A number of courses and seminars use film, movies and television to express leadership concepts.  The co-author of Leadership: Texas Hold ‘em Style, Raymond E. Foster, is collecting practitioner, student and academic input on leadership in film. Have you used film, movies or television to teach leadership?  Have you viewed something in a leadership course?  Or, have you viewed something that expressed a leadership lesson that you would like to share?  Share your thoughts on Leadership in Film.

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By Sgt. 1st Class Rick Emert, USA Special to American Forces Press Service  Nov. 29, 2007 - Army Staff Sgt. Rosie Threatt could have been lost in the group of her large family. She's the fifth of six children, and her siblings have distinguished themselves by working in the medical, criminal justice and teaching fields. Threatt went in another direction: a career in the Army, where she has touched the lives of about 3,000 soldiers in some way over the past 14 months.  "I joined in hopes of being able to take care of myself and my daughter," said Threatt, a Port Gibson, Miss., native who joined the Army in 1999.  When she first deployed to Iraq near the end of 2003, a few years after deploying to Kosovo for six months, she and her family were concerned about it. There would be more deployments to follow.  "My family was scared, and I was scared," Threatt said. "When I deployed a second time, I thought that I hadn't had enough time with my family. When this, the third one, came along, my mom (Angelia Gibson) said: 'That's it.'"  While it was hard on Threatt being away from her daughters, Aubri, 9, and Amari, 4, and her husband, Staff Sgt. Cleo Threatt, she said the deployments are a part of an Army career.  "It was difficult, but I had to think about my future," Threatt said. "I decided that I had come this far, and I plan to take my career all the way up to retirement."  On this, her fourth deployment, including three in Iraq and one in Kosovo, Threatt serves as the senior human resources noncommissioned officer for 1st Air Cavalry "Warrior" Brigade. All promotion packets, award recommendations and other personnel actions go through her staff.  "She brings a genuine desire to take care of soldiers and their administrative needs," said Maj. Kevin McPherson, the brigade's personnel officer, who hails from Aztec, N.M. "She is extremely customer-service oriented."  While her job is to support all of the soldiers in the brigade with administrative support, she finds time to take care of her own soldiers, too.  "I think what I'm most proud of for this deployment is that every single one of my soldiers got a chance to achieve some of their goals," she said. "Each got promoted to at least two grades higher than when they deployed."  She is also proud of her soldiers' accomplishments, she said. "They have done so much as a section," she said. "We have processed 3,200 awards and 600 promotions for the brigade. They have worked 12 hours a day six days a week, and half days on Sunday. Most of them are first-time deployers, and they have really stepped up."  Threatt also is working toward her personal goals of getting an associate's degree in general studies and putting in a packet for the Warrant Officer Candidate School to become a human resources technician. She said she ultimately hopes to work in the medical field as a radiologist.  But for now, she is focused on the mission at hand -- assisting in the redeployment process for the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade as it returns to Fort Hood, Texas.  Although her position normally is held by someone at least two pay grades higher, Threatt has adapted well to the position, McPherson said.  "She had never worked in a (brigade personnel office) before; she had always worked at a personnel service battalion," he said. "She came into this shop with the small focus of those services provided at the (personnel services battalion) level, and was put in a position as the (NCO in charge) of a brigade shop. She is a brand new staff sergeant filling a master sergeant position, and she is doing an amazing job."  While she is focused on the redeployment, thoughts of family reunions are in the back of her mind, she said. "I am excited about going home," Threatt said. "I just want to spend a lot of time with my family -- with my kids, my mom and my sisters. We are all really close, and it's been a long time away."  

(Army Sgt. 1st Class Rick Emert is assigned to 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Public Affairs.)

Think about the subculture of which you are a part.Where and when did it ever get its start?In our society, like a disease it has spread,

Leaving countless numbers of young people dead.

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http://www.police-writers.com/thug.html

More than One-quarter of all Americans met the criteria for having a mental illness problem within the past year, and fully over a quarter of those had a "serious" disorder that significantly disrupted their ability to function day to day, according to the largest and most detailed survey of the nation's mental health, published in 2007. Mental illness is a growing problem throughout the world. Numerous law enforcement agencies are often called to check out a report on somebody with a possible psychosis or other symptoms of mental behavior.

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http://www.police-writers.com/police_response_mentally_ill.html

By Tech. Sgt. Jason Smith, USAF Special to American Forces Press Service  Nov. 29, 2007 - Versus, the U.S. cable television home of the National Hockey League, has partnered with some troops deployed to Kosovo to give an early Christmas present to the peacekeepers and their families at home.  At 7 p.m. EST on Dec. 11 , everyone watching the Pittsburgh Penguins battle the Philadelphia Flyers on Versus will get to see some pictures of the American soldiers, airmen and sailors who are serving at Camps Film City and Bondsteel, Kosovo.  At the same time their pictures are being shown on television in the United States, the troops will be gathered at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Center at Camp Film City to watch the game on the American Forces Network. Due to the time difference, the game starts in Kosovo at 1 a.m. Dec. 12, but the late start won't discourage people from showing up. According to Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jay Valloric, one of the event coordinators, it's easy to stay up because he knows his kids will be watching for him at home in Ohio.  "Most of us will be here through Christmas and New Years," Valloric said. "I would rather be at home, but since that's just not possible, I think it's great that my kids will get to see me and know that I'm doing OK."  The idea for the game came about in an unusual way. A small group of troops gathered for the Oct. 24 game between the Penguins and Rangers. A story was written about the game and sent to Versus. Eventually, Michael Baker, coordinating producer of the National Hockey League for the cable network, received an e-mail with the story. Baker contacted the author of the story to thank the troops for watching the game.  "Mike was happy to hear that we watched the games," Army Sgt. Kai Tonti said. "He said if we wanted, he would try to show the photos that he received from the initial story during a future game we would be watching. Of course we were excited about it, so we said, 'Yes.' We were telling the other people here about it, and the idea just grew that it would be nice to do a live feed like they do sometimes during the Super Bowl."  Baker was onboard with the troops' idea, but mission requirements at Camp Film City trumped the valuable resources needed to pull off the transmission. The team putting the event together on the Kosovo side quickly started gathering troops for pictures that could be shown during breaks in the action.  "Our mission here doesn't make the headlines at home the way Iraq and Afghanistan do," Valloric said. "No one here is complaining, because the conditions aren't as bad as a lot of people have it, but we still miss our families, and to get some of our pictures on TV is a real morale booster."  In addition to American troops, other NATO and Partnership for Peace troops will be on hand at the MWR Center to cheer for their favorite team and watch the live broadcast. Camp Film City, which serves as the Kosovo Force Headquarters, is a deployed home to troops of 34 nations.  

(Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jason Smith serves with the Kosovo Force Public Affairs Office.)

By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service  Nov. 29, 2007 - Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England donned a Santa hat today to remind Defense Department managers to take the red-suited fellow's lead by checking their lists twice to enforce internal controls within the department. Internal controls are critical as DoD manages a budget of more than $500 billion, not including war costs, England told attendees at the Manager's Internal Control Program and Check-It Campaign Conference at Fort McNair here.  The way the department enforces its internal controls has a direct impact on the men and women in uniform defending the United States and its friends and allies, England said. "We are the people behind the lines, and we make it possible for our men and women who serve on the front lines ... to do their jobs. They count on us every single day. They count on us doing this job, and they count on us doing it right.  "And we know that we do it right when we check it every day," he said.  England pointed to DoD's "Check-It" program, which he kicked off in July 2006, as a key to that goal. The campaign aims to remind everyone throughout DoD of the importance of their jobs to the overall mission and of double-checking themselves to make sure they're doing them right and not cutting corners.  "If you check things, then what should happen will happen," England said in introducing the program. "It's what we want to do every day in the jobs we do."  That has big implications for the military, where "getting it right" is the only real option, he said.  Tina Jonas, DoD's comptroller, said the Check It program is paying off through greater return on investments, hundreds of millions of dollars in savings and governmentwide recognition of the department's accomplishments. "You are the ones who are making it happen," she told the managers.  She noted an 84 percent reduction in self-identified internal control weaknesses since 2001 – from 116 to 19 today. "That's progress," she said.  Jonas also pointed to other measures of this forward momentum. She noted that in 2001, only two DoD entities had achieved a clean audit opinion on their financial statements. By 2006, that number had increased to six. The department's goal is to bring two-thirds of its entities to this standard by fiscal 2009, she said.  

England thanked defense managers for the hard work that's brought about this progress and challenged them to get the remaining 19 internal control weaknesses cleared up before he leaves office in 417 days. "I ask for your energy and support," he said. "What you do is vitally important to the Department of Defense."

Study Shows Tasers to be Relatively HarmlessThe Post (10/22/07), Alivia Nuzzo  A study examining instances of Taser® use by law enforcement at six agencies supports the use of the electro-muscular discharge units as a less-lethal alternative for law enforcement. Research data for the study, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Justice and conducted by Wake Forest University's School of Medicine, was gathered from criminal suspects' reports regarding use of Tasers®. Of the almost 1,000 subjects, 99.7% had little or no injuries. Death occurred in two instances, but it was later determined that the deaths were unrelated to the use of Tasers®.www.thepost.ohiou.edu/Articles/News/2007/10/22/21838/ New 911 System Can Trace Cell CallsDaily News Transcript (10/22/07), Keith Ferguson The Walpole (Massachusetts) Police Department has taken advantage of Vestas Pallas, a new 911 system that reports cell phone numbers to dispatchers and provides dispatchers with the ability to trace cell phone calls to detailed locations on a computer-generated map. In the past, cell phone call location and phone number information were difficult to acquire. The system takes advantage of the GPS feature that's on most new phones to obtain location and phone number information. However, if the cell phone is older and doesn't have a GPS feature, the system initially will indicate the nearest cell tower and zero in on a more precise location as the call continues.www.dailynewstranscript.com/homepage/x857473994 Townwide Alert Helps Police Find Missingnashuatelegraph.com, an edition of "The Telegraph," (Nashua, NH). (10/22/07), Hattie Bernstein Lt. James Sartell has 10 years on the Hollis, New Hampshire, police force, and has always been concerned about children and elderly citizens going missing, especially in the fall and winter months when temperatures dip down quickly. Recently an elderly man called the department after his wife did not return from an afternoon walk. The department took this opportunity to contact the toll-free national hotline for "A Child is Missing" alert system, which the town subscribes to free of charge, and within a minute the service telephoned 1,000 residents in the area near where the woman had last been seen. Roughly 490 of those calls were answered, and citizens received an automated message regarding the situation. Some of those citizens also volunteered to assist police with the search. These efforts resulted in the missing woman being found in about 2 hours.www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071022/NEWS01/310220058/-1/news SUU Issues First E-Mail Safety NoticeSUUjournal.com (11/12/07), Josh Smith The Southern Utah University (SUU) Department of Public Safety recently issued its first-ever campuswide e-mail alert. The alert included a mug shot and information about a gentleman "considered by Public Safety to be a threat" and requested that people alert the department if they saw him on the campus. Previous efforts would have required public safety officials to post signs throughout campus. With this new system, notification is instant and provides the capability to send notifications to everyone on the SUU system. Other future technology projects include electronic locks on exterior doors, digital signage, comprehensive video surveillance, and an emergency siren system.media.www.suujournal.com/media/storage/paper951/news/2007/11/12/News/Suu-Issues.First.EMail.Safety.Notice-3092965.shtml Minneapolis Wins Award for New High-Tech Emergency Dispatch SystemGovernment Technology (11/8/07), News Report Minneapolis' new cutting-edge computer aided dispatch (CAD) system, which will improve how police and fire and rescue units respond to emergency situations, was awarded top technology honors at the 8th annual Tekne Awards. These awards acknowledge organizations and individuals that have a positive impact on the technology-based economy of Minnesota. The award-winning system went into service in March 2007. It provides first responders and 911 dispatchers with new ways to respond faster and smarter to emergency situations by making more detailed information available to them. This new system was paid for using U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant funds, and was developed by TriTech, Inc. of San Diego.www.govtech.com/gt/174473?topic=117699 Device Will Put Crooks at Cops' FingertipsWTOP Radio (11/14/07), Hank Silverberg Technology designed to correctly identify criminals who have given false information regarding their identity will be implemented by Fairfax County, Virginia. The county will be the first in the nation to use a handheld device that will allow police officers to instantaneously identify a person who has been arrested either by using fingerprints or a digital photo. The information captured will be cross-referenced against information contained in a database of criminal records, and in the future this system may connect to a national database of criminal records. Fairfax County is expected to have 50 of the units, which have been paid for using U.S. Department of Homeland Security funding. Several surrounding jurisdictions hope to obtain similar devices as well.www.wtopnews.com/?nid=600&sid=1291897 Local FBI Rolls Out Online Sharing NetworkThe Gazette (11/6/07), Alicia Ebaugh In terms of information sharing between local and State law enforcement Iowa is "far ahead," according to an FBI official, but taking advantage of an FBI site will only serve to make that communication better. On October 6, officers from across Iowa got their first look at the FBI's Law Enforcement Online information sharing network. This network assists all levels of agencies in sharing information nationwide. The FBI's system has been operational since 1995 and the agency is still working to get thousands of local, county, and State agencies involved by providing trainings to organizations nationwide. Law Enforcement Online gives officials a secure, encrypted location in which to put crime information so they can seek out information from other jurisdictions or make information available to other agencies. Access to Law Enforcement Online is granted using an FBI background check process.www.gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071106/NEWS/711060036/1006/news FBI Harnesses Power of "On Demand" From Comcast to Track Criminals, Find Missing Persons, Make Communities SaferCNNMoney.com (11/1/07), PR Newswire The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has found a valuable tool in using the ON DEMAND technology that Comcast uses for cable service. "Police Blotter ON DEMAND" is a community-oriented video on-demand service that was launched in the Philadelphia area last December. Recently a Comcast customer, after seeing the profile of a wanted bank robber, contacted the FBI with a tip that led to an arrest. This service provides law enforcement with another tool to reach out to the public for assistance. The features the service provides, such as pause and rewind, can assist customers in seeing details and making connections that might otherwise be lost. Police Blotter ON DEMAND is regularly updated with video profiles for bank robbers, missing persons, and individuals from the Philadelphia Police Department's most wanted files. The offering is available free of charge to customers on the Comcast system.

money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/NEM04312112007-1.htm

In early 2007 the Lawrence Police Department contacted National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center-West for assistance with a problem faced by their School Resource Officers (SROs). The SROs are currently required to fill out numerous paper forms such as their Field Interrogation/Observation Forms (FIOs). In order to save time and effort by eliminating the paper forms and easily retrieve records later, the Department asked NLECTC-West for help in finding an affordable solution for automating these forms. The SROs will access these automated forms via handheld personal data assistants (PDAs) and the information will be stored in a database with search capabilities. 

As of September 2007, NLECTC-West has assisted the Department with the purchase of the hardware and in obtaining a custom software solution. The Department has completed a field test of the PDA unit and provided feedback to NLECTC-West. The Center anticipates that they will incorporate improvements for the next version of the system by early 2008. For more information on the automated forms system, please contact NLECTC-West, 888-548-1618 or nlectc@law-west.org

Patrolling the streets on the west side of townThe radio is busy dispatching a fairly normal soundMy thoughts were on Christmas, only a few weeks away

The gifts I needed to buy before the big day

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http://www.police-writers.com/fletcher_awful_things.html

It is not just another professionOn your soul this job leaves an impressionThe sights your eyes are forced to see

Can make one for their sanity plea

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http://www.police-writers.com/poem_law_enforcement.html

Laughing, joking, just standing around,A few seconds later bodies on the ground.Shots rang out, there were many,

Another drive-by shooting reason there isn’t any.

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By Capt. Erick Saks, USAF Special to American Forces Press Service  Nov. 28, 2007 - Months of work and cooperation between the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team and the Afghan government culminated in two ribbon-cutting ceremonies Nov. 26, as hundreds of community members and several civic leaders officially opened a girls school and a health clinic in the Kapisa province's Kohistan II district. Kapisa Gov. Kwaia Kholam Abubaker and Army Capt. Jordan Berry, Bagram PRT's Kapisa civil affairs team leader, presided over the ceremonies opening the Dihat Dasht girls school and the Jamalagha basic health clinic.  The Dihat Dasht girls school is an eight-classroom facility that will accommodate about 160 students. The $150,000 facility includes four faculty offices, restrooms, a well, a guard house and a perimeter wall.  Hamidullah Hatan, Department of Education representative, spoke at the school-opening ceremony, emphasizing the Afghan government's focus on education and stressing the community's duty to their new school.  "We are very grateful to the PRT for building this great school," Hatan said. "Now, it is the responsibility of the community to maintain it and keep those people away who would shoot rockets at it."  The eight-room Jamalagha basic health clinic is the first of its kind in the area and will be staffed by a doctor, a midwife, two nurses and two vaccination technicians, said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Deborah Taylor, PRT medical team noncommissioned officer in charge.  "This clinic offers family-practice care, prenatal care, vaccinations and pharmaceutical services," she said. "Before this clinic was built, there wasn't a place for the people to find this kind of care in the area. This facility will have a huge impact on the lives of the people here."  Aziz Jan was the contractor for the $85,000 health clinic and said he was very satisfied with the project and was glad to create the facility for the people of the region.  "The community here is made up of good people," he said. "They were always helpful and are very excited about the clinic."  The relative peacefulness of the community allows the PRT to complete projects like this in the area, Berry said. "Kohistan II is a beautiful district with friendly people," he said. "We have never had any issues with the people here, and this security allows us to help the community."  The governor agreed, expressing his gratitude to the community for embracing peace and supporting the government. "Thank you to the people of Kohistan for keeping the peace here," the governor said. "Only with peace can we build schools and clinics, giving the people freedom to study and improve themselves."  These ceremonies are the first of a series of about a dozen ribbon-cutting ceremonies planned over the next month, Army Maj. Jim Blashford, Bagram PRT acting commander, said.  "The projects we're finalizing range from schools and clinics to roads and wells," Blashford said. "It's a busy and exciting time for the Bagram PRT. From the time the team arrived in March, our focus had been coordinating new projects and overseeing their construction. Now many of those projects are wrapping up, and we're all finally able to see the fruits of our labor."  

(Air Force Capt. Erick Saks serves with the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan.)

The life of a cop is never easyThe life of a cop is an on going jobas he chose this career becausea love for protecting people far

outweighed his fear.

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By Renanah Miles Special to American Forces Press Service  Nov. 27, 2007 - Two hundred eighty soldiers and one sailor re-enlisted earlier this month in the Al Faw palace, one of Saddam Hussein's former homes.  The palace was seized by 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Ga., in 2003. On the division's 90th birthday Nov. 21, soldiers under its command renewed their commitment to the Army and the war on terror.  When Sgt. Patricia Daniels, of Headquarters and Headquarters Support Company, Support Troops Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, re-enlisted during Operation Iraqi Freedom III, she didn't know the significance of the date at first. "Last time I was in Iraq, ... I re-enlisted on the 21st of November, not realizing it was the 3rd ID birthday," she said.  This year, Daniels' choice to recommit to the Army on the division's 90th birthday was intentional. Daniels is deployed to Baghdad again, under the command of the Multi-National Division Center. Still, Daniels, a native of Miami, said the decision is bittersweet. While she loves her job, said, the separation from her husband and four children is hard.  "I like the camaraderie, I like the teamwork," she said of the Army. "I don't like to deploy every other year."  This year, as the ceremony fell the day before Thanksgiving, Daniels had home on her mind. She said Thanksgiving trumps Christmas in her family, and she begged her husband and children to carry on the elaborate food preparation and holiday traditions in her stead.  Despite the sacrificed holiday, her conviction to serve remains unshaken. "I'm re-enlisting for the needs of the Army," she said.  Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Division Iraq, officiated over the ceremony.  "Re-enlisting soldiers is one of my favorite duties, one of the greatest honors I think any of us can perform," the general said.  "And it is a true honor to be with you to re-enlist 281 of you at last count, and that does include a 'Sailor of One,'" Petraeus said in a play on the Army motto.  Spc. Heidi McNeely, also with Headquarters and Headquarters Support Company, re-enlisted in July. Her husband, food service specialist John McNeely, re-enlisted in a private ceremony last week.  On Nov. 21, John also joined other Multinational Division Center soldiers and affirmed his commitment. Husband and wife, both from New Orleans, joined the Army for similar reasons. "The biggest motivation was stability," McNeely said. "That's what keeps me and him going."  But being deployed simultaneously is a mixed blessing for the couple. "It's nice, ... comforting," McNeely said. "But kind of scary because we have two kids."  John's parents are taking care of the children while mom and dad are deployed. Their oldest daughter, 8 years old, is aware enough to wonder where her parents are and why they went away. McNeely said she gave her children a simple explanation. "I told them (it's) because there were people who needed help from us," McNeely explained. "I didn't go any further than that. She didn't question it. The only thing she questioned was if something was going to happen to me.  "I told her that God gave her to me," McNeely continued. "I'm not done taking care of her yet."  Both Daniels and McNeely say options for school are a factor in their decision.  Falling a day before Thanksgiving and on the day of the 3rd Infantry Division's birthday, the ceremony came as a poignant reminder of the tradition and duty that lie at the heart of soldiers' choice to serve their country.  "I don't know where this division, this great division, will be when it celebrates one century of service in 2017," Petraeus said. "But I can guarantee you that wherever it is, future 'Dog Face Soldiers' will celebrate the courageous contributions that each of you is making in Iraq today. They will proudly look at each of you the same way you look back at some of your predecessors."  

(Renanah Miles is assigned to Multinational Division Center.)

When any police officer is hired or completes their police academy they are required to take an oath. Too often as time wears on the police officer has forgotten their oath but do continue doing the best job they can for the department they serve. Police officers in the past took their oath to heart and worked hard and long hours serving their community. They didn’t ask for raises or promotions or a pat on the back, they did their job until the day arrived they were eligible for one position or another. The police stuck together as family back then as they do today.

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By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service  Nov. 26, 2007 - The first reduction in American forces in Iraq is under way, as the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division heads back to Fort Hood, Texas. The brigade will not be replaced. Roughly 162,000 U.S. troops are in Iraq in 20 brigade teams or their Marine equivalents. If all goes well, this will drop to 15 brigade combat teams over the next eight months, Navy Rear Adm. Gregory J. Smith, a spokesman for Multinational Force Iraq in Baghdad, said Nov. 24.  Iraqi security forces are attaining the expertise and operational capabilities needed to police their own country, Smith said. Iraqi forces are taking over more of the battle space in Baghdad and around the country.  "Current conditions allow for a withdrawal of the first unit ... starting on Nov. 27," Smith said. "If conditions continue to permit, a total of five brigade combat teams will be redeployed over the next eight months."  The redeployment of the brigade shows the coalition's confidence in Iraqi security forces and reflects the overall improved security in the country, Smith said. The brigade – based in Diyala province – will not leave a vacuum in the province.  "We do not intend to give back our hard-fought ground," Smith said. "Repositioning of coalition and Iraqi security forces will ensure that overall force levels and combat capability levels in Diyala will be tailored to meet emerging threats."  Soldiers of the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 2nd Infantry Division are replacing the 3rd Brigade forces, said Army Col. David W. Sutherland, commander of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team. The Stryker Brigade has been conducting combat operations in other areas of Iraq for the past six months and is absorbing Diyala into its battle space.  "Over the past 14 months, my soldiers and the Iraqi security forces, the provincial government and other officials have worked hard to bring stability and services to Diyala," Sutherland said. "And it's truly gratifying to see the efforts of my soldiers come to fruition."  The province, while still troubled, has come a long way, he said. The security problem dominated; government, economy and basic services hinged on improved security, he explained.  "Public perception of inequity, corruption, and fear became the driving force behind support to terrorists, specifically al Qaeda," the colonel said.  In May, prior to Operation Arrowhead Ripper and the surge of troops in Diyala, there were 1,051 significant acts of violence, Sutherland said. This included murders, kidnappings and suicide attacks. "Today, the operational environment is drastically improving," he said. "By the end of October, there were 464 significant acts of violence reported. This is a drop of over 50 percent of significant acts in a province the size of Maryland, with over 1.6 million citizens." And the trend continues. Through Nov. 20, there were just over 200 acts of violence this month.  "These improvements would not have been possible without the support and cooperation from the local citizens who were tired of the hatred and disgust offered by extremist organizations," he said. "The surge enabled the coalition and Iraqi security forces to dominate the terrain and secure the population. It also helped the government to function properly and begin focusing on reconstruction and essential services."  But in the end, it was the people of the province who enabled the surge to succeed. Roughly 3,000 concerned local citizens have stood up against al Qaeda, Sutherland said. "They assist the Iraqi police by guarding their own roads and local infrastructure and manning checkpoints throughout the province," he explained.  These concerned local citizens also provide coalition and the Iraqi security forces with information about weapons caches, locations of car bombs and house-borne and deep-buried improvised explosive devices, and are turning in known al Qaeda fighters. "These concerned local citizens understand that the future of Iraq can be better if they get involved in ridding the province of al Qaeda and participate in the development of their own democracy," he said.  

"As I've said on numerous occasions, we cannot kill our way out of this," Sutherland said. "In Diyala, when the government loses its will, the people lose hope and they turn to other sources to provide that hope. Today, there is hope in Diyala."

By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service  Nov. 26, 2007 - The Alaska National Guard is bringing Christmas a month early to children in remote Alaskan villages, some whom might otherwise not get to see a Santa Claus or receive a holiday gift.  The Guardsmen from the 144th Airlift Squadron are slated to fly a C-130 Hercules aircraft from Kulis Air National Guard Base to Kotlik, Alaska, tomorrow for the third and last major Operation Santa Claus flight of the season, said Kalei Brooks, a spokeswoman for Alaska's Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.  The airmen will carry Santa and Mrs. Claus and other community and business volunteers and join them in distributing toys, clothing, books, school supplies and holiday spirit to local residents. They'll also help serve up a feast of turkey, mashed potatoes and green beans, as well as ice cream sundaes donated by the Tastee-Freez company.  The Alaska National Guard has conducted Operation Santa Claus since 1956 to bring holiday cheer to children and families in remote villages across the state.  That year, spring floods devastated the fishing season, and a drought wiped out much of the wildlife hunters and trappers would normally have gathered, Brooks said. Nuns at a mission in St. Mary's, Alaska, worried that as they used all the money they had to ship in food for their orphanage, nothing would be left to buy gifts for the children.  A letter from one of the nuns found its way to the Alaska Air National Guard's 144th Airlift Squadron in Anchorage and gave birth to Operation Santa Claus. Since then, the effort has branched out to reach different remote villages every year. Last year, the Guard observed the program's 50th anniversary by returning to St. Mary's, among other villages.  The Alaska Guard and its elves kicked off this season's Operation Santa Claus Nov. 3 by flying two C-130s loaded with volunteer elves and goodies to Wainwright. The town, about 70 miles southwest of Barrow, has fewer than 600 residents. They flew another Operation Santa Claus flight Nov. 13 to Togiak, a village of just over 800 people at the head of Togiak Bay.  While the Alaska Air National Guard flies C-130 missions, the Army National Guard participates in Operation Santa Claus, too, delivering goodies to local communities via UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, said Air Force Capt. Guy Hayes, the Alaska Guard's chief of public affairs.  To ensure there's a big supply of gifts to deliver, the Operation Santa Claus elves collect donations year-round. "A lot of hard work and a lot of volunteers go into this project," she said. "It's a year-round effort."  Volunteers go through lost-and-found boxes after the school year ends and get items professionally cleaned. They scour their local communities for books to donate, and collect donations from local organizations and businesses to distribute, she said.  Even gifts as simple as fresh fruit and bottled water are received in the villages with open arms. "Things like that are very expensive in remote Alaskan villages," she said. "So getting them is a treat."  Brooks, who plans to take part in tomorrow's flight for her fourth consecutive year supporting Operation Santa Claus, said it's gratifying to bring the holiday spirit to villagers who might otherwise go without a celebration.  

"It's a way of showing that we as an organization – the Alaska National Guard – really do care about the community as a whole," she said. "We all want to get out there and integrate with the community and help our fellow Alaskans."