By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service  June 30, 2008 - The enemy in the eastern portion of Iraq's Anbar province has been neutralized, the coalition commander in the area said today. Al-Qaida in Iraq still can launch occasional horrific attacks, but in Ramadi and Fallujah -- once strongholds of the terror group -- security is allowing the region to transfer to provincial Iraqi control, Marine Corps Col. Lewis Craparotta, the area's coalition commander, told Pentagon reporters in a briefing via satellite from Camp Fallujah today.  Still, the colonel said, coalition and Iraqi forces must remain vigilant, as al-Qaida wants to come back into the area. "Both cities have historical significance to the insurgents," he explained.  In an attack in Karmah last week, for example, an al-Qaida suicide bomber infiltrated a tribal leader meeting. The explosion killed three Americans and 15 Iraqi leaders.  "We watch the enemy actions very closely," Craparotta said. "We work side by side with both the Iraqi police and the Iraqi army to reduce the enemy's capabilities to execute these attacks, and to prevent them from re-establishing themselves in our area." Iraqi police and soldiers are full partners in the fight against al-Qaida, the colonel said.  "Yesterday, ... we sat down with the police and the army and talked about this incident in Karmah," he said, "and we decided there was a need to conduct an operation that ... was completed this morning."  Craparotta said he asked the Fallujah police chief what he needed from the coalition to perform the mission. "He told me that he would just as soon I watch my students go out there and execute and that he was confident he could do it, and if I was available to provide a [quick-reaction force], that that would be enough," the colonel said.  While the events in Karmah are tragic, he said, they need to be taken in perspective.  In May and June, five other suicide-vest attacks and a car-bomb attack took place in Fallujah, he said, and Iraqi police and soldiers minimized the effects of these attacks and prevented many more attacks. The police, in fact, have the lead in Ramadi and Fallujah, he added.  "The relationships that we have developed with the Iraqi police have allowed us to reduce slowly our 24-hour presence [and] put them in the lead for most of the day-to-day operations," the colonel said. "There is mutual respect among the forces and a common goal: protecting the citizens. Both the Iraqi army and the Iraqi police leadership have certainly proven capable. They have risen to every occasion, and they have certainly earned the respect of the population."  Coalition experts continue to train the Iraqi security forces. Military and police transition teams work with Iraqi units to hone their skills.  Security progress allows civilian agencies and the Iraqi government to step forward to improve the quality of life for the average Iraqi, Craparotta said. "We've assisted or are assisting the Iraqis with local governance, reconstruction, implementing the rule of law and generally trying to improve the quality of life for the citizens," he said. "Local governments are continuing to prosper, with mayors and city councils taking on more and more responsibility. And we expect that that will accelerate here, as we transition to provincial Iraqi control."  Anbar province will transfer to Iraqi control as soon as the sandstorm across the region subsides. The colonel said he expects that once the transfer occurs, more Iraqi government money will come into the province "so that they can really take advantage of that element of control that they'll gain after the ceremony."  The rule of law is settling into place, and small and mid-sized companies are beginning. Provincial authorities are learning the stresses and challenges of a democratic budgetary process.  "As with most budgets, I think there is always a desire for more," Craparotta said. "But this is ... the first year that we've been able to execute a budget."  Local officials are helping to draft next year's budget now. "We're picking up steam in the budget area and governance, and I think we're on the road to success," the colonel said.

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By Samantha L. Quigley American Forces Press Service  June 29, 2008 - Iraq is enjoying some substantial political, and economic progress in addition to better security, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq said during an interview on CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer" today. "As security has improved, the environment has changed for the better," Ryan C. Crocker from Baghdad. "That allows for compromises to emerge that simply were not possible before."  He pointed to better budget execution as one piece of evidence pointing toward Iraq's changes for the better, and also noted provinclial elections are coming up. "Those elections, in the latter part of this year, will be a very significant step," he said.  Crocker acknowledged that the United States' work in Iraq is not over when Candy Crowley, filling in for "Late Edition" host Wolf Blitzer, asked him about the increase in casualties in some areas since May.  "Overall, we have seen an improvement in the security situation and a reduction in casualties, both Iraqi and American," Crocker said. "We're up against some resilient and determined enemies [who] have the capacity to hit back, and that's what we're seeing, both from al-Qaida and its allies and from Shiia militias."  While the enemy may be pushing back, the Iraqi government's response displays intolerance for these acts and a determination to reclaim their neighborhoods from the perpetrators, the ambassador said. Leadership response to a June 24 attack in Baghdad's Sadr City area aimed at district council members is a prime example, Crocker said.  On June 26, the council reconvened to hold the election that had been scheduled for the day of the attack and elected one of the members who had been wounded as its new chairman. It then denounced the attackers, publicly thanked the United States for its support, and extended sympathy to those affected by the attack, Crocker said.  "We've got more hard work in front of us," he said. "The fighting is by no means over, but clearly we are in a different and better place than we were even six months ago."  But while Iraqi security forces are successfully taking Iranian-backed militias off the street in Basra, Sadr City and other areas around Iraq, Crocker said, he had no direct answer to whether there was Iranian activity in Iraq has decreased. But the channels remain open for talks among the United States, Iraq and Iran, however, he said.  "I think it's important to have that option," he said. "But also, it's important to have talks for a purpose, not just for the sake of having another session. We'll need to choose the timing when we think it will improve the situation [and] make some progress."  Until talks happen, Iraq and the United States will push forward on the current path, one that includes forging an agreement allowing U.S. servicemembers to remain in Iraq past the expiration of the U.N. Security Council resolution. The resolution expires at the end of the year.  The possibility of Iraq wanting the ability to prosecute U.S. personnel for crime could be a stumbling block, however. Crocker outlined where the negotiations stand.  "We're negotiating a very broad set of issues with our Iraqi partners," Crocker said. "We're operating under some pretty fundamental principles. One of them is full respect for Iraqi sovereignty, Iraqi law and the Iraqi process.  "Neither we nor they will put anything into this agreement that would contravene those principles," he continued. "At the same time, we do have to have the necessary precautions and authorizations for our forces to do what they need to do to support Iraq."  Though work remains to be completed in Iraq, Crocker said, he is certain the climate is in place for Iraqis to build their country on all fronts -- security, political and economic.

June 28, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) On July 5, 2008, Conversations with Cops at the Watering Hole will feature a conversation with O’Neil De Noux, a police officer-turned-writer.  He has worked as a homicide detective and organized crime investigator.  He has also been a private investigator, U.S. Army combat photographer, criminal intelligence analyst, newspaper writer, magazine editor, computer graphics designer and creative writing instructor.   Program Date: July 5, 2008Program Time: 2100 hours, PacificTopic: Crescent City CrimeListen Live:http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2008/07/06/Crescent-City-Crime About the GuestAs a police officer, O’Niel De Noux received seven commendations for solving difficult murder cases.  In 1981, he was named ‘Homicide Detective of the Year’ for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.  In 1989, he was proclaimed an ‘Expert Witness’ on the homicide crime scene in Criminal District Court, New Orleans, LA. O’Niel De Noux’s published novels include: Grim Reaper, The Big Kiss, Blue Orleans, Crescent City Kills and the Big Show. His short story collections include Hollow Point/The Mystery of Rochelle Marais and Lastanza: New Orleans Police Stories; which received an “A” rating from Entertainment Weekly Magazine.  O’Niel De Noux adapted one of the Lastanza stories “Waiting for Alaina” into a screenplay, which was filmed in New Orleans and broadcast on local TV in 2001. In March 2006, New Orleans Confidential, a collection of 1940’s noir private-eye short stories was published by PointBlank Press.  According to Weekly, “Former homicide detective De Noux turns out an engaging, fast-paced collection of stories featuring private eye and womanizer extraordinaire Lucien Caye as he tracks philandering husbands, possible murderers and missing cats. Set predominantly against the rich backdrop of 1940s New Orleans, these stories-abounding with ample bosoms and willing women-are fun, and the author knows his stuff when it comes to the Big Easy.”  Another Lucien Caye story, The Heart Has Reasons, won the Private Eye Writer’s of America’s prestigious Shamus Award for Best Short Story 2007.   Besides his novels, O’Neil De Noux has had over 200 short stories published. Until Hurricane Katrina, he taught creative writing and mystery writing courses at the University of New Orleans and Delgado Community College and McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA, from 1993 to 2005.  He is the founding editor of two fiction magazines, Mystery Street and New Orleans Stories. Currently, O’Neil De Noux has two original short stories Guilty of Dust and Sin and Maria’s  Hand available on Amazon Shorts, an audio story “Ankle Biters of Old Arizona; or, Attack of the Wild Chihuahuas (on Sniplits.com) and stories forthcoming in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, as well as a number of anthologies. After his home was seriously damaged by Hurricane Katrina, O’Neil De Noux re-settled on the northshore of Lake Pontchartrain in 2006 and returned to law enforcement.  He is currently a Police Investigator with the Southeastern Louisiana University Police Department in Hammond, LA. About the Watering HoleThe 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. About the HostLieutenant 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 E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University.  He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, law enforcement 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 Program Contact InformationLieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPAeditor@police-writers.com909.599.7530

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By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg Special to American Forces Press Service  June 27, 2008 - USS Boxer returned to port yesterday after a two-month humanitarian and civic assistance mission to Latin America. During the deployment, Boxer visited Guatemala, El Salvador and Peru as part of the Pacific phase of Continuing Promise 2008.  "This mission is something that the Navy is starting to do more of," Navy Capt. Peter Dallman, commander of Amphibious Squadron 5, said in a conference call with online journalists and bloggers yesterday.  Dallman said the mission reflects the new national maritime strategy signed by the chief of naval operations, the commandant of the Marine Corps and the commandant of the Coast Guard.  "In that strategy, [it] basically outlines the idea that we want to get involved with this type of mission more, and we want to reach out to partner nations just like these three," he said.  He added that his crew benefits from these types of missions because it provides essential training that will benefit future humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.  The Boxer's most recent deployment to Latin America was shorter than the crew's previous missions, such as their last eight-and-a-half-month deployment to the Persian Gulf and Western Pacific.  On April 28, the Boxer crew left San Diego accompanied by medical professionals from 25 different commands from around the world. In addition to the augmented medical team, personnel from the U.S. Public Health Service and the nongovernmental organization Project Hope accompanied the crew on the two-month humanitarian mission.  Also accompanying the Boxer crew were 60 Seabees from Navy Seabee Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 303, who performed a variety of construction projects in the three countries. Their work included plumbing and electrical work, as well as roof repairs and upgrades. "We worked in 12 project locations; eight of them were schools," Dallman said.  The medical professionals aboard Boxer saw more than 14,000 patients, completed 127 surgeries, dispensed 40,000 medications and saw nearly 4,000 optometry patients, distributing about 3,500 pairs of eyeglasses. They also completed 14,000 dental procedures and 66 repairs to biomedical equipment in the various clinics and hospitals where they worked, the captain said.  A veterinarian team saw about 2,900 animals, he added.  The Boxer crew also provided valuable training, such as CPR, nutrition, basic sanitation techniques, and first aid to 18,000 students in 123 classes, and took time to educate patients standing in line for medical treatment.  "We did also provide training to people standing in line and in dedicated training sessions to medical professionals across a wide array of topics -- everything from how to brush your teeth to waste disposal to [obstetrics and gynecology] issues," Dallman said.  These kinds of deployments have a positive affect on sailors' attitudes toward having a career in the Navy, the captain noted.  "It certainly benefits our people to be more training on expeditionary-type missions like this, where we're going out into the field and working under conditions like this," he said.  (Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg works in the New Media Directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)

American Forces Press Service  June 27, 2008 - Iraqi security forces, civic leaders, local townspeople and coalition forces gathered in the Ameriyah community in Baghdad's Mansour district June 25 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to acknowledge the opening of the biggest public works substation in the Iraqi capital. Public works substations provide essential services to local communities, such as trash pickup, street cleaning and other services necessary for proper community maintenance.  The opening of the Ameriyah substation marks an important milestone for residents of this area, who have not had these services in more than two years.  "These basic services used to be centralized into only one station located in the eastern Mansour district of Baghdad, creating a deficit in other parts of the city," said Army Col. Louis Fazeka, part of the provincial reconstruction team embedded with the 101st Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team in Multinational Division Baghdad.  "The focus of this mission has been to 'decentralize' and make substations throughout western Baghdad, making these services more readily available to those neglected parts of the city," Fazeka explained.  The colonel said that he hopes, in time, that these stations will aid in Ameriyah's security and stability by restoring the confidence of the people in their government.  "These people want these basic essential services that you and I take for granted back home," Fazeka said. "It boosts the peoples' confidence in the government."  With the help of contractors, the PRT went to work and cleaned up the area where the substation now stands, leveled the ground, fixed up the run-down house there and put concrete T-wall barriers around the lot to increase security for the workers and the equipment.  The project took 45 days to complete.  "This station has brought life back to 15,000 residents due to the reinstatement of these services," said Salwan Talal Latif, Iraqi public works assistant zone director, and a 30-year resident of Ameriyah.  "Seven months ago, we were hiding in our houses in fear for our lives," he continued. "But thanks be to God, ... all aspects of fear that we had [are] in the past, and our lives are open now, and so are our opportunities."  (From a Multinational Corps Iraq news release.)

By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg American Forces Press Service  June 27, 2008 - The 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines are disrupting the Taliban's freedom of movement in Afghanistan's Helmand and Farah provinces, the battalion's commander said today. "We expected that we were going to experience a lot of friction by the enemy," Marine Corps Lt. Col. Richard D. Hall told online journalists and bloggers in a teleconference, noting that until the 1st Marine Division unit arrived, Taliban operatives and other militants could operate as they pleased.  "We're disrupting that, and they don't like it," Hall said, "so they've been trying to come after us because of that."  He praised his Marines' fighting spirit, calling them "some of the very best of America."  "Their heart is absolutely unbelievable," Hall said. "When I have gone to the hospital to visit some of the wounded with the intent of cheering them up, bolstering their confidence, the exact opposite occurred. Their spirit was so great that I had shivers going through me after talking to these men. Their primary concern was ... 'How are the guys doing, ... and when can I get back?'"  Hall acknowledged that local police hadn't been effective, but said the focused district development police training program under way in Afghanistan will turn that around.  "What we're currently experiencing right now is a lot of change, and it's a good change," he said. "In a lot of the 2/7's districts, we have some positive things going on where previously they had relatively well-trained police -- but not mentored and certainly under the influence of corruption -- now about to be replaced with trained and respectable police."  Focused district development is an Afghan Interior Ministry initiative designed to improve policing in the country, district by district. It was developed by Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan officials to address issues of inadequate training, poor equipment and corruption, which made it difficult for the police to provide public safety and internal security.  "We have a couple of districts that are going through the transfusion of previously untrained police, sending them to a six- or eight-week training package and then reinserting them back into their district as trained and mentored police," Hall said. "We have several of our districts that are well under way. We have almost 300 police that are currently undergoing training right now, and we have another district that's about to receive its first group of trained police back into the district and to swap out with the placeholders there."  Highly trained Afghan national civil order police work in the districts while the local police are trained at regional centers. When the local police return, mentoling teams help them apply their training.  The increase in violence in their area is tied primarily to the Marines' operations, Hall said, explaining that that the Taliban aren't so much increasing their level of activity as much as the Marines are interdicting and disrupting their operation.  "Whether they're been trained and mentored for some time or they've just recently returned to their district, we are showing [the Afghan police] that we are standing shoulder to shoulder with them," Hall said. "That has given them a lot of confidence."  He added that the Taliban are ostracizing themselves in the villages where 2/7 operates.  "[They] are separating themselves from the people, because they are indiscriminately killing innocents," he said. "And they've shown that multiple times, with their suicide bombing right in the midst of the civilian population at a tremendous toll to civilians, not just our Marines."  The 2/7 has lost 10 men since assuming its current mission. Hall noted that one of those 10 was his interpreter, whom he considered one of his men.  "Although they're Afghans, they're still my people, so I feel the same about them since we work side by side and we are here for them," he said.  (Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg works in the New Media Directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)

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American Forces Press Service  June 27, 2008 - A terrorist killed during a June 24 operation in Mosul, Iraq, has been positively identified as the city's top al-Qaida in Iraq leader, military officials here reported today. Officials said coalition forces killed Abu Khalaf, the al-Qaeda in Iraq "emir" of Mosul.  In the operation, coalition forces engaged and killed a man who was reaching for a pistol, another who was wearing a suicide vest, and a woman who tried to detonate the dead man's suicide vest. Associates later identified Abu Khalaf as one of the men killed in the operation.  As coalition forces were taking down the terrorist leader, officials said, they also were moving in on one of his suspected closest assistants, detaining him and uncovering more than $100,000 in U.S. currency.  Abu Khalaf previously had been a deputy and Mosul military commander for a close associate of former al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was killed in a June 2006 coalition bombing raid. He rose through the ranks to become the terror organization's overall chieftan in Mosul.  In that capacity, officials said, he met with senior al-Qaida in Iraq leaders in Mosul and Jazeera, coordinating and ordering dozens of attacks against Iraqi citizens, Iraqi forces and coalition forces.  Information gleaned from associates in custody revealed that Abu Khalaf often traveled with foreigners, and associates identified the suicide-vest-wearing man killed with him as Abu Khalud, a Syrian who was a longtime close associate of the Mosul terrorist leader, officials said.  "With the declining morale [among al-Qaida in Iraq operatives] and paranoia within their ranks, Abu Khalaf's death and loss of funds will severely impact their terrorist operations," Navy Lt. David Russell, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, said.  (From a Multinational Force Iraq news release.)

By Navy Seaman William Selby Special to American Forces Press Service  June 26, 2008 - The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review a series of lower court rulings that restrict the Navy's use of sonar in training exercises off the coast of Southern California, a U.S. military official said June 24. "We welcome the Supreme Court's decision to review the case," Navy Rear Adm. Lawrence S. Rice, director of the Chief of Naval Operations Environmental Readiness Division, said in a teleconference with online journalists and bloggers. "As you know, the Navy's been unhappy with the district courts' series of crippling restrictions that they've given us on the use of mid-frequency active sonar."  The restrictions expand the 200-yard "shutdown zone" that the Navy uses to 2,200 yards, Rice said. "Our 200 yards is based on a number of scientific experiments that were performed on dolphins and belugas out in San Diego," he explained. "The 2,200-yard number that the court is using isn't based on anything."  As a result of a stranding event in the Bahamas in March 2000, Rice said, Navy officials realized that certain conditions negatively affect beaked whales: steep bathymetry areas such as the continental slopes and sea canyons, the number of vessels operating mid-frequency sonar in the same area over extended periods, limited egress routes and the historical presence of a surface duct, a layer of air in which temperature and humidity changes cause microwave energy originating within the layer to be refracted and trapped along the surface.  The Navy has spent more than $100 million over the past five years on marine mammal research, Rice said, and has taken 29 measures to ensure the safety of the marine mammals.  "Since we've been employing those protective measures, there have been zero strandings associated with Navy sonar despite a number of attempts [by nongovernmental organizations] to pin them on the Navy," Rice said. "So the Navy's position is those 29 protective measures are working."  One measure is conducting aerial reconnaissance before large exercises, looking for big whales that might be in the way. "[We] have the ability to adjust that on the fly," the admiral said.  Rice added that the Navy also uses a protective-measures assessment protocol, a planning tool to prevent a stranding incident.  And since 2000, Rice said, the Navy has run a submarine commanders course in the Autec Range in the Bahamas every other month in which sonar is used in the presence of beaked whales. No strandings have been reported, he said.  "All the destroyer, cruiser, and frigate commanding officers will tell you, when they turn sonar on, all the dolphins head their way and start bow surfing," he added. "In the case of beaked whales, lots of times they'll leave the area and as soon as the sonar stops, they'll come back."  Since being sued by the National Resource Defense Council, the Navy has complied with all the restrictions sanctioned by the courts, Rice said. Now, he said, all the Navy can do is wait on the Supreme Court ruling.  "In the meantime, we'll continue complying with the restrictions that the courts and the 9th District have levied on us," the admiral said.  (Navy Seaman William Selby works in the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)

By Meghan Vittrup American Forces Press Service  June 26, 2008 - High school can be a challenging and sometimes daunting time for many teenagers who find themselves trapped between childhood and adulthood. But a program that uses the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery could help teens find their strengths and help them set goals for their future. The Defense Department created the ASVAB Career Exploration Program as a tool to help students figure out their strengths and better understand themselves while also motivating them and helping them plan their future.  The ASVAB program provides tools, including the test battery and interest inventory developed by the Defense Department to help high school and post-secondary students across the nation learn more about career exploration and planning, according to the program's Web site.  The ASVAB consists of eight tests that measure strengths in mathematics and in verbal, science and technical skills. The results of the interest inventory and the academic and vocational parts of the test will help students identify suitable career options and identify their strengths, officials said.  Many students, families, and school administrators think the ASVAB is a test for students interested only in military careers, but that's not the case, a Pentagon official said.  "Parents as well as many teachers misunderstand the program and think that it's only focused on the military, when, in fact, it isn't," said Jane Arabian, assistant director for enlistment standards for the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. "The ASVAB Career Exploration Program links to something called 'O-net', which is sponsored by the Department of Labor, and it has all sorts of information about occupations and careers.  "It would be wonderful if parents had a better sense of what the ASVAB Career Exploration Program has to offer," she added.  Although the ASVAB does have the ability to help students interested in pursuing military careers, it is not a strictly military test, and taking the test does not mean a student will be enlisting or pursuing a military career, Arabian said. The ASVAB test and Career Exploration Program are independent of Junior ROTC and ROTC programs found in many schools, she noted.  She also pointed out that although recruiters use the ASVAB, they do not administer the test. In fact, she said, officials try to keep recruiters away from the test as much as possible.  "We try to keep recruiters at arm's length from the test, because we are very careful about compromising the contents of the ASVAB," Arabian said. "The primary proctor for the test is a contracted person that we provide from the office of personnel management."  When a student takes the ASVAB, the results are not automatically sent to a military recruiter, Arabian said, though sending the scores to a recruiter is an option the student can choose.  "The Career Exploration Program is a step removed from the actual recruit program," Arabian explained. "Certainly, recruiters can use the ASVAB scores that students have, and if that student is interested in the military, can talk about military opportunities and money for college and the new GI bill and whatever incentives they're offering. But there is no requirement or commitment on the part of the student to even talk to the recruiter after they've participated in the ASVAB or CEP."  According to the ASVAB program Web site, last year about 14,000 schools administered the ASVAB test, and about 600,000 students took the test. Only about 9 percent of the students who take the test decide to enlist in the military based upon their ASVAB scores, Arabian said.  "The vast majority of students who participate have no intention of going into the military," she said. "Approximately two-thirds of students who participate in the program will say that they are going to college, or they're going to a junior college or vocational program; the military is not in their plans, necessarily."  The ASVAB program Web site says two-thirds of the students who participated in the ASVAB program found it to be useful, helping them find career options they had not considered.  "This program will offer something to every student," Arabian said. "I think it will help the student identify the skills they need to improve in high school, depending on what they elect to do after they graduate, but it's really designed to be a useful program for students of all skill levels."