Get out of Afghanistan, pass meaningful healthcare and if it fails, move on.
Regulate financial industries. Jobs, Jobs, and Jobs.
Stop building unwanted bridges and schools in Afghanistan. We need them at home.
The terrorist are not warriors. They have no army to blow up. We give them creditability calling their gang an army.
The FBI and CIA can chase them. Use the law to prosecute them, jails to hold them and the electric chair to kill them.
Stop spending our precious resources outside of the country and spend it at home.
Don't become "Bushed!"
Stand by the progressives, discipline the blue dogs and bring bills to the floor. If they don't pass it is OUR job (not yours alone) to fix it.
Oh, most important to you. You're not only slipping in the polls, you are losing your base. I love ya, but sometimes action is better than wimpy results!!
Stop enjoying yourself soo.... much. We are living hard lives and are trying to get through tough times.
Where is the "OLD" Barack? Bring him back and if bills go up or down, we will at least have a great time trying.
Good Luck, I am still in your camp for now. I don't think I can afford to give any more money. At least not until things change.
On this important day, we take a moment to remember the men and women in harm’s way and their courageous service at home and overseas. This particular time is remorseful with the recent tragedy at Fort Hood, Texas involving the loss of innocent lives and subsequent grief among the victims’ families.
Not all human beings can pledge their life to serve the nation in a combat environment and those who come forward to do so are uniquely honorable. Every one of these individuals deserves national appreciation for their tremendous contribution towards security, freedom and humanitarian deeds.
It’s important to maintain the federal run VA health care and rehabilitation programs for all service members and their families. Further, the government assistance to the veterans’ families with housing, education and other social services are equally essential to help them cope with the economic hardships while their family members are engaged in the active duty or otherwise. It’s the least any nation can do for the armed personnel deployed in various parts of the world.
Remaining article available @http://www.padminiarhant.com
Thank you.
Padmini Arhant
Health Care Reform - Former Rear Admiral Rep. Joe Sestak Vet benefits and VA would be increasedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C7MnTdbf84 (video)
Bush administration kicked out about 265,000 vets in 2003 and now it’s about 500,000 vets.
Bush administration cut funding to VA2 billion in 20032 billion in 20042 billion in 20052 billion in 2006
The Obama health care reform brings them back in.
VA gets an 11% increase over 5 years and it’s the largest increase in it’s history.
VA is exempt from the 2.5% tax.
First, let me apologize for not writing sooner, as we all should. Yes my life has been very busy. The economy is picking up, and as a CPA consultant so has my work. The change has been very noticeable and profoundly encouraging. I know we're not out of the woods yet, but we seem to be heading in the right direction on the clear path we built out of this awful haze.
Secondly, I am very disappointed in Obama's apparent decision to concede the public option section of the health care plan. But I believe we've got to pick up the pieces quickly and realize that, since January 20th and before, this is the first time this administration has done anything I disagree with of significance. I'm sure President Obama is exhausted, and he's done amazing and superlative things to this point. I'm not ready to throw him under the bus because of this, and nor should anyone else in our camp, regardless of how strongly they feel about this event. He is our guy and our family. We should not simply forget how far we've come in just a few months, nor should we forget how much pressure and challenge Obama has had to endure to this point. The man is a study in seemingly superhuman endurance. We shouldn’t simply give up on him because he is a human being.
Another thing to consider is that to simply rail against the Obama administration now is to cause our own undoing. We need to take stock of what we have accomplished in this moment of frustration, because we will lose a lot of ground to break apart like a herd of cats. To do so emboldens the distortion makers and obstructionists. People like Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh. And like Dick Army.
Let's take a deep breath and catch our composure. Let's remember that we must stick together and stay together, even in tough times.
To President Obama, the only thing I would like to say, other than to express my continued support and respect, is that I believe it is better to go down fighting and lose the health care fight with dignity than to give in to the lying minority, even if they have touched a nerve in the general population. This time of emotionally charged criticism will pass, and when we are on the other side of these troubled economic times, people will see that we as Democrats are of integrity and strength. People respect that, even our detractors. That is what will carry us through 2010 and beyond as a governing majority. Please stay strong and resolute in your convictions and plans. I realize there is also the risk of becoming Bush/Chaney-like and completely disregarding new facts that come to light that indicate our direction is flat out wrong, but I strongly believe the decision to push to public option clause of the heath care plan overboard was premature.
Let's regroup and go forward as the team of which I have been so proud to be part. I know we can regain our momentum and strength of unity back again.
We have the technology, but so do they....in the event that there is a cyber attack, the idea is that the US army be able to take over your computer for the greater good of the country. However, if we compare ourselves to our bigger cousins, China...we pail in that comparison.
China could easily afford to have 250 million machines to node together into a massive botnet, sort of what we have seen the likes of with that virus STORM. We probably could accomadate 10 million machines, if there are that many infected with a special malware the army created.
There are also those special organisations..like google...that allow you to donate your cpu cycles for a special reason (like doing cancer stem cell research) which in the end makes us feel like we are doing our part, but who says that those mega machines are not infected with the same virus or worm, thereby coming back full circle as if you had the malware installed on your pc.
We match our 10 million to their 250 million, and we have to wonder...is this why we are login the cyber war??? What can we do differently, or better, to make sure this type of thing does not happen.
I would recommend something along the lines of an organised committee, that analyses the current threat that countries may pose based on their advanced techonlogy or access to...and formulate a way to moderate a country's progress. Let's say for example Africa was starting a special project to get some computers into schools.... this would be classified as mundane.
If you took a third world country that just finished purchasing special servers that allow multi processing of complex nature, sort of what you need to use to guide missles...well then we would have to review the background of where that hardware was going, and account for its presence at all times.
In the case of a botnet, it is the sum of the small parts that make the whole...does that mean we should limit the amount of computers allowed...or limit the connectivity of those computers to internet access...or anything that might put a small dent into that armor?
Who is to say, but it is something to think about in the years to come, especially now that we are seeing more and more cyber threats surfacing and making theirpresence known. ID Fraud, CC fraud, email scams....spamming, omg spamming! Just food for thought.
President Barack Obama says all Americans have a “sacred trust" with the military personnel who have served this Nation, a responsibility to reward courage and self-sacrifice with all the benefits an open democratic society can provide.
MyVetwork (myvetwork.com) provides the solid foundation for a vibrant network of support in the spirit of that sacred trust to improve the lives of not only our active duty personnel and the 600,000 veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, but all our nation's estimated 23 million living military veterans - and their families, too.
MyVetwork is already operational, with the capability to service the Veterans Community—for the first time—in three intersecting strings, known as a Trident Connection, add up to One Trusted Source for Veterans that anyone connected to the government understands is crucially needed:
Veterans community in one location. All for free.
Founded by decorated veteran John R. Campbell, MyVetwork draws on the “secret sauce” of the military, the “I’ve-walked-in-your-shoes” strength military personnel willingly share with one another, which will be a driving force behind MyVetwork.
Learn more about MyVetwork by visiting myvetwork.com or join the Veterans Community by visiting community.myvetwork.com.
Online Veterans Community: veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxcKgDocument posted by David Apperson
The House Armed Forces Subcommittee held a Military Personnel hearing, today, on “Sexual Assault in the Military: Prevention.”
The subcommittee heard testimony from Carolyn Collins, program manger of the Army’s Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Program, Raymond Bruneau, manager of the Marine Corps’ Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program; Katherine Robertson, deputy manager of the Navy Installation Command’s Counseling, Advocacy and Prevention Program and Charlene Bradley, assistant deputy for the force management integration in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Prevention and Response Office.
This was one in a series of hearings that this subcommittee will conduct on the subject of sexual assault in the military, this year. The hearing today focused on Prevention Programs that are currently in place.
Chairwoman Susan Davis (D-CA) said: “Just as we have the responsibility to ensure that victims of a sexual assault receive all the support that can be provided following an attack, we also have an obligation to do all we can to prevent such attacks from ever taking place. The Department of Defense has made significant improvements in recent years, but the question we need to ask is, has enough been done?”
Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) asked the witnesses whether and why the question “do women belong in the military” was still an issue and stated that this needed to be addressed. She said there needs to be a “change in cultural attitudes” towards woman in the military, and more “effective laws.”
The prevention and after-care systems that were identified by the panel seemed focused on the woman; offering counseling for victims. There was no evidence of rehabilitation programs in place for the men who commit this offense.
Mr. Bruneau said: “People are our most important resource. Marines have a long history of taking care of their own. Which means that we do not intentionally harm one another. Nor, do we leave a comrade behind. Victims of sexual assault are entitled to our support and care and deserve to be returned to the fight as fully functioning marines. The marines as always, are committed to caring for their own, as it’s the right thing to do.”
The subcommittee showed three videos by the witnesses that have been created by and for the military in an attempt to highlight the serious nature of sexually criminal behavior.
Source:
http://talkradionews.com/2009/03/marine-corps-%E2%80%9Cvictims-of-sexual-assault-are-entitled-to-our-support%E2%80%9D/
IN OUR OWN WORDS
A Collection of Stories and Photographs
From Military Families of the
Iraq and Afghanistan Wars
To our President and First Lady
On February 27, 2009, in his speech from Camp Lejeune, President Obama said, "…my strategy for ending the war in Iraq does not end with military plans or diplomatic agendas; it endures through our commitment to uphold our sacred trust with every man and woman who has served in Iraq.... And for you and your families, the war does not end when you come home. It lives on in memories of your fellow Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who gave their lives…. You and your families have done your duty; now a grateful nation must do ours….”
“We also know that service does not end with the person wearing the uniform. In her visits with Military Families across the country, my wife Michelle has learned first hand about the unique burden that your families endure every day. I want you to know that Military Families are a top priority for Michelle and me, and they will be a top priority for my administration…. Each of you has your own story. And that story is now a part of the history of the United States of America..."
Recently, on a show from Walter Reed, Oprah talked about Military Families, reminding Americans that every day when we listen to the news, we hear another number, and we go on with our lives. Behind the statistics are real families. An injured service member at Walter Reed said, “No soldier comes back the same - it is a family process. Go to the floor upstairs where the injuries are not seen. They are just as injured as those with physical injuries."
As President Obama works to end the war in Iraq, and the war in Afghanistan continues, the faces and every day lives of Military Families who wait at home will remain at the center of the war and our stories will continue. During war, military family experiences are so much more than can ever be communicated in news reports, care packages, legislation, military or political strategies.
Our MYBO/OFA group, “Military Families Need Obama as We Share the Human Faces of War,” led by military parents and siblings, invites military spouses, children, grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles to be a part of "IN OUR OWN WORDS," a special collection of stories and photographs that will be presented to our President and First Lady.
"IN OUR OWN WORDS" will share the human faces of the consequences of war from the hearts and souls of those who live it everyday. It is intended to serve as a tribute to the lives of Military Families of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and will include both our inspirational and heart breaking experiences, with a special section honoring those service members who have been killed while at war. Together, Military Families will create "IN OUR OWN WORDS” with the hope that as we share our stories, it will lift us all up.
Stories and photographs will only be used in this project to be presented to our President and First Lady. They will not be distributed to any other group, organization, or the media. To learn more about how to participate in this project, please contact one of us:
Debbie: DebbieIngraham@gmail.com
Jessica: JessicaIngraham@gmail.com
Terry: Tdaniel333@comcast.net
"I would characterize the likelihood of significant adjustments to this plan as fairly remote," said Gates.
Gates was asked about criticism of the plan from members of the president's Democratic Party, who do not like the idea of a large transitional force in Iraq until 2011.He stressed their mission will be very different from the combat forces now in place. The defense secretary acknowledged the remaining troops will still face some danger, but far less than today."It is a very different kind of mission and the units that will be left there will be characterized differently, they will be called advisory and assistance brigades," he said. "They will not be called combat brigades."U.S. commanders have indicated they are strongly supportive of the plan. The nation's top military officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, told the Fox News Sunday program that he is comfortable with the president's decision."Clearly, the conditions are much more positive than they were two years ago," said Mullen. "And the conditions are set for the Iraqi government, the Iraqi people, to take over their own country and be responsible for it."Both Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen said they were pleased with the process that led to the withdrawal plan. Mullen said the president listened extensively to the commanders. And Gates said he thought Mr. Obama was more analytical than his predecessor, George W. Bush."He makes sure he hears from everybody in the room on an issue, and if they do not speak out, he calls on them," he said.Gates said he does not know how long he might be willing to stay at the Pentagon, but admitted it might be a challenge to remain through President Obama's current four-year term in office.
Source: Voice of America
http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-03-01-voa16.cfm
Orlando Illi: Unraveling a Web of Medical Records, One Veteran at a Time
From the Partnership for Public Service | Sunday, March 1, 2009; 11:00 PM
Orlando Illi has been a man on a mission, a very personal mission to change the way the military handles medical records.
Three decades ago, Illi was thrown from a vehicle during an Army training accident, hospitalized for a month and left with permanent back injuries. Many years later the medical file detailing his injury could not be found when he applied for veterans' disability benefits, causing him great difficulty proving his claim.
Now a civilian manager working for the Army at Fort Detrick in Maryland, Illi is playing a pivotal role bringing electronic medical records to the battlefield -- a task that is helping improve the care of wounded soldiers and ensuring that injured veterans will not have to fight our government for the benefits they deserve.
"When I leave here at night, I know that somewhere in Afghanistan or Iraq that if somebody is injured or in combat and wounded, that data is being captured and that guy will know forever what happened to him," said Illi. "That's what keeps me going. That is the bottom line."
Illi, deputy product manager with the Army's Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Team, or MC4, has been a steady and persistent hand for almost 10 years in helping oversee the worldwide deployment, expansion and improvement of the military's electronic medical records system that today is used in 14 countries.
While President Obama has made electronic medical records one of the hallmarks of the recently--approved economic stimulus package, Illi and his team have been ahead of the curve. The Army's MC4 unit has already trained more than 33,000 personnel, fielded 28,000 laptops, servers and handheld devices used to collect 9.6 million medical encounters.
The system has made a real difference.
When a soldier is injured in Iraq, doctors and nurses in the field hospitals use MC4's system to immediately create a permanent electronic record of the patient's condition, treatment and medications -- digital records that follow the soldier to larger military hospitals in Iraq, Germany or the United States. This allows doctors to have the complete medical history at their fingertips, and to make quick and often critical life-saving decisions.
"We used the MC4 system daily," said Mary Miller, a nurse in St. Charles, Mo., who served in a combat support hospital in the Iraqi desert in 2007 and 2008.
"We would build a record from the get-go, from the first point of contact when an injury or illness occurred'' said Miller, an Army Reservist.
Miller said before the "user-friendly" system was put in place, a paper record was created and sent from the frontlines to the next treatment center with an injured solider. ``Things would get lost and there would be no continuum of care,'' she said. "Now they can pull up the record and see everything."
Illi's boss, MC4 Product Manager Lt. Col.William Geesey, said Illi has been a big part of the program since its inception and is "relentless and committed in everything he does."
"He's seen the program grow from only a handful of people in 1999 to an outfit that's meeting a global mission with a workforce of more than 250 people," said Geesey.
"Getting doctors and commanders to adopt new technology in the war zone has been MC4's biggest challenge, and remains so," said Geesey. "Orie's historical knowledge of the program and ability to collaborate with industry and military partners has been the difference between success and failure."
Army Major Kevin Peck, who served in Iraq and is now a chief information officer stationed in Korea, said MC4 technical support teams have been responsive to those in combat, providing software and hardware "way faster than anything else ordered when in theater."
"If I put in a ticket to get a problem solved on the ground, the guys get on it right away and work nonstop to fix it," said Peck. "They provide excellent support for the system down range."
Illi said it is satisfying knowing he is helping save lives and sparing other veterans the same personal ordeal he endured when trying to link his medical condition to his military service.
"Everyone else in this office feels the same way," he said. "We are all here for the same reason."
(This article was jointly prepared by the Partnership for Public Service, a group seeking to enhance the performance of the federal government, and washingtonpost.com. Visit www.ourpublicservice.org for more about the organization's work to recognize the men and women who serve our nation.)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/27/AR2009022702059_pf.html
Veterans advocates are venting anger and frustration toward the biggest charity within the U.S. military after revelations that it has been packing more money into reserves than it has spent on aid during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"We have so many soldiers, reservists and National Guard who are in dire need, and for the Army to be holding this much money in reserve is despicable," chairman Bob Handy of Veterans United for Truth, of Santa Barbara, Calif., said Monday.
He was reacting to an Associated Press investigation that examined five years of tax returns by Army Emergency Relief and reported on interviews with dozens of soldiers, veterans and officials from other military charities.
From 2003 to 2007, the charity, also known as AER, packed $117 million into its own reserves while spending just $64 million on direct aid, records show. By contrast, smaller Navy and Air Force charities both put far more of their resources into aid than reserves. Also, more than 90 percent of AER's aid was given as no-interest loans, not outright grants.
Though tax-exempt and legally separate, AER operates largely under Army control, the AP found. Soldiers are squeezed for contributions, often rewarded for them in violation of regulations, and sometimes delayed in transfers or promotions when loans aren't repaid.
AER, which operates on 90 Army sites worldwide and grew into a $345 million colossus during the Iraq war, is meant to help active-duty soldiers and Army retirees with their cash emergencies and to provide college scholarships to their families.
In written comments Monday, AER said it has been giving generously. "AER has always met the need for financial assistance. No soldier or family member has ever been denied financial assistance for a valid need due to a lack of funds," said retired Col. Andrew H. Cohen, the charity's national treasurer at its headquarters in Alexandria, Va.
He said the charity's expenses fail to provide a complete picture of its performance. He said the total value of assistance, counting loan and grant dollars as equal, has grown every year since 2003.
At a news conference Monday outside El Paso, Texas, Col. Ed Manning, commander of Fort Bliss, said that the charity works well and he was "just kind of surprised that there'd be a question about the money." He said the charity at his post of 20,000 soldiers had distributed $2.9 million over the past year, though he acknowledged that it was mostly in loans.
He said soldiers contribute entirely of their own will, but he defended rules that make needy soldiers request aid through an Army superior. "It's good that a commander knows what's going on in his unit," Manning said.
Other charities on Monday questioned AER's generosity.
"It just makes me sick to my stomach," said Amy Fairweather, director of the Iraq Veteran Project in San Francisco, a nonprofit that helps veterans with shelter and emergency payments. "There are resources that are not being used when organizations like ours ... are pounding the pavement every day in this tough economic time to bring in dollars to help our veterans."
Paul Sullivan, executive director of Veterans for Common Sense, in Washington, D.C., said AER should rework its policies to help more veterans. Right now, it limits emergency aid to active-duty soldiers and veterans who served long enough to retire.
"If they're sitting on all this money and there is a demonstrated need out there, they can expand their mission to meet the need," said Sullivan, an Army combat veteran who used to work as a project manager for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Veterans for Common Sense and Veterans United for Truth are appealing the dismissal of a federal lawsuit they filed during the Bush administration over federal delays in providing disability benefits.
Source: Associated Press http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i8RwU4-Rr9BiSOiAjZeJIArc7ZjwD96HJSQ00
Wed., Feb. 18, 2009 PHOENIX, Feb. 18, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE)
U-Haul, in addition to supporting our veterans and troops throughout the world, now will become a partner with the U.S. Army Recruiting Command, which will allow U-Haul to provide priority status to qualified members of the Army who are participating in the Partnership for Youth Success (PaYS) Program.
Under the terms of the agreement between U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC) and U-Haul, enlistees interested in gaining specific job training and qualifications will receive that training while in the U.S. Army. As part of the enlistment process, recruits sign a statement of understanding of their interest to work for U-Haul upon completion of their term of service. As they near the end of their enlistments, these members of the Army will have the opportunity to interview with U-Haul for a specific job at a specific location.
"U-Haul has supported our military personnel since 1945 and has always given a high priority to veterans in our recruiting process, so this partnership is a natural fit," stated U-Haul International President John ("J.T.") Taylor. "U-Haul simply wants to give back to the veterans who have sacrificed so much for our freedom. Veterans have the qualities that we look for in our U-Haul team members: dedication, an excellent work ethic and strong leadership values."
U-Haul will be signing the agreement with the U.S. Army during a ceremony on February 20, 2009 at 10 a.m., at U-Haul International, Inc., 2727 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, Ariz., with Colonel Michelle D. Mitchell, Battalion Commander, U.S. Army Phoenix Recruiting Battalion, and Colonel Robert Akam Commander of the 5th Recruiting Brigade out of San Antonio, TX.
"The Army is excited to add U-Haul to its team of corporate partners," said LTC Michelle Mitchell. "Signing this agreement enables our recruiters to offer quality employment opportunities to Soldiers upon entering the civilian workforce."
About U-Haul
After World War II, there existed a widespread need for do-it-yourself moving equipment on a one-way, nationwide basis. World War II veteran and U-Haul founder L.S. "Sam" Shoen and his wife, Anna Mary Carty Shoen, recognized that need and acted upon it. Ever since, U-Haul has been the undisputed choice for the do-it-yourself mover, with a network of more than 15,650 locations in all 50 United States and 10 Canadian provinces.
U-Haul customers' patronage has enabled the Company to maintain a fleet of 96,000 trucks, 75,000 trailers and 35,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers more than 387,000 storage rooms and more than 34 million square feet of storage space at more than 1,075 owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the consumer's number one choice as the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. U-Haul supplies alternative-fuel for vehicles and backyard barbecues as one of the nation's largest retailers of propane.
About U.S. Army Recruiting Command
The U.S. Army Recruiting Command, headquartered at Fort Knox, recruits quality men and women to serve in the Army and Army Reserve. Approximately 8,000 soldiers and civilian employees conduct recruiting operations throughout the States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and at U.S. facilities in Germany and Asia. http://armypays.com/
CONTACT: U-Haul Public Relations Joanne Fried Ashleigh Wagner (602) 263-6194 publicrelations@uhaul.com U.S. Army Phoenix Recruiting Battalion Public Affairs Deborah Marie Gibson (602) 254-1981 deborah.gibson@usarec.army.mil
Source: MSNBC http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29266273/
The Army has ordered a stand-down of its recruiting force on Friday, Feb. 13. The one day stand-down includes all 7,000 active duty and 1,400 Army Reserve recruiters. During that day the soldiers will receive training on leadership, suicide prevention, coping skills, recruiter wellness. The stand-down was ordered after an investigation of four suicides in the Houston Recruiting Battalion.
Poor command climate, failing personal relationships and long, stressful work days were factors in the suicides. All four recruiters were combat veterans (Iraq and Afghanistan) although none had been diagnosed with PTSD.
The Army's suicide rate increased from 12.4/100,000 soldiers in 2003 to 18.1/100,000 soldiers in 2007. This is an all-time high for the service. (This information is from an article in the "Army Times", 1/27/2009.)
This is for Alex, a young veteran of the Iraq War. I have linked to his blog before, in the B A D list, when the Weblog Awards were going on and I have talked about it at other times.
Well, this morning I noticed there was a new post, so I went to read it. I have been touched deeply by Alex's posts before, but this one really, really touched my heart. So, I am asking you to read this post, I am putting here, I will also link to his blog, he is a very talented writer, and you can follow your heart, but I think you will see where he and I are coming from. I hope you will write to Pres. Obama as I am and ask that he spare Alex's friend and all the others who are caught up in this back door draft that the Bushies got us into. Because that's how it is. So, read this and see what you think. Then if you want, go here to "http://armyofdude.blogspot.com/ and read more.
More after the fold
Picture: Chrysler's General Electric Motorcar delivered the first six, out of the thousands of NEVs the U.S. Army plans to lease in the coming years.
Aiming to save fuel and advance alternative-energy plans, the Army, Navy and Air Force intend to buy thousands of battery-powered, 35-mile-an-hour electric cars and light trucks to provide on-base transport, senior Army officials said.
“The Neighborhood Electric Vehicle [NEV] will be at Fort Belvoir, [Va.,] before Dec. 15. Our goal is to have the secretary [of the Army, Pete Geren] there to drive in one of the first ones,” said Paul Bollinger, deputy assistant Army secretary for energy and partnerships. “We are having bumper stickers put on and decals on the doors which say ‘Army Green, Army Strong.’ ”
The Army plans to order the street-legal NEVs from E-Z-Go, Native American Biofuels International and other electric-car makers. E-Z-Go, which is a subsidiary of defense giant Textron, makes golf carts that are listed online at about $1,300 each.
“We’re excited about this,” said James Cooke, CEO of Native American Bio-fuels International, Arlington, Va. “We’ve been working on alternative energy for about three-and-a-half years. We’ve innovated with Native American tribes all over the country.”
Next year, 800 cars will be delivered and 4,000 over the next three years. Ultimately, “we should be able to go to at least 10,000 vehicles overall,” Bollinger said.
The Army’s plan has persuaded its sister services to jump on board.
“The good news is that the Air Force and Navy have come to us and said that they want to piggyback on the order. Previously, the Air Force was looking at low-speed vehicles, which are actually still gasoline vehicles. We’ve skipped that and we are going straight to electric. We are eliminating the fuel issue, period,” Bollinger said.
An Air Force official confirmed his service’s involvement in the electric car purchase, but could not immediately provide details.
The Army is moving quickly; the purchase plans were unveiled last month as part of the service’s ambitious new energy strategy, which also calls for the construction of solar and geothermal facilities.
Bollinger said each electric car would use an average of about $400 in electricity per year, compared to the roughly $2,400 in fuel needed to run a gas-powered car, citing General Services Administration figures. Moreover, the 4,000 electric cars will save 11.5 million gallons of fuel per year, he said.
Daniel Goure, vice president of the Lexington Institute, a Va.-based think tank, noted that the price of fuel is nearly half of its record high earlier this year.
“In a few months, the savings that they could have expected has dropped by half,” he said.
The first batch of vehicles will likely be leased per year from Native American Biofuels International, Bollinger said. The Army expects to continue to lease the electric cars on a yearly basis and possibly buy them down the road.
“We will not be paying any more for the NEV than for a standard gasoline-powered vehicle,” Bollinger said.
The NEVs, now powered by lead-acid batteries, may one day be operated by lithium batteries, which are able to store and dispense larger amounts of energy at a lighter weight compared with lead-acid batteries.
The Army hopes to inspire a broader market for electric cars and has been telling automakers about the plans.
“Chevy is looking at making the Volt, a street vehicle that will go highway speeds. We don’t need that because the speed limit on our installation is 30 mph. We don’t need something that big or expensive, but we might need something that powerful. So in the future, if they are able to make it, that is great,” Bollinger said.
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF'S BALL TO AIR ON PENTAGON CHANNELAVAILABLE ON MILITARY BASES AROUND THE WORLD
JON BON JOVI TO PERFORM
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Presidential Inaugural Committee announced today that the Commander-in-Chief's ball, honoring the country's active duty and reserve military, will be broadcast to American troops around the world on the Pentagon Channel, which is available via cable on 368 military bases and on commercial cable and satellite services throughout the United States. Overseas, the Pentagon Channel is distributed via cable and direct-to-home satellite to nearly one million troops via the American Forces Radio and Television Service.
Jon Bon Jovi will headline the talent lineup for the ball, which will be held on Tuesday, January 20th, at the National Building Museum. George Lopez will emcee the event, which also feature performances and appearances by Jordin Sparks, Miss America 2009 Kirsten Haglund, and Right On. The event is also co-hosted by the Senior Enlisted Advisors of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.
"This opportunity to honor our troops should not be limited to those who are able to be in the room with us for the evening," said PIC Executive Director Emmett S. Beliveau. "We want all our troops, around the world, to share in this special evening with the newly sworn-in President and Vice President and the excellent talent we have for the evening. Our troops deserve our thanks and our gratitude and this is one way we hope to express our thanks to those here and abroad."
"While a relatively small number of service members will be able to attend the Commander-in-Chief's Ball in person, they will represent more than 2 million men and women in uniform," said Col. Hiram Bell, director of public affairs for the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee. "Most of those service members will be able to watch the celebration on the Pentagon Channel, or later on Armed Forces Network, and we want them all to feel part of this historic event."
The Pentagon Channel will break into regular programming with live coverage of the Commander-in-Chief's Ball, including remarks by Department of Defense leadership and both the Vice President and the President. Coverage begins at approximately 8 PM Eastern time and continues throughout the evening.
The event will be produced by The iDream Company, led by entertainment executives Suzanne de Passe, Suzanne Costen, and Madison Jones, and written by Ruth Robinson. The iDream company has been recognized with Emmy Awards, Golden Globe and Peabody Awards.
Tickets are being provided free of charge to all invited guests, which includes active duty and reserve military, wounded warriors (Purple Heart recipients), families of fallen heroes, and spouses of deployed military. This event is not open to the general public.
source: http://veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxFsx
Getting our Military Families what they DeserveBy Jay Chalnick 15 January 2009
NEW YORK, NY– In his Inaugural speech, President-elect Obama will no doubt voice his intention to ensure those who have served their country in the US military get what they deserve. As he said, “This is something I care deeply about.” The team of people who built MyVetwork (www.myvetwork.com) will be among those cheering his words.
One of them is Brendan Hart who left the Marine Corps in 2005, and wanted to reconnect with other veterans, people who would understand what he went through and what support he may need. Plenty of services exist, says Hart, 26, on medical leave from Dartmouth College because of a contaminated smallpox vaccine he was given while serving. But finding them was another matter. Hart launched Student Veterans of America, now one of the many military-focused groups taking advantage of www.myvetwork.com, the new online community designed specifically to facilitate the intention of President-elect Obama and others to take advantage of available technology to get to veterans the services they have earned.
MyVetwork.com is the first-ever online social network designed specifically for our military and their families that lets them shape their own community…so they can connect and interact with each other while exchanging information on getting the services and resources they need– all in one place. This has not been possible until now; MyVetwork.com provides the timely vehicle to bring to reality Michele Obama’s “vision of a system that does more to support military families, both when loved ones are deployed and long after they return.”
“Why is it that no one has ever asked the military community what they need?” says John R. Campbell, Founder and CEO of MyVetwork, and a decorated Vietnam era Marine officer. “We’ve conducted interviews across service branches, ranks and cities, and have heard time and again our service men and women want to connect with one another, share stories, exchange resources, and give and receive support. This fundamental and natural channel for sharing information is long overdue. And they want all the groups who serve them to be easily accessible, under one umbrella.”
MyVetwork invites active duty, retired, and veteran military members and their families to build their own community and interact on multiple levels of shared interests. The community is built upon a dynamic customized platform specific to the military, providing the basis for a community that’s shaped by and for its members. Member profiles and sophisticated matching algorithms make it easy for participants to find others with similar interests; make peer-to-peer recommendations; locate long lost buddies; find other parents of wounded veterans eager to exchange critical information; look for support from someone who has “walked in their boots;” give, receive mentoring or career advice; and exchange information on a virtually unlimited number of topics.
Large Veterans Service Organizations (VSO’s) like the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) with its 1.9 million members; AMVETS (600,000); and the American Legion Auxiliary (750,000) are partnering with MyVetwork to provide a new means of connection and interaction among their members. Similarly, smaller groups like VET Foundation, Army Wife Talk Radio, and The Coming Home Project; Strategic Outreach for Families of all Reservists (SOFAR) have signed on to get exposure and expand membership.
All will join the applause for President-elect Obama who seeks a “shift in attitude in the VA” to make sure those who served are getting treated with the honor and respect they deserve.”
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About MyVetwork
MyVetwork (www.myvetwork.com) is a not for profit organization with 501(c)(3) status, and is free to members. MyVetwork is the exclusive trademark of MyVetwork, LLC
source: http://disabilties.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxbgp
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