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DoD News Briefing with Geoff Morrell from the Pentagon Briefing Room, Arlington, Va.
Presenter: Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell
July 15, 2009
MR. MORRELL: Hello, all. Good afternoon. A few quick announcements, and then we'll get to questions.
This morning, Secretary Gates was pleased to pay tribute to General McKiernan during his retirement ceremony at Fort Myer. He thanked the general for his 37 years of distinguished service to the United States Army and wished him and his family the best of luck in their future endeavors.
Tomorrow morning, the secretary travels to Fort Drum, New York, the home of the 10th Mountain Division, which I believe is still the Army's most-deployed unit. There, he will meet with recently deployed brigade commanders and command sergeants major, as well as separately with spouses to discuss the stresses and strains of frequent and lengthy deployments. He will also conduct a town hall-style meeting with hundreds of soldiers on base.
Later that afternoon, the secretary will travel to President Obama's home town to address the Economic Club of Chicago. In a speech to hundreds of executives, including many from the defense industry, he will continue to press for fundamentally reshaping the Pentagon budget and reforming the way the military does business.
As Congress debates the FY '10 budget here in Washington, the secretary will take his case to the nation that we must not just change the way -- the way -- the weapons we buy, but how we buy them to ensure that we win the wars we are waging, prepare for the wars of tomorrow and -- rather than continue to rearm for previous ones. Secretary Gates will argue that when it comes to defense spending and weapons buying, from missile defense to the F-22, business as usual simply will not do.
On Friday, the secretary will travel just north of Chicago, to Naval Station Great Lakes, where 50,000 recruits receive their basic training every year. He will observe some of that training, meet with instructors, and address the 971 freshly minted sailors who are graduating this week.
He arrives back in Washington later that afternoon, in some to bid farewell to Army Secretary Pete Geren, who is leaving his post after two years of exemplary service to the nation.
And with that, I'll take your questions.
Lita, welcome back. Do you have anything on your mind today?
Q Well, let me throw sort of a budget question your way. It looks like the Senate has postponed debate on the F-22. It appears to be making more time for some it appears to be negotiating and wrangling over this.
Is the secretary making any either additional calls or just having any additional discussions with members of the Senate on this? And any comment, I guess, on the postponement?
MR. MORRELL: I heard reports that there was some procedural maneuvering going on, so it looks as though this vote will likely not take place today, and perhaps not even this week. But for why and how and all those matters, I'd refer you to the -- to the Senate.
I know we have been in close consultation with Chairman Levin and Ranking Member McCain throughout this process. In answer to your specific question, the secretary has made some phone calls to members of the Senate. I'm not going to get into how many or to whom, but he is making it clear to those who are open to persuasion how strongly he feels about this and how strongly, frankly, the president feels about this.
You saw this week the fact that he, in a very no-nonsense manner, sent a letter to Senators Levin and McCain promising to veto any bill that comes out of the Senate with -- with additional F-22s in it. And so I think that is being made perfectly clear on an individual basis to a number of senators who we feel are still undecided on this matter.
And I think there are still a number who are undecided. I think -- overall, I think we feel good about how -- how things are trending. I think -- but you know, it's still early, as evidenced by the fact this late-breaking development, which will likely push this to next week. But I think overall we feel good about things are trending. There's still a number of undecided members out there who we hope we can prevail upon in the time between now and when a vote ultimately does take place.
This is a vitally important issue for this department. The secretary is as serious as a heart attack about this, as is the president. And they are adamant that no more F-22s be -- be included in any future defense plans.
Q Just to follow up, a day or two ahead, if you had come up on the podium, you have been discouraged with the potential vote to keep the money in? And you're seeing progress in your direction?
MR. MORRELL: I think we're seeing -- in -- yes. Tony, I think we're seeing progress. I mean, I don't want to be, you know, an -- you know, an armchair quarterback on this.
Q An armchair whip.
MR. MORRELL: Yeah, an armchair whip, thank you. You know, that's not my expertise. But clearly -- and it's not just us. I mean, this is something that is, as I mentioned, of vital importance to the White House as well.
So our folks are working it here. The White House folks are working it from there. There is a concerted, coordinated effort to work with our -- with -- with senators to try to get a resolution to this that is favorable to us and favorable, frankly, to the nation.
Q I have a follow-up, too. The Washington Post on Friday published a history of the plane's well-known maintenance -- mixed maintenance history. So, for those reading the story, they will look and see that this -- they might think this airplane's a real maintenance dog.
What was -- what's the Pentagon's view on the maintenance history of the plane? And to what extent, if any, did its mixed maintenance history impact the decision to curtail the program?
MR. MORRELL: You know, I would refer you, in terms of its maintenance history, to the Air Force. They know it far better than I.
Listen, this is the best air-to-air fighter that, to date, has ever been built. There's no denying the extraordinary capabilities of this aircraft.
What is at debate here is, how many do you need of that exquisite niche capability for the threats we face, the operations we see ourselves conducting, potentially, in the future? And it is the unanimous belief of all the decision-makers in this building that 187 is more than enough to meet the need, particularly when it is -- when they are used in conjunction with the array of other aircraft we will have at our disposal, including more than 2,000 -- nearly 2,500 F-35s, roughly a half-generation newer and more capable in many respects; the unmanned fleet that we're going to have of Reapers, which is growing exponentially; and the existing fourth-generation aircraft that we have.
And you can't look at it through the narrow prism of just F-22s. They are part -- they are meant to work in conjunction with an array of other aircraft. And when they -- when you -- when you look at that array of other aircraft and the challenges we believe we may be facing in the future, everybody in this building believes 187 is more than enough.
Q If I could -- the only point I'm making is, is it accurate to say that Mr. Gates didn't really make his decision based on some maintenance history of the plane to date?
MR. MORRELL: No. No, no, no.
Q I don't remember hearing that, no?
MR. MORRELL: No. No. It's been made on the fact that 187 is enough for the needs that we have and the threats we believe we may face, and there are choices that have to be made. You cannot continue to be all things to all people. There are tradeoffs that have to be made.
So when you hear, for example, that certain generals within the force who speak to 187 as being vitally -- more than 187 being vitally necessary, I would remind you that they have sort of narrowly defined goals and responsibilities. They do not, as the secretary -- as the Secretary of the Air Force, as the Chief of Staff of the Air Force do, have the entirety of the force to worry about -- or, in the case of the Air Force, the entirety of that service to worry about.
And if you buy additional of those -- additional F-22s surplus, in excess to those we need to conduct the missions we foresee ourselves conducting in the future, it has to come out of something else which we do vitally need. This is -- there are -- there are tradeoffs that are inherent in pursuing additional F-22s, and ones that we believe are painful and detrimental to the overall -- our overall national security if we're forced to make them.
Q Will Mr. Gates on Thursday's talk also tell defense executives that it's not helpful for them to lobby behind his back members of Congress for restoring the --
MR. MORRELL: I don't think there is a -- there is going to be a direct admonition or plea or warning or anything of that nature to the industry. I think what this is is, as is customary of Secretary Gates, it is not an in-the-weeds address. This is not -- we're not having a knife fight here. He is an -- he will have an elevated argument for why this is vitally important for our national security.
And this is -- F-22 is just indicative of what we are facing within the department. We need to rise above narrow parochial interests and made decisions that are in the best interests of our overall national security. We need to change the way we have been conducting business in this department. Time has come, and he is going to make that case explicitly to all those in attendance, many of whom are people who run businesses and who understand that you have to make hard choices.
This building, this government has historically been loathe to make hard choices. He thinks we can no longer wait and push those choices down the road, we've got to make them now. And he's done it. And we need the support of the Congress in order to see it through.
Yeah, Amy.
Q I've got a couple questions on industrial base. The AIA, the lobbying association for the industry, has requested that the DOD start considering industrial base in some of its strategic framework, namely the QDR. That's never been done before, so I was curious what your response is to that.
And also, in terms of industrial base, do you guys plan to engage anyone on some of these areas that could be niche capabilities that might need some nurturing that weren't addressed in the 2010 budget?
MR. MORRELL: Such as?
Q Protected comms, low observability, solid rocket motor? I mean, you guys are the market for those.
MR. MORRELL: Yeah. You know, I saw Dr. Carter's comments on this that he gave to your colleague, Bryan Bender, in his interview to the Boston Globe about the fact that -- that -- that the industrial base will, to some extent, be considered in the QDR. And you know, I don't have much to elaborate on that.
I mean, I think that's an ongoing process. I think it's always difficult to consider the industrial base. And -- and -- but the industrial base, I can assure you, as we've said time and time again, was not determinant in any decision that we've made in the budget.
You know, it -- we are cognizant of the fact that we can't do what we do without a healthy defense industry. But it certainly was not -- did not impact any of the individual decisions we made along the lines. And I don't know that it will impact any of the decisions that are made in the QDR.
But let's figure out if we can get somebody who's more expert on the QDR, maybe when it's more evolved, to speak to where the industrial base --industrial base played a role in this whole process.
Q Well, as a follow-up, there -- there's been discussion of -- or reorganizing the Industrial Base Office here in the Pentagon, perhaps taking it to a lower director level. Can you comment on that?
MR. MORRELL: First I've heard it. I'm not -- it hasn't been on my radar. I'm sorry.
Yeah, Bill. Oh, sorry, go ahead.
Q What is the secretary's position for the export version of F-22?
MR. MORRELL: Well, I think we've been over this a couple times, but I'm happy to do it one more time.
Fundamentally, it's illegal right now. There is an amendment, the Obey amendment, which prohibits the sale -- the export of F-22s to anyone. So that would be a matter that would have to be overcome with some sort of legislative remedy.
The secretary's fundamental attitude about the F-22 is that we have enough of them. And -- and I think, you know, if we have enough, I think it's to be determined between other governments who wish to pursue this and see if there's a way that they can deal with perhaps acquiring these in the future.
I don't know that this is something we are advocating. We believe that the F-35 is the aircraft of the future. We believe that is the aircraft that we want to develop in conjunction with our -- with our partners around the world. It's what makes it affordable to all of us, that we do this together. And, frankly, we believe it's the aircraft that best serves joint operations around the world. It can be used by all services -- the Air Force, the Navy, the Marines -- and it can be deployed in a similar way in foreign militaries as well.
So I think that, overall, we believe that where we should be focusing on is a newer, better -- in many respects -- aircraft that we can develop together, reduce the costs collectively. It would be enormously expensive for Japan or other countries to buy the -- to buy an export model of the F-22, money we think could be better spent in developing the F-35 together, and develop a platform that would have interoperability if we were to work together in the future.
So I guess my position on that evolved. So I think we're opposed to an export of the F-22. (Laughter.)
Q Can I just take another stab at industrial base here? The three issues that I mentioned were just three that Secretary Donnelly has actually acknowledged publicly. Without having industrial base as part of a consideration in the strategic framework that comes out of the QDR, what other mechanism could be used by the DOD to manage this -- this consolidated industry and some areas where there really isn't a whole lot of competition?
MR. MORRELL: Listen, this is -- this is a -- this is a problem that I think we ought to have somebody who -- with some more thoughts on it than I address. So let us work to help facilitate an interview with somebody who may be more skilled on this -- on this issue than I am. I'd hate to sit up here and tell you something that's not terribly informed on that subject.
Yeah, Bill.
Q The secretary recently said that he was going to have the department try to find a -- members of the department try to find a more humane way to apply the don't ask, don't tell policy that bans open homosexual service in the military. Can you give us a status on those efforts?
MR. MORRELL: I can't, really. I mean, he said that to -- we were flying back from Germany and he shared that with some of the reporters who were traveling with us.
I mean, the bottom line is that the president has made it perfectly clear to the secretary, to the chairman, where he wants to go on this. He wants to repeal don't ask, don't tell. And he's made that clear, frankly, to the world at this point. But he's also made it clear to the secretary and the chairman that he wants to do so in a way that is least disruptive to the force, appreciating the fact that we've been conducting two wars simultaneously for eight years now.
They've had several conversations about this. And as the secretary revealed in that conversation on the way back from Germany, he is -- has asked the general counsel to look at ways in which to make the application of the existing law more humane. And the example he used is when -- if someone were outed by someone else -- someone's behavior and statements were perfectly consistent with the law, but someone else chose to out them -- are there ways that we can apply the law that does not adversely impact this person, who is behaving and acting in accordance with the law?
I don't know what the answer is to this. He doesn't know what the answer is to this. The law, as he pointed out, is very prescriptive. As far as he could tell at first glance, it didn't leave a whole lot of wiggle room. So he wanted to bring it to the attention of the general counsel and see if they could figure out, if there was latitude, to apply it in that manner.
Which -- and this is -- I think this is really indicative of the Witt case, the Air Force versus Witt case, or the Witt versus Air Force case. Actually, it may be Witt versus Secretary Gates case. But anyway, that's where it stands. I don't think we've had -- I don't think he's had any feedback yet from the general counsel on what they've discovered to date.
Q Given the president's sense of urgency that he's attached to the issue, is there any sort of timeline that the secretary has been given or has directed his folks, the general counsel, to try to come up with something for him?
MR. MORRELL: He did not mandate a timeline as far as I know, Bill. I think that -- well, the president -- and you've heard him speak of this in an interview with CNN, I think, over the last couple days -- he talked about how that, you know, he wants to make sure that -- I'm just quoting here -- he wants to know if "there's a possibility we can change how the law is being enforced, even as we are pursuing a shift in congressional policy. But the bottom line is, I want to see a change, and we've already contacted congressional allies. I want to make sure that it's changed, though, in a way that ultimately works well for our military, and the outstanding gay and lesbian soldiers that are both currently enlisted or would like to enlist." He wants to make sure that the Pentagon has thought through all the ramifications of how this would be most effective.
I don't get the sense from the president or anything I've heard from the secretary that there is a prescribed timeline. I think the idea here is he wants to do it, but he wants to do it with care. They are clearly working with the Congress on this matter, and the secretary's working with the general counsel to see what we can do in the interim.
Q But is there a sense of the general counsel that this is a top priority item for the general counsel versus something -- I mean --
MR. MORRELL: Well, there are a lot of top priorities. We're trying to close Gitmo [Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility]. We're trying to move detainees to where they can be housed other than Gitmo. We're trying to deal with a new -- with the military commissions process. We're waging two wars. And we're also dealing with don't ask, don't tell and a number of other things. There are a lot of high-priority items for -- for the general counsel.
But I can assure you, it's been asked directly by the secretary. It will be given the utmost -- the utmost care and consideration, I am sure, on a timely basis.
Q Just to follow on don't ask, don't tell, what caused the secretary to change his tune on this? We've asked you at the podium a number of times already about don't ask, don't tell, what can be done. The repeated answer from you and the secretary himself has been, this is the law of the land; we're not going to do anything about it until Congress makes a move. Now we're seeing that the secretary is making an effort to bend the law in certain ways. Why -- why the sudden change?
MR. MORRELL: I don't think he's looking for a way to bend the law.
Q Or work around it, as best he can, to -- to make modifications.
MR. MORRELL: I think what's happened here, Justin, is that there have been specific examples, specific cases which have come to his attention. The Witt case is one, for example, where the circumstances of it seem to some unfair. And he wants to know whether there is latitude within the law such that in unusual cases such as this -- where someone was behaving according to the law, acting according to the law, speaking according to the law, and yet someone else chose to out them, and in the process get them -- try to get them thrown out of the military -- whether or not there is latitude for us to enforce the law in a way that would not be so draconian, would not be so -- would not so adversely affect this person for no doing of their own.
So, anyway, that's where -- you know, he's in the -- he's asked that. He's seen some examples. He's now asked the question. And, obviously, this is something that he's focused more on as a result of the fact that the president has made his -- his position on this very clear, and the direction he is heading on this very clear.
Q Well -- okay, so either way you look at it, if the secretary gets his way and is able to make these changes, then the military will be operating, in some cases, with known homosexual members. So is that -- is it the secretary's opinion that that will cause a disruption in the force in any way?
MR. MORRELL: I think we are a ways from that point. I think right now he is just asking the question whether or not there is latitude to do this. Executing it, following through with it is the next step. I don't think we're there yet. I don't know when that will take place, if it will take place. He's just asking the initial question. So I think we're getting ahead of ourselves a little bit in terms of the impact -- the potential impact it will have on the force.
Q Geoff, just so we're up to date --
MR. MORRELL: Yes.
Q Who -- what other efforts in the department to look at this, the Joint Chiefs --
MR. MORRELL: I don't know that -- I don't know that there will be any others.
Yeah, go ahead.
Q Just a different subject. What's the secretary's position on expansion of the Army that's been proposed?
MR. MORRELL: Well, I think he obviously has a great deal of concern about the stress that the Army has been under for a number of years now. And he understands that his prescription that they reduce their dependence upon stop-loss to keep units intact when they deploy has created additional stress on the force.
So he is engaged in discussions with a number of people about that possibility -- obviously, with the Chief of Staff, General Casey, Secretary Geren, and others about whether or not it would be wise on a temporary basis, as been has -- as has been advocated by Senator Lieberman, to increase the size of the Army to get them through what is still a stressful period as we draw down in Iraq and continue to plus-up in Afghanistan.
But no decisions have been made. He is right now still in the -- in the consultation process. But he is clearly considering it.
Q Just a follow-up on that. My understanding was he had a meeting on this. Is he in the consultation process, or is he considering the presentation and the next step will be a decision? Is he -- it sounded like he had already consulted. Is he now kind of mulling it over?
MR. MORRELL: Well, just because he's had a meeting in which this was presented to him doesn't mean he has talked to all the people he wants to talk about on this subject before ultimately making a decision. And what I can tell you is that he still has people he wishes to speak with and that a decision has not been made yet. But obviously, this is something he is -- he is considering.
Q On this. As part of the budget proposal, there was a reduction by two BCTs [Brigade Combat Teams], not to proceed with the creation of the additional brigade combat teams. Is this something new that could reverse that? Or are we talking about an addition to those BCTs or a greater size within the --
MR. MORRELL: I don't -- I -- frankly, Louie, I'd refer you to the Army. I frankly don't know how the -- if we were to proceed with a temporary increase in soldiers, how the -- how that would impact the force structure and whether or not we would reconsider capping BCTs as we did in the 2010 budget.
But I think we're not quite there yet, and I'd ask you just to hold on a little bit. He's not -- he hasn't made this decision yet. He's still considering it. But he obviously appreciates the stress that the force is under and is listening intently to the arguments that are being made by General Casey and others.
Q I want to just go back to the F-22 to just find out a little bit more about --
MR. MORRELL: Anybody else on this, for the Army? Okay, thanks.
Q Isn't growing the Army was getting more expensive than buying more F-22s?
MR. MORRELL: It will be -- that's -- it will be very expensive. You're absolutely right. You know, our personnel costs in total I think in the '10 budget are north of $160 billion. Our health-care costs alone are $42 billion. Every person you add has enormous costs -- legacy costs especially. And that -- that is clearly part of the consideration here. That's why this is being looked at as a temporary fix to a near-term problem, this notion that we are going to, according to General Casey, continue to have considerable stress on the force over the next 18 months to two years in particular, and that we need to look at the possibility of trying to diminish that stress by temporarily adding more forces.
But I -- you know, this is not a -- this is not being viewed as an addition to the roughly 50,000 troops we have added to the Army on a permanent basis. That said, it is always hard to do things on a temporary basis in this building. They have a way of becoming permanent. So that is a challenge associated with this, Tony.
Q Is there an associated cost --
MR. MORRELL: But that's another reason, frankly, Tony, why we cannot afford F-22s. We cannot afford things we do not need more of than we already have because it forces us to take money from something else that we do need. And it looks as though the Army believes it needs additional soldiers to do the job that we have asked them to do. So buying more F-22s would very much inhibit our ability to even temporarily grow the force.
Q Associated cost, though?
MR. MORRELL: I don't know that we've come up with an associated cost. I'm sure somebody has come up with it. I haven't seen an associated cost.
Yes, go ahead.
Q So in this lobbying effort to strip money/funding for F-22s out, is Gates meeting directly with senators on a face-to-face basis? Is he making calls? Or can you characterize this?
MR. MORRELL: As I said at the beginning, he's made some calls, and he will continue to make calls as necessary to make his case to those who are willing to listen. But I do not believe this week that there have been any face-to-face engagements on this. And as I said before, his -- the calls are not limited to him. There are calls being made by the White House as well, and I'd urge you to talk to them as to see who's making those calls.
Q And is he also talking to the White House directly about this, this week? Or has --
MR. MORRELL: Oh, I -- well, I mean, he meets with the president this afternoon. He -- but I can assure you that he has had discussions with people at the White House this week about the state of play with regards to the F-22 in the Defense Authorization Act. Absolutely.
And in fact, I think you saw the White House today release an updated SAP [Statement of Administration Policy] today and -- where they make it clear, as they did in that letter to the -- to Senators Levin and McCain, that the president will indeed veto any provision -- any -- any bill that contains additional F-22s.
Q Another topic. Can you give us some sense of whether the secretary has been updated on the progress of the Marine-led operation in Helmand province? Is there any light you can shed on that, on progress being made, whether -- how long this operation could last, whether more troops would be needed?
MR. MORRELL: The secretary did not, this week, have a SVTS with -- a secure video teleconference -- with his commanders in Afghanistan. He did with his commanders in Iraq. That said, he gets regular updates on operational matters, including the new operations that the Marines have launched in -- in Helmand, Operation Khanjar, as well as the British forces, their operation, Panther's Claw. And he obviously also gets notification every time we lose a U.S. service member, which unfortunately we have lost in Afghanistan at an alarming rate this month.
I think that we are -- I think we are on -- I think we've lost 22 U.S. service members in Afghanistan this month, 17 coalition service members. So it is an extraordinarily difficult month for all of us who are so heavily invested in trying to better the situation in Afghanistan.
So -- but he's closely following it, and he is encouraged thus far by how things are going operationally -- aside, obviously, from the losses we've suffered. But it looks as though our forces have let -- have met little resistance, as they've moved, in particular, into Nawa and Garmsir, those districts of Helmand. I think they've generally been -- been welcomed by residents of those areas. But obviously, as we move into areas where we have not traditionally been operating, we are -- we are confronting insurgents along the way, those who are not running and hiding. There are those who, through, IEDs [Improvised Explosive Device (s)] and indirect fire, hit-and-run operations, are trying to impede our progress.
But I think, as was made clear by the tactical directive that you saw from General McChrystal this week, or last week, we are committed, for the long run, to maintain a force presence in as many populated areas as possible to protect the population from the Taliban and other terrorists, and to help the Afghan government be able to exert itself more throughout the country to provide services, to provide economic development so that people there have something else they can believe in other than the bankrupt ideology and the fear that is promoted by the Taliban.
So that, I think, is sort of where we are now. But this is a long-term effort with, as you know, additional resources flowing in. There's another brigade that's due to arrive this fall of trainers, so that we can get not just U.S. and coalition forces doing this -- because we are right now sort of the -- the clear operation and now, by default, the hold operation. But ultimately the hold and build has to be conducted by the Afghan national security forces. So we need additional trainers, and we've got a brigade coming in that will make a big difference in order to grow the Afghan national army from roughly about 90,000 that it is now to 134(,000) by the end of -- by the end of next year.
Q Geoff?
Q Geoff?
MR. MORRELL: Yeah, go ahead. Yeah.
Q Just to follow up on Brian's question, do you have any idea about the duration of this operation; I mean, the Garmsir operation in Helmand province? Could you say how long it will last?
MR. MORRELL: By the end of 2011. I apologize. Yeah. I don't think we're going to --
Q Is it a matter of months, weeks?
MR. MORRELL: I don't -- I don't think we want telegraph how long this operation is going to last. I think that's an operational detail that we're not going to disclose, or I'm not going to disclose, at least from this podium.
Suffice it to say, this will not be -- this is not the only operation we are going to undertake. There will be -- there will be many such operations. If this operation is ultimately not sustained over the long run, trust me, there will be many more to follow. This is all part of a renewed focus and effort to protect the population in Afghanistan. And you have a new commander and a new strategy, and that's where we're headed.
Yeah, Hal.
Q More on this. General Nicholson said the other day he needs more Afghan troops in the operation in Helmand. I think he said he only has 650 to the 4,000 Marines, plus other coalition forces. And today, the head of the British army said they need more forces in Afghanistan in general, whether they be U.S. or British or Afghan or others.
So two questions. One, if there are 90,000 in the Afghan army, why only 650 involved in that operation? And two, what's being done to increase that number, as well as to speed the growth as well as the -- the growth of the Afghan army as well as the training of those they already have?
MR. MORRELL: With regards to the first part of the question, why are there only roughly 600 associated with this operation, I'd refer you to the folks over there. I don't know the tactical decision as to why that number for this particular operation.
If we elevate the discussion a little as to do we need more Afghan national security forces, the answer is we are growing the Afghan national security forces. We're growing the ANA [Afghan National Army] as we speak. In fact, the original growth plan for the ANA had us getting to 134,000 over five years. The decision was made in the -- in the strategic review that the White House conducted to do this in really -- basically two years instead, two-and-a-half years instead.
So we're going to go from -- you know, we're at 92,000, we're going to go to 134,000. We think approximately 26(,000) new soldiers were trained in 2008. We're on track to train roughly 28,000 soldiers this year. So that certainly puts us on pace to get to our number of 134,000.
As you've seen in some of the articles that have been written lately, General McChrystal is looking at this very issue, do we need to get bigger faster? And he has had some communication with the secretary on this. I'm not going to go into the specifics of it. But when he reports back on his overall evaluation of the situation on the ground, I can tell you a component of that will be a recommendation on whether to go bigger, and if so, how much faster do we need to get -- do we need to do it. And I think the secretary will obviously strongly consider that.
What he has said to you all to date, though, is we will have a big task ahead of us in getting to 134(,000). That's going to be a real challenge. You know, trainers have been at a premium. We've had to contribute more of them than we would like because it's been difficult getting them from our allies. If we all believe that it is necessary to grow the Afghan national security forces even beyond that, it's going to take an enormous commitment from not just us, but with the world to provide the trainers necessary to get it done in a time that can have an impact on the ground, and also to pay to sustain this force in the long run.
It is enormously expensive, albeit, far less expensive than to have us and our coalition partners do this job. But it is still far more than the Afghan government can afford on their own. We're going to spend -- I think this year alone I think we've got seven-plus billion dollars in our budget to deal with the growth and sustainment of the Afghan security forces. So -- and I think the Afghan government's budget is roughly 7 to $800 million.
So if we are serious about this, if the world is committed to this, it's going to require all of us accepting additional responsibility and burden in this area, both in terms of trainers and in terms of financial contributions.
Q If I could follow, is there -- is the U.S. essentially doing everything it can at the moment in terms of money and number of trainers it can provide, moving as quickly as possible now? It's up to others if that's going to be sped up?
MR. MORRELL: I -- I would not say that, Al. I mean, obviously we are -- we are very stressed and very strained as it is, and we are -- but we are always looking at ways that we can enhance the growth of the Afghan national security forces.
Right now, we are -- you know, right now, we have 68,000 forces that have been authorized to go to Afghanistan. We are still waiting for the addition of this -- this brigade of trainers. We think that will make a big difference in the rate and -- ultimately, the size and the rate of growth of the ANSF [Afghan national security forces]. So let's let that brigade get in there, see how effective they can be, and then we'll make likely an evaluation about how much bigger or faster we need to grow.
Q Staying on the financial cost of this, this most recent increase in the size, to 134,000, the secretary had sought to have partner nations bear a large portion of that cost, but was unsuccessful. Is he still going to try to pursue that if the recommendation comes forward to increase the size even beyond 134(,000)?
MR. MORRELL: I think I've sort of addressed it, Louie. I mean, we are -- we are taking the -- we are bearing the vast majority of this -- of this load. And we are, like everybody else, in a difficult time financially right now.
I think we would, if there were a determination to go forward with growing the Afghan national security forces bigger and faster, there would have to be a real international effort to meet this challenge. We could not, I don't believe, bear that alone. So I would imagine that if that were the decision that were made -- and no decision has been made yet, obviously -- we would want to work to persuade our friends and allies around the world that this is in everyone's best interest, and that we must collectively do what we can to make this happen. It's -- it's imperative for our country's security, but it's also ultimately, although it requires an initial investment, cheaper for the Afghans to do this for themselves than for us to continue to deploy tens of thousands of forces indefinitely.
Q Can I just ask another question about Guantanamo? The six-month review I think is coming up. Can you provide an update about where that --
MR. MORRELL: Well, I mean, I think we are -- we are and have been actively involved in discussions, meetings, consultations with our colleagues at Justice, at the White House, and we're in the midst of it. I would point you to the White House in terms of whether there is -- whether anything is imminent in terms of announcements, but I can just tell you we continue to work closely with our colleagues across the river on these thorny issues. You know, I was a little flippant, I know, with Bill about, you know, is this a top priority for the general counsel. I can tell you he is -- he is up to his neck right now in dealing with a range of issues, chief among them the -- the executive order signed by the president sort of mandating action by a prescribed time with regards to Guantanamo and military commissions and interrogations and so forth. So I don't have a concrete answer to you, other than we're continuing to work it.
Q And so that deadline's still going to be met, then?
MR. MORRELL: I have no reason to believe it won't be. But ultimately, this is something that I would really urge you to ask the White House about because they'd have probably a better sense of the status of it than I would.
Q Just a quick tanker question. What's the latest on the draft request for proposal? And has the secretary decided yet whether the Air Force or the Pentagon civilian acquisition corps will manage the program?
MR. MORRELL: He had a meeting about this, I believe, last week, where this was -- very question was discussed/debated, and no final decision has been made on this yet. I think this is something that is still being worked. I mean, obviously we've had some enormous challenges with this process in the past, and I think -- I know we told you there might be something in the spring and then we told you there might be something in the summer. And you know, frankly, this may go into the fall because we want to make darn certain we get it right. And so everybody is double- and triple-checking our -- the proposed way ahead to make sure that it is bulletproof.
Q When you say that this may go into the fall, what are you referring to? The release of a draft RFP [Request For Proposal]?
MR. MORRELL: I know we had told you, as I said, Tony, that we would release an RFP in the spring. And then we told you that it may be more likely the summer. And I'm telling you, so that we don't have a weekly question on this, that it may be that we don't get this out until the fall. I could be wrong, but the point that I'm trying to make is that everybody wants to be extraordinarily cautious about how we proceed in order to make sure we get it right. It's too important a project. It's too -- it's too necessary for our -- for our Air Force for us not to get it right this time.
Q Nobody is actually concerned, though, the longer you let this drag out, the more you're going to give an opening for the Appropriations Committee to give you direction in which way to go with the RFP?
MR. MORRELL: I don't -- I think there's -- again, I don't want to be a prognosticator about how the Congress is going. I think we're seeing less evidence that that is the direction they -- they wish to go. So I think they want, like we want, to get this right. They want our -- our warfighters to have the benefit of a new tanker as much as we do. And I think they trust the secretary when he tells them that he is working to make sure that this process is bulletproof.
Q Can we get a little more definition? You said you wanted to make sure you get this right, obviously, but what is the "this" part? Have you narrowed it down to a few final issues that still have to go through the legal wickets, or?
MR. MORRELL: Yeah, I'm not going to speak to what the RFP will contain, but we want to make sure we get the process and the request for proposal right, so that we ultimately can produce a result that everyone can agree was the right one, and that we do not run into the challenges and obstacles that we had over the last couple of tries.
Q Have you decided who is in charge of that?
MR. MORRELL: As I said, there's been no decision made on that yet. He's had -- he's heard some arguments as to who should lead that effort, and -- but he has not yet made a final decision.
Q So will that decision be made before fall, you say, whether the Air Force or the Pentagon is going to manage it?
MR. MORRELL: I think you will ultimately see from us -- when we ultimately do roll this out, I think you will have all that information together.
Yeah. Yeah, Kevin.
Q You said earlier on Afghanistan the forces are meeting little resistance, except from things like IEDs. And I'm wondering if this is the kind of concern, after so much money and time was spent on trying to defeat IEDs in Iraq, with things all the way up to the MRAPs, that as soon as the fighting has started, by my count in the last couple weeks more than half of the U.S. casualties have been specifically from IEDs.
MR. MORRELL: Yeah.
Q You know, did we send troops ahead of time, too early, before we had the right protection for them from this? Or --
MR. MORRELL: Well, I mean, keep -- a couple of things. Keep in mind the context here. We wanted to make sure that we had a sizeable force on the ground in order -- as did our allies, for that matter, and that's why you saw them -- saw them plus-up over the last few months -- in order to positively impact the elections that are due to take place next month.
The security situation, particularly in the south, was not conducive for holding free and fair and safe elections in -- in August. Everybody agreed we had to change that dynamic on the ground, and the only way to do it was to get forces there and get them there fast. And that's what we have done and that's what our allies have done, and that's why we are moving out and trying to improve the situation in the limited window of time that we have.
That said, the secretary long ago knew that the IED threat was -- was emerging and increasing in Afghanistan, and that's why he pushed his people to make sure that we were moving MRAPs to Afghanistan. So as MRAPs were being built and as the situation in Iraq was improving, we started to flow those newly built MRAPs to Afghanistan instead of Iraq, and even move some MRAPs from Iraq to Afghanistan. The result has been that we now have -- I don't know -- I think 3,000-plus MRAPs in Afghanistan.
That's not enough, and that's why we now have this new altering MRAP. A contract, as you guys saw, was let on that just before the 4th of July to Oshkosh. And you know, I think the requirement right now in Afghanistan for M-ATV [Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle] is north of 5,000, and I would imagine that number would only grow.
Q Do you guys have a plan to bridge the gap, though, between the amount of MRAPs that are now -- before those ATV versions can get there, which is, you know, months from now?
MR. MORRELL: Well, we have -- I mean, we have -- the number of MRAPs, period, in Afghanistan has probably this year alone I would guess -- and we can certainly find out for you -- probably tripled. There's been enormous priority to get MRAPs to Afghanistan to meet this emerging threat, and not just MRAPs; ISR [Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance] as well. I mean, this is -- ISR assets have been shifting to Afghanistan from Iraq to meet this challenge as well. But more are needed, just as more MRAPs are needed. And that's why we're working that problem as well.
We've got to tackle this -- this threat from, you know, basically 360 degrees. We've got to get them from, you know, the air. We've got to monitor the roads. We've got to watch patterns of life for these IED networks. We've got to provide force-protection measures that will keep our troops safe if they do encounter them. And we've got to increase our intelligence on the ground to ultimately dismantle these groups.
But fundamentally, you got to win over the population. And that's what this whole new strategy is all about. You got to win over the population. You got to have them believe that you are there for the long haul, you are there for their best interests, they're the ones you should trust -- or we are the ones they should trust, and we are the ones they should provide information for about the people who are trying to make their lives miserable.
Yeah. I know Bryan's very nervous. Let's take the last -- let's go boom, and this lady here, and then I think that's it. Do you -- okay, three, that's it.
Go, Lita.
Q Geoff, quick question. This anti-smoking effort, there was a study.
MR. MORRELL: Yeah.
Q Do you have anything from the secretary yet on that?
MR. MORRELL: I do. I do.
I mean, obviously, I know the secretary -- the study, I think, was commissioned in part by this department, and the secretary shares those involved's concern about the health and well-being of the force. And he obviously understands the president and this government's desire to ultimately create a smoke-free America, but I think you should not expect him to take any action which would restrict the use of tobacco products by people -- our service members in conflict zones, in war zones. He knows that the situation they are confronting is stressful enough as it is, and I don't think he is interested in adding to their stress levels by taking away one of the few outlets they may have to relieve stress, and that may be chewing tobacco or smoking a cigarette.
Obviously, it's not our -- it's not our preference to have a force that is using tobacco products. It's enormously expensive. By some estimates it costs us nearly $1 billion a year, tobacco-related health problems. But you know, we're fighting two wars right now, using a force that we're demanding more of than we ever have before. They are under enormous stress and strain. And the secretary does not want to compound that stress by taking away from them one of the few outlets they may have to relieve that stress.
Q They're I guess, on the record with suggestions about limiting sales on bases and things like that. Does he --
MR. MORRELL: I think we're -- he hasn't gotten the report yet. I think he's going to -- he'll certainly look at it, certainly give it full consideration. There may be things we can do to try to move towards that goal. But he has been very clear to me up front that one of the things he is not prepared to do is to restrict the use of tobacco products in combat zones.
Q On North Korea. After the North Korea test fired multiple missiles on the 4th of July, Independence Day --
MR. MORRELL: They were celebrating with us.
Q Yes.
MR. MORRELL: Right? It was their fireworks display.
Q Yes. So America's also saying that they're not working, you know. So --
MR. MORRELL: What's not working?
Q Diplomatic options, the message --
MR. MORRELL: The new U.N. resolution is not working, you're saying?
Q Yes. So --
MR. MORRELL: Well, I would -- I would -- I would beg to differ with you. I mean, yes, we did see that that fireworks display exhibited on July 4th. But you also saw the fact that we were monitoring a ship that was of concern to us for some number of days. And it wasn't just us, it was our coalition partners, our allies around the world who are also -- who also unanimously supported the U.N. Security Council resolution. They were also monitoring this ship. And the collective efforts ultimately resulted in that ship turning around short of its destination and returning back to North Korea.
So I think that the -- that the new authorities, the new responsibilities that the new Security Council resolution has given us and given the rest of the world is having an impact. Not -- it's not perfect by any means, as was evidenced by that -- by that fireworks display. But I think we are -- we are confident that if we continue to work together, that we can ultimately impact the behavior of the North.
Q Is it time for the U.S. to take military actions?
MR. MORRELL: I don't think that is at all a consideration at this point.
Let's go. Last one. Yeah.
Q Geoff, I want to ask about another report and the secretary has seen it. This is the Army's Fort Carson report.
MR. MORRELL: I haven't seen it and I don't think he's seen it. Yeah.
Q And on the tanker thing. I want to be clear. When you saw the fall, you're talking October, November possibly? (Laughter.) Well, but seriously --
MR. MORRELL: (Laughs.) Actually, I knew I shouldn't say fall because most of September's not in the fall, is it?
Q No. But just --
MR. MORRELL: All I'm saying to you, Tony, is stay tuned. But this -- you know, it's probably not going to happen this month, and so it may -- we may be looking at August. We may be looking at September. The bottom line is we are determined to get this right and are doing the work in advance so that we don't have problems later on.
Okay? Thank you, guys.
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text:
Layla Kayleigh
|Layla Kayleigh
|Zara Layla Kayleigh
26 January 1984
London, England
|Television host, Correspondent
|Steve Covino
Layla Kayleigh (born 26 January 1984) is a British-American TV personality, entrepreneur and activist who used to host The Feed segment of G4's Attack of the Show! and co-hosts MTV's America's Best Dance Crew where she is the backstage correspondent and also hosts MTV reunion shows such as Teen Mom and Teen Wolf. She has been featured in several magazines including Maxim magazine to promote her projects and the shows she was hosting.
In 2012 Kayleigh ventured into a new arena, having a background in music, she signed on and developed a recording group which she founded, to her company by the name of "To Be One" three of the members were former contestants on MTV's America's Best Dance Crew, where she had met them a year earlier in 2011 when she was the co-host of the show. [1]
In June 2013 Kayleigh took her group "To Be One" to meet her long time friend, music manager Troy Carter. Since then, they have partnered up to co-manage the group together. Their debut single "Wherever You Wanna Go" debuted in August of 2013 and their follow up "Do You" was released on October 28th. To Be One is currently working on finishing their first album.
Kayleigh has also been recognized for her philanthropic work, donating her time and efforts working closely with such non profit organizations such as to Amazon Watch, The Farley Project and More than Me.
Early life[edit]
Kayleigh lived in west London. Her birth name is Zara, but she urged her parents to call her by her middle name Layla after the Derek and the Dominos song.[2] When Kayleigh was 12, her single mother traveled to America in a bid to get U.S. citizenship for them, but Layla Kayleigh opted to stay behind. She "never told a soul" about being alone for fear that social services would come for her.[3]
On September 11, 2008, Kayleigh became a naturalized United States citizen.[4]
Television career[edit]
In addition to once hosting MTV2 in Britain and ABC's football halftime show, Kayleigh was once a correspondent for Al Gore's Current TV but was fired after doing an interview and photoshoot with Maxim Magazine.[5] She has appeared on the MTV show Punk'd. She was the main host of "The Feed" segment of Attack of the Show! on G4, as well as shortened versions of "The Feed" during the network's commercial breaks. Kayleigh has been on The Best Damn Sports Show Period on Fox Sports Net, and also reporting on all the entertainment/sports news on the The Insider. Kayleigh was also a guest on the Fox News Channel show Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld.
On May 23, 2007, the World Poker Tour announced that she would be their hostess for Season Six.[6] Kayleigh is featured on the cover of the July–August 2007 issue of Gambling.com, and the August issue of Bluff Magazine.
Kayleigh is a co-host on America's Best Dance Crew on MTV as their on the road correspondent looking for talent in the different cities.[7] The show, which features Mario Lopez as host premiered on January 26, 2008 with a live casting special and began its first season on February 7, 2008 with Kayleigh as backstage correspondent interviewing the bottom two crews. Season 2 of America's Best Dance Crew started on June 19 on MTV. Season 3 of America's Best Dance Crew premiered on January 15, 2009 on MTV.
On the March 16, 2009, episode of Attack of the Show!, Kayleigh announced that she would be leaving G4 due to her pregnancy and taking some time off to be a stay at home mother.[8] On May 7 and May 27, 2010, Kayleigh appeared as a member of the Great American Panel on Hannity. She is now a correspondent for the TV Guide Network. In April 2012 Layla began hosting MTV special reunion shows, Teen Mom and Teen Wolf interviewing the cast, and speaking about the episodes that had been aired.
She was listed number 33[9] and number 88[10] on AskMen.com's top 99 women in 2008 and 2011 edition, respectively. She recently appeared in lingerie for a PETA ad campaign protesting the use of animals in product-testing experiments photographed by celebrity photographer Nick Saglimbeni.[11]
Film career[edit]
Kayleigh played Madison Lane in the 2008 romance/drama movie titled A Simple Promise.
Personal life[edit]
Kayleigh and her husband, Steve Covino, had a daughter, Melody Rain Covino, on November 2, 2009.[12] They celebrated their daughter's christening in Union, New Jersey, Covino's hometown.[13] On October 9, 2011, Kayleigh and Covino married in Las Vegas, Nevada. Melody served as flower girl. [14] Kayleigh writes a celebrity baby blog for People.com about her experiences being a mother. [15]
- ^ http://www.pushpage.me/laylakayleigh
- ^ Interview from Byte Me: 20 Hottest Women of the Web, E! Entertainment channel, aired March 10, 2008. Attack of the Show, G4 channel, aired August 1, 2008.
- ^ Anna David. "Fine Import". Retrieved 2007-09-27.
- ^ Attack of the Show!. 2008-09-12.
- ^ "Layla Kayleigh". Maxim. Archived from the original on 2007-08-24. Retrieved 2007-09-27.
- ^ BJ Nemeth (May 23, 2007). "And the New World Poker Tour Hostess is ... Layla Kayleigh". Retrieved 2007-09-27.
- ^ Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew MTV.com. Accessed 2008-02-08.
- ^ Layla Kayleigh Says Au Revoir
- ^ AskMen.com
- ^ [1]
- ^ Jean Goon, "British TV personality Layla Kayleigh," MSN.com, January 17, 2012.
- ^ http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20318371,00.html
- ^ http://celebritybabies.people.com/2010/05/20/layla-kayleighs-blog-melody-celebrates-her-christening/
- ^ http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20536945,00.html
- ^ http://celebritybabies.people.com/category/layla-kayleigh-blog/

subset: commoncrawl


text:
"Aikido is a pretty funny creature since it tends to "become" the person. Old style (really old style koryu) systems tended to mold the student into the ryu due to the very rigid method of knowledge transmission. This is not the pattern today (for the most part) as there are time (a century or two) and cultural (Old Japan become secular Western Society) considerations that come into play and a lot of that no longer fits the need nor the moment."
Brian Kagen is an avid web researcher with a particular interest in martial arts. His training background includes both judo and aikido. He has contributed hundreds of article links over the years for AJ readers.
Click here to read entire article.
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Ricoh® 402461 Toner Cartridge, Short-Yield, Yellow
Ricoh® 402461 Toner Cartridge, Short-Yield, Yellow
Weights & Dimensions
|Product Type: Toner
|Country of Manufacture: Japan
About the ManufacturerRicoh is a global information and technology company and a leader in information mobility for today's changing workforce. With a strong legacy of introducing new technologies into the workplace and a deep expertise in managing and accessing information, Ricoh is changing the way people work today with innovative products and dynamic solutions that harness the power of today's worker in a new world of work. Established in Tokyo in 1936, Ricoh Group today operates in more than 200 countries and regions. Ricoh Americas Corporation was founded in 1962.
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text:
Academic Support Center, McCutchan Hall
Public Relations/Main Office
The Public Relations/Main Office for the Academic Support Center is located in the lowest level of McCutchan Hall in Room 7. The duties of the staff are twofold. As managers, they provide managerial oversight of the operations and are responsible for the accuracy of our record keeping for both the clients who utilize our services and the learning assistants who work here. However, as public relations staff, they perform a wide range of tasks, including communicating with clients and faculty, hosting the tours, speaking at events, fielding questions, creating and distributing the flyers, and updating our webpage, to name a few.
The staff can be reached by e-mail at email@example.com or by phone at 262-472-1230 during its hours of operation:
|Spring 2015 (January 21 to May 13)
|Monday - Thursday
|8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
|8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
|Sunday (In Andersen Library room 2120)
|6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Note: The Academic Support Center Office will remain open until 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 4 p.m. on Fridays.
Graduate Assistant
Jenna McMillan, Graduate Assistant
Hello! My name is Jenna McMillan. I am a graduate assistant in the Academic Support Center as well as an accounting supplemental instructor and tutor. I will be graduating in May 2015 with a Master's of Professional Accountancy. I just finished my undergrad with an Accounting major and French minor. In the past I have been an SI for Accounting 249 and Intermediate I. I look forward to meeting with you!


text:
UTSA newsletters
» UTSA Expressions -- Student Center for Community Engagement and Inclusion
UTSA magazines
» Giving
» Discovery -- UTSA Research
» Innovations -- College of Engineering
» Ovations -- College of Liberal and Fine Arts
» Spectrum -- College of Education
UTSA Roadrunner of the Month is Charnelle Thompson
(March 20, 2013) -- The UTSA Student Leadership Center announces Charnelle Thompson as Roadrunner of the Month for February 2013. Thompson was nominated by fellow UTSA student leaders Tanita Wiley and Justina Williams.
A UTSA senior studying mathematics, Thompson is from Houston, Texas, where she graduated from Lamar High School. With her degree in hand, she plans to help provide educational resources and opportunities in underserved areas of Houston, including working with youth empowerment and enrichment programs
As the president of Black Student Union, Thompson is an excellent example of leadership at UTSA. Last fall, she coordinated and led student efforts in the voter registration drive, which contributed to UTSA having the second highest voter turnout on a college campus in the nation. According to her nominators, "Charnelle exemplifies leadership on campus through her dedication, hard work and caring spirit."
Thompson recently worked closely with the Inclusion and Community Engagement Center and the Black History Planning Committee to re-establish the Black Heritage Banquet. Her effort and determination helped the banquet sell a record number of tickets, book the guest speaker and implement a successful event.
"Leadership means inclusivity to me. Being a strong leader is not the ability to be followed by many, but it's what you are led by," said Thompson. "It's the ability to work with and for something that is far greater than you are. It's the role you play amongst the many other roles that are needed to adhere to the bigger picture."
The Roadrunner of the Month award is sponsored by the Student Leadership Center to recognize outstanding UTSA student leadership contributions. Nominees must meet these criteria to be considered for the award:
- Must be a full-time UTSA undergraduate or graduate student
- Must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher at the time of nomination
- Must have demonstrated excellence in leadership above and beyond typical expectations
- Nominations should be for actions that positively impact the UTSA community
>> Submit nominations at the UTSA Student Leadership Center website.


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- Protecting Your Home From 'Smart' Home Hackers
- App Helps Detect Cancer Hiding in Plain Sight
- Hidden Dangers Inside Airport 'Safe-zones'
- Suspect In Deadly Cedar Park Attack Has Violent Past
- Sabrina Allen's Friends Offer Love, Support, Childhood Memories
- Equality Texas Attempts To Deliver 5,000 Signatures To Attorney General's Office
- Big Brother
- Special Graduation for South Texas Student with Cancer
- St. Patrick's Day Outdoor Festival
- Audition March 5
- ....
- Audition March 3
- Souper Bowl of Caring: Jan 10-Feb 2
- Luling Care Center
- April 2013: Rodney Reed Interview From Death Row
- Pro Football Winner Oct. 29
- School Delays, Road Closures, Power Outages
- Round Rock Mandatory Water Restrictions Could Start Next Week
- Austin National Night Out
- Bill That Would Expand Texas Grandparents' Rights Dropped
- 2013 Breast Cancer Awareness Month
- A Long, Incredible Journey
- Crews Battle To Contain Smithville Wildfire
- Boy Scouts Build Memorial Grove
- Capital Metro Train Derailment
- Anti-Abortion Activists Protest President Obama
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- The 6 Second Garage Door Break-In You Can Prevent
- Mother Of Hit And Run Victim Speaks Out
- Texas Men Beat Tech for First Big 12 Win
- Military Children Get Toys From Central Texas Group
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Over the Edge
Updated: Saturday, August 3 2013, 05:15 PM CDT
When I was 18 I did something called the "Skycoaster" – you are strapped into a device, pulled back up in the air at a 90 degree angle, then shot back down, coming out the other side at 90 degrees. I think I was really doing it to prove I was cool – it was with some work people I was just getting to know.
I was an idiot (hey, I was 18).
Anyway, I survived in one piece so I guess it all worked out. 13 years later that idiotic decision did finally paid some dividends.
I had the chance to go rappelling off a downtown Austin building – and I jumped (not literally) at it.
It also helped knowing I was doing this for a great cause.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation held its "Austin Over the Edge" event over the weekend. Kids with life-threatening illnesses have their wishes granted through Make-A-Wish.
And in the end, we all know that's what this is all about – helping make children's dreams come true.


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Pan-fried pork and scallion mini buns (Sheng jian baozi)
Total Time: 45 minutes plus rising time
Servings: Makes 32 mini buns
Note: You can find ground pork with a higher fat content at many Asian markets, or ask your butcher to grind fat into regular ground pork (you want about 20% fat). Or substitute regular ground pork. Ground beef chuck or chicken thigh may be substituted for the pork in this recipe. Regardless, fatty, rich ground meat makes for better, succulent buns. Shaoxing rice wine and Chinkiang vinegar are available at Chinese and most Asian markets. Recipe by Andrea Nguyen.
10 ounces fatty ground pork, coarsely chopped to loosen
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup finely chopped Chinese chives or scallions (white and green parts)
1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon light (regular) soy sauce, plus additional (optional) for dipping
2 teaspoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon water
1 1/4 pounds basic yeast dough (recipe above), preferably made with unbleached flour
1 tablespoon finely julienned fresh ginger
1/4 cup Chinkiang vinegar or balsamic vinegar
Chile oil, optional


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Terminal Emulators/X Terminals Software
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Thinstation is a thin client linux distro using std. x86 hw. It can boot from network, pxe, syslinux, CD, floppy or flash-disk and connect to servers using VNC, RDP, XDM, SSH, Telnet, tn5250, tarentella, 2X, NX, Thinlinc, VMWare VDI or ICA.1,936 weekly downloads
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CULT is an Open Source software-only network bootable thin client Operating System that provides a complete solution for thin clients, PCs or virtualized hardware.57 weekly downloads
Diskless Embedded Technology PC
DIET-PC (DIskless Embedded Technology Personal Computer) is a software kitset enabling IT professionals to build an open source GUI appliance based on commodity x86 (PC), PowerPC (Mac) or ARM (handheld) hardware, using an embedded Linux methodology.3 weekly downloads


text:
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We absolutely loved this apartment!! We only moved out because we got a house, but I still miss it! All of the staff is awesome! The apartments are great quality and well worth the higher price. The gym is great and… Full Review ▶
Where can I start? I have lived here for the past two years and absolutely love it. The maintenance staff is great they have always responded quickly to anything I have needed and are super friendly. The office staff is wonderful… Full Review ▶
Tradition is a great place to live. I love my apartment and have been pleasantly surprised by how helpful the management/office staff/maintenance staff has been. I recently had a problem with my refrigerator and the apartment manager was extremely helpful and… Full Review ▶
Great place to live. The maintenance staff is very timely, usually fixes your problem within 2 hours of submitting it. Grounds are well kept and streets are kept clear of sand and gravel. Don't plan on having guest over unless they… Full Review ▶
Manager is VERY Unprofessional. I have lived here 2 1/2 years, they treat you like a parent / child relationship. Great place to live if the manager was replaced. My heating bill is ridiculous because of the cheap insulation and windows.… Full Review ▶
I have lived at the Tradition for about 6 months. I would have to say that this is my best apartment experience yet. The staff always seems very friendly and helpful, and I have had a few maintenance issues that were… Full Review ▶
This is the start of our fourth year living at The Tradition and we love it here. We've lived in a lot of apartment complexes and can easily say this is the best one ever. The staff here is wonderful: friendly… Full Review ▶
These apartments are nice and large but I've run into a lot of deferred maintenance on my unit that I'm stuck dealing with and that's frustrating. The property manager is extremely condescending but the rest of the staff is excellent. Also,… Full Review ▶
We've lived here since April, and have not had any issues whatsoever. They came out and fixed our maintenance requests the very next day. I love the loft style feel to them- since we live above our garage, nobody lives below… Full Review ▶
The Tradition is a fantastic place to live it is very clean, safe and well run. The Management staff is very responsive when there is an issue and they are very engaged with all of their renters. Michelle, Krista, and the… Full Review ▶
I have lived at the Tradition apartments since 2002 and love it. It is very quiet and feels like more of a home than an apartment. I like the fact that you can pull right into your garage and enter your… Full Review ▶
the apartment itself looks fine but the staff is so rude and stuck up and if you have any type of complaint they will not listen to you! this is the most unprofessional management i have ever seen! i have never… Full Review ▶
We rented the largest 2 bedroom unit from Nov 07 to Dec 09 and couldn't have been happier. We were sad to have to leave. The apartment was a spacious 1400 sq ft and had HUGE walk-in closets. Our maintenance requests… Full Review ▶
I have lived at The Tradition for three years. Just when I though it could not get any better it did. My maintenance items are handled immediatly. When I call the office the gals are always professional and eager to handle… Full Review ▶
First of all you do not get enough "bang for your buck" here. It is way too expensive and the one bedrooms are so tiny! The only nice thing about the apartment is the bathroom. The staff/maintenance are rude and the… Full Review ▶
The office staff was always friendly and helpful, eager to make my life as a resident there pleasant. The pool and clubhouse are lovely, my apartment was beautiful and it was the most convenient place I have lived. I left for… Full Review ▶
I love this place. It's a quiet gated community that I will never leave. The staff is awesome. They take care of all our needs promptly and precisely. All the properties that Broadmoor owns are all the same. They treat you… Full Review ▶
It's quiet, price is reasonable, and they take care of all of our needs. There isn't a reason NOT to check this place out. Full Review ▶
When I first moved here it was crazy. First I was supposed to have a fireplace and teh entertainment center in the wall. But when I went to look at my ACTUAL unit they weren't there. They met me halfway and… Full Review ▶
i've lived in several apartments in this area and this was is the best by far. the staff is very pleasant and helpful. my maintance issues get resolved that same day. the apartments are spacious with lots of extras. you cannot… Full Review ▶
I thought living here would be great but it is only okay. Maintenance isn´t good. They take forever to get things fixed. The thing that has bothered me most though are the things I have paid for but didn´t have. For… Full Review ▶
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Teen arrested for joking suicide to WoW rep
A 17-year-old boy from America who "jokingly" told a World of Warcraft rep that the game was making him suicidal, has been arrested.
The teen was having an online conversation with a Blizzard Entertainment rep, when he told them that he was suicidal and that "the game was the only thing he had to live for".
The rep, who had access to the boy's personal details, immediately called 911 and patrol officers and medics went to the boy's house.
When they arrived, they found the boy to be fine, claiming that it was a joke "to try to get what he wanted from the game". Tut tut.
The teen was arrested for inducing panic - a first-degree misdemeanor in the States. He will appear in court on 6 January.


text:
Update on 7 February 2012: Red Bull says the jump attempt is back on for sometime in 2012. The legal challenge to the jump was resolved out of court and the jump, from a planned altitude of 36.6 kilometres, will occur above Roswell, New Mexico.
Update: On 12 October 2010, Red Bull stopped work on this project, citing a multi-million-dollar lawsuit by an entrepreneur who claimed rights to the idea.
A "space diver" will try to smash the nearly 50-year-old record for the highest jump this year, becoming the first person to go supersonic in freefall. The stunt could help engineers design escape systems for space flights.
On 16 August 1960, US Air Force Captain Joe Kittinger made history by jumping out of a balloon at an altitude of some 31,333 metres. "I stood up and said a prayer and stepped off," he recalled (see Space diving: The ultimate extreme sport).
Since then, many have tried to break that record but none have succeeded – New Jersey native Nick Piantanida actually died trying in 1966. Now Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner has announced he will make the attempt, with help from Kittinger and sponsorship from the energy drink company Red Bull.
Baumgartner, who became the first person to cross the English Channel in freefall in 2003, will be lofted to a height of 36, 575 metres in a helium balloon. After floating up for roughly three hours, he will open the door of a 1-tonne pressurised capsule, grab the handrails on either side of the exit, and step off, potentially breaking records for the highest parachute jump, as well as the fastest and longest freefall.
Shock wave
He will face extreme peril. He should reach supersonic speeds 35 seconds after he jumps, and the resulting shock wave "is a big concern", the project's technical director, Art Thompson, said at a press briefing on Friday. "In early aircraft development, they thought it was a wall they couldn't pass without breaking apart. In our case, the vehicle is flesh and blood, and he'll be exposed to some extreme forces."
Still, project medical director Jonathan Clark noted there has been one known instance of a pilot surviving the destruction of a plane at three times the speed of sound. "We know it's not just theoretically possible, it's possible," he said.
After falling for about six minutes, Baumgartner should open his parachute at roughly 1520 metres.
The jump height is above a threshold at 19,000 metres called the Armstrong line, where the atmospheric pressure is so low that fluids start to boil. "If he opens up his face mask or the suit, all the gases in your body go out of suspension, so you literally turn into a giant fizzy, oozing fluid from your eyes and mouth, like something out of a horror film," Thompson explained. "It's just seconds until death."
Flexible suit
To protect himself, Baumgartner will wear a more flexible version of the airtight, pressurised spacesuit currently used aboard the space shuttle (see Future spacesuits to act like a second skin). That will let him bend to achieve the standard, belly-down skydiving position needed to decelerate.
Another concern is uncontrolled spin, which could knock him unconscious. Sensors all over the suit will constantly monitor his acceleration for signs of spinning, as well as checking on his heart rate and position, relaying data to the ground team via a radio in a pack mounted on his chest. If needed, a drogue parachute can be deployed to stabilise his flight.
Two practice flights will be conducted at about 20,000 and 27,000 metres. Currently Baumgartner is undergoing rigorous tests in the suit at extreme cold, in vacuum chambers and in vertical wind tunnels to simulate falling.
Red Bull would not reveal the cost of the project. And though it says it will launch this year from North America, it has not yet specified a date or launch site. This uncertainty depends in part on finding the ideal weather conditions for the flight, Thompson said.
By showing that a person can safely return to Earth from that speed and altitude, the "Stratos" mission team hopes to show that astronauts might survive with similar systems if they needed to bail out of spacecraft.
"It's human nature to want to go faster and further," Kittinger noted, but he added he would not have signed on without the promise of getting scientific data. "We're testing the next-generation full-pressure suits."
If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.


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Strategic Plan
CALL TO ORDER – 7:00 pmChairman Brackett called the meeting to order.ROLL CALLIn attendance: Chairman Mike Brackett, Commissioners Connie Holbrook, Mark Bozik, Mark Rivecco, Ana Tuohy, Aaron Anderson Not in attendance: Commissioners Mark Carroll, Jennifer Duncan, Tom Lenkart. Staff in attendance: Interim Village Administrator Dave Summer, Pete Iosue of Teska Associates.APPROVAL OF MINUTES1. Approval of Plan Commission Minutes dated October 2, 2012Motion made by Commissioner Holbrook and seconded by Commissioner Bozik. All in favor. Motion approved.NEW BUSINESS1. Plat of Resubdivision for 149 Grant StreetPete Iosue stated that the only issue remaining from Rempe-Sharpe is that the surveyor stamped but did not sign the plat. Motion made by Commissioner Bozik and seconded by Commissioner Rivecco for preliminary and final approval of the Plat of Resubdivision for 149 Grant Street, as presented, with the input of the minor issues that still need to be resolved as noted by Rempe-Sharpe. All in favor. Motion approved. 2. Reapproval of Randall Highlands Plat of Resubdivision of Lot 64Iosue said this came before the Plan Commission in January and was approved by both the Plan Commission and Village Board. It did not get recorded and after approval it has to be recorded within 6 months. Therefore, the approval is now void and needs to be reapproved. Danielle Dash of Next Generation said the delay was due to the fact that they were still trying to secure financing on the project. Dash said that they should be in front of the funding committee in the next few weeks. Motion made by Commissioner Holbrook and seconded by Commissioner Bozik to reapprove the Randall Highlands Plat of Resubdivision of Lot 64. All in favor. Motion approved. OLD BUSINESS – NonePLAN COMMISSIONER COMMENTS AND PROJECT UPDATESPete Iosue reported on the following:1. Annual TIF/Joint Review Board meetings scheduled for tomorrow. Iosue said he is in the process of going through the applications for the TIF grants for the Route 31 TIF. Two (2) businesses applied for TIF money. One was from Culvers to redo their parking lot and minor site improvements and the other request was from a house, for siding and windows. Commissioner Rivecco asked if Iosue knew the intentions of Dolan & Murphy regarding the properties along the riverfront located behind the new Speedway on Route 31. Rivecco said that Dolan & Murphy's website appears to advertise that Offutt Lane would be the ideal place for a large multi-family development. Iosue said he was not aware of this and would research.ADJOURNMENTMotion to adjourn made by Commissioner Holbrook and seconded by Commissioner Rivecco. All in favor. Motion approved. Respectfully Submitted,Lori J. MurrayVillage Clerk
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There's so much to Israel beyond your imagination: Scientific advancements. Technological breakthroughs. Cultural achievements. Life-saving devices. Generational trendsetting…Israel is called the Start Up Nation for a reason.
iMMERSE is a new joint initiative between the iCenter and ISRAEL21c, a leading news organization covering Israeli innovation and culture. With on-the-ground reporters in Israel, ISRAEL21c works with the iCenter to create compelling and inspiring educational material targeted to teachers, students, parents and anyone looking to learn about modern Israel today.
Presented as digital, mobile-friendly content in the form of original videos and feature articles, iMMERSE delivers accompanying study guides and discussion tools for a robust learning experience about Israel today –– into classrooms, the schoolyard, dinner tables and anywhere where the dynamic home of the Jewish people is being discussed.
Aimed at kids as they develop a relationship with Israel, just about anyone can learn from iMMERSE installments. And the content comes right from Israel.
Enjoy this inaugural installment of iMMERSE –– just in time for Israel's Independence Day, Yom Ha'atzmaut! For its 64th birthday, learn more about Israel's amazing accomplishments and how these advances are a part of your life.
iMMERSE anytime you want to teach or learn about Israel. Find us at www.israel21c.org or www.theicenter.org
iMMERSE is a project of ISRAEL21c, a news and educational organization that focuses on 21st century Israel, and the iCenter, the North American address for Israel education.
Click here to read the press release about this new initiative.
Made in Israel Study Video
Israel is a country that has harnessed innovation in unique and varied ways. This video will highlight a number of those innovations. View the video below or on YouTube.
Made in Israel Study Guide
The "Made in Israel" study guide is designed to give teachers, parents, lay leaders, Jewish professionals and students an opportunity to delve more deeply into the information presented in the video and accompanying article. As the launch project for iMMERSE this study guide is being presented to provide an educational lens for Made In Israel.
Olympics Study Guide
The Olympics study guide is the second iMMERSE installment and is designed to deepen a connection between youth and Israel through stories and videos about Israel's 2012 Olympic team.
For our special iMMERSE study guide on the Olympics please click here.
Made in Israel
Israel's top 64 innovations. From health breakthroughs to technology, agriculture, the environment and the arts, the country's innovations are transforming and enriching lives everywhere. Israel today is playing a significant role in some of the most important challenges facing our planet.
Click here to view the article.


text: I agree, we are very happy to have Obama visit Edison.Its a great honor. The guy under me is clearly very immature and doesn't understand things. Guy under me, you sound very selfish and just because your dad's a doctor gives you no right. My daughter said you go to high school with her, and she said you're probably going to a community college, so i don't see why you're not supporting the reforms Obama is trying to pass.


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Archive for April, 2006
A customer's Blog on installing a USP
Posted in Customer Focus on Apr 28, 2006 3 Comments »
I came across a post on the RupturedMonkey blog, which is documenting a customer's experience in installing our USP with virtualization and migration of a CX600 to an AMS200, using Tiered Storage Manager. He has also employed Logical Partitioning for mainframe and open systems use.
Virtual Ports and Host Storage Domains
Posted in Virtualization on Apr 24, 2006 6 Comments »
I find that many people are confused about the value of virtual ports and host storage domains in HDS storage control units. This feature enables the attachment of 1024 heterogeneous FC host ports to one physical storage port on the USP or NSC control unit. (This feature is also available on our AMS and WMS [...]
IBM's Aperi Initiative
Posted in Tech Talk on Apr 17, 2006 No Comments »
During the CTO panel At SNW three weeks ago, I was asked by Geoffrey Moore, why HDS was not a part of Aperi, the open source initiative that IBM is proposing for Storage Area Management.
David Merrill Storage Economics
Posted in HDS News, Storage Economics on Apr 10, 2006 No Comments »
I would like to welcome David Merrill to our storage blogging community. When I talk with IT customers, a frequent concern is the topic of storage economics, bridging the gap between technology and economics. David is a storage economics expert who is passionate about helping IT professionals learn the language and principals of money and [...]
Misunderstandings About Storage Virtualization
Posted in Virtualization on Apr 7, 2006 5 Comments »
An April 6 article on SearchDataCenter.com by Rick Cook introduced several misunderstandings about controller based virtualization which I would like to correct.In this article Rick compares three types of storage virtualization, server based, SAN based, and controller based. While he does acknowledge that controller based virtualization is "intimately connected to the storage arrays" and does [...]
AMS1000 Announcement and RoHS
Posted in Midrange Solutions, Tech Talk on Apr 3, 2006 1 Comment »
On April 3, 2006, HDS announced the Hitachi Global Link Manager (PDF) which enables centralized management for multipath data connections across multiple servers which greatly simplifies alternate storage path management in a complex SAN. HDS also announced the AMS1000 modular disk array (PDF) which extends the AMS product line to 208GB of capacity, increased cache [...]


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Dallas, TX (PRWEB) April 22, 2013
MoneyGram has announced that it is extending its deadline to enter the "Ultimate Cricket Fan" contest to April 25, giving cricket fans extra time to let MoneyGram know why they are the Ultimate Cricket Fan. MoneyGram is hosting its annual "Ultimate Cricket Fan" contest, where one winner will receive an all-expense-paid trip to the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy cricket tournament held in the United Kingdom. As part of its sponsorship of the International Cricket Council (ICC), MoneyGram (NYSE: MGI), a leading global money transfer company, is encouraging fans to submit a photo and a brief explanation on why they are the "Ultimate Cricket Fan" and should be selected to serve as MoneyGram's blogger at the Champions Trophy semifinals and final.
Cricket fanatics have until April 25 to upload a photo in their favorite cricket gear on MoneyGram's cricket Facebook page, along with a 150-word explanation defining how they are the "Ultimate Cricket Fan." Ten finalists will be chosen to create a short video depicting their love and passion for the sport to upload on the company's cricket Facebook page app. Submitted videos should convince the public and contest judges to vote for their entry and eventually crown them as the "Ultimate Cricket Fan."
During the ICC Champions Trophy semifinals and final held June 19-23, the "Ultimate Cricket Fan" winner will report live from the match grounds in England and Wales by posting blog reports on MoneyGram's cricket Facebook page. The "Ultimate Cricket Fan" will engage audiences before and after the games through social media and participation in activities and events planned by MoneyGram.
"Cricket fans have a unique connection and love for the sport and our MoneyGram 'Ultimate Cricket Fan' contest is designed to channel that passion by enabling the winner to bring fans from around the world closer to the Champions Trophy tournament," said Juan Agualimpia, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of MoneyGram.
"The on-site blogging and fan engagement through social media will capture this special tournament and present it in a new way for fans through real time live reporting, blogging that will make fans feel like they're actually there."
In 2012, MoneyGram introduced the "Ultimate Cricket Fan" contest and sent two winners to the ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka for an experience of a lifetime. "MoneyGram made [my dream] possible for me, and it is one opportunity that has been life-changing and something I will be grateful for always," said Kritika Naidu, a 2012 "Ultimate Cricket Fan" contest winner from Hyderabad, India.
The winner this year will receive an all-expense-paid trip to the U.K., as well as tickets to the semifinals and final of the Champions Trophy tournament, a tablet PC, t-shirts and other memorabilia, and a cash prize of $500.
Contest qualifications include:
MoneyGram began its relationship with the International Cricket Council with sponsorship of the Twenty20 World Cup tournament in the West Indies in May 2010. The company later signed a multi-year agreement for sponsorship rights from 2011 through 2015. As part of the agreement, MoneyGram will have a presence at all ICC cricket tournaments around the world during the five-year period.
About MoneyGram International
MoneyGram International, a leading money transfer company, enables consumers who are not fully served by traditional financial institutions to meet their financial needs. MoneyGram offers bill payment services in the United States and Canada and money transfer services worldwide through a global network of more than 310,000 agent locations – including retailers, international post offices and financial institutions – in 197 countries and territories. To learn more about money transfer or bill payment at an agent location or online, please visit moneygram.com or connect with us on Facebook.
Media Contact:
Mike Gutierrez/Sophia Stoller


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Two-and-a-half years ago, Ubisoft was girding itself for a hostile corporate takeover bid. Today, the Paris-based publisher announced its war chest is now jam-packed with cash, courtesy of earnings for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2007. During the previous 12 months, the company raked in a record 680 million euros, which, at today's unfavorable exchange rates, amounts to $870.4 million.
For the first calendar quarter of 2007--the fourth in Ubisoft's fiscal year--the French publisher's revenue rose 37.4 percent, topping 197 million euros ($252.2 million) and beating its own predictions. Its bottom line was boosted by several breakaway hits, including the Xbox 360 edition of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, which sold more than 1 million copies. (PC, PSP, and PlayStation 3 versions are due out later this year.) TMNT sold upwards of 1.1 million units on eight platforms, thanks to its semisuccessful film inspiration--and no thanks to its middling reviews.
Unsurprisingly, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot was pleased by his company's impressive haul. "Our fourth quarter performance was an excellent way to round off 2006-07, a year in which we exceeded all of our targets," he said in a statement. "We have confirmed the strong position of our key franchises Splinter Cell [Double Agent], Ghost Recon, Rayman [Raving Rabbids], and Rainbow Six [Vegas]."
Proud père Guillemot wasn't the only one feeling upbeat about Ubisoft's cash flow. "We continue to believe that Ubisoft is a compelling investment," Wedbush Morgan Securities' Michael Pachter wrote in a note this morning. "If our assumptions about market-share gains and contribution margin over the next three years are correct, we think that the company could substantially exceed expectations each of the next 12 quarters, driving its share price higher."


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Steve, that article was great!
August 13 2001 at 8:26 AM
Nancy Reeves
Response to
Some free tools to help you...
That's a great article, it gave us some in-depth information that we needed.
I'll probably post some additional questions on your forum, if that's all right.
Thank you again!
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