December 30, 2007, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) The January 2^, 2008 program of Conversations with Cops at the Watering Hole features a nationally recognized expert on stress in law enforcement. 
Program Date: January 2, 2008Program Time: 2100 hours, PacificTopic: Policing and StressGuest: Dr. James L. GreenstoneListen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement 
About the Guest
With 40 years of practice, and almost 25 years as a police officer, James L. Greenstone, Ed.D. has expertise as a police psychologist, a therapist, a teacher, an author, a police officer, a mediator and negotiator, and as a consultant. The field of Crisis Intervention has been his focus.  For the better part of his career as a police officer, he has worked extensively in the field of hostage and crisis negotiations. As a mental health professional and consultant, and as a trainer of negotiators, as well as a member of hostage negotiations teams, he is knowledgeable about negotiator training, current practices in this area, dealing with suicidal and barricaded subjects, negotiations techniques, team development, and team and negotiator interactions with police tactical units. He has participated in numerous hostage, barricaded and suicidal situations, and has practical experience in all aspects of hostage and crisis negotiations team functioning.  
Additionally, Dr. James L. Greenstone is currently a Colonel with the Medical Service Corps, Texas State Guard, Texas Military Forces. His current assignment is as Chief of Staff of the Medical Brigade.  He is a member of the Editorial Board of Military Medicine, the Journal of the Association for Military Surgeons of the United States. Professionally, he is a Behavioral Health Officer. Colonel James Greenstone’s major focus has been in developing, and in providing, care for service members and their families affected by deployments and redeployments to current war zones. He has worked in this capacity since the Vietnam era and is involved with the Department of Defense in providing some of these services, and was recently tasked by the Texas Adjutant General and the Joint State Surgeon to make recommendations concerning psychological care for returning National Guard Soldiers. 
Joining the conversation at the half-hour mark is Jennie Valencia a Victim Services Advocate, Pinal County Sheriff's Office (Arizona). 
About the Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life.  Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.  During the first half-hour of the show, the host, a nationally recognized expert on law enforcement, interviews a subject matter expert on the topic.  During the second half-hour the program is joined by two other cops who give a street-level perspective to the conversation.   
About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years.  He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant.  He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond is currently a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and the Union Institute and University.  He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, technology and leadership.  Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One.  He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.  
Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole.http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement 

December 30, 2007, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books.  With the addition of three California police officers the website ended the year with 814 listings of police officers who have written books.  Robert Cole is a retired sergeant from the East Palo Alto Police Department (California) and the author of Under the Gun in Iraq.” According to the book description of Under the Gun in Iraq, “Robert Cole - a retired California police officer hired by DynCorp as an international police trainer - presents a vivid account of the challenges of training the Iraqis to handle their own security. In blunt, everyday language, Robert Cole gives the reader an unusually candid and often hair-raising glimpse into reality at the street level as he and his colleagues navigate the dangerous sectors of Baghdad, Tikrit, and Kirkuk, dodging explosions and bullets aimed at them by young, Iraqi, wannabe heroes.” Retired Chief Elvin G. Miali started his Law Enforcement career in 1967, with the City of San Gabriel in Los Angeles County. He began as a Patrolman, then he promoted to Detective, Detective Sergeant, Lieutenant Watch Commander, Lieutenant in charge of the Detective Bureau and finally Captain. In 1986 he was appointed Chief of Police of the Fountain Valley Police Department (California). He was Police Chief for 17 years, prior to his retirement in 2003. Chief Elvin G. Miali participated in many Oral Boards and Assessment Centers and observed how difficult it was for many officers to do well in the promotional process. For this reason he wrote the book entitled Unless You're The Lead Dog, The Scenery Never  Changes.  According to the book description, “He has developed various testing programs and will share with you the inside scoop into the testing process which is not available to everyone. He has assisted many of his officers with one-on-one consultations regarding the testing process. This type of information is coming from the "top" and Chief Miali knows what the administrators of police agencies want from their candidates, because he was there and made those decisions.” Joseph C. DeLadurantey was appointed Chief of Police for the City of Irwindale on August 1, 2001 and served until his retirement in 2005. He had served as the interim Chief for one month. Prior to his appointment he was the Law Enforcement Liaison for the District Attorney of Los Angeles County for four years. With over 40 years in law enforcement, he has served as the Chief of Police for the City of Torrance for 5 1/2 years and spent 27 years with the Los Angeles Police Department where he attained the rank of Captain. He retired from law enforcement at the end of 2005 and is currently a management consultant to the public sector.  He is an Associate Professor of Public Administration in the graduate school of Public Administration at Cal State Northridge, has published textbooks and articles for professional journals and lectures throughout the country on various topics. He is currently completing his dissertation and will be receiving a doctoral degree in Public Administration from the University of La Verne in 2007.  He is the author of Homicide Investigations Standards Textbook and co-author of Criminal Investigation Standards. Police-Writers.com now hosts 814 police officers (representing 367 police departments) and their 1726 law enforcement books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.

By Pfc. Daniel M. Rangel, USA Special to American Forces Press Service  Dec. 28, 2007 - U.S. soldiers helped local Afghans celebrate the opening of the Aftabachi Girls' School in the Aftabachi Village here during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Dec. 26. In attendance were Kapisa Gov. Koeja Ablebacker and Army Capt. Jordan J. Berry, Kapisa province civil affairs team leader for the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team, who helped coordinate the $120,000 project with Mr. Miraga, an Afghan contractor who also was in attendance.  "We started six months ago," Miraga said. "The brick work was the hardest, and the concrete was hard work as well."  Local children had been looking forward to the opening of the school since the project's inception.  "They don't have enough schools around here, so this one's a big one for them. They come up to us, and they can't wait to get started," said Army Sgt. 1st Class Henry L. Rodriguez, 351st Civil Affairs, working with the Bagram PRT.  The new school will serve 620 students and employ 15 teachers who will teach a wide variety of subjects including mathematics, science, English and Arabic, Mr. Turyaly, one of the school's teachers, said.  Before the school opened, teachers conducted their classes outside with only the trees as protection from the elements.  "We are very happy right now that we have a building for the school," Turyaly said.  Berry emphasized it was the willingness of the people of Kapisa to work with coalition forces to bring about construction of the new school.  Security has allowed soldiers to do a lot of projects in the area, Berry said. "There are still people in Afghanistan who don't want to give us security, and they don't want development in their areas. So while they still want to fight, the children of Kapisa will be going to school. Ten years from now, those people who still want to fight will be working for those children. The children of Kapisa will be the future doctors, lawyers, teachers and politicians who run this country."  But it was not only the people's willingness that made construction of the school possible, Berry noted. Their contributions made the project possible as well.  "This land was donated from private individuals," Berry said. "That goes to show the emphasis the people in this area put on education. They give valuable farmland in a beautiful area."  The school will not be the last project. Berry noted plans are in the works for more projects in the spring.  "We look forward to doing more projects," Berry said. "We have a lot more projects for this area, and more development for the springtime, when it starts to get warmer. We look forward to working more with the people of Kapisa in the future."  

(Army Pfc. Daniel M. Rangel serves with the 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)

By Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp, USA Special to American Forces Press Service  Dec. 27, 2007 - When the senior leadership and soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division's 1st "Ironhorse" Brigade Combat Team arrived in Iraq nearly 15 months ago, the security situation here was quite different from the one they now experience as they patrol the streets throughout their area of operations.  According to Maj. Patrick Michaelis, the Ironhorse brigade's operations officer, the brigade has seen a "phenomenal change" from having 150 enemy attacks per week for the first seven to 10 weeks in theater to having only about 10 significant events per week, now mostly involving the finding of weapons caches and improvised explosive devices, with only isolated incidents of coordinated enemy attacks.  "The shift in atmosphere of our operational environment has moved away from individual security and safety to normalcy, which has manifested itself in a concern for governance," Michaelis said. "Spectacular attacks are now the exception and not the rule. "If you had asked last year if we were fighting a counterinsurgency, it would have been hard to say yes; rather, we were in the center of a low-level ethnocentric civil war," he added.  Michaelis credits much of the brigade's success as a combined result of the troop surge, which began in early 2007, reconciliation efforts, and other underlying factors.  Early on in the deployment, the brigade began establishing joint security stations and coalition outposts in the neighborhoods in which it patrols.  "One of the tactics we implemented as a manifestation of the surge was putting ourselves dead center in contentious areas, going where the extremists' sanctuaries were, along with targeting al Qaeda financial assets," Michaelis said. "These efforts forced a change in the differences between this year and last year."  "Al Qaeda's tactics of extorting the locals, which led to the 'Awakening' in (Anbar province) gave rise to the opportunity of formerly irreconcilable forces aligning with the government and coalition to work toward the definable future that we're in now."  Sunnis and Shiias first began coming together in late January and early February in the brigade's operating environment of the 2nd "Lancer" Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, in Abu Ghraib. Tribal sheiks joined local leaders, with more concrete results of reconciliation efforts manifesting themselves in April and May, Michaelis explained. Eventually, similar things began happening in areas patrolled by the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment; the 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, which was attached to the Ironhorse Brigade out of Fort Lewis, Wash.; and the 2nd "Stallion" Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment also began to see changes, as former al Qaeda in Iraq members began breaking away from the extremist organizations and aligning themselves with the government.  "There was a definite polarization between Sunni and Shiia tribes, and now they are finding themselves recognizing their differences, yet working toward a common goal."  Despite a significant drop in enemy activity over the past six months, the brigade, which operates in Taji and Abu Ghraib and a small part of Anbar province, still remains vigilant in its efforts to maintain security gains while working with its joint partners, Michaelis said.  "Although the tension in the air is gone and a there's a feeling of opportunity and optimism, there's no doubt that the bad guys are still out there," the operations officer said. "We're prepared to respond to them with lethal force if necessary."  During its rotation, the brigade -- working alongside its Iraqi counterparts in the Iraqi police, Iraqi security volunteers and soldiers serving in the 3rd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, and the 2nd and 3rd Brigades of the 9th Iraqi Army Division (Mechanized) -- has detained 86 high-ranking senior leaders in various extremist organizations, including al Qaeda.  The brigade found and disposed of 724 improvised explosive devices, many of which 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion troops found while clearing routes. The brigade also uncovered 180 weapons caches. All of this was done while teaming in joint operations that not only involved partnering with Iraqi military, police and volunteer forces but also included the participation of Estonian and Macedonian troops, also based on Camp Taji and embedded with 1st BCT soldiers.  Over the course of the deployment, the brigade's 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, fired more than 6,400 rounds from its M109A6 Paladin howitzers in support of counterfire missions to suppressive fire missions as well as hitting planned targets. The soldiers also cleared routes for combat missions along with providing security for the base camp here.  Nearly 12,000 combined Critical Infrastructure Security volunteers and Iraqi security volunteers have partnered with Iraqi security forces and the BCT. They man the 190 checkpoints throughout the Ironhorse area of operations.  The brigade assisted military transition teams based on Camp Taji by partnering with various Iraqi army units to train them. In one such partnership, the brigade's Charlie Medical Company, 115th Brigade Support Battalion, trained more than 400 Iraqi soldiers through its combat lifesaver course.  Thousands of recruits in the villages of Abu Ghraib and Taji were vetted by the Iraqi government and local police departments to become potential police officers through recruiting drives. Soldiers in the brigade's 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment; 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment; and the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, all aided in these efforts.  To date, the combined efforts to build police forces in villages in the Ironhorse area of operations have resulted in more than 1,500 Iraqi police graduating from the Iraqi Police Academy in Baghdad and at the police training facility on Forward Operating Base India. The brigade's soldiers also assisted police and government leaders with the standing up of police stations such as the one in Agar Quf, which opened this month.  "As security continues to improve and displaced Iraqi citizens return to their hometowns, there is a need to develop a more sophisticated approach to law enforcement, because criminal elements may also be returning into the area," Michaelis said. "There has to be an investment in the Iraqi police beyond what is currently required and allocated against the police force."  Within towns such as Sab Al Bor, which had a population of 2,600 upon the brigade's arrival in theater, displaced persons are returning to their homes at a rate of 25 to 30 families per day, and the population has increased over the past four months to nearly 25,000 people.  In the villages, the brigade also has seen the economy improving in the form of many newly opened businesses. In Taji Market prior to the brigade's arrival in the area, there were 125 shops, but now has the village has 340. Abu Ghraib's 370 shops have increased to 900, while the city of Fira Shia, which had no shops, now has 20. Most of the other villages in Ironhorse areas have seen similar progress.  New economic opportunities are being seen in the Ironhorse operating environment in the forms of employment. Concerned local citizens, who are being paid for providing security under a temporary coalition program, eventually will be employed by the Iraqi government. In another employment initiative, the brigade has worked to assist the Iraqi government in creating programs very similar to Job Corps, established in the 1930s in the United States, to provide temporary employment for Iraqi citizens through various civil improvement projects such as trash collection, road work and construction projects.  "When the people have hope in the form of jobs to feed their families and education for their children, this goes much farther toward solidifying security gains than a gun on every street," Michaelis said. "The people are now worried about electricity and water (along with other essential services), which are all things we as Americans feel is an obligation by government to provide.  "These are things the Iraqi government is working slowly towards," Michaelis added. "The final step towards building a safe, stable and secure environment is a government that takes care of its people."  To assist local governments, the brigade's embedded provincial reconstruction team, known as EPRT Baghdad 5, has been providing local governance mentorship courses to give the local government officials a better understanding of local government concepts. Along with these efforts, the EPRT has provided advice as local governments began establishing executive and technical branches of government and committees to allow them to become self-sustaining.  "The EPRT has become critical to sustaining reconciliation gains," Michaelis said. "Their assistance has been vital in helping the local governments with learning how to provide essential services for their citizens."  In all, the Ironhorse Brigade, using assets in the EPRT and Company A, 492nd Civil Affairs Battalion, has assisted the Iraqi people in completing 179 reconstruction projects in the two neighborhoods in which it operates. These efforts have led to the refurbishment of 11 schools, seven roads being repaved, eight clinics reopening, 31 electricity projects and 23 education projects, among many other efforts.  When the brigade first arrived, local citizens were receiving about four hours of power per day. Now residents in the area of operations have an average of 12 to 18 hours of electricity per day. Other improvements led to the repair of the Taji pump station, which was inoperable for more than four years, and repairs to canals that are providing farmers with irrigation water for the first time in four years.  As the brigade's soldiers prepare themselves for their departure in early 2008, much of their focus will be on getting their replacements in the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, up to speed on the operating environment and lessons the Ironhorse troopers have learned over their time in Iraq.  "During our relief in place with the next unit, we must emphasize the interconnected nature of the environment," Michaelis stressed. "As far as security, presence is important; however, just as important is a clear understanding of how government works from tribes to businesses and the knowledge that there are still remaining cases of sectarianism interests.  "We must pass this knowledge onto them so that they are successful and so they have an understanding of the different layers of social networks which affect aspects of government, business, religion and tribal relationships here," he added. "We believe the relief-in-place (transition) is important for us to carry our momentum forward."  The main goal for the brigade throughout its deployment involved working together, professionally with the Iraqi people with the goal of building a safe, stable and secure environment for all Iraqis, Michaelis said.  Although there is still much work to be done to fully transition the sovereignty of Iraq to the Iraqi people, the Ironhorse troops feel they have made a difference and remain hopeful for the future of Iraq, he added.  "We're all cautious in our optimism and we see the fruits of our burden every day in Iraq," Michaelis said. "We've sacrificed greatly to achieve a level of normalcy and stability to allow Iraqis to step forward. It can be measured in the lives of 53 soldiers, the countless numbers of injured, and it can be measured in the sacrifices of the other 4,000 Ironhorse troops who currently serve in the brigade."  

(Army Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp serves with 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Public Affairs.)

The Department of Defense (DoD) announced the organization-wide release of enhancements that allow DoD to share electronic health information with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) through the Bidirectional Health Information Exchange (BHIE) and the Clinical Data Repository/Health Data Repository (CHDR) interfaces.     “These enhancements demonstrate the unprecedented level of interoperabilty that DoD and VA have been able to achieve with our electronic health record systems, and they contribute significantly to patient safety and continuity of care," said Dr. S. Ward Casscells, assistant secretary of defense for Health Affairs.   With the new enhancements in place, each agency is now able to view the other agency's clinical encounters, medical procedures, and lists of medical problems on shared patients using BHIE. This adds to the pharmacy, allergy, microbiology, and chemistry/hematology data, as well as radiology reports that were made available earlier this year. Additionally, DoD providers are also able to view combat zone data (including inpatient data) from the Theater Medical Data Store.   The CHDR software actively synchronizes data between DoD and VA repositories for patients who receive health services from both agencies.  That synchronization significantly increases patient safety by enabling drug-drug and drug-allergy interaction checks with data from DoD, VA, and retail pharmacies.  CHDR has been operating on a limited basis since late 2007, but new configuration enhancements have enabled all sites to view data on shared patients.  

Providers in both agencies have more information available to support patient care decisions, and the continuity of care is greatly enhanced for the nation's wounded warriors, from the combat zone to medical facilities here at home.  

Tracking Drunk DriversCBS-21 WHP (Harrisburg, PA), (12/7/2007), Myranda Stephens Pennsylvania State Police report that they often see an increase in DUI incidents during the holiday season. Thanks to a software application called Prophecy Program, the police can track these DUI incidents by location and the software will provide a map predicting the times and locations of future incidents. State Police use this output to identify trouble spots quickly and deploy officers to these areas. The software can also be used to track other crimes.www.whptv.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=5fe52ccc-85e5-4916-a713-19ebba6c1037 Iris Scans Let Law Enforcement Keep Eye on CriminalsUSA Today (12/4/2007), Wendy Koch Sheriff's offices across the country are using iris recognition technology to identify missing persons and sex offenders. Most agencies are using the technology to collect iris scans of senior citizens and children. These scans are stored in databases that can be searched as needed. Some agencies are capturing the iris scans of convicted sex offenders and inmates in order to identify offenders in the event of future crimes and to ensure the correct inmate is released. Iris recognition technology compares a greater level of detail than fingerprint recognition technology and departments are finding that they can find matches much faster using a centralized database of iris scans.www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-12-04-iris_N.htm Bowie Police Go High Techgazette.net (11/22/07), Megan King In the past month, the Bowie (Maryland) Police Department has been able to scan more than 20,000 license plates using a new license plate recognition technology system. Since its installation on October 30, the system has alerted officers more than 300 times to violations such as stolen vehicle and suspended tags. The plates that the system scans are cross-checked against a database of statewide motor vehicle violations, as well as national criminal data. If a violation is found, the system notifies the patrol officer. The license plate scanning system allows officers to scan 5,000 plates during a 10-hour shift. The department purchased the system using donations from various businesses within Bowie, which amount to about 40 percent of the total cost of the system.www.gazette.net/stories/112207/largnew172423_32363.shtml U.S. Eyes 'Pain Beam' for Home Security, Law EnforcementWired.com (12/10/2007), David Hambling The Active Denial System (ADS) is a less-lethal technology that uses microwaves to cause a burning sensation on the outer surface of the skin without injuring the target. ADS has not been deployed by the U.S. military yet, but the system's manufacturer is looking into implementing the technology for law enforcement use. The current system is too large and too expensive to be practical for most police departments, so the National Institute of Justice is working with Raytheon to develop a handheld version with a hundred-foot range. Raytheon is also working with Sandia National Laboratories to develop a version of ADS for securing nuclear stockpiles.www.wired.com/politics/security/news/2007/12/pain_beam DOJ Tests Suspicious-Activity Reporting SystemFCW.com (12/10/2007), Jason Miller Through its Law Enforcement Online (LEO) system, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is testing a new system designed to improve the sharing of suspicious-activity reporting among Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies. The new system, called E-Guardian, is based on the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) standard. The U.S. Department of Justice is funding State fusion centers, which are required to use NIEM for sharing information. The current plan is to include E-Guardian as one of the systems to be used by these fusion centers.www.fcw.com/online/news/151032-1.html New Database Links Guns, Criminal HistoriesLA Daily News (12/10/2007), Jason Kandel The California Department of Justice and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) are using the new Armed Prohibited Persons System program to identify gun owners with criminal histories. The statewide database currently contains approximately 9,000 records on people who are prohibited from owning firearms along with records on gun owners. Law enforcement agencies can access the system to easily identify individuals who own guns illegally. An LAPD task force has used the system this fall to identify and search 71 locations. These searches led to the seizure of 28 guns and the arrest of 8 individuals.www.dailynews.com/news/ci_7679381 Police Say GPS Helps Crack Case in Drive-By SlayingLos Angeles Times (12/12/2007), Andrew Blankstein and Richard Winton The Los Angeles Police Department received an important lead in a murder case by accessing data from a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) system that was tracking the location of 20 gang members. As part of a new State program, 20 gang members were fitted with GPS monitoring bracelets as part of their parole agreements. The GPS system records the date, time, and location of each parolee. As soon as the drive-by shooting occurred, Sgt. Ruby Malachi directed officers at the LAPD's crime analysis center to search the system for the date, time, and location of the shooting. The system's data reported that one of the gang members being tracked was in the vicinity when the shooting occurred. Based on this information and evidence from witnesses, the police eventually arrested seven suspects, including the gang member being tracked. LAPD has traditionally used the GPS system to track sex offenders, but is now seeking to expand the gang member tracking program.www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-gps12dec12,1,5363458.story?coll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=1&cset=true Electronic Tickets Cite Drivers With Cyber SpeedNoblesville Daily Times (12/3/2007), Rebecca L. Sandlin The Indian State Police have put into operation the Electronic Citation and Warning System (E-CWS) as a tool for issuing warnings and citations to motorists. It is anticipated that the system will be safer for troopers in terms of time spent outside the cruiser, and reduce time and paperwork involved with issuing citations. Using their laptops, officers will scan motorist information from the barcodes located on motor vehicle registration cards and driver's licenses and generate a ticket for the motorist, the officer, and the courts.www.county29.net/cms2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8402&Itemid=230 New Court Video System Saves Navajo County Time and MoneyAZJournal.com (11/28/2007), Tammy Gray-Searles Navajo County, in Arizona, recently implemented a video conferencing system with money from a Fill the Gap grant from the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission. The system will be used by the justice courts, the jail, and in two superior court courtrooms. It is hoped the system will save money in transportation costs, and provide increased security by reducing inmate movement. Because of the systems real-time capabilities, judges and court staff will be able to attend conferences, meetings, and trainings remotely, which will allow court cases to proceed with limited disruptions and ensure defendants a speedy process. In the future, the video conferencing system can allow attorneys to perform remote client visits, or allow inmates to visit with families over long distances.www.azjournal.com/news/126/ARTICLE/1541/2007-11-28.html Millions Coming to NH for Emergency RadioUnionLeader.com (12/2/2007), Shawne K. Wickham The state of New Hampshire will receive just under $6 million in public safety funding, which is part of nearly a billion dollars that have been set aside by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) — a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce. This money is part of the anticipated $10 to $15 billion the Federal Government expects to receive when it auctions off spectrum space that is presently used by analog TV broadcasts. The vacated spectrum space will then be used to create a national public safety communications network, and the money offered by the NTIA will be used to assist public safety agencies obtain equipment to use the new network.

www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Millions+coming+to+NH+for+emergency+radio&articleId=74a09b06-ccea-440b-9e9b-19a17777ba2b

The JUSTNETNews Mailing List is maintained by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center, supported by Cooperative Agreement 2005-MU-CX-K077 awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice (NIJ). Regular postings to JUSTNETNews include abstracted news articles on law enforcement and corrections technology topics, upcoming NLECTC and NIJ events, NLECTC services and activities, new publications, and other technology-related announcements. Please note that providing information on law enforcement and corrections technology or the mention of specific manufacturers or products does not constitute the endorsement of the U.S. Department of Justice or its component parts.

The National Institute of Justice is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assitance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the Community Capacity Development Office; The Office for Victims of Crime; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking (SMART).

Through a grant from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the Rural Law Enforcement Technology Center (RULETC) is making available a Sky Arrow 600 Sport airplane at no cost to the Mason County and Fleming County (Kentucky) sheriff's departments. These departments will evaluate their use of the light-sport aircraft for six months and at the end of this period RULETC will examine how often and for what purposes the airplane was used. If successful, the evaluation period can be extended an additional six months. The aircraft has already been used to search for stolen vehicles and for a marijuana crop. For more information on the project contact RULETC at ruletc@aol.com or 866-787-2553, or contact the Border Research and Technology Center (Austin, Texas) at brtc@txsheriffs.org or 512-445-2316.

American Forces Press Service  Dec. 26, 2007 - Afghan national security forces, assisted by coalition forces, delivered tons of humanitarian assistance to hundreds of villagers in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province.  The Afghan forces, including members of the Afghan National Police, delivered more than two tons of blankets, toys, soccer balls, flour, rice, prayer rugs, storage bags and other items Dec. 16 and 17 to more than 350 adults and 650 children who showed up to receive the goods.  The children, some covered with colorful scarves, smiled and thanked the police, who provided toys, stuffed animals, crayons and coloring books.  The provincial subgovernor responsible for the districts asked for help after hearing from area chiefs and village elders. The humanitarian aid also served as a way to reward villagers who have ensured the relative safety of the districts by making the area inhospitable to insurgents.  "The villagers were very happy to receive the much-needed items. The goods will help villagers endure the onset of freezing winter temperatures. The people of Sra Kala and Shbal recognize that the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan truly cares for the general welfare of the population," a coalition forces soldier said.  

(From a Combined Joint Task Force 82 news release.)

By Petty Officer 1st Class David M. Votroubek, USN Special to American Forces Press Service  Dec. 25, 2007 - A small, blinking Christmas tree sits in the dining facility. Aside from a few other lights, it is the only symbol of Christmas on Forward Operating Base Wolverine. The base is home to a group of soldiers formally called the 4-2 Embedded Training Team, but known informally as the "Crazy 98s." The 15-man team trained together at Fort Riley, Kan., and deployed to Afghanistan as mentors for the Afghan National Army. Now they're coming to the end of their tour.  Three days before Christmas, Army Capt. Douglas Solan sat in the gravel at FOB Wolverine, unpacking a new motorcycle for the Afghan army. The combat engineer chuckled while assembling the bright green bike. "Nothing ever changes," he said. "I'm 7,000 miles from home, and I'm still putting somebody else's toys together."  But Solan said he knows the soldiers he trains will use the motorcycle to guide convoys down Afghanistan's most dangerous roads. Since it arrived in February, his team has dealt with 50 improvised explosive devices planted by the Taliban.  Two days before Christmas, the team made a humanitarian assistance visit to a nearby village; but again the intent was serious. As if they were Santa Claus, they handed out candy, clothes and tools, while the mentors and Afghan soldiers were quietly gathering intelligence about local insurgents. This information could be well worth the price of a wheelbarrow or a pocketful of candy bars. A tip about a Taliban leader came in the following day.  Later they posed for one last group picture during a rare occasion that the whole team was together. Intact teams are rare for embedded training teams. Although they'd been attacked almost a dozen times and have suffered injuries, the Crazy 98 soldiers haven't suffered a fatality.  On Christmas morning, Solan prepared a holiday meal for the team. Others watched TV, read or called home. Each member of the team was permitted 30 minutes to make calls via satellite phone.  One of those soldiers was Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Dose, who had served a previous combat tour in Iraq. He woke up at 5 a.m. to call his wife and son during their Christmas Eve celebration.  "Technology has definitely made these tours better than they used to be," he remarked.  Christmas is quiet on the FOB. The radios are still manned in case of an attack, but that danger will soon be behind them. For now, the Crazy 98 soldiers are happy to celebrate the holiday and end of their tour together. They have each other, and say that it's enough.  

(Navy Petty Officer 1st Class David M. Votroubek is assigned to Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan Public Affairs.)

By Spc. Gregory Argentieri, USA Special to American Forces Press Service  Dec. 25, 2007 - Soldiers from 458th Adjutant General Postal Company stationed here run the central mail hub for the entire Task Force Bayonet area of operations and are responsible for handling, sorting, and processing all incoming and outgoing letters and packages through Jalalabad, Afghanistan, for thousands of soldiers.  The holiday season began early for the military postal service on Forward Operating Base Fenty. At the beginning of November, the number of packages and letters being handled tripled and was expected to peak during the days surrounding Christmas. Officials expect the rush continue through the end of January.  Mail before the holidays was averaging 3,000-4,000 pounds a day. The mail increased to between 8,000-13,000 pounds a day since November, officials said.  "Santa Claus is the little white planes, and we are the elves," said Army Spc. Tanya M. Runnels, from Jasper, Texas, with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 173rd Brigade Support Battalion (Airborne), and part of the FOB Fenty postal team. "We're working our butts off to make sure the mail gets out to the soldiers. It's important; it's Christmas time. That is our job; we're the mail people."  "We get to supply the mail for all the 'Joes' out there, the guys who are really fighting the war. It's good stuff, and it makes us feel good," said Army Sgt. Brian R. Boss, from Valliant, Okla., of the 458th Adjutant General Postal Company. "Since arriving at FOB Fenty in February, the 458th has personally handled, carried, either loading and unloading planes, or loading and unloading helicopters, 900,000-950,000 pounds of mail. Before our deployment is over in February, we will have moved more than 1 million pounds of mail."  Soldiers from FOB Torkham convoy two hours to FOB Fenty to pick up mail and supplies, and pick up or drop off soldiers three times a week.  "The mail means a lot since we're away from our families," said Spc. Jonathan S. Morgan, 21, from Sissonville, W.Va., of the 66th Military Police Company, based at FOB Torkham. "The first things the 'Joes' do when they see our trucks come back, is they come running."  The small, seven soldier FOB Fenty mail team maintains a post office that is open every day for its soldiers. These same soldiers also travel to every forward operating base and outpost at least once a month setting up fully functional mobile post offices that operate for several days before traveling to their next location.  Boss called three soldiers – Army Spcs. Miquel Chiqui, Isaac Lopez and Jose Silva -- "the big three" for conducting mail missions. "They fly or convoy to nine or 10 different FOBs to do missions to support the 'Joes' out there," he said. "They're the ones that come as close as mail personnel come to putting it on the line for the 'Joes.'"  Lopez, from Bloomington, Minn., of the 147th Personnel Support Battalion and a part of the FOB Fenty postal team, said the biggest challenge of his job involves working long hours from airplanes arriving late with mail due to bad weather. Sometimes the challenge is trying to read the handwriting on the letters and packages, but he stresses the most important thing is making sure everybody gets their mail.  Army Pfc. Robert J. Logan III from Baltimore, a parachute rigger with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, said he always has "outstanding service" from the mail teams. "They go above and beyond their call of duty; it's always an A-plus positive experience. My hat is off to them."  Recently the mail