ISAF Chief Hails Agreement for Afghanistan Unity Government

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2014 - The commander of NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan today congratulated Afghanistan's presidential candidates on their agreement to form a government of national unity.

"On behalf of the men and women of the International Security Assistance Force, I wish to congratulate President-elect Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, and the people of Afghanistan in reaching this very important milestone," Army Gen. John F. Campbell said in a statement.

Campbell also offered congratulations to Afghanistan's national security forces, noting their "enormous" achievements through two elections and protracted political uncertainty. "Their brave and heroic actions demonstrate their dedication to a secure, stable and unified Afghanistan," the general said. "Without their efforts and sacrifice, the opportunity to conduct a peaceful political transition would not have been possible."

Earlier, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest issued a statement applauding the candidates for putting Afghanistan's interests first.

"Reaching this agreement required difficult choices, partnership and compromise on the part of both candidates, and the outcome of their talks prioritizes the recognized needs of the Afghan nation ahead of politics or individual power," he said.

Justice Department Announces National Effort to Build Trust Between Law Enforcement and the Communities They Serve

Justice Department Announces National Effort to Build Trust Between Law Enforcement and the Communities They Serve

Attorney General Eric Holder announced today the launch of the Justice Department’s National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice.  Funded through a $4.75 million grant, the initiative will create a  substantial investment in training, evidence-based strategies, policy development and research to combat distrust and hostility between law enforcement and the communities they serve.  Recent protests in Ferguson, Missouri, following an officer-involved shooting have brought national attention to the importance of strong police-community relationships, which has been a priority for the Justice Department under Attorney General Holder.

“The events in Ferguson reminded us that we cannot allow tensions, which are present in so many neighborhoods across America, to go unresolved,” said Attorney General Holder.  “As law enforcement leaders, each of us has an essential obligation – and a unique opportunity – to ensure fairness, eliminate bias, and build community engagement.  The National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice represents a major step forward in resolving long standing tensions in many of America’s communities and it will allow us to build on the pioneering work that the Justice Department and our law enforcement partners across the country are already doing to strengthen some of our nation’s most challenged areas.”

The initiative, which will be an ongoing partnership with the Justice Department, will provide training to law enforcement and communities on bias reduction and procedural fairness and will apply evidence-based strategies in five pilot sites around the country.  It will also establish a clearinghouse where information, research, and technical assistance are readily accessible for law enforcement, criminal justice practitioners and community leaders.

The three year grant has been awarded to a consortium of national law enforcement experts led by John Jay College of Criminal Justice.  Yale Law School, the Center for Policing Equity at UCLA and the Urban institute make up the rest of the consortium.  The initiative will be guided by a board of advisors which will include national leaders from law enforcement, academia and faith-based groups, as well as community stakeholders and civil rights advocates.

In a holistic approach, the initiative will simultaneously address the tenets of procedural justice, reducing implicit bias and facilitating racial reconciliation.  The initiative will compliment and be advised by other Justice Department components such as the Office of Justice Programs, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, the Civil Rights Division and the Community Relations Service.

This Initiative addresses a recommendation in the My Brother’s Keeper Task Force report released in May.  The Task Force recommended the Department of Justice establish a vehicle to build capacity in communities and build the evidence base around enhancing procedural justice, reducing bias and supporting reconciliation in communities where trust has been harmed.

SpaceX Dragon Rockets to the Space Station

SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft lifts off on the Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 1:52 a.m. EDT Sunday, Sept. 21, carrying about 5,000 pounds of NASA science investigations and cargo are on their way to the International Space Station.The mission is the company's fourth cargo delivery flight to the space station. One of the new Earth science investigations heading to the orbital laboratory is the International Space Station-Rapid Scatterometer. ISS-RapidScat monitors ocean winds from the vantage point of the space station. This information will be useful for weather forecasting and hurricane monitoring. Dragon also will deliver the first-ever 3-D printer in space, biomedical hardware and other biological research including a new plant study. Dragon is scheduled to be grappled at 7:04 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 23, by Expedition 41 Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency, using the space station's robotic arm to take hold of the spacecraft. Dragon is scheduled to depart the space station in mid-October for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, west of Baja California, bringing from the space station almost 3,200 pounds of science, hardware and crew supplies. Credit: NASA/Sandy Joseph and Kevin O'Connell

Though a short distance from the urban areas of Cleveland and...

09/21/2014 10:30 AM EDT

Though a short distance from the urban areas of Cleveland and Akron, Cuyahoga Valley National Park seems worlds away. The park is a refuge for native plants and wildlife, and provides routes of discovery for visitors. The winding Cuyahoga River gives way to deep forests, rolling hills, and open farmlands. Walk or ride the Towpath Trail to follow the historic route of the Ohio & Erie Canal.

Photo of Brandywine Falls by Amjad Zwaid

NASA Cargo Launches to Space Station aboard SpaceX Resupply Mission

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a Dragon cargo spacecraft on top launches from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex-40 in Florida at 1:52 a.m. EDT, Sept. 21, 2014. The Dragon is carrying more than 5,000 pounds of supplies, science experiments, and technology demonstrations includes critical materials to support 255 science and research investigations during the station's Expeditions 41 and 42.

Image Credit: 

NASA Television

About 5,000 pounds of NASA science investigations and cargo are on their way to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft. The cargo ship launched on the company's Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 1:52 a.m. EDT Sunday, Sept. 21.

The mission is the company's fourth cargo delivery flight to the space station through a $1.6 billion NASA Commercial Resupply Services contract. Dragon's cargo will support experiments to be conducted by the crews of space station Expeditions 41 and 42.

One of the new Earth science investigations heading to the orbital laboratory is the International Space Station-Rapid Scatterometer. ISS-RapidScat monitors ocean winds from the vantage point of the space station. This space-based scatterometer is a remote sensing instrument that uses radar pulses reflected from the ocean's surface from different angles to calculate surface wind speed and direction. This information will be useful for weather forecasting and hurricane monitoring.

Dragon also will deliver the first-ever 3-D printer in space. The technology enables parts to be manufactured quickly and cheaply in space, instead of waiting for the next cargo resupply vehicle delivery. The research team also will gain valuable insight into improving 3-D printing technology on Earth by demonstrating it in microgravity.

New biomedical hardware launched aboard the spacecraft will help facilitate prolonged biological studies in microgravity. The Rodent Research Hardware and Operations Validation (Rodent Research-1) investigation provides a platform for long-duration rodent experiments in space. These investigations examine how microgravity affects animals, providing information relevant to human spaceflight, discoveries in basic biology and knowledge that may have direct impact toward human health on Earth.

The Dragon spacecraft also will transport other biological research, including a new plant study. The Biological Research in Canisters (BRIC) hardware has supported a variety of plant growth experiments aboard the space station. The BRIC-19 investigation will focus on the growth and development in microgravity of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings, a small flowering plant related to cabbage. Because plant development on Earth is impacted by mechanical forces such as wind or a plant’s own weight, researchers hope to improve understanding of how the growth responses of plants are altered by the absence of these forces when grown in microgravity.

Dragon is scheduled to be grappled at 7:04 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 23, by Expedition 41 Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency, using the space station's robotic arm to take hold of the spacecraft. NASA's Reid Wiseman will support Gerst in a backup position. Dragon is scheduled to depart the space station in mid-October for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, west of Baja California, bringing from the space station almost 3,200 pounds of science, hardware and crew supplies.

The space station is a convergence of science, technology and human innovation that demonstrates new technologies and makes research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. NASA recently awarded contracts to SpaceX and The Boeing Company to transport U.S. crews to and from the space station with the goal of certifying those transportation systems in 2017.

Dempsey Recaps NATO Meetings in Lithuania

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2014 - Russia's continuing aggression in Ukraine, vulnerabilities posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and other threats along NATO's southern borders, and the alliance's continuing commitments in Afghanistan were the chief topics in meetings with NATO's chiefs of defense in Vilnius, Lithuania, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, center, talks with Army Gen. John Campbell, commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, right, between sessions of the NATO Military Committee conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, held Sept. 20-21, 2014. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

In a statement summarizing the meetings, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey added that today's agreement between Afghanistan's presidential candidates to form a new national unity government "puts us in a much better place than we were a week ago."

"Now we need a signed security agreement and a NATO [status of forces agreement], both of which should be accomplished fairly quickly," Dempsey said. The agreements are necessary for U.S. and NATO forces to have a role in Afghanistan beyond the current mission, which ends Dec. 31, and both candidates said during the election process that they would sign the agreements.

The chiefs of defense also elected Gen. Petr Pavel, the chief of staff of the Czech Republic's armed forces, to be the next chairman of the NATO Military Committee, the chairman said. "His appointment is significant, because he will be the first Eastern European military leader to take the job," he added.

Pavel will take the post in July, succeeding Danish Gen. Knud Bartels, whom Dempsey called "a trusted friend."

Hagel Speaks With Egyptian Defense Minister

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2014 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel spoke this morning with Egyptian Minister of Defense Colonel General Sedki Sobhy, Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said.

In a statement summarizing the discussion, Kirby said the defense secretary confirmed to Sobhy that the U.S. plans to deliver 10 AH-64 Apache helicopters to Egypt to support their counterterrorism efforts.

The men also discussed regional security in the Middle East and North Africa and the U.S. led coalition to counter-ISIL, the press secretary added.

Hagel thanked Sobhy for Egypt's role in brokering a cease fire to end the Gaza crisis.

"The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a strong bilateral relationship and agreed to continue to engage regularly," Kirby said. 

Readout of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's Call with Egyptian Minister of Defense Col. General Sedki Sobhy

Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel spoke this morning with Egyptian Minister of Defense Colonel General Sedki Sobhy to confirm that the U.S. plans to deliver 10 Apache helicopters to Egypt to support their counterterrorism efforts.

Secretary Hagel and General Sobhy also discussed regional security in the Middle East and North Africa and the U.S. led coalition to counter-ISIL.

Secretary Hagel thanked General Sobhy for Egypt's role in brokering a cease fire to end the Gaza crisis.

The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a strong bilateral relationship and agreed to continue to engage regularly.

Much of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and the surrounding...

09/20/2014 10:11 AM EDT

Much of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and the surrounding lands were once part of the Great Black Swamp. The 1,500 square mile Great Black Swamp was a vast network of forests, wetlands, and grasslands. The refuge manages about 6,500 acres of wetland, grassland, and wooded habitat. It provides valuable habitat for a diversity of waterfowl and other migratory birds, resident wildlife, and endangered and threatened species. It provides a place for people to enjoy wildlife-dependent activities and learn about the complexities of the natural world through education and interpretive programming. The refuge adds to the richness of the community by holding in trust a portion of the natural heritage of the Great Lakes ecosystem for the continuing benefit of the American people.

Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Tropical Storm Fung-Wong (was 16W - NW Pacific)

This visible image of Tropical Storm Fung-Wong was taken on Sept. 18 at 05:24 UTC from the VIIRS instrument aboard NOAA-NASA's Suomi NPP satellite.

Image Credit: 

NRL/NOAA/NASA

NASA Sees Western Edge of Tropical Storm Fung-Wong Affecting Philippines

The NASA-NOAA Suomi NPP satellite saw the western edge of Tropical Storm Fung-Wong over the central Philippines on Sept. 18.  Fung-Wong developed on Sept. 17 as Tropical Depression 16W, and strengthened into a tropical storm by 5 p.m. EDT on Sept. 17.

When NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed over Tropical Storm Fung-Wong on Sept. 18 at 05:24 UTC and the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard captured a visible picture of the storm. The VIIRS instrument revealed that a thick band of powerful thunderstorms spiraled around the southwestern quadrant of the storm and over the central Philippines.

On Sept. 18 at 1200 UTC (8 a.m. EDT), Tropical Storm Fung-Wong's maximum sustained winds were near 35 knots (40 mph/64 kph). It was centered near 16.0 north and 125.2 east about 284 nautical miles (326.8 miles/ 526 km) east-northeast of Manila, Philippines. Fung-Wong is moving to the west-northwest at 13 knots (14.9 mph/24.0 kph).

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) noted that although there is a chance for intensification, because Fung-Wong is so close to the Philippines, the land will limit how much strengthening can occur.

Fung-Wong is expected to move over the northern tip of Luzon where it will curve north and parallel Taiwan, while its center remains at sea. The JTWC then forecasts Fung-Wong to make landfall in Kyushu, Japan by September 23.

Official Calls Resilience Key Factor in Suicide Prevention

By Terri Moon Cronk
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2014 - Resilience -- the ability to recover and grow in the face of stressors and changing demands -- is a key factor in suicide prevention, the director of the Defense Suicide Prevention Office said yesterday.

Jacqueline Garrick, speaking at the Defense Centers of Excellence Psychological Health and Resilience Summit in Falls Church, Virginia, said defining resilience incorporated a critical factor into examining her office's efforts.

Posing the question, "Where does resilience begin?" Garrick talked about the importance of having the ability to withstand recovery and grow from it. She noted it's critical to build and sustain resilience. "If you don't have those skills in the first place, you won't be able to use them in the face of adversity," she said.

Seek intervention when needed
Garrick said that as service members go through life and face a variety of challenges and demands, it's important to seek intervention when needed. Such support, she added, can come from friends, family, peers, chaplains and commanders -- and from behavioral health care when necessary.

When a service member has resilience, building those skills back up after meeting a challenge allows for post-traumatic growth, she added.

"Your resilience is reinforced because you learned new techniques, overcame challenges, built your confidence and you're able to move forward to face new challenges," Garrick explained.

Bill Giving Back Local Control Over Massage Parlors Signed into Law byGovernor

SACRAMENTO, CA: Assembly Bill 1147, a bill by Assembly Majority Whip Jimmy Gomez (D-Los

Angeles) that will overhaul California’s existing massage therapy law became law today with

Governor Brown’s signature.

“This fundamental reform is long overdue and addresses multiple issues plaguing the

massage therapy industry that affect communities all over California where illegitimate

massage businesses exist,” said Assemblymember Gomez. “AB 1147 will now put land use authority

back in the hands of local governments, where it belongs, so human trafficking and other illicit

activity can be eradicated.’’

Gomez decided to author the bill after multiple constituents approached him about the issue

during several of his neighborhood Meet-N-Greets. Residents demanded the right to weigh-in

on the number and location of massage parlors in their communities. The state’s attempt at

regulating these parlors had not been successful and Gomez recognized it was time to return

these decisions to local stakeholders and governments.

AB 1147, which also includes Assembly members Susan Bonilla (D-Concord) and Chris Holden

(D-Pasadena) as joint co-authors, specifically returns important land use authority and control

to cities and counties. The measure reinforces the authority of local massage ordinances and

provides local governments with the option of revoking the license of any massage parlor that

violates the law. Additionally, the bill requires individuals applying for certification as a certified

massage practitioner (CMP) to pass an examination.

The measure will go into effect January 2015.

###

Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez represents the 51st Assembly District which includes the Northeast Los Angeles

neighborhoods of Echo Park, Mission Junction, Historic Filipinotown, Chinatown, Glassell Park, Montecito Heights,

Monterey Hills, El Sereno, Highland Park, Mt. Washington, Lincoln Heights, City Terrace, Elysian Valley, Cypress

Park, Eagle Rock, portion of Silverlake, and unincorporated East Los Angeles.

Statement by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on Congressional Passageof the Continuing Resolution

I welcome and appreciate the swift action by Congress to provide the Defense Department with the authority to begin training and equipping the moderate Syrian opposition. This train and equip program is a key element of the president's comprehensive strategy to degrade and ultimately destroy the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). While it will take time to strengthen the moderate Syrian opposition forces, they and the Iraqi Security Forces and Kurdish forces are central to confronting ISIL. The U.S. military will work closely with regional partners, including Saudi Arabia, to recruit and vet the opposition forces, and we will continue to build and sustain a broad coalition to implement our strategy.

Accusation about 'politicians putting self before country'

Accusation about 'politicians putting self before country'  despicable  attack on Jeff Gorell and a revealing look into Brownley's view of military service.

VENTURA, CA- Recent mailers sent to voters in the 26th Congressional District have caused Ventura County GOP Chairman Mike Osborn to issue the following statement:

"Our office has received many complaints from voters who have received a 4 page attack mailer targeting Jeff Gorrell by Julia Brownley.  In it she claims she 'stands up to politicians that put self before our country'. Her attempt to draw contrast between Jeff and herself only highlights the desperation of her campaign. 

Jeff Gorell has completed two combat tours of duty in service to his Country, taking risks that more than demonstrate his selflessness. No rational person can argue that combat military service is not the ultimate act of putting "Country above self."  We're proud of his record of military service and putting the needs of our Nation before his own.
 

What this mailer unintentionally puts on display is Julia Brownley's utter contempt for the Military and the service that our men and women volunteer to perform. 

This mailer is a cheap political ploy by a desperate politician who can't show any measurable accomplishments.
 

It's amazing that Julia Brownley has the audacity to claim that Jeff Gorell, Commander in the US Navy, has done anything but put his country before himself.

I call upon Julia Brownley to issue a public apology to Commander Gorell and all of the Veterans in Ventura County whose service she has belittled by sending out this desperate piece of political attack mail."

Department of Education Success

Last week, I met Brittany.

She's a hardworking student at West Georgia Technical College who is now just months away from being certified as a nursing assistant, but there was a point when she didn't think she'd be here. In high school, Brittany became pregnant and her future suddenly became uncertain. Her high school counselor suggested she apply for the 12 for Life program, a local program that offers students who have fallen behind in high school the opportunity to attend class, work, and get back on their feet.

As I talked with Brittany and her fellow students -- many of whom were the first in their family to graduate high school -- they spoke powerfully and tearfully of the program's success, and how it had given them hope for the future.

Brittany's inspiring story is just one of many I heard last week during the Department of Education's annual back-to-school bus tour. This year's tour took us to Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee, and provided my team and me with the opportunity to see innovations in education and to discuss progress, promise, and results.

I wish I could see every innovative program -- every initiative creating promise for our children -- happening across the country, but even after visiting all 50 states and more than 350 schools during my time as Secretary, I can't visit every school. So that's where you come in.

What cutting-edge programs are your local schools undertaking? Or, if you don't know of any, what would you like to see them do?

We'll share some of your stories and suggestions on the White House blog.

Brittany tells me about her positive experience in the 12 for Life Program during a stop on my back-to-school bus tour in Carrolton, Ga. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Education by Joshua Hoover)

This was my fifth back-to-school bus tour, and with each tour, I become increasingly optimistic about our country's ability to elevate and strengthen education. High school graduation rates are at an all-time high, college enrollment has hit record levels, dropout rates are dramatically down, and principals, teachers, parents, and students are taking the lead on improving education for all students.

But during the bus tour and around the country, I also hear a lot of people worried that our children won't inherit a better America than we did. That's why we have such an important shared mission: to make sure that every student, everywhere, gets an effective education. It's a mission that we can all agree on, and it's one that matters immensely.

The best ideas in education will never come from Washington, which is why the Obama administration is working hard to help states and communities strengthen schools -- in particular, through supports for great teaching, and higher standards. It's inspiring to see states and local communities stepping up to expand access to high-quality early education, transition to college- and career-ready standards, and support innovation in education.

So I want to know what's happening in your community. Share the innovative things the schools in your area are doing -- or what you'd like to see happen.

We should celebrate the gains we've made these past couple years, but we can't be fully satisfied. There's still more to do to support all students so they may reach their full potential. So, in this new school year, let's get to work.

Thanks for sharing,

Arne

Secretary Arne Duncan
Department of Education

LEAP FROGS

09/18/2014 06:07 PM CDT

Members of the U.S. Navy parachute demonstration team, the Leap Frogs, come in for a landing during the Baltimore Star-Spangled Spectacular at Clifton Park, Baltimore, Sept. 12, 2014.

SPECTACULAR LANDING

A SPECTACULAR LANDING

09/18/2014 06:07 PM CDT

Navy Chief Brad Woodard comes in for a landing in front of students from Reach Partnership School and Heritage High School during the Baltimore Star Spangled Spectacular in Baltimore, Md., Sept. 12, 2014. Woodard is a member of the Leap Frongs, the U.S. Navy's parachute demonstration team.

INFANTRY RUSH

09/18/2014 06:23 PM CDT

Army Sgt. Jonathan Gallogla rushes under direct fire during Expert Infantryman Badge qualification on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Sept. 10, 2014. Gallogla is assigned to the 25th Infantry Division's Company B, 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The division is based in Alaska. The badge is awarded to Army personnel who hold infantry or special forces military occupational specialties and successfully pass the rigors of the course.

Special Ops Command Stresses Preservation of Force

By Terri Moon Cronk
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2014 - To combat the demands on the nation's special operations forces, U.S. Special Operations Command has made its Preservation of the Force and Family initiative a priority, the program's director said yesterday.

Speaking at the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Resilience Summit in Falls Church, Virginia, Navy Capt. Thomas Chaby said the program for the joint command's 67,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines centers on prevention by building resilience and giving troops the tools and strategies they need to navigate combat's challenges.

The program's task force came up with a holistic approach to address the problem of pressure on the force and their families, to maintain and improve readiness, operational effectiveness and the immediate and long-term well-being of the force.

"There are unique challenges in special operations, [and] our commander felt we needed to formally address them," Chaby said. "After 13 years of battle, we have assessed that our force is frayed."
The program's focus now is to look ahead as special operations forces continue to operate in a dangerous world. "There's really no end to where we are right now," he said of challenges the force faces, noting that service members stationed overseas face the stresses of not getting adequate sleep and being far away from their families, among other issues.

Resilience builders
Using Defense Department resilience builders to meet the needs of special operators, Chaby said, Socom is looking at factors such as strength and conditioning, athletic training and nutrition to extend operational readiness and to retain special operations service members onboard as leaders.
Typically, special operations has a high retention rate, with operators serving 20 to 30 years, Chaby said. "The demands on the body are tough, and most extensive at 15 to 20 years [into their careers], when they're [approaching] key leadership positions."

If special operators break down then, there are few on whom to fall back, he added. "We're trying to preserve that investment," he said. "It can take five years to create guys who can go downrange and do what they need to do. The average age for an officer is 34, and enlisted, 29. In key leadership positions, they're approaching 40 years old."

An assessment showed a "huge delta" between special operators with characteristics consistent with alcoholism, drug addiction, anxiety and depression and seeking the care they need, because of the stigma of seeking behavioral health care, Chaby said.

"Sometimes there's a double or triple delta, and that's unacceptable," he said. "There's a culture in the military, and it extends into unit cultures."

Socom leaders have prioritized stripping away the stigma attached to seeking help, Chaby said. "They challenge and educate their leaders every chance they get and say, 'Getting behavioral health care is a good thing,'" he added.

And while room remains for cultural improvement, "we're making progress," Chaby said.

DoD Health Official Calls Fit Force Key to National Security

By Nick Simeone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
FORT BELVOIR, Va., Sept. 18, 2014 - A full 25 percent of applicants to the military are disqualified because they are overweight, and issues related to fitness are the No. 1 reason for early discharges for those on active duty, the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs said here today.
And for the Defense Department's military and civilian workforce, better health, less obesity and better nutrition also is a national security issue, Dr. Jonathan Woodson told an audience at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital here that included about a dozen middle school children during an event to mark National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month and to demonstrate the Military Health System's efforts to promote healthy food options.
Poor fitness is shrinking the nation's pool of eligible military candidates, Woodson said. "Over 9 million young adults 17 to 24 are not able to serve because of these issues," he added, explaining why the nation's obesity problem has become a national security issue.
The problem has become so acute that last year, the Defense Department established Operation Live Well to encourage healthy eating and living habits for service members, military retirees, DoD civilians, and their families.
Healthy Base Initiative
The Healthy Base Initiative under Operation Live Well seeks to change the environment in which the Military Health System's beneficiaries live, work and play so the healthy choice is an easy choice, Woodson said, noting the effort's importance to having a well prepared military.
"In our business, we have to be ready at any time to deploy in defense of this nation ... You cannot do that if you are not healthy," he said, adding that the cost to the department in obesity-related issues, including replacing service personnel who don't make the cut, totals more than $1 billion every year.
Along with many other health officials, Woodson emphasizes that good diet and exercise habits often are formed in childhood.
"We need to create the right environments in schools and the lunch programs to promote health and reduce obesity," he said. That's something he many schools around the country now do, but statistics show more must be done, he added.
"The Department of Defense is here to help you in learning more about how to live well and assist you in your quest to make healthy eating and activity choices, the right choices throughout your life," Woodson told the audience.