By Gerry J. Gilmore

American Forces Press Service

May 29, 2007 – When a landmark Defense Department-sponsored health study was launched six years ago, one of its goals was to evaluate the impact of future deployments on long-term health. The investigators did not know how timely the project would be. Today, the Millennium Cohort Study has enrolled tens of thousands of participants who have deployed in support of the global war on terrorism, said Navy Cmdr. (Dr.) Margaret Ryan, the study's principal investigator and director of the Defense Department Center for Deployment Health Research, part of the Naval Health Research Center, in San Diego.

The study was designed in the late 1990s "in the wake of the first Gulf War to answer some of the most difficult questions that couldn't really be answered retrospectively after that conflict," Ryan said.

The joint-service study was established to evaluate the health risks of military deployments, occupational exposures, and general military service, Ryan explained, noting that about 108,000 servicemembers have signed up to take part since program enrollment began in July 2001.

Participants' health is evaluated over a 21-year period, Ryan said, noting the size of the cohort -- the group participating in the study - likely will total more than 147,000 people.

"About 40 percent of our cohort has deployed to one of the more recent operations, either in Iraq or Afghanistan or surrounding regions, in support of the global war on terrorism," Ryan said.

Involvement in the study is voluntary, and participants are selected randomly, Ryan said. All information is secure and safeguarded, she added.

Participants report their health status every three years and can fill out either paper or online surveys, Ryan said.

"We do strongly encourage people to use the online option," Ryan said. "It's a very secure way to transmit information."

Dr. Tyler C. Smith will replace Ryan as the study's principal investigator later this year, as the Navy physician is slated to take a new duty assignment at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

The study is providing valuable data that will help military epidemiologists understand possible cause-and-effect relationships between combat-zone deployments and problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder, Smith said

"We have the ability to look at a large group of individuals who were deployed and not deployed," Smith said. "And we can see what factors predict new-onset PTSD, and how PTSD evolves over time. That's what we've been focusing on."

Evaluating the incidence of PTSD among servicemembers wasn't possible until recently, "simply because we didn't have a cohort in place like this that's large and population-based," Smith explained.

"So we're learning things that we really haven't been able to investigate in the past," he said.

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By Gerry J. GilmoreAmerican Forces Press Service May 29, 2007 – The Defense Department is preparing a pandemic flu guide for civilian managers and rank-and-file employees, a senior official said.  The Defense Department released its Pandemic Influenza Implementation Plan in April, Patricia S. Bradshaw, deputy undersecretary of defense for civilian personnel policy, said May 25 in an interview with the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service.  The department's plan is part of the president's initiative to prepare the nation for a potential mass outbreak of deadly flu virus.  "And now, we're going to top that off with a DoD civilian human resources guide with a target audience of managers and employees," Bradshaw said.  She said the guide will outline specific things that managers, supervisors and employees need to do to prepare themselves for a possible flu pandemic or any other type of crisis. It's to be issued within the next four to six weeks, she said, and will be available on the Defense Department's pandemic flu Web site, fhp.osd.mil/aiWatchboard.  Pandemic flu is a fast-spreading human flu that causes a global outbreak, or pandemic, of serious illness that could sicken or kill hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of people, according to the U.S. government's pandemic flu Web site. For example, the 1918 flu epidemic killed more than half a million Americans.  Any challenges inherent in preparing the department's roughly 600,000 civilian employees for a possible flu epidemic or other crisis aren't dissimilar to those faced by the private-sector work force, Bradshaw noted.  "I think the challenges are not unlike any (other) work force," Bradshaw explained. "If we have a crisis such as a pandemic, the real challenge here is maximizing social distancing as the preferred technique to employ, because it's a contagious disease." Increased shift work, phone usage, teleconferencing and working from home are among the options DoD could employ to continue operations in the event a flu pandemic reaches the United States, Bradshaw said.  "You're trying to figure out how to keep people safe and well and, at the same time continue the operations of the department," Bradshaw said. "And so, we'll really be looking at ways to do that."  Federal government guidance to state and local authorities has recommended the launch of pandemic flu preparedness exercises, she said.  "You can test to see where your gaps are and (where) your potential problems would be," Bradshaw explained, noting the federal government and the military already have conducted some exercises with civilian authorities.  The Defense Department plans to continue to provide work and pay to its civilian employees during a potential pandemic flu crisis, Bradshaw said. Again, the focus will be on employing social distancing to minimize potential devastating effects during a pandemic, she said.  "We're going to tell you, 'Please, don't come to work,'" Bradshaw said. Such a practice, she said, minimizes the spread of disease during a pandemic.  Additionally, Defense Department civilian managers need to determine how they'll continue performing their organization's core functions during a pandemic, Bradshaw said.  "What are the mission-essential functions that absolutely need to be done?" Bradshaw asked, especially tasks that can be accomplished online from home.  "The managers really need to think through what kind of work can be done away from the work site," she said. "Our goal is to ensure that our employees, to the maximum extent possible, can continue to work during such a pandemic."  

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Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter has announced his decision to name the Navy's newest underway replenishment vessel, the USNS Amelia Earhart (T-AKE 6). The name honors Amelia Mary Earhart for her courage, vision, and groundbreaking achievements, both in aviation and for women.

Amelia Earhart's name became a household word in 1932 when she became the first woman--and second person--to fly solo across the Atlantic, on the fifth anniversary of Charles Lindbergh's feat, flying a Lockheed Vega from Harbor Grace, Newfoundland to Londonderry, Ireland. That year, she received the Distinguished Flying Cross from the Congress, the Cross of Knight of the Legion of Honor from the French government, and the Gold Medal of the National Geographic Society from President Herbert Hoover.

The primary goal of the T-AKE program is to provide effective fleet underway replenishment capability at the lowest life cycle cost. To meet that goal, the ship will be designed and constructed to commercial specifications and standards and certified/classed by the American Bureau of Shipping, U.S. Coast Guard, and other regulatory bodies. All of the new ships will be operated by the Military Sealift Command. They are being built in San Diego by General Dynamics NASSCO.

For more biographical information on Amelia Earhart please click on the following link, http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq3-1.htm.

Additional information about this class of ship is available by clicking on the following link, the http://www.news.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4400&tid=500&ct=4.

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The Navy will christen the newest Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer, Truxtun, Saturday, June 2, 2007, during a 10 a.m. CDT ceremony at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, Pascagoula, Miss.

Designated hull number DDG 103, the new destroyer honors Commodore Thomas Truxtun (1755-1822) who embarked upon a seafaring career at age 12. When the U.S. Navy was organized, he was selected as one of its first six captains on June 4, 1798. He was assigned command of the USS Constellation, one of the new frigates, and he put to sea to prosecute the undeclared naval war with revolutionary France. On Feb. 9, 1799, Truxtun scored the first of his two most famous victories. After an hour's fight, Constellation battered the French warship L'Insurgente into submission in one of the most illustrious battles of the quasi-war with France. Truxtun retired from the Navy as a commodore and has had five previous ships carry his name: a brig launched in 1842, a destroyer with the hull number DD 14, a destroyer with the hull number DD 229, a high speed transport with the hull number APD 98 (initially designated a destroyer escort with the hull number DE 282), and a nuclear-powered frigate (DLGN) later re-designated a cruiser with the hull number CGN 35.

Rep. Gene Taylor of Mississippi will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Carol Leigh Roelker and Susan Scott Martin, descendants of the ship's namesake, will serve as sponsors of the ship. In accordance with Navy tradition, they will break a bottle of champagne across the ship's bow and christen the ship in the name of Truxtun.

Cdr. Timothy R. Weber, a native of Decatur, Ga., will become the first commanding officer of the ship and will lead the crew of 276 officers and enlisted personnel. The 9,200-ton Truxtun is being built by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, Ingalls Operations, Pascagoula, Miss. The ship is 510 feet in length, has a waterline beam of 59 feet, and a navigational draft of 31 feet. Four gas turbine engines will power the ship to speeds in excess of 30 knots.

For more information on Arleigh Burke class destroyers, visit http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=900&ct=4.

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By Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press Service May 29, 2007 – Iranian delegates advocated a peaceful and secure Iraq during a weekend meeting, but Iran's actions on the ground aren't in synch with its stated policies and principles, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker told reporters yesterday.  Crocker said Iraq, Iran and the United States all expressed a common goal for Iraq during yesterday's meeting in Baghdad, hosted by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.  "There was pretty good congruence right down the line -- support for a secure, stable, democratic, federal Iraq, in control of its own security (and) at peace with its neighbors," Crocker said.  All three delegations also expressed support for Maliki and his government, he said.  But Crocker said Iran's actions -- the fact that it supports anti-Iraqi militias and insurgents and provides them arms and explosives -- are "at cross-purposes" with its words. He said the United States has solid evidence linking these Iranian-supplied weapons to attacks that have killed Iraqi and coalition troops, as well as innocent Iraqi civilians.  Crocker said the Iranians didn't respond directly to these challenges, instead reiterating their broad statement of support for the Iraqi government. They also called for a "trilateral mechanism" for the three countries to work through to coordinate on security matters.  While not dismissing the trilateral concept outright, Crocker said he made it clear that yesterday's meeting was aimed at concrete concerns and actions, not more meetings.  "We ... made it clear from the American point of view that this is about actions, not just principles, and I laid out before the Iranians a number of our direct specific concerns about their behavior in Iraq," Crocker said. "What we need to see is Iranian actions on the ground come into harmony with their stated principles."  During the talks, Iranian officials called the coalition an occupying force in Iraq and said it has not done enough to train and equip Iraqi security forces.  "We, of course, responded on both points, making clear that the coalition forces are here at the Iraqi government's invitation and under Security Council authorities, and that we have put literally billions of dollars into training and equipping an increasingly capable set of Iraqi security forces," Crocker said.  Crocker described the four-hour meeting as "business-like."  

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Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books.  The website also separately lists international as well as domestic federal law enforcement officials who have written books.  Today, the list added Michael J. Waldren, an expert on the use of firearms by the police in the United Kingdom.

In 1967, after attending college, Michael J. Waldren joined the Metropolitan Police Service in London.  During College, Michael Waldren developed a keen interest firearms and shooting.  Following his interest, in 1977, Michael, then a sergeant, joined the Firearms Unit of the London Metropolitan Police as an instructor.  At the same time, he was also a member of the Operational Firearms Team.

Today, since the vast majority of Bobbies (London Police Officers) do not carry firearms, only certain police officers are trained and armed with firearms.  They are called Authorised Firearms Officer (AFO).  According to Metropolitan Police Service firearms policy, “the MPS provides an armed capability to assist in the combat of armed criminality within both the Metropolitan Police District and throughout the United Kingdom.  These duties will also include diplomatic protection, Royalty protection, airport security, court security, armed surveillance, armed personal protection, proactive armed operations and Central London security patrols.  The MPS will only arm officers how have undergone a specific selection and training programme and each Authorised Firearms Officer (AFO) will be equipped in accordance with their training and role.  AFOs will be required to maintain specific leaves of training and fitness in order to continue their role.”

In 1982, Michael Waldren was promoted to Inspector.  His first major command responsibility was at the Libyan Peoples Bureau in 1984. In the late 1970s he was regularly being asked by the media and television companies about the history of police use of firearms and he found that there were very few books on the subject.   His research developed into a 1986 book which he co-authored on the subject of police use of firearms in England; tracing the history back to 1829 when the Metropolitan Police Service was first formed by Sir Robert Peel.

In 1987, now a Chief Inspector, Michael Waldren he became the MPS chief firearms instructor and as a result he sat on several national committees, which ultimately formulated police firearms policy throughout the United Kingdom.  In 1992, he was promoted to Superintendent and in 1994, he was promoted to Chief Superintendent.  In 1999, Michael Waldren was awarded the Queens Police Medal for Distinguished Police Service.  He retired in 2000.

Michael Waldren authored the book Armed Police: The Police Use of Firearms Since 1945.  According to the book description, “On 7 July 2005, just before 9 am, explosive devices detonated on London Underground trains at Liverpool Street, Edgware Road and Kings Cross stations and on a double-decker bus in Tavistock Square. Fifty-six people were killed and over 700 injured. Suicide bombing had come to Britain. Two weeks later, the capital's commuters narrowly missed disaster when four more devices failed to explode. Security in London was increased to unprecedented levels as Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair said his force faced 'its largest operational challenge since the war'. Heavily armed police officers patrolling the streets became a regular feature of television news programmes, leaving an enduring impression that unarmed policing in Britain had gone forever and with it the kindly image of the archetypal British bobby. Controversy rages over the increased use of firearms because in the public mind, the hallmark of British security has always been unarmed policing. Now, for the first time, former Head of the Metropolitan Police Firearms Unit, Michael Waldren, gives his insider account of the changes in Britain's policing, spanning over half a century and including many examples of extraordinary heroism, tragedy, controversy, comedy, intrigue and occasional farce.”

According to Bryn Elliott, the editor of Police Aviation News (United Kingdom), “The arrival for review of Armed Police: The Police use of Firearms since 1945 by Michael J. Waldren was like meeting an old friend after a long time apart.  A decade ago Michael Waldren teamed up with Bob Gould to write the broadly similar ‘London’s Armed Police’ which effectively covered the history and development of arming the police in the Capital City. The title has been out of print for many years.

The new book effectively updates the same story in some detail since 1945 and although it appears to suggest a treatment in a far wider context it remains very much faithful to that original theme. There are stories from other parts of the UK but from the number omitted I would assume that the knowledge displayed of them is more autobiographical rather that based on pure research. They are very selective.

Likewise the later chapters appear to have become bogged down in reciting too much detail on the reasons the Metropolitan Police pulled their firearms operations out of their main base of Lippitts Hill for the tastes of the average reader. In the main though it is a good factual read and a worthy update on the original.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 560 police officers (representing 234 police departments) and their 1179 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.

American Forces Press Service May 29, 2007 – Afghan and coalition forces detained five suspected insurgents yesterday and today and killed about two dozen insurgents after a convoy was attacked in Helmand province May 27, military officials reported.  Afghan and coalition forces detained three suspected al Qaeda militants in a raid on two separate compounds early today in the Nadar Shahkot district of Khowst province.  Credible intelligence led the forces to the location suspected of housing operatives in the Haqqani network, officials said. The forces searched the compounds for contraband and found two pistols, two AK-47s and four fragmentation grenades. The weapons were taken to a safe distance and destroyed. The detainees will be questioned on their involvement in militant activities.  "We will continue to find and capture militants who would deny peace and progress in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan," said Army Maj. Chris Belcher, a coalition spokesman.  No shots were fired and no one was injured in the operation.  Yesterday in the same district, Afghan and coalition forces detained two suspected al Qaeda militants in a raid on a compound. Credible intelligence led the forces to the location suspected of housing al Qaeda operatives supported locally by the Haqqani network. The detainees will be questioned as to their involvement in militant activities.  Elsewhere, a combined Afghan National Police and coalition convoy struck two improvised explosive devices and was attacked by enemy fighters 23 kilometers east of Gereshk while escorting 24 Afghan supply trucks from Kandahar to Sangin district in Helmand province May 27.  The two IED blasts resulted in the death of one Afghan civilian truck driver and non-life-threatening injuries to three coalition soldiers. The soldiers were evacuated to a nearby treatment facility and are listed in stable condition.  The Afghan police and coalition convoy continued its movement before being attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire by an unknown number of enemy fighters positioned along the road after the second IED detonated. The combined force immediately returned fire and forced the enemy fighters to retreat. Close-air support was requested and directed to fire upon enemy fighters preparing to launch multiple attacks against the convoy.  An estimated two dozen enemy fighters were killed, and four enemy vehicles and one enemy fighting position were destroyed during the 10-hour battle. No Afghan civilian injuries were reported.  "Taliban fighters are no match for Afghan national security and coalition forces," Belcher said. "We will intensify our operations to rid Afghanistan of all Taliban fighters who harm innocent Afghan civilians and threaten the government of Afghanistan."  (Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 82 news releases.)  

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American Forces Press Service May 29, 2007 – Iraqi and coalition forces detained 37 suspected insurgents, found weapons caches and discovered an alleged prison camp holding 41 people in operations throughout Iraq over the past three days, military officials reported.  In operations around Iraq this morning, coalition forces detained 14 suspected terrorists, including a suspected al Qaeda regional emir.  Coalition forces raided a building in Baghdad searching for an alleged terrorist leader. When they found the building empty, the ground force moved to a follow-on target. There, they detained four suspected terrorists, including the alleged al Qaeda in Iraq emir in charge of the Hay al-Jamah area of the city.  In Mosul, coalition forces detained a suspected terrorist leader and his brother-in-law in two coordinated operations. Intelligence reports indicate the suspected terrorist leader was allegedly the emir of Ansar al-Sunna in Mosul until he fled to Syria in 2005 to avoid capture by coalition forces. He returned to Iraq in January.  Information gained from two successful operations yesterday led coalition forces to six buildings north of Fallujah, where they detained two suspected terrorists for their alleged ties to the al Qaeda in Iraq senior leadership network.  North of Taji, coalition forces raided three buildings in search of an al Qaeda senior leader. Six individuals were detained for their suspected association with the al Qaeda network.  "We're continuing our deliberate and methodical operations to hunt down and capture or kill terrorists trying to prevent a peaceful and stable Iraq," said Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.  In another operation, Iraqi police in Kirkuk, acting upon a tip from captured insurgents, captured two suspected criminals believed to be supplying insurgent networks with weapons and explosives in the Kirkuk area yesterday.  With coalition forces present as advisors, Iraqi police detained their primary objectives without incident in the city of Hawijah, 40 miles southwest of Kirkuk. The detained are allegedly responsible for dealing weapons and explosives in Kirkuk, distributing artillery rounds to Sunni extremist elements, and using them as improvised-explosive-device materials for use against Iraqi security forces and coalition forces.  Coalition forces detained nine suspected terrorists in operations yesterday to disrupt the al Qaeda bombing attack network in Mosul and Anbar province.  Coalition forces raided several buildings in Mosul while targeting a senior leader of al Qaeda in Iraq known for coordinating attacks on Iraqi and coalition forces and playing a key role in the March 6 Badoush prison breakout. Two suspected terrorists were detained at the site for their alleged ties to the leader.  Across the city in a synchronized raid, coalition forces detained two more suspected terrorists for their involvement with another senior al Qaeda in Iraq cell leader. The terrorist cell is known for trafficking arms; attacking infrastructure, Iraqi and coalition forces; and orchestrating the construction and employment of car bombs.  Information from a successful raid May 26 led coalition forces to a target northwest of Haditha, where they searched for a Syrian suspected of facilitating foreign fighters and his Iraqi liaison. Coalition forces detained both the Syrian and his contact and three more suspected terrorists allegedly tied to the foreign fighter network.  "Every operation like this one brings us one step closer toward eliminating al Qaeda in Iraq and helping the Iraqis develop a country where they can determine their own futures," Garver said.  Elsewhere, Iraqi army and coalition force soldiers conducted a raid based on a tip from a local citizen, and discovered 41 individuals being held at a suspected prison camp six miles south of Baqouba on May 27. During the raid on Imam Ways, soldiers from 5th Iraqi Army Division and 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, discovered the men, who claimed to have been held captive by al Qaeda. Some claimed to have been held as long as four months.  A joint air and ground operation lead by the 5th Iraqi Army Division was launched to locate the alleged prison camp after receiving information from a local citizen. The individuals, who were living in a small concrete and mud compound located about one-half mile west of the village, were sleeping in cramped rooms on dirty blankets and pillows, according to coalition forces present at the site. Soldiers also described the individuals' surroundings as having rotting food inside the building and outside on the ground. Coalition forces transported the men were to a nearby combat outpost for further medical evaluation. The individuals were provided with food and water and questioned about their captors' whereabouts. This incident remains under investigation.  In another operation on May 27, Iraqi police acting upon a tip from an anonymous informant captured nine suspected al Qaeda in Iraq operatives and seized materials believed to be used for small-arms attacks, murder, kidnapping and ransom.  The raid netted a small cache of weapons including two AK-47 assault rifles, two grenades, more than 600 rounds of ammunition, three ski masks, military equipment, large sums of money, and a video camera with evidence of a recent car bomb attack in Samarra. The car bomb attack destroyed the home of the Samarra City Council president.  This raid was conducted in order to disrupt an entire insurgent cell operating in the Samarra area.  Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers and Iraqi security forces moved clearing operations into the East Rashid security district of southern Baghdad May 26, detaining three suspected insurgents and finding two weapons caches.  The operation, known as Dragon Fire East, includes about 2,000 U.S Army soldiers from the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, and 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. They are joined in the operation by Iraqi troops from the 7th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi National Police Division.  During the first hours of Operation Dragon Fire East, soldiers discovered a cache that contained six 57 mm projectiles rigged as two separate improvised explosive devices; two additional 57 mm rounds; a 60 mm mortar; a 130 mm round and a concrete block hollowed out to fit a 130 mm projectile.  A search at another location revealed 2,000 loose rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, two rocket-propelled-grenade launchers with seven sights, a roll of white double-strand wire used for fabricating IEDs, and an AK-47 assault rifle. Soldiers found and destroyed an IED as well. The three suspected terrorists detained during the operation were held for further questioning.  In other developments, a security detainee died May 26 at Camp Cropper. An attending physician at Camp Cropper's medical facility pronounced the detainee dead at 2:59 p.m.  An investigation is pending to determine the cause of death, a standard procedure for detainees who die while in custody of the Multinational Force Iraq. The suspected cause of death is complications from diabetes, U.S. officials said. The detainee had a history of diabetes with high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The family will receive the remains upon completion of the investigation, in accordance with standard procedure.  (Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq and Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)  

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The Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Police Protective League today issued the following statement regarding ways in which the LAPD might improve training and command and control in the wake of the incident in MacArthur Park on May 1st. "Training is the backbone of good police work. Constant, updated training ensures that officers know not only what to do, but can implement the Department's policies, procedures and expectations for any given incident.   The May 1 incident revealed the downside of the Department's cost-based decision over the past several years to abandon introductory training for new Metropolitan Division (Metro) officers, and to not train all officers for large tactical situations.   Moving forward, the LAPD leadership also needs to evaluate the training of command staff to respond to large demonstrations."  The LAPPL recommends that any command, control and training changes in the wake of theMacArthur Park incident should include the following: 

• All new Metropolitan Division (Metro) officers attend "new person school" in their first deployment period assigned to Metro.  Class size should be limited to 18 officers, the maximum number that can effectively be trained at one time.

• All Bureau-dedicated officers assigned to the Mobile Field Force (MFF) citywide should attend a Metro-coordinated MFF training class on a quarterly basis.  Thereafter, Metro training cadre should conduct random realistic readiness audits of each Bureau MFF.

• A clear use-of-force policy regarding the use of batons in crowd control procedures needs to be reiterated as part of on-the-job training and disseminated to MFF officers during pre-event briefings.

• All Command officers should be required to attend a full day of crowd control management classes on a yearly basis. 

• All LAPD officers deployed to a major crowd event should be allowed to carry on their person appropriate safety equipment, including helmet with face shield, batons and protective masks.

• Anytime LAPD officers are deployed to a major incident, undercover officers should be deployed into the crowd-however, only for intelligence gathering purposes.

• Anytime undercover officers are deployed into the crowd for intelligence gathering purposes, an adequate number of high-ground officers should be utilized.

• Media procedures (consistent with the Crespo settlement) should be communicated to all officers assigned to an event during pre-event briefings. 

• In order for media to be credentialed, members of the media should be required to attend a yearly LAPD media training where they will be informed of proper procedures concerning safe areas.  The continued goal of the LAPD should be to provide full and safe access to events in the city.

• Officers authorized to use 37 millimeter (less lethal munitions) should receive quarterly or semi-annual training.

• Metro officers should continue to test and evaluate modernized protective equipment for crowd control purposes, to ensure that the Department is using the most effective equipment at all times.

• Officers assigned to reserve resources at a standby staging area during an event should not be re-assigned to non-event duties until after the event has concluded peacefully and the crowd has cleared.

Formed in 1922, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents the more than 9,000 dedicated and professional sworn members of the Los Angeles Police Department.  The LAPPL serves to advance the interests of LAPD officers through legislative and legal advocacy, political action and education.  The LAPPL can be found on the Web at www.LAPD.com.

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By Samantha L. QuigleyAmerican Forces Press Service May 29, 2007 – Girl Scouts in southern Nevada are preparing to ship more than 11,000 boxes of Thin Mints, Do-Si-Dos, Tagalongs and other Girl Scout cookies to servicemembers overseas. The Scouts' donation was made possible through the generosity of the Girls Scouts of Frontier Council, which donated the cookies. The Nevada Benefits Foundation offered its assistance by coordinating the effort and covering the cost to ship the cookies to servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan.  "Community service is a long-standing tradition in Girl Scouting, allowing girls to learn the value of helping others," Toni Carey, product sales director for the Girl Scouts Frontier Council, said. "Their service and generosity significantly contributes to the quality of life for our servicemen and women."  Through the same collaboration in 2006, troops serving overseas received 4,700 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. They were most welcome, Phil Randazzo, president of Nevada Benefits and its foundation, said, adding he has received several requests for the cookies this year.  Nevada Benefits Foundation is a non-profit organization originally created to support U.S. troops and their families who fight in the war on terror. To date, the foundation has raised more than $942,000 through its rallies, "Defending Freedom" wristbands fundraising, and its Web site.  "They just crave a little taste from home," Randazzo said. "Toni Carey at the Girl Scouts came through again this year, doubling this shipment of Girl Scout cookies, and they should really be proud!"  Randazzo also offered kudos to the Palm Casino Resort, in Las Vegas, for helping to make the shipment possible.  Note: To find out about more individuals, groups and organizations that are helping support the troops, visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. The Defense Department's America Supports You program directly connects military members to the support of the America people and offers a tool to the general public in their quest to find meaningful ways to support the military community.  

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By Sgt. Timothy Dinneen, USASpecial to American Forces Press Service May 29, 2007 – Combined Joint Task Force 82 honored the contributions and sacrifices men and women of the armed forces have made in defense of freedom and democracy during a Memorial Day ceremony here yesterday.   "On Memorial Day, we remember our brothers and sisters who have paid the ultimate price, not only to keep America and the world free, but to allow people from all nations to live in peace and freedom," said Army Maj. Gen. David Rodriguez, commander of Combined Joint Task Force 82. "We remember those moments as we stood in the dust of Bagram and Kandahar Airfield saluting fallen comrades one last time as they began their final journey home."  Rodriguez remembered soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice during Operation Enduring Freedom so civilians in Afghanistan may enjoy a future of liberty.  "We remember our comrades not just for the fact that they no longer walk among us, but for their actions -- the actions of men who stood up and said, 'I will defend my country; I will sacrifice for others,' and who selflessly served all of us," Rodriguez continued.  The sounds of bagpipes and "Amazing Graze" sung by a choir could be heard throughout the ceremony. There was also a 21-gun salute, which followed a "missing man" formation of Black Hawk helicopters that flew overhead.  "Honor them through your actions, and protect the legacy they have left us," Rodriguez concluded. "Let us remember those heroes whose time was short but whose impact will be felt for generations to come."  (Army Sgt. Timothy Dinneen is assigned to Combined Joint Task Force 82 Public Affairs.)  

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By Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press Service May 29, 2007 – When 17-year-old John Corley joined the U.S. Air Force Academy's Class of 1973, his father had already given him some valuable life lessons to tuck under his belt.  The Vietnam War was still raging -- along with anti-war sentiment -- when Corley, now a four-star general serving as Air Force vice chief of staff, entered the academy. But he said he never once considered not following in the footsteps laid by Don Corley, his Army Air Corps pilot father.  "It's not just that my dad was an airman," Corley said. "It's that my dad was an airman and had an exquisite set of leadership qualities that were based on character."  Anyone who spent time at the Corley home was bound to hear Don Corley's life philosophy, encapsulated in a series of slogans: "Good, better, best, never let them rest;" or "A job ain't worth doing if it ain't worth doing right."  "I lived a lifetime of quips from my father," the junior Corley said. "I could sit here and recite 10,000 of those phrases from my father over and over again."  Corley said he started to understand the principles behind his father's ditties when he arrived at the Air Force Academy.  "What they speak to is character (and) character development," he said. "They speak to how you treat other people. They talk about inclusiveness and not exclusiveness. They talk about always doing the right thing at the right time."  In short, his father's sayings extolled the same tenets Corley said he learned at the Air Force Academy and on which he's built a successful 34-year Air Force career.  Corley called the academy "a leadership laboratory" where the cadre exposed him and his fellow cadets to "a set of experiences that you just don't find in other places."  "They also provided challenges," he said. "It was a test ... in terms of your development (and) ... your ability to grow and become a leader of character."  Serving in various leadership positions at the academy -- from guidon bearer to first sergeant to squadron commander -- Corley said he got the opportunity to hone his leadership style.  He said he realized that leadership basically boils down to two basic principles: "One, you have to have a vision of where you want the organization to go, because if you don't know where you want to go, any path will do," he said.