Army Wounded Warrior Transitions to DHS Post-Injury

Filed under DoD News by on February 26, 2011 at 10:01 am {no comments}

At the 2011 Wounded Warrior Federal Employment Conference,  Army Wounded Warrior (AW2) veteran Cpt. Alvin Shell spoke about the challenges wounded warriors face when making the transition to civilian jobs. In Shell’s case, one of the many hurdles he dealt with was chronic pain from his severe burns and other combat-related injuries.

Shell is currently working at the Department of Homeland Security as the Acting Deputy Division Chief, Force Protection Branch, Office of the Chief Security Officer, Department of Homeland Security.  His transition to the civilian workforce parallels any career change: depart one job, take a minute to reconnect with Family and think through career goals and where you would like to go next, apply for that new job and begin to orient yourself to a new corporate culture.. See the full article: http://bit.ly/goIiR9

Episode #72: Weekly News Roundup for Feb. 4

Filed under DoD News, Emerging Media, Pentagon Channel by on February 4, 2011 at 4:54 pm {no comments}

In the “DoD This Week” podcast for Feb 4:

U.S. Air Force Gen. Robert Kehler takes the reins at U.S. Strategic Command. President Barack Obama signs the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia and sends it to Germany for final ratification. The Department of Homeland Security replaces the old color-coded alert system with a two-tiered, event-specific warning mechanism. And while some National Guard units fight massive snow drifts and freezing weather across the country, others are in Texas assisting with security efforts for Super Bowl XLV.

Listen to the podcast here.

DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable: National Guard Border Protection.com

Filed under Bloggers Roundtable by on September 1, 2010 at 4:13 pm {no comments}

Jack Harrison, National Guard Bureau director of Communications. Photo courtesy of National Guard.

We recently held a DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable with Mr. Jack Harrison, National Guard Bureau director of communications, on Friday, Sept. 3.

Harrison discussed the latest developments in the deployment of 1,200 National Guard members to the nation’s southwest border.

National Guard troops are now arriving to begin their mission to support Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement while those agencies hire additional officers.

Before reporting for duty, troops undergo training for their two distinct jobs – Entry Identification Teams (EIT) and Criminal Investigative Analysts. EIT training includes how to handle encounters with anyone who approaches their observation posts. EITs help CBP agents monitor the border from strategic observation points with state-of-the-art surveillance and detection tactics and technology in support of local law enforcement.

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DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable: NG to the SW Border, Getting the Facts Right

Filed under Bloggers Roundtable by on August 5, 2010 at 10:49 am {no comments}

Jack Harrison, National Guard Bureau director of communications. Photo courtesy of National Guard Bureau.

Mr. Jack Harrison, National Guard Bureau director of communications, participated in a DOD Bloggers Roundtable, Friday, Aug. 6 to address inaccurate reporting surrounding the recently announced deployment of up to 1,200 members of the National Guard to the Southwest border.

Announced July 19, the Guard will deploy up to 1,200 troops for up to one year in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, two agencies of the Department of Homeland Security.

The announcement indicated August 1 would begin the deployment, however some in the press have interpreted that as a deadline for having the troops there. And, when August 1 came and went, the National Guard was erroneously accused of missing the deadline.

Listen to the interview.

Read the transcript.

Read the Defense.gov story: “Guard Official Describes Southwest Border Mission Buildup”

Joining us on the call were Edwin Mora, Cybercast News Service; Monica Tucker, Dear Army Wife; Sandra Erwin, National Defense Magazine; Michel Marizco, Border Reporter; and Dale Kissinger, Military Avenue.

National Guard to the SW Border: Getting the Facts Right

Filed under DoD News by on August 4, 2010 at 3:16 pm {no comments}

Jack Harrison director, National Guard Bureau Public Affairs and Strategic Communications. Photo courtesy of the National Guard.

Jack Harrison is the director, National Guard Bureau Public Affairs and Strategic Communications. He is responsible for all public affairs activities related to the office, ensuring effective communications with myriad audiences and media at all levels.

In May of this year, the president directed the deployment of up to 1,200 members of the National Guard to the four Southwest border states (CA, AZ, NM, Texas). His decision was based on a request from the Department of Homeland Security for support from the Department of Defense, which is designed to enable the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to hire some 1,000 new agents.

DoD ordered the deployment in early July and a formal announcement was made by the CBP commissioner, ICE director and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau on July 19. Among other things, this announcement indicated the Guard would begin deploying to the Southwest border on August 1.

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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.