a sweeping overview of scientific research on medical technology to combat the anthrax threat. It appears in ACS' [American Chemical Society] bi-weekly Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. In the article, Dimitrios Bouzianas notes that several existing antibiotics are available to combat an anthrax infection. However, the emergence of artificially engineered B. anthracis strains, resistant to multiple antibiotics (including the front-line agents ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, and [beta]-lactam antibiotics) has prompted researchers to pursue additional therapeutic options. Such alternatives include small molecules and antibodies against toxins that the lethal bacteria secrete. Passive immunization using a polyclonal or a high-affinity monoclonal antibody may offer adjunctive value to antibiotic therapy. Today's drug arsenal has another weakness: no medications available to fight the dangerous toxin that can circulate in a person's blood when antibiotic treatment begins after the disease has taken hold. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the discovery of antitoxin agents that would be effective at the end stage of anthrax." (Red Orbit; 23Jun10) http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1883486/new_weapons_to_protect_against_anthrax_attacks/
Albuquerque-area health emergency response exercise scheduled for Wednesday [23Jun10; NM]
"Albuquerque-area residents should not be alarmed by emergency responders in moon suits Wednesday; state agencies and local governments will be conducting a major public health emergency exercise to see how well they can deploy medical supplies such as antibiotics, antitoxins and surgical supplies during a real crisis. [...] The Strategic National Stockpile contains large quantities of medicine and medical supplies for responses to public health emergency responses like flu outbreaks, that could deplete local medical supplies. In a real emergency, the Health Department would distribute medical supplies to 81 distribution locations, where people would be directed to receive them, according to the press release. Wednesday's exercise will involve only four of those locations. The Albuquerque-area exercise is part of the Cities Readiness Initiative [which] is a federal effort designed to increase bioterrorism preparedness in 72 U.S. cities." (New Mexico Independent; 23Jun10; Bryant Furlow) http://newmexicoindependent.com/57992/albuquerque-area-health-emergency-response-exercise-scheduled-for-wednesday
Hawaii agencies prepare for anthrax scares
"On Wednesday the Hawaii Civil Defense and the Federal Fire Department were just some of the 10 agencies that participated in the third Makaala Drill at the U.S postal service processing and distribution center near the airport. The 9/11 scare prompted the US Postal Service to use the Biohazard Detection System (BDS) in 2005. On Wednesday postal service workers evacuated the building while Honolulu and Federal Fire fighters were in suits controlling the decontamination process. HPD [Honolulu Police Department] personnel volunteered to go through a mock decontamination process requiring them to change out of their clothes, undergo a liquid wash and change into a blue trek suit. [...] The BDS is used at every major processing and distribution center across the nation. Hawaii has only one major process and distribution center. Along with the Makaala drill, the US Postal service also has other plans that prepare the postal staff during other emergencies." (National Broadcasting Corporation: KGMB/KHNL; 23Jun10)
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=12700193
Federal biodefense spending increases
"President Obama's proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year provides for $6.48 billion in biodefense spending, a 4% increase over last year, with the bulk of those funds targeting not only biodefense but also public health, healthcare, national security, and international security issues, according to a report from the Center for Biosecurity of UPMC [University of Pittsburgh Medical Center]. After yearly decreases in biodefense funding from FY2006 to FY2008, the new proposed budget represents the third year of increases. The largest piece of the biodefense pie, $4.72 billion (73% of the total) will go to the Department of Health and Human Services, followed by the Department of Defense (12%), and the Department of Homeland Security (7%), with the remaining funds shared by the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and State, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Science Foundation. The authors, Crystal Franco and Tara Kirk Sell, note that, of the $6.48 billion budget request, $5.90 billion--or 91%--is allocated to programs that have both biodefense and nonbiodefense applications and that address a range of health and security issues." (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; 23Jun10) http://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/center/newsroom/archive/2010-06-23_fedfunding.html
County prepares for crisis with emergency drill [Sharon Hill, PA]
"Residents are expected to flood an emergency medication dispersal point at Academy Park High School this morning in an effort to offset the deadly effects of aerosolized anthrax [bacteria] following an apparent terrorist attack Monday morning. Not really. But the county is trying to assure residents it is prepared for just such a scenario with an ambitious test of its Strategic National Stockpile response plan this week. 'These tests are critical to our emergency preparedness,' said County Council Chairman Jack Whelan at a press conference at the high school Monday. 'If today's scenario were real, we would be having a press conference right now, explaining to the people of Delaware County and to the region what happened, what the threat was and how we're going to respond to the threat.' This particular scenario -- in which a crop-dusting plane has spread the invisible and odorless Bacillus anthracis over sections of I-95 -- triggered the establishment of a command center at the Delaware County Intermediate Unit Monday morning. That was quickly followed by coordination with state and federal authorities, and the rapid deployment of 'medication' to Points of Dispensing (PODs)." (Delaware County Daily Times; 22Jun10; Alex Rose) http://delcotimes.com/articles/2010/06/22/news/doc4c202b6d05ba5919683876.txt
Colleges to help develop bioterror warning system [NC]
"Scientists from UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. State and other public and private agencies will announce a new bioterrorism warning system project this morning. The North Carolina Bio-Preparedness Collaborative is a one-year, $5 million project funded by a federal grant. The idea: to establish a rapid-response warning system to alert health officials within hours of indications of a bioterrorist attack, threat of disease or other threats to public safety. [...] The project will draw on health data like doctor's notes, electronic hospital records, school nurse logs, prescription database and other information sources in an effort to detect a public health threat before it would be found with traditional surveillance systems, according to a university news release." (News Observer: North Carolina; 21Jun10; Eric Ferreri) http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/06/21/543883/colleges-to-help-develop-bioterror.html
Oakland co. gets new line of defense against anthrax [MI]
"The Oakland County Sherriff's Office will now be able to safeguard its first-responders and the citizens they serve from anthrax [bacteria], thanks to a new cleaning solution that will be unveiled at a news conference this afternoon. The county already owns the machine that emits the cleanser as a mist and currently uses the device, made by Florida-based ZIMEK Technologies, to clean prisons cells to protect against the spread of several infectious diseases, including H1N1, MRSA and tuberculosis, county officials said this morning. It will now be used to clean patrol cars, too." (Detroit Free Press; 21Jun10; Zlati Meyer) http://www.freep.com/article/20100621/NEWS03/100621014/1322/Oakland-Co.-gets-new-line-of-defense-against-anthrax
Greenpeace says Kuehne chemical plant in Kearny is "highest-risk" facility in nation and terrorism or accident there could imperil 12 million people [NJ]
"The environmental group Greenpeace released a report yesterday detailing risks and dangers the group says a Kearny chemical plant poses to millions of people in the New York/New Jersey area. [...] According to the report, an accident or terrorist attack on the plant could put some 12 million people at risk, making the plant the highest-risk facility in the nation. Kuehne manufactures products for the purification of water and waste water. Large amounts of chlorine gas are stored at the plant for the production of bleach. During the May visit, members of Greenpeace photographed the facility and several rail cars containing chlorine gas from a pedestrian walkway on the Pulaski Skyway, the Hackensack River and the plant's front gate. According to the Greenpeace report, the facility can have up to 11 rail cars on site at a time, each with the capacity to store 180,000 pounds of chlorine gas. [...] The storage of these chemicals on site breaks no state or federal environmental laws, but that is part of the problem, according to Greenpeace. The organization is pushing for legislation to require chemical plants across the country to adhere to stricter regulations and use safer manufacturing processes, Deans said. Don Nicolai, Kuehne's president and CEO, said yesterday his company has been at the forefront of safe practices in its field, noting that Kuehne is in the preliminary stages of constructing a chlorine brine facility 'intended to reduce the amount of chlorine that's brought in on rail cars.'" (New Jersey On-line; 23Jun10; Patrick Villanova) http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/kearny/index.ssf?/base/news-0/127727522220930.xml
Incinerator passes 75 percent mark [Anniston, AL]
"Anniston's role as storage unit for chemical weapons is almost over. More than 1,000 mustard agent-filled munitions were destroyed at the Anniston Army Depot incinerator Wednesday, marking an unheralded but critical milestone as 75 percent of the chemical weapons stockpile is now destroyed. Army spokesman Mike Abrams said it was quiet among the Anniston Chemical Agent Disposal facility employees as they worked to incinerate mustard that would mean the eradication of more than three fourths of the stockpile. 'There was not a dramatic sigh of relief or sense of accomplishment; it was just another day at the incinerator,' he said. 'But at the end of the day we just realized 'holy smokes!' we just went over 75 percent.' Abrams said that with this disposal foothold secured, he 'fully expects' the incinerator to reach the next step -- complete stockpile destruction -- by the federal government's April 2012 deadline." (Anniston Star; 22Jun10; Cameron Steele) http://annistonstar.com/view/full_story/8008897/article-Incinerator-passes-75-percent-mark?instance=top_center_featured
Czechs to help establish chemical warfare unit in Texas
"Soldiers from the Czech military 31st brigade of radiation, chemical and biological protection might help their U.S. counterparts establish a similar unit in Texas, General Jose Mayorga, Texas National Guard chief commander on a visit to Prague, told CTK [Czech News Agency] Tuesday. Since the Texas guard is considering establishing a similar unit, Mayorga said he would like to see how the Czech unit, seated in Liberec, north Bohemia, is organised and how it prepares for emergency situations, and also its way of reacting to them. The Czech chemical warfare unit is world-renowned. This April it protected the U.S.-Russian summit in Prague. Previously it ensured the security of the Olympic Games in Athens and was deployed in the Gulf War and other conflicts. Mayorga arrived in Prague at the invitation of Czech chief-of-staff Vlastimil Picek late on Monday. He and Picek are to meet on Wednesday to discuss further cooperation between the Czech military and the Texas Guard. Mayorga said Picek is to come to Austin, the capital of Texas, in July." (Prague Daily Monitor; 23Jun10) http://www.praguemonitor.com/2010/06/23/czechs-help-establish-chemical-warfare-unit-texas
Bhopal is also about [chemical] security
"The Indian media is abuzz with news on Bhopal gas tragedy. The debate is mainly concentrated on fixing the blame for allowing the perpetrator of the crime to leave the country. However, this 'opportunity' provided by the lack of justice in Bhopal gas tragedy and the nationwide debate thereon should not be wasted in only scoring political brownie points. While it is important to know the truth behind the escape of the then Union Carbide chief, it is also important to widen the scope of debate to check whether in the 21st century the nature of threat has changed and if so who are the new actors? Spilling of gas from a chemical factory can happen because of multiple reasons: from accidental release to sabotage. In this era of terrorism such threats need to be reviewed on a much broader canvas. Industrial disasters could be made to happen intentionally. Also, poisonous gases could be spread intentionally to damage crops or kill animals. For this terrorists could use certain type of chemical weapons to create mayhem. In the past they have done this in some parts of the world and there is a no guarantee that they may not do it again. [...] India, a victim of terrorism and internal unrest, hence needs to factor in issues like Chemical Terrorism in its security discourse. The Indian administration and Indian armed forces are aware of these threats and have done some initial work towards addressing them. Last year Defence Minister A. K. Antony had stated while releasing the national guidelines compiled by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on the management of chemical terrorism disaster that the terrorists are using more aggressive means to spread terror and can resort to chemical weapons in future. However, all current Indian efforts are more 'reactive' in nature - if any untoward incidence happens we know how to address it. Even for this we lack the basic infrastructure to undertake disaster management particularly in terms of medical facilities. The issue is, what have we learned from Bhopal?" (Eurasia Review; 21Jun10; Ajey Lele) http://www.eurasiareview.com/201006213637/bhopal-is-also-about-security.html
Tbilisi grants early release to weapons-grade uranium smuggler
"Georgia is granting an early release to a Russian citizen serving a seven-year prison sentence for his part in an attempt to sell highly enriched uranium to undercover Georgian agents, a senior Interior Ministry official in Tbilisi told EurasiaNet.org. Oleg Khintsagov, a resident of North Ossetia, was arrested in 2006 after attempting to sell 100 grams of highly enriched uranium (HEU) to a Georgian Interior Ministry officer posing as a representative of a terrorist organization. Khintsagov received a five-year prison term for trying to bring HEU into Georgia, and a two-year sentence for smuggling. [...] The government has not addressed publicly any potential security risks associated with Khintsagov's early release. Utiashvili, though, described his release as worrisome. 'This obviously causes us concern,' Utiashvili said. The ministry can do nothing to stop Khintsagov's release, he added. 'He was arrested and charged. After serving his sentence, he is free,' Utiashvili said. [...] Georgian officials say police have foiled eight other attempts to transport weapons-grade enriched uranium via Georgia over the past 10 years. The most recent intercept came in March 2010. Matthew Bunn, a specialist on nuclear theft and terrorism at Harvard University, called Khintsagov's early release not uncommon, but nonetheless troubling. 'One of the key things to stop nuclear smuggling is to try and deter people from getting into nuclear smuggling. ... Anything that decreases the consequences is a concern,' Bunn said." (EurasiaNet; 22Jun10; Molly Corso)
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/61374
Home front to develop new nonconventional missile siren
"In face of a potential war that could involve chemical and biological attacks against Israel, the IDF [Israeli Defense Force] Home Front Command is planning to develop a special siren for non-conventional missiles, The Jerusalem Post has learned. The possibility of using two different sirens during a future conflict - one for conventional missiles and the other for missiles carrying non-conventional warheads - came up during the nationwide civil defense exercise that was held last month called Turning Point 4. Since the Second Lebanon War in 2006, the IDF Home Front Command has invested in improving Israeli warning systems and has doubled, the number of sirens stationed throughout the country to a whopping 3,100. The command is currently working on installing sirens in military bases as well." (Jerusalem Post; 21Jun10; Yaakov Katz)
http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=179021
NNSA [National Nuclear Security Administration] signs memorandum with Kuwait to increase cooperation on nuclear safeguards and nonproliferation
"The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on nuclear safeguards and other nonproliferation topics with the Kuwait National Nuclear Energy Committee (KNNEC). NNSA Administrator Thomas D'Agostino and KNNEC's Secretary General, Dr. Ahmad Bishara, signed the memorandum at a ceremony at U.S. Department of Energy headquarters in Washington. 'This agreement is an important step toward advancing strong bilateral cooperation between the United States and Kuwait on nuclear nonproliferation, safeguards and security,' said Administrator D'Agostino. This Memorandum of Cooperation is part of NNSA's International Nuclear Safeguards and Engagement Program (INSEP). [...] The memorandum with Kuwait specifically proposes cooperation in nuclear legislation and regulations; human resource planning and modeling; nuclear safeguards and security; radiation protection; environmental, safety and health issues; low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste management; and reactor operations, safety, and best practices." (National Nuclear Security Administration; 23Jun10) http://nnsa.energy.gov/mediaroom/pressreleases/kuwait062310
House panel approves weapons of mass destruction bill [WMD Prevention and Preparedness Act of 2010]
"The U.S. House Homeland Security Committee yesterday overwhelmingly approved legislation intended to bolster security measures at the country's biological research laboratories and strengthen federal prevention and response efforts for a potential WMD attack. Less than two weeks after being introduced by Representative Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) and the panel's ranking member Peter King (R-N.Y.), the committee voted 26-0 in favor of the WMD Prevention and Preparedness Act of 2010. Not all members of the committee were present. [...] The 95-page bill would require the homeland security secretary to hold a 'negotiated rulemaking committee' with other government agencies to develop enhanced regulations for biological research facilities and personnel. That body would in turn create a tier of disease materials deemed to be the most serious threats to the United States, labeling them 'Tier 1 Material Threat Agents.' The Agriculture and Health and Human Services departments would then conduct inspections of those laboratories to enforce the rules written by the negotiating committee and retain their current oversight roles. Agriculture and HHS officials also would be assigned to establish training programs for employees at those sites." (Global Security Newswire; 24Jun10; Martin Matishak) http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20100624_5600.php
Force protection, anti-terror[ism] demo[nstration] set
"Live presentations and demonstrations of advanced security equipment and technologies will be shown next May near Washington, it was announced Tuesday. More than 600 exhibitors are expected to participate in the event and nearly 3,500 technologically advanced off-the-shelf products from 20 categories of equipment and systems will be presented, organizers said. The United States' federally produced Force Protection Equipment Demonstration is sponsored by the Department of Defense's Physical Security Action Group, the Department of Energy and the Technical Working Group. The event, which occurs every two years, was initiated by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff following the bombing at Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia in 1996. Organizers said all demonstrated items must be available for procurement and testing within 90 days of the event, slated for May 17-19 in Stafford, Va. Products to [be] demonstrated include those for reducing the vulnerability of personnel and infrastructure equipment from a variety [o]f threats, including bombs and attacks using nuclear materials or biological and chemical agents." (United Press International; 23Jun10) http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2010/06/23/Force-protection-anti-terror-demo-set/UPI-58411277299910/
Sampling for contaminants at Lew[iston]-Port[er] to begin soon [NY]
"Sampling is expected to begin as soon as late July for radiological and chemical contamination on areas of the campus of the Lewiston-Porter schools, representatives of a federal agency said tonight. Soil tests will be conducted for chemicals and radiological materials at 16 locations behind the Creek Road campus, Army Corps of Engineers officials said during a public information session in the Lewiston Senior Center. A report with test results should be completed in November, said Mick Senus, a project manager with the Corps' Buffalo District. [...] Samples will be analyzed for a variety of chemicals, including metals, explosives and PCBs, as well as radiological contamination. The Army Corps has previously done sampling on the Lew-Port campus, which sits on the former Lake Ontario Ordance Works site, which was used in weapons production and waste storage during and after World War II. The former ordnance works site, which encompassed 7,500 acres of land in both Lewiston and Porter, includes a 191-acre area known as the Niagara Falls Storage Site which contains a 10-acre storage cell for radioactive waste from the Manhattan Project." (Buffalo News; 23Jun10; Aaron Besecker) http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/06/23/1092355/sampling-for-contaminants-at-lew.html
Governor Quinn announces $10 million capital grant for Rush University Medical Center [IL]
"Governor Pat Quinn today announced a $10 million capital grant to help construct a new, state-of-the-art emergency and disaster preparedness center at Rush University Medical Center. The McCormick Center for Advanced Emergency Response, the first of its kind in the United States, will more than double the size of the hospital's emergency department and is designed to better care for the victims of major catastrophes. [...] Rush's McCormick Center for Advanced Emergency Response will occupy the first floor of a new 14-floor hospital building currently under construction. The center will house 56 patient treatment bays and an advanced disaster response center. On a day-to-day basis, it will operate as an emergency facility. However, in the event of a disaster, special design and technology advancements will be utilized to better respond to biological, chemical and other catastrophes. [...] The new facility will include a specialized airflow system that can isolate areas of the facility from the effects of chemical or biological agents. Additionally, every room will have a cardiac monitor and each of three patient treatment pods will have its own ultrasound unit and available bedside point-of-care blood testing. Radiology will be located within the emergency department to reduce wait times for diagnostic imaging." (Illinois Government News Network; 22Jun10)
http://www.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ShowPressRelease.cfm?SubjectID=1
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD
Showing posts with label civil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label civil. Show all posts
Friday, June 25, 2010
Monday, December 29, 2008
Training Opens Doors for Former 'Sons of Iraq'
By Army Sgt. David Hodge
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 29, 2008 - Instructors from the Jihad Civil Services Department are teaching job skills to former "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group members in southern Baghdad's Rashid district. About 400 students attend the six-month vocational school, said Wissam al-Kinani, CSD principal, adding that about 100 of the students are former Sons of Iraq members.
"If this project didn't exist, the students would have a
choice -- to be criminal or constructive citizens," Kinani said. "We give them the opportunity to become constructive citizens, to learn something, a profession, so they can go out in the Jihad community and be somebody."
With an improved economy in the northwest Rashid area -- due to an increase in open shops and home construction -- the job outlook is "looking good for the CSD graduates," said Army 1st Lt. Matthew Wilden of the 4th Infantry Division's Company C, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team.
"I can't speak for all of Baghdad, but this area has
improved a lot since we got here," Wilden said. "They will at least come out with some good skills and be able to find a job."
The goal, Wilden said, is eventually to place all Sons of Iraq members into a Civil services department or in the Iraqi security forces.
The Iraqi security forces and CSD have opened their doors to most of Rashid's 7,500 Sons of Iraq members as they transition under the care of the Iraqi government, officials said.
As the former security personnel get other jobs, the Sons of Iraq program should fade away, Wilden said. As the security situation continues improving, the citizen security groups will not really be needed, he explained, so job training will allow former Sons of Iraq to remain productive members of society.
The Jihad CSD offers 11 training areas, including commercial driving, electrical engineering and basic medicine.
Saad Shekher Mishjen, a former Sons of Iraq member who attends the commercial driving course at the CSD, said he never imagined the studies would be so in-depth.
"When I came here, the project and the classes went beyond
my expectations. I never imagined it would be like this," said Mishjen, who said he hopes to find work with the Iraqi government after his training.
Oday Hashim Wahib, a medical student at the CSD, is a former Sons of Iraq member with a degree in biology from Baghdad University. Wahib said he considered pursuing a career in the Iraqi security forces, but believes he made the right choice by attending the CSD.
"At the school, we are studying," he said. "We get useful information."
Kinani said he hopes the students use the education to improve their outlook on life.
"I am a business owner," he said. "I could generate more money doing my business, but because I believe in this project, because I believe in my people, I want them to change their lives. That is why I and the teachers are here. We believe these people will be good members of society."
(Army Sgt. David Hodge serves in the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team public affairs office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 29, 2008 - Instructors from the Jihad Civil Services Department are teaching job skills to former "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group members in southern Baghdad's Rashid district. About 400 students attend the six-month vocational school, said Wissam al-Kinani, CSD principal, adding that about 100 of the students are former Sons of Iraq members.
"If this project didn't exist, the students would have a
choice -- to be criminal or constructive citizens," Kinani said. "We give them the opportunity to become constructive citizens, to learn something, a profession, so they can go out in the Jihad community and be somebody."
With an improved economy in the northwest Rashid area -- due to an increase in open shops and home construction -- the job outlook is "looking good for the CSD graduates," said Army 1st Lt. Matthew Wilden of the 4th Infantry Division's Company C, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team.
"I can't speak for all of Baghdad, but this area has
improved a lot since we got here," Wilden said. "They will at least come out with some good skills and be able to find a job."
The goal, Wilden said, is eventually to place all Sons of Iraq members into a Civil services department or in the Iraqi security forces.
The Iraqi security forces and CSD have opened their doors to most of Rashid's 7,500 Sons of Iraq members as they transition under the care of the Iraqi government, officials said.
As the former security personnel get other jobs, the Sons of Iraq program should fade away, Wilden said. As the security situation continues improving, the citizen security groups will not really be needed, he explained, so job training will allow former Sons of Iraq to remain productive members of society.
The Jihad CSD offers 11 training areas, including commercial driving, electrical engineering and basic medicine.
Saad Shekher Mishjen, a former Sons of Iraq member who attends the commercial driving course at the CSD, said he never imagined the studies would be so in-depth.
"When I came here, the project and the classes went beyond
my expectations. I never imagined it would be like this," said Mishjen, who said he hopes to find work with the Iraqi government after his training.
Oday Hashim Wahib, a medical student at the CSD, is a former Sons of Iraq member with a degree in biology from Baghdad University. Wahib said he considered pursuing a career in the Iraqi security forces, but believes he made the right choice by attending the CSD.
"At the school, we are studying," he said. "We get useful information."
Kinani said he hopes the students use the education to improve their outlook on life.
"I am a business owner," he said. "I could generate more money doing my business, but because I believe in this project, because I believe in my people, I want them to change their lives. That is why I and the teachers are here. We believe these people will be good members of society."
(Army Sgt. David Hodge serves in the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team public affairs office.)
Sunday, December 28, 2008
For Reservists, Deployments Mean Sacrifice, but Also Opportunity
By Army Sgt. David Turner
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 28, 2008 - Soldiers serving in the Army Reserve long had the stigma of being second-class soldiers. "Be all you can be ... one weekend a month," was a taunt used by drill sergeants for reservist recruits. A transformation in the role of the Reserve and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan make frequent deployments a reality for these "weekend warriors," and many reservists are looking at their part-time service more as a second career.
"It's good to have the Reserve as a cushion, a back-up in case somethinggoes wrong. I don't have a 40-hour a week job to go back to," said Sgt.John Coogen of the 445th Civil Affairs Battalion, currently stationed here.
After completing an 8-year stint in the Marine Corps, Coogen enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2006. In his civilian career, he is a self-employed audio-visual technician back home in Palm Springs, Calif., mostly installing home theaters.
"If I would have had that going strong, I wouldn't have signed up for the Army Reserve. The military's always a good thing to go into, Reserve, active (duty), it doesn't matter. The economy is really bad back home now. My buddies back at home, doing the same thing I do, they're not making it," he said.
Though Coogen plans to resume his business when he redeploys in early 2009, he is also hedging his bets. After seeing the kinds of income his civilian counterparts are making in Iraq, he's applying for a job as a contractor, perhaps to return here.
Like many of the soldiers in his unit, Coogen has civilian job skills that make him an asset to the Army.
"A Reserve battalion has more skill-sets than an active (duty) battalion. We've got cops, firefighters, veterinarians," said Coogen. Those valuable skills also make soldiers in civil affairs, like in some other Reserve units, more likely to be deployed.
"It's made a tremendous difference, I think, in the lives of reservists as a whole, especially in the civil affairs and (psychological operations) areas," said Maj. David Cothran, operations mobilization officer for Multi-National Corps - Iraq's Army Reserve Affairs office.
"Those guys are deploying, some of them almost every year. Some of them are in the deployment cycle every two or three years, even though the (regeneration cycle) is once every five years for an Army reservist. Those guys are not fitting that cycle. They have to constantly be utilized."
Despite the increasing likelihood and pace of deployments, Cothran said the worsening economy back home is an incentive for many soldiers to stay in the Reserve. Many see the potential for retirement benefits, as well as new GI Bill.
Cothran, a full-time Reserve Soldier, plans to stay in the service and has already signed up to extend his current deployment by another year.
"I think people are taking a hard look at that. I got laid off in '03, and I've been doing active duty as a reservist since then. It's been working out fine, so I've decided to stay with it as long as I can," he said. "I think people are going to continue to look at it and see how hard it's going to be on the Family overall but still stay with it because they've invested so many years."
The role played by Reservists changed greatly in recent years, from a force of mostly prior-service Soldiers who rarely deploy to a highly-trained, agile force who now deploy alongside their active duty counterparts. When the Reserve celebrated its hundredth birthday in April, more than 182,000 Reservists had been called to active duty since 9-11, with more than 41,000 mobilized more than once.
Now mostly focused on combat support, many Reserve units have capabilities either exclusive to or primarily in the Reserve. As a result, more than 1,400 reservists were stopped-lossed at the end of Sept. 2008, a reduction from recent years.
Cothran said the strain of increased deployments has led to problems in retaining junior officers, who still must find time to maintain their training between deployments. For enlisted reservists, however, retention numbers are up, partly due to large bonuses offered for re-enlistment. The numbers are so good that bonuses will be scaled back in the coming year.
One reservist who opted for a large bonus to stay in the Reserve is Staff Sgt. Nick Minecci, a historian with the 317th Military History Detachment. Minecci came back to serve after 12 years of active duty, having already deployed several times.
Minecci is now serving his third deployment as a reservist; upon completing his most recent tour, he extended for another full year. Fortunately, he said, he has the support
of his wife and his family
"She said, 'I knew when I married you, this is what you do. Even though you're a reservist, I know you're going to be deploying,'" Minecci said.
Building financial security is an incentive, but before he decided to re-enlist and extend his tour, Minecci said he had doubts about remaining in the service.
"I think it's harder on them than it is for me in a lot of ways," he said. "It's been terrible. I didn't marry her to be gone, but these couple of years now of serious hardship and pain sets us up for success a decade from now," he said.
Minecci said his decision to stay in was based more on his sense of duty than financial incentive, though. He makes close to the same money deployed as in his civilian job in the U.S. Dept. of State. Like many older reservists, he sees deployment more as an opportunity to serve than a sacrifice. Some deployed reservists don't mind even taking a pay cut to serve their country for a year.
That was the case for Staff Sgt. Ralph Cleveland, who also serves with the 445th CA Bn. Back home in Sacramento, Calif., he owns an information security consulting business. He served four years of active duty in the 80's and Cleveland re-enlisted last year after taking his daughter to talk to a recruiter. He's now finishing his first tour of duty since joining 23 years ago.
"I knew (the deployment) would come up. I was in about 10 months when I got the call," he said. "It's a hardship for everyone who comes over here, but I've got a good family. I've got two young kids, and that's the hardest thing, for me and for them."
For Cleveland, having his family's support is important. He took a significant pay cut to deploy, going from six figures to an E-6 salary. Still, he said, he hasn't regretted his decision.
"It's something I've believed in since I was a kid," said Cleveland of his decision to re-enlist. "I felt like I left something behind. I wanted to finish what I started."
( Army Sgt. David Turner is assigned to Multi-National Division - Center)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 28, 2008 - Soldiers serving in the Army Reserve long had the stigma of being second-class soldiers. "Be all you can be ... one weekend a month," was a taunt used by drill sergeants for reservist recruits. A transformation in the role of the Reserve and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan make frequent deployments a reality for these "weekend warriors," and many reservists are looking at their part-time service more as a second career.
"It's good to have the Reserve as a cushion, a back-up in case somethinggoes wrong. I don't have a 40-hour a week job to go back to," said Sgt.John Coogen of the 445th Civil Affairs Battalion, currently stationed here.
After completing an 8-year stint in the Marine Corps, Coogen enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2006. In his civilian career, he is a self-employed audio-visual technician back home in Palm Springs, Calif., mostly installing home theaters.
"If I would have had that going strong, I wouldn't have signed up for the Army Reserve. The military's always a good thing to go into, Reserve, active (duty), it doesn't matter. The economy is really bad back home now. My buddies back at home, doing the same thing I do, they're not making it," he said.
Though Coogen plans to resume his business when he redeploys in early 2009, he is also hedging his bets. After seeing the kinds of income his civilian counterparts are making in Iraq, he's applying for a job as a contractor, perhaps to return here.
Like many of the soldiers in his unit, Coogen has civilian job skills that make him an asset to the Army.
"A Reserve battalion has more skill-sets than an active (duty) battalion. We've got cops, firefighters, veterinarians," said Coogen. Those valuable skills also make soldiers in civil affairs, like in some other Reserve units, more likely to be deployed.
"It's made a tremendous difference, I think, in the lives of reservists as a whole, especially in the civil affairs and (psychological operations) areas," said Maj. David Cothran, operations mobilization officer for Multi-National Corps - Iraq's Army Reserve Affairs office.
"Those guys are deploying, some of them almost every year. Some of them are in the deployment cycle every two or three years, even though the (regeneration cycle) is once every five years for an Army reservist. Those guys are not fitting that cycle. They have to constantly be utilized."
Despite the increasing likelihood and pace of deployments, Cothran said the worsening economy back home is an incentive for many soldiers to stay in the Reserve. Many see the potential for retirement benefits, as well as new GI Bill.
Cothran, a full-time Reserve Soldier, plans to stay in the service and has already signed up to extend his current deployment by another year.
"I think people are taking a hard look at that. I got laid off in '03, and I've been doing active duty as a reservist since then. It's been working out fine, so I've decided to stay with it as long as I can," he said. "I think people are going to continue to look at it and see how hard it's going to be on the Family overall but still stay with it because they've invested so many years."
The role played by Reservists changed greatly in recent years, from a force of mostly prior-service Soldiers who rarely deploy to a highly-trained, agile force who now deploy alongside their active duty counterparts. When the Reserve celebrated its hundredth birthday in April, more than 182,000 Reservists had been called to active duty since 9-11, with more than 41,000 mobilized more than once.
Now mostly focused on combat support, many Reserve units have capabilities either exclusive to or primarily in the Reserve. As a result, more than 1,400 reservists were stopped-lossed at the end of Sept. 2008, a reduction from recent years.
Cothran said the strain of increased deployments has led to problems in retaining junior officers, who still must find time to maintain their training between deployments. For enlisted reservists, however, retention numbers are up, partly due to large bonuses offered for re-enlistment. The numbers are so good that bonuses will be scaled back in the coming year.
One reservist who opted for a large bonus to stay in the Reserve is Staff Sgt. Nick Minecci, a historian with the 317th Military History Detachment. Minecci came back to serve after 12 years of active duty, having already deployed several times.
Minecci is now serving his third deployment as a reservist; upon completing his most recent tour, he extended for another full year. Fortunately, he said, he has the support
of his wife and his family
"She said, 'I knew when I married you, this is what you do. Even though you're a reservist, I know you're going to be deploying,'" Minecci said.
Building financial security is an incentive, but before he decided to re-enlist and extend his tour, Minecci said he had doubts about remaining in the service.
"I think it's harder on them than it is for me in a lot of ways," he said. "It's been terrible. I didn't marry her to be gone, but these couple of years now of serious hardship and pain sets us up for success a decade from now," he said.
Minecci said his decision to stay in was based more on his sense of duty than financial incentive, though. He makes close to the same money deployed as in his civilian job in the U.S. Dept. of State. Like many older reservists, he sees deployment more as an opportunity to serve than a sacrifice. Some deployed reservists don't mind even taking a pay cut to serve their country for a year.
That was the case for Staff Sgt. Ralph Cleveland, who also serves with the 445th CA Bn. Back home in Sacramento, Calif., he owns an information security consulting business. He served four years of active duty in the 80's and Cleveland re-enlisted last year after taking his daughter to talk to a recruiter. He's now finishing his first tour of duty since joining 23 years ago.
"I knew (the deployment) would come up. I was in about 10 months when I got the call," he said. "It's a hardship for everyone who comes over here, but I've got a good family. I've got two young kids, and that's the hardest thing, for me and for them."
For Cleveland, having his family's support is important. He took a significant pay cut to deploy, going from six figures to an E-6 salary. Still, he said, he hasn't regretted his decision.
"It's something I've believed in since I was a kid," said Cleveland of his decision to re-enlist. "I felt like I left something behind. I wanted to finish what I started."
( Army Sgt. David Turner is assigned to Multi-National Division - Center)
Friday, December 26, 2008
Troops Spend Christmas Eve Donating Supplies to Afghan Village School
By Air Force Capt. Dustin Hart
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 26, 2008 - While people around the world made their final Christmas preparations, members of the Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team, and Chaparhar Police Mentor Team, visited a school in the Terelay Village, of the Chaparhar district, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, Dec. 24, 2008, to distribute clothes and school supplies. The teams first met with several elders from the village allowing the elders to discuss the current conditions in Terelay, the surrounding villages and the district.
"One of the PRT's goals is to bolster education and healthcare within the Nangarhar province," said Army Maj. Gary Knoer, Nangarhar PRT, Civil Affairs team leader. "Our visit today helped us assess the village, school and the needs of the students. By building a school facility that can accommodate the students indoors instead of their current outdoor classrooms, children will be able to attend regardless of weather."
Knoer said improving the conditions in which Afghan children receive a quality education is vital to the long-term stability of the area.
"The education of this generation is very important for the future of the country," he said. "The elders in every village I have visited have expressed this need."
If the project is approved for funding, the PRT hopes to build more classroom facilities and a security wall for the existing school.
Following the meeting, the teams donated several boxes of school supplies, clothes and radios to the elders and school's administrators. The troops also visited a few of the outdoor classes in session to personally hand out some of the supplies.
"These missions have a profound impact on the overall operation here," Knoer said. "The people here are like parents anywhere in the world; they have one priority and that is the needs of their children. When we show them that we care for their children, the same as we would our own, it means more to them than any other thing we could give them."
Knoer said that conducting this mission during the holiday season made it that much more special for the teams.
"There is an extra special feeling doing things this time of year, because it's the time of year we are supposed to be giving," said Knoer, who spent last Christmas serving in Iraq. "I am sure that all of us here would rather be home with our families on Christmas. However, when we look back at our lives in 20-30 years, this will probably be the Christmas that will come to mind before all others."
The Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team is responsible for assisting the provincial, district and local governments in Nangarhar Province with their governance, security and reconstruction efforts. The team is currently working on approximately 60 projects worth more than $75.3 million in the province.
(Air Force Capt. Dustin Hart serves with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division PAO, Nangarhar PRT)
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 26, 2008 - While people around the world made their final Christmas preparations, members of the Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team, and Chaparhar Police Mentor Team, visited a school in the Terelay Village, of the Chaparhar district, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, Dec. 24, 2008, to distribute clothes and school supplies. The teams first met with several elders from the village allowing the elders to discuss the current conditions in Terelay, the surrounding villages and the district.
"One of the PRT's goals is to bolster education and healthcare within the Nangarhar province," said Army Maj. Gary Knoer, Nangarhar PRT, Civil Affairs team leader. "Our visit today helped us assess the village, school and the needs of the students. By building a school facility that can accommodate the students indoors instead of their current outdoor classrooms, children will be able to attend regardless of weather."
Knoer said improving the conditions in which Afghan children receive a quality education is vital to the long-term stability of the area.
"The education of this generation is very important for the future of the country," he said. "The elders in every village I have visited have expressed this need."
If the project is approved for funding, the PRT hopes to build more classroom facilities and a security wall for the existing school.
Following the meeting, the teams donated several boxes of school supplies, clothes and radios to the elders and school's administrators. The troops also visited a few of the outdoor classes in session to personally hand out some of the supplies.
"These missions have a profound impact on the overall operation here," Knoer said. "The people here are like parents anywhere in the world; they have one priority and that is the needs of their children. When we show them that we care for their children, the same as we would our own, it means more to them than any other thing we could give them."
Knoer said that conducting this mission during the holiday season made it that much more special for the teams.
"There is an extra special feeling doing things this time of year, because it's the time of year we are supposed to be giving," said Knoer, who spent last Christmas serving in Iraq. "I am sure that all of us here would rather be home with our families on Christmas. However, when we look back at our lives in 20-30 years, this will probably be the Christmas that will come to mind before all others."
The Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team is responsible for assisting the provincial, district and local governments in Nangarhar Province with their governance, security and reconstruction efforts. The team is currently working on approximately 60 projects worth more than $75.3 million in the province.
(Air Force Capt. Dustin Hart serves with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division PAO, Nangarhar PRT)
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Missouri Guard's Agricultural Mission Grows in Afghanistan
By Army Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 23, 2008 - Missouri National Guard soldiers are overcoming one of the biggest hurdles on Afghanistan's road toward self-sustainment, one of the state's U.S. senators said here yesterday. Sen. Christopher Bond discussed the Missouri Guard's agricultural development teams at a news conference in his office.
The ADTs are made up of Guard members who have a civilian background in farming or agriculture-related businesses who teach sustainable farming practices to Afghan farmers.
"We need the kinetic force to deal with the immediate threats, but we need economic development," Bond said. "We need to empower these people to run their country -- to thrive and make a good life."
Agriculture, the senator noted, is one of Afghanistan's key economic engines. Roughly half of the population makes its living by farming. Bond, who recently returned from a fact-finding trip to Afghanistan, said the Guard ADTs are one step toward Afghan self-sufficiency.
"The Missouri Guard ADT set up a canning plant for canning fruits and vegetables so they don't have to be shipped to Pakistan and then come back at a much higher price," Bond said.
Lt. Gen. Clyde A. Vaughn, director of the Army National Guard, conceived the ADT program. Vaughn, a Missouri native, reached out to the farming community in the "Show Me" state to ascertain if the program was a viable one.
"About a year and a half ago, I got a phone call from General Vaughn," Charlie Kruse, president of the Missouri Farm Bureau, recalled. "He said, 'I want to talk to you about a concept I have in mind of how we can further the cause of farming in Afghanistan by taking farmers who happen to be in the National Guard and deploying them to Afghanistan to work side by side with farmers in Afghanistan.'" The general also wanted to include people with agri-business experience and expertise in other aspects of agriculture, he added.
Representatives from the Missouri Farm Bureau, including Kruse, and Missouri Guard officials worked together to determine what was needed to develop the teams, Vaughn said. They reached out to colleges and universities with agriculture programs for help.
"Because of the Missouri Farm Bureau, we were then able to put together a package to recommend to the National Guard Bureau how we [would organize the teams]," Army Maj. Gen. King E. Sidwell, Missouri's adjutant general, said.
As part of the planning process, officials also met with Afghanistan's agriculture minister to determine the country's needs, Sidwell said.
The first ADT deployed in late 2007 and recently returned home as a second team deployed overseas. While the first team was composed entirely of Army Guard personnel, the second team includes Air National Guard members. The first team focused primarily on large-scale projects such as irrigation issues, and the second team is focusing on other projects such as seed production, Sidwell said.
Providing seeds is one aspect of building a sustainable farming base, Bond noted.
"[The ADT] bought wheat seed for the wheat farmers," he said. "They gave it to the wheat farmers under a contract that said out of the 3,600 metric tons of wheat you grow next year, you have to set aside 600 tons for planting next year. They'll have, under the supervision of the ADT, the wheat to plant next year and get them back into sustainable farming."
The program also assists with traditional military operations, Sidwell said.
"It helps in the military kinetic part," he explained, "because it involves cooperation of the local population, and intelligence resources can be brought to bear. It makes friends when you might not otherwise be able to make friends."
The successes of the Missouri ADTs have resulted in the formation of other teams.
"As we enjoy success, there are other states standing up similar teams to be deployed to other parts of the country," Sidwell said, noting that expansion of the concept was part of the plan.
"When we entered into this project, it was not with the idea that we would go once and that would be it," he said. "This is envisioned to be a long-term commitment."
That commitment and the successes already garnered are a direct result of the Guard, Bond said.
"This is a success that I welcome the opportunity to talk about," the senator said. "It started with the Missouri National Guard and is now involving National Guard units from other states. It shows the flexibility of the Guard, which can do the military missions, the civil missions and, in this case, the agricultural missions."
(Army Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy serves at the National Guard Bureau.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 23, 2008 - Missouri National Guard soldiers are overcoming one of the biggest hurdles on Afghanistan's road toward self-sustainment, one of the state's U.S. senators said here yesterday. Sen. Christopher Bond discussed the Missouri Guard's agricultural development teams at a news conference in his office.
The ADTs are made up of Guard members who have a civilian background in farming or agriculture-related businesses who teach sustainable farming practices to Afghan farmers.
"We need the kinetic force to deal with the immediate threats, but we need economic development," Bond said. "We need to empower these people to run their country -- to thrive and make a good life."
Agriculture, the senator noted, is one of Afghanistan's key economic engines. Roughly half of the population makes its living by farming. Bond, who recently returned from a fact-finding trip to Afghanistan, said the Guard ADTs are one step toward Afghan self-sufficiency.
"The Missouri Guard ADT set up a canning plant for canning fruits and vegetables so they don't have to be shipped to Pakistan and then come back at a much higher price," Bond said.
Lt. Gen. Clyde A. Vaughn, director of the Army National Guard, conceived the ADT program. Vaughn, a Missouri native, reached out to the farming community in the "Show Me" state to ascertain if the program was a viable one.
"About a year and a half ago, I got a phone call from General Vaughn," Charlie Kruse, president of the Missouri Farm Bureau, recalled. "He said, 'I want to talk to you about a concept I have in mind of how we can further the cause of farming in Afghanistan by taking farmers who happen to be in the National Guard and deploying them to Afghanistan to work side by side with farmers in Afghanistan.'" The general also wanted to include people with agri-business experience and expertise in other aspects of agriculture, he added.
Representatives from the Missouri Farm Bureau, including Kruse, and Missouri Guard officials worked together to determine what was needed to develop the teams, Vaughn said. They reached out to colleges and universities with agriculture programs for help.
"Because of the Missouri Farm Bureau, we were then able to put together a package to recommend to the National Guard Bureau how we [would organize the teams]," Army Maj. Gen. King E. Sidwell, Missouri's adjutant general, said.
As part of the planning process, officials also met with Afghanistan's agriculture minister to determine the country's needs, Sidwell said.
The first ADT deployed in late 2007 and recently returned home as a second team deployed overseas. While the first team was composed entirely of Army Guard personnel, the second team includes Air National Guard members. The first team focused primarily on large-scale projects such as irrigation issues, and the second team is focusing on other projects such as seed production, Sidwell said.
Providing seeds is one aspect of building a sustainable farming base, Bond noted.
"[The ADT] bought wheat seed for the wheat farmers," he said. "They gave it to the wheat farmers under a contract that said out of the 3,600 metric tons of wheat you grow next year, you have to set aside 600 tons for planting next year. They'll have, under the supervision of the ADT, the wheat to plant next year and get them back into sustainable farming."
The program also assists with traditional military operations, Sidwell said.
"It helps in the military kinetic part," he explained, "because it involves cooperation of the local population, and intelligence resources can be brought to bear. It makes friends when you might not otherwise be able to make friends."
The successes of the Missouri ADTs have resulted in the formation of other teams.
"As we enjoy success, there are other states standing up similar teams to be deployed to other parts of the country," Sidwell said, noting that expansion of the concept was part of the plan.
"When we entered into this project, it was not with the idea that we would go once and that would be it," he said. "This is envisioned to be a long-term commitment."
That commitment and the successes already garnered are a direct result of the Guard, Bond said.
"This is a success that I welcome the opportunity to talk about," the senator said. "It started with the Missouri National Guard and is now involving National Guard units from other states. It shows the flexibility of the Guard, which can do the military missions, the civil missions and, in this case, the agricultural missions."
(Army Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy serves at the National Guard Bureau.)
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Water Facility Reopens South of Baghdad
By Army Pfc. Evan Loyd
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 16, 2008 - Local Iraqi leaders and U.S. soldiers celebrated the reopening of the Bawi water pump and filter facility Dec. 13 in Salman Pak, south of Baghdad. The facility can provide water to nearly all residents of Madain Qada in Baghdad province.
"Before the plant was reconstructed, the volume of the water produced could only reach half the residents of Salman Pak, and then only if power wasn't out," said Army Staff Sgt. Douglas King, the team sergeant for Civil Affairs Team 32, attached to the 1st Armored Division's 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. "Now there are four pumps and two large generators, which can provide water to most of the Madain and without worrying about whether the power is up or not."
An Iraqi contractor rebuilt the generators and pumps and filtration systems.
"Engineer Mohammed and the contractor, Fahmi, did a great job of restoring the plant," Army 1st Lt. Jesse Elmore, the team leader for Civil Affairs Team 32, said. "Contractor Fahmi actually went above and beyond the job, even building a cover for the generators to keep the rain off of the electric parts."
Now that the plant is working, the Iraqi government's plan is to concentrate on the distribution systems throughout the Madain, officials said.
(Army Pfc. Evan Loyd serves with the 1st Armored Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 16, 2008 - Local Iraqi leaders and U.S. soldiers celebrated the reopening of the Bawi water pump and filter facility Dec. 13 in Salman Pak, south of Baghdad. The facility can provide water to nearly all residents of Madain Qada in Baghdad province.
"Before the plant was reconstructed, the volume of the water produced could only reach half the residents of Salman Pak, and then only if power wasn't out," said Army Staff Sgt. Douglas King, the team sergeant for Civil Affairs Team 32, attached to the 1st Armored Division's 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. "Now there are four pumps and two large generators, which can provide water to most of the Madain and without worrying about whether the power is up or not."
An Iraqi contractor rebuilt the generators and pumps and filtration systems.
"Engineer Mohammed and the contractor, Fahmi, did a great job of restoring the plant," Army 1st Lt. Jesse Elmore, the team leader for Civil Affairs Team 32, said. "Contractor Fahmi actually went above and beyond the job, even building a cover for the generators to keep the rain off of the electric parts."
Now that the plant is working, the Iraqi government's plan is to concentrate on the distribution systems throughout the Madain, officials said.
(Army Pfc. Evan Loyd serves with the 1st Armored Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team.)
Monday, December 15, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- December 15, 2008
[Anthrax suspect Steven] Hatfill rejected by top U.S. court on New York Times libel suit
“The U.S. Supreme Court refused to revive a defamation lawsuit against New York Times Co. by Steven Hatfill, the former government scientist once wrongly suspected of involvement in the 2001 anthrax attack. The high court, without comment, today rejected Hatfill’s appeal in his suit against the company stemming from a series of columns in 2002 by Nicholas Kristof that described the scientist as the ‘likely culprit.’ Hatfill challenged a federal appeals court’s conclusion that he was a public figure on the subject of bioterrorism. That finding meant he had to show that the Times and Kristof acted with ‘actual malice,’ the toughest legal standard for a defamation plaintiff to meet. Hatfill said he became prominent only because of Kristof’s accusations.” (Bloomberg News; 15Dec08; Greg Stohr) http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aYLV_SWvUfnQ&refer=home
Anthrax kills 13 cows In Sweden
“A rare outbreak of anthrax has killed 13 cows in Sweden, but is unlikely to harm people, says the country's Institute for Infectious Disease Control. The farm near Varberg in western Sweden has been quarantined and the remaining animals treated with antibiotics, which is effective against anthrax, said Bengt Larsson, a spokesman for the Institute. […] The anthrax may have come from the soil, Larsson said, noting traces of the bacteria can remain active for up to 50 years.” (OfficialWire; 14Dec08)
http://www.officialwire.com/main.php?action=posted_news&rid=82526&catid=852
Japan begins trying to remove chemical weapons abandoned in China during WWII
“A Japanese commission began trying to remove abandoned chemical weapons Saturday in the Harbaling area of China's Jilin Province. The weapons had been buried there since World War II.The number of weapons and length of excavation was not made public. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said, commencement of the work marks real progress by Japan to destroy weapons which still pose threats to peoples' lives, property and the local environment. The Chinese authority will supervise the work and provide necessary assistance in the proceedings, according to the Ministry.” (Xinhuanet; 13Dec08; Du Guodong)
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/13/content_10498983.htm
Clothing that destroys chemical weapons
“The deployment of chemical weapons in an urban population center isn't simply a hypothetical threat; it has actually happened, most notably in Tokyo. Protection […] usually comes in the form of bulky suits. […] Chemically modified clothing could be a more effective form of protection, […] catalyzing chemical reactions at its surface. French scientists, led by Valérie Keller, sought to enhance textiles with carbon nanotubes to make clothes that can deactivate chemical warfare agents. Keller and his colleagues chose a system that utilizes solar energy to catalyze reactions. By using layer-by-layer deposition, they were able to create a homogenous and thin layer of nanotube material (titanate nanotubes impregnated with tungstate salt) atop mundane textile fibers." (Ars Technica; 15Dec08; Yun Xie) http://arstechnica.com/journals/science.ars/2008/12/15/clothing-that-destroys-warfare-chemicals
Washington is calling [Iran]
“Close advisers of Obama […] are all vigorously preparing the ground for a U.S.-Iran rapprochement. […] [T]he U.S. has a productive dialogue with Iran in the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. And the Baker-Hamilton report back in 2006 suggested initiating talks with Iran. What can Obama add to this? […] [I]t would be best to assume that Israel's distress will not change Obama's intentions, and that dialogue with Iran will be the new strategy. There is no cause for panic. Sanctions did not prevent war against Saddam Hussein, and the war against Iraq did not turn the Middle East into a calmer region. Dialogue could be a refreshing change.” (Haaretz; 15Dec08; Zvi Bar’el) http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1046219.html
[Rep. Edward J.] Markey [D-MA]: Nuclear Regulatory Commission reluctance to restrict dirty bomb material could be catastrophic
“Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today slammed a recommendation from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) dismissing efforts to ban or replace a potentially deadly radionuclide, cesium chloride. Though the National Academies of Sciences have labeled cesium chloride so dangerous that it should be phased-out completely, today’s NRC recommendation calls for a sole focus on improving the security of cesium chloride radiation sources. […] Cesium chloride is a highly radioactive isotope that appears in powdered or pellet form, making it highly portable and very dangerous.”
(Press Release, Rep. Markey’s Congressional Office; 12Dec08)
http://markey.house.gov/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=3496&Itemid=125
University of Rochester [NY] to Investigate ‘post-radiation pill’
“The University of Rochester is getting $10.4 million contract from the federal government to investigate medical countermeasures in the event of radiation exposure. The goal is to develop a pill that can be taken in the first 24 to 48 hours after a radiation event, in the event that there aren't enough medical personnel to handle a large amount of people. Researchers will test out eltrombopag, a drug in development that treats low blood platelet counts. Its maker, GlaxoSmithKline, is going to supply the drug to the university.” (WROC-TV; 15Dec08)
http://rochesterhomepage.net/content/fulltext/?cid=53031
'Nuclear terrorism' [in the Middle East] biggest challenge, says U.K.
“Preventing terrorists from exploiting the nuclear power industry is the biggest challenge facing the Middle East, a top British official said at a meeting in Bahrain. Defence Secretary John Hutton said effective international inspection and regulation of the developing sector would be crucial to maintain security and prevent almost certain disaster. ‘Energy insecurity is driving an expansion of civil nuclear power right across the world,’ he said […]. ‘But the expansion of civil nuclear power also increases the risk of sensitive technologies falling into the wrong hands or being applied for military purposes. […] Nuclear weapons proliferation is a first order security threat that must be dealt with now and not be brushed under the carpet.[…] What we do need is a proper international approach to the problem [of piracy] because it is first the responsibility of the regional nations and then the international community will do what it can with its resources to support that,’” (TradeArabia News Service;
14Dec08)
http://www.tradearabia.com/news/DEF_153653.html
'Terror' is the enemy [Op-Ed: Philip Bobbitt]
“Generals are not the only ones who prepare to fight the previous war. Our experience with 20th-century nation-based terrorists […] still dominates much of our thinking about how to deal with 21st-century global terrorists. Indeed, the lack of new concepts may well be as deadly to our national security as any lack of vaccines. […] We must use available international institutions - like the International Criminal Court, […]. […] [T]he commodification of weapons of mass destruction […] will place enormous demands on our leadership. […] [B]y selecting a former law professor as its new president, the country has thoroughly dismissed the notion that law is an obstacle rather than a guide to achieving security.” [Philip Bobbitt, a law professor at Columbia and a former senior director at the National Security Council] (International Herald Tribune; 15Dec08; Philip Bobbitt) http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/15/opinion/edbobbitt.php
Panama begins radiation detection efforts at two ports
“The U.S. and Panama announced today that radiation detection efforts have begun at two of the busiest seaports in Latin America. Officials from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) participated in a ceremony today in Panama. ‘We are working closely with the Panamanian National Customs Authority and with the private terminal operators in Panama to prevent nuclear terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,’ said NNSA Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation William Tobey. ‘The success of this project reflects a strong commitment and desire on behalf of the Government of Panama to secure its ports from illicit trafficking in nuclear and other radioactive materials.’” (National Nuclear Security Administration; 12Dec08) http://www.nnsa.energy.gov/news/2243.htm
Powder in Carson City [NV] causes anthrax scare
“A powdery substance was found in an envelope in the state mailroom Friday with a state official later saying the substance in Carson City was not believed to be dangerous. Initial field testing had showed positive results for anthrax, but a later laboratory test with more sophisticated equipment was negative for anthrax late Friday. Gov. Jim Gibbons'
spokesman Daniel Burns said Friday night that the substance was not considered dangerous […]. A conclusive FBI test was pending late Friday.”
(Reno Gazette-Journal; 13Dec08)
http://www.rgj.com/article/20081213/NEWS/812130340/1321/NEWS
CNS ChemBio-WMD terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
“The U.S. Supreme Court refused to revive a defamation lawsuit against New York Times Co. by Steven Hatfill, the former government scientist once wrongly suspected of involvement in the 2001 anthrax attack. The high court, without comment, today rejected Hatfill’s appeal in his suit against the company stemming from a series of columns in 2002 by Nicholas Kristof that described the scientist as the ‘likely culprit.’ Hatfill challenged a federal appeals court’s conclusion that he was a public figure on the subject of bioterrorism. That finding meant he had to show that the Times and Kristof acted with ‘actual malice,’ the toughest legal standard for a defamation plaintiff to meet. Hatfill said he became prominent only because of Kristof’s accusations.” (Bloomberg News; 15Dec08; Greg Stohr) http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aYLV_SWvUfnQ&refer=home
Anthrax kills 13 cows In Sweden
“A rare outbreak of anthrax has killed 13 cows in Sweden, but is unlikely to harm people, says the country's Institute for Infectious Disease Control. The farm near Varberg in western Sweden has been quarantined and the remaining animals treated with antibiotics, which is effective against anthrax, said Bengt Larsson, a spokesman for the Institute. […] The anthrax may have come from the soil, Larsson said, noting traces of the bacteria can remain active for up to 50 years.” (OfficialWire; 14Dec08)
http://www.officialwire.com/main.php?action=posted_news&rid=82526&catid=852
Japan begins trying to remove chemical weapons abandoned in China during WWII
“A Japanese commission began trying to remove abandoned chemical weapons Saturday in the Harbaling area of China's Jilin Province. The weapons had been buried there since World War II.The number of weapons and length of excavation was not made public. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said, commencement of the work marks real progress by Japan to destroy weapons which still pose threats to peoples' lives, property and the local environment. The Chinese authority will supervise the work and provide necessary assistance in the proceedings, according to the Ministry.” (Xinhuanet; 13Dec08; Du Guodong)
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/13/content_10498983.htm
Clothing that destroys chemical weapons
“The deployment of chemical weapons in an urban population center isn't simply a hypothetical threat; it has actually happened, most notably in Tokyo. Protection […] usually comes in the form of bulky suits. […] Chemically modified clothing could be a more effective form of protection, […] catalyzing chemical reactions at its surface. French scientists, led by Valérie Keller, sought to enhance textiles with carbon nanotubes to make clothes that can deactivate chemical warfare agents. Keller and his colleagues chose a system that utilizes solar energy to catalyze reactions. By using layer-by-layer deposition, they were able to create a homogenous and thin layer of nanotube material (titanate nanotubes impregnated with tungstate salt) atop mundane textile fibers." (Ars Technica; 15Dec08; Yun Xie) http://arstechnica.com/journals/science.ars/2008/12/15/clothing-that-destroys-warfare-chemicals
Washington is calling [Iran]
“Close advisers of Obama […] are all vigorously preparing the ground for a U.S.-Iran rapprochement. […] [T]he U.S. has a productive dialogue with Iran in the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. And the Baker-Hamilton report back in 2006 suggested initiating talks with Iran. What can Obama add to this? […] [I]t would be best to assume that Israel's distress will not change Obama's intentions, and that dialogue with Iran will be the new strategy. There is no cause for panic. Sanctions did not prevent war against Saddam Hussein, and the war against Iraq did not turn the Middle East into a calmer region. Dialogue could be a refreshing change.” (Haaretz; 15Dec08; Zvi Bar’el) http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1046219.html
[Rep. Edward J.] Markey [D-MA]: Nuclear Regulatory Commission reluctance to restrict dirty bomb material could be catastrophic
“Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today slammed a recommendation from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) dismissing efforts to ban or replace a potentially deadly radionuclide, cesium chloride. Though the National Academies of Sciences have labeled cesium chloride so dangerous that it should be phased-out completely, today’s NRC recommendation calls for a sole focus on improving the security of cesium chloride radiation sources. […] Cesium chloride is a highly radioactive isotope that appears in powdered or pellet form, making it highly portable and very dangerous.”
(Press Release, Rep. Markey’s Congressional Office; 12Dec08)
http://markey.house.gov/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=3496&Itemid=125
University of Rochester [NY] to Investigate ‘post-radiation pill’
“The University of Rochester is getting $10.4 million contract from the federal government to investigate medical countermeasures in the event of radiation exposure. The goal is to develop a pill that can be taken in the first 24 to 48 hours after a radiation event, in the event that there aren't enough medical personnel to handle a large amount of people. Researchers will test out eltrombopag, a drug in development that treats low blood platelet counts. Its maker, GlaxoSmithKline, is going to supply the drug to the university.” (WROC-TV; 15Dec08)
http://rochesterhomepage.net/content/fulltext/?cid=53031
'Nuclear terrorism' [in the Middle East] biggest challenge, says U.K.
“Preventing terrorists from exploiting the nuclear power industry is the biggest challenge facing the Middle East, a top British official said at a meeting in Bahrain. Defence Secretary John Hutton said effective international inspection and regulation of the developing sector would be crucial to maintain security and prevent almost certain disaster. ‘Energy insecurity is driving an expansion of civil nuclear power right across the world,’ he said […]. ‘But the expansion of civil nuclear power also increases the risk of sensitive technologies falling into the wrong hands or being applied for military purposes. […] Nuclear weapons proliferation is a first order security threat that must be dealt with now and not be brushed under the carpet.[…] What we do need is a proper international approach to the problem [of piracy] because it is first the responsibility of the regional nations and then the international community will do what it can with its resources to support that,’” (TradeArabia News Service;
14Dec08)
http://www.tradearabia.com/news/DEF_153653.html
'Terror' is the enemy [Op-Ed: Philip Bobbitt]
“Generals are not the only ones who prepare to fight the previous war. Our experience with 20th-century nation-based terrorists […] still dominates much of our thinking about how to deal with 21st-century global terrorists. Indeed, the lack of new concepts may well be as deadly to our national security as any lack of vaccines. […] We must use available international institutions - like the International Criminal Court, […]. […] [T]he commodification of weapons of mass destruction […] will place enormous demands on our leadership. […] [B]y selecting a former law professor as its new president, the country has thoroughly dismissed the notion that law is an obstacle rather than a guide to achieving security.” [Philip Bobbitt, a law professor at Columbia and a former senior director at the National Security Council] (International Herald Tribune; 15Dec08; Philip Bobbitt) http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/15/opinion/edbobbitt.php
Panama begins radiation detection efforts at two ports
“The U.S. and Panama announced today that radiation detection efforts have begun at two of the busiest seaports in Latin America. Officials from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) participated in a ceremony today in Panama. ‘We are working closely with the Panamanian National Customs Authority and with the private terminal operators in Panama to prevent nuclear terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,’ said NNSA Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation William Tobey. ‘The success of this project reflects a strong commitment and desire on behalf of the Government of Panama to secure its ports from illicit trafficking in nuclear and other radioactive materials.’” (National Nuclear Security Administration; 12Dec08) http://www.nnsa.energy.gov/news/2243.htm
Powder in Carson City [NV] causes anthrax scare
“A powdery substance was found in an envelope in the state mailroom Friday with a state official later saying the substance in Carson City was not believed to be dangerous. Initial field testing had showed positive results for anthrax, but a later laboratory test with more sophisticated equipment was negative for anthrax late Friday. Gov. Jim Gibbons'
spokesman Daniel Burns said Friday night that the substance was not considered dangerous […]. A conclusive FBI test was pending late Friday.”
(Reno Gazette-Journal; 13Dec08)
http://www.rgj.com/article/20081213/NEWS/812130340/1321/NEWS
CNS ChemBio-WMD terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
Coalition, Afghan Forces Give Gift of Medical Care
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 15, 2008 - Hundreds of people in Afghanistan's Zabul province received the gifts of medical care and humanitarian assistance earlier this month. Members of the Zabul Provincial Reconstruction Team, the Afghan National Army and coalition forces participated in a medical operation in a local village.
The care came at a crucial time for the villagers, officials said, as Afghan families struggle to provide food and warmth for their families during winter.
"The local population was very excited to see us, and grateful for our presence," Alex Lowe, a physician assistant, said.
Nearly 500 patients were seen, and of those, Lowe provided medical assistance to more than 100 women. "The majority seen were suffering from upper respiratory, dermatologic and gastrointestinal complaints," she said.
The team worked with a local doctor, who also saw and treated patients.
"It was important for the local population to see an Afghan doctor there as well," Lowe said. "This shows the public that we are here to help them improve their quality of life, not just to solve short-term problems."
Along with medical care, the team provided food and supplies to the villagers.
"We distributed beans, rice, sugar and supplies for the winter," Army Staff Sgt. Adam Bromley, Zabul PRT civil affairs team sergeant, said. "These rations will hopefully provide some relief from the cold winter and sustain their families, even if only for a short time.
"Today's mission was a total team effort," Bromley said. "The success today was a collaborative effort from the ANA, the local doctors, our coalition partners and the PRT."
(From a NATO International Security Assistance Force news release.)
Dec. 15, 2008 - Hundreds of people in Afghanistan's Zabul province received the gifts of medical care and humanitarian assistance earlier this month. Members of the Zabul Provincial Reconstruction Team, the Afghan National Army and coalition forces participated in a medical operation in a local village.
The care came at a crucial time for the villagers, officials said, as Afghan families struggle to provide food and warmth for their families during winter.
"The local population was very excited to see us, and grateful for our presence," Alex Lowe, a physician assistant, said.
Nearly 500 patients were seen, and of those, Lowe provided medical assistance to more than 100 women. "The majority seen were suffering from upper respiratory, dermatologic and gastrointestinal complaints," she said.
The team worked with a local doctor, who also saw and treated patients.
"It was important for the local population to see an Afghan doctor there as well," Lowe said. "This shows the public that we are here to help them improve their quality of life, not just to solve short-term problems."
Along with medical care, the team provided food and supplies to the villagers.
"We distributed beans, rice, sugar and supplies for the winter," Army Staff Sgt. Adam Bromley, Zabul PRT civil affairs team sergeant, said. "These rations will hopefully provide some relief from the cold winter and sustain their families, even if only for a short time.
"Today's mission was a total team effort," Bromley said. "The success today was a collaborative effort from the ANA, the local doctors, our coalition partners and the PRT."
(From a NATO International Security Assistance Force news release.)
Friday, December 12, 2008
New Rapid-Response Forces to Bolster Homeland Defense Mission
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2008 - Pentagon officials have established a new rapid-response joint task force and plan to create two more in coming years to bolster assistance to civil authorities following potential chemical, biological or nuclear attacks or natural disasters, a senior U.S. official said here yesterday. The new units will team with other federal agencies in support of local responders following chemical, biological or nuclear terror attacks on the homeland or during natural disasters, Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and Americas' security affairs, told American Forces Press Service and Pentagon Channel reporters.
The establishment of the new units "builds upon a decade of improving [Defense Department] capabilities to deal with a domestic terrorist attack involving a weapon of mass destruction," McHale said.
The first new 4,700-member task force was assigned to a component of U.S. Northern Command on Oct. 1, McHale said. The new unit, he said, is built around a core of active-duty soldiers from the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team based at Fort Stewart, Ga. This task force, he said, falls under the control of Northcom's Joint Force Land Component Command, U.S. Army North, in San Antonio.
Plans are to stand up the other two new joint task forces in 2010 and 2011, respectively, McHale said. These units, he said, mostly will comprise reserve component personnel from all the military services.
Each task force will be capable of performing tasks such as medical response, decontamination, technical rescue, patient evacuation, and communications and logistics support, to include air and land transportation assets for transport of supplies, people and equipment, according to U.S. Army North documents.
The task forces would be ordered into action by the president, McHale said, following requests for disaster-relief assistance from state governors.
The new units, he emphasized, do not conduct law enforcement missions. In the event of civil disturbances and some other types of national emergencies, he said, other designated U.S. military units could be ordered by the president to help civil authorities establish order as part of the Garden Plot domestic security plan.
The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States prompted U.S. officials to consider whether existing National Guard-staffed civil support teams could provide enough resources to support civil authorities during multiple catastrophic events, McHale said.
McHale said 9/11 also "was the genesis for the creation of U.S. Northern Command." Northcom, he said, is responsible for homeland defense of the continental U.S. and Alaska, while U.S. Pacific Command is responsible for Hawaii. Air Force Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr. commands Northcom as well as North American Aerospace Defense Command, which are co-located at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colo.
National Guard-staffed civil support teams were developed through a Pentagon initiative dating to the mid-1990s. Today, there are 53 civil support teams distributed across the United States, McHale said. These 22-member units, he said, are trained to test for chemical, biological or nuclear contamination in the event of a weapons-of-mass-destruction-attack on the United States.
Additionally, Marine Corps-operated emergency-response units that specialize in relief operations are available during chemical, biological and nuclear attacks, he said.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2008 - Pentagon officials have established a new rapid-response joint task force and plan to create two more in coming years to bolster assistance to civil authorities following potential chemical, biological or nuclear attacks or natural disasters, a senior U.S. official said here yesterday. The new units will team with other federal agencies in support of local responders following chemical, biological or nuclear terror attacks on the homeland or during natural disasters, Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and Americas' security affairs, told American Forces Press Service and Pentagon Channel reporters.
The establishment of the new units "builds upon a decade of improving [Defense Department] capabilities to deal with a domestic terrorist attack involving a weapon of mass destruction," McHale said.
The first new 4,700-member task force was assigned to a component of U.S. Northern Command on Oct. 1, McHale said. The new unit, he said, is built around a core of active-duty soldiers from the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team based at Fort Stewart, Ga. This task force, he said, falls under the control of Northcom's Joint Force Land Component Command, U.S. Army North, in San Antonio.
Plans are to stand up the other two new joint task forces in 2010 and 2011, respectively, McHale said. These units, he said, mostly will comprise reserve component personnel from all the military services.
Each task force will be capable of performing tasks such as medical response, decontamination, technical rescue, patient evacuation, and communications and logistics support, to include air and land transportation assets for transport of supplies, people and equipment, according to U.S. Army North documents.
The task forces would be ordered into action by the president, McHale said, following requests for disaster-relief assistance from state governors.
The new units, he emphasized, do not conduct law enforcement missions. In the event of civil disturbances and some other types of national emergencies, he said, other designated U.S. military units could be ordered by the president to help civil authorities establish order as part of the Garden Plot domestic security plan.
The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States prompted U.S. officials to consider whether existing National Guard-staffed civil support teams could provide enough resources to support civil authorities during multiple catastrophic events, McHale said.
McHale said 9/11 also "was the genesis for the creation of U.S. Northern Command." Northcom, he said, is responsible for homeland defense of the continental U.S. and Alaska, while U.S. Pacific Command is responsible for Hawaii. Air Force Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr. commands Northcom as well as North American Aerospace Defense Command, which are co-located at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colo.
National Guard-staffed civil support teams were developed through a Pentagon initiative dating to the mid-1990s. Today, there are 53 civil support teams distributed across the United States, McHale said. These 22-member units, he said, are trained to test for chemical, biological or nuclear contamination in the event of a weapons-of-mass-destruction-attack on the United States.
Additionally, Marine Corps-operated emergency-response units that specialize in relief operations are available during chemical, biological and nuclear attacks, he said.
Emergency Response Units Won't Perform Law Enforcement, Official Says
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2008 - The Pentagon's three new rapid-response task forces will assist civil authorities during possible terrorist attacks or natural disasters, but they won't perform law enforcement missions, a senior Defense Department official said here yesterday. Some people have surfaced concerns that active-duty soldiers, who make up the core of the first 4,700-member joint task force established in early October, could be used to perform police functions, which would be in violation of the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and Americas' security affairs, told American Forces Press Service and Pentagon Channel reporters.
The Posse Comitatus Act prohibits active-duty military members from conducting domestic law enforcement operations.
"None of that is true," McHale said of public assertions that active-duty troops assigned to the task force will perform police duties. Instead, he said, the rapid-response units are "task-organized to deal with the technical and very challenging requirements associated with a contaminated environment."
The task force cited in public discussion, McHale said, was established Oct. 1 and is built around a core of active-duty soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Stewart, Ga. This task force, he said, falls under the control of U.S. Northern Command's Joint Force Land Component Command, U.S. Army North, in San Antonio.
Each task force will be capable of performing tasks such as medical response, decontamination, technical rescue, patient evacuation, and communications and logistics support, including air and land transportation assets for transport of supplies, people and equipment, according to U.S. Army North documents.
Plans are to stand up two more new joint task forces in 2010 and 2011, respectively, McHale said. These units, he said, will comprise mostly reserve-component personnel, mainly National Guard troops.
The new task forces would be ordered into action by the president following requests for disaster-relief assistance from state governors, McHale said.
In the event of civil disturbances and some other types of emergencies, McHale said, active U.S. military units could be ordered by the president to assist civil authorities establish order as part of the Garden Plot domestic security plan.
"There are [active] military units that are prepared, under law, to ensure constitutional rights and the enforcement of federal law, under the Insurrection Act, to be deployed for a domestic security mission," McHale said.
The last time Garden Plot was activated, McHale said, was to restore order during the 1992 Los Angeles riots that followed the trial and acquittal of some local police officers who had been charged with the beating of Rodney King. Federal troops also were employed during the 1950s and 1960s, he said, to ensure the civil rights of African-American citizens.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2008 - The Pentagon's three new rapid-response task forces will assist civil authorities during possible terrorist attacks or natural disasters, but they won't perform law enforcement missions, a senior Defense Department official said here yesterday. Some people have surfaced concerns that active-duty soldiers, who make up the core of the first 4,700-member joint task force established in early October, could be used to perform police functions, which would be in violation of the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and Americas' security affairs, told American Forces Press Service and Pentagon Channel reporters.
The Posse Comitatus Act prohibits active-duty military members from conducting domestic law enforcement operations.
"None of that is true," McHale said of public assertions that active-duty troops assigned to the task force will perform police duties. Instead, he said, the rapid-response units are "task-organized to deal with the technical and very challenging requirements associated with a contaminated environment."
The task force cited in public discussion, McHale said, was established Oct. 1 and is built around a core of active-duty soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Stewart, Ga. This task force, he said, falls under the control of U.S. Northern Command's Joint Force Land Component Command, U.S. Army North, in San Antonio.
Each task force will be capable of performing tasks such as medical response, decontamination, technical rescue, patient evacuation, and communications and logistics support, including air and land transportation assets for transport of supplies, people and equipment, according to U.S. Army North documents.
Plans are to stand up two more new joint task forces in 2010 and 2011, respectively, McHale said. These units, he said, will comprise mostly reserve-component personnel, mainly National Guard troops.
The new task forces would be ordered into action by the president following requests for disaster-relief assistance from state governors, McHale said.
In the event of civil disturbances and some other types of emergencies, McHale said, active U.S. military units could be ordered by the president to assist civil authorities establish order as part of the Garden Plot domestic security plan.
"There are [active] military units that are prepared, under law, to ensure constitutional rights and the enforcement of federal law, under the Insurrection Act, to be deployed for a domestic security mission," McHale said.
The last time Garden Plot was activated, McHale said, was to restore order during the 1992 Los Angeles riots that followed the trial and acquittal of some local police officers who had been charged with the beating of Rodney King. Federal troops also were employed during the 1950s and 1960s, he said, to ensure the civil rights of African-American citizens.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Home From Iraq, Army Brigade Trains for Homeland Response Mission
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 11, 2008 - The first active-duty unit dedicated to supporting U.S. civilian authorities in the event of a nuclear, biological or chemical attack is wrapping up three days of intensive training its members hope they never have to apply in real life. Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team are here getting hands-on training in skills they would depend on to provide humanitarian support during a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive incident, known here as a CBRNE.
The "Rock of the Marne" division, which returned to Fort Stewart, Ga., in early spring from its third deployment to Iraq, was designated Oct. 1 as part of the CBRNE Consequence Management Force. The force includes various military assets assigned to U.S. Northern Command that could be called on to respond to a natural or manmade disaster.
The division will conduct the mission for a year, rotating its six divisions through escalating readiness levels, explained Army Col. Roger Cloutier, who commands the 1st Brigade "Raiders." After that, the mission will pass to other Army brigade combat teams.
If first responders found themselves short of manpower or equipment in a disaster, they could tap into the team through U.S. Northern Command and Joint Task Force Civil Support.
"I can't think of a more noble mission than saving American lives at home," Cloutier said, citing the "phenomenal responsibility" it entails. "Every single soldier and Marine here takes this very personally. You can see it on the faces of my soldiers."
About 200 of Cloutier's soldiers came here this week to learn the ropes in a realistic setting from the experts: the Marine Corps Chemical Biological Incident Response Force. The Marines stood up the unit in 1996 in response to a subway sarin gas attack in Tokyo. Today, it remains the only active-duty element that trains daily in CBRNE consequence management.
The training realism began before the soldiers ever reached the Indian Head facility. They received a no-notice alert at 4:30 a.m. Dec. 8 and deployed just over 24 hours later from Hunter Army Airfield with four aircraft, about 15 vehicles and other equipment and gear.
Exercises at The Marines' Raymond M. Downey Sr. Responder Training Facility gave the soldiers insight into the conditions and challenges they likely would face if called to help rescue victims and provide temporary life support during a disaster.
"This is as realistic as I imagine it can get," said Army Lt. Col. Joel Hamilton as two of his soldiers burst from a smoke-filled building carrying the mannequin they had searched through the dark to locate. "My soldiers are being stressed with some very realistic scenarios."
Hamilton, who commands the 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery, looked on as the soldiers navigated under and through "collapsed" structures and walls and felt their way through dark, smoke-filled buildings and confined spaces to search for survivors.
Working in buddy teams, they inched through spaces as tight as two feet by two feet, wearing blacked-out gas masks that offered zero visibility. They yelled directions to the man behind them, their voices rising over rap music the Marines had cranked up to further confuse the situation.
As the soldiers moved, each maintained at least three points of contact on the floors and walls at all times to keep from getting disoriented. "This is all by feel and communication," Hamilton said.
At another station, the soldiers practiced the techniques to lift seemingly unmovable 17,000-pound concrete beams to reach people trapped beneath. Meanwhile, other soldiers tried their hand at using the "jaws of life" and other equipment to free passengers "trapped" in their vehicles.
The Marines focused on safety throughout the training, emphasizing how quickly first responders can become victims themselves. "We don't want to be the rescuers who need rescuing," said Staff Sgt. Ray Johnstone, an M109 Palladin crew chief.
"It's all about teamwork," he said. "Teamwork is what gets the job done safely and effectively. And it's what we're doing here."
Cloutier credited teamwork the brigade built during 15 months in Iraq's Anbar province with giving its soldiers a leg up on their new mission. Junior leaders developed critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, and soldiers learned how to interact with other coalition forces as well as Iraqi military and local government leaders.
And just as they understood in Iraq that they were supporting Iraqi Army and police forces, they understand that if called to respond to a CBRNE incident, they'll support state and local authorities, Cloutier said.
"We understand our role, and the fact that we are not in charge," he said. "We are here to help and to find out, 'What do you need?'
The biggest strength his unit would bring to the mission, Cloutier said, is "4,000 soldiers with a can-do attitude who are here to help."
That can-do attitude was evident yesterday as "hoo-ahs" rang through the training area and soldiers exhibited ear-to-ear smiles as they moved between training stations.
"I'm loving every minute of this!" exclaimed Army Spc. David Johnson as he prepared to enter the "smokehouse" facility. "This is something like the coolest training I've had in three years in the Army. And it's all teamwork."
Army Spc. David Draper called helping remove the doors and roof of a beat-up 1991 Cutlass to free a "trapped" passenger "a really good time." But after growing up in the Midwest, and seeing the devastation from floods, tornadoes and ice storms, he said the significance of the CBRNE mission goes deeper.
"I'm pretty excited that we have the utilities to go out and help save people," he said. "This is more of the stuff I joined the Army for."
With 10 years in the Army, and a long string of deployments under his belt -- to Kosovo, Afghanistan and three to Iraq – Johnstone called the CBRNE mission a welcome opportunity to serve his own countrymen.
"We're ecstatic about it," he said of the mission. "This is something new and different. It's about actively saving lives," he said. "Hopefully we never have to get the call to do it. But if we get that call, we are ready."
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 11, 2008 - The first active-duty unit dedicated to supporting U.S. civilian authorities in the event of a nuclear, biological or chemical attack is wrapping up three days of intensive training its members hope they never have to apply in real life. Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team are here getting hands-on training in skills they would depend on to provide humanitarian support during a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive incident, known here as a CBRNE.
The "Rock of the Marne" division, which returned to Fort Stewart, Ga., in early spring from its third deployment to Iraq, was designated Oct. 1 as part of the CBRNE Consequence Management Force. The force includes various military assets assigned to U.S. Northern Command that could be called on to respond to a natural or manmade disaster.
The division will conduct the mission for a year, rotating its six divisions through escalating readiness levels, explained Army Col. Roger Cloutier, who commands the 1st Brigade "Raiders." After that, the mission will pass to other Army brigade combat teams.
If first responders found themselves short of manpower or equipment in a disaster, they could tap into the team through U.S. Northern Command and Joint Task Force Civil Support.
"I can't think of a more noble mission than saving American lives at home," Cloutier said, citing the "phenomenal responsibility" it entails. "Every single soldier and Marine here takes this very personally. You can see it on the faces of my soldiers."
About 200 of Cloutier's soldiers came here this week to learn the ropes in a realistic setting from the experts: the Marine Corps Chemical Biological Incident Response Force. The Marines stood up the unit in 1996 in response to a subway sarin gas attack in Tokyo. Today, it remains the only active-duty element that trains daily in CBRNE consequence management.
The training realism began before the soldiers ever reached the Indian Head facility. They received a no-notice alert at 4:30 a.m. Dec. 8 and deployed just over 24 hours later from Hunter Army Airfield with four aircraft, about 15 vehicles and other equipment and gear.
Exercises at The Marines' Raymond M. Downey Sr. Responder Training Facility gave the soldiers insight into the conditions and challenges they likely would face if called to help rescue victims and provide temporary life support during a disaster.
"This is as realistic as I imagine it can get," said Army Lt. Col. Joel Hamilton as two of his soldiers burst from a smoke-filled building carrying the mannequin they had searched through the dark to locate. "My soldiers are being stressed with some very realistic scenarios."
Hamilton, who commands the 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery, looked on as the soldiers navigated under and through "collapsed" structures and walls and felt their way through dark, smoke-filled buildings and confined spaces to search for survivors.
Working in buddy teams, they inched through spaces as tight as two feet by two feet, wearing blacked-out gas masks that offered zero visibility. They yelled directions to the man behind them, their voices rising over rap music the Marines had cranked up to further confuse the situation.
As the soldiers moved, each maintained at least three points of contact on the floors and walls at all times to keep from getting disoriented. "This is all by feel and communication," Hamilton said.
At another station, the soldiers practiced the techniques to lift seemingly unmovable 17,000-pound concrete beams to reach people trapped beneath. Meanwhile, other soldiers tried their hand at using the "jaws of life" and other equipment to free passengers "trapped" in their vehicles.
The Marines focused on safety throughout the training, emphasizing how quickly first responders can become victims themselves. "We don't want to be the rescuers who need rescuing," said Staff Sgt. Ray Johnstone, an M109 Palladin crew chief.
"It's all about teamwork," he said. "Teamwork is what gets the job done safely and effectively. And it's what we're doing here."
Cloutier credited teamwork the brigade built during 15 months in Iraq's Anbar province with giving its soldiers a leg up on their new mission. Junior leaders developed critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, and soldiers learned how to interact with other coalition forces as well as Iraqi military and local government leaders.
And just as they understood in Iraq that they were supporting Iraqi Army and police forces, they understand that if called to respond to a CBRNE incident, they'll support state and local authorities, Cloutier said.
"We understand our role, and the fact that we are not in charge," he said. "We are here to help and to find out, 'What do you need?'
The biggest strength his unit would bring to the mission, Cloutier said, is "4,000 soldiers with a can-do attitude who are here to help."
That can-do attitude was evident yesterday as "hoo-ahs" rang through the training area and soldiers exhibited ear-to-ear smiles as they moved between training stations.
"I'm loving every minute of this!" exclaimed Army Spc. David Johnson as he prepared to enter the "smokehouse" facility. "This is something like the coolest training I've had in three years in the Army. And it's all teamwork."
Army Spc. David Draper called helping remove the doors and roof of a beat-up 1991 Cutlass to free a "trapped" passenger "a really good time." But after growing up in the Midwest, and seeing the devastation from floods, tornadoes and ice storms, he said the significance of the CBRNE mission goes deeper.
"I'm pretty excited that we have the utilities to go out and help save people," he said. "This is more of the stuff I joined the Army for."
With 10 years in the Army, and a long string of deployments under his belt -- to Kosovo, Afghanistan and three to Iraq – Johnstone called the CBRNE mission a welcome opportunity to serve his own countrymen.
"We're ecstatic about it," he said of the mission. "This is something new and different. It's about actively saving lives," he said. "Hopefully we never have to get the call to do it. But if we get that call, we are ready."
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Public Safety Technology in the News
Editor's Note: Many of the technologies are used by domestic law enforcement in their counter-terrorism and/or homeland security role.
Experimental Shoe-Print Database Sees the Soles of Criminals
Wired, (11/20/2008), Ryan Singel
A computer science professor at the University of Buffalo is conducting research to enhance computational forensics for shoeprints. Sargur Srihari is building a search engine containing thousands of shoe images from Internet shoe sites. When complete, the system would allow law enforcement forensics units to submit a photo of a shoe print from a crime scene to quickly obtain the gender, size and brand of shoe. The professor and his graduate students initially developed a shoe tread database containing more than 10,000 pairs of men's shoes. Students then stepped in powder to create images of the soles. Srihari is working on algorithms to identify likely matches for the images for partial foot prints. The work is being done with a $300,000 grant from the Office of Justice Programs' National Institute of Justice.
blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/11/professor-sees.html
Prisons Beefing Up Teleconferencing to Save Money
Associated Press via Hartford Courant, (11/23/2008)
Connecticut is the latest state to increase use of courtroom teleconferencing to improve public safety and save money. Connecticut finished installing teleconferencing equipment in all of its 18 correctional facilities in October. During that month about 150 inmates used the system to participate in hearings on parole, civil and family and immigration and customs matters. Corrections officials say using teleconferencing spares them from having to move inmates between the jail and hearings. Other states that are using teleconferences between judges and inmates include Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Caroline, South Dakota and Tennessee.
www.courant.com/news/local/statewire/hc-ap-ct-teleconferencinginov23,0,4504091.story
RISC: Repository for Individuals of Special Concern Rapid Search Functionality
FBI, (11/2008)
The FBI's Next Generation Identification (NGI) Repository for Individuals of Special Concern (RISC) rapid search functionality system will provide officers with important identifying fingerprint information. When this new system becomes functional, during a vehicle stop an officer could take a minimum of two or a maximum of 10 fingerprint images from an individual using a mobile device and submit it through a participating state's identification bureau to FBI RISC. RISC in turn performs a limited repository search of persons of special interest, such as wanted persons, known or suspected terrorists or sexual offender registry subjects. The goal of NGI is to process this submission within seconds, and the expectation is to respond with a red, yellow or green flag. A red response means a viable candidate has been identified and the response includes category of hit, FBI number and master name. A yellow response means the level of confidence that a candidate is viable is bel! ow the level required for a positive match, and green means the search did not identify a viable candidate. RISC will provide law enforcement with rapid/mobile identification services that quickly assess the potential threat level of an encountered individual. The FBI is currently prototyping this capability. Deployment of RISC will be dependent on capabilities of individual state and local agencies. For more information visit the FBI Web site at www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/ngi.htm or call (304) 625-5590.
Texas Prison Officials Plan Cell Phone Jamming Test
American Statesman, (11/26/08), Mike Ward
Texas wants to be the next state to test cell phone jamming technology in prisons. Prison inmates can use cell phones to commit criminal activities while incarcerated. Jamming prevents cell tower transmissions from reaching the phone. South Carolina recently tested jamming technology in one of its prisons and wants to conduct a pilot program to test the technology further. Federal law, however, allows federal agencies to obtain authority to jam cell signals, but states and localities are prohibited from doing so by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Local authorities are working with members of Congress and the FCC to determine if it is possible to revise the law.
www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/11/26/1126cellphones.html
High-Tech Radio Microwaves to Connect law enforcement in State
Sidney Herald, (11/18/2008), Louisa Barber
Public safety agencies in Montana have new tools to communicate easily across the state. As part of the Interoperability Montana Project, which has been underway for several years, authorities recently began using high-tech radio microwave technology to communicate securely using encrypted two-way radios. The state is also working on developing an interoperable mobile data system in cooperation with the state highway patrol and department of transportation.
www.sidneyherald.com/articles/2008/11/19/news/doc4923797542b02192281513.txt
TSA Tests Boarding Pass technology
Security Directory News, (11/25/2008), Leischen Stelter
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has completed a test of an automated system that encrypts personal passenger information on a boarding pass. The Laser Data Command's PassPro system uses images, fingerprints and documentation such as a driver's license or passport to confirm passenger identity. The information is encrypted and compressed into a barcode and printed onto the boarding pass, which can be scanned by airport security. The system is designed to improve security and speed passengers through the process. The system was tested at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport using law enforcement officers as a test group. Outcome of the testing is confidential.
www.securitydirectornews.com/article/sd200811kwrHDZ/TSA%20tests%20boarding%20pass%20technology
North Carolina law enforcement Finds Success in Tracking Crime Suspects
PR Newswire, (12/02/2008)
North Carolina has joined 11 other states that use a multijurisdictional computerized system that allows law enforcement agencies to search for criminals nationwide with a touch of a keyboard. Justice Xchange users have access to booking records, warrants and other information from law enforcement agencies in other states. The system can also be used to locate missing persons and witnesses. Other states currently using the system are Texas, New York, Florida, Washington, Kentucky, Utah, Arkansas, Indiana, South Dakota, Maryland and Arizona.
www.ibtimes.com/prnews/20081202/nc-appriss-crimetrack.htm
Police Setting Up Database on Gangs
Boston Globe, (11/30/2008), Jay Atkinson
Massachusetts law enforcement agencies will soon have access to a collaborative database containing information on violent street criminals, especially street gangs. The MassGangs database project was developed with a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice and will have information on a suspect's associates, criminal history and gang affiliation. Data can be shared immediately as it becomes available. Officers will fill out a form that assigns a point value to a suspect's gang-related criteria. Point values are assigned for categories such as "self admission" and "known group tattoo/marking." A score of 10 or more points will register a suspect as a member of a gang. Officials plan to launch the MassGangs database in January 2009.
www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/11/30/police_setting_up_database_on_gangs/
Johns Hopkins Tests Gunshot Detection System, Police Respond
Security Director News, (11/25/2008), Leischen Stelter
Johns Hopkins University is participating in a gunshot location pilot program. The SECURES Detection System has been installed using 93 sensors mounted on streetlights and buildings surrounding the university's 140-acre campus in Baltimore, Md. If the sensors detect a gunshot, a signal displaying the location is transmitted to the university's communications center, which notifies Baltimore Police to respond. The city of Baltimore will be evaluating the technology during the pilot to decide if it should be used in other parts of town.
www.securitydirectornews.com/article/sd200811pXovn0/Johns%20Hopkins%20tests%20gunshot%20detection%20system,%20police%20respond
Schools to Use Spray for Drug Detection
WSMV Nashville, (11/25/2008), Jonathan Martin
Metropolitan Nashville public schools have decided to use D4D spray to detect illegal drugs. The equipment for the test will be free through a partnership with the Office of Justice Programs' National Institute of Justice. The test can detect more than 10 different drugs based on a color chart. School officials plan to use the spray to test students' desks, cars, book bags and pockets. In the past the schools have used a dog to search for drugs. Officials decided to begin using the spray because of the number of students being busted with marijuana and cocaine.
www.wsmv.com/education/18145960/detail.html
Experimental Shoe-Print Database Sees the Soles of Criminals
Wired, (11/20/2008), Ryan Singel
A computer science professor at the University of Buffalo is conducting research to enhance computational forensics for shoeprints. Sargur Srihari is building a search engine containing thousands of shoe images from Internet shoe sites. When complete, the system would allow law enforcement forensics units to submit a photo of a shoe print from a crime scene to quickly obtain the gender, size and brand of shoe. The professor and his graduate students initially developed a shoe tread database containing more than 10,000 pairs of men's shoes. Students then stepped in powder to create images of the soles. Srihari is working on algorithms to identify likely matches for the images for partial foot prints. The work is being done with a $300,000 grant from the Office of Justice Programs' National Institute of Justice.
blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/11/professor-sees.html
Prisons Beefing Up Teleconferencing to Save Money
Associated Press via Hartford Courant, (11/23/2008)
Connecticut is the latest state to increase use of courtroom teleconferencing to improve public safety and save money. Connecticut finished installing teleconferencing equipment in all of its 18 correctional facilities in October. During that month about 150 inmates used the system to participate in hearings on parole, civil and family and immigration and customs matters. Corrections officials say using teleconferencing spares them from having to move inmates between the jail and hearings. Other states that are using teleconferences between judges and inmates include Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Caroline, South Dakota and Tennessee.
www.courant.com/news/local/statewire/hc-ap-ct-teleconferencinginov23,0,4504091.story
RISC: Repository for Individuals of Special Concern Rapid Search Functionality
FBI, (11/2008)
The FBI's Next Generation Identification (NGI) Repository for Individuals of Special Concern (RISC) rapid search functionality system will provide officers with important identifying fingerprint information. When this new system becomes functional, during a vehicle stop an officer could take a minimum of two or a maximum of 10 fingerprint images from an individual using a mobile device and submit it through a participating state's identification bureau to FBI RISC. RISC in turn performs a limited repository search of persons of special interest, such as wanted persons, known or suspected terrorists or sexual offender registry subjects. The goal of NGI is to process this submission within seconds, and the expectation is to respond with a red, yellow or green flag. A red response means a viable candidate has been identified and the response includes category of hit, FBI number and master name. A yellow response means the level of confidence that a candidate is viable is bel! ow the level required for a positive match, and green means the search did not identify a viable candidate. RISC will provide law enforcement with rapid/mobile identification services that quickly assess the potential threat level of an encountered individual. The FBI is currently prototyping this capability. Deployment of RISC will be dependent on capabilities of individual state and local agencies. For more information visit the FBI Web site at www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/ngi.htm or call (304) 625-5590.
Texas Prison Officials Plan Cell Phone Jamming Test
American Statesman, (11/26/08), Mike Ward
Texas wants to be the next state to test cell phone jamming technology in prisons. Prison inmates can use cell phones to commit criminal activities while incarcerated. Jamming prevents cell tower transmissions from reaching the phone. South Carolina recently tested jamming technology in one of its prisons and wants to conduct a pilot program to test the technology further. Federal law, however, allows federal agencies to obtain authority to jam cell signals, but states and localities are prohibited from doing so by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Local authorities are working with members of Congress and the FCC to determine if it is possible to revise the law.
www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/11/26/1126cellphones.html
High-Tech Radio Microwaves to Connect law enforcement in State
Sidney Herald, (11/18/2008), Louisa Barber
Public safety agencies in Montana have new tools to communicate easily across the state. As part of the Interoperability Montana Project, which has been underway for several years, authorities recently began using high-tech radio microwave technology to communicate securely using encrypted two-way radios. The state is also working on developing an interoperable mobile data system in cooperation with the state highway patrol and department of transportation.
www.sidneyherald.com/articles/2008/11/19/news/doc4923797542b02192281513.txt
TSA Tests Boarding Pass technology
Security Directory News, (11/25/2008), Leischen Stelter
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has completed a test of an automated system that encrypts personal passenger information on a boarding pass. The Laser Data Command's PassPro system uses images, fingerprints and documentation such as a driver's license or passport to confirm passenger identity. The information is encrypted and compressed into a barcode and printed onto the boarding pass, which can be scanned by airport security. The system is designed to improve security and speed passengers through the process. The system was tested at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport using law enforcement officers as a test group. Outcome of the testing is confidential.
www.securitydirectornews.com/article/sd200811kwrHDZ/TSA%20tests%20boarding%20pass%20technology
North Carolina law enforcement Finds Success in Tracking Crime Suspects
PR Newswire, (12/02/2008)
North Carolina has joined 11 other states that use a multijurisdictional computerized system that allows law enforcement agencies to search for criminals nationwide with a touch of a keyboard. Justice Xchange users have access to booking records, warrants and other information from law enforcement agencies in other states. The system can also be used to locate missing persons and witnesses. Other states currently using the system are Texas, New York, Florida, Washington, Kentucky, Utah, Arkansas, Indiana, South Dakota, Maryland and Arizona.
www.ibtimes.com/prnews/20081202/nc-appriss-crimetrack.htm
Police Setting Up Database on Gangs
Boston Globe, (11/30/2008), Jay Atkinson
Massachusetts law enforcement agencies will soon have access to a collaborative database containing information on violent street criminals, especially street gangs. The MassGangs database project was developed with a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice and will have information on a suspect's associates, criminal history and gang affiliation. Data can be shared immediately as it becomes available. Officers will fill out a form that assigns a point value to a suspect's gang-related criteria. Point values are assigned for categories such as "self admission" and "known group tattoo/marking." A score of 10 or more points will register a suspect as a member of a gang. Officials plan to launch the MassGangs database in January 2009.
www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/11/30/police_setting_up_database_on_gangs/
Johns Hopkins Tests Gunshot Detection System, Police Respond
Security Director News, (11/25/2008), Leischen Stelter
Johns Hopkins University is participating in a gunshot location pilot program. The SECURES Detection System has been installed using 93 sensors mounted on streetlights and buildings surrounding the university's 140-acre campus in Baltimore, Md. If the sensors detect a gunshot, a signal displaying the location is transmitted to the university's communications center, which notifies Baltimore Police to respond. The city of Baltimore will be evaluating the technology during the pilot to decide if it should be used in other parts of town.
www.securitydirectornews.com/article/sd200811pXovn0/Johns%20Hopkins%20tests%20gunshot%20detection%20system,%20police%20respond
Schools to Use Spray for Drug Detection
WSMV Nashville, (11/25/2008), Jonathan Martin
Metropolitan Nashville public schools have decided to use D4D spray to detect illegal drugs. The equipment for the test will be free through a partnership with the Office of Justice Programs' National Institute of Justice. The test can detect more than 10 different drugs based on a color chart. School officials plan to use the spray to test students' desks, cars, book bags and pockets. In the past the schools have used a dog to search for drugs. Officials decided to begin using the spray because of the number of students being busted with marijuana and cocaine.
www.wsmv.com/education/18145960/detail.html
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