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Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration? Where does it stand? (Post Osama Bin Laden) DoD Roundtable
Afghanistan will “bite you in the leg if you make assumptions”! Major General Jones at DoD Bloggers Roundtable The Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration program is an Afghan led process that has seen 500 fighters leave the anti-government forces (mostly Taliban) just in the last 60 days! According to British Major General Phil Jones the “numbers are rocketing up”! General Jones is in his fourth tour in Afghanistan and is the Director of the Force Reintegration Cell for the International Security Assistance Force. He spoke to the DoD Bloggers Roundtable this morning (or evening in Afghanistan). With the Reintegration in place for 10 months following the lead of President Hamid Karzai’s…
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“The Army In Your Pocket” – DoD Roundtable
Do you have a smart phone? How do you use it? Can you use the Apps on it? I have one and there are so many applications (ie Apps) that I can not keep up with them. It appears that Uncle Sam via the US Army is ready to use commercial technology to help our soldiers fight the wars and win the missions that our country’s leadership tasks them to do. “The Army In Your Pocket” came from Lt General Michael Vane during a Department of Defense Blogger’s Roundtable this morning. General Vane is the Director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center who answered my first question, “what were the…
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The Power of Women in Afghanistan is Growing! – DoD Roundtable
Imagine female pilots in the Afghan military! How about an Afghan Army Officer Commissioning Class of 29 women! Or 35% of the population of students attending college at Kabul University! As we spoke with Dr Jack Kem, Deputy to the Commander, NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan this morning you could hear the excitement of his explanations of where the issues of “gender main streaming” were headed. Speaking primarily of military and police issues he was cautious about the progress but highlighted the successes and what they meant for the Afghan society as a whole. The Afghan constitution gives equal rights but a society impacted by illiteracy and fears is accepting…
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Teen Time
Can you go back in time… in your head to revisit being a teen? Oh the world was not friendly. It is not that it was hard, scary or compressing or even too demanding. It was expanding, about as fast as the body does. That time before high school graduation is a time of growth. The tallest in the class… guy or girl or the shortest; the quietest person in the class, in the back of the classroom or the chattiest in the front row; allows a persona to develop all based on the physical. All out of the control of the teen.Out of control… it rather describes what is…
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Neighborhood Heroes Can Have Help – Stand Up For Heroes
The newsroom: we invite it into our homes each day and night, presumably to feel the pulse of the nation, catch a glimpse of the world and often taste a nugget of political sinew. But we stick with a particular channel because it sounds right, and looks good. ABC had the forum set with pizzazz in December 2005. Bob Woodruff stepped into America’s kitchens, bedrooms, libraries, living rooms, hotels and bars worldwide. The new co-anchor face on the evening news was our pulse point to calm and crisis in our world. Then things changed. And when change blasts in, emotions ignite. New acronyms became all too familiar: RPG, HEAT, IED…
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“We’re not going to be able to fight our way out of this conflict” – DoD Roundtable
“We’re not going to be able to fight our way out of this conflict”, said Command Sgt. Maj. Ralph R. Beam, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan/Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan. The DoD Bloggers Roundtable met with Beam on Thursday morning to discuss Non-Commissioned Officer training for the Afghan National Security Forces. The message that Beam brought is that leader development is critical to the war effort which is the focus of NTMA. A real challenge is an effective personnel development program for NCOs and creating the NCO force that the Afghans need in order to have an effective fighting force. He described morale as good and that the Afghans want to protect their…
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“A Cause Worth Doing” – DoD Roundtable
“A Cause Worth Doing” – DoD Roundtable I have never heard the Afghan people described as resilient and intelligent. I pictured them as tough fighters who over time always managed to make the foreigners leave (ie., the British and Soviet invaders) after a long fight but the guest at today’s Roundtable brought a different perspective. He also described this war as a “cause worth doing”. With 38 years experience as a US Marine (active and civilian), Mr. Dave Clifton, senior advisor, Ministry of Interior, NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan (NTM-A) certainly brings a wealth of experience to his job supervising a team of advisors that coach Afghan leaders on ministerial…
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They Are Making A Difference – DoD Roundtable
They Are Making A Difference -Period. Exclamation! Our service members and their NATO allies are making a difference in Afghanistan according to Maj Gen Stuart Beare of the Canadian Armed Forces. That is how he ended the Roundtable discussion with DoD Bloggers this morning! There is no confusion for those in country why they are there and what their mission is according to the general. General Beare is the Deputy Commander – Police, NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan (NTM-A). I asked the general what was the biggest milestone that had been accomplished in the last couple of months. I was surprised by his quick response: A new Minister of the…
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“Tell A Friend” About Stop Loss Payments $$$$ – DoD Roundtable
Are you a veteran that has served since 9/11? Were you involuntarily extended beyond a separation or retirement date between 9/11/2001 and 09/30/2008? Do you know someone in these circumstances? Or even think they might have been? Be sure to tell them that they are eligible for $500 per month or partial month from the Department of Defense! Please go to www.defense.gov/stoploss to fill out the application! It takes 30 minutes! Average payment has been $3700! The end date for application is October 21st! Less than 3 months! Do not put it off! Tell them today! If you are eligible, file today! The DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable with Lernes “Bear” Hebert,…
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A Walk in the Shoes of a Wounded Warrior
Have you ever been confined to a wheel chair? Recently, I had to have surgery on a foot and the doctor prescribed no weight on the foot for a month. Easy enough, let me have those crutches and I will move around I thought! Then came the devastating news! I just didn’t have a lump removed from my foot it was cancer. I visited a couple of doctors for care and one took the cake for lack of patient comfort and bedside manner! Ok, this is an almost exact quote if not the exact words. I have to say I was in a bit of shock but I did have…
