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thedrifter
02-02-05, 06:55 AM
Engineers keep skills sharp with live-fire exercise
Submitted by: 1st Force Service Support Group
Story Identification #: 200513114554
Story by Sgt. Luis R. Agostini and Lance Cpl. T.J. Kaemmerer



AL ASAD, Iraq (Jan. 31, 2005) -- Unlike the hostile, in-your-face combat in urban areas such as Fallujah, Najaf and Ramadi, the Marines venturing the seemingly endless Iraqi roads near the Syrian border face an enemy they might not engage until it's close enough to do irreparable damage to the convoy.

Their faceless, nearly invisible, enemies most often include suicide vehicle-borne explosive devices, roadside bombs, and mines. To improve their defense against the next roadside attack, Marine engineers with Combat Service Support Battalion 7's Charlie Company kept their skills sharp during a vehicle-mounted, .50-caliber machine gun, live-fire exercise at a range north of Al Asad, Iraq, Jan. 20, 2005.

The engineers here have put in an extreme amount of time and effort into the overall security of Iraq by creating security positions for Marine infantrymen and Iraqi security forces, as well as clearing the unholy roads of obstacles.

"Clearing mines feels good once you get it out of the way," said Lance Cpl. Robert A. Thomas, a 23-year-old engineer from Castleton, Ill. "The first couple are a little weird, they kind of knot your stomach up, but once you get used to it, it goes like clockwork."

No matter what tasks their jobs normally have them performing, the Marines have been forced to adapt to the volatile Iraqi highways.

During the live-fire exercise, the Marines fired at four large, plywood boards from 7-ton trucks. The boards had spray-painted cars or trucks on them, even sporting smiling driver and passenger faces, hiding the evil, SVBIED intentions of the wooden menaces.

The engineers' primary mission involves construction and fortification of force protection measures for Marines in I Marine Expeditionary Force's area of operations. Many of them have been put in the turrets of the trucks while on convoys, so the familiarization fire was a welcome exercise.

"There's always a chance you'll be on a convoy and they need you on the weapons. Everyone out here should know how to use the equipment," said Lance Cpl. Nicole Harden, a 21-year-old electrician, who, when not activated for war, teaches ballet in Illinois.

The Marines here know that the better trained they are, the better their odds of going home. Still fresh on the minds of the engineers is the reason this kind of training is so important in the story-like life or death world of these Marines.

During a return trip to Al Asad from a re-supply mission to Al Qaim, a suicide car bomb exploded beside one of the convoy's 7-ton truck.

"Out here, we are the targets," said Capt. John M. Douglass, Co. C's executive officer. "The bad guys are looking for a truck full of Marines and blow themselves up next to it."

With only weeks left in Iraq, the Marines must combat another enemy, one which can prove to be just as deadly as a roadside bomb - complacency.

"Everybody gets excited the closer you get to the end of the deployment. Complacency causes people to get too eager to go home. We have to keep pushing," said Cpl. Joshua B. Kruger, 22, a heavy equipment operator with Charlie Co.

Wooden signs bearing painted words, "Complacency Kills," are posted throughout all Marine bases in Al Anbar Province - reminders that alertness on Iraq's roads can save lives.

The engineers' pace doesn't look to be slowing much at all, though they're nearing the end of their deployment. Becoming complacent is not on their list of things to do, especially knowing the importance of Iraq electing their own government.

"We're making a safer environment for the Marines, but one of the biggest accomplishments we'll make is helping the elections run smoothly," said Thomas. "The insurgents will not overtake the Marines, so I think the elections will work."

http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200513115323/$file/livefiresafetynco_low.jpg

Sgt. Corey D. Rogers, 24, gives firing instructions to Lance Cpl. John Dooley, 21, during a vehicle-mounted, .50-caliber heavy machine gun, live-fire exercise at a range north of Al Asad, Iraq, Jan. 20, 2005, designed to improve their defenses against roadside attacks and keep their knowledge of the weapon sharp. Rogers, a Loda, Ill., native, and Dooley, a native of Peoria, Ill., are combat engineers with 6th Engineer Support Battalion, a reserve unit out of Peoria. Photo by: Lance Cpl. T.J. Kaemmerer

Ellie

thedrifter
02-02-05, 06:55 AM
Troop Level In Iraq May Shrink
Associated Press
February 2, 2005

WASHINGTON - The first visible move toward reducing the American military force in Iraq could come as soon as March. That's when thousands of soldiers and Marines whose tours were extended prior to the election are due to go home.

If they do, that would shrink the overall force to about 138,000, the level that prevailed for much of last year before U.S. commanders decided they needed extra troops for election security.

The timing of cutbacks beyond that is highly uncertain. Stretched thin by a larger-than-expected commitment of troops in Iraq, the Army and Marine Corps would like to reduce forces soon. Administration officials are determined to avoid setting a specific timetable.

"It's not a month or a year. It's condition-based," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Tuesday in a CNN interview - his first public comments since the Iraq election.

Further reductions in 2005 will depend not only on the pace at which Iraqi government security forces are trained to confront the insurgency but also a political unknown: how the new transitional government that emerges from the elections will develop and contribute to stability.




Numerous times since the Iraq invasion was launched in March 2003 the Pentagon has laid plans for substantial withdrawals of forces, but those plans were scratched as the insurgency intensified and it became apparent that it would take longer to train adequate Iraqi security forces.

One year ago, for example, the Pentagon was planning to reduce the force to about 105,000 troops by the spring of 2004. That never happened. Instead of shrinking, the force grew.

Some U.S. analysts see slim odds that the Iraqis can handle the insurgency on their own.

"The Iraqi security forces are still largely penetrated by the insurgents and are largely ineffective," said Kenneth Katzman, a Middle East expert at the Congressional Research Service.

Katzman said a significant reduction in the U.S. force would risk a collapse of the Iraqi government.

"I don't see a point where we can realistically drawdown extensively and be able to depart without the place completely falling apart," he added.

Hopes that U.S.-trained Iraq security forces could bear more of the burden prior to the election fell short, prompting commanders to extend the tours of about 10,400 soldiers and Marines. In addition, about 1,500 soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division were sent in December for a four-month stint.

When the troop extensions were announced Dec. 1, Pentagon officials said those units would be sent home over a period of weeks starting in March unless circumstances changed.

No decision has been announced, but several defense officials speaking this week on condition of anonymity said the planned reduction from 150,000 troops to 138,000 was on track.

That reduction of 12,000 troops is exactly the number Sen. Edward Kennedy has urged the Pentagon to withdraw immediately. In a speech last week in which he became the first senator to urge the Bush administration to negotiate a timetable for a full U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq, Kennedy said they should all be gone as early as possible in 2006.

It's not clear what the position of a new transitional Iraqi government will be, but Ghazi al-Yawer, the current president, said Tuesday in Baghdad that it would be "complete nonsense" for Iraq to ask foreign troops to leave now. He said that some might go by the end of the year.

Anthony Cordesman, an Iraq expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said in congressional testimony Tuesday that U.S. forces must get out of Iraq in the next two or three years, even at the risk of failing to achieve the main objective of stabilizing the country.

But he argued against a precipitous departure.

"'Cut and run' may become a necessity, but it can never be a strategy; only a massive defeat," he said.

Last December the Pentagon extended tours in Iraq of about 4,400 soldiers of the 25th Infantry Division's 2nd brigade; about 3,500 from the 2nd brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division, about 2,300 from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, and 160 from an Army transportation company.

Brig. Gen. David Rodriguez, deputy director of operations for the Joint Staff, said at the time that they would begin returning to their home bases in early or mid-March.

Ellie

thedrifter
02-02-05, 06:56 AM
Pentagon Gets OK For Anthrax Vaccines <br />
Associated Press <br />
February 2, 2005 <br />
<br />
WASHINGTON - Federal health officials have granted emergency authority for U.S. military personnel to receive the...

thedrifter
02-02-05, 06:56 AM
Death Benefits Called Too Narrow
Associated Press
February 2, 2005

WASHINGTON - Lawmakers and military officials said Tuesday that President Bush's proposal to boost government payments to families of U.S. troops killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and other war zones was a good start but too narrow.

Republicans suggested that those who die while training for combat missions also should be eligible for the increased death benefits. Democrats argued that the benefits should extend to all military personnel who die while on active duty.

Uniformed officials with the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force told the Senate Armed Forces Committee, during a hearing on the proposal, that the Defense Department should not give an extra $250,000 in benefits to surviving spouses and children based simply on the geography of where a death occurs.

"They can't make a distinction. I don't think we should either," said Adm. John B. Nathman, vice chief of naval operations for the Navy. Added Gen. T. Michael Moseley, the Air Force's vice chief of staff: "I believe a death is a death and I believe this should be treated that way."

Under the Pentagon proposal, a tax-free "death gratuity," now $12,420, would grow to $100,000 only in cases where the service member died in a war zone as designated by the secretary of defense.




The Pentagon also would substantially increase life insurance benefits. The $250,000 coverage offered to all service members at a subsidized rate under the Servicemen's Group Life Insurance program would be raised to $400,000, and for troops in a combat zone the government would pay the premiums on the extra $150,000 coverage.

The increases would be retroactive to Oct. 7, 2001, the date the United States launched its invasion of Afghanistan in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The families of the more than 1,500 troops who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan since then would be eligible.

"We think the nation ought to make a larger one-time payment, quite apart from insurance, should you be killed in a combat area of operations," David Chu, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, told The Associated Press.

At the hearing, Chu was pressed on why only those who died in Pentagon-designated combat zones were eligible for the one-time death gratuity payment. "Our premier objective is to those fallen in Iraq and Afghanistan," he said.

Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, the ranking Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said who qualifies for the death gratuity is just one of a number of problems with the Pentagon proposal. "I obviously support the increases," Levin said, "but I also believe that this should apply to survivors of all members who die on active duty,"

Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., and Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., have introduced a bill that's similar to the Pentagon proposal, although Sessions said that under the bill, the families of those killed while training in preparation for the war also would get the bigger payment.

After the hearing, Sessions said of the military, "I think we'll probably try to give them more flexibility to include more people."

Ellie

thedrifter
02-02-05, 06:57 AM
Claims Of GI Hostage Raises Doubt
Associated Press
February 2, 2005

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A Web site posted a photograph of what it claimed was a kidnapped U.S. soldier, but doubts were quickly raised about its authenticity and the U.S. military said no soldiers were missing.

An American toy manufacturer said the figure in the photo resembled one of its military action figures, originally produced for sale at U.S. bases in Kuwait.

The statement appeared on a Web site where militants' statements are often posted and was in the name of a group that has claimed previous kidnappings, the Mujahedeen Brigades.

The Arabic text, however, contained several misspellings and repetitions.

Staff Sgt. Nick Minecci, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, said "no units have reported anyone missing."

The photo in the posting showed a figure dressed in desert fatigues, wearing a vest and knee pads and with a gun pointed to its head. All the items are similar to ones that come in a box with the action figure, named "Cody."





The figure in the photo has its arms behind its body, as if tied, and is leaned against a concrete surface. Hanging on the wall is a black piece of cloth with the Islamic profession of faith written on it in white letters.

But the figure appeared stiff and expressionless. The statement said he was named "John Adam."

Liam Cusack, of the toy manufacturer Dragon Models USA Inc., said the image bore a striking resemblance to the African-American version of its "Cody" action figure.

"It is our doll ... To me, it looks definitely like it is," Cusack told The Associated Press. "Everything the guy is wearing is exactly what comes with our figure. If you look at the two pictures side by side, it'd be a huge coincidence."

The company, based in City of Industry, Calif., produced 4,000 of the figures in 2003 for the U.S. military for sale in its Kuwait bases. It was never sold in the United States but is traded on line among collectors, sometimes to use in highly realistic dioramas, he said.

The Mujahedeen Brigades claimed responsibility for the April abduction of three Japanese, who were released, and of a Brazilian engineer who is missing since last month.

More than 180 foreigners have been kidnapped in the past year. At least 10, including three American civilians, remain in the hands of their kidnappers, and more than 30 have been killed.

The only American soldier known to have been taken hostage is Pfc. Keith M. Maupin, who was shown in a video in April being held by militants. A later video purported to show his slaying, but it could not be confirmed and the military still lists him as missing.

If proven a fake, Tuesday's posting would not be the first hoax associated with kidnappings in Iraq. In August, television stations around the world showed a video in which a 22-year-old San Francisco man faked his own beheading by Iraqi militants.

Ellie

thedrifter
02-02-05, 06:57 AM
Guard Pleads Guilty In Abuse Case <br />
Associated Press <br />
February 2, 2005 <br />
<br />
FORT HOOD, Texas - A former Abu Ghraib guard pleaded guilty Tuesday to battery and two other charges in the Iraqi prison...

thedrifter
02-02-05, 06:58 AM
Dispute Over Troop's Remains
Associated Press
February 2, 2005

LAS VEGAS - Eleanor Dachtler feels like she's lost her son twice.

The first time when Lance Cpl. Nicholas H. Anderson was killed during an insurgent attack in Iraq, and again when the military sided with her ex-husband's plan to bury their son in another state.

After learning that a little-known military policy favors the older parent in such disputes, Dachtler watched helplessly as her son was laid to rest 266 miles away in Ventura, Calif.

"I couldn't believe that this was happening," Dachtler said as she sat in her Las Vegas home filled with photographs of her 19-year-old son. "I can't go see him every week, talk to him. I want to go visit his grave and take him flowers."

Officials who deal with casualties say disagreements over a soldier's burial are not uncommon, particularly if there has been a divorce.

"I'm sure if you did some digging, you would find other instances of the situation we had with Lance Cpl. Anderson," said Marine Corps Capt. William Ghilarducci, who assisted Dachtler after her son's death. "That's why this policy is in place."




Military officials said most disputes are resolved among family members. But experts acknowledge the possibility exists for more such conflicts as soldiers increasingly leave behind complicated family situations - divorces, remarriages and stepfamilies.

"There is no question that these sorts of issues will become more common as divorces grow more numerous," said Loren Thompson, a military analyst with the Lexington Institute, a defense think tank in Alexandria, Va.

When Dachtler was told her son had been killed on Nov. 12, 2004, she assumed his body was being sent to Las Vegas, where Anderson had spent most of his childhood and had recently graduated from high school.

But Marine Corps officials told Dachtler, 47, that his body was being sent to his father in Southern California, where Anderson had spent summers and holidays.

The Marine Corps determined Dachtler's ex-husband, Albert Anderson, 58, was the primary next of kin authorized to handle the disposition of remains. The law says that without a spouse or child, the responsibility falls to the oldest surviving parent unless sole custody was granted by a court.

"It's a bad situation, and no one was happy with it," said Bryan Driver, spokesman for the Marine Corps Casualty Assistance Branch in Quantico, Va. "The rules are what they are. We had to follow them."

Dachtler, a casino cocktail waitress who had primary custody of Anderson growing up, was outraged.

"You can't determine something like this by age," she said. "You have to look at where they lived, where they spent their time. This was Nick's home."

The pain was so unbearable that she left her son's funeral before he was interred. "I refused to watch him being lowered into the ground," Dachtler said, her eyes filling with tears. "Because that's not where he was supposed to be."

When reached by telephone, Albert Anderson said he did not want to discuss the case out of respect for his son and the pain he felt over his death. "The policy that the Department of Defense has is very clear," he said.

The situation might have been avoided if Lance Cpl. Anderson had filled out a will or designated power of attorney. But the Marine Corps, along with the Army, Navy and Air Force, do not require it before deployment.

Defense Department spokesman Jim Turner said the military may encourage but cannot require a soldier to have a will, which is "a personal, private legal matter."

"Obviously it's in the best interests of the sailor and his family to do so, but we can't order them to," said Navy Lt. Kyle Raines. "It's one less thing for you to worry about so you can focus on the mission at hand."

Still shrouded in grief, Dachtler has been collecting signatures and working with elected officials to either change the law or compel soldiers to designate someone to make burial decisions for them.

"I don't want to see anyone go through this." Dachtler said, adding that times have changed since the law was enacted. "Back then, you can understand. Families were together. But this is now. It doesn't work that way."

Dachtler has hired a lawyer and is considering legal action to exhume her son's body so it can be buried at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in nearby Boulder City.

"I'd like to bring my baby home," Dachtler said.

Ellie

thedrifter
02-02-05, 08:04 AM
Allawi seeks unity among Iraqis


By Sharon Behn
THE WASHINGTON TIMES


BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Iyad Allawi yesterday urged Iraq's political and religious groups to work together for the sake of the nation as officials — flushed with the success of the Sunday elections — settled down to count the ballots.
"Today, we are entering a new phase in our history. It is time for all Iraqis to come together and build our future. It is time to put the troubles and divisions of the past behind us," Mr. Allawi said.
Addressing concerns that the turnout was lower among Sunni Arabs than among Shi'ites, he said it was crucial that there emerge a "new national dialogue that guarantees that all Iraqis have a voice in the new government."







Election officials in polling stations nationwide upended thousands of unsealed clear plastic ballot boxes and began to sort out the votes for Iraq's new 275-seat national assembly.
The ballots are then to be transported to a national center where they will be recounted and tallied. The Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq said it expected the official result to be announced by Feb. 9.
The vote took place under a massive U.S. and Iraqi security clampdown, which officials said had demonstrated the capabilities of the new Iraqi security forces.
"Iraqi police can now hold their heads up high," said Interior Minister Falah Hassan al-Nakib, who called police who died under fire "martyrs."
Mr. al-Nakib said about 200 terrorists were arrested or killed Sunday, including an Assyrian, a Sudanese, a Yemeni, two Saudis and an Egyptian. There were seven attacks on police, 46 on civilians and 38 on polling stations, he said.
A U.S. diplomat said there were 260 attacks nationwide — four or five times more than normal. More than 100 of the attacks were aimed at polling stations, with suicide bombers wearing explosives-laden vests in eight instances. Forty-four persons were reported killed.
"What was significant about these attacks was the low degree of lethality," the diplomat said. "This was a tremendous security effort, [and] in almost every case, it was the Iraqi forces which stopped the attacks."
Mr. al-Nakib said one policeman threw himself on an attacker wearing an explosives-laden vest. The policeman died when the vest blew up, but several people were saved.
In another incident, terrorists used a handicapped child to carry out a suicide attack. "This is an indication of the horrific actions they are carrying out," the minister said.
Insurgents killed three U.S. Marines in a roadside bombing south of the capital. A riot broke out during a search for contraband at a prison in southern Iraq, ending only when U.S. forces fired into the crowd, killing four men.
Jordanian terror leader Abu Musab Zarqawi pledged on an Islamist Web site that his group's attacks would not end "until the banner of [Islamic] unity flutters over Iraq."
"These elections and their results ... will increase our strength and intention to getting rid of injustice," the statement said.
Separately, the Qatar-based Al Jazeera network yesterday aired a video supplied by Iraqi insurgents that purported to show a missile had downed a transport plane that killed 10 British soldiers on Sunday.
The footage, which could not be independently verified, showed wreckage of the plane in the desert near Baghdad. But a British newspaper reported that London authorities think the plane had been flying too high to be hit by a missile and are considering whether a bomb had been placed on board before takeoff.
U.S. officials acknowledged that the calm established by the security clampdown Sunday could not continue once curfews are lifted, borders are reopened and traffic patterns return to normal.
Even before the ballot-counting began, political leaders were preparing to negotiate the coalitions that will be needed for anything to get done in the national assembly.
The chamber's first order of business is to choose a three-person presidency council, which must be elected by a two-thirds majority.
"People who have the same [political] denominator will be working together, [and] religious parties standing on religious platforms will be standing on the other side," said Iraqi President Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer.
"Both will need each other — the sectarian-oriented and the religious-oriented. We will have to reach a consensus, you will see, you will be surprised," he told reporters in his offices inside the U.S.-fortified green zone.
Vote counting was reported to have proceeded rapidly yesterday.
Members of the Shi'ite-led United Iraqi Alliance, which like other parties had representatives observing the counting, said they had secured 80 percent to 90 percent of the vote in some southern cities and as much as 45 percent nationwide.
A mainly Shi'ite party led by Mr. Allawi and a Kurdish coalition also were thought to have done well.
"We are still insisting to form a partnership government including all segments of the Iraqi people," said Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the United Iraqi Alliance, which is closely associated with the revered cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani.
One older Sunni man, who said he had refused to vote because the country was under U.S. occupation, said the new government would have to sit down with the resistance and see what it wants.
"The politicians have been unable to control the country. Let us now listen to the others — putting terrorists aside," he said.
Iraqis typically distinguish between foreign terrorists such as Zarqawi and violent Iraqi nationalists — who they think can be persuaded to join the political process.
The U.S. diplomat said the most violent insurgents were unlikely to ease up on attacks just because of the elections.
"If I were an insurgent, I would be really bitterly disappointed at what happened yesterday," he said.
"I would decide, 'What am I going to do about it?' I certainly wouldn't conclude I should surrender. I would have to conclude 'I have to show I'm still a player,' " he said.
"The Zarqawis and the wannabe Zarqawis are all about violence and all about chaos. They enjoy what they do, and they're good at it," he said, but added that less-militant groups might be persuaded to reconsider their approach.


Ellie

thedrifter
02-02-05, 08:41 AM
2/1 squad leaders learn to 'blow stuff up' <br />
Submitted by: 13th MEU <br />
Story Identification #: 2005131103748 <br />
Story by Sgt. Charles E. Moore <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. <br />
(Jan. 26,...

thedrifter
02-02-05, 10:45 AM
Three Camp Lejeune Marines Killed In Iraq

POSTED: 6:01 am EST February 2, 2005

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- Three Camp Lejeune Marines died when a bomb exploded as their vehicle passed in the Babil Province of Iraq, the military and family members said Tuesday.

The three are Lance Cpl. Jason C. Redifer, 19, of Stuarts Draft, Va.; Lance Cpl. Harry R. Swain IV, 21, of Cumberland, N.J.; and Cpl. Christopher E. Zimny, 27, of Cook, Ill., the Defense Department said.

All three were assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force. The military said Monday that the three Marines killed south of the capital of Baghdad were conducting a security operation.

Both Swain and Zimny signed up with the Marines after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, their families said.

"I cried every time there was a Marine killed and I saw their mothers, but I never thought I'd be one of the mothers," said Barbara Zimny, the mother of Zimny.

She also said she opposed the war in Iraq.

"My son died honorably, but I don't think we should be there," Barbara Zimny said. "Look at how many hearts President Bush is breaking."

Zimny's parents said they were informed of their son's death Monday at their Glenview home.

"He was a good kid," his father Ted Zimny said. "He was a fun-loving guy who liked to have a good time."

They said their son, who graduated from Glenbrook South High School and Illinois State University, exercised for weeks before joining the Marines in October 2001 to make sure he was fit enough to serve.

"He had a sense of purpose and he felt he was doing the right thing," Ted Zimny said. "He said it was for the future kids."

He said his son had been awarded two Purple Hearts for injuries received in earlier battles -- shrapnel wounds to his face, part of a toe blown off and an eardrum punctured.

The military hasn't provided details about the attack that killed their son, Ted Zimny said. But he said one of his son's friends who is serving in Iraq called to say that Christopher Zimny died after a massive roadside bomb detonated as he and the rest of a U.S. patrol passed by.

Zimny's tour of duty began in July and was due to end later this year, according to military spokeswoman 1st Lt. Kate Vandenbossche.

Redifer, 19, was driving a Humvee that hit an improvised-explosive device, his family said. Redifer, who was scheduled to return home on Feb. 15 for a four-week leave, had survived six previous improvised-explosive device attacks, said his mother, Rhonda Winfield.

Winfield said Redifer called her two hours before his squad headed out on patrol.

"He was so relieved that the elections were over," Winfield said. "He told me, 'I just want to step off that bus and hold my two boys,"' referring to his two brothers, 8-year-old Courtland and 6-year-old Carter.

Winfield said her son was an impressive marksman who had recently turned down an offer to join the Marine presidential guard in order to be an infantry sharpshooter.

"He was definitely a 'put-your-money-where-your-mouth-is' kind of guy," Winfield said. "We weren't expecting him to go on active duty, but he felt that was where he could make a difference."

Redifer's family and friends describe him as a cowboy with a good sense of humor. He often had run-ins with the administration at Episcopal-affiliated Stuart Hall, where he paid his own way, working farm jobs for his high-school tuition.

Amanda McConnell, a friend Redifer met at Stuart Hall, said he was looking forward to coming home. She said he told her in an e-mail last week not to worry about him.

"He told me just not to worry, that everything was going to be OK," McConnell said. "He would say he is too hard-headed to get hurt."

Winfield said her son was well aware of the dangers he would face on the battlefield. He left her a handwritten note before he left for active duty that outlined his preferred funeral arrangements, including playing the songs "God Bless America," "The Dance" and "Go Rest High on that Mountain," in that order.

Swain's family discussed his death Monday, with his father, Vineland police Sgt. Harry Swain III saying that his other son, 19-year-old Jaymes, also is serving in Iraq. The brothers stuck together while stationed at Camp Lejeune.

Harry Swain IV was a machine gunner who had signed up the day after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

"We're so proud of him," their father said of Harry, his voice cracking. "It was only 11 more days before he came home. This is so horrible."

Ellie

thedrifter
02-02-05, 11:11 AM
Marine says his toughest duty is being the messenger


By JOE ELIAS
The Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Marine Corps Maj. Eric A. Putman has exchanged fire with the Taliban and al-Qaida in Afghanistan. He took part in the invasion of Iraq.

But in his 12 years in the military, his most demanding assignment requires him to stand at a front door in his Class A uniform.

Putman is the Marine responsible for telling central Pennsylvania families when their loved ones have been killed or wounded in the line of duty. He is what the military calls a "casualty assistance officer."

"You realize when you knock on that door you are about to change a family's life forever," Putman said. "It's the toughest thing I've ever done."

For three years, he has served as an instructor for the 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines, based in Harrisburg. Putman, 35, trains Marines for deployment overseas.

Death notifications are part of his job, and he covers an area from Reading to Johnstown.

In August, he notified the family of Lance Cpl. Nicholas B. Morrison, 23, of West Pennsboro Township, a 2000 Big Spring High School graduate. Morrison was killed when an explosive hit his Humvee in the Iraqi province of Al Anbar.

In November, Putman knocked on the door of the family of Cpl. Michael Ryan Cohen, 23, a 2000 grad of Dallastown Area High School in York County. Cohen was killed while fighting in Fallujah.

"I really can't say enough good things about him," Cohen's father, Dr. David Cohen, said of Putman. "He was very compassionate and very helpful."

The process begins with a phone call from Marine Corps Command. Putman finds out as much as possible about the circumstances of the death or injury. He also talks to field commanders.

Putman arrives at a home, flanked by a fellow Marine and clergy representing the family's faith. There is no formal training for delivering the fateful message, just a 129-page manual and the advice of other officers who have done the job.

When a family member opens the door, Putman asks to speak to the dead Marine's next of kin.

"We knew why he was there," Cohen said.

It may be several more minutes until the family is gathered and Putman speaks the words they dread.

When he is informing parents, he waits until both are in the room. He usually begins with the words, "We regret to inform you ..."

The response is almost always the same, Putman said: disbelief and shock, trembling hands and voices, tears.

"There's not a lot you can offer them at that point," Putman said. "You can only be there for them."

Cohen said Putman took his time. "He didn't hit us with too much information right away. He kept us informed and answered questions."

Family members always want to know the details: who their loved one was with when he died; what he was doing when he was injured; and the name of the doctor who treated him.

"The family always wants to know more," Putman said. "If I don't know the answer to one of their questions, I find out and get back to them."

The first visit with a family usually lasts 30 to 45 minutes. Putman leaves "when the time feels right."

Grieving single parents or spouses are never left alone after that first visit, Putman said. The Marines who made the notification will stay until a friend or relative arrives.

"If for some reason we are kicked out of the house, we'll wait outside," Putman said. It's never happened to him.

Within 48 hours of the first meeting, Putman meets with the family again to discuss funeral arrangements.

A few days later, he meets with them at the funeral home.

Putman tells the family if the remains are viewable. Regulations state that if they are not, he should discourage the family from opening the casket.

"Mothers want to see their sons," Putman said.

The Marine Corps takes care of everything, Putman said. When a Marine is killed in Iraq, the body is escorted to Kuwait, then to Germany and Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, and eventually to the Marine's hometown.

If possible, the Marine's body is placed into a blue dress uniform.

Regulations require Putman to keep an active file for two years on each notification. The file details his interactions with the family.

During World War II and the Vietnam War, families were notified of casualties by telegram. In the 1960s, officers began to deliver the notifications.

Ann Herd, president of the National Gold Star Mothers, who have lost children in the service, said Putman and the hundreds of officers like him in all branches of the armed forces provide an invaluable service.

Herd's son was killed in 1970 in Vietnam. She returned home to find officers in a car outside her home in Dallas, waiting to tell her the news.

"It's an experience that drains the life out of you," she said. "But the man that came to my home was so wonderful."

Maria Saldavar of the National Gold Star Mothers said officers such as Putman are most appreciated when it comes to making funeral arrangements.

"I was devastated," said Saldavar of San Antonio, who lost her son in Iraq. "I didn't have the brain to be organizing a funeral."

Putman said the military covers funeral expenses and offers to help families administer the $250,000 life insurance policies that the Marines issue.

Putman said he comforts himself with the thought that he's doing his job, in service to a family.

"I say a prayer for my fallen brother and do my best for his family," he said.

And despite the challenges of his job, Putman said it is rewarding.

"I've established a connection with the families I'll never forget," he said. "I'm grateful I could help them when they needed me."

Ellie

thedrifter
02-02-05, 11:41 AM
Widow receives letter from husband killed in Iraq
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AKRON, Ohio -- On the day his family completed arrangements for his funeral, a letter from Marine Sgt. Michael Finke Jr. arrived at the home of his widow in Phoenix from Iraq.

Finke wrote about how he was looking forward to leaving Iraq, which was to be this week, said the Marine's brother, Tim Finke, of Cuyahoga Falls, an Akron suburb in northeast Ohio. Michael Finke formerly lived in nearby Wadsworth.

"He was real upbeat," Tim Finke said of the letter his wife, Heather, received on Monday. "He just talked a lot about how he couldn't wait to get home to start a family."

The couple married in 2002.

Letters mailed by those serving in Iraq can take up to a month to arrive, so the family is hoping there might be several more, Tim Finke said.

The 28-year-old Finke was among 30 Marines and one Navy sailor killed in a helicopter crash last week during a sand storm near Rutbah in western Iraq.

The funeral service will be held Monday in Phoenix. His ashes will be spread in a park they loved to visit near the city.

A second memorial service is planned for Feb. 12 in Ohio at St. Paul Lutheran Church, in Westlake, a Cleveland suburb.


Ellie

thedrifter
02-02-05, 11:47 AM
New River squadron heads out
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 02, 2005
ERIC STEINKOPFF
DAILY NEWS STAFF

The first of several East Coast-based Marine squadrons headed into western Iraq left New River Air Station on Tuesday.

Aviators from Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 269 filled the hangar as they waited to climb on a bus to exit New River. Such a unit usually includes about 200 people, nine UH-1N Huey helicopters and 18 AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter gunships. This squadron will use the base and equipment of the troops they're replacing.

Lt. Colonel Joseph M. Jeffrey, 42, of Birmingham, Ala., the HMLA-269 commander, said about one-third of the squadron has been to Iraq once before and a few were even deploying to Iraq for the third time.

Jeffrey said they're ready to go and gave credit to training in the Southern California desert.

"Exercise Desert Talon was a key part of the pre-deployment training and relevant for the mission," Jeffrey said. "For training and preparation it was right on the money."

By coincidence, just a few miles away Tuesday morning, a large group of reservists at Camp Davis were learning to use their radios to call Cobras and Hueys flown by this squadron to help protect convoys in Iraq.

"We're there to provide support to the Marines on the ground," Jeffrey said.

Staff Sgt. Jason Snyder, 27, of Deer Park, N.Y. is a quality assurance specialist - a very senior mechanic who orchestrates and inspects the work of others when he's not flying as a Huey crew chief.

He is a veteran of two Iraq deployments, a six-month float with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and a peacekeeping effort to Haiti last spring.

Snyder was in the only Huey to crash during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. It occurred when the engines froze up, presumably from the sand.

His goal for this deployment is a simple one.

"This time I hope to keep in the air," said Snyder with a smile.

The squadron is among the first of what will eventually be approximately 17,000 area Marines and sailors in Iraq. A mix of about 6,000 other Navy and Marine reservists and active duty units are also set to join them as they take over duties from their west coast counterparts by the end of March.


Ellie

thedrifter
02-02-05, 01:06 PM
Marines reminded to practice security at the source
Submitted by: 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification #: 20051293532
Story by Sgt. Nathan K. Laforte



AL ASAD, Iraq (Jan. 29, 2005) -- “Knowledge is power.”

This quote has been stated and restated since being written into public domain by Sir Francis Bacon, an English author, in his book “Religious Meditations, of Heresies,” published in 1597.

The knowledge, as it pertains to Iraq, empowers those who can use the information against us in the Global War on Terrorism. Signs and reminders about operational security, or OPSEC, are posted at key locations inside buildings reminding service members throughout the country to keep important information safe.

All these “ads” are aimed at keeping information safe from prying eyes and ears, said Cpl. Christopher Goldsmith, intelligence analyst, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

“We don’t want to put any information out there that could possibly be detrimental (to military forces) should somebody get a hold of it to try and plan an attack,” said the 23-year-old from Highland, Calif.

The consequences of letting information slip are very costly, said Sgt. Shawn M. Martin, anti-terrorism/force protection chief, MAG-16.

There are different levels of information that service members should think about before they discuss it with people. Classified information is designated at a particular level and is usually not a problem for service members to keep secure.

“Classified information (is secured) and that just goes without saying,” Goldsmith explained. “Because of its nature, people handle it very differently.”

The most common information that is leaked is sensitive in nature but not classified. Sensitive information can be described as any information that is not classified but can provide an enemy with a general idea of capabilities and future plans. Although it may seem harmless, it can eventually become very dangerous in the wrong hands.

“Operational security specifically targets sensitive information, or stuff you shouldn’t be talking about. Sensitive information is still damaging and can lead to any number of things happening,” Goldsmith described. “It’s sensitive for a reason. It’s another piece of the puzzle the enemy can put together. Terrorist ‘A’ talks to terrorist ‘B,’ who talks to terrorist ‘C.’ They can take pieces of information, write them down and compile those notes to get a bigger picture of what’s going on.”

Sensitive information doesn’t cover any one specific area, but a variety of different information that can affect the mission. With Marine Forces due to rotate within the coming months, OPSEC may be more important than ever.

“Troop movements, exact dates of departure and embarkation information are things we shouldn’t be discussing publicly,” Goldsmith said. “You don’t want anyone to have an idea of where everything is flowing through.”

There are many different forms of communication that terrorists will try to tap into to get the “bigger picture,” he added.

“Telephones, e-mail and word of mouth are communication methods that can be compromised fairly easily. Word of mouth is probably the easiest of all of those,” he detailed. “Anything you write down, you want to police it. Marines sometimes carry notebooks, or ‘little green books of knowledge,’ which are a goldmine for information on what you do day-to-day. You need to keep that stuff safe.”

Most slips of sensitive information initially seem harmless enough, Martin explained.

“(Service members) just start talking to people back home and they want to ease (them) with information. The Marines will forget about the main objective, which is to keep information secret, and they let things slip,” he continued. “The families need to understand there’s a lot of stuff you just can’t talk about. Let them know you’re all right and everything, but when it comes to the military, the bare minimum is all they need to know.”

Letting more information out than is necessary could give terrorists the upper hand they might not have had on their own.

“We have Coke and they have Diet Coke when it comes to talking about us and the terrorists and our weapons,” said Martin, a 27-year-old from Burlington, Iowa. “The only way (terrorists) can get an upper hand on us is to know our movements, where we’re going to be and other things like that so they can plan ahead and catch us by surprise.”

For military members getting ready to punch the clock on their tours and return home, vigilance needs to be maintained.

“I think everybody tends to get a little lax right about the time they are leaving, just because they’re going to be home (in a short period of time). They start giving away specific information,” Goldsmith noted.

Preparation for families of deploying service members is also crucial for the coming months.

“You need to plan ahead and put your loved ones in the mindset that there will be things you won’t be able to talk about. They have to understand that there is a limit of what they can get out of you,” He said.

When all is said and done simple steps will either cause death or save lives. If information is protected, knowledge and power will be kept from enemy hands.

“OPSEC costs Marines their lives. Even the most minor violation somewhere could cost somebody’s life,” Martin said. “You may not know the person (who dies) and you may not care, but someone cares. The whole reason we’re over here is to take care of everybody and make sure that we all go back.”

http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20051293742/$file/001OPSECLR.jpg

Operational security is being emphasized during the beginning of the second year U.S. troops have been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The next few months in Iraq are expected to be turbulent for service members as the Iraqi elections draw near, as well as another scheduled rotation of troops. During these events, troops are reminded by their commanders that keeping valuable information out of enemy hands will save lives in the long run. Photo by: Sgt. Nathan K. Laforte

Ellie

thedrifter
02-02-05, 03:36 PM
February 02, 2005

Heart attack fells chaplain at sea

By Gidget Fuentes
Times staff writer


SAN DIEGO — Just weeks after participating in the Navy’s tsunami relief efforts in Indonesia, Lt. Cmdr. Edward E. Jack and the crew of the assault ship Bonhomme Richard were heading to their next mission in the Persian Gulf.
But a heart attack felled Jack, 51, a Navy chaplain assigned to the San Diego-based Destroyer Squadron 7, according to his family.

“His role was in comforting the sailors and Marines,” his wife, Jean Jack, told The Detroit News.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Murphy Canyon Chapel, which is located at 3200 Santo Road in San Diego.

“Chaplain Jack exemplified an unwavering commitment to Scripture and to service to the men and women of the sea services,” said Cmdr. Mark Steiner, a Lutheran chaplain with Amphibious Group 3 in San Diego and a longtime friend of Jack’s. “He will be dearly missed.”

In addition to his wife, Jack is survived by a daughter, Amanda Roggow; a son, Todd Jack; his mother, Barbara Jack; and two brothers and one sister.

The Bonhomme Richard is leading Expeditionary Strike Group 5, a San Diego-based force that includes the transport dock Duluth, dock landing ship Rushmore, cruiser Bunker Hill, guided-missile destroyer Milius and frigate Thach, and the embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit from Camp Pendleton, Calif.


Ellie

thedrifter
02-02-05, 03:37 PM
February 02, 2005

DoD looks to help troops kick unhealthy habits

By Deborah Funk
Times staff writer


Pointing to a rising number of service members using tobacco and drinking heavily, Department of Defense health officials are launching efforts to help people kick the tobacco habit and reduce alcohol abuse.
The efforts are part of a two-year $13 million plan to promote healthy lifestyles, which also includes reining in weight gain, announced last week at the annual Tricare conference in Washington.

If the plan works, it could be a sound investment. Smoking and alcohol abuse cost the Defense Department about $2 billion a year in medical costs, according to military figures.

Although details are not yet finalized, the programs will focus on education, intervention and treatment, and likely will use the Internet. They could also target the military members, their families and retirees.

“The bottom line message is that preventive medicine and preventive approaches to change people’s behavior is very important to overall health of populations of people,” said Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. William Winkenwerder.

Unhealthy behaviors not only cost the Defense Department money, they threaten readiness, Winkenwerder said.

Ellie

thedrifter
02-02-05, 03:38 PM
February 02, 2005 <br />
<br />
Videos show riot squads using physical force against Gitmo detainees <br />
<br />
By Paisley Dodds <br />
Associated Press <br />
<br />
<br />
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Videotapes of riot squads subduing...

thedrifter
02-02-05, 04:29 PM
Some good advice about calling cards for the military <br />
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <br />
by Karin L. Nauber <br />
INH News <br />
<br />
When your loved one is far...

thedrifter
02-02-05, 07:22 PM
SMP Marines hit paint in their own war
Submitted by: MCAGCC
Story Identification #: 20051311671
Story by Sgt. Robert L. Fisher III



MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. (Jan. 22, 2005) -- Adrenaline was pumping and rounds were impacting the stack of tires used for cover. The tension was high, and the only thing on their mind was taking out a target before becoming one themselves.

A dozen Combat Center Marines played paintball at Desert Paintball on Adobe Road here Jan. 22. The Single Marines Program arranged the excursion for a discounted rate.

For only $35, participants were transported to and from Desert Paintball. All Marines received the necessary equipment, 1,000 rounds, lunch and unlimited soft drinks and bottled water. SMP will play paintball every fourth Saturday, said Heather Fisk, SMP coordinator.

"It normally costs $40 for all the gear to play all day at Desert Paintball," said Jason Sanchez, owner of Desert Paintball.

Through SMP, participants are saving $5 each in addition to food, drinks and transportation.

"I think [the paintball program] will be a good thing once word gets around," said Fisk.

After the group arrived, those who'd played before shared past exploits. Shortly after, the taunts and boasting started about who would get shot first.

The Marines broke up into two groups, moved to opposite sides of the field and immediately began discussing their strategies to destroy the enemy. The referee counted down, and the paint started to fly.

"For $35, it's a good deal," said Milford, Penn., native Sgt. Jerry Williams, barracks manager. "We've got all day to be out here and play. It's definitely a good program."

Other players shared his enthusiasm.

"It was a lot of fun," said San Jose, Calif., native Lance Cpl. Ronald Stewart, Marine Corps Communication-Electronics School student. "I would definitely come back out and play again."

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/2005131183044/$file/Paintball2LR.jpg

A Marine Corps Communications-Electronics School student lobs rounds at the enemy from the safety of a small fort. This is the first time many of the Marines, who went with the Combat Center's Single Marine Program, played paintball. The mission is to send only two players at a time to attack the opposing fort. When one of the attacking players gets shot, another player may come out of the fort to take his place. The remaining players stay inside the fort and lay suppression fire on the enemy fort and attempt to shoot the enemy players who are attacking their fort. This is the first time SMP ran a paintball program. Photo by: Sgt Robert L. Fisher III


Ellie

thedrifter
02-02-05, 08:01 PM
No. 118-05
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb 02, 2005
Media Contact: (703)697-5131
Public/Industry Contact: (703)428-0711

National Guard and Reserve Mobilized as of February 2, 2005

This week, the Marine Corps announced an increase, while the Army, Air
Force, Navy and Coast Guard had a decrease in the number of reservists on active
duty in support of the partial mobilization. The Coast Guard number remained the
same. The net collective result is 11,525 fewer reservists mobilized than last
week.

At any given time, services may mobilize some units and individuals
while demobilizing others, making it possible for these figures to either increase
or decrease. Total number currently on active duty in support of the partial
mobilization for the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 153,124; Naval
Reserve, 3,256; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 11,513; Marine Corps
Reserve, 13,138; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 902. This brings the total National
Guard and Reserve personnel, who have been mobilized, to 181,933, including both
units and individual augmentees.

A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel, who
are currently mobilized, can be found at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Feb2005/d20050202.pdf


Ellie

thedrifter
02-02-05, 09:24 PM
Transcript: Bush Address
Wednesday, February 02, 2005

The full text of President Bush's State of the Union address on Feb. 02, 2005, as prepared for delivery:

Mr. Speaker, Vice President Cheney, Members of Congress, fellow citizens:

As a new Congress gathers, all of us in the elected branches of government share a great privilege: we have been placed in office by the votes of the people we serve. And tonight that is a privilege we share with newly elected leaders of Afghanistan, the Palestinian territories, Ukraine, and a free and sovereign Iraq.

Two weeks ago, I stood on the steps of this Capitol and renewed the commitment of our Nation to the guiding ideal of liberty for all. This evening I will set forth policies to advance that ideal at home and around the world.

Tonight, with a healthy, growing economy, with more Americans going back to work, with our Nation an active force for good in the world — the state of our union is confident and strong. Our generation has been blessed — by the expansion of opportunity, by advances in medicine, and by the security purchased by our parents' sacrifice. Now, as we see a little gray in the mirror — or a lot of gray — and we watch our children moving into adulthood, we ask the question: What will be the state of their union?

Members of Congress, the choices we make together will answer that question. Over the next several months, on issue after issue, let us do what Americans have always done, and build a better world for our children and grandchildren.

First, we must be good stewards of this economy, and renew the great institutions on which millions of our fellow citizens rely.

America's economy is the fastest growing of any major industrialized nation. In the past four years, we have provided tax relief to every person who pays income taxes, overcome a recession, opened up new markets abroad, prosecuted corporate criminals, raised homeownership to the highest level in history, and in the last year alone, the United States has added 2.3 million new jobs. When action was needed, the Congress delivered — and the Nation is grateful.

Now we must add to these achievements. By making our economy more flexible, more innovative, and more competitive, we will keep America the economic leader of the world.

America's prosperity requires restraining the spending appetite of the federal government. I welcome the bipartisan enthusiasm for spending discipline. So next week I will send you a budget that holds the growth of discretionary spending below inflation, makes tax relief permanent, and stays on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009. My budget substantially reduces or eliminates more than 150 government programs that are not getting results, or duplicate current efforts, or do not fulfill essential priorities. The principle here is clear: a taxpayer dollar must be spent wisely, or not at all.

To make our economy stronger and more dynamic, we must prepare a rising generation to fill the jobs of the 21st century. Under the No Child Left Behind Act, standards are higher, test scores are on the rise, and we are closing the achievement gap for minority students. Now we must demand better results from our high schools, so every high school diploma is a ticket to success. We will help an additional 200,000 workers to get training for a better career, by reforming our job training system and strengthening America's community colleges. And we will make it easier for Americans to afford a college education, by increasing the size of Pell Grants.

To make our economy stronger and more competitive, America must reward, not punish, the efforts and dreams of entrepreneurs. Small business is the path of advancement, especially for women and minorities, so we must free small businesses from needless regulation and protect honest job-creators from junk lawsuits. Justice is distorted, and our economy is held back, by irresponsible class actions and frivolous asbestos claims — and I urge Congress to pass legal reforms this year.

To make our economy stronger and more productive, we must make health care more affordable, and give families greater access to good coverage, and more control over their health decisions. I ask Congress to move forward on a comprehensive health care agenda — with tax credits to help low-income workers buy insurance, a community health center in every poor county, improved information technology to prevent medical errors and needless costs, association health plans for small businesses and their employees, expanded health savings accounts, and medical liability reform that will reduce health care costs, and make sure patients have the doctors and care they need.

To keep our economy growing, we also need reliable supplies of affordable, environmentally responsible energy. Nearly four years ago, I submitted a comprehensive energy strategy that encourages conservation, alternative sources, a modernized electricity grid, and more production here at home, including safe, clean nuclear energy. My Clear Skies legislation will cut power plant pollution and improve the health of our citizens. And my budget provides strong funding for leading-edge technology — from hydrogen-fueled cars, to clean coal, to renewable sources such as ethanol. Four years of debate is enough — I urge Congress to pass legislation that makes America more secure and less dependent on foreign energy.

All these proposals are essential to expand this economy and add new jobs — but they are just the beginning of our duty. To build the prosperity of future generations, we must update institutions that were created to meet the needs of an earlier time. Year after year, Americans are burdened by an archaic, incoherent federal tax code. I have appointed a bipartisan panel to examine the tax code from top to bottom. And when their recommendations are delivered, you and I will work together to give this Nation a tax code that is pro-growth, easy to understand, and fair to all.

America's immigration system is also outdated — unsuited to the needs of our economy and to the values of our country. We should not be content with laws that punish hardworking people who want only to provide for their families, and deny businesses willing workers, and invite chaos at our border. It is time for an immigration policy that permits temporary guest workers to fill jobs Americans will not take, that rejects amnesty, that tells us who is entering and leaving our country, and that closes the border to drug dealers and terrorists.

One of America's most important institutions — a symbol of the trust between generations — is also in need of wise and effective reform. Social Security was a great moral success of the 20th Century, and we must honor its great purposes in this new century. The system, however, on its current path, is headed toward bankruptcy. And so we must join together to strengthen and save Social Security.

Today, more than 45 million Americans receive Social Security benefits, and millions more are nearing retirement — and for them the system is strong and fiscally sound. I have a message for every American who is 55 or older: Do not let anyone mislead you. For you, the Social Security system will not change in any way.

For younger workers, the Social Security system has serious problems that will grow worse with time. Social Security was created decades ago, for a very different era. In those days people didn't live as long, benefits were much lower than they are today, and a half century ago, about 16 workers paid into the system for each person drawing benefits. Our society has changed in ways the founders of Social Security could not have foreseen. In today's world, people are living longer and therefore drawing benefits longer — and those benefits are scheduled to rise dramatically over the next few decades. And instead of 16 workers paying in for every beneficiary, right now it's only about three workers — and over the next few decades, that number will fall to just two workers per beneficiary. With each passing year, fewer workers are paying ever-higher benefits to an ever-larger number of retirees.

So here is the result: Thirteen years from now, in 2018, Social Security will be paying out more than it takes in. And every year afterward will bring a new shortfall, bigger than the year before. For example, in the year 2027, the government will somehow have to come up with an extra 200 billion dollars to keep the system afloat — and by 2033, the annual shortfall would be more than 300 billion dollars. By the year 2042, the entire system would be exhausted and bankrupt. If steps are not taken to avert that outcome, the only solutions would be drastically higher taxes, massive new borrowing, or sudden and severe cuts in Social Security benefits or other government programs.

I recognize that 2018 and 2042 may seem like a long way off. But those dates are not so distant, as any parent will tell you. If you have a 5-year-old, you're already concerned about how you'll pay for college tuition 13 years down the road. If you've got children in their 20s, as some of us do, the idea of Social Security collapsing before they retire does not seem like a small matter. And it should not be a small matter to the United States Congress.

You and I share a responsibility. We must pass reforms that solve the financial problems of Social Security once and for all.

Fixing Social Security permanently will require an open, candid review of the options. Some have suggested limiting benefits for wealthy retirees. Former Congressman Tim Penny has raised the possibility of indexing benefits to prices rather than wages. During the 1990s, my predecessor, President Clinton, spoke of increasing the retirement age. Former Senator John Breaux suggested discouraging early collection of Social Security benefits. The late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan recommended changing the way benefits are calculated.

All these ideas are on the table. I know that none of these reforms would be easy. But we have to move ahead with courage and honesty, because our children's retirement security is more important than partisan politics. I will work with members of Congress to find the most effective combination of reforms. I will listen to anyone who has a good idea to offer. We must, however, be guided by some basic principles. We must make Social Security permanently sound, not leave that task for another day. We must not jeopardize our economic strength by increasing payroll taxes. We must ensure that lower income Americans get the help they need to have dignity and peace of mind in their retirement. We must guarantee that there is no change for those now retired or nearing retirement. And we must take care that any changes in the system are gradual, so younger workers have years to prepare and plan for their future.

continued..........

thedrifter
02-02-05, 09:25 PM
Here is why personal accounts are a better deal. Your money will grow, over time, at a greater rate than anything the current system can deliver — and your account will provide money for retirement over and above the check you will receive from Social Security. In addition, you'll be able to pass along the money that accumulates in your personal account, if you wish, to your children or grandchildren. And best of all, the money in the account is yours, and the government can never take it away.

The goal here is greater security in retirement, so we will set careful guidelines for personal accounts. We will make sure the money can only go into a conservative mix of bonds and stock funds. We will make sure that your earnings are not eaten up by hidden Wall Street fees. We will make sure there are good options to protect your investments from sudden market swings on the eve of your retirement. We will make sure a personal account can't be emptied out all at once, but rather paid out over time, as an addition to traditional Social Security benefits. And we will make sure this plan is fiscally responsible, by starting personal retirement accounts gradually, and raising the yearly limits on contributions over time, eventually permitting all workers to set aside four percentage points of their payroll taxes in their accounts.

Personal retirement accounts should be familiar to federal employees, because you already have something similar, called the Thrift Savings Plan, which lets workers deposit a portion of their paychecks into any of five different broadly based investment funds. It is time to extend the same security, and choice, and ownership to young Americans.

Our second great responsibility to our children and grandchildren is to honor and to pass along the values that sustain a free society. So many of my generation, after a long journey, have come home to family and faith, and are determined to bring up responsible, moral children. Government is not the source of these values, but government should never undermine them.

Because marriage is a sacred institution and the foundation of society, it should not be re-defined by activist judges. For the good of families, children, and society, I support a constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage.

Because a society is measured by how it treats the weak and vulnerable, we must strive to build a culture of life. Medical research can help us reach that goal, by developing treatments and cures that save lives and help people overcome disabilities — and I thank Congress for doubling the funding of the National Institutes of Health. To build a culture of life, we must also ensure that scientific advances always serve human dignity, not take advantage of some lives for the benefit of others. We should all be able to agree on some clear standards. I will work with Congress to ensure that human embryos are not created for experimentation or grown for body parts, and that human life is never bought and sold as a commodity. America will continue to lead the world in medical research that is ambitious, aggressive, and always ethical.

Because courts must always deliver impartial justice, judges have a duty to faithfully interpret the law, not legislate from the bench. As President, I have a constitutional responsibility to nominate men and women who understand the role of courts in our democracy, and are well qualified to serve on the bench — and I have done so. The Constitution also gives the Senate a responsibility: Every judicial nominee deserves an up-or-down vote.

Because one of the deepest values of our country is compassion, we must never turn away from any citizen who feels isolated from the opportunities of America. Our government will continue to support faith-based and community groups that bring hope to harsh places. Now we need to focus on giving young people, especially young men in our cities, better options than apathy, or gangs, or jail. Tonight I propose a three-year initiative to help organizations keep young people out of gangs, and show young men an ideal of manhood that respects women and rejects violence. Taking on gang life will be one part of a broader outreach to at-risk youth, which involves parents and pastors, coaches and community leaders, in programs ranging from literacy to sports. And I am proud that the leader of this nationwide effort will be our First Lady, Laura Bush.

Because HIV/AIDS brings suffering and fear into so many lives, I ask you to reauthorize the Ryan White Act to encourage prevention, and provide care and treatment to the victims of that disease. And as we update this important law, we must focus our efforts on fellow citizens with the highest rates of new cases, African-American men and women.

Because one of the main sources of our national unity is our belief in equal justice, we need to make sure Americans of all races and backgrounds have confidence in the system that provides justice. In America we must make doubly sure no person is held to account for a crime he or she did not commit — so we are dramatically expanding the use of DNA evidence to prevent wrongful conviction. Soon I will send to Congress a proposal to fund special training for defense counsel in capital cases, because people on trial for their lives must have competent lawyers by their side.

Our third responsibility to future generations is to leave them an America that is safe from danger, and protected by peace. We will pass along to our children all the freedoms we enjoy — and chief among them is freedom from fear.

In the three and a half years since September 11th, 2001, we have taken unprecedented actions to protect Americans. We have created a new department of government to defend our homeland, focused the FBI on preventing terrorism, begun to reform our intelligence agencies, broken up terror cells across the country, expanded research on defenses against biological and chemical attack, improved border security, and trained more than a half million first responders. Police and firefighters, air marshals, researchers, and so many others are working every day to make our homeland safer, and we thank them all.

Our Nation, working with allies and friends, has also confronted the enemy abroad, with measures that are determined, successful, and continuing. The Al Qaeda terror network that attacked our country still has leaders — but many of its top commanders have been removed. There are still governments that sponsor and harbor terrorists — but their number has declined. There are still regimes seeking weapons of mass destruction — but no longer without attention and without consequence. Our country is still the target of terrorists who want to kill many, and intimidate us all — and we will stay on the offensive against them, until the fight is won.

Pursuing our enemies is a vital commitment of the War on Terror — and I thank the Congress for providing our servicemen and women with the resources they have needed. During this time of war, we must continue to support our military and give them the tools for victory.

Other nations around the globe have stood with us.In Afghanistan, an international force is helping provide security. In Iraq, 28 countries have troops on the ground, the United Nations and the European Union provided technical assistance for elections, and NATO is leading a mission to help train Iraqi officers. We are cooperating with 60 governments in the Proliferation Security Initiative, to detect and stop the transit of dangerous materials. We are working closely with governments in Asia to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and nine other countries have captured or detained Al Qaeda terrorists. In the next four years, my Administration will continue to build the coalitions that will defeat the dangers of our time.

In the long term, the peace we seek will only be achieved by eliminating the conditions that feed radicalism and ideologies of murder. If whole regions of the world remain in despair and grow in hatred, they will be the recruiting grounds for terror, and that terror will stalk America and other free nations for decades. The only force powerful enough to stop the rise of tyranny and terror, and replace hatred with hope, is the force of human freedom. Our enemies know this, and that is why the terrorist Zarqawi recently declared war on what he called the "evil principle" of democracy. And we have declared our own intention: America will stand with the allies of freedom to support democratic movements in the Middle East and beyond, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.

The United States has no right, no desire, and no intention to impose our form of government on anyone else. That is one of the main differences between us and our enemies. They seek to impose and expand an empire of oppression, in which a tiny group of brutal, self-appointed rulers control every aspect of every life. Our aim is to build and preserve a community of free and independent nations, with governments that answer to their citizens, and reflect their own cultures. And because democracies respect their own people and their neighbors, the advance of freedom will lead to peace.

That advance has great momentum in our time — shown by women voting in Afghanistan, and Palestinians choosing a new direction, and the people of Ukraine asserting their democratic rights and electing a president. We are witnessing landmark events in the history of liberty. And in the coming years, we will add to that story.

The beginnings of reform and democracy in the Palestinian territories are showing the power of freedom to break old patterns of violence and failure. Tomorrow morning, Secretary of State Rice departs on a trip that will take her to Israel and the West Bank for meetings with Prime Minister Sharon and President Abbas. She will discuss with them how we and our friends can help the Palestinian people end terror and build the institutions of a peaceful, independent democratic state. To promote this democracy, I will ask Congress for 350 million dollars to support Palestinian political, economic, and security reforms. The goal of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace is within reach — and America will help them achieve that goal.

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thedrifter
02-02-05, 09:26 PM
To promote peace and stability in the broader Middle East, the United States will work with our friends in the region to fight the common threat of terror, while we encourage a higher standard of freedom. Hopeful reform is already taking hold in an arc from Morocco to Jordan to Bahrain. The government of Saudi Arabia can demonstrate its leadership in the region by expanding the role of its people in determining their future. And the great and proud nation of Egypt, which showed the way toward peace in the Middle East, can now show the way toward democracy in the Middle East.

To promote peace in the broader Middle East, we must confront regimes that continue to harbor terrorists and pursue weapons of mass murder. Syria still allows its territory, and parts of Lebanon, to be used by terrorists who seek to destroy every chance of peace in the region. You have passed, and we are applying, the Syrian Accountability Act — and we expect the Syrian government to end all support for terror and open the door to freedom. Today, Iran remains the world's primary state sponsor of terror — pursuing nuclear weapons while depriving its people of the freedom they seek and deserve. We are working with European allies to make clear to the Iranian regime that it must give up its uranium enrichment program and any plutonium re-processing, and end its support for terror. And to the Iranian people, I say tonight: As you stand for your own liberty, America stands with you.

Our generational commitment to the advance of freedom, especially in the Middle East, is now being tested and honored in Iraq. That country is a vital front in the War on Terror, which is why the terrorists have chosen to make a stand there. Our men and women in uniform are fighting terrorists in Iraq, so we do not have to face them here at home. And the victory of freedom in Iraq will strengthen a new ally in the War on Terror, inspire democratic reformers from Damascus to Tehran, bring more hope and progress to a troubled region, and thereby lift a terrible threat from the lives of our children and grandchildren.

We will succeed because the Iraqi people value their own liberty — as they showed the world last Sunday. Across Iraq, often at great risk, millions of citizens went to the polls and elected 275 men and women to represent them in a new Transitional National Assembly. A young woman in Baghdad told of waking to the sound of mortar fire on election day, and wondering if it might be too dangerous to vote. She said, "hearing those explosions, it occurred to me — the insurgents are weak, they are afraid of democracy, they are losing. … So I got my husband, and I got my parents, and we all came out and voted together." Americans recognize that spirit of liberty, because we share it. In any nation, casting your vote is an act of civic responsibility; for millions of Iraqis, it was also an act of personal courage, and they have earned the respect of us all.

One of Iraq's leading democracy and human rights advocates is Safia Taleb al-Suhail. She says of her country, "we were occupied for 35 years by Saddam Hussein. That was the real occupation. … Thank you to the American people who paid the cost … but most of all to the soldiers." Eleven years ago, Safia's father was assassinated by Saddam's intelligence service. Three days ago in Baghdad, Safia was finally able to vote for the leaders of her country — and we are honored that she is with us tonight.

The terrorists and insurgents are violently opposed to democracy, and will continue to attack it. Yet the terrorists' most powerful myth is being destroyed. The whole world is seeing that the car bombers and assassins are not only fighting coalition forces, they are trying to destroy the hopes of Iraqis, expressed in free elections. And the whole world now knows that a small group of extremists will not overturn the will of the Iraqi people.

We will succeed in Iraq because Iraqis are determined to fight for their own freedom, and to write their own history. As Prime Minister Allawi said in his speech to Congress last September, "Ordinary Iraqis are anxious … to shoulder all the security burdens of our country as quickly as possible." This is the natural desire of an independent nation, and it also is the stated mission of our coalition in Iraq. The new political situation in Iraq opens a new phase of our work in that country. At the recommendation of our commanders on the ground, and in consultation with the Iraqi government, we will increasingly focus our efforts on helping prepare more capable Iraqi security forces — forces with skilled officers, and an effective command structure. As those forces become more self-reliant and take on greater security responsibilities, America and its coalition partners will increasingly be in a supporting role. In the end, Iraqis must be able to defend their own country — and we will help that proud, new nation secure its liberty.

Recently an Iraqi interpreter said to a reporter, "Tell America not to abandon us." He and all Iraqis can be certain: While our military strategy is adapting to circumstances, our commitment remains firm and unchanging. We are standing for the freedom of our Iraqi friends, and freedom in Iraq will make America safer for generations to come. We will not set an artificial timetable for leaving Iraq, because that would embolden the terrorists and make them believe they can wait us out. We are in Iraq to achieve a result: A country that is democratic, representative of all its people, at peace with its neighbors, and able to defend itself. And when that result is achieved, our men and women serving in Iraq will return home with the honor they have earned.

Right now, Americans in uniform are serving at posts across the world, often taking great risks on my orders. We have given them training and equipment; and they have given us an example of idealism and character that makes every American proud. The volunteers of our military are unrelenting in battle, unwavering in loyalty, unmatched in honor and decency, and every day they are making our nation more secure. Some of our servicemen and women have survived terrible injuries, and this grateful country will do everything we can to help them recover. And we have said farewell to some very good men and women, who died for our freedom, and whose memory this nation will honor forever.

One name we honor is Marine Corps Sergeant Byron Norwood of Pflugerville, Texas, who was killed during the assault on Fallujah. His mom, Janet, sent me a letter and told me how much Byron loved being a Marine, and how proud he was to be on the front line against terror. She wrote, "When Byron was home the last time, I said that I wanted to protect him like I had since he was born. He just hugged me and said: ‘You've done your job, mom. Now it's my turn to protect you.'" Ladies and gentlemen, with grateful hearts, we honor freedom's defenders, and our military families, represented here this evening by Sergeant Norwood's mom and dad, Janet and Bill Norwood.

In these four years, Americans have seen the unfolding of large events. We have known times of sorrow, and hours of uncertainty, and days of victory. In all this history, even when we have disagreed, we have seen threads of purpose that unite us. The attack on freedom in our world has reaffirmed our confidence in freedom's power to change the world. We are all part of a great venture: To extend the promise of freedom in our country, to renew the values that sustain our liberty, and to spread the peace that freedom brings.

As Franklin Roosevelt once reminded Americans, "each age is a dream that is dying, or one that is coming to birth." And we live in the country where the biggest dreams are born. The abolition of slavery was only a dream — until it was fulfilled. The liberation of Europe from fascism was only a dream — until it was achieved. The fall of imperial communism was only a dream — until, one day, it was accomplished. Our generation has dreams of its own, and we also go forward with confidence. The road of Providence is uneven and unpredictable — yet we know where it leads: It leads to freedom.

Thank you, and may God bless America.


Ellie