Soldiers and Civilians of the 99th Regional Support Command along with Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen from Joint Base McGuire enjoyed a special holiday treat as the Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders made an appearance at the Griffith Field House on 16 December. The cheerleaders performed dance routines and encouraged the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen to participate in a football trivia challenge for prizes. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Alyn-Michael Macleod)
Military impostors, beware: A Web site has been launched to root out fraudulent veterans and fakers in fatigues. ReportStolenValor.org aims to expose people who fabricate or embellish military accomplishments by making it easier to report suspected Stolen Valor Act offenders to federal authorities and local media outlets.
AMVETS, an organization representing more than 250,000 veterans, will unveil the site Friday. “As a veteran myself, it’s deeply offensive when someone claims to have served in uniform when they have not,” said Jay Agg, AMVET’s national communication director. “It’s just fundamentally wrong and an affront to all veterans.”
The Web site will also feature a link to the Military Times Hall of Valor, a comprehensive database of more than 26,000 military awards for valor searchable by service member, award and conflict. The Stolen Valor Act, signed into law by President George W. Bush in December 2006, amended the provisions of previous laws concerning unauthorized usage, manufacture or sale of military decorations and medals.
A violation of the law is a federal misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison and a $150,000 fine. “What we’re doing is creating awareness of this crime,” Agg said. “We think it’ll be a very good deterrent for those contemplating stealing the valor of others.”
Aside from violating federal law, Agg said, the “real harm” when someone impersonates a veteran is the lasting effect on how the public views former and current service members. “It creates a shadow of doubt, it casts suspicion on them,” he said. “It automatically puts members of the public on high alert for stolen valor, so every veteran is looked at more critically when they go out in public.”
Impersonators could also rob genuine veterans of sought-after speaking engagements and cost American taxpayers large amounts of money if the individual seeks assistance from federal programs. “When the phonies are given speaking engagements, those are opportunities that could be going to a real veteran who earned those awards,” Agg said. “In some cases, they’re trying to defraud the [U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs] and the government out of benefits that should be going to other veterans.”
The new Web site also provides links to reports of six individuals accused of falsifying, embellishing or altogether fabricating their military histories, including Richard Glen Strandlof, the first person to be charged in Colorado under the Stolen Valor Act. Strandlof, 32, will reportedly be released to a halfway house pending an upcoming trial on charges that he made bogus claims about being a decorated veteran.
Strandlof pleaded not guilty last month, the Denver Post reported. He will remain in federal custody until Dec. 15, when a bed is expected to become available at a local halfway house. FBI Special Agent Darrell Foxworth, a spokesman for the agency’s San Diego office, told FoxNews.com that federal officials are aware of allegations pertaining to another impostor who posed as a two-star Marine general at a Veterans of Foreign Wars celebration last month in Ramona, Calif.
Foxworth declined to confirm or deny an investigation into the alleged impostor, David Weber, who offered no explanation to the Marine Corps Times as to why he misrepresented himself as a retired general officer. “I, mentally, was in bad shape,” Weber told the paper.
Agg said he hopes the new Web site gives potential poseurs some pause when considering the “extraordinarily distasteful” act of faking a military background. “It really puts them on notice that major veteran groups are aware of this problem and are doing something about it,” he said. “It’s an issue of great interest, not just to the military community, but to the public at large.”
by – Staff Sgt. Alyn-Michael Macleod, 99th Public Affairs Office
NEW WINDSOR – Family, friends and distinguished guests outnumbered available seats at the building dedication honoring the memory of Sgt. Catalin D. Dima at the Armed Forces Reserve Center here on Nov 22.
Dima, originally from Romania, served in the Romanian Navy and then came to the United States in search of the “American Dream” and was granted U.S. citizenship in October 2004. Sadly, his dream ended Nov. 13, 2004, when he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and killed in action on the same day during a mortar attack at Camp Victory, Iraq.
Speakers at the ceremony included Maj. Gen. William Monk III, Commanding General, 99th Regional Support Command; Col. (P) David L. Weeks, Commander of the 411th Engineering Brigade; New York State Senator William J. Larkin Jr., and Romanian Col. Marin-Claudiu Bibirita, Minster Counselor, Military Adviser to the United Nations for Romania.
All of the speakers honored Dima, remembering him for his professionalism, his commitment to others and his demonstrated strength through diversity.
“He took the foundations of leadership he learned in the Romanian Navy and built on them as a Soldier here in the United States,” Monk said. “He identified what had to be done and he made it happen.”
“The courage demonstrated by Sgt. Dima goes even beyond that of so many (Soldiers),” Weeks explained. “He was fighting for his country even before this citizenship was granted, but it was his country, he embraced it, loved it, served it and eventually died for it.”
Dima served his new country with the honor and dignity he had previously served his native country of Romania.
“He served with devotion his native country during the time he spent in the Romania Navy Forces and chose to serve with honesty the flag of his adopted country by enrolling in the U.S. Army,” said Bibirita.
The leadership in Dima’s unit wanted to ensure that his sacrifice to his adopted country and his dedication to service were not forgotten. They submitted the necessary paperwork and justification to have the New Windsor Armed Forces Reserve Center dedicated to Dima and his example of selfless service.
The $19 million; 80,000 sq. foot, state-of-the-art Armed Forces Reserve Center will ensure that both the Army Reserve and Army National Guard will continue to provide trained and ready Soldiers to the nation.
“The joint use of the Reserve Center by both the Army Reserve and Army National Guard is a step forward in sharing resources between the Army’s two reserve components and saving taxpayer dollars,” Monk said.
Units that will call the Armed Forces Reserve Center home will include Dima’s former unit, the 411th Engineer Brigade, which is currently preparing for its second rotation in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, 1156th Transportation Company and A Battery, 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery.
Monk explained that the building will now stand as a tangible reminder to those who serve their nation with dignity and honor. “Sergeant Dima gave his life defending a nation that he would never step foot in as a U.S. citizen, yet he never wavered from his commitment.”
Soldiers, retirees and veterans who think they may be eligible for retroactive stop-loss pay have 12 months to apply for the special $500 per month entitlement authorized by Congress earlier this year.
As many as 140,000 current and former soldiers may qualify for payment.
Effective Oct. 21, the Army will compensate soldiers for each month, or portion of a month, they were retained on active duty beyond their contracted separation or voluntary retirement date.
Claims may be submitted starting Oct. 21 and must be filed by Oct. 21, 2010.
Payments are retroactive to Sept. 11, 2001, and cover involuntary service performed through Sept. 30, 2009.
However, soldiers who have received regular stop-loss pay for service performed after Oct. 1, 2008, will be compensated only if they were in stop-loss status before that date.
The retroactive compensation will be paid lump sum for the months served in stop-loss status.
Soldiers will not receive regular stop-loss pay and retroactive stop-loss pay for the same period.
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service will determine the applicable tax exclusion for retroactive pay that was earned in a combat zone, according to Army officials.
While all the armed forces have imposed some form of stop-loss since 9/11, the Army has liberally applied the policy to its active and reserve components over the past nine years, with restrictions initially imposed on soldiers in priority specialties, and since 2003, on entire units.
Because of stop-loss’s widespread use, Army personnel officials estimate that nearly 140,000 current and former soldiers may be eligible.
To qualify, soldiers, retirees, veterans or their survivors must file a claim with the Army no later than Oct. 21, 2010.
Claims can be submitted electronically beginning Oct. 21 at a dedicated Web site, www.stoploss pay.army.mil.
Soldiers and former soldiers qualify for retroactive stop-loss pay if they were retained on active duty beyond:
A contractual expiration term of service, or ETS, date, or in the case of reservists, their contractual ETS in the Selected Reserve.
An approved separation date based on an unqualified resignation or release from active duty or, in the case of reservists, an approved request for transfer to the Individual Ready Reserve.
An approved retirement based on length of service.
FORT TOTTEN, N.Y. (October 6, 2009) -- “It’s a whole different Army now. It’s a different fight, and Information Operations (IO) paints the battlefield in what people believe, what they think.” said Col. Calvin DeWitt, during his speech as he assumed command of the newly activated and one-of-a-kind Army Reserve unit– the 151st Theater Information Operations Group (TIOG) at Fort Totten.
The launch of the 151st TIOG, the first IO unit of its type, will enhance the overall Army Reserve mission, according to DeWitt. The IO mission objective is to gain, maintain, and control the information environment on the battlefield by synchronizing related capabilities comprised of five core functions: electronic warfare, military deception, psychological operations, operational security, and computer network operations.
“This is the first Army Reserve unit to integrate all of these skill sets to perform this mission,” said DeWitt. “This war will be won by men and women who engage and influence populations with computers, psychological operations, electronics, and the media. In this day and age, this is a mission where the Army must be effective.”
The initiative or this new type of unit originated from Gen. David Petraeus, current commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), and the architect behind the success of the “surge” in Iraq. It was Gen. Petraeus who emphasized that the Army needed to focus on influencing foreign civilian and governmental populations, especially in a counter-insurgency environment. That need, said Dewitt, started on September 11, 2001 in lower Manhattan’s financial district, just a half hour drive from the 151st’s new headquarters at the Ernie Pyle Army Reserve Center in neighboring Queens.
The 151st TIOG supports contingency operations around the world with primary support to the European Command (EUCOM) and the Africa Command (AFRICOM). In the future, 151st deployments will usually occur in teams of five to 10 soldiers. Those teams will be represented by the various core competencies, but tailored to the particular mission requirement.
Maj. Gen. Mari K. Eder, commander of the U.S. Army Reserve Joint and Special Troops Support Command (JSTSC), Salt Lake City, Utah, addressed the IO troops during the activation ceremony and reminded them of their important role in the Army’s future and in “the Information Operations revolution.” JSTSC serves as the higher headquarters for the 151st.
“To see a unit that stands up and activates … to see new traditions begin … new missions begin to form, I think it’s a great day and a bright day for our future,” said Eder. Countering the ideological support of terror by utilizing every aspect of information in this modern information age is why the activation of this unit came about, she said.
“From what I have seen I know any challenge can be met by the Soldiers in this unit,” said Eder. “They’re greatly trained, greatly experienced and ready to take on the challenges of this revolution in information.”
DeWitt, who will now travel from Lawrence, Kansas, to command the 151st, said the biggest challenge thus far in standing up the unit has been recruiting and training over 150 new positions for the headquarters element and two subordinate battalions, which are also located at Fort Totten (IS THIS TRUE?). Ultimately, he hopes to recruit against the authorized strength of more than 300 Soldiers. DeWitt, who previously commanded a Psychological Operations company in Iraq, is an instructor of the Army’s Information Operations Officers Qualification Course at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He has been using his experience to lead his new Soldiers in a new direction.
One of these new Soldiers is Pvt. 1st Class Thina Ngin, who has only been in the Army for three months. She was only 12 years-old on Sept. 11, 2001, but was sitting in school in New York City when World Trade Center towers were hit. She could see the smoke billowing out of the structures from the window of her school.
“September 11th didn’t really impact me at the time, I was only a kid,” said Ngin, who serves as a local area network manager in the 301 st IO BN, a subordinate unit of the 151st. “I never thought I would join the military. But as I got older I wanted direction in my life. And I looked to the Army for that direction.” Her spirit is indicative of many of the troops in the unit, who just have a desire to serve country during a difficult period in its history, but bring a wealth of technical skills and savvy to the mission, having grown up in this information revolution.
“Today we have Soldiers who were 10 years old when terrorists attacked New York City. They are standing where other Soldiers have stood, prepared to do their part in a war that may go on for years.” said DeWitt. “These Soldiers will be fighting an enemy our predecessors never considered -- with capabilities they couldn’t have imagined.”
“The truth is the nation needs a new breed of Soldiers able to reach out to the populations of the Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and Iraq. And as of today we stand ready to answer that call,” he said.
The 151st TIOG unit crest displays the Twin Towers with a banner that reads in Latin “Nos Memor-- We Remember.” And as the 151st TIOG crest reminds us -- especially those who serve this country -- that we as Americans should always remember.
Story by – Staff Sgt. Alyn-Michael Macleod, 99th Public Affairs Office
EDSION, NJ - As the bugler played “call to assembly”, the local community and the Soldiers from the 78th “Lightning” Division said goodbye in a bitter sweet inactivation ceremony of the Sgt. Joyce Kilmer Army Reserve Center at Camp Kilmer in Edison, New Jersey on 5 October.
The inactivation ceremony attracted many guests and high-ranking officials, including Brigadier General Walter B. Chahanovich, Commanding General of the 78th Division; Senator Barbara Buono of New Jersey; Legislative District 18; and Councilwoman Antonia Ricigliano of the Township of Edison, NJ.
Camp Kilmer was named for local resident Sgt. Alfred Joyce Kilmer, known as a fearless noncommissioned officer and hero, but known nationally and internationally as a famous journalist and poet.
Kilmer was killed by a sniper during a scouting mission at the Second Battle of Marne on the morning of June 30th 1918 and posthumously awarded the Purple Heart by the United States Army as well as the Croix de Guerre by the French Republic.
The history of Camp Kilmer dates back to 1941 when the Department of Defense, then known as the War Department, used the 1600 acre camp as a transportation hub processing over 20 divisions who came to Camp Kilmer before being deployed to Europe during WWII.
Camp Kilmer occupied one of the most essential processing and administrative posts in the United States during that time.
The Camp was deactivated in the fall of 1949 but reactivated at the outbreak of hostiles in Korea.
Not as active during the Korean War as it was in WWII, Camp Kilmer lost its status as a major processing point to Fort Dix and was once again made inactive in 1955.
In 1963, most of the 1600 acres was auctioned and sold to local universities and colleges. Today, Rutgers University, the state university of New Jersey, maintains most of the camp as Livingston College.
With a limited military presence on the last remaining 24 acres of government owned land, the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC) recommended to close the camp in 2005.
The 78th Division, currently the last major Headquarters on Kilmer, will relocate to the recently dedicated Maj. John P. Pryor Army Reserve Center at Army Support Activity - Dix.
The sounds of children playing in the background highlighted the sense of community as the narrator keyed in on the support shown by the people of Edison.
“‘This day closes and era that spans over 60 years and through the years the township of Edison and its patriotic citizens has stood by in support of the Soldiers who passed through Camp Kilmer never wavering in this endeavor,” he emphasized.
Chahanovich seemed saddened by the passing of history.
“My solemn duty today is to bring closure to an era as the last post commander and the last commander of the 78th as an Army division,” he stated solemnly. “The remaining area is currently planned for use as homeless shelters, recreational land and the town of Edison Public Works Center. “
Buono highlighted the importance of the 78th Lightning Division role as she echoed the emotion of the day.
“This is a day of mixed emotions and heavy hearts,” Buono stated. “The ‘Jersey Lightning’ played a very vital role in Operation Desert Storm and continues to this day to give our brave men and women on the front lines the training they need to be successful in their missions abroad so they can all come home safely to their families and friends.”
Buono also spoke on the history of the facility and its importance to the community.
“To bid our final farewell to a facility that has played such an important role in protecting our nation against threats aboard… this facility and the millions of men and women who have passed through it over the years have served their country with distinguish,” declared Buono. “The mission of these hallow grounds will now turn to preparing our young people for the challenges they face in a very difficult and evolving world economy.”
In a voice shaking with emotion, Ricigliano spoke of Sgt Joyce Kilmer.
“Joyce Kilmer would be proud of this Army base and the many uses it has had in these almost 70 years,” she said.
As the ceremony drew to a close, it became apparent that those involved with this historic base did not want the memories to simply drift away with the years.
“It is up to all of us to make sure that the years of history that unfolded here will not fade away, will not be forgotten. We ensure that future generations will remember that the freedom and liberties that we so often take for granted today exacted great sacrifices.” Buono concluded.
The Defense Department, which had seen some services ban the use of social networking sites, will allow troops and their families to use the popular online communication tools such as Facebook and Twitter on its unclassified networks, according to a draft memo obtained by Nextgov.
The memo, written by Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn III and due out in days, solidly backs the use of social network sites, which Lynn calls "Internet capabilities," for both official and unofficial purposes and envisions these tools as providing an information advantage for Defense.
The new policy "addresses important changes in the way the Department of Defense communicates and shares information on the Internet," Lynn wrote. "This policy recognizes that emerging Internet-based capabilities offer both opportunities and risks that need to be balanced in ways that provide an information advantage for our people and mission partners."
The directive defines Internet capabilities as "the full range of publicly accessible information services resident on the Internet [and] external to the DoD, [for example] outside of the .mil domains, including Web 2.0 tools such as social networking services, social media, user-generated content sites, social software, as well as e-mail, instant messaging and discussion forums."
The memo comes in the wake an increasing use of social media sites by deployed troops and their families to communicate. But the sites are bandwidth hogs, which interferes with military communications, and their unfettered use by troops in deployed areas raised security concerns. In July 2007, the Defense Information Systems Agency banned access to and use of 13 social working and video streaming sites on Defense networks to preserve bandwidth.
Some troops and their families expressed concern about the ban on Defense's Web 2.0 Guidance Forum that Lynn's study would result in a ban on the unofficial use of social network tools. But the directive endorsed the use of the sites on Defense's unclassified network known as the Nonclassified Internet Protocol Router Network, or NIPRNET.
"Personal, unofficial use of Internet-based capabilities by DoD employees from the NIPRNET is permitted, but users shall not claim representation of the department or its policies, or those of the U.S. government," the memo stated.
Story by – Staff Sgt. Alyn-Michael Macleod, 99th Public Affairs Office
FORT DIX, NJ - Family, friends and distinguished guests braved the wet fall weather to attend the building dedication honoring the memory of Maj. John Paul Pryor (M.D) at the 99th Regional Support Command (RSC) complex on 27 September.
Pryor was killed in action on December 25, 2008, when a mortar exploded near his compound in Mosul, Iraq.
Speakers at the ceremony included Maj. Gen. William Monk III, Commanding General, 99th RSC; Maj. Gen. Dean G. Sienko, Commander, 3rd Medical Command; Lt. Col. Omar Bholat, Rear Detachment Commander, 1st FST; C. William Schwab, M.D., Professor of Surgery and Chief of the Division of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care at the University of Pennsylvania Health System and Maj. John Chovanes, M.D.
Guests spoke in honor of Pryor, remembering him for his compassion, his professionalism and his commitment to others above all.
“John Pryor lived the Albert Schweitzer quote that hung in his office: “Seek always to do some good, somewhere … For remember, you don’t lie in a world all your own. Your brothers are here too,” said Sienko.
Sienko added that Pryor’s sacrifice would not be forgotten.
“What he did with his life will remain an inspiration to all of us for the rest of our lives,” declared Sienko.
Schwab echoed those sentiments recalling an instance when he had received an email from a mother in January who lost her 17- year old daughter after a motor vehicle crash.
‘He [John Pryor] was truly genuine and sincere not just communicating with us as a professional,” Schwab said, “but as another human being with emotion and compassions and true concern. John was the ultimate physician”
Friends and co-workers see the new building as a way to further enhance the memories of their esteemed colleague.
“Further generations will probably digitally review who John Paul Pryor was in the moments when they pass through this door” explained Schwab.
The 163,000 square feet building was officially opened on February 28. It is the home of six units that epitomize the transformed United States Army Reserve.
Together, the Soldiers of these diverse yet complementary units will use this state of the art facility to ensure the Army Reserve continues to provide trained and ready Soldiers and units to the nation.
John Pryor was one of those trained and ready Soldiers.
“A true example of what a hero embodies today,” Monk said, “He never stopped. He never slowed down. He strived to change the wrongs in the this world and on the way, he touched so many lives; both military and civilian – on the battlefields in Iraq and in the emergency rooms in Pennsylvania.”
“We memorialize this building today, in honor of a man whose core values centered on duty, country, and honor. What he gave us in return was service, sacrifice, and heroism.” Monk concluded.
The 99th Public Affairs Team is dedicated to bring its Soldiers, Civilian Employees and Family Members the most important and up to date information and news that will directly impact you.
For more info you can contact SSG Alyn-Michael Macleod at nj99thrscpao@yahoo or alyn-michael.macleod@usar.army.mil
