Paul Monachino was a sergeant in the East Rochester Police Department on June 14, 2011. After an evening celebrating the appointment of the new police chief, while in his personal car, he caused a motor vehicle accident and was arrested for DWI.

In December, 2011, Susan Walsh was the director of the Greater Rochester International Airport. After an evening of drinking, while driving her county vehicle, she caused a motor vehicle accident and was arrested for DWI.

Monachino and Walsh both resigned their jobs.

Monachino plead guilty and received a sentence of six months in jail with five years probation.

Walsh plead guilty and received a sentence of 100 hours of community service, a $750 fine, and will have an interlocking device installed on her vehicle for a year.

The circumstances of both offenses are virtually identical. One offender receives the maximum sentence and the other receives a slap on the wrist. Why?

Walsh has powerful political connections in Monroe County. Monachino does not. Did politics play a part in the differences in sentencing?

Chart showing piracy stats in the Indian Ocean for the last three years. From the European Union Naval Force Somalia - Operation Atalanta

Countering piracy in the Indian Ocean is an international concern having become a sophisticated criminal business exploiting the geographic feature of the Gulf of Aden and the Arabic Sea. Every day 3 million barrels of oil and 50 per cent of the world’s container trade are at sea in this area constituting approximately 1 trillion US dollars in trade. The cost of piracy is a strategic concern; an NGO has recently estimated the cost at 7 billion US dollars per year, adding 1.68US dollars to every kilogramme of trade moved in the High Risk Area.

The mandate for EU NAVFOR – ATALANTA is the protection of vessels of the World Food Programme (WFP) delivering food aid to displaced persons in Somalia; the protection of African Union Mission on Somalia (AMISOM) shipping, the deterrence, prevention and disruption of acts of piracy and armed robbery and monitoring fishing activity off the coast of Somalia, seeking to disprove what is often said by suspected pirates, that they are only fishermen that have their fishing grounds denied.

In 2011 the previously observed seasonal increase of pirated vessels in the autumn has been broken. While in the first quarter of 2011 pirates took 19 ships, in the remaining 9 months, they only took 6 ships.

More at the link

A Spanish SEA HARRIER overflies SPS PATINO. NATO photo by Jens Grypstrom, RNN

Update 1-14-2012: Six pirates were detained, all with injuries. Two of the six will require additional medical treatment. A report that a seventh pirate was killed in the firefight and tossed overboard by his mates has not been confirmed.

About 3:30 a.m. local time on January 12, a skiff with six pirates on board opened fire on the SPS Patino. The Spanish auxiliary oiler and replenishment ship, the SPS Patino, is currently the Flagship of the European Union Naval Force Somalia. It carries Spanish Marines and helicopters, as well as housing the command staff for the EUNavFor. The ship resembles a merchant vessel in many respects and the pirates may not have realized in the darkness that it was not a civilian ship.

The press release from the Ministry of Defense reports that the gunfire was returned by Patino. The skiff fled and was pursued by a helicopter. The crew of the helicopter observed several weapons on board the skiff. When hailed, the crew of the skiff surrendered. The Spanish have five pirates in custody. One additional pirate was killed in the action and tossed overboard by his crewmates. No injuries were sustained by Spanish personnel.

Press release in Spanish

The SPS Patino escorted a convoy of three merchant ships to Somalia in mid December, carrying humanitarian assistance. The ships were under charter to the World Food Program. This was a first for Patino, and unusual in that three ships were involved. Normally only one civilian vessel is escorted at a time.

Officer Deriek Crouse

Virginia Tech website:

BLACKSBURG, Va., Dec. 8, 2011 – Virginia Tech Police have identified the officer murdered today during a traffic stop on campus as Deriek W. Crouse, 39, of Christiansburg. He joined the Virginia Tech Police Department on Oct. 27, 2007, and served in the patrol division. He is survived by his wife, five children and step-children, and his mother and brother.

He received his law enforcement certification on Feb. 12, 2008, from the Cardinal Criminal Justice Academy. Officer Crouse was trained as a Crisis Intervention Officer, General Instructor, Firearms Instructor, Defensive Tactics instructor and most recently completed training for Advance Law Enforcement Rapid Response and Mechanical and Ballistic Instructor.

Officer Crouse was a member of the Virginia Tech Police Emergency Response Team since February 2011. He received an award in 2008 for his commitment to the department’s Driving Under the Influence efforts.

He formerly worked at the New River Valley Jail, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, and was a U.S. Army veteran.

Funeral arrangements will be announced at later date.

Burruss Hall at Virginia Tech. Photo taken by Ben Schumin

Law enforcement agencies have determined there is no longer an active threat or need to secure in place. Resume normal activities.

Campus is sheltering in place. Suspect remains at large. The description is that of a white male, gray sweat pants, gray hat w/neon green brim, maroon hoodie and backpack. The campus police officer has not yet been identified. No information has been released about the victim in the Cage lot.

Multiple police agencies are on campus. Several people matching the suspect’s description have been questioned by police but none arrested. Several buildings have been searched.
3:09 pm EST UPDATE: Virginia Tech statement on Twitter

There are no new substantiated reports of suspicious or criminal activity. Status of the shooter remains unknown.

All schools in Montgomery County remain in lockdown after reports of a shooting near the Virginia Tech campus. All students are safe in classrooms. For student safety, at this time, only emergency personnel are allowed in the school buildings.

“Student safety is and continues to be our first priority,” said Brenda Blackburn, division superintendent. “We are in contact with local law enforcement authorities and will work with them to determine the safest ways to dismiss schools.”

Updates are being sent to parents via the division’s automatic telephone notification system. Additional information will be disseminated as it becomes available.

Shortly after noon today, a Virginia Tech police officer stopped a vehicle on campus during a routine traffic stop in the Coliseum parking lot near McComas Hall

During the traffic stop. the officer was shot and killed. There were witnesses to this shooting.

Witnesses reported to police the shooter fled on foot heading toward the Cage, a parking lot near Duck Pond Drive. At that parking lot, a second person was found. That person is also deceased.

Several law enforcement agencies have responded to assist. Virginia State Police has been requested to take lead in the investigation

The status of the shooter is unknown. The campus community should continue to shelter in place and visitors should not come to campus.

UPDATE: No confirmation if police officer was campus police or not. Police activity reported at Cage parking lot.

UPDATE: Suspect, reported by Collegiate Times, being apprehended on steps of performing arts building on College Avenue. Police searching building for any additional suspects. Suspect wearing similar clothes to description.

About 12:40 a police officer stopped a car in the southern part of the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg VA. There was a shooting and there is a body visible to bystanders.

The shooting is reported by Virginia Tech as occurring at the Cassell Coliseum Parking lot. The suspect fled the scene on foot towards McComas. The suspect’s description is given as a white male, gray sweat pants, gray hat w/neon green brim, maroon hoodie and backpack. VT also reports that a second victim may be at the Cage lot.

Virginia Tech is on a study day between classes and finals. Blacksburg Transit service is suspended at this time. The campus hotline for information for parents and students is 540-231-3787.

In April 2007, Virginia Tech was the site of a rampage that resulted in the deaths of 33 people.

Virginia Tech News on Twitter

Collegiate Times on Twitter

Nick Cafferky, onscene reporter on Twitter

Zach Crizer, onscene reporter on Twitter

Royal Marines from RFA Victoria board a pirate vessel in November 2010. Click on the pic for the NATO story on the op.

Eleven men were detained by British Royal Marines as suspected pirates today, October 11, 2011, after the Marines boarded the MV Montecristo about 1,000 kilometers off the coast of Somalia. Montecristo, with a crew of 23, had been hijacked yesterday. Two ships from NATO’s Operation Ocean Shield were able to immediately respond. RFA Fort Victoria, and the USS De Wert, closed on the ship and forced the pirates’ surrender.

Royal Marines from RFA Fort Victoria boarded the Montecristo without resistance. Eleven suspected pirates were detained. The twenty-three members of the crew were then able to leave their strong room and resume control of the ship. The ship is loaded with scrap metal and bound for a port in Vietnam.

MV Montecristo is owned by the Italian firm The D’Alessio Group. It was delivered new in June. A bulk carrier, it can carry up to 70,700 cubic meters of cargo. Calling the operation “brilliant”, the ship’s owners expressed their appreciation to the Italian military and those of the United Kingdom and the United States.

NATO’s SNMG1, which dispatched the two Naval vessels, is currently under the command of Rear Admiral Gualtiero Mattesi (Italian Navy). The unit consists of an Italian Navy ship, two American ships and one from Portugal. NATO’s SNMG2 is also engaged in anti-piracy operations in the region with four ships under the command of a Dutch officer.

The Italian government and the Italian Confederation of Ship Owners have signed an agreement that will allow the Italian military to station armed troops aboard Italian merchant ships traveling through areas where there is a threat of piracy. Six person teams will be provided to those ships. The owners will pay the costs of this military operation.

German Navy Bremen Class frigate Koln

EUNAVFOR warship FGS KÖLN has today, 28 September, stopped and boarded a suspicious group of two small boats, a whaler and skiff.

The suspicious boats were located by FGS KÖLN 70 nautical miles South West off Mogadishu, Somalia, 30 miles off the coast. A helicopter was sent to inspect the group of boats and 12 people with equipment usually associated with piracy were seen on board. The boats refused to stop when hailed. KÖLN’s helicopter fired warning shots ahead of the skiff which caused the boat to stop.

German Navy chases suspicious skiff off Somalia

Supicious Somali Skiff with RPG and Ladders and Fuel

Suspected Somali pirates throw weapons overboard

Before the boats could be boarded by teams from FGS KÖLN, the crew of the boats started to throw weapons and other items overboard. The skiff, whaler and their engines were destroyed to prevent any potential future use for piracy and the men released close to the shore.

This disruption has undoubtedly hampered potential pirate action on merchant shipping and vulnerable vessels in the area.

EU NAVFOR Somalia is a counter-piracy taskforce operating in the area of the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean responsible for deterring, preventing and repressing acts of piracy, for the safe escort of ships carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Program and vessels of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and to protect other vulnerable vessels. Additionally, EU NAVFOR monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia./blockquote>
EU NAVFOR Somalia

Previous in series Next in series

Table of contents for Pirates

1. Peleliu Stops Pirate Attack
2. Navy Tanker fights Off Pirates
3. Navy Continues to Eye Pirates
4. US Navy Aids Ship Released By Pirates
5. US Navy Jugs Somali Pirates
6. Navy Detains Somali Pirates
7. Maersk Alabama Taken By Somali Pirates
8. Navy Rescues Pirate Captive
9. Pics From the Pirate Rescue Off Somalia
10. This Is a Pirate Ship?
11. USS McFaul nabs pirates off Oman
12. Marine Hymn still echoes: Pirates taken down off Somalia
13. German Navy Intercepts Somali Pirates
14. Royal Marines Free Pirated Ship Off Somalia
15. Pirate Mother Ship Taken Down, Sailors Freed
16. Pirates Attack Spanish Warship
17. Somali Piracy Update

]]> http://northshorejournal.org/german-navy-intercepts-somali-pirates/feed 16 http://northshorejournal.org/coast-guard-investigative-service http://northshorejournal.org/coast-guard-investigative-service#comments Wed, 06 Oct 2010 13:00:56 +0000 Chuck Simmins http://northshorejournal.org/?p=16757

Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp poses for a photo with the newly sworn-in Coast Guard Investigative Service agents after they completed the Special Agent Basic Training Program in Glynco Sept. 28, 2010. Photo by PA3 Michael Hulme

Thanks to hit television shows like NCIS, military investigative services have gained fame and public recognition in recent years. But, investigations aren’t new for the Coast Guard.

Originating in 1915 under the Chief Intelligence Officer, Coast Guard Investigations remained relatively unknown to the general public until the enactment of prohibition. From then on it grew in personnel and responsibility becoming Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) in 1996.

Under the authority of Title 14 of the United States Code, CGIS is a federal investigative and protective program established to carry out the Coast Guard’s internal and external criminal investigations; to assist in providing personal security services; to protect the welfare of Coast Guard people; to aid in preserving the internal integrity of the Coast Guard; and to support Coast Guard missions worldwide.

Yesterday (September 28, 2010), 18 of the Coast Guard’s newest CGIS special agents graduated from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, Georgia. This graduating class is the largest and one of the last comprised of all Coast Guard agents. Typically, FLETC classes are made up of trainees from the Coast Guard and other agencies, but this one was entirely CGIS.

Depending on their previous level of experience and training, CGIS agents attend a three month basic criminal investigations course before they attend two months of Coast Guard specific training. After receiving their Coast Guard Special Agent Credentials at the ceremony today, the group of about half active duty and half civilian will depart FLETC and report to various duty stations all over the nation.

Today, CGIS has a total of about 90 active duty military and civilian special agents and 150 reserve special agents. Military agents come from any of Coast Guard specialties and ratings and must apply based on an annual solicitation. Civilian agents typically apply to join CGIS from other federal, state or local law enforcement agencies. CGIS reserve agents serve in the Coast Guard Reserve Investigator rating.

“The U.S. Coast Guard’s demand for outstanding investigative services, coupled with the world-class training our new agents received at FLETC and the tremendous diversity of experience and capabilities they bring, will continue to raise the importance and visibility of CGIS within the Coast Guard as they go to their assignments around the country,” said Mr. Bill Tarry, Deputy to the Assistant Commandant for Intelligence and Criminal Investigations.

Congratulations to the newest agents of CGIS!

If you are interested in applying for CGIS or finding out more information, click here.

United States Coast Guard
Written by: LT Connie Braesch

]]> http://northshorejournal.org/coast-guard-investigative-service/feed 0 http://northshorejournal.org/fort-hood-massacre-survivors-cope-in-iraq http://northshorejournal.org/fort-hood-massacre-survivors-cope-in-iraq#comments Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:45:29 +0000 Chuck Simmins http://northshorejournal.org/?p=16698

Major Hilario Pascua

An Army medical detachment hit hard by the shootings at Fort Hood, Texas, last November, is now in Iraq providing mental health support to deployed soldiers.

The 1908 Medical Detachment (Combat Stress Control), a U.S. Army Reserve unit from Topeka, Kan., was at Fort Hood preparing for deployment when Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan killed 13 soldiers and wounded 30 others inside the Soldier Readiness Center. Two of the CSC soldiers were killed, and five were injured.

Having dealt with that traumatic experience, the unit is now deployed to Camp Taji, Iraq, assisting other soldiers who need help handling stressful situations.

The CSC is working in the Taji Warrior Resiliency Campus, a facility that addresses the five dimensions of a soldier’s health: physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and family. The campus was built by the Enhanced Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division with the goal of emphasizing Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, the Army’s program that provides tools to help soldiers cope with stress and deployment, as well as develop the ability to bounce back from adversity.

The CSC is comprised of a psychologist, nurse practitioners and mental health technicians headed by Maj. Hilario Pascua. The unit provides treatment to maintain the mental and behavioral health of Soldiers, and helps prevent future problems. Mental health falls under the “emotional” pillar of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness.

Pascua said that soldiers mostly visit the CSC for help with problems related to home, like marital and child issues, work related issues involving leadership, and difficulty adjusting to life in a deployed environment. The CSC also treats Soldiers with problems stemming from their experiences in combat on previous deployments.

Some leaders are reluctant about Soldiers going to the CSC believing that after visiting the center, their soldiers will not finish the deployment, said Pascua.

“Our role is not to take soldiers away,” said Pascua. “Our role is to strengthen soldiers to keep them here.”

Many Soldiers are also worried about going to the CSC, fearing there will be no confidentiality. Anyone who voluntarily visits the CSC and are not diagnosed as being a danger to themselves or others, have complete confidentiality.

While everyone is encouraged to visit the CSC if they need to, Pascua said soldiers can also turn to Family, friends, and their chain of command for help with stress.

“Our strategy is to strengthen their social support,” said Pascua.

DVIDS
Story by Capt. Efrem Gibson

Previous in series Next in series

Table of contents for PTSD

1. Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
2. What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
3. PTSD, Mild TBI Chain Teaching Begins at Pentagon
4. Treatments for PTSD
5. Who Is Major Gamal Awad – Surprising Answers
6. Victory Clinic Combats Stress, Anxiety
7. Dealing With Brain Injuries
8. Snitch!
9. Battlemind training
10. A Woman on a Mission
11. Helping Soldiers Cope With PTSD
12. Purple Heart for PTSD?
13. Little Miracles in Treating Combat Stress
14. America’s Heroes at Work
15. SEALs Spearhead Resiliency Program
16. Elmendorf Medics Treat TBI Victims
17. Combatting Stress in Iraq
18. More on Army Suicide Prevention
19. New PTSD Program at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center
20. Soldier conquors suicide thoughts
21. Marines go to the dogs
22. Progress in the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injuries
23. Fort Hood massacre survivors cope in Iraq
24. National Naval Medical Center’s psychological health – traumatic brain injury team

]]> http://northshorejournal.org/fort-hood-massacre-survivors-cope-in-iraq/feed 0 http://northshorejournal.org/recon-marines-rescue-seamen-save-vessel http://northshorejournal.org/recon-marines-rescue-seamen-save-vessel#comments Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:03:13 +0000 Chuck Simmins http://northshorejournal.org/?p=16534

Marine assault force moves to board Magellan Star. Click for a larger image.

Just after dawn on September 9, 24 Marines in two boats approached the Merchant Vessel (M/V) Magellan Star. She had been dead in the water since being boarded by an unknown number of pirates the day before. The ship’s captain had been in contact with the Marines by cell phone until early that morning when the phone died on him.

The events of this raid were described to reporters by LtCol. Joseph R. Clearfield, unit commander. The pirated ship had been traveling in the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC), patrolled by CTF-151.

First on scene had been the flagship of CTF-151, TCG Gökçeada, the anti-piracy taskforce supported by the United States. The Turkish frigate arrived about an hour after the distress call went out from the Magellan Star. The U.S. cruiser Princeton and amphibious landing ship Dubuque arrived by mid-afternoon on the 8th.

The ship’s captain told the military that he and his crew were safe, in a “citadel”. They were barricaded in an auxiliary control space and had food and water.

The pirates were contacted by both radio and loudspeaker. They brandished weapons and made threats. At one point they told the surrounding ships “Go away or we will burn you!”

Pirates seen on board MV Magellan Star before Marine assault. Click for a larger image.

Overnight, the commander of the Battalion Landing Team 1/4, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, received the “go” order to attempt an assault. It was a mission that the Recon Marines had practiced over a dozen times in the last few months.

With helicopter circling overhead, and snipers in overwatch, the first wave of Marines took off for the captured vessel. There were no pirate boats tied to the ship, and one skiff had been found adrift by the Turks earlier.

1st Battalion 4th Marines Snipers in overwatch as fellow Marines assautl pirated vessel. Click for a larger image.

The first move was to the bridge. One pirate surrendered immediately upon seeing the Marines and called two other out to surrender.

The Marines then smashed in the bridge windows and the four pirates that remained surrendered.

As the Marines cleared the ship, they surprised another pirate and tackled him to the ground. The ninth and final pirate barricaded himself in a room. Breeching tools and a “flashbang” grenade were used to effect his capture.

The stairways and passageways of the superstructure were fouled with equipment and furniture by the pirates in an effort to delay the Marines. Below decks, the Marines found a more complex and thorough set of blockages, created by the ship’s crew. The pirates were all in custody in about an hour but it would take Marines nearly another two hours to reach the crew.

In the end, a hole was cut in a bulkhead and the ship’s captain was shown an American flag. At that point the crew left their safe haven. Marines discovered that the crew had prepared a series of three fallback positions, in the event the pirates had reached them.

Other than minor cuts and scrapes, neither the crew nor the pirates sustained any injuries. No Marines or Navy personnel were injured. No shots were fired and only a “flashbang” grenade was expended.

Naval personnel from the USS Dubuque assisted the ship’s crew with repairs. From the time the assault began until the Magellan Star was underway to her destination, only seven hours had passed.

Marines and freed crew of MV Magellan Star. Click for a larger image.

Nearly 80 Marines participated in successive waves of the assault. Once the pirates were captured, an agent of the NCIS and a criminal investigator worked with other American personnel to process the crime scene. The Marines involved have all given statements.

Five operable AK-47′s, automatic weapons, and nine magazines were seized. Bladed weapons and breeching equipment were also taken from the pirates. Several spent cartridges were discovers that indicated that the pirates had fired some shots while on board.

When asked to comment about the restraint shown by his Marines, raid commander Captain Alexander Martin pointed to their high level of training, discipline and their previous experience with multiple deployments in Iraq or Afghanistan. He told reporters “This is not their first rodeo”.

Marine unit that freed captive ship

]]> http://northshorejournal.org/recon-marines-rescue-seamen-save-vessel/feed 0 http://northshorejournal.org/uss-mcfaul-nabs-pirates-off-oman http://northshorejournal.org/uss-mcfaul-nabs-pirates-off-oman#comments Thu, 08 Apr 2010 14:00:17 +0000 Chuck Simmins http://northshorejournal.org/?p=15209

Members of a visit, board, search and seizure team from the guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul inspect the Indian-flagged Faize Osamani. The dhow was a suspected pirate mothership accused of firing small-arms and rocket-propelled grenades at Motor Vessel Rising Sun. The Sailors took ten suspected pirates into custody and rescued eight crewmembers that had escaped from the dhow.

USS McFaul captured ten suspected pirates and rescued eight crewmembers from the pirated Indian cargo dhow Faize Osamani, near Salalah, Oman, April 5 after the dhow and three skiffs attempted to attack the Motor Vessel Rising Sun the same day.

M/V Rising Sun sent a distress call the morning of April 5 to alert maritime forces that pirate skiffs had pulled alongside and were firing small-arms and rocket propelled grenades at their vessel. The Omani warship Al Sharquiyah and United States destroyer USS McFaul immediately responded.

As the naval vessels were in transit, M/V Rising Sun used the industry recommended “best management practices” of increasing speed, evasive maneuvers and spraying potential attackers with fire hoses to thwart the pirate attack as the navies were in transit. These efforts were rewarded when the pirate skiffs broke off their attack and returned to their pirated mother ship, the Faize Osamani.

Arriving first to the last known location of the pirated mothership was the Omani vessel. As the Omani ship approached, the nine hostage sailors from Faize Osamani jumped into the ocean in an attempt to get away from the dangerous pirates and toward their rescuer. The Oman navy was able to rescue eight of these crewmembers, however, one crew member drowned. Despite the loss of their hostages, the pirates remained aboard the Faize Osamani.

As the Omani ship rendered assistance to the escaped hostages, USS McFaul arrived on scene. With two warships now operating in close proximity, the pirates agreed to a compliant boarding. McFaul approached the dhow and directed the suspected pirates to surrender by gathering on the bow with their hands in the air, which they quickly complied with but not before being seen throwing their weapons overboard. Two boarding teams from McFaul deployed in rigid hull inflatable boats, boarded the dhow and took control of the Faize Osamani.

The surviving sailors of the dhow Faize Osamani have been returned to their vessel, while their lost shipmate has been transported to shore by the Omani warship. The suspected pirates were subsequently transferred to the United States destroyer USS Carney in anticipation of further transfer to a state willing to accept the pirates for prosecution.

Successful transit of the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin rests in the hands of those who sail the waters. An average of more than 20 ships from the Combined Maritime Forces, EUNAVFOR and NATO, and other independent nations work together every day to patrol the high risk areas and provide the maximum safety available for those sailing through these pirate-laden waters. However, it is incumbent upon owners and shipping companies to provide the best available protection for their ships by utilizing the shipping industry’s ‘best management practices’ as a proven means to minimizing the risk of a successful piracy attack.

USS McFaul is attached to the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group working in support of maritime security operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. The mission of the McFaul is to conduct prompt, sustained combat operations at sea in support of U.S. national policy. The ships are equipped to operate independently or as part of a carrier strike group or expeditionary strike group.

DVIDS
Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Rachael McMarr

Previous in series Next in series

Table of contents for Pirates

1. Peleliu Stops Pirate Attack
2. Navy Tanker fights Off Pirates
3. Navy Continues to Eye Pirates
4. US Navy Aids Ship Released By Pirates
5. US Navy Jugs Somali Pirates
6. Navy Detains Somali Pirates
7. Maersk Alabama Taken By Somali Pirates
8. Navy Rescues Pirate Captive
9. Pics From the Pirate Rescue Off Somalia
10. This Is a Pirate Ship?
11. USS McFaul nabs pirates off Oman
12. Marine Hymn still echoes: Pirates taken down off Somalia
13. German Navy Intercepts Somali Pirates
14. Royal Marines Free Pirated Ship Off Somalia
15. Pirate Mother Ship Taken Down, Sailors Freed
16. Pirates Attack Spanish Warship
17. Somali Piracy Update

]]> http://northshorejournal.org/uss-mcfaul-nabs-pirates-off-oman/feed 0 http://northshorejournal.org/adding-improvised-self-defense-skills-for-female-soldiers http://northshorejournal.org/adding-improvised-self-defense-skills-for-female-soldiers#comments Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:00:07 +0000 Chuck Simmins http://northshorejournal.org/?p=14996

An officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division out of Fort Bliss, Texas, fights off one of her instructors during Sexual Assualt Unarmed Self Defense Awareness and Prevention class, held at Forward Operating Base Warrior. Photo by Pfc. Jessica Luhrs

A group of petite female Soldiers laugh as their instructors, four much larger non-commissioned officers wince in pain from self-defense techniques they just taught these female Soldiers that could ultimately save their lives.

These Soldiers, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division out of Fort Bliss, Texas, were the first to participate in a trail program that focuses on teaching the Soldiers self-defense so they can better defend themselves against an attacker, according to First Sgt. John Lucas, first sergeant of HHC, of the Ready First Combat Team.

This program is a proactive attempt by the leadership of the Ready First Combat Team to teach their Soldiers to protect themselves if attacked, when they are unarmed.

During the class a very curious crowd of male and female Soldiers gathered around to observe these females learning to immobilize their attacker so that they can have enough time to get away, the importance of preserving evidence and ways to prevent an attack from happening, according to Lucas.

The brigade’s sexual assault response coordinator had some advice for the Soldiers to prevent an attack.

“You must show confidence in yourself at all times,” said Sgt. 1st Class Gerald Meineke, the SARC. “Walk with your head high and you will not be looked at as a victim.”

The junior-enlisted Soldiers that participated in the program were also given a very lethal weapon that would scare off any attacker, according the Lucas.

This weapon was a flashlight and it is the new best friend of the Soldiers participating in the class.
With this the Soldiers can blind, hit and gather evidence, such as DNA or even identification, from their attacker.

Overall the instructors said they were very impressed with the Soldiers and that they were very quickly picking up on moves that gives them an advantage over an attacker that can be much larger than them.

The plan for this class is for it to be held more regularly and have it be mandatory for all females of the Ready First Combat Team, to show that sexual assault has no place at Forward Operating Base Warrior, Kirkuk, Iraq.

Until the classes are scheduled the instructors have urged their students to go out and teach other Soldiers what they had learned and to also practice the techniques often so they do not lose the skill.

DVIDS
Story by Pfc. Jessica Luhrs

]]> http://northshorejournal.org/adding-improvised-self-defense-skills-for-female-soldiers/feed 1 http://northshorejournal.org/firefight-at-fort-hood http://northshorejournal.org/firefight-at-fort-hood#comments Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:07:20 +0000 Chuck Simmins http://northshorejournal.org/?p=13850

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates meets with police Sgt. Kimberly Munley at a hospital in Fort Hood, Texas, on Nov. 10, 2009. Munley, who was a first responder to a shooting at the base’s processing station on Nov. 5, 2009, fired the shots that brought down the shooter responsible for the tragedy. Gates is in the area to attend a memorial ceremony honoring the 13 people who were killed during the shooting. DoD photo by Cherie Cullen.

Emergency response leaders here say many lives were saved by the courageous acts of those who helped the wounded following the horrific shooting attack Nov. 5 at the post deployment readiness center.

They called the actions of Soldiers and first responders a “textbook example” of what should be done in the aftermath of a situation that was anything but ordinary.

The incident, considered the worst to occur on a U.S. military base, left 13 dead and 43 wounded before post police shot the assailant.

The alleged gunman remains under guard at Brooks Army Medical Center in San Antonio. Authorities say the gunman, armed with two handguns, fired at least 100 rounds indiscriminately into the crowd of Soldiers gathered for pre-deployment medical screenings.

The violence spilled outside as Soldiers fled, some trying to break windows to escape the carnage. Witnesses say the shooter continued his rampage at an adjacent building, shooting several others before police confronted him.

Investigators are still piecing together information about the alleged assailant to determine the motive behind the shooting.

Safety officials who arrived just moments after the shooting said the number of dead and wounded was shocking. However, exercises conducted in the aftermath of incidents such as Columbine and Virginia Tech helped the response and recovery efforts.

Chuck Medley, a combat veteran who is now the director of the post’s Directorate of Emergency Services, called the combined response to the incident by military and civilian responders “seamless” and “nothing short of awesome.”

From the time he first heard the call “Shots fired,” crackle over the radio, to the time he arrived on scene from his office, a scant few minutes had passed. With him was Fort Hood Police Chief David Ross, a former Army officer and Texas highway patrolman.

Although the gunman was down by then, reports had another shooter barricaded in the processing center, perhaps continuing to hunt victims. A massive manhunt ensued, but the claim proved to be false.

Other police units, including state troopers, were summoned to control traffic surrounding the post.

The immediate focus of Medley and Ross was to eliminate any further direct threat, secure the scene and assess the wounded to summon whatever help was needed.

On their heels was Billy Rhoads, the Fort Hood Fire Department chief, who immediately went to render aid to Kim Munley, one of two post police officers credited with stopping the shooter.

In separate interviews, all three men described the situation as “controlled chaos.”

“Even with so many wounded, we were still able to take control of the scene rather quickly,” Medley said.

Upon arrival at the scene of the massacre, Medley said, he methodically began to consider what resources were available in surrounding communities. He quickly called police chiefs in Killeen, Harker Heights, Copperas Cove, Lampasas and Temple, who dispatched units to patrol and control traffic. Without their assistance, the conduct of the response effort would have been more difficult, he said.

Simultaneously, Medley relayed updates to post commanders. Poised, Ross directed subordinates to accomplish various tasks, including establishing a perimeter around the scene of the shooting to preserve evidence.

Equally significant were the actions of Soldiers who, not surprisingly, immediately sprang into action to help their buddies, Medley said.

Courage was a common virtue, he added. “Many Soldiers exhibited total disregard for their own safety to take care of their comrades. Without fail, Soldiers did what they’re expected to do.”

Soldiers quickly began treatment as they have been trained, preventing blood loss by fashioning bandages from pieces of their own uniforms. “If not for them, we’d have had a lot more fatalities,” Rhoads said. The wounded were grouped according to the severity of their injuries.

Medevac helicopters made continuous loops to speed the injured to area hospitals. As of Tuesday, 15 victims remained in critical condition; six are in intensive care. Nine others remained hospitalized, but 27 had been treated and released.

Through their exceptional efforts, the police, fire and emergency medical technicians saved lives, Medley said.

Area fire departments also dispatched units to the post to replace post personnel who responded to the scene, ensuring coverage of all responsibilities.

The relationship between post emergency forces and first responders in the surrounding communities are forged in brotherhood, Rhoads said. “We all work together. If anyone needs anything, all it takes is a phone call.”

The mutual sharing of assets and co-training is normal in the emergency response field and the actions of responders here – fire, police and EMS – are already being studied and lauded.

“Our mass casualty exercises were validated that day,” Ross said. “We train to fight … and people made critical decisions that saved lives.”

Rhoads agreed. “We plan for the worst-case scenarios. Unfortunately, this one actually happened,” he said. “All the hours of training was put to use. Our folks performed flawlessly.”

DVIDS
Story by Andrew Evans

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Table of contents for Munley

1. Fort Hood Update Nov 6 at 10 am
2. Our Best: Kimberly Munley
3. More about Ft. Hood hero Kim Munley
4. Firefight at Fort Hood

]]> http://northshorejournal.org/firefight-at-fort-hood/feed 0 http://northshorejournal.org/more-about-ft-hood-hero-kim-munley http://northshorejournal.org/more-about-ft-hood-hero-kim-munley#comments Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:14:59 +0000 Chuck Simmins http://northshorejournal.org/?p=13815

Kimberly Munley, Cape Fear Community College, 1999

Ten years ago, Kimberly Munley was an aspiring law enforcement officer and enrolled in the Basic Law Enforcement program at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, NC program in August 1999.

Instructor Ricky Simpson remembers her as an “excellent student who was quick to smile and tackle any assignment.”

“She was small in stature, but very large in heart and determination. She would not be denied the opportunity to work in law enforcement. No matter the task – driving, defense tactics, building searches, firearms or the 30 other areas of study she was up to the task,” Simpson said.

CFCC’s Basic Law Enforcement class was approximately 17 weeks at that time. After passing the N.C. State certification examination in December 1999, she was certified to work in N.C. She was hired by the Wrightsville Beach Police Department and did well.

Cape Fear Community College

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Table of contents for Munley

1. Fort Hood Update Nov 6 at 10 am
2. Our Best: Kimberly Munley
3. More about Ft. Hood hero Kim Munley
4. Firefight at Fort Hood

]]> http://northshorejournal.org/more-about-ft-hood-hero-kim-munley/feed 0 http://northshorejournal.org/fort-hood-update-nov-6-at-10-am http://northshorejournal.org/fort-hood-update-nov-6-at-10-am#comments Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:25:45 +0000 Chuck Simmins http://northshorejournal.org/?p=13804

Officer Kimberly Munley, the hero of Fort Hood

Officer Kimberly Munley of the Fort Hood Police Department is a “trained, active first responder” who acted quickly after she “just happened to encounter the gunman,” said Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, Fort Hood’s commanding general.

Cone said the officer and her partner responded “very quickly” to the scene of the shootings — reportedly in around three minutes.

Munley “just happened very fortunately to be very close to the incident scene,” Cone told CNN’s “American Morning.”

He said she shot the gunman four times and was wounded herself in an exchange of gunfire with him.

“Really a pretty amazing and aggressive performance by this police officer,” Cone said.

CNN

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Table of contents for Munley

1. Fort Hood Update Nov 6 at 10 am
2. Our Best: Kimberly Munley
3. More about Ft. Hood hero Kim Munley
4. Firefight at Fort Hood

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