Didn't Make The Front Page News

ORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (AFNS) - The Air Force’s longest serving airman, who retired this past January after nearly 47 years of service, is also the longest serving African-American service member within the Department of Defense. Maj. Gen. Alfred K. Flowers recently retired from the Pentagon where he served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Budget for Headquarters, U.S. Air Force.
Originally from rural Jones County, North Carolina, Flowers enlisted in the Air Force shortly after graduation from high school in 1965. He began his career as a supply warehouseman at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., and after two years, transferred to the air transportation career field and was sent to Da Nang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam. It was there he had the unenviable task of collecting casualties, taking both wounded and deceased soldiers out of the jungles during the middle of the night.
After his tour to Vietnam, Flowers was reassigned briefly to Norton Air Force Base where he met his future wife. Shortly after they were married, his wife, who was also in the Air Force, was reassigned to Clark Air Base in the Philippines. He followed several months later.
When Flowers returned to the U.S., he continued to work towards his degree, as well as retrain into the accounting field with stints in San Antonio, Texas; Charleston, S.C. and Iraklion, Greece.
Flowers finished his bachelor’s degree in 1975 and a year later earned a master’s degree. While at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., he was selected from promotion to master sergeant, when he was approved to attend officer training school.
In 1978, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the financial management career field and spent his first assignment as an officer at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. Over the next three years he would go from deputy finance and accounting officer to accounting and finance officer to the base’s budget officer.
He would begin his first stint in the Pentagon in 1985 as a budget staff officer and would go on to take the role of executive officer. After graduating from the Armed Forces Staff College, he would then go down the road to Langley, Va., in 1990 as the chief of the Air Combat Command’s budget operations division.
From there he would continue his education, attending the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, where he would earn a master’s degree in 1994. He would then head back to the Pentagon, this time with the Joint Chiefs of Staff as a budget officer. In 1996 he would head back to Langley this time as the ACC budget chief and promotion to colonel.
The halls of the Pentagon welcomed Flowers back in 1999, this time as director of budget programs in the office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller. After a three-year stint, Flowers headed to San Antonio, Texas, to be the comptroller for the Air Education and Training Command. It would be during his next assignment, with the headquarters of the U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., where he would pin on his first star.
In 2007, Flowers took command of the Air Force Officer Accession and Training Schools at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., and pinned on his second star in 2008 before moving to Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi as the commander of the 2nd Air Force.
In a special farewell commentary following Flowers’ retirement, Brig. Gen. Joseph Ward Jr., commandant of the Joint Forces Staff College, and long time friend, said of Flowers: “I fear that he will solely be remembered for having been the longest serving airman but those of us who served with him must keep the spirit alive…must continue to tell his story as he passes the torch. His simple and straight forward blueprint for success is something we can all learn from…a strong work ethic coupled with an earnest desire for self improvement and a genuine concern for others while maintaining a positive attitude…”

 

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON (Feb. 24, 2012) -- A combat medic who treated a Soldier in Afghanistan found herself in a role reversal after she was injured a week later and brought to San Antonio Military Medical Center where the Soldier she treated is also recovering.

A recent graduate of the University of Oklahoma with an Aerospace Engineer degree and an infantryman with the National Guard for eight years, Staff Sgt. Brian Wayland deployed to Afghanistan on April 2011 with his unit Company C, 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry, Oklahoma Army National Guard.

"I was definitely excited and nervous when I got the call to deploy. I talked it over with my wife and told her I didn't have to go but I also told her how I could not live with myself if any of my Soldiers were injured or killed and I wasn't there. So together we decided I would go," said Wayland.

On Dec. 9, 2011, Wayland was on his routine mounted patrol in Afghanistan when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device, or IED, that threw him away from the vehicle.

"It happened so fast, one minute I was backing up the mine roller vehicle from a clearing route and then the next minute I was in a ditch about 30 to 60 feet away from the vehicle," said Wayland.

He managed to move his injured body about 100 meters to the patrol base where Spc. Ashley Jones started immediate medical aid until he was air-lifted to Forward Operating Base Fenty in Afghanistan.

"As I was lying there on the back of the vehicle -- what kept me motivated to keep going was the thrill of waiting for the 'bird' to pick me up. I kept looking up, just watching, anticipating,"chuckled Wayland.

Wayland was transferred to SAMMC nine days after he was injured and was diagnosed with Traumatic Brain Injury and multiple facial and body injuries due to fragments from the IED.

"Everyday I'm getting better. I do wish my brain worked the same way as it did before, but this is not an obstacle that I can't overcome. There have been a lot of life lessons that were learned but if all I gave for this country is my concentration, memory problems, hearing and scars, I'm doing pretty good," said Wayland.

Jones, a 20 year-old combat medic, joined the National Guard at age 17, was assigned to Company C, 700 Brigade Support Battalion, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team when she deployed and often traveled on convoys to provide medical support for the Soldiers in combat.

"I don't want to have to do my job, but I will when I need to," said Jones. She further went on to explain that combat medics do their most demanding work when others are at their worst.

Coincidentally, one week after Wayland was injured, Jones' vehicle was struck by an IED, injuring her right foot. She soon realized her right foot was crushed from the blast so she immediately started self aid by applying a tourniquet to her right leg until a combat medic came to rescue.

"I was in and out of consciousness so I can't remember how bad I was hurt," said Jones.

She was medically evacuated to FOB Fenty in Afghanistan where they removed her right leg below the knee, transferred her to Germany and then to SAMMC on Dec. 24.

"Just a week ago, I had to MEDEVAC someone and now here I am," she said, reflecting on being on the other end of the patient-medic relationship.

She was the first amputee in her unit.

"I didn't know she was here [SAMMC] until I came back from my four day pass," said Wayland. "My injuries might have been worse if Specialist Jones was not there to provide first aid."

"Her calming demeanor helped me believe I was going to be okay," he added. "That is the big battle when someone gets injured. If you think you are not going to make it, there is a possibility your body might start shutting down. The mind is a powerful thing."

He and his wife visited Jones daily in the hospital until she was released Jan. 18 and plan to remain close friends, especially during their rehabilitation at SAMMC and at the Center for the Intrepid.

"After she got out, I made sure her and her family were taken care of with rides to different places and provided them with any information they need," he said. "On Valentine's Day, my commander and I took Ashley and her mom, JoDe, to dinner to try to make the day special for them. That's the least I can do."

After Jones returns home, she plans to stay in the Oklahoma Army National Guard and return back to school.

"After my rehabilitation, I wanted to transfer to Oklahoma State University to receive my degree in Nursing but after visiting and rehabbing at the CFI, I'm thinking about changing my degree to become a physical therapist," Jones said. "I don't regret my decision in joining the National Guard, its unfortunate what happened to me but I'll get through it."

Wayland would like to find a job in engineering to help other wounded warriors with their injuries.

"I hope to get a job in aerospace engineering and use engineering to better the world. I plan on doing research to help amputees to return to a more normal life through technology. They have given so much, so we as a country should strive to give them the very best," said Wayland.

Wayland and Jones both received Purple Heart medals and certificates for their bravery and courage and Jones received her Combat Medic Badge for treating a fellow Soldier while being actively engaged by the enemy.

Injured medic rejoins Soldier she treated | Article | The United States Army

 

I'm sure this made the Front Page somewhere. Anyone near Dayton Ohio keep your camera's ready and eyes to the sky this April !

Doolittle Tokyo Raiders banquet and luncheons sold-out

Posted 2/17/2012 Updated 2/27/2012


by Rob Bardua
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

2/17/2012 - DAYTON, Ohio -- Tickets for the April 19 luncheon and banquet and April 20 luncheon with the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders during their upcoming reunion have been sold-out.

Those who mailed in order forms that were not able to be processed will be notified by phone and their payment will be returned.

These special activities are part of the events planned as the Raiders commemorate the 70th anniversary of their raid on Japan during a reunion April 17-20 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

Reunion activities will give the public the opportunity to celebrate these World War II aviation heroes. On April 18, 1942, these 80 men achieved the unimaginable when they took off from an aircraft carrier on a top secret mission. Led by Lt. Col. James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle, these men came to be known as the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders.

Other public events during the reunion include two autograph sessions, a memorial service and B-25 flyover. In addition, the film "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" will be shown in the museum's Carney Auditorium on April 18. The full reunion schedule, including event times, is available at National Museum of the USAF - 2012 Doolittle Raiders Reunion.

At this time, all five of the living Doolittle Tokyo Raiders -- Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole; Lt. Col. Robert L. Hite; Lt. Col. Edward J. Saylor; Maj. Thomas C. Griffin and Master Sgt. David J. Thatcher -- are able to travel and plan to be on-hand for the reunion events. Others scheduled to attend the reunion include retired Navy Chief Petty Officer Allen Josey, who was an electrician on the aircraft carrier Hornet when the Raiders took off on their mission, and Hu Daxian of Zhejiang, China. Daxian is the wife of Li Senlin, who aided Doolittle Tokyo Raider crew number two.

As a special tribute to the Raiders during the reunion, the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Association, Inc. is working to secure enough sponsorship funding to fly in and land 25 B-25 Mitchell bombers on the runway behind the museum. If their efforts are successful, this aviation event would be the largest gathering of B-25s since World War II.
Those interested in helping to make this flight of B-25 bombers possible should visit www.doolittle-raiders.org, or contact Tom Casey with the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Association, Inc. at (941) 921-7361 or tomcat911@comcast.net or Larry Kelley at (410) 991-2356 or b25driver@aol.com. (Federal endorsement is not implied.)

The National Museum of the United States Air Force is located on Springfield Street, six miles northeast of downtown Dayton. It is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day). Admission and parking are free.

NOTE TO PUBLIC: For more information, contact the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at (937) 904-9881.

Doolittle Tokyo Raiders banquet and luncheons sold-out

 

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait (March 5, 2012) -- Morale, Welfare, and Recreation center workers organized a 12.5 mile Bataan Memorial Death March here March 1.

The MWR staff spent weeks planning the event, which honored American and Filipino prisoners of war who were forced to march 80 miles while being tortured, abused or killed.

"The march took me about a month to put together," said Sandra Yount, fitness center lead.

Before the participants tested their physical and mental endurance with the death march, organizers ensured the length of the course, said Yount.

"We measured the route by walking and driving," explained Yount. "We made sure we had the correct measurement, the correct miles, for the whole thing."

Since the march led participants across several busy roads, military police and road guards were needed to control traffic. In addition, several other organizations helped facilitate the memorial.

"We had participation from the provost marshal office, emergency medical services and the fire department," Yount said. "We also had a total of five medics on the route riding bikes, making sure everybody was safe on the road."

With plenty of medical personnel available, many Soldiers gave it their all to finish as fast as possible.

"I started running and I didn't stop," said Maj. Max Self, liaison officer, program executive office, intelligence electronic warfare and sensors. "I do a lot of distance running anyway, so I just rested up for it."

Self was the first participant to cross the finish line, with a time of two hours, nine minutes and 49 seconds. The additional weight of his ruck-sack didn't hinder him too much, Self said.

"I'm a pretty big guy, so percentage wise, adding 35 pounds wasn't a big difference," said Self.

Thanks to the coordination efforts by the personnel at MWR, participants spoke highly of the trail.

"It was a good course," Self said. "The course was a good mix of dirt and pavement. I had a good time. I appreciate everyone putting it together."

As the main organizer, Yount enjoyed learning about the history of the Bataan Death March and was happy with everyone who showed up, she said.

"This has been amazing for me. It's been a learning experience," Yount said. "I'm proud of everyone who participated to remember all the people who died and all the suffering they went through."

Camp Arifjan honors Bataan Death March heroes | Article | The United States Army

 

VICENZA, Italy (March 2, 2012) -- A Soldier stationed at Vicenza, Italy, received the Soldier's Medal today for his actions on May 31, 2011, when he took an armed bank robber down after a heist in Sarasota, Fla.

21st Theater Sustainment Command Commanding General Brig. Gen. Aundre Piggee presented the peacetime award for heroism to Staff Sgt. Eddie Peoples in front of members of his unit and community at the Caserma Ederle Post Theater.

A movement control specialist with the 386th Movement Control Battalion, 21st Theater Sustainment Command-Italy, since April 2010, Peoples used his vehicle to block the getaway of the bank robber's car, got out and disarmed him, pinning him to the ground until law enforcement arrived on the scene.

The 11-year veteran is a native of Bradenton, Fla., and was in the States on leave assisting his ailing father in May last year when he made an afternoon stop at a local bank, accompanied by two of his young sons. He was waiting in the lobby when a gunman entered and announced a robbery. The bank, occupied by about 40 bank employees and customers, fell silent. Silent except for the sound of two small boys giggling.

Peoples watched as the robber brandished his weapon, noticing the sound of children, pointing it at him, bank employees and customers repeatedly.

"He was terrorizing the bank and I knew I had to do something," Peoples said. "He was just a domestic terrorist, spreading terror inside that bank with threat to life and limb. If I was in Iraq, I would take action. This was no different."

The father of four positioned himself between the gunman and his two children and quickly made a place of concealment for his boys with lobby furniture.

As soon as the robber exited the building with an undetermined amount of cash, the veteran of four deployments to Iraq and Kuwait determined to follow him.

Telling the story to those assembled at the ceremony, General Piggee said, "We all wonder how we would react if placed in that situation. Here's what our hero had to say, 'He waved the gun at one of my children, so when he walked out of the bank, I followed him.' Most of us would have stayed in the bank, but not our hero. Sergeant Peoples dashed out."

"I asked him earlier. You know he has a gun, you're safe now, your children are safe, and the other bank customers are safe--What causes you to follow him? He said, 'You know, as a father, I train my kids, and I've told them that when I go to combat, I go and I fight the bad men. My sons are old enough to know that this was a bad man. And I've taught them that we should do the right thing. I would be letting my sons down if I didn't take some action,'" General Piggee related.

Exiting the bank, Peoples quickly entered his rental van, maneuvering it to block the robber's attempted getaway in a sedan. Blocked in, the thief rammed the van multiple times, then jumped out and confronted Peoples as he got out of his van, brandishing his weapon and pointed it at his face.

"Sergeant Peoples, a combat veteran, remained undeterred," General Piggee said, describing the 34 year old's action to stop the larger 6'2", 260 lbs. bank robber. "Sergeant Peoples grabbed the gun and took this guy down to the ground."

Peoples explained the day of the incident in an interview with a local television station reporter that, "I've been through five deployments. I've fought the Muqtada al Sadr militia, so weapons getting pointed at me, it doesn't really bother me anymore. I took the weapon away from him and put him on the ground. The rest is history."

He credits standard Army Combatives training for giving him the skill to quickly disarm the robber.

Peoples stood over the suspect on a large pile of stolen cash until local authorities arrived on the scene. Deputies arrested the man for armed robbery and Peoples went back inside the bank to retrieve his middle sons, Ikaika, 7, and Kioni, 5.

Peoples said in the news interview, "When I walked back in the bank, my oldest boy said 'Did you get the bad men?' and I said 'Yep, I got the bad men,' and everyone applauded."

The Sarasota Police Department presented a commendation medal to Peoples later that day for his selfless actions in the face of danger.

Speaking to his fellow Soldiers, Peoples said, "Although I would never recommend stepping into such a dangerous situation, I hope that my actions would give future criminals a brief pause to consider that the men and women to their left or right just might be past or present members of the U.S. armed forces. As members of the armed forces it is our duty and our oath to protect this great nation from all enemies, both foreign and domestic."

Piggee concluded, "He is an example for the United States Army. This is what this medal is about - true personal courage in the face of danger or adversity. It is living the warrior ethos, in or out of uniform."

Soldier's Medal awarded to Vicenza NCO | Article | The United States Army

 

She has seen better days. In her prime, she had a charm and brilliance that made her the envy of all the other women and the apple of every Soldier’s eye. Her curves were eye-catching and she moved with perfect grace. A true Southern gal, she was not only beautiful, but also strong, deliberate and powerful.
Now, at 70 years-old, she doesn’t glow like she used to. She needs help to move around these days and the curves she once boasted don’t curve like they used to. She’s still beloved, but the Memphis Belle needs a facelift.
The Memphis Belle, a B-17 Flying Fortress, was the first U.S. Army Air Forces heavy bomber to complete 25 missions over Europe and return to the U.S., according to officials at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. Then-Lt. Robert Morgan was the pilot for the majority of the Memphis Belle’s missions and named her after his wartime girlfriend who was from Memphis.
These days, Belle, as restoration technicians affectionately call the bomber, sits in a hangar, completely stripped of paint except for a small patch that bears her name; a painted picture of a pin-up girl; tally marks from missions; and the model and serial number. Panels are missing, as are the rotors and tail. There are names scratched into the shiny metal of the plane’s body from visitors who left their marks.
Memphis Bell (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jeremy Lock)

Belle was on public display outdoors for more than 30 years and was the victim of weather beating and vandals. In 2005, she moved to her new permanent home, the Air Force museum, for restoration and to make it her permanent home.
For the past seven years, the bomber has been under the care of technicians from the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Restoration Division. The restoration technicians breathe life back into aging beauties like Belle, who have served their crews and country proudly.
The restoration hangar is filled with pieces of aviation history in various states of repair. Inside, aircraft from different eras sit under the hanging fluorescent lights, some under scaffolding and some under tarps, as they undergo the restoration process. The sounds of machines, hammers, drills and saws float through the air as a technician whistles while he works. These are the sights and sounds of revitalization in progress.
This undertaking is not just a paycheck for these technicians; it’s a labor of love.
Prior to working at the museum, Roger Brigner, a restoration technician, was an F-16 Fighting Falcon crew chief, who wanted to take planes from ground zero to display. That’s an opportunity the technicians have here with the Memphis Belle.
“I’m all about fabricating something out of nothing,” Brigner said. “Ever since I started driving, I started customizing stuff on cars and motorcycles. It’s all relevant here. It’s the ultimate.
“I couldn’t wait to get my hands on (the Memphis Belle) and start putting it back together again,” Brigner said. “The first thing you think is, ‘I can’t believe she’s sitting here in front of me.’ It was kind of sad to see her in that state. She was in pretty decent shape when she got here, but she had a lot of corrosion problems.”
“It’s sad that she hasn’t been taken care over the years,” said Chad VanHook, a restoration technician at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. “It’s unfortunate, but we can fix her and get her back to the way she was.”
Once Belle arrived at the museum, before any restorations began, technicians painstakingly documented every detail of the aircraft to make sure everything is historically accurate and correct, VanHook said. The next step was to take inventory of what parts were there, what was damaged and what was missing. Then the paint was stripped, parts were cleaned and the plane was evaluated for corrosion.
Any parts that are missing or cannot be repaired are fabricated by the technicians. Many World War I and World War II-era planes were constructed using wood and fabric and that’s just the way they do it, by hand, here at the museum.
“I love (hand making parts) because that’s how they were made back in the old days,” VanHook said. “A lot of the parts were handmade just by taking a flat piece of sheet metal and turning it into a part that will go on the aircraft.”
Brigner likened working in the restoration shop to taking a step back in time. Just like the Rosie the Riveters of World War II, the technicians rivet the planes in the same way. The same processes and the same tools are still used.
“I’m working on the Belle and I’m making new skins for her, and I see a repair that was made during the war,” he said. “I’m thinking that person was doing basically what I’m doing today, only they did it back then to keep the airplane flying. We do it to preserve it, but it’s the same kind of work. When I’m repairing something on the airplane and I climb inside it, and I think of the videos I’ve seen of it flying over Europe and (munitions) exploding all around it — holes in the airplane — this is the airplane and I can’t believe that it’s here.”
Although Belle’s crew is no longer living, their family members remain and the technicians feel responsible for restoring it for them and for the rest of the world.
“I don’t think any of the crew is still alive now, but their families are and they want to see it,” Brigner said. “Those guys who flew these things, this was a small time period in their life, but it was a big part of their lives.”
Belle still has a few more years before she’s ready to make her public debut, but until then, the restoration technicians will continue to give her the love and attention she needs. They know the end goal is to get her back on her “feet”, and one day she will leave them. But they can take pride in the fact they are helping to share her story with the world.
“One day she’ll be finished and we’ll have a dedication ceremony,” Brigner said. “We’ll tow her over (to the museum). They’ll be cameras and probably newspapers. Everyone will be here to see that. It’ll be a sad day to see her leave the shop, but there will be another (aircraft) right behind her, waiting its turn to get restored.”
Until that day, Brigner, VanHook and the other technicians at the museum, will keep pressing on to restore and preserve the history of the Memphis Belle and other aircraft like her.

a short video here: An Ageless Beauty – Restoring the Memphis Belle | Armed with Science

 

Sorry
8 year old computer
deleted duplicate post
why are these lines following me?

 

I can't believe this wasn't headline news?

NATICK, Mass. (Jan. 30, 2012) -- Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center has contracted for several efforts with the American Sheep Industry Association and its subsidiary, Sheep Venture Company, to develop, test and evaluate wool fabrics for combat clothing.

The decision to take a second look at wool as a high-performance fiber was due to improvised explosive device, or IED, issues in Iraq and Afghanistan. Wool, due to its molecular structure, is very resilient, fire-resistant, has good strength, and is durable. It dyes very well, retains its color, and has very good moisture management properties.

"We can enhance wool's inherent properties by engineering high-performance fiber blends and fabric structures. It all begins with the wool fiber fineness, where some breeds of sheep and what they are fed directly affect the wool fiber diameter and flexibility," said Carole Winterhalter, textile technologist for NSRDEC.

"In the military world, Natick is recognized as working on cutting-edge technologies in support of all Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines. Work done at Natick is thorough and credible," said Mitchell Driggers, program manager for Sheep Venture Company, or SVC, and government contracting consultant of the American Sheep Industry, known as ASI.

"Natick provides the expertise of textile technologists to engineer optimized individual clothing for the field," Winterhalter said.

In 2009 NSRDEC selected three organizations for Phase I Small Business Innovation Research contracts specifically calling for shrink-resistant treatments for wool. SVC received the Phase II contract and created different wool shrink-resist techniques through chemical and enzyme-based technologies. Subsequently, the sheep and wool industry spent its own funds to install a manufacturing line with energy-efficient equipment to run the shrink treatments.

This line accommodates multiple shrink treatment methods. SVC's washable wool line exceeded its production by more than 40 percent in the first year, and the company expects to double its production this year.

"The work done with Natick Labs is important because ASI is able to better understand the needs of all of the military services," said Rita Samuelson, wool marketing director for ASI. "Together, we can develop products that are functional and valuable to our servicemen and women."

ASI, a national trade organization supported by 45 state sheep associations, represents more than 82,000 sheep producers.

"Our ranchers prefer to sell their wool to domestic companies, and so we are continually looking for ways to increase American wool consumption at the mill level," Driggers said. "The innovations of Carole and her team put wool into a very competitive position that should lead to an overall increase in American wool use by the military. Additionally, new products introduced to the military have immediate commercial applications that further improve business for everyone involved with U.S. wool."

The U.S. wool industry exports approximately 65 percent of American-grown raw and semi-processed wool to overseas markets, and 10-15 percent is used by the domestic textile industry. The U.S. military usually consumes 20-25 percent; a slight increase will present significant business improvements to wool producers and manufacturers.

"These innovations help to develop products for now and the future, to adapt to the ever-changing needs of combat and tap innovation that is available commercially for developing totally new products," Samuelson said. "The U.S. military is an important and key customer for U.S. sheep producers. Having such a large customer in the U.S. helps to sustain our industry by building demand for our product."

"So much of the textile industry has been lost to foreign countries," Samuelson explained. "But, most importantly, foreign fabrics/wool decreases the United States' ability to respond locally and to use U.S. products and workers."

"Over the years in a systematic effort, we looked at various aspects of the concept," said Winterhalter, "first developing the camouflage recipe, then simple fiber blends and fabric constructions. Now we're looking at long-staple yarns, and wool shrink-resist treatments."

Spinning long-staple (four-inch) wool into worsted yarns with Nomex and Kevlar fibers from DuPont was done through NSRDEC and SVC for flame resistance and durability purposes.

"We believe we'll be able to make a fabric that is much stronger with the long-staple worsted yarns," Winterhalter said. "We've already demonstrated a 20 percent increase in yarn strength over the previous short-staple yarns."

Engineering products such as fire-resistant, or FR, fabrics is done to meet Soldiers' needs. Improving the protection and other performance characteristics of clothing is important, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Through these different parameters, we can engineer high-tech protective clothing made from environmentally friendly natural means," Winterhalter said. "We hope these fabrics will be used across the board for FR applications, just as the nylon/cotton blend has been the all-purpose combat uniform fabric."

SVC was awarded a three-year contract to develop FR fabrics for the future. SVC will take the aforementioned concepts and combine them. The company will look at wool and wool blends and survey FR fibers from all over the world, as well as gather the various services to find out what their FR needs are, to ultimately produce fabrics and garments that can be tested for effectiveness by service members.

"Wool does not melt or drip and has significant fire-resistant qualities, both of which can help protect Soldiers from IEDs," Samuelson said.

If these fabrics are ultimately successful and adopted, future products will be made entirely in this country with U.S.-grown sheep, as opposed to some exemptions that have been made in the past. Wool is being revitalized to suit the needs of the Soldier, and this growing industry might be one of the ways in which the U.S. can continue to create jobs at home to serve those at home and abroad.

Wool possible high-performance fiber for combat clothing | Article | The United States Army

 

MINNETONKA, Minn. — The Coast Guard awarded the Purple Heart to a World War II veteran during an official ceremony at the Minnetonka Assisted Living center, Friday.
Gale L. Fuller received the Purple Heart from Cmdr. Jeffrey Morgan, chief of prevention for Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River, for his injuries sustained during an attack by a German submarine in 1944.
While serving aboard the USS Leopold on March 9, 1944, Fuller survived a torpedo, freezing waters and other harsh elements more than 100 miles from land before being rescued by the USS Joyce.
The Leopold was one of 10 Destroyer Escorts manned entirely by Coast Guardsmen performing maritime security missions across the Atlantic working to guarantee safe delivery of men and material to England, which was a critical element to the success of the D-Day invasion for the Allies.
“As an American, and as a commissioned officer in the U.S. military, I was honored to preside over the Purple Heart ceremony of Seaman 1st Class Fuller. This ceremony, nearly 70 years in the waiting, not only rightfully recognized the sacrifices of this great Coast Guardsman, but was in line with the commandant’s second and third guiding principles: Honoring our Profession and Respecting our Shipmates," said Morgan. "Our command philosophy is Take Care, Prepare and Execute the Mission, and in this instance, we ensured that a shipmate was taken care of and recognized by a grateful nation.”



UPDATE: World War II veteran receives Purple Heart

 

Okay so this article did make the front page News, but it was in Canada eh.
Maple Ridge News - A race against time to tell war stories

Randy Young already has the camera rolling in the Fireside Lounge of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch No. 88 in Maple Ridge late on a Friday, and he’s on his second interview. It’s supper time, and he still has two more interviews that evening.
But James Murphy’s story starts slowly as the memories of 70 years ago of Italy, France, Belgium and the Netherlands, gradually rise to the surface.
The two are nursing short glasses of scotch, Young also has a beer, and Murphy recalls signing up with the Canadian army in Calgary in 1941, joining the 1st Survey Regiment, an artillery group, before getting tired of the shells and explosions and switching to transport, where he spent most of the war hauling supplies by army truck.
“I tell you, a lot of the roads (in Italy), some of them a donkey wouldn’t dare go on,” he says.
Murphy was in Italy in 1943, then moved to northern Europe in February 1945, after the D-Day invasion of occupied Europe in June 6, 1944. For that, even though he and others were slogging it out a year before the Allied invasion, he was nicknamed a “D-Day Dodger.”
Young has recorded hundreds of war stories and knew he only needed to jog the mind and the memories will come flooding back.
“Can you tell me about some of the hardships you’ve seen, or the good times or bad times?” he implores.
He’s heard many stories from Canadian veterans who helped liberate the Netherlands from German occupation in 1944.
“When we first went there, people were starving. The Germans took everything from them,” he says, adding the troops often shared their rations or care packages with the starving Dutch population.
The conversation then turns to the 50th anniversary of that event.
Murphy was among the veterans who returned to Holland in 1995 and paraded through the streets to welcoming crowds.
“I felt great about it. Shook a lot of hands,” Murphy said.
Someone gave him a beer, but it disappeared just as quickly, he said.
Young, though, picks up on the emotions that surface from that memory.
“I noticed that’s really touched you. It gets to you,” he says.
Young has been through the routine before. More than 300 times – the number of interviews he’s already got on tape and stored in the Harry Watts Veterans Video Library, part of the Friends of Veterans Canada charity he founded in Ontario in April 2008.
Young’s goal is to interview as many of Canada’s 100,000 or so surviving veterans as he can.
“As long as it takes,” he says.
“When the last one’s gone, is when I’ll stop.”
Young comes from a military family and is motivated by the memory of a scout leader Harold Lapointe, who helped him as a kid growing up in a single-parent home.
It was only by chance 30 years later that he learned Lapointe was a gunner in a Halifax bomber who was shot down in Belgium, crawled under a haystack, where he found a stash of hidden booze and anesthetized himself in order to relocate his broken foot before later capture and interrogation by German troops.
“I found then that these stories needed to be saved because they made an impression in my life.”
He wants to record as many as he can. He points out in one in 12 Canadians volunteered for the Second World War.
“That’s got to say something for our country.
“What do we owe those guys and gals? We owe them the debt of remembrance.”
And those memories have to be recorded or it will show the country lacking, he added.
He’s even thrown a bit of money into the mix. The registered charity will pay $20 per hour of taped interviews under its Video a Veteran for Cash program.
After a few days in Maple Ridge, Young, from London, Ont., is off to Kelowna, but also wants to get to White Rock to hear veterans there.
Murphy tells Young that being in the army was the time of his life – and where he met his wife. She was with a group of his friends in a pub one day when he first saw Joan, from Brighton, in southern England.
Joan considers herself somewhat psychic and said when she saw Murphy it flashed on her, that was her future husband.
They had six children and returned to Alberta after the war before moving to the coast in 1957.
“My wife, she didn’t care much for Alberta, the cold winters, the long winters.
“Being from the coast in England, she loved it out here.”
It wasn’t easy street in peacetime, however.
Young found it tough to find work after he returned in November 1945, but got on with the Canadian Pacific Railway, which he hated, then soon after as a welder in Edmonton. He taught himself that skill and worked as a welder/fabricator for the next five decades.
Young senses the interview is winding down.
So what did you learn from your time in the army? he asks.
He likes to end every interview with that question.
Would he do it again?
Yes, says Murphy, although he’d probably pick his regiment more carefully.
Would you recommend it to kids today? asks Young.
“Definitely, it makes a man out of you, know how to take orders, how to behave yourself.
“I quite enjoyed the army, although we had some tough times.
“I think the boys in the infantry were the ones who had the real hard time.”
The interview is in the can and they both still have their drinks.
Young’s still got two interviews to go, but already he’s asking Murphy about his war bride wife and if she’d like to tell her story about arriving in sub-arctic Alberta.
He keeps peppering Murphy with a few final questions.
What about war in general?
“If the enemy comes into your country, if you think enough of your country, you have to fight,” Murphy says.
“You’re darned right,” Young says loudly.
“Let’s have a cheers to that one. Cheers.”
The two clink their glasses of scotch.

 

Official: Take Time to Honor Military Kids’ Service; By Elaine Sanchez
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 30, 2012 – Children of U.S. service members around the world will be honored throughout April for their contributions to their families’ well-being and sacrifices on behalf of the nation, a Defense Department official said.
Each April, Americans pause to recognize the nation’s 1.8 million military children during the Month of the Military Child.
“It’s really important to recognize that military children also serve,” Barbara Thompson, director of military community and family policy, children and youth, told the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service.
It’s also important, Thompson said, to take time to let military children “know how proud we are as Americans that they … are supporting mom or dad in uniform, who is making great sacrifices for this country.”
While frequent moves and school transitions can be challenging, Thompson said she believes the most challenging endeavor a military child has to endure is a parental separation due to deployment.
“While we’ve made great strides with technology and Skype … it’s not the same as having your mom or dad at your baseball game or high school graduation or one of your birthday parties,” she said.
These separations can have a “serious impact” on military families’ well-being, Thompson noted, particularly on the children. Younger children may experience separation and attachment issues, while older children may engage in risky behaviors, she explained.
Thompson noted a specific concern for children from Guard and Reserve families. These children, living in every community around the nation, may be lacking nearby support. A military child may be the only student in a school with a deployed parent, she said, and the school oftentimes isn’t even aware.
“School districts are key partners,” Thompson said. “That’s where 92 percent of our school-age kids are located. They need to know they have military children in their schools.”
To combat a sense of isolation, officials have posted information online to educate teachers, school administrators and parents on supporting military children.
On installations, child development centers, youth programs and the New Parent Support Program are geared for providing “safe havens” for military kids, Thompson said.
The department already has made strides by partnering with other agencies and organizations, she said. DOD works closely with Zero to Three’s Coming Together Around Military Families initiative, and with Sesame Street’s military support programs such as Talk, Listen, Connect and Military Families Near and Far.
Officials have partnered with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and 4-H to increase the programs and resources for school-age military children, Thompson added.
The DOD also has partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, land-grant universities and the Cooperative Extension System to reach out to military children in communities, she said, noting 70 percent of military kids live off of installations.
While they’re making progress, DOD officials can’t tackle these issues alone, Thompson said. It will take the efforts of an entire nation -- from individuals and communities to government agencies and private companies -- to accomplish this goal, she added.
Every American can help to support military families, she said, and no effort is too small. A neighbor can help a parent with a deployed spouse by pitching in with a carpool, driving children to an extracurricular activity, or mowing a military families’ lawn.
Schools can set aside special days to honor military kids’ contributions, and communities can sponsor a play or picnic, or simply find the military families in their midst to thank them, Thompson said.
She suggested people visit the White House’s Joining Forces website to find service opportunities that support military families in their neighborhoods.
Taking care of military parents has a positive and direct impact on their kids, Thompson noted.
“It’s important to care for the stay-at-home parent with a deployed spouse,” she said. “They’re the first responders for these children. If the stay-at-home parent isn’t being nurtured, it’s very hard for him or her to nurture those children.”
While military life can be challenging for children, it also offers tremendous opportunities for growth, Thompson said.
“We know that it’s challenging to move every two to three years and uproot and make new friends and adjust to a new environment and a new community,” she acknowledged. “But those are also opportunities for growth and resilience, to learn very quickly how to make friends and adapt and be flexible.”
Thompson said she’s spoken to military children now in college who reflect back to their experiences with a different perspective.
“While challenging in the moment, it really prepared them for being away from home, for forging new relationships and seeking new interests,” she said.
Thompson encouraged people to take time this month to honor military children for their sacrifices, whether it’s with an event or words of gratitude.
“One of the things that’s disconcerting is we know that 1 percent of our population is in uniform and is serving, and the other 99 percent of the country takes full benefit of that,” Thompson said. “As a community, we owe it to our children to honor them and to protect them.”

http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=67789

 

I'll bugger your begger you booger.

 

This may have made the major network news outlets but I'm putting it here too.

Vietnam veterans welcomed home -- finally | Article | The United States Army

[h=1]Vietnam veterans welcomed home -- finally[/h] April 2, 2012
By Sharilyn Wells, Paraglide






A Vietnam veteran wipes tears from his eyes at the Vietnam Veterans Homecoming celebration March 31, 2012, at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., as he listens to Charlie Daniels' rendition of "Pray for Bobby." The event drew more than 60,000 veterans, family members and friends.

• 
  A Vietnam veteran wipes tears from his eyes at the Vietnam Veterans Homecoming celebration March 31, 2012, at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., as he listens to Charlie Daniels' rendition of "Pray for Bobby." The event drew more than 60,000 veterans, family members and friends.
  

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (April 2, 2012) - Friends were reunited; stories were told, and memories were honored on a day that many Vietnam veterans never thought they'd see -- a day set aside specially for them to be properly welcomed home -- almost 40 years later.

"It was hell over there," James 'Quincy' Collins, retired Air Force colonel and former prisoner of war, told the crowd. "And it was even worse when we came home to a nation who didn't appreciate us or what we did over there. Spending over seven years as a prisoner of war I truly know what freedom is really about. And today is a day for us."

The Vietnam Veterans Homecoming Celebration drew more than 60,000 veterans, family members and friends to the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Saturday. The event was sponsored by the raceway, the N.C. Association of Broadcasters and the USO of North Carolina. According to John Falkenbury, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and president of the USO-North Carolina, the event served three purposes.

"The first, is to celebrate and you're going to rock and roll this afternoon," Falkenbury said to the crowd. "Second, it's about assisting all veterans. We have the Veterans Affairs here and numerous VA non-profits here to help you out. And third is to educate our youngsters. There are Vietnam placards and veterans everywhere -- talk to them, learn from history."

Along with all the vendors lending out a helping hand, the event also hosted entertainers, country music artists, Rockie Lynne and Charlie Daniels, as well as George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelics. There were performances by the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Band, the 82nd Airborne Division All-American Chorus, the Golden Knights and the Ranger Veterans Parachute Team, while Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 18th Fires Brigade, 11th Quartermaster Company, showcased modern-day military weapons and equipment in static displays. But for most, the replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall was the highlight of the event.

"He was only 19 years old when he was killed," explained Mike McCarthy, a Navy veteran. "My big brother was a lance corporal in the Marine Corps and was killed in action, May 16, 1967."

McCarthy, with his wife, Terrie, posed for a photo while standing in front of the wall memorial holding a photo of his brother, Whilton McCarthy.

"You know, my other brother was a Marine too," said McCarthy. "My momma got a little nervous and when I said I wanted to join (the military) she told me to go Navy."

"We also have two babies in the service," Terrie proudly said. "My daughter is in the Navy and has served three tours to Iraq, and my son is a Marine. It's absolutely amazing what they're doing for all of these guys, absolutely amazing."

For former Sgt. Charles Smith, 25th Signal Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, the memorial wall gave him closure and a chance to properly say goodbye to a friend.

"He was a private back then, John Peacock. We went to basic training together. He ... he never came back. The last time I saw him was when we were shipped off. It's an honor to have served with him and others, and an honor to be here with them," Smith said.