Archive | DoD News

Afghan Women, Standing Tall

Filed under DoD News by jtozer on May 8, 2012 at 7:09 am {no comments}

Looking to the future of Afghanistan means equipping the people with the tools they need to successfully maintain security, business and stability after U.S. forces leave. ISAF Joint Command recently coordinated an Afghanistan Women’s Shura, enabling Afghan women to connect and and communicate about their role in Afghan’s future. While there have been simular meetings at local levels in the past, this is the first time women from all over Afghanistan have come together for an event like this.

The guest speaker was Brig. Gen. Khatool Mohammadzai, the first female general in the Afghan Army. You won’t want to miss this:

By Staff Sgt. Shannon Ofiara, AFN Afghanistan

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Going Green: Beach Cleanup

Filed under DoD News, Go Green! by jtozer on May 8, 2012 at 7:06 am {no comments}

Chief Yeoman Ken Vinoya and Franchezka Dela Cruz, age five, work together to gather trash at the Misawa Fish Port. Misawa Air Base service and family members took part in an Earth Day cleanup in the local community, and helped remove several tons of refuse from this northern-Japanese city. (Photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Daniel Sanford)

Members of the Navy Misawa CPO 365 Program spent the morning cleaning up the local Misawa Fish Port.

More than 30 Misawa Air Base chief petty officers and board-eligible first class petty officers worked together to help the community pick up trash and help beautify the areas in the local community.

“Were here this morning to help out our host country and Mother Nature,” said Chief Navy Counselor Todd Wean, who hails from Sarasota, Fla. “The members of CPO 365 do monthly community relations projects together anyway, so it seemed like a good fit for us to combine our effort in the community, while also helping out the environment in the process.”

The cleanup is always one of the largest environmental awareness projects in Misawa with several tons of refuse being collected and removed from the fish port.

“We have a great relationship with the local community, and they are very open, receptive and helpful to service members living here in Misawa,” said Chief Cryptologic Technician Collection Erika Haws, who originally hails from New Orleans, and serves as the Navy Misawa CPO 365 community relations coordinator. “It’s nice to return the favor, and help make this area even more beautiful than it already is.”

Besides, the CPO 365 members, many more Misawa service and family members were also on hand to help with the cleanup. Misawa Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts and numerous other base groups and organizations joined CPO 365 in their effort.

“It’s nice to see folks of all ages come on out from the base and take ownership in the local community,” said Wean. “We love Misawa, and this is just one small way that we can make it an even better place to be stationed and live.”

For more news from Naval Air Facility Misawa, click here or check out their Facebook page.

Story by Senior Chief Petty Officer Daniel Sanford
Naval Air Facility Misawa

The Doctor Is In – Women’s Health and Prevention

Filed under DoD News, Medical Monday by jtozer on May 7, 2012 at 10:26 am {no comments}

Brigadier General W. Bryan Gamble, M.D. Deputy Director, TRICARE Management Activity

Almost half of TRICARE’s 9.7 million beneficiaries and nearly 15 percent of the military are women. The 2012 National Women’s Health Week is May 13-19, a good time for women to examine their health habits and learn about the women’s health services and programs offered by TRICARE.

The leading causes of death in women are heart disease, cancer and stroke according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the military community, post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury and other behavioral health issues are also serious issues.

National Women’s Health Week is sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health (www.womenshealth.gov/whw), and the theme for 2012 is “It’s Your Time!” The theme encourages women to take steps to improve their physical and mental health and lower their risks of certain diseases.

Some tips include:

Get at least two hours and 30 minutes of moderate aerobic physical activity and one hour or 15 minutes of vigorous aerobic physical activity a week (or a combination of both), and engage in muscle-strengthening activities two or more days a week. Coincidently, recent data from the ongoing Copenhagen City Heart study presented last week in Europe indicates that women who jogged one to two hours per week increased their life expectancy by 5.6 years over those who did not. (more…)

DoD History Speaker Series – Rearming For The Cold War

Filed under DoD News by jtozer on May 7, 2012 at 7:31 am {no comments}

The second installment of the new DoD History Speaker Series is scheduled for Thursday 10 May from 1130 to 1230 in the Pentagon Auditorium. This presentation will differ significantly from the norm, in part because it also serves a secondary purpose—launching the OSD Historical Office’s just-published book Rearming for the Cold War, 1945-1960.

This is the first volume of five in the Defense Acquisition History series.

The project began several years ago under the auspices of the Army Center for Military History and has received support from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics, as well as the service history offices.

The OSD Historical Office now has oversight. Although numerous studies have looked in depth at particular weapons programs, this series is the first to provide an overarching account of defense acquisition from 1945 to the end of the 20^th century.

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Medical Monday: My Injured Brain, My Wounded Heart

Filed under DoD News, Medical Monday, Mental Health Month by jtozer on May 7, 2012 at 7:29 am {no comments}

Master Sgt. David McCurry works on the automated balance trainer with Lt. Cmdr. Scott Mitchell, physical therapist and officer-in-charge of the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic. (U.S. Army photo by Patricia Deal, Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Texas)

Loss and recovery are common themes for individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). In my interview with Army Sgt. Mike Ortiz, he revealed his loss and his hope. This is his story.

It’ll be two years this June since I sustained a mild traumatic brain injury while serving in Iraq. Since I worked as an Army mechanic. Since I felt wholly myself—funny, athletic, outgoing and caring. Since my wife said goodbye.

I’m stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, but hope to find a job as a mechanic closer to where my two-year-old son lives. The Army says I’m fit for duty now (some days I’m still not sure) except for the weight gain from my long rehab. I’ll fix that, but I don’t see my wife and me fixing things. My behavior after the injury was just too hard on her.

But I want to be there for my son.

During my two tours in Iraq, I drove a wrecker, recovering blown-up vehicles and parts. One day, I was in a convoy on unfamiliar roads. In a convoy, you have to keep certain intervals for safety and we kept falling behind, so we punched it.

What we didn’t see ahead was a hole in the road made by an improvised explosive device three feet deep and four feet wide—we hit it at 65mph.

I tried to bounce with the seat, but there was so much force my head hit the roof like a projectile. When they asked me if I was ok, I said yes. Truth was my back was killing me—I didn’t even think about my head.

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