A world filled with wonder, adventure, and endless possibility

Wednesday 13th March 2024 at 12:21 AM

As the CH-47 Chinook helicopter soars through the skies over Hawaii

From CH-47 Chinook on Hawaii:13th March 2024:(Media Link//Seven Seas News Desk)::

This is an special click looks some risky too. Enjoying the View like this we can sea the broad size of the sea. we can feel the touching nature over the sea. In the photo you may see Army Sgt. Shelby Lewis looks out of the rear of a CH-47 Chinook during training over Hawaii on 3rd March 2024. this photo was taken by Army National Guard Sgt. Lianne M. Hirano when he was trying to click the joy of enjoying the View. These moments were clicked at a CH-47 Chinook-a big helicopter. This photo was provided by DoD USA army.

As the CH-47 Chinook helicopter soars through the skies over Hawaii, carrying soldiers on a training mission, there exists a moment of unparalleled wonder and exhilaration for those fortunate enough to gaze out of the rear. The feeling is akin to being suspended between earth and sky, with the lush greenery of the Hawaiian landscape sprawling below like a vibrant patchwork quilt.

As the wind rushes past and the rotor blades slice through the air, there's a sense of freedom unlike any other. With every twist and turn of the helicopter, the view morphs into a breathtaking panorama, revealing hidden valleys, towering peaks, and pristine beaches lapped by azure waters. It's a sight that evokes a profound sense of awe and gratitude, reminding soldiers of the vast beauty that exists beyond the confines of their military duties.

In this moment, as they peer out of the rear of the Chinook, the stresses and pressures of army life momentarily fade away, replaced by a sense of peace and tranquility. Surrounded by the camaraderie of their fellow soldiers, they find solace in the knowledge that they are part of something greater than themselves, bound by a shared sense of purpose and duty.

But amidst the serenity of the view lies an undercurrent of excitement and anticipation. For soldiers, even in moments of leisure, there is always the awareness of the training mission at hand, the need to remain vigilant and prepared for whatever challenges may arise. It's a reminder that even in the midst of beauty, the call of duty is ever-present.

Yet, despite the demands of their service, there's a profound appreciation for the opportunity to experience such moments of respite and reflection. For in the rear of a CH-47 Chinook over Hawaii, amidst the splendor of the landscape, soldiers find a fleeting glimpse of the world beyond their military obligations—a world filled with wonder, adventure, and endless possibility. And in that moment, they are reminded of the privilege and honor it is to serve their country, both in times of peace and in times of conflict.

Click of A Tearful Embrace

When A Soldier Welcomed Home with the Tears of Joy

A soldier with the New Jersey National Guard is welcomed home during a ceremony in West-field, N.J., Dec. 12, 2019. The soldiers were returning from Jordan where they supported Operation Spartan Shield.
Photo By: Mark Olsen

Face of Defense:Twins Serve Together in Afghanistan

By Army Sgt. Robert Yarbrough 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, May 29, 2013 - Army 1st Lts. Joseph and Joshua Mouré, twin brothers from Covington, Ga., are both deployed to Forward Operating Base Shank here with the 3rd Infantry Division's 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Army 1st Lts. Joshua, right, and Joseph Mouré pose for a photo May 24, 2013, at Forward Operating Base Shanks in Afghanistan's Logar province. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Robert Yarbrough  Joseph, about two minutes older than Joshua, is the fires support officer with the brigade's Company C, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, and Joshua is the liaison officer for the brigade's 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment."It was nice always having someone there to hang out with," Joshua said, about growing up with a twin. "We always were on the same football team, baseball team, things like that," added Joseph. "We grew up playing war and stuff like that, so we decided, I guess, we'll make it a career," Joshua said. Their parents, Joseph and Tammy Mouré, both served in the Army's Signal Corps, and the lieutenants said that was a factor in their decision to join. The twins joined the Georgia National Guard in 2006, attended the Georgia Military College, and were commissioned in 2008. They finished their degrees at North Georgia College and State University, where they met their wives, Abby and Ashley, who were roommates at the time. Joseph attended the field artillery basic officers leadership course at Fort Sill, Okla., and Joshua attended the infantry basic officers leadership course at Fort Benning, Ga. After their training, they were assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division's 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, also known as the Vanguard Brigade. "Since Josh was going to be infantry, I figured he needed somebody to protect him," Joseph joked. "It's good being the fires support officer so I can call in air assets, artillery, and mortar fire to help out the guys. It's pretty interesting de-conflicting and controlling those assets while the infantry are maneuvering around." As a liaison officer, Joshua is responsible for keeping the communication and information networks flowing between his battalion and the brigade. "I see what goes on at the brigade side, and I can help to translate down to the battalion, and vice-versa, so there's a clearer picture," he explained. The Mouré twins said being misidentified can be a challenge. "People come up and start talking to you, and you have no idea what they're talking about," Joseph said. "It gets old fast," Joshua added.

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force

Face of Defense:

Army Civil Engineer Serves in Afghanistan

By Karla Marshall Army Corps of Engineers, Afghanistan Engineer District South KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, April 1, 2013 - Linda Murphy said her passion to use her expertise to help Afghans improve their quality of life caused her to trade-in her designer pumps for some steel-toed boots. Afghanistan-deployed U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civilian employee and civil engineer Linda Murphy, right, meets with Afghan Minister of Energy Ishmael Khan as part of her duties as the Afghanistan Engineer District-South Water and Infrastructure program manager. Courtesy photo  Murphy is a civil engineer, and she serves here as chief of the Water and Infrastructure Project Management Branch with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineer District South.Competition spurred Murphy from a young age, she said. "My best friend and I were always competing in math grades and science fairs," she said. Those experiences, she said, taught her the value of working hard, living up to promises and commitments, and doing her best. So following her dream, she said, was not scary or particularly difficult. "I liked architecture but my best friend's dad was a Purdue University engineering alumnus and he convinced many of us from our high school to go into engineering at Purdue," Murphy said. Pursuing engineering at Purdue was a logical choice for Murphy, who said she figured out in high school that she wanted to be self-sufficient. Murphy reasoned that attaining a science, technology, engineering and math degree would help ensure that her future was wide open and that she'd always be employed. After earning her Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., Murphy began her career as an engineer with the USACE Louisville District in Louisville, Ky., in 1983. Working her way up through the ranks at her home district, Murphy was chief of the Civil Project Management and Programs Branch of the Louisville District when she deployed to Kandahar Airfield in January 2012. "Now that I had gotten both my daughters off to college as fairly self-sufficient women, I decided to deploy to provide assistance to the women and men of the coalition forces and particularly to the women and men of Afghanistan," she explained. "I knew that I could contribute to the mission and grow as a person at the same time." One year later Murphy doesn't regret that decision and she has opted to extend an additional nine months to manage one of the South District's most challenging programs. She leads a team of project managers who oversee construction projects that directly contribute to the improvement of Afghanistan's infrastructure. Water and electricity availability, bridges and roads, university facilities and medical clinics all fall under Murphy's purview and leadership. "I have never been one to back down from a challenge," she said. "Working in Afghanistan has broadened my experiences, allowed me to do something outside my comfort zone, and given me a greater appreciation for what I have back home." In addition to a successful career with the Corps of Engineers, four of Murphy's best female friends are also engineers at the Louisville District. Having that core group of friends, Murphy said, has made her career a rewarding one. "For young women, engineering probably doesn't seem like a very glamorous career but if they are given opportunities to see engineers at work, ask questions, and are encouraged to enjoy math and science, more would probably show interest," Murphy said. "I am grateful that my core group of friends shares a similar background with me. As women who are engineers, we look for opportunities to mentor younger women and share our careers with them." The important thing is to be passionate about what you want to do, Murphy said. For her, coming to Afghanistan has enabled her to continue her passion. She believes that she and her fellow women engineers deployed to Afghanistan all serve for a common purpose and goal which emulates the Corps of Engineers' motto, -- Essayons, which means "Let Us Try." "We are daughters, sisters, aunts, nieces, mothers, and even grandmothers -- coming together here for one cause -- to make a contribution for a better future for not only the women of Afghanistan but for everyone here," Murphy said. "And like our Corps' motto states, -- we will try. We will try our hardest."

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force

Globemaster III aircraft lands

Runway during exercise Red Flag

A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft lands at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., as three F-15C Eagle aircraft assigned to the 48th Fighter Wing at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, hold short of the runway during exercise Red Flag 13-3 Feb. 25, 2013. Red Flag is an advanced aerial combat training exercise held four to six times a year to train pilots from the U.S., NATO and other allied countries for real combat situations. (DoD photo by Lawrence Crespo, U.S. Army/Released)  02/25/2013 - 
VIRIN: 130225-F-NK166-828

Chairman's Enlisted Advisor

Inspires Army Junior ROTC Cadets

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr. American Forces Press Service ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 22, 2013 - Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. Battaglia, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spent this morning talking to Junior ROTC cadets here. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. Battaglia, center, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks to Army Junior ROTC cadets at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va., Feb. 22, 2013. DOD photo by Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.  The sergeant major spoke to students in the Army Junior ROTC program at T.C. Williams High School, known for marching in President Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration parade and for the film "Remember the Titans," based on the 1971 merger of the city's three public high schools.Battaglia told the cadets that he and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, got the idea for today's visit when they used the school's football stadium recently to film a Super Bowl message to be broadcast to service members overseas. He commented on the Junior ROTC Cadet Creed that is on display at the school. "If you follow that as gospel, it tells me that you are living by standards and rules for yourself and have some goals or objectives for yourself," the sergeant major told the cadets. "And it also shows me teamwork." Using a PowerPoint presentation, Battaglia showed the cadets the U.S. military's oath of enlistment. "We, in the military, have oaths and creeds as well," he said. "This is our oath. We all take it. I took that oath 33 years ago." Battaglia noted that the cadet creed and the enlistment oath have common denominators. "We all live by an oath, by a creed, and things that guide us along the way," he said. "That's pretty amazing." All 2.3 million troops and their families live by the same oath, he added. "I hope that as you may have memorized it and know it by heart, it means more than just being able to say it by memory," Battaglia said. "There's a whole lot of substance in there, and it's really important for you to understand, as it is for us -- because what that means to us ... is that I'm willing to give my life for the protection of you. That's pretty serious, isn't it?" The sergeant major said when he reflects on what the oath of enlistment means, it's "a whole lot more than just a paragraph of words." "So I really hope that you can comprehend your creed ... as establishing a standard and value for you to get better and grow into being contributors," Battaglia said. "Whether it's just contributing to your neighborhood or the whole city, youth are the next leaders of our nation." No other job requires the oath service members take, the sergeant major said. "It's a serious profession that you join, and you're starting to [build] that footprint right now," he told the cadets. "I'm happy to see and hear that, because you are the future of our nation." Battaglia said he believes JROTC is a "great stepping stone" to continued success in life. "Regardless of whether the armed forces is your choice, you're going to have to survive in life," he said. "There are so many options and opportunities out there for you." The sergeant major said he has tried to follow two "golden" rules throughout his life: to do his job to the best of his ability, and to follow orders. "I found that those two golden rules allowed me to stay out of trouble ... and avoid temptation when that came about," he said. Following his remarks and a recital of the Junior ROTC Cadet Creed by one cadet, the group asked the sergeant major questions about his military career, including his 25 ribbons. Battaglia said seeking recognition and awards is not important, because they will come with hard work and commitment. "The thing that I probably learned [most] in the infantry is teamwork," he said. "You just can't do it alone -- there's no way. And that's not just fighting for your nation. That's doing anything. You just don't want to do it by yourself. It's all about teamwork."

Biographies: Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. BattagliaRelated Sites: Army Junior ROTC Cadet Creed

Afghanistan's Kunduz province

02/22/2013 08:00 AM CST     Fri, Feb 22, 2013 at 7:45 PM
Precision Strike Kills Taliban IED Expert
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release
KABUL, Afghanistan, Feb. 22, 2013 - A precision strike killed Zekaria, a Taliban improvised explosive device expert, in the Chahar Darah district of Afghanistan's Kunduz province yesterday, military officials reported.

The strike will significantly degrade the ability of insurgents to conduct attacks in the Charhar Darah district, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command officials said.

In other news, ISAF Joint Command officials confirmed today that Habib, a Taliban leader, was killed by a precision strike yesterday in Logar province's Charkh district. He obtained weapons for insurgents and helped to plan attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, officials said.

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force

Operation Homecoming

02/12/2013 01:12 PM CST

Vietnam POWs Marks 40 Years By Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2013 - Forty years ago today, a C-141A Starlifter transport jet with a distinctive red cross on its tail lifted off from Hanoi, North Vietnam, and the first flight of 40 U.S. prisoners of war began their journey home through Operation Homecoming. Newly freed prisoners of war celebrate as their C-141A aircraft lifts off from Hanoi, North Vietnam, on Feb. 12, 1973, during Operation Homecoming. The mission included 54 C-141 flights between Feb. 12 and April 4, 1973, returning 591 POWs to American soil. U.S. Air Force photo  By the day's end, three C-141A aircraft would lift off from Hanoi, as well as a C-9A aircraft from Saigon, South Vietnam. In a steady flow of flights through late March 1973 under terms set through the Paris Peace Accords, 591 POWs returned to American soil.Americans were spellbound as they watched news clips of the POWs being carried in stretchers or walking tentatively toward U.S. officers at the awaiting aircraft for the first flight from Hanoi's Gia Lam Airport. The POWs ranged from privates first class to colonels, all wearing new gray uniforms issued by the North Vietnamese just before their release. Air Force Tech. Sgt. James R. Cook, who suffered severe wounds when he bailed out of his stricken aircraft over North Vietnam in December 1972, saluted the U.S. colors from his stretcher as he was carried aboard the aircraft. Also on the first flight was Navy Cmdr. Everett Alvarez Jr., the first American pilot to be shot down in North Vietnam and, by the war's end, the longest-held POW there. He spent eight-and-a-half years in captivity. Celebration broke out aboard the first aircraft -- nicknamed the "Hanoi Taxi" -- as it lifted skyward and the POWs experienced their first taste of freedom. Historian Andrew H. Lipps captured the magnitude of the moment in his account, "Operation Homecoming: The Return of American POWs from Vietnam." "Imagine you're imprisoned in a cage; imagine the cage surrounded by the smell of feces; imagine the rotted food you eat is so infested with insects that to eat only a few is a blessing; imagine knowing your life could be taken by one of your captors on a whim at any moment; imagine you are subjected to mental and physical torture designed to break not bones but instead spirit on a daily basis. That was being a prisoner of North Vietnam," Lipps wrote. "Then imagine one day, after seemingly endless disappointment, you are given a change of clothes and lined up to watch an American plane land to return you home. That was Operation Homecoming." Aeromedical teams assigned to each aircraft tended to the former POWs during the two-and-a-half hour flight to Clark Air Base in the Philippines, the first stop on their trip home. Meanwhile, many of the POWs joked and smoked American cigarettes as they caught up on all they'd missed while in captivity: fashion trends and the women's liberation movement, among them. "Everything seemed like heaven," recalled Air Force Capt. Larry Chesley, who, after being shot down over North Vietnam, spent seven years in the notorious "Hanoi Hilton" and other POW prisons. "When the doors of that C-141 closed, there were tears in the eyes of every man aboard," he said. Air Force Maj. Gen. Ed Mechenbier, the last Vietnam POW to serve in the Air Force, recalled the emotion of his own journey out of North Vietnam on Feb. 18, 1973. "When we got airborne and the frailty of being a POW turned into the reality of freedom, we yelled, cried and cheered," he said. The POWs arrived to a hero's welcome at Clark Air Base, where Navy Adm. Noel Gayler, commander of U.S. Forces Pacific, led their greeting party. Joining him were Air Force Lt. Gen. William G. Moore Jr., who commanded 13th Air Force and the homecoming operation at Clark, and Roger Shields, deputy assistant secretary of defense for POW/MIA affairs. Speaking to the crowd that lined the tarmac to welcome the aircraft, returning POW Navy Capt. Jeremiah Denton -- who would go on to earn the rank of rear admiral and later was elected to the U.S. Senate, representing Alabama -- elicited cheers as he thanked all who had worked for their release and proclaimed, "God bless America." Air Force Lt. Col. Carlyle "Smitty" Harris, who spent almost eight years as a POW after being shot down over North Vietnam, joined the many other POWs who echoed that sentiment. "My only message is, 'God bless America,'" he said, dismissing assertions in the media that the POWs had been directed to say it. "With six, seven or eight years to think about the really important things in life, a belief in God and country was strengthened in every POW with whom I had contact," he said. "Firsthand exposure to a system which made a mockery of religion and where men are unable to know truth made us all appreciate some of the most basic values in 'God bless America.'" Air Force Col. Robinson Risner, the senior Air Force officer at the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" honored today by a statue in his likeness at the U.S. Air Force Academy, choked back emotion as he arrived on the second C-141 flight from Hanoi. "Thank you all for bringing us home to freedom again," he told the crowd. After receiving medical exams and feasting on steak, ice cream and other American food, the former POWs received new uniforms for their follow-on flights home. Their aircraft made stops in Hawaii and California. The first group of 20 former POWs arrived at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., on Feb. 14, 1973. News clips of the arrival reveal the deep emotion of the freed POWs as they arrived on the U.S. mainland. Navy Capt. James Stockdale, who went on to become a vice admiral and vice presidential candidate, was the first man to limp off the aircraft. Stockdale paused to thank his countrymen for the loyalty they had showed him and his fellow POWs. "The men who follow me down that ramp know what loyalty means because they have been living with loyalty, living on loyalty, the past several years -- loyalty to each other, loyalty to the military, loyalty to our commander-in-chief," he said. Of the 591 POWs liberated during Operation Homecoming, 325 served in the Air Force, 138 in the Navy; 77 in the Army and 26 in the Marine Corps. Twenty-five of the POWs were civilian employees of U.S. government agencies. In addition, 69 POWs the Viet Cong had held in South Vietnam left aboard flights from Loc Ninh. Nine other POWs were released from Laos, and three from China. Forty years after their release, two of the former POWs serve in Congress: Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Rep. Sam Johnson of Texas. A dinner and ceremony being planned for late May at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in California will honor the POWs, recreating the dinner the president hosted for them at the White House in 1973.

Related Sites: Operation Homecoming Fact Sheet U.S. Vietnam War Commemoration

Three guests with military

02/12/2013 12:35 PM CST
Guests With Military Ties to Join First Lady for Address
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2013 - Three guests with military ties will join First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, in the first lady's box at President Barack Obama's State of the Union address tonight.
They are:
-- Marine Corps Sgt. Sheena Adams, who was deployed to Afghanistan's Helmand province from September 2010 to April 2011 in direct support of 1st Battalion, 8th Marines. In September 2011, she returned to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force's advisor training cell, where she re-engineered the program of instruction for female engagement team members. She is a native of Kauai, Hawaii, and now lives in Vista, Calif.

-- Marine Corps Sgt. Carlos Evans, who was on his fourth overseas deployment when he suffered injuries in Afghanistan that resulted in the loss of both of his legs and his left hand. During his recovery, he met the first lady and later visited the White House, where the president signed his prosthetic arm. He credits the support he has received from private organizations to Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden's efforts in the Joining Forces initiative. In 2012, he received a custom home from Operation Coming Home. A Puerto Rico native, he and now resides in Cameron, N.C., with his wife and two young daughters.

-- Tracey Hepner of Arlington, Va., is co-founder of the Military Partners and Families Coalition, which provides support, resources, education and advocacy for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender military partners and their families. She a master behavior detection officer for the Homeland Security Department, and is married to the first openly gay or lesbian general officer in the military, Army Brig. Gen. Tammy Smith.

Hagel Says

01/31/2013 05:55 PM CST                               Fri, Feb 1, 2013 at 5:46 AMVietnam Shaped Perspective on War
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press ServiceWASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2013 - Having seen war "from the bottom," President Barack Obama's nominee to be the next secretary of defense said today, that experience informs him as he looks at policy.

Former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel spoke about his experiences in Vietnam during his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing.

Hagel and his brother Tom served together in Vietnam in 1968. It was the year of the Tet Offensive, and the young infantryman was wounded twice during his tour. "I saw it from the bottom," he said today. "I saw what happens. I saw the consequences and the suffering and horror of war."

More than 16,000 Americans died in Vietnam in 1968. Hagel said his experiences in Vietnam informed the decisions he made as a senator, and will continue to inform him if he is confirmed to succeed retiring Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta.

Hagel used his stance in regard to the surge in Iraq as an example. As a senator, Hagel opposed the surge. He felt it was a mistake, he told the Senate panel today.

"I did question a surge," he said. "It wasn't an aberration to me, ever. I always ask the question, 'Is this going to be worth the sacrifice?' Because there will be sacrifices."

The United States lost almost 1,200 service members during the surge and thousands of others were wounded, Hagel said. "Was it required? Was it necessary?" he asked. "I'm not sure. I'm not that certain that it was required. Now, it doesn't mean I'm right. It doesn't mean I didn't make wrong votes. But that's what guides me."

Questioning the need for a surge goes back to being an Army sergeant walking point in the Mekong Delta, Hagel said. "I'm not shaped, framed, molded, consumed by that experience," he said. "But it's part of me. ... We're all shaped by those experiences."

Hagel said he hopes his experiences in Vietnam will help him if he assumes the top job at the Pentagon. "I hope if I have the privilege of serving as secretary of defense, it will put someone in charge at the Pentagon ... who understands the realities and consequences of war," he said. "It doesn't mean I'm better. But that's who I am. I don't walk away from that."

The United States is the greatest military power on Earth, Hagel said, and America has been judicious and careful with its power.

"I want to make sure we continue to do that, as you all do," Hagel told the senators.

Good people can have honest differences, he told the committee.

"All I can do is my best based on my own experiences," Hagel said, "and ... reaching out, listening, learning, never knowing enough, understanding that circumstances change."

Related Articles:
Hagel Vows Policies Worthy of U.S. Service Members, Families 

Greeting a family member

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama greet a family member Dec. 25, 2012, in the Anderson Hall Dining Facility at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. While vacationing in Hawaii, the Obamas stopped at the base to visit U.S. Marines, Sailors and their families on Christmas Day. (DoD photo by Lance Cpl. Nathan Knapke, U.S. Marine Corps/Released)                      12/25/2012 - : 121225-M-NG901-002

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Daughter Delight

Thu, Dec 20, 2012 at 10:31 PM//12/20/2012 10:55 AM CST

U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Richard Winstead hugs his daughter during a homecoming celebration on Naval Air Station Atsugi, Japan, Nov. 17, 2012. Winstead is assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 141, which completed a deployment aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington.
(USA Dod) Daughter Delight

The colors during the Operation Linebacker II

The honor guard team presents the colors during the Operation Linebacker II remembrance ceremony at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Dec. 14, 2012. The ceremony commemorated the 40th anniversary of the Linebacker II campaign that led to the end of the Vietnam War. (DoD photo by Senior Airman Benjamin Wiseman, U.S. Air Force/Released) 12/14/2012

Chrismas Drop

12/12/2012 05:22 PM CST

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Timothy Oberman, left, and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Nick Alarcon, right, watch out the back of a C-130H aircraft after dropping the first pallet of humanitarian goods to the island of Ulal, Dec. 11, 2012. Oberman and Alarcon, loadmasters, are assigned to the 36th Airlift Squadron, Yokota Air Base, Japan. Operation Christmas Drop is a nonprofit organization powered by volunteers from Andersen Air Force Base and the local Guam community.

To Cure Young bravehearts of major heart disease

Rotary Int. and Army join hands with CMC Heart team

Mr Som Nath Sharma and Mrs Sharda Devi from Akhnoor (J&K), Mr Mohd

Shabir & Mrs Shamim Akhtar from Rajouri (J&K)   are extremely happy

parents today. Their children – Janu Sharma (7y) and Irfan (8y)

respectively had major heart defects with large holes in their hearts

along with defective valves. Both were not growing according to their

age and would get recurrent infections and were blue in colour . They

would land up in the emergency time and again. They are both from a

financially challenged background. They were investigated in Jammu

where the doctors advised an early major open heart surgery at an

advanced centre. Both could not afford to even travel outside J & K.

Their case was ‘adopted’ by the Army under project Sadbhawana – a

brain child of the Chief Of Army Staff – Gen Bikram Singh – and the

International Rotary India Humanity Foundation (based in Kolkata with

Mr Shekhar Mehta as the Director) which runs the Saving Little Hearts

programme. Mrs Sushmita Dasgupta with Ms Urmi Basu (sponsor) of the

Rotary took a personal interest and brought these children with their

parents to the prestigious Christian Medical College & Hospital in

Ludhiana to Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – Head of Cardiac Surgery. On

investigation it was realized that only a major open heart surgery

could save both as medicines had no role and if untreated it could

even lead to death. The bright youngsters suffered from a congenital

heart defect called Tatralogy of Fallot - what is called a ‘Blue Baby’

disease. This is a defect from birth and basically leads to impure

blood mixing with pure blood due to a large hole in the heart combined

with small arteries to the lung.

Dr Bedi who has had advanced training in the treatment of such cases

at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children in Australia and is one

of the senior most practicing cardiac surgeons of India - told that

both children underwent a major  open heart surgery (total correction)

and are doing well. Dr Bedi said that their hearts are now normal and

both can now lead a normal healthy life.  In fact Janu now wants to be

a doctor while Irfan is aiming to be a fighter pilot. The children

were operated upon under the ‘CMC Gift of Life’ project where highly

subsidized International level cardiac surgical care is given to all

children.

Dr Abraham G Thomas – Director of CMC said that the Institute is fully

geared to take care of such children with heart defects. Dr Bedi told

that it was only because of the strong backup of Dr Jugesh Chattawl –

Prof of Paediatrics – and her team that most of the heart defects

could be safely treated in CMC. The other members of the Heart team

during the marathon surgeries were Dr A Joseph, Dr S Garg , Dr Melchi,

Dr Anish, Dr Vishal, Dr Gurleen, Dr Elizabeth, Dr Ashwin and Dr

Cynthia . The Officers of the Army took a personal interest and gave

invaluable logistic and moral help.

Pic: Master Janu and Master Irfan with Dr Harinder Singh Bedi , Dr

Jugesh Chattwal and the Heart team of CMC

For Further Details Please Contact Dr.H.S.Bedi: 9814060480

Face of Defense:

Marines Enjoy Thanksgiving Feast, Camaraderie
By Marine Corps Cpl. Timothy Lenzo
Regional Command Southwest

FORWARD OPERATING BASE GERONIMO, Afghanistan, Nov. 23, 2012 - Marines with 3rd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 7 were in the holiday spirit this Thanksgiving. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 7 enjoy a Thanksgiving Day meal featuring turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing and pumpkin pie in the dining facility at Forward Operating Base Geronimo, Afghanistan, Nov. 22, 2012. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Timothy Lenzo  Thousands of miles from their loved ones, the Marines traded gathering with their friends and families for spending time with their brothers and sisters in arms."It's hard for Marines to be away from home this time of year," said Sgt. Corey Branner, logistics and supply chief with the battalion. For Thanksgiving, the dining facility at Forward Operating Base Geronimo served a special menu for the Marines. They ate turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing and pumpkin pie. All their holiday favorites were available. It was a welcome boost of morale at a time when many Marines miss their families the most. "It's nice having a Thanksgiving Day meal rather than a [Meal, Ready-to-Eat]," said Branner, who hails from Chicago. "It helps the mindset of being away from home. A lot of these guys make groups of close friends in the Marine Corps, and today we are able to talk about more than Afghanistan, FOB Geronimo and work." Marines often refer to one another as brothers and sisters, and for deployed Marines during the holidays, that saying holds true. "They realize we are also their family," said Cpl. Justin Burns, warehouse noncommissioned officer with the battalion. "They turn to their brother to the left and right of them and say, 'You are my family, let's go eat dinner.'" With the familiar Thanksgiving Day smells of turkey and gravy wafting through the air, the Marines joked and shared stories. With the television playing sports in the background, it gave some Marines a familiar aura while deployed to another country. "I believe being away from their family for the holidays gives the Marines something to bond over," said Cpl. James Smoak, warehouse chief with the battalion. "No one wants to be away from their family, but I look forward to the camaraderie and spending time with my fellow Marines." This is Smoak's fourth deployment and each deployment was during the holiday season. He is accustomed to not being home for Thanksgiving and said his family supports him. "My family understands this is my job," said Smoak, from Icard, N.C. "This is what I do, and this is the profession that I chose." Unlike Smoak, many of the Marines are on their first deployment to Afghanistan, and first away from their families and friends. "We have a young battalion and some good senior leadership," Branner said. "I think the first time being away from home will be a humbling experience for them." The new Marines had a welcome surprise when they arrived at the mess hall. The decorations and Thanksgiving Day menu helped boost morale. "I don't think a lot of guys expected the mess hall to be decorated," said Burns, who hails from Fort Worth, Texas. "They had banners, cutouts and Happy Thanksgiving signs everywhere. It was really set up nice. They did a really great job for us." The meal meant more to the new Marines than a different menu. In a country where holidays are still workdays, the pumpkin pie, turkey and camaraderie helped bring the Marines with 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines, closer together as a family.

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force

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Program Eases Voting for Military Families

By Lisa Daniel American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2012 - With Election Day just 54 days away, federal voting officials want to ensure that service members and their families are prepared for their votes to be counted. The Federal Voting Assistance Program has made the voting process easier than ever for Americans serving overseas, Pam Mitchell, the program's acting director, says. The website includes a tab for each state's deadlines for registering to vote and casting absentee ballots. It also has online registration and absentee ballot assistance, and includes a mobile app. "We firmly believe that voting assistance for our absentee voters is absolutely the best that it's ever been," Mitchell said at a Sept. 5 Pentagon news briefing. "There are a lot of tools in our arsenal to help those voters both register, get an absentee ballot and to exercise their right to vote." If you prefer to go in person, there are 221 installation voting offices, all of which the program supports. "We've spent a lot of time reaching out to every single one," Mitchell said. The Military Postal Service Agency provides free, expedited ballot delivery and ballot tracking to your local election office for overseas-based service members and their families. Go to your local post office or postal clerk, use the Label 11 DOD form on your absentee ballot envelope and mail it. Go towww.usps.com to track the status of your ballot, according to the program's website. If you haven't received your ballot by Oct. 6, use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot, available on the website, as back-up. For each office for which you vote, write in either a candidate's name or their party designation, the website says. For additional help with the absentee voting process, contact FVAP at vote@fvap.gov or call 1-800-438-8683, DSN 425-1584 (CONUS)/312-425-1584 (OCONUS). It also is available on Facebook and you can follow on Twitter at @FVAP. "Our goal is to make sure that anyone who wants to vote has the resources and tolls they need form anywhere in the world to successfully exercise that right," she said.

Related Sites: Family Matters blog

MH-60S Seahawk helicopters assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 12 fire flares during a demonstration above the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln under way in the Atlantic Ocean, Aug. 6, 2012. The Lincoln is returning to the United States after completing an eight-month deployment during which it operated in areas of responsibility for the U.S. 5th, 6th and 7th fleets.

It was an honor and privilege

Marines release the ashes of Marine Corps Sgt. Brett Jaffe above Phillips Drop Zone on Yuma Proving Grounds, Ariz., July 26, 2012. "It was an honor and privilege to take this Marine on his last jump and give him a proper hail and farewell," said Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Marty Rhett. The Marines are military free fall instructors assigned to Marine Detachment, Fort Bragg, N.C.

U.S. Deputy Defense Secy addresses Japanese media

U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter, right, addresses Japanese media in Tokyo, July 21, 2012. Japan is Carter's third stop during a 10-day Asia Pacific trip to meet with partners in Hawaii, Guam, Thailand, India and South Korea