| Friday, September 12, 2008 | | Attack Levels Down in Iraq’s Salahuddin Province |
 U.S. Army Col. Michael S. McBride |
| U.S. Army Col. Michael McBride, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), spoke with bloggers about the improvement of security among cities in Iraq’s Salahuddin province. Attack levels throughout the province are down by 75 percent from last year, McBride said, freeing up U.S. forces for reconstruction projects. “We’ve come to a point here now, with the security level as it is,” he said, “it’s where we are being able to now…focus more on reconstruction than we were, for example, five or six months ago.” Story | Audio(Mp3) |
Files: Transcript(pdf) | Bio(pdf) |
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| Friday, September 12, 2008 | | Marines Need to Recruit More Officers, General Says |
Milstead_image.jpg) U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. (select) Robert E. Milstead, Jr. |
| Marine Corps Maj. Gen. (select) Robert Milstead, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Recruiting Command, engaged in discussion with military bloggers about the current state of recruiting and some of the contemporary challenges facing Marine recruiters. There’s an emphasis on recruiting more officers, Milstead said, citing a requirement to recruit 1,900 officers this year, compared to 1,500 last year. The requirement will grow to 2,050 next year, he said. “Our (recruiters) need to get out there and pound the pavement,” Milstead said, “they need to be officer recruiting officers – OROs – not officer selecting officers.” Story | Audio(Mp3) |
Files: Transcript(pdf) | Bio(pdf) |
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| Thursday, September 11, 2008 | | Iraqi Security Forces Taking the Lead in Anbar Province |
 U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll |
| U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Patrick Driscoll, deputy chief of the strategic communication division for Multinational Forces Iraq, spoke with bloggers about the security transfer from Coalition Forces to the Iraqis. “Iraqis have made the transition from really chasing al Qaeda out of the cities and main areas and putting them on the run, and now embracing the political process and moving towards focusing on the restoration of essential services and reconstruction,” Driscoll said. Driscoll also provided an update on the Sons of Iraq and the detainee programs. Story | Audio(Mp3) |
Files: Transcript(pdf) | Bio(pdf) |
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| Wednesday, September 10, 2008 | | Transition to Iraqi Security Forces Sets Stage for Force Reduction |
 U.S. Army Col. Dominic J. Caraccilo |
| U.S. Army units operating in areas southwest of Baghdad, Iraq, are citing the evolution of their mission from providing security to training Iraqi security forces and developing local economies as a success measure. After years of growth and skills development, U.S. Army Col. Dominic Caraccilo said, the Iraqi army is now rapidly taking the lead in security operations in a mixed-sect area that includes the city of Mahmudiyah and the town of Yusifiyah. "We're going to provide the ability to surge, and provide technical expertise to the Iraqi Army,” he said, “but quite frankly they're at a point now where most of the time we're in the way.” Audio(Mp3) |
Files: Transcript(pdf) | Bio(pdf) |
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| Wednesday, September 10, 2008 | | U.S. NORTHCOM Absorbs Biological Threat Response Force |
 U.S. Army Col. Lou Vogler |
| Army Col. Lou Vogler, chief of future operations for U.S. Army North, and Marine Corps Lt. Col. James Shores, chief of plans for Joint Task Force Civil Support, discussed measures the Defense Department is taking to be prepared to respond to an attack or incident on American soil, should federal assistance be needed. One of the changes, Vogler said, is the realignment of Joint Task Force Civil Support (JTFCS) – the force that responds to chemical and biological threats – under the U.S. Northern Command. “That [JTFCS] soon will be assigned directly under U.S. NORTHCOM,” he explained, “[is] kind of enhancing our ability to ensure its readiness and shorten the lines of command, should we have to utilize this force.” Audio(Mp3) |
Files: Transcript(pdf) | |
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| Friday, September 05, 2008 | | Coast Guard Responds to Influx of Storms |
 U.S. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Robert J. Papp |
| U.S. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Robert J. Papp, commander of the Coast Guard Atlantic area, spoke with bloggers about the Coast Guard's planning and preparation for multiple incoming storms including Gustav, Hanna, Ike, and Josephine. “It’s been a busy week for us here at Coast Guard Atlantic, but we’ve got some great people,” Papp said. “We’re moving forces around in preparations to condition them so we can respond.” Story | Audio(Mp3) |
Files: Transcript(pdf) | Bio(pdf) |
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| Friday, September 05, 2008 | | “Hurricane Hunters” Dive into Storms to Save Lives |
 U.S. Air Force 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron |
| At a cost of roughly $1 million per mile to evacuate the coastline in a hurricane’s path, early warning gives planners a big boost in saving money, and more importantly, saving lives. The data collected by the U.S. Air Force’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron’s “Hurricane Hunters” improves the forecasts of the National Hurricane Center by 30 percent, according to U.S. Air Force Maj. Chad Gibson. Outside of chasing hurricanes, the unit, made up of Air Force reservists from across the United States, is tasked with providing tactical airlift and flying into winter storms. “The neat thing is, each one of these storms is different,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Chad Gibson. “They change hour by hour and pretty much minute by minute, so we think of them as maybe a living entity.” Audio(Mp3) |
Files: Transcript(pdf) |
Additional Resources: 403rd Wing Web site |
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| Friday, September 05, 2008 | | In Southern California, Veterans Service Center Meets Growing Need |
 U.S. Army Brig. Gen. (Ret.) James P. Combs |
| Veterans living in Orange County and Los Angeles County, Calif., have a new resource for dealing with pre-deployment, post-deployment and reintegration needs, said Army Brig. Gen. (Ret.) James Combs. The Veterans Service Center, opened this year, was created to assist the area’s massive veteran population. With approximately 3,000 enlistees from the area joining across the military services each month, and roughly the same number discharging out each month, the need for a comprehensive facility is huge. “This area is one of the primary producers of military personnel to all services,” Combs said.
Audio(Mp3) |
Files: Transcript(pdf) | Bio(pdf) |
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| Thursday, September 04, 2008 | | Army Steps Up to Challenges Supporting Families |
 Hon. Pete Geren, Secretary of the Army |
| A panel of Army family welfare experts and military spouses, led by Army Secretary Pete Geren, discussed differences the Army Family Action Plan has made in the lives of Army families since its inception 25 years ago. The plan was initiated Aug. 15, 1983, when Army Gen. John A. Wickham – who was serving as Army chief of staff – signed a whitepaper that highlighted challenges facing the Army in supporting its families. “The Army, over the last several years, has been stepping up to this challenge…doing everything we can to provide Army families the quality of life that’s comparable to the quality of their service,” Geren said. “But we recognize there’s more to do, and the great folks that are with us today are some of those that are helping us respond to the needs of families and helping us understand the needs of families.” Audio(Mp3) |
Files: Transcript(pdf) | Bio(pdf) |
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The Bloggers Roundtable provides source material for stories in the blogosphere
concerning the Department of Defense (DoD) by bloggers and online journalists.
Where available, this includes transcripts, biographies, related fact sheets
and video.
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