Army General Describes Iraq Drawdown Progress

Filed under Bloggers Roundtable, DoD News by on November 28, 2011 at 2:48 pm {no comments}

By Bradley Cantor
Emerging Media, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Nov. 25, 2011 – U.S. forces and equipment are expected to leave Iraq by Dec. 31, Army Brig. Gen. Bradley A. Becker said during a Nov. 22 “DOD Live” Bloggers Roundtable.

Becker is the deputy commanding general for U.S. Division Center, Baghdad. He is responsible for oversight, support and sustainment for U.S. forces participating in Operation New Dawn.

According to Becker, the drawdown of U.S. forces and equipment from Iraq is being accomplished in accordance with agreements made between the United States and Iraq.

The amount of equipment and property that had accumulated on U.S. bases in Iraq over the years has been significant, Becker said. At the height of coalition operations in 2007 and 2008, he said, there were 505 bases and 165,000 service members in Iraq.

As of this month, Becker said, seven bases remain to be transferred to Iraqi authority and less than 20,000 U.S. soldiers remain in Iraq.

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DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable: DARPA’s Shredder Challenge

Filed under Bloggers Roundtable by on November 18, 2011 at 10:39 am {one comment}

Courtesy Photo

On Monday, Nov. 21, 2011, we hosted a DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable with Mr. Dan Kaufman and Dr. Norm Whitaker, the director and deputy director of the Information Innovation Office of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). They spoke about DARPA’s Shredder Challenge.

DARPA’s Shredder Challenge calls on computer scientists, puzzle enthusiasts, and anyone else who likes solving complex problems to compete for up to $50,000 by piecing together a series of shredded documents. The goal is to identify and assess potential capabilities that could be used by U.S. warfighters operating in war zones, but might also create vulnerabilities to sensitive information that is protected through our own shredding practices throughout the U.S. national security community.

The challenge was launched on Oct. 27 and runs through Dec. 4. Due to the complexity of the final puzzles, newcomers with a winning approach can still take the lead and claim the $50,000 prize. The final 2 puzzles are the most complex of the 5 shredded documents, with a total of 8,408 pieces between them. The competition ends Dec. 4.

Listen to the roundtable audio here.

Read the transcript

DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable: 14th Chiefs of Defense Conference

Filed under Bloggers Roundtable by on November 16, 2011 at 2:06 pm {no comments}

Maj. Gen. Michael A. Keltz is the Director, Strategic Planning and Policy (J5), U.S. Pacific Command

We held a DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable on Wednesday, Nov. 16, with U.S. Maj. Gen. Michael A. Keltz, Director, J-5, Strategic Planning and Policy, who discussed the recent 14th annual Chiefs of Defense Conference (CHOD).

This engagement brought together senior military leaders from nations in the Asia-Pacific region to discuss mutual security challenges, improve relationships and foster security cooperation. The roundtable also covered ways the U.S. Pacific Command is partnering with more than 36 nations in areas of mutual interest, such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, military-to-military training, building the U.S.-India strategic partnership and countering transnational threats.

Joining us on the call were Chuck Simmins, of America’s North Shore Journal; Walter Pincus, of the Washington Post; Gail Harris, of the Foreign Policy Blog; John Doyle, of 4GWar; Titus Ledbetter, of Inside the Air Force; Megan Eckstein, of Inside the Navy; William Wan, of the Washington Post; Charley Keyes, of CNN; and Kyle Mizokami.

Listen to the roundtable here.

Read the transcript.

War of 1812 Flagship Reveals Its Secrets

Filed under Bloggers Roundtable by on October 25, 2011 at 10:48 am {one comment}

By Bradley Cantor
Emerging Media, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A U.S. Navy ship that’s rested on the bottom of the Patuxent River for nearly 200 years is slowly revealing its secrets to archaeologists, a senior Navy administrator said yesterday.

During a “DOD Live” bloggers roundtable, Bob Neyland, head of the Navy’s underwater archaeology branch, discussed the excavation of the USS Scorpion, which was scuttled during the War of 1812.

The Scorpion, the flagship of Commodore Joshua Barney’s Chesapeake Bay Flotilla, is located about 30 minutes outside Washington.

During the War of 1812, Barney was charged to protect Washington from invading British forces. Barney’s plan called for the construction of a flotilla containing smaller barges and gunboats that would be able to outmaneuver the larger British ships in the shallow Chesapeake waters.

The flotilla fought in several battles and played a key role in draining British resources and slowing the invasion. However, Barney’s Chesapeake Bay Flotilla met its end Aug. 22, 1814.

After the Battle of St. Leonard’s Creek, Barney was forced to flee up the Patuxent River to what is now Highway 4, near Pig Point, Md. He was outflanked, seriously wounded, and had used up most of his ammunition. Neyland said it was there that Barney scuttled his flotilla, including the USS Scorpion, to prevent the approaching British navy from commandeering his vessels.

As the flotilla sank, Barney and his remaining crew left Pig Point and made their way to join American troops and citizen-soldiers fighting at the Battle of Bladensburg, Md. As the British forces overcame the Americans, many of the citizen-soldiers retreated, but Barney and his crew stayed to fight. In the end, they were among the last on the battlefield. Barney died in Pittsburgh in 1818 while traveling to Kentucky, where he planned to retire.

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This Week in the DoD: Weekly News Roundup for Oct. 14

Filed under DoD News, Emerging Media by on October 14, 2011 at 3:59 pm {no comments}

Image: DoDLive Logo

In the “This Week in the DoD” podcast for October 14:

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has been speaking with Defense Ministers in Belgium, military leaders in the Middle East, and a variety of groups around the United States about several topics, especially the Defense Department’s budget.

It’s the time of year when colds, sinus infections and the flu are leaving many too ill for school or work, so get your flu vaccinations to keep your family healthy.

Maj. Gen. Thomas Spoehr participated in a DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable on Thursday, Oct. 13, to discuss the issues U.S. Forces-Iraq are facing during the last 90 days of the military led presence there.

Part of a service members responsibilities are to stay in top shape in order to stay healthy while performing their duties. However, some troops take their time in the gym to the next level.

Listen to the podcast.

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    An United States Air Force C-130J Hercules cargo aircraft from the 146th Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard, conducts flare training off the Ventura County coast. The flares are used as tactical infrared countermeasures to confuse and redirect heat-seeking missiles.

    (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Dave Buttner)


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    Famed Yankees pitcher “Lefty Gomez” once remarked “I’d rather be lucky than good,” but for one Tuskegee Airman, luck and good combined to make him one of the most successful combat pilots of World War II.

    During the summer of 1944, 2nd Lt. Clarence D. “Lucky” Lester was flying the P-51 Mustang over the skies of Italy’s Po Valley providing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers with cover support on their way to attack airfields in southern Germany.

    Lester was assigned to the 100th Fighter Squadron, a part of the 332nd Fighter Group, and had earned the nickname “Lucky” “because of all the tight situations from which I had escaped without a scratch or even a bullet hole in my aircraft.”

    Read the story of a flight that helped Lester earn his nickname here.


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    The only African-American ace of World War II, and a former Tuskegee Airman, went on to have a career in the Air Force, as well as success in the business world.

    Lee A. Archer joined the Army in 1941 with high hopes of becoming a pilot, but was initially denied because of his race. When the Army’s policy changed about a year later, Archer was accepted to the training program for black aviators at the Tuskegee Army Airfield in Alabama.

    Archer is best known for a day in late 1944 when he was involved in a series of dogfights over German-occupied Hungary. Flying a P-51 Mustang fighter, Archer shot down three German fighters. He would go on to add two more German fighters to his credit to become the first and only African-American ace of the war.

    As a civilian, Archer enjoyed even greater success, serving as vice president for urban affairs with General Foods, as CEO of North Street Capital Corp. and chairman of Hudson Commercial Corp. He also served on the board of directors of Beatrice International Foods and the Institute for American Business.

    Read the rest of his story here.