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Liberian President Accepts Donation from HVS Swift

Filed under DoD News by Ian Graham on September 8, 2009 at 3:41 pm {no comments}

Mission Commander for Africa Partnership Station Cdr. John D. Tolg shows President of Liberia Ellen Johnson trucks loaded with 24 pallets of donated Project Handclasp supplies. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Dan Meaney

Mission Commander for Africa Partnership Station Cmdr. John D. Tolg shows President of Liberia Ellen Johnson trucks loaded with 24 pallets of donated Project Handclasp supplies. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Dan Meaney

By Africa Partnership Station Public Affairs

Twenty-four pallets of Project Handclasp supplies were accepted on behalf of the nation by the President of Liberia during a ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Monrovia, Liberia, Sept. 4.

President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf along with Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Liberia Brooks A. Robinson and acting Minister of Liberian Health and Social Welfare Vivian Cherue were guests of honor at the ceremony.

Twenty of the donated pallets contained high nutrition meals as part of the Kids Against Hunger program, a program with a mission to reduce the number of hungry children in the U.S. and throughout the world.

“We begin today by officially handing over 144,000 meals for Liberian school children, and four pallets of medical supplies for the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare,” said Robinson. “These items were delivered through Project Handclasp by the HSV Swift, an Africa Partnership Station (APS) ship which is now docked in the Freeport of Monrovia.”

High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2) will be in Liberia for two weeks as part of APS. Medical teams based on the ship will conduct primary care health screenings, maternal and child services and education, dental exams and education, eye examinations and distribution of prescription glasses. The teams will also provide veterinary services and education, biomedical repair education and advanced lab training. Navy Seabees will construct a new medical ward and laundry at another local hospital.

“Liberia needs effective partnerships what are characterized by continuous and frank consultations, information sharing, clear rules of engagement and conflict resolution, transparent transactions, and explicit incentives,” said Chereu. “We look forward to working with you on more projects, and from the bottom of my heart I want to again profoundly express appreciation to you for the extraordinary assistance you will provide the Liberian people.”

Homeported in Norfolk, Va., Swift is on a regularly scheduled deployment to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility. The ship has supported various partnership-building operations and training throughout much of the world, including APS.

APS is a multinational initiative developed by Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Africa which aims to work cooperatively with U.S. and international partners to enhance maritime safety and security on the African continent. APS provides a unique venue to align maritime engagements by utilizing an international team of expert trainers in a variety of military capacities and civilian fields.

To learn more about APS click here.

USAF Doctor Advances Research and Treatment for Cyanide Poisoning

Filed under Uncategorized by Ian Graham on September 4, 2009 at 10:56 am {no comments}

Dr. (Maj.) Vik Bebarta, an Air Force doctor and toxicology specialist at Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio, TX is researching better tools to diagnose and treat acute cyanide toxicity in critically ill patients, like those stricken during terrorist attacks. One of Bebarta’s projects, which compared cyanide antidote treatments, won this year’s Best Basic Science Research Award from the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine.

“Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military” is a weekly webcast that discusses the importance of science and technology to military operations and the Department of Defense. We interview scientists, administrators, and operators to inform our listeners about cutting-edge scientific research and development sponsored by various defense offices.

Hear the audio Web cast on the new AWS Web site here:

http://www.pentagonchannel.mil/armedwithscience/

And while you’re at it, check out Armed with Science on Twitter!
http://www.twitter.com/armedwscience

Strike Eagles in Afghanistan Surpass 8,000 Combat Hours, Support Unique Missions

Filed under DoD News by Ian Graham on September 3, 2009 at 4:09 pm {3 comments}

By Air Force Capt. David Faggard
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

Airmen from the 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron achieved a major combat milestone at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, when they surpassed 8,000 combat hours in the F-15E Strike Eagle while providing security to Coalition forces, Aug. 29.

The aircrew for the mission included U.S. Air Force Capt. Jaina Donberg, F-15E pilot and a native of Arlington, Va., as well as U.S. Air Force Capt. Nick Foster, an F-15E weapons system officer and a native of Martinsburg, W.V., launching the mission was F-15E crew chief, Senior Airman John Yates, a native of Pawtucket, R.I., and six-year-veteran of the F-15 C and E family.

The crews provided security for a helicopter re-supply point that night and even coordinated communications between the helicopters and Coalition forces on the ground due the area’s harsh terrain, according to Foster.

“This re-supply was important because the only way to re-supply was via air, because the roads were too hostile and rugged to move a convoy,” Foster said.

“Everything went smooth,” said Yates, who is just three years older than the airplane. He said he just wanted to launch the mission and help save lives. “We try to give them [aircrew] a jet they don’t have to worry about; they need to focus on the mission and save the lives of our people on the ground.”

Other F-15E missions include anything from providing close air-support for Coalition forces on the ground in contact with the enemy, to supporting the recent Afghan elections.

The work done by the F-15E squadron in the sky is noticed by the ground forces. There have been many occasions where maintainers and aircrew were thanked by Soldiers on base for their work keeping the jets in the sky, according to Yates.

“There have been times when they [Soldiers] come up and say ‘you guys saved our lives.’ That’s a great feeling,” Yates said.

DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable: USCG Commandant Assesses Impact of Climate Change, Need for USCG Presence in Arctic

Filed under Bloggers Roundtable, DoD News by Ian Graham on September 3, 2009 at 3:16 pm {no comments}

White House and federal agency officials participating in the new Ocean Policy Task Force traveled throughout Alaska and the Arctic from Aug. 17 to 21 to observe activities in the region and meet with local leaders and industry representatives.

Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad W. Allen, who took part in the trip, discussed in a Sept. 1 DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable how the increasingly accessible and active Arctic region has significant security, environmental, scientific, and economic challenges with broad implications for the nation.

“It was an extraordinary opportunity … to assess the implications of climate change, to talk to the local towns and communities that are being impacted by it [and] get a sense of the types of issues that are going on up there,” Allen said. “All in all, there’s a lot of activity going on up there [to assess the impact of climate change].”

Read the full article here.

Listen to the audio Web cast here.

To read Adm. Allen’s blog, visit here.

Chaplain: Army’s strength in preventative maintenance applies to Soldiers as well

Filed under Bloggers Roundtable by Ian Graham on September 3, 2009 at 10:47 am {no comments}

Lt. Col. John Morris, 34th Infantry Division chaplain presents Staff Sgt. Bellatrix Estrella, a chaplain’s assistant, with a Bible at COB Adder June 30.

By Ashley McCall-Washington
U.S. Army Public Affairs

Lt. Col. John Morris serves as chaplain for the 34th Infantry Division Command as a part of the Minnesota National Guard. He has previously served on active duty from 1994-1997 and 2003-present. Morris provides command and control for active soldiers and reservists for all branches of the services.

In a Wednesday morning Bloggers Roundtable, Morris talked about his roles to assist soldiers in their times of need and and the importance the U.S. Army is placing on helping soldiers cope with combat stress.

“The concept in my mind is simple: the Army is tremendous on preventative maintenance,” Morris said. “I see a resiliency program as a preventative maintenance program for soldiers, developing strength to prevent problems rather than waiting for problem to develop and then intervening.”

Read the full article on Morris here.

Hear the audio Web cast here.