Walking through an Afghan market

 U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Marchal Magee, center, the commander of the Paktia Provincial Reconstruction Team, walks through the Sayed Karam market in Sayed Karam district, Paktia province, Afghanistan, Jan. 22, 2011. (DoD photo by Sgt. John P. Sklaney III, U.S. Army/Released)

Amnesty International Condemns Vietnam Activist’s Sentence

Posted on : Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 11:07 PM

Washington, D.C. : Amnesty International has condemned the eight-year prison sentence handed down to a Vietnamese pro-democracy activist and former Communist Party official for posting articles on the internet calling for democracy. 

"This verdict and sentence is a shocking testament to how the Vietnamese authorities show complete disregard for freedom of expression when it comes to people who peacefully challenge government policies," said Donna Guest, Deputy Director of the Asia-Pacific Region. 

Vi Duc Hoi was convicted of "spreading anti-government propaganda" by a court in northern Lang Son province on Wednesday. He was also sentenced to five years of house arrest after his prison term. 

Hoi, a member of the Bloc 8406 network of pro-democracy and human rights activists, had written extensively about corruption and injustice in Viet Nam. 

He was arrested on October 27, 2010. Before his arrest, public security officials had raided his home on October 7. 

“It is difficult to understand why the authorities feel so threatened by peaceful dissidents such as Hoi.  Rather than locking them up, they should be allowed to contribute to civil society and promote free speech and human rights,” said Guest. 

Hoi joins at least 30 other peaceful dissidents currently serving long prison terms; others are awaiting trial.  Amnesty International considers all of them prisoners of conscience. 

Article 88 of the national security section of Viet Nam’s 1999 Penal Code is frequently used to imprison peaceful dissidents and government critics. 

”The Penal Code is long overdue for reform to bring it into line with international treaties which Viet Nam has ratified, and claims to uphold,” said Guest. 

Hoi joined the Communist Party in 1980 and held key positions within the organization, but was expelled from the party in 2007 after he started calling for democratic reforms. 

Hoi was previously arrested in April 2008 for his part in protesting the Beijing Torch Relay in Viet Nam, and he was publicly denounced by a 300-strong party rally the following June. 

Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.

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Guard Soldier Loses 100 Pounds

By Army Sgt. Rebekah Malone Louisiana National Guard PINEVILLE, La., Jan. 25, 2011 - Army Spc. Alejandro Zuniga of the Louisiana National Guard scored 401 points on his most recent Army physical fitness test -- something even he found hard to believe, considering the state he was in less than two years ago. Army Spc. Alejandro Zuniga of the Louisiana National Guard runs four miles a day, six days a week. His workout routine -– which led to a 100-pound weight loss -- allowed him to exceed a perfect score on the Army physical fitness test. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Scott M. Mucci  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution imageavailable. Zuniga, a member of the 1021st Engineering Company, 205th Engineer Battalion, overcame tremendous odds recently when he racked up well over the maximum number of points needed to score an excellent rating on the test. Just 18 months ago, and 100 pounds heavier, Zuniga was battling despair and depression. One day, he'd had enough. "When I was bigger, I was on the edge of depression. I felt helpless," Zuniga said. "Just one day something someone said struck me. I am so much more confident now." Too large to run, Zuniga started by walking. Within a couple of months, he was able to run three miles without walking. Today, he runs four miles a day, six days a week, then boosts his workout with 100 push-ups a day and lifts weights for at least an hour. This strict program allowed Zuniga to achieve a feat few Guardsmen attain. "I almost passed out when I heard," Zuniga said. His first sergeant had a similar reaction. "I said, 'Are you serious?'" Army 1st Sgt. Jack Toney said about hearing Zuniga's score. "A perfect score is 100 points in each of three categories on the test, for a total combined score of 300. I have never seen a score like this one in 24 years of service." Zuniga completed 112 push-ups, 117 sit-ups and ran the two-mile run in 10:07. An unofficial extended scale is used once a soldier passes the total event requirement for a perfect score. He was awarded one additional point for each push-up and sit-up, and six seconds off his time for the run. Toney saw Zuniga's work ethic first-hand when they served together on Task Force Kout Men in Haiti last summer. Even after an exhausting day of construction work, the devoted soldier still made time for a workout. "Zuniga would work, and I mean work, all day on his project site and come back to the base camp and run and do PT on his own," Toney said. "It was incredible. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it myself," said Army Sgt. Patrick Mahoney, who graded Zuniga's fitness test. Mahoney said his main concern was being able to count fast enough. Not content with his personal success, Zuniga has started helping others achieve their exercise goals as well. "I want to be a trainer for the National Guard," he said. "I want to be that person to go to get help. If I was 265 pounds and lost 100 pounds, I know everyone else can, too."

Related Sites: Louisiana National Guard

Strengthening Our Military Families

By Navy Adm. Mike Mullen Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2011 - Deborah and I attended a Jan. 24 White House event hosted by the President and First Lady announcing an exciting new effort that renews and enhances our Nation's commitment to our military families. President Barack Obama announces a whole-of-government initiative to benefit military families as Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, and First Lady Michelle Obama look on during a Jan. 24, 2011, White House event. DOD photo by Elaine Wilson  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. "Strengthening Our Military Families: Meeting America's Commitment" advances 50 new initiatives across 16 federal agencies and promises to revolutionize the way we care for military families on issues ranging from child care to mental health, from education and employment to housing. The President noted right up front that, "This is a matter of national security. With millions of military spouses, parents, and children sacrificing as well, the readiness of our Armed Forces depends on the readiness of our military families." We could not agree more. Deborah and I are reminded daily that the incredible families who support our men and women in uniform also sacrifice and serve. We are deeply pleased – and grateful – for all our military families do, and for this new comprehensive effort to care for such a special group of people.

Biographies: Navy Adm. Mike Mullen Related Sites: Special Report: Strengthening Our Military Families – Meeting America's Commitment  Chairman's Blog  Chairman's Facebook Page  Chairman's Twitter Account  Chairman's YouTube Channel  Chairman's Flickr account

familiarize each other

 Malaysian navy Lt. Cmdr. Yusman Darmawan, left, the staff officer for operations, and U.S. Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Jaimie L. Hertig, the adjutant for Combat Logistics Regiment 3, familiarize each other with their respective countries' military rank structure during exercise Cobra Gold 2011 in U-Tapao, Thailand, Jan. 17, 2011. Cobra Gold is a U.S. military exercise designed to ensure regional peace through a strategy of cooperative engagement and includes participants from Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea and the United States. 








(DoD photo by Lance Cpl. Alejandro Peña, U.S. Marine Corps/Released)

Visit, Board, Search and Seizure team

Members of the visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) team assigned to the guided missile destroyer USS Mitscher (DDG 57) board a rigid hull inflatable boat during a VBSS exercise in the Atlantic Ocean Jan. 21, 2011. Mitscher conducted a composite training unit exercise as part of the George H.W. Bush Strike Group. 














(DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Deven B. King, U.S. Navy/Released)

Soldier Finds Peace Through Music

By Air Force Senior Airman Ashley Avecilla  Paktika Provincial Reconstruction Team PAKTIKA PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Jan. 24, 2011 - People say it's not what life throws at you, but how you handle it, that determines your character. Army Spc. Diego Medina mans the turret as a gunner on a mission in Afghanistan's Paktika province, Jan. 10, 2011. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ashley N. Avecilla  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. For one soldier on the provincial reconstruction team, that's the story of his life. Army Spc. Diego Medina -- one of the 40 infantrymen who make up the Massachusetts Army National Guard's 3rd Platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry Regiment – has a lyrical talent that he uses to light his way. Medina, who calls Boston home, was born in La Ceiba, Honduras, and moved to the United States as a child. He learned English from listening to hip-hop music, he said, and as a young teen, he lived a life filled with rage and frustrations. But he learned to turn negative into positive in the 10th grade, he added, and began to use music as an outlet of expression, freestyling in studio basements and school lunchrooms. As time passed, Medina said, he began to take music seriously. "I started to articulate poetic consciousness and take the art of lyricism more seriously, as a stronger means of communication," Medina said. In 2008, Medina joined the Army National Guard. The continuous trials he faced not only inspired his musical talent, he said, but also influenced his decision to enter the military. Medina said he looked for a new path when his hope of playing college football didn't come to fruition. The National Guard gave him the chance to attend college and the ability to develop and use his leadership skills, he said. Medina said he's using his experience with the provincial reconstruction team to write new material and learn the meaning of appreciation, finding peace where others find stress. "Somehow in war, I find peace of mind, because grunts are comfortable in conflict," he explained. "I've always performed best when under pressure, and it doesn't get harder than being out here while maintaining composure." His first show was in Boston's Strand Theater and he has since performed at the Youth Peace Conference for Teen Empowerment of Boston, the Verve Lounge, Zumix, the Boston Festival and more. Medina's stage name is Rey Leon, and his music can be found on social media sites. His next performance is scheduled for Feb. 8 at an event called Verbalization in Boston during his mid-tour leave.

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force Massachusetts National Guard