Cleaning up oil

Health, safety and environment (HSE) workers contracted by BP clean up oil on a beach in Port Fourchon, La., May 23, 2010. Hundreds of contracted HSE workers are cleaning up oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which began washing up onto area beaches a month after the drilling unit exploded. (DoD photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard/Released)

Papp relieved

From left, Commandant of the Coast Guard Adm. Thad W. Allen, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Vice Adm. Robert J. Papp Jr., commander of Coast Guard Atlantic Area, receive applause from the audience during a change of command ceremony at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C., May 25, 2010. Napolitano presided over the ceremony, during which Papp relieved Allen as commandant of the Coast Guard. (DoD photo by Cherie Cullen/Released)

Retrieving a bucket of plaster

U.S. Navy Builder Constructionman Jose Rivera, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 11, retrieves a bucket of plaster from a Vietnamese volunteer at the Hope Center engineering site in Quy Nhon, Vietnam, May 21, 2010. The engineering project is part of Pacific Partnership 2010, the fifth in a series of annual U.S. Pacific Fleet humanitarian and civic assistance endeavors aimed at strengthening regional partnerships and increasing interoperability with U.S. interagency, host nations, partner nations and international humanitarian and relief organizations. (DoD photo by Lt. Cmdr. Arwen Consaul, U.S. Navy/Released)

Investigate war crimes--Amnesty International

Sri Lankans survived horrific crimes and utter devastation during a brutal 26-year war. Today, a year after the conflict ended, there is little hope for justice. Urge the United Nations to investigate war crimes.

Dear Rector, Sri Lankans endured nearly 30 terrifying years of bloody civil war and then - its bitter aftermath. During the final stage of the conflict, both the Sri Lankan security forces and the Tamil Tigers committed horrific human rights abuses against civilians. The survivors deserve justice, reparations and the opportunity to rebuild their shattered communities. Yet one year after the conflict ended, hope for justice is fading. Instead of investigating suspected war crimes, the Sri Lankan government jails critics and clamps down on debate. The government's failure to act has compounded the victims' devastation. One thing is clear - there will be no justice without international action. And this September, when Amnesty representatives meet with top United Nations (UN) officials, we plan on communicating that message clearly. If that message is echoed by more than 50,000 of our supporters, then the UN will be hard-pressed to finally ensure an investigation into these war crimes. Help us send at least 50,000 signatures to our meeting with UN officials this September. Urge the UN to investigate war crimes in Sri Lanka. Toward the end of the war, atrocities against civilians and enemy combatants were fueled by a sense thatthere would be no real consequences for violating the law. Violations of human rights and humanitarian law peaked in the final months of conflict, when some 300,000 displaced civilians were trapped between the warring parties. Some 80,000 people remain in camps and funds for their support are running out. To this day, the government denies access to the area where the crimes were committed. The International Committee of the Red Cross continues to be denied access to places of detention in the north. And even Amnesty International has been denied access to Sri Lanka since 2006. Despite UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's repeated calls for accountability, the UN has essentially punted responsibility for ensuring justice to the Sri Lankan government. There is no immediate prospect of a referral to the International Criminal Court or consideration of other international justice options through the Security Council. If Sri Lanka is left to go it alone, impunity will continue and victims will be denied justice. More disturbingly, it will set an international precedent that the UN will not act when serious crimes are committed under the veil of "combating terrorism". The UN must set up an independent investigation into massive human rights violations committed by both government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam forces. Those responsible for war crimes must be prosecuted before competent, impartial and independent criminal courts. For lasting peace in Sri Lanka, there must be accountability. Justice rests with us, the global human rights community. Please sign our petition to the UN today. In Solidarity, Chistoph, Jim, Scott, Juliette and the rest of the Crisis Response Team Amnesty International USA  Share on Facebook  Share on Twitter

Sea trials

The Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Jason Dunham (DDG 109) conducts sea trials in the Atlantic Ocean May 20, 2010. Jason Dunham successfully completed a combined builder’s and acceptance “super trial” during its four days at sea. The trials are the last significant milestone before delivery of the ship to the Navy in summer 2010. The ship will be commissioned in November 2010. 










(DoD photo courtesy of General Dynamics Bath Iron Works/Released)

Speak with crewmembers of a fishing dhow

Members of the visit, board, search and seizure team from the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) speak with crewmembers of a fishing dhow in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility May 13, 2010. Ashland, which is part of the Nassau Amphibious Ready Group, is supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation operations. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason R. Zalasky, U.S. Navy/Released)

Kites for residents

Afghan National Army soldiers hand out kites to residents in Jaghato, Afghanistan, May 19, 2010. The soldiers are working with coalition forces to provide assistance for the area’s villagers. 


















(DoD photo by Spc. De'Yonte Mosley, U.S. Army/Released)

Clouds of smoke

Clouds of smoke billow up from controlled burns taking place in the Gulf of Mexico May 19, 2010. The controlled burns were set to reduce the amount of oil in the water following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (DoD photo by Chief Petty Officer John Kepsimelis, U.S. Coast Guard/Released)

U.S. Sailors board a disabled dhow

The amphibious transport dock ship USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) waits in the distance as U.S. Sailors board a disabled dhow May 14, 2010, in the Persian Gulf. Sailors from the ship provided food and water, repaired the dhow's severed steering cable and restored engine power. The mariners were adrift for four days with minimal food and no water. Mesa Verde is assigned to Combined Task Force 152, which conducts maritime security operations. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Steve Smith, U.S. Navy/Released)

Opportunity skimming system

Personnel from the U.S. Navy's Supervisor of Salvage and Diving operate a vessel of opportunity skimming system aboard the Naval Sea Systems Command-contracted offshore supply vessel Seacor Vanguard May 16, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico. The U.S. Navy is part of the oil spill response to the April 22, 2010, explosion aboard the ultra-deepwater oil rig Deepwater Horizon. (DoD photo courtesy of the U.S. Navy/Released)

Preparation for exercise

USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) enters Souda Bay, Greece, May 18, 2010, in preparation for exercise Phoenix Express 2010 (PE10). Phoenix Express is an annual two-week exercise designed to strengthen maritime partnerships and enhance regional stability through increased interoperability and cooperation among partners from Africa, Europe, and the United States. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Edward Vasquez, U.S. Navy/Released)

Painting a world map

U.S. Coast Guard Seaman Stuart Balaban, from USCGC Mellon (WASC 717), works with a student to paint a world map at the Fountain of Life Children’s Center in Pattaya, Thailand, May 17, 2010. Coast Guardsmen from the cutter are volunteering their free time while in the area for Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Thailand 2010. CARAT is a series of bilateral exercises held annually in Southeast Asia to strengthen relationships and enhance force readiness. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Kim McLendon, U.S. Navy/Released)

During a medical engagement

An Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier tends to a patient during a medical engagement in Now Abad, Afghanistan, May 15, 2010. During the engagement, Afghan civilians were given free medical care as well as rations of corn seed and fertilizer. The mission was a joint effort among the ANA, U.S. Marines with the female engagement team of Bravo Battery, 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion and a Navy hospital corpsman assigned to I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward). (DoD photo by Cpl. Lindsay L. Sayres, U.S. Marine Corps/Released)

Strap down tubing

Louisiana National Guard soldiers anchor and strap down tubing for a shoreline protection system in the southwest pass of the Mississippi River delta near Venice, La., May 18, 2010. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Tarell J. Bilbo   Read full story

Training dive

U.S. Navy Diver 2nd Class Brandon Zachry leaps into the water next to the amphibious dock landing ship USS Tortuga (LSD 46) May 15, 2010, during a training dive with Royal Thai Navy divers in Sattahip, Thailand. The dive is being conducted as part of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Thailand 2010. CARAT is a series of bilateral exercises held annually in Southeast Asia to strengthen relationships and to enhance force readiness. 




(DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class David A. Brandenburg, U.S. Navy/Released)

Reviews a map of the Gulf of Mexico

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Dan Sarachene, right, reviews a map of the Gulf of Mexico with Capt. Travis Adams at the Unified Incident Command in Houma, La., May 14, 2010. Adams is preparing to take over duties from Sarachene as the Air Force liason between the 910th Airlift Wing and BP. The unit, which is the Department of Defense’s only large-area fixed-wing aerial spray unit, is deployed to the region to assist with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (DoD photo by Maj. Brent Davis, U.S. Air Force/Released)

Face of Defense: Glew Keeps Company Together

By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Tommy Bellegarde  1st Marine Division MARJA, Afghanistan :  Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Jason Glew is a workhorse. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Jason Glew, left, poses with Marine Corps 1st Sgt. Edwin Mota in front of the India Company "Mustang" sign in Marja, Afghanistan, April 23, 2010. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Tommy Bellegarde  He serves as the company gunnery sergeant for India Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, and thrives at juggling multiple tasks at once as India Company fights the Taliban insurgency here. As the company's logistician Glew is responsible for delivering all supplies, including food, water and clothing, to India's Marines out on the front lines. The 34-year-old noncommissioned officer also mentors India Company's platoon sergeants. "It's hard to explain all the different roles and things [Glew] does to make the entire company successful," said Marine Corps Capt. Bill Hefty, India Company's commanding officer. "He gets less sleep than anybody while on deployment." Glew has deployed often in his career. His current journey to Afghanistan marks the seventh time he has gone overseas since joining the Marine Corps. He has traveled to several different countries with the Marines, including Japan, Norway and Iraq. Deploying, Glew said, is satisfying -- especially being "outside the wire" of a base. "Just going out there and doing everything that you've learned while you've been in [the Marine Corps], it's the culminating point," Glew said. "It's like the Super Bowl for football players. Being outside the wire is the Marines' Super Bowl. You get to put everything you know to the test -- all your skills." Glew is no stranger to combat either, having fought in Iraq in the battle of Fallujah in 2004. "That was the first time I was ever scared while I've been in the Marine Corps," he said. "I definitely thought many of us weren't going to make it out of that one, myself included." Glew recalled that Fallujah was a constant fight from the get-go, with the Marines having to battle for every square inch of the city. He said that his platoon was attacked with machine-gun fire upon entering Fallujah's first half-block. "The whole platoon was pinned down for about 30 minutes, until one of the squad leaders single-handedly ran up and fragged two of the machine-gun bunkers, which enabled us to roll," the Pittsburgh native said. "Being stuck in a two-foot-deep canal with machine-gun rounds hitting right next to you is pretty scary." Glew's experience in Fallujah has given him the knowledge needed to serve as company gunnery sergeant and lead his Marines here. "Falling back on experiences in Fallujah helped me know what [our Marines] needed to be both mentally and physically prepared for [Operation Moshtarak]," Glew said. "I was able to look back to when I was a platoon sergeant in the kinetic fight and remember what [supplies] I needed and how important it was to me that the company pushed those needs quickly. "I [drew] from that experience," he added, "and was able to forecast what equipment the Marines needed and how much of it." Glew also used knowledge gained from Fallujah to ensure that the senior Marines in the company's line platoons were ready to deal with the stress of a combat deployment. "I was able to mentor the platoon leadership we currently have and give them a mental picture of how intense it could get," he said. "I talked with them and showed them how to put the intensity of the fight aside." Glew's Marines have responded to his leadership. "Gunny Glew has so much wisdom to pass," said Marine Corps Pfc. Anthony Cotto, a rifleman who works with Glew on a daily basis. "He's the jack-of-all-trades for the company." Hefty said Glew's work has made other Marines' jobs much easier and has played a major part in the company's success during Operation Moshtarak. "We're lucky Gunny Glew can change roles on a dime and take care of any number of issues before it's one more thing that clutters up my to-do list," Hefty said. "He's completely pro-active, all the time." "He does it all," Cotto agreed. "The guy is awesome." (Issued on : May 17, 2010)

Related Sites: 1st Marine Division U.S. Forces Afghanistan U.S. Forces Afghanistan on Twitter U.S. Forces Afghanistan on Facebook U.S. Forces Afghanistan on YouTube

Cyclists Refuse to Leave Teammate Behind

By Elizabeth M. Collins
Army News Service
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.:  The Warrior Games cycling competition, held at the U.S. Air Force Academy here in a May snow shower yesterday, would have daunted the toughest of professional cyclists, but not wounded, ill and injured servicemembers.

They battled their way through freezing temperatures and slippery roads, persevering in the midst of extreme pain, and even stopped to help each other along the way. Suffering from two torn rotator cuffs, Army Sgt. Monica Southall had never used a handcycle before arriving at the Warrior Games a few days ago, but she didn't let that keep her from the race. At one point, the pain became too much to bear and she wanted to stop, but as she said, "Soldiers don't quit, and I wasn't going to quit." Help, in the form of Army Warrant Officer 1 Johnathan Holsey and Navy Master Chief Petty Officer Will Wilson, arrived just when Southall needed it most. Both men are leg amputees, and Wilson was talking Holsey through their upright cycling race when they passed Southall about two miles from the finish line and noticed her struggling. Any thoughts of winning in their own competition instantly disappeared. "When we came by her, she was having a hard time going around, and the Navy master chief [and I], we were coming through," Holsey said after the race. "He kind of helped me on. He was saying, 'Stay with me. Stay with me.' And when we saw Monica, we were like, 'You know what? We're going to take her in.'" Holsey added, "We said we weren't going to leave her and we stayed with her the whole time, because we're all here together. You never leave your comrade behind. Never. When we saw her coming up by herself, we said we were going to stay with her and we pushed her along. She had the wheel. "We just had to be there with her, he continued. "We just came through together. It's never about the race; it's about the camaraderie and being there for each other." Although the three were competing in individual events and are in different services, they were really one team, Holsey said, bound not only by their military service, but also by their experiences as wounded and injured servicemembers. They share something no one else could understand. Southall inspired and helped Holsey as well. Seeing her perseverance pushed all thoughts of pain, cold and falling off his bike to the side, he said. That's the best thing about the Warrior Games, he added: the inspiration, strength and power wounded warriors can get from being around each other. "This is the reason we came here, and this is the reason I'll do it every year," he said. "Any time they invite me back, I'll be more than happy to come." In the end, Holsey and Wilson tied for last place in their category, and Southall finished last in hers, but that didn't matter. They crossed the finish line together, as a team, to a crowd that cheered just as loudly for them as for the gold-medal winners. "It was great [to finish], seeing everybody standing there waiting for me and cheering me on," Southall said with tears rolling down her face. "You just can't describe a moment like that. It was very inspiring." (Issued on:May 14, 2010)    Photo detail: Left to right: Navy Master Chief Petty Officer Will Wilson, Army Sgt. Monica Southall and Army Warrant Officer 1 Johnathan Holsey approach the finish line May 13, 2010, after a grueling Warrior Games cycling competition at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. After noticing Southall struggling to finish, Wilson and Holsey abandoned their race and remained with her to help her finish. U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth M. Collins

Related Sites: Special Report: Warrior Games Warrior Games on Facebook

Gold medal victory

Marine Corps Warrior Games athlete Sgt. Michael Blair and Maj. Susan Stark, head coach for the Marines Corps team, celebrate their service's gold medal victory in seated volleyball with Blair's 4-year-old daughter, Bella, at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 13, 2010. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Graham J. Benson 

The visit, board, search and seizure team

 The visit, board, search and seizure team assigned to the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) boards and inspects two fishing skiffs for suspected pirate activity in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility May 6, 2010. Both skiffs were found to have fisherman and were released. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason R. Zalasky, U.S. Navy/Released)

An aerial tour

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano receives an aerial tour of the coastline over Alabama May 11, 2010. Napolitano is in the area to inspect and observe ongoing operations to minimize the Deepwater Horizon oil spill’s impact on public health, the environment and the economy as part of the federal government’s continued oversight and emphasis on interagency coordination in response to the spill. Alabama Gov. Bob Riley also joined Napolitano on the aerial tour. (DoD photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Casey J. Ranel, U.S. Coast Guard/Released)

Opportunity to operate in a multinational environment

USCGC Spencer (WMEC 905) pulls into Montevideo, Uruguay, May 7, 2010, behind the guided-missile frigate USS Klakring (FFG 42) for a port visit. Klakring is participating in Southern Seas 2010, a U.S. Southern Command-directed operation that provides U.S. and international forces the opportunity to operate in a multinational environment. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Darryl Wood, U.S. Navy/Released)

Members of the visit, board, search and seizure team

U.S. Navy Sonar Technician 1st Class Anthony Benz, left, and Electrician's Mate 2nd Class Brian Chance, members of the visit, board, search and seizure team from the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Farragut (DDG 99), help Somali mariners restore power to their vessel in the Gulf of Aden May 8, 2010. Farragut is part of Combined Task Force 151, a multinational force established to conduct anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Cassandra Thompson, U.S. Navy/Released)

Amputee Soldier Carries Torch at Warrior Games

By Elizabeth M. Collins
Army News Service

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., May 11, 2010 - A soldier whose leg was amputated below the knee carried the torch into the Olympic Training Center here yesterday during opening ceremonies for the inaugural Warrior Games.
 Army Sgt. Robert Price was the first servicemember to carry the torch before handing it over to representatives from each of the other services. Hall-of-Fame football player, U.S. Naval Academy graduate and Vietnam veteran Roger Staubach completed the short journey and lit the Olympic flame.

Price, who remained in the Army after losing his right leg to a roadside bomb in Iraq, is a cadre member at the warrior transition battalion at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. He was given the honor because he made sure other soldiers had the opportunity to compete as well. "I helped out quite a bit [with] other posts that don't have the training materials or for people to ... get them out and do their training at my post," he explained. "I just took the initiative [and] took over the BAMC part of it for the Warrior Games [to], get these guys to come in and start doing it at Fort Sam Houston. "I was actually very surprised," he continued. "I didn't even expect [to carry the torch]." He was happy to do it, though, especially because sports helped to keep him in the military. In fact, one of the reasons he decided to stay in the Army after losing his leg was to show other soldiers that they could, too. "I'm walking, living proof of that," he said. "I'm out there. I made a difference. I'm out doing the right thing, being better. The importance of having an event like this is it gives all these wounded and injured or sick servicemembers out here ... that sitting back in your room playing X-box, that's not what your life is about. There are other things you can go do, more things you can go out and do. There are a lot of sports activities. You can intermingle with your community again. Life doesn't come to an end just because you're sick or you're injured." Price didn't even make allowances for his injuries while training for the Warrior Games. Nothing, he said, could slow him down. He plans to compete in three sports: archery, which he took up after his injury three years ago; 10-meter prone shooting, because he's always loved to shoot; and sitting volleyball, which is a lot harder than it sounds, Price said, explaining that it requires a lot of core strength. "You've got to have some strong abs, some strong arms to move around," he said. Bearing the torch and taking part in the history-making competition isn't all fun and games to Price, however. Equally important, he said, are the friends and comrades who can't be there to cheer him on. "It felt great," he said, "but at the same time, you have happiness and joy, but you've also got the sorrow part that goes inside the back of your head when you're sitting there going, 'I've lost a bunch of friends. A bunch of people aren't here to see this, to experience this."

Related Sites: Special Report: Warrior Games Warrior Games on Facebook Warrior Games Schedule of Events

Inaugural Warrior Games

Former Air Force Staff Sgt. Stacy Pearsall, Air Force Staff Sgt. Richard Pollock II and retired Air Force Staff Sgt. Jeannie Goldy-Sanitate attend opening ceremony at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., for the inaugural Warrior Games, May 10, 2010. Pearsall, Pollock and Goldy-Sanitate are members of the Air Force team participating in the games. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Desiree N. Palacios 

Shoreline Cleanup and Assessment Technique

Members of a Shoreline Cleanup and Assessment Technique (SCAT) team conduct assessments and surveys along the beach at Dauphin Island, Ala., May 9, 2010, to search for any oil washing ashore from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael B. Watkins, U.S. Navy/Released)

President Barack Obama greets U.S. service members

President Barack Obama greets U.S. service members on the flight line of Langley Air Force Base, Va., May 9, 2010. Obama is in the area to deliver the commencement speech for a graduation ceremony at Hampton University. (DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Christina M. Styer, U.S. Air Force/Released)

After splash operations

U.S. Marine Corps amphibious assault vehicles return to USS Tortuga (LSD 46) after splash operations and vehicle familiarization training in the South China Sea May 6, 2010, during Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Brunei 2010. CARAT is a series of bilateral exercises held annually in Southeast Asia to strengthen relationships and enhance force readiness (DoD photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Michael Ard, U.S. Navy)

Setting up a claymore mine

U.S. Navy Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Miguel Irizzary sets up a claymore mine simulator during an Army Warrior training course on Fort Lewis, Wash., May 2, 2010. The training is part of a monthlong pre-deployment course for Sailors deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Walter M. Wayman, U.S. Navy/Released)

Oil burns during a controlled oil fire in the Gulf of Mexico

Gathered concentrated oil burns during a controlled oil fire in the Gulf of Mexico May 5, 2010. The U.S. Coast Guard, which is working in partnership with local residents, federal agencies and BP, conducted the burn to prevent the spread of oil following the explosion of the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon April 20, 2010. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Justin E. Stumberg, U.S. Navy/Released)

Pollution Response Unit

Members of Naval Air Station Pensacola’s Pollution Response Unit deploy an oil containment boom at Sherman Cove on the air station in Florida May 4, 2010, to protect environmentally sensitive grass beds from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (DoD photo by Patrick Nichols, U.S. Navy/Released)

Water Dropping

A C-130 Hercules aircraft, equipped with a Modular Airborne Firefighting System (MAFFS), drops water during a training flight over North Carolina April, 30, 2010. MAFFS is a fire retardant delivery system inserted into H and J model C-130s to convert them into air tankers capable of carrying 3,000 gallons of retardant or water that can be discharged in less than five seconds. The aircraft is from the U.S. Air Force Reserve’s 302nd Airlift Wing out of Colorado Springs, Colo. (DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Michael B. Keller, U.S. Air Force/Released)