06 April 2009 Update

Leading newspaper headlines ~ NK launched missile Sunday. POTUS spoke in Prague against nuclear proliferation and arrives in Turkey today. Debate in the Pentagon on whether to return to conventional warfare training using Israeli-Hezbollah recent experience. 3x suicide bombs in Pakistan in a 24 hour period kills 24.

Marine News – CO’s RCT 6 and 8 conducted phone interviews with the AP from Iraq. Focus is teaching Iraqis Logistics and Medical care. The Marine Corps Times reports the Corps’ projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. (see attached PDF file)

Early Bird –
Doleful Arrivals Open To Public - 18-Year Media Ban on War Casualties' Homecomings Lifted at Dover Air Force Base Washington PostApril 6, 2009 Pg. 1
Pentagon Channel Highlights Today (Channel 47 in Norfolk) -
6 Apr 09 (Eastern Times)
0900 - NATO Conference: Coverage of Commander in Chief Barrack Obama speaking at Saturday's NATO Conference in Strasbourg, France. (Encore, 34 min)
1000 - Iraq Briefing: BGen Juan Ayala, Commanding General of 2d Marine Logistics Group, speaks via satellite with reporters at the Pentagon, providing an update on ongoing security operations in Iraq. (Live, VoD, Podcast) Encore presentation at 0000hrs.
1330 - Pentagon Briefing: Secretary of Defense Robert Gates speaks with reporters at the Pentagon about FY2010 budget recommendations. (Live, VoD, Podcast) Encore presentations at 1800 & 0600hrs.

Other News:
Deadly bomb attacks hit Baghdad Several car bombs kill more than 30 people and injure dozens in Baghdad, as the US suffers its first combat death in weeks.
Somali pirates seize more vessels Somali pirates seize a British-owned ship and a Taiwanese vessel, officials say, after taking other vessels over the weekend.
US highway deaths at lowest levels since 1961

Press Release - Marine Corps Launches Inaugural Marine Week in Chicago, May 11-17

Leading newspaper headlines ~ North Korea on Sunday conducted its third test ever of a long-range missile, defying a test ban imposed by the U.N. Security Council and critics from around the world. In a meeting Sunday afternoon in New York, the 15-nation council discussed a resolution to punish North Korea but didn't immediately agree on what it would say. The three-stage rocket failed during its second stage and plunged into the Pacific Ocean about 1,300 kilometers east of Japan, according to analysts in the U.S., Japan and South Korea. On Monday, Russia, a country more friendly to North Korea than the other three, also announced that the missile appeared to fail before reaching its third stage, according to news service reports.
The papers lead with the repercussions of North Korea's missile test as diplomats spent the day trying to figure out how the world should respond. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama seized the moment and vowed that his government would pursue an ambitious effort to reduce the number of nuclear weapons around the world while recognizing that countries have a right to pursue nuclear power for peaceful purposes. In Prague, Obama condemned the launch as "provocative" and said it illustrated "the need for action, not just this afternoon at the U.N. Security Council, but in our determination to prevent the spread of these weapons." Many fear that in launching the three-stage rocket, North Korea was testing its ability to deliver nuclear weapons.
In a piece that gives high marks to Obama's first trans-Atlantic trip, USA Today points out that while it was "designed to promote peace and prosperity," the president got a stark reminder "not only of the complexities of foreign policy, but also of how his plans can be complicated by those seeking to test his young administration." Obama arrived in Turkey last night, and the Washington Post notes that North Korea's missile launch "threatened to overshadow Obama's first visit to a Muslim country as president."
Speaking to a crowd of more than 20,000 in Prague, Obama said that "as the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon, the United States has a moral responsibility to act." He vowed that the United States would lead a new effort to rid the world of nuclear weapons, and he will call for an international summit in Washington to figure out a way to stop the spread of nuclear material. The Wall Street Journal hears word that Obama is likely to propose a new international agency to pursue that goal. Obama said he would seek a ban on nuclear testing and push for the creation of an international nuclear-fuel bank, which the WSJ says might be hosted by Kazakhstan, to allow nations to develop nuclear power in a peaceful way. The New York Times points out that Obama's strategy is "based on the idea" that if the United States shows leadership on the nuclear issue, "reluctant allies and partners around the world will be more likely to rewrite nuclear treaties and enforce sanctions against North Korea and Iran."
After meeting for three hours yesterday, the United Nations Security Council could not agree on a statement condemning North Korea's move and diplomats vowed to continue working to come up with a response over the next few days. U.S. officials and several of its allies, including Japan, France, and Britain, say that North Korea's launch was a violation of a 2006 U.N. resolution. And although most members of the Security Council wanted to condemn the launch, Russia and China resisted, saying they weren't sure North Korea had violated the resolution. The Los Angeles Times hears word that at least one of the two countries even opposed a statement that would have simply expressed "concern" over the launch.
So was the test successful? Depends on whom you believe. Within hours of the launch, North Korea said it had successfully put a communications satellite into orbit and that it was transmitting patriotic music. But the United States and South Korea said that the rocket didn't put a new satellite into orbit. The NYT off-leads with a look at how analysts overwhelmingly called North Korea's launch a failure, which, tied with previous missteps, could "reveal a significant quality control problem in one of the world's most isolated nations." But not everyone is ready to dismiss the launch as yet another embarrassment for the country. The WP says that the launch showed North Korea has made "significant progress in rocket engineering compared with the failed test in 2006 of the same kind of missile." In a piece inside, the LAT says that even if the launch didn't meet North Korea's objectives, it still showed "disturbing progress in that country's pursuit of the ability to deliver a nuclear warhead." One senior Department of Defense official says the Pentagon is now "clearly more worried" about North Korea's capabilities. At the very least, the country has now shown it is able to launch a multistage rocket, which could "bolster its reputation among other states seeking that capability."
The WP fronts a look at how the Pentagon has spent lots of time discussing the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah to try to figure out whether some long-term lessons can be learned from the 34-day battle. Some within the military contend that the war should be seen as a warning of what could happen if the United States redirects many of its resources to counterinsurgency efforts so that it is better prepared for wars like the ones in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some are warning that if the United States becomes too obsessed with fighting low-intensity guerilla forces, it will leave itself vulnerable to a more conventional force like Hezbollah, which was able to embarrass the Israeli forces. Advocates of the counterinsurgency approach say those pushing most heavily for the lessons learned of 2006 are officers who "are determined to return the Army to a more familiar past, built around preparing for conventional warfare."
The NYT fronts an analysis of the administration's attempts to get the Pakistani government and military to put a stronger focus on battling al-Qaida and the Taliban and notes that some analysts in Pakistan and the United States "are already putting forward apocalyptic timetables for the country." One report said the Pakistani government has somewhere between 6 to 12 months before the situation gets really dangerous, while one guerrilla warfare specialist said the country could be facing internal collapse within six months. But many in Pakistan aren't convinced, and see the warnings as merely an attempt by the United States to pursue its own interests.
Pakistan had another bloody weekend that once again showed how violence in the country is not limited to its lawless tribal areas along the Afghan border. The country suffered three suicide attacks in 24 hours, the deadliest of which came yesterday, when a bomber blew himself up at a Shiite Muslim mosque outside the capital and killed at least 26 people. (with thanks to Slate: http://www.slate.com/id/2215439/ )

Doleful Arrivals Open To Public
18-Year Media Ban on War Casualties' Homecomings Lifted at Dover Air Force Base

By Christian Davenport, Washington Post Staff Writer Washington Post April 6, 2009 Pg. 1

The wind can whip cold across the tarmac at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, freezing fingers that hold the flag-draped metal transfer case in which lie the remains of a fellow service member. You do not loosen your grip. You do not shuffle your feet. You do not grimace.
If you have to yawn, you do it through your nose. You swallow your coughs and sneezes, let itches go unscratched. Keep your mouth closed, eyes straight and the blinking to an absolute minimum.
Those are the rules.
Those are the rules when it's 4 a.m. and it's dark and there's no one around.
Those were the rules last night when the ritual of welcoming home the fallen was open to the public for the first time since President George H.W. Bush instituted a ban on news coverage in 1991.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Phillip A. Myers, 30, of Hopewell, Va., who was killed in Afghanistan on Saturday in the explosion of a makeshift bomb, became the first service member welcomed home publicly in 18 years. Myers, who was attached to the 48th Civil Engineer Squadron based in England, was awarded a Bronze Star last year for his service in Iraq, according to the Air Force.
Myers's wife and other relatives attended the 17-minute ceremony, which began shortly after 11 last night at the Air Force base. Except for the command "Present Arms," it was conducted in silence.
"It doesn't matter what the conditions are like -- cold, wet, sunny," said Sgt. James Rhett of the Army's Old Guard. "They're a fallen soldier, and they deserve the highest respect and honor we can give."
For years, the ritual of welcoming the war dead back to U.S. soil at Dover has been performed in private by the various services. Last night's was conducted by an Air Force team based at Dover. And now that the Obama administration has lifted the ban, the event was broadcast across the globe. Under the new policy, families of the deceased decide whether the arrival will be open to the public.
With the long-awaited green light yesterday, the soldiers from the Army's Old Guard who perform what's known as the "dignified transfer" could suddenly find themselves on center stage. In an interview last week, several Old Guard soldiers, said they were ready.
And whether the media is there doesn't matter, they said: What matters is that they honor the fallen by preserving the solemnity of the occasion with their quiet precision.
The worldwide attention "won't change anything we do," said Spec. Johnny Bowers, 26.
Each service branch has its own honor guard that is sent to Dover to welcome service members home. For the Army, which has suffered most of the casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan, members of the Old Guard, based at Fort Myer in Arlington County, are given the task.
Once the plane lands, an officer inspects the flags to make sure they are secure and have no rips or ruffles. Then the service members board the plane and stand around the transfer case. A chaplain says a blessing, using whatever personal information is available about the deceased. Then, on command, the service members carry the case to a truck that transports the remains to the base mortuary.
Old Guard members also are assigned the funerals at Arlington National Cemetery. To make it into the Old Guard, they've already survived a sort of basic training in which, instead of climbing walls and crawling under barbed wire, they learn to stand as still as a marble column and as stolidly as a beefeater.
Their three-week orientation training ends with a particularly grueling task: They have to stand at attention a full 90 minutes. That's the length of a feature film without so much as a sigh or smirk.
It can be difficult, given that the instructors do everything they can to break the soldiers' concentration. They tell dirty jokes. They dance. They play peekaboo behind their berets and make funny faces. They sing ridiculous songs: Barry Manilow in falsetto, "A Whole New World" from Disney's "Aladdin."
Having survived the "Aladdin" test, Pvt. Kyle Brower, 18 years old and just a few months removed from civilian life, was able to stand still and stare into the middle distance during his first dignified transfer last week. He was able to carry the coffin while remaining, as the soldiers call it, "locked up" -- both physically and emotionally. If his thoughts wandered to the soldier inside, how he or she died, he was able to snap back.
Still, "it was nerve-racking," he said. "I tried not to let it get to me, all my nerves. I tried to breathe and just go with it."
Afterward, he was worried that he blinked too often because the wind had dried his eyes. But his commanders gave him good reviews, and he was happy to have at least one dignified transfer under his belt before the media storm.
Members of the Old Guard are infantry soldiers, too, trained to search and destroy as well as to honor. Some have served in war and know what the consequences are -- all of which makes what they do all the more important, they said.
"You kind of have to detach yourself from everything else," Rhett said. "If you don't . . . " he paused for a moment. "It's such an emotionally draining job. That doesn't mean you stop thinking about everything. We just have to step back and provide honor and dignity."
Some days, several bodies come through Dover. Other times, it's quiet. It all depends on the level of violence in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most times, the soldiers won't know the identity of the fallen, or maybe they'll catch a name or some tidbit of information from the blessing the chaplain says over each coffin. But that's it.
"And to be honest, I like to keep it that way," Spec. Jason Roberts said.
After each transfer, Rhett and the other noncommissioned officers critique their soldiers, pointing out whose feet weren't together, whose eyeballs roamed, who slouched. They are the sorts of tiny details that most civilians wouldn't notice, even under the media spotlight.
"We always strive for perfection," Rhett said. "It doesn't matter who's watching us."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/05/AR2009040502268.html?hpid=topnews



US highway deaths at lowest levels since 1961
By KEN THOMAS, Associated Press Writer Ken Thomas, Associated Press Writer Mon Apr 6, 1:01 am ET

WASHINGTON – An economic downturn can have a bright side: U.S. highway deaths in 2008 fell to their lowest level since John F. Kennedy was president.
The recession and $4 per gallon gas meant people drove less to save more. Experts also cited record high seat belt use, tighter enforcement of drunken driving laws and the work of advocacy groups that encourage safer driving habits.
Preliminary figures being released by the government Monday show that 37,313 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes last year. That's 9.1 percent lower than the year before, when 41,059 died, and the fewest since 1961, when there were 36,285 deaths.
A different measure, also offering good news, was the fatality rate, the number of deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. It was 1.28 in 2008, the lowest on record. A year earlier it was 1.36.
"The silver lining in a bad economy is that people drive less, and so the number of deaths go down," said Adrian Lund, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. "Not only do they drive less but the kinds of driving they do tend to be less risky — there's less discretionary driving."
Fatalities fell by more than 14 percent in New England, and by 10 percent or more in many states along the Atlantic seaboard, parts of the Upper Midwest and the West Coast, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
"Americans should really be pleased that everyone has stepped up here in order to make driving safer and that people are paying attention to that," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said.
In the past, tough economic times have brought similar declines in roadway deaths. Fatalities fell more than 16 percent from 1973 to 1974 as the nation dealt with the oil crisis and inflation. Highway deaths dropped nearly 11 percent from 1981 to 1982 as President Ronald Reagan battled a recession.
The government said vehicle miles traveled in 2008 fell by about 3.6 percent, to 2.92 trillion miles, indicating many people adjusted their driving habits as gas prices fluctuated and the economy tumbled. The number of miles driven by motorists had risen steadily over the past three decades.
The figures are preliminary; final numbers and state-by-state totals are expected later in the year.
Several states have pushed for tougher seat belt laws that allow law enforcement officers to stop motorists whose sole offense was failing to buckle up. In 27 states and the District of Columbia, there are such enforcement laws. The remaining states have laws that allow tickets for seat belt violations only if motorists are stopped for other offenses. New Hampshire has no seat belt law for adults.
Seat belt use in 2008 climbed to 83 percent, a record. Fourteen states and the nation's capital had rates of 90 percent or better. Michigan had the highest seat belt use rate with 97.2 percent, followed by Hawaii with 97 percent and Washington state at 96.5 percent. Massachusetts had the lowest rate, 66.8 percent, while it was under 70 percent in New Hampshire and Wyoming.
Many states have tried to improve their enforcement of driving laws and public outreach. In South Dakota, for example, state troopers are required to devote several hours a year to give presentations discouraging drunken driving or promoting seat belt use.
"There isn't a civic group in the state that should have to worry about what's going to be on the next agenda for them if they want to have somebody come talk about traffic safety," said Jim Carpenter, South Dakota's highway safety director. Carpenter said an estimated 119 motorists died on South Dakota roads in 2008, compared with 146 in 2007 and 191 in 2006.
But many safety groups said it was unclear if the fatality numbers will continue to drop once the economy improves. If the projections hold, 2008 would be the first year since 1992 when traffic fatalities dipped below 40,000. Even with the declines, more than 100 people die on U.S. roads everyday.
"We still have too many people who are dying in car crashes," said Jacqueline Gillan, vice president for Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.
___
On the Net:
NHTSA: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_on_go_ot/storytext/highway_deaths/31563870/SIG=10rsrgjnj/*http:/www.nhtsa.dot.gov/


Marine Corps Launches Inaugural Marine Week in Chicago, May 11-17
Monday April 6, 2009, 5:00 am EDT

HEADQUARTERS MARINE CORPS, April 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The United States Marine Corps launches its inaugural Marine Week in Chicago, May 11-17, 2009 when the city opens its doors to the nearly 2,000 Marines who will participate in various community activities throughout the Chicagoland area.
"Established to recognize the contributions of local Marine heroes, their families, and the cities from which they came, Marine Week also showcases the rich history and traditions of our beloved Corps," said General James T. Conway, Commandant of the Marine Corps. "This is the first of many celebrations honoring country and Corps in cities across the nation."
Nearly 11,000 service members from Illinois are deployed in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, thousands of whom hail from Chicago. Marine Week Chicago will honor these brave men and women as well as the many citizens of Chicago who have provided their support from the home front.
Throughout the week, Marines will work alongside Chicago citizens volunteering at food kitchens and community parks; sharing stories of service to their nation with local students; conducting musical performances at area landmarks; encouraging children to become active through physical fitness challenges; and showcasing the Marine Corps' cutting-edge technology at venues such as Navy Pier and Arlington Park racetrack.
The schedule of events will include:
Monday - May 11
Marines volunteer to restore Levin Park (8:00 A.M.)
Marine Week Dedication Ceremony at Daley Plaza (10:00 A.M.)
Will feature the 29 Palms Marine Band and Color Guard, Brigadier General Melvin G. Spiese (Chicago native) and a pinning ceremony to honor Marine families and veterans
Tuesday - May 12
Marines volunteer to restore Riis Park (8:00 A.M.)
Performances by the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon, "The Commandant's Own" The Marine Drum and Bugle Corps at Oak Park and River Forest High School Stadium (6:00 P.M.)
Wednesday - May 13
Marines volunteer at Cornerstone Community Outreach Center (8:00 A.M.)
Performances by the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon, "The Commandant's Own" The Marine Drum and Bugle Corps at Soldier Field (3:00 P.M. & 7:00 P.M.)
Thursday - May 14
Marines volunteer with Habitat for Humanity
Friday - May 15
Marines at Navy Pier (All Day)
Will feature robotics, technology and vehicle displays, Martial Arts and Combat Fitness demonstrations, and the 29 Palms Marine Band
Marines at Arlington Park racetrack (All Day)
Will feature aviation, technology and vehicle displays
Saturday - May 16
Marines at Navy Pier (All Day)
Will feature robotics, technology and vehicle displays, Martial Arts and Combat Fitness demonstrations, and the 29 Palms Marine Band
Marine Band Concert at Navy Pier, Skyline Stage (8:00 P.M.)
Marines at Arlington Park racetrack (All Day)
Will feature aviation, technology and vehicle displays
Sunday - May 17
Marines at Navy Pier (All Day)
Will feature robotics, technology and vehicle displays, Martial Arts and Combat Fitness demonstrations, and the 29 Palms Marine Band at Skyline Stage (3:00 P.M.-4:30 P.M.)
Marines at Arlington Park racetrack (All Day)
Will feature technology and vehicle displays, performances by the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon, "The Commandant's Own" The Marine Drum and Bugle Corps and Marine Corps Aircraft Demonstrations (12:00 P.M. - 2:30 P.M.)
Events are free and open to the public. For a complete schedule, visit http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AuNzDYDuEsAQoYeVo5WfqEWuMncA/SIG=116kd5s83/**http:/www.marines.mil/MarineWeek.
Contact Captain Kate Vanden Bossche at (504) 678-7843 (w) or (843) 812-9485 (c) or mailto:hqmc.marineweek@usmc.mil;_ylt=AiLb3c1rtxmk46gdgIqt42KuMncA with any media inquiries or interview requests.