Air Force Senior Airman Lanea Trevino, a command post controller with the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing in Southwest Asia, prevented a tragedy when she acted quickly to help a female comrade who collapsed from dehydration. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon

Department of Defense
By Air Force Senior Airman Michael Charles
379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

While preparing for her night shift, Air Force Senior Airman Lanea Trevino noticed something odd about the shower stall next to hers.

The shower supplies, visible through the half-opened curtain, had remained untouched for the entire time she had been there.

“It was strange,” Trevino said. “I had seen nobody else in the facility so it was odd that an entire set of supplies would be left.”
(more…)

DVIDS

ORISKANY, N.Y. — More than 700 National Guard soldiers and airmen from New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands come together next week at the New York State Preparedness Center here to prepare for certification as a regional disaster response force.

Residents may notice increased military traffic in the Oriskany, Rome and Utica areas as the HRF arrives and conducts its final training preparations and validation exercise.

The organization, known as a National Guard Homeland Response Force, will train both at the New York National Guard Armory in Utica and Oriskany at the New York State Preparedness Center to certify their readiness to assist responders following a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high explosive incident.

Airman 1st Class Andrew McCutchen receives an immunization. U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathan Bevier

Parents are asked to approve a variety of immunizations for their children. The various recommended vaccines are given beginning within a few months of birth and continue for the next dozen years and more. Some parents believe, without a scientific basis, that vaccines routinely harm children and that children are better off unvaccinated.

The United States Army has some experience with infectious disease. They keep records. The historical data for some diseases which we now prevent with a vaccine is available on line. Here are just some of the costs to the Army and the troops.
(more…)

In a similar training mission, members of the Slovak Republic 5th Special Forces Regiment prepare to evacuate a simulated casualty as part of a Partnership Development Program event at the Military Training Center Lest in Slovakia. U.S. Army photo by Master Sgt. Donald Sparks, photo approved for official public release by MSG Donald Sparks, Special Operations Command Europe Public Affairs Officer

Lt. Col. Steve Osterholzer, spokesman for the 10th Special Force Group, confirmed today that a small element of Russian paratroopers is expected to train at Fort Carson, Colorado, in May. The twenty Russian soldiers are from a light infantry unit, not Spetsnaz.

The Russians will be participating in a training mission under the terms of a bi-lateral agreement signed last year between the Russian and U.S. militaries. It was recognized that troops that may need to work together in the fight against terrorism ought to train together. Special Forces troops conduct dozens of similar training missions for nations worldwide every year.
(more…)

In Afghanistan, a recent change of command ceremony saw Major General Charles M. Gurganus assume command of NATO’s Regional Command Southwest (RC-SW) from Major General John A. Toolan, Jr. RC-SW consists of the Afghan provinces of Helmand and Nimruz.

The U.S. Marine Corps has held the responsibility for RC-SW for some time. Helmand Province has been the scene of fierce fighting against the Taliban while Nimruz has been far calmer. MG Toolan spoke with reporters yesterday about the situation in his AOR at the end of his tour.
(more…)