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From pens to Bradley fighting vehicles, 1.7 million pieces of military equipment have been moved out of Iraq so far, as the Dec. 31 deadline for U.S. forces to be out of Iraq approaches, a U.S. Transportation Command official said this week.
“The mission is looking good,” said Air Force Maj. John Rozsnyai, who heads up Transcom’s joint planning team for the effort.
The drawdown from Iraq, which began Sept. 1 after combat operations ceased, now stands at nearly 60 percent complete for U.S. military equipment, officials said.
Transcom has five months to bring home the remaining troops and the last 1 million pieces of military equipment.
Rozsnyai told American Forces Press Service in an Aug. 1 telephone interview that he had just returned from a “tabletop” organizing meeting in Kuwait.
“Everything we’re seeing is tracking well,” he said.
The bulk of equipment is returning to the United States, Rozsnyai said, and the Army claims 90 percent of the load. U.S. Central Command officials decide whether equipment goes back to the United States, to the Iraqis for their forces, or is sent to Afghanistan to help the war effort there, he explained.
Meanwhile, he added, the possibility that the Iraqi government may ask for some U.S. forces to remain in Iraq beyond this year affects decisions about the equipment that has yet to be brought out.
“Part of the equipment uncertainty is whether the Iraqi government will want the United States to stay longer,” Rozsnyai said. “Requirements for equipment are being balanced between [Afghanistan and Iraq],” he added.
After destinations are decided, Transcom officials begin the mammoth task of moving troops and equipment.
Iraq’s terrain and infrastructure are more favorable for this type of effort than Afghanistan’s rough and rocky landscape, the major said.
“It’s easy to get a convoy to Kuwait [or] Jordan,” he said. “The processes we have in Iraq are working well.”
Still, minor modifications would make the roads better for transporting equipment, he said, to provide “wiggle room” if it’s needed in November and December. Other improvements are in the works to make Transcom’s job easier, Rozsnyai said.
“We’re working on improving lines of communication, and a service route for critical, sensitive cargo, to give us another option out there,” he said.
But not everything has been moving out of Iraq over land, Rozsnyai said. When it became apparent last summer that one seaport had a high capacity, he explained, Transcom planners saw it as an opportunity.
“That port’s capacity will give us a really good handle on airlift capacity and our requirements with the commercial industry,” he said.
Commercial air and sea carriers work with Transcom officials to assist in the moves, Rozsnyai said.
For example, he said, a commercial ship returning from taking a load of cargo to the Middle East can stop in Kuwait, fill up with U.S. military cargo, and continue on to the United States. It’s more cost-effective to use a ship already on an established route than to pull a military ship out of dry dock and prepare it to make the trips, he explained.
By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service
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The drawdown from Iraq, which began Sept. 1 after combat operations ceased, now stands at nearly 60 percent complete for U.S. military equipment, officials said.
Transcom has five months to bring home the remaining troops and the last 1 million pieces of military equipment.
Rozsnyai told American Forces Press Service in an Aug. 1 telephone interview that he had just returned from a “tabletop” organizing meeting in Kuwait.
“Everything we’re seeing is tracking well,” he said.
The bulk of equipment is returning to the United States, Rozsnyai said, and the Army claims 90 percent of the load. U.S. Central Command officials decide whether equipment goes back to the United States, to the Iraqis for their forces, or is sent to Afghanistan to help the war effort there, he explained.
Meanwhile, he added, the possibility that the Iraqi government may ask for some U.S. forces to remain in Iraq beyond this year affects decisions about the equipment that has yet to be brought out.
“Part of the equipment uncertainty is whether the Iraqi government will want the United States to stay longer,” Rozsnyai said. “Requirements for equipment are being balanced between [Afghanistan and Iraq],” he added.
After destinations are decided, Transcom officials begin the mammoth task of moving troops and equipment.
Iraq’s terrain and infrastructure are more favorable for this type of effort than Afghanistan’s rough and rocky landscape, the major said.
“It’s easy to get a convoy to Kuwait [or] Jordan,” he said. “The processes we have in Iraq are working well.”
Still, minor modifications would make the roads better for transporting equipment, he said, to provide “wiggle room” if it’s needed in November and December. Other improvements are in the works to make Transcom’s job easier, Rozsnyai said.
“We’re working on improving lines of communication, and a service route for critical, sensitive cargo, to give us another option out there,” he said.
But not everything has been moving out of Iraq over land, Rozsnyai said. When it became apparent last summer that one seaport had a high capacity, he explained, Transcom planners saw it as an opportunity.
“That port’s capacity will give us a really good handle on airlift capacity and our requirements with the commercial industry,” he said.
Commercial air and sea carriers work with Transcom officials to assist in the moves, Rozsnyai said.
For example, he said, a commercial ship returning from taking a load of cargo to the Middle East can stop in Kuwait, fill up with U.S. military cargo, and continue on to the United States. It’s more cost-effective to use a ship already on an established route than to pull a military ship out of dry dock and prepare it to make the trips, he explained.
By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service
President Barack Obama today announced a series of administration initiatives to help military veterans find jobs.
During remarks at the Navy Yard here, the president proposed a set of tax credits for companies hiring veterans, announced a new task force to develop reforms that will help service members transition to civilian jobs or higher education, and challenged industry to hire more veterans.
"Today's veterans are Americans who have done their duty," the commander in chief said. "They have fought our wars with valor, from the jungles of Vietnam to the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan."
But many of those veterans find when they leave service that their military skills don't qualify them for civilian jobs, the president said.
As of June, a million veterans were unemployed, and the jobless rate for post-9/11 vets was 13.3 percent, administration officials said. Another million veterans will return to the civilian workforce over the next five years, they said.
Obama cited a former combat medic and a financial specialist as examples of veterans facing difficulties transferring military skills to the civilian market.
Nick Colgin deployed to Afghanistan as a combat medic with the 82nd Airborne Division, Obama said. During his tour, Colgin saved the life of a French soldier who was shot in the head, and helped 42 people escape from a flooding river.
"He earned a Bronze Star for his actions," the president said. "But when Nick got back home to Wyoming, he couldn't get a job as a first responder."
Colgin had to take classes he easily could have taught before he could get a civilian job with the same duties he performed daily in Afghanistan, Obama said.
Maria Canales was a financial specialist in the Army who'd served in Iraq and finished a degree in business management when she returned, the president said. Still, she couldn't find a job in accounting or finance.
"If you can save a life in Afghanistan, you can save a life in an ambulance in Wyoming," he said. "If you can oversee millions of dollars in assets in Iraq, you can help a business balance its books here at home."
Government must do more to help veterans transition from military to civilian work, Obama said.
Administration officials said a new task force, led by the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, will develop reforms, including a "reverse boot camp," to ensure service members receive the training, education, and credentials they need to transition to the civilian workforce or to pursue higher education.
"In addition, we'll make it easier for veterans to go to their local, one-stop career center and get help pursuing a career that fits them best. These steps will help bridge part of the gap between veterans looking for work and companies looking to hire," the president said.
The Labor Department will establish the centers to deliver career development and job search services to transitioning veterans, administration officials said.
"But that's only part of the equation. The other half is about encouraging companies to do their part," Obama said.
As incentive to hire veterans, the president proposed a new "Returning Heroes" tax credit for companies that hire unemployed veterans, and an increase in the existing tax credit for hiring disabled veterans.
The Returning Heroes credit would offer a maximum of $2,400 for every short-term and $4,800 for every long-term unemployed veteran hire, officials said.
A "Wounded Warriors" tax credit would increase the existing credit for firms that hire veterans with service-connected disabilities who have been unemployed for six months or more to a maximum of $9,600 per veteran, and up to $4,800 for all other veterans with a service-connected disability, officials added.
"Finally, we're challenging the private sector to hire or train 100,000 unemployed post-9/11 veterans or their spouses by the end of 2013," Obama said.
Many companies already have hired or committed to hiring veterans as part of the "Joining Forces" campaign championed by first lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, the president said.
"Siemens, for example, recently met their goal of hiring 300 veterans, so they're aiming to hire 150 more by December," he said. "Microsoft is helping more than 10,000 veterans get IT-certified over the next two years. And, today, groups from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to Accenture to Lockheed Martin have all agreed to do their part to help veterans get back in the workforce."
Joining Forces will lead the veteran-hiring effort with businesses and industry, the president said.
"Today we're saying to our veterans, 'You fought for us, and now we're fighting for you -- for the jobs and opportunities that you need to keep your families strong and to keep America competitive in the 21st century,'" Obama said. "And at a time when there is so much work to be done in this country, we need everyone's help to do it."
Also today, the Labor Department announced 23 grants totaling nearly $5.5 million to provide homeless veterans with job training. The grants are being awarded by the department's Veterans' Employment and Training Service through the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service
During remarks at the Navy Yard here, the president proposed a set of tax credits for companies hiring veterans, announced a new task force to develop reforms that will help service members transition to civilian jobs or higher education, and challenged industry to hire more veterans.
"Today's veterans are Americans who have done their duty," the commander in chief said. "They have fought our wars with valor, from the jungles of Vietnam to the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan."
But many of those veterans find when they leave service that their military skills don't qualify them for civilian jobs, the president said.
As of June, a million veterans were unemployed, and the jobless rate for post-9/11 vets was 13.3 percent, administration officials said. Another million veterans will return to the civilian workforce over the next five years, they said.
Obama cited a former combat medic and a financial specialist as examples of veterans facing difficulties transferring military skills to the civilian market.
Nick Colgin deployed to Afghanistan as a combat medic with the 82nd Airborne Division, Obama said. During his tour, Colgin saved the life of a French soldier who was shot in the head, and helped 42 people escape from a flooding river.
"He earned a Bronze Star for his actions," the president said. "But when Nick got back home to Wyoming, he couldn't get a job as a first responder."
Colgin had to take classes he easily could have taught before he could get a civilian job with the same duties he performed daily in Afghanistan, Obama said.
Maria Canales was a financial specialist in the Army who'd served in Iraq and finished a degree in business management when she returned, the president said. Still, she couldn't find a job in accounting or finance.
"If you can save a life in Afghanistan, you can save a life in an ambulance in Wyoming," he said. "If you can oversee millions of dollars in assets in Iraq, you can help a business balance its books here at home."
Government must do more to help veterans transition from military to civilian work, Obama said.
Administration officials said a new task force, led by the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, will develop reforms, including a "reverse boot camp," to ensure service members receive the training, education, and credentials they need to transition to the civilian workforce or to pursue higher education.
"In addition, we'll make it easier for veterans to go to their local, one-stop career center and get help pursuing a career that fits them best. These steps will help bridge part of the gap between veterans looking for work and companies looking to hire," the president said.
The Labor Department will establish the centers to deliver career development and job search services to transitioning veterans, administration officials said.
"But that's only part of the equation. The other half is about encouraging companies to do their part," Obama said.
As incentive to hire veterans, the president proposed a new "Returning Heroes" tax credit for companies that hire unemployed veterans, and an increase in the existing tax credit for hiring disabled veterans.
The Returning Heroes credit would offer a maximum of $2,400 for every short-term and $4,800 for every long-term unemployed veteran hire, officials said.
A "Wounded Warriors" tax credit would increase the existing credit for firms that hire veterans with service-connected disabilities who have been unemployed for six months or more to a maximum of $9,600 per veteran, and up to $4,800 for all other veterans with a service-connected disability, officials added.
"Finally, we're challenging the private sector to hire or train 100,000 unemployed post-9/11 veterans or their spouses by the end of 2013," Obama said.
Many companies already have hired or committed to hiring veterans as part of the "Joining Forces" campaign championed by first lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, the president said.
"Siemens, for example, recently met their goal of hiring 300 veterans, so they're aiming to hire 150 more by December," he said. "Microsoft is helping more than 10,000 veterans get IT-certified over the next two years. And, today, groups from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to Accenture to Lockheed Martin have all agreed to do their part to help veterans get back in the workforce."
Joining Forces will lead the veteran-hiring effort with businesses and industry, the president said.
"Today we're saying to our veterans, 'You fought for us, and now we're fighting for you -- for the jobs and opportunities that you need to keep your families strong and to keep America competitive in the 21st century,'" Obama said. "And at a time when there is so much work to be done in this country, we need everyone's help to do it."
Also today, the Labor Department announced 23 grants totaling nearly $5.5 million to provide homeless veterans with job training. The grants are being awarded by the department's Veterans' Employment and Training Service through the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service
The Secretary of the Army John McHugh announced today a change in the length of future unit operational deployments from 12 months to nine months. This change will be fully implemented by April 2012, and applies to division-level-and-below units. This policy will not affect personnel or units currently deployed or deploying prior to Jan. 1, 2012. The deployment period for high demand and low density units and individual deployers will remain one year.
The reduced deployment length will improve soldier and family quality of life while continuing to meet operational requirements and is an important step in sustaining the all-volunteer-force. This policy change is consistent with secretary of defense policies for utilization of the total force. Implementation of this change is based on the projected demand for Army forces, and is contingent on global security conditions and combatant commander requirements.
For information regarding this announcement, contact Lt. Col. Craig Ratcliff, at (703) 697-7550, craig.ratcliff@us.army.mil.
The reduced deployment length will improve soldier and family quality of life while continuing to meet operational requirements and is an important step in sustaining the all-volunteer-force. This policy change is consistent with secretary of defense policies for utilization of the total force. Implementation of this change is based on the projected demand for Army forces, and is contingent on global security conditions and combatant commander requirements.
For information regarding this announcement, contact Lt. Col. Craig Ratcliff, at (703) 697-7550, craig.ratcliff@us.army.mil.
The legislation President Barack Obama signed into law yesterday to raise the nation's debt ceiling and control long-term spending does not specifically call for more spending cuts than Defense Department officials already were planning, a senior Pentagon official said today.
The president asked department officials earlier this year to find $400 billion in savings, and Pentagon officials have been working to identify that amount over the next 10 or so years, officials have said. "That is hard to do, but manageable," a senior department official told reporters during a background briefing today. All Pentagon-related spending cuts would come from the department's base budget, and not from its overseas operating fund, which supplies operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and other foreign locations, the official said.
Decisions about the spending cuts are not made arbitrarily, he said. "As we work to accommodate these changes in the defense budget, we do so with policy and strategy in mind," he explained.
The new law raises the government's borrowing ability by $2.1 trillion, which officials said would eliminate the need for further debt ceiling increases until 2013.
In its effort to curb spending, the law caps discretionary spending for all federal departments for 10 years in an effort to save more than $900 billion. A White House fact sheet released yesterday estimates the Defense Department's share of that goal at $350 billion, which the Pentagon official said is inclusive of the $400 billion figure officials already were working on. He acknowledged, however, that "there are a lot of numbers floating around."
In a message to the Defense Department workforce today, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said the estimated reductions in defense spending associated with the law are in line with what DOD officials have been planning. "I believe we can implement these reductions while maintaining the excellence of the military," he said.
The law, however, also creates a bipartisan committee of Congress members charged with identifying an additional $1.5 trillion in budget savings by Nov. 23. While there is no way to know what the committee will recommend, the Pentagon official said in today's background briefing, "I would hope they will not make further cuts in defense, because we've done a lot already."
The official said he assumes the committee will focus on finding savings in entitlement spending, such as a Medicaid and Medicare, and through tax revenue. "Large, additional cuts would be a problem for us, as far as our national defense," he said.
An "unacceptable" scenario for the department, the official said, is if Congress fails to act on the committee's recommendations by the law's deadline of Dec. 23. If that happens, an automatic across-government spending cut of $1.2 trillion over 10 years will go into effect.
Even with exemptions for veteran, military and civilian pay, he said, the process known as "sequestration" likely would cut an additional $50 billion to $60 billion more per year from the defense budget, leading to furloughs, layoffs and disruptions of programs.
But the official emphasized that the Pentagon is not planning for such an event. "I don't think that will happen," he said. "The whole point is for that not to happen."
By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service
The president asked department officials earlier this year to find $400 billion in savings, and Pentagon officials have been working to identify that amount over the next 10 or so years, officials have said. "That is hard to do, but manageable," a senior department official told reporters during a background briefing today. All Pentagon-related spending cuts would come from the department's base budget, and not from its overseas operating fund, which supplies operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and other foreign locations, the official said.
Decisions about the spending cuts are not made arbitrarily, he said. "As we work to accommodate these changes in the defense budget, we do so with policy and strategy in mind," he explained.
The new law raises the government's borrowing ability by $2.1 trillion, which officials said would eliminate the need for further debt ceiling increases until 2013.
In its effort to curb spending, the law caps discretionary spending for all federal departments for 10 years in an effort to save more than $900 billion. A White House fact sheet released yesterday estimates the Defense Department's share of that goal at $350 billion, which the Pentagon official said is inclusive of the $400 billion figure officials already were working on. He acknowledged, however, that "there are a lot of numbers floating around."
In a message to the Defense Department workforce today, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said the estimated reductions in defense spending associated with the law are in line with what DOD officials have been planning. "I believe we can implement these reductions while maintaining the excellence of the military," he said.
The law, however, also creates a bipartisan committee of Congress members charged with identifying an additional $1.5 trillion in budget savings by Nov. 23. While there is no way to know what the committee will recommend, the Pentagon official said in today's background briefing, "I would hope they will not make further cuts in defense, because we've done a lot already."
The official said he assumes the committee will focus on finding savings in entitlement spending, such as a Medicaid and Medicare, and through tax revenue. "Large, additional cuts would be a problem for us, as far as our national defense," he said.
An "unacceptable" scenario for the department, the official said, is if Congress fails to act on the committee's recommendations by the law's deadline of Dec. 23. If that happens, an automatic across-government spending cut of $1.2 trillion over 10 years will go into effect.
Even with exemptions for veteran, military and civilian pay, he said, the process known as "sequestration" likely would cut an additional $50 billion to $60 billion more per year from the defense budget, leading to furloughs, layoffs and disruptions of programs.
But the official emphasized that the Pentagon is not planning for such an event. "I don't think that will happen," he said. "The whole point is for that not to happen."
By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service
President Obama nominated Ashton Cater Tuesday to become the next Deputy Secretary of Defense. If confirmed, Dr. Carter will take over for Secretary William Lynn, who has held the position since 2009.
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