National Defense articles from February 2003

National Defense archives from February 2003

Editor'scorner.(US soldiers still in Kosovo)(Editorial)
February 1, 2003... Amid lots of speculation and guesswork about whether or when a war may start in Iraq, it would be safe to assume that not many Americans are aware that at least 3,000 U.S. soldiers remain deployed in Kosovo, that war-torn province of the former...

Homeland security--the war is over there. (President' Sperspective).
February 1, 2003... Since the U.S. war on terrorism began nearly 18 months ago, we often have heard people lament that, in this fight, the combat zone--unlike in previous conflicts--is not in faraway places, but in our own homeland. That may be true in the...

Concerns on child soldiers. (Readers Forum).
February 1, 2003... A few thoughts came to mind while reading the article on child soldiers in the December issue of National Defense, page 18. The suggestions by the experts at the seminar appear to overlook military and population trend reported in the...

More on child soldiers. (Readers Forum).(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2003... I wholeheartedly disagree with the conclusions drawn at the Marine Corps CETO meeting about child soldiers (December 2002, p.18). The article states that commanders often give kids addictive drugs to weaken their inhibition, that U.S. forces...

Army Portal. (Readers Forum).(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2003... I was delighted to read Sandra Erwin's article on Army Knowledge Online (AKO), tided "Army Portal Web Site is Marketers' Dream" (November 2002). I thought your readers might like to know that while AKO does provide access to...

Satellite Imagery. (Readers Forum).(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2003... In your article, "Satellite-Image Suppliers Poised for Future Growth" (November 2002), your overview of the commercial providers of satellite imagery is both thorough and accurate, but limited to the American providers. I want to bring to your...

Sen. John Edwards supports disarming Iraq. (Washington Pulse).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.), a contender for the Democratic nomination for the White House in 2004, recently outlined his priorities for domestic and international security. He said that Saddam Hussein must be disarmed because he is...

Fiscal 2004 defense budget sent to capitol hill. (Washington Pulse).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The military services have reassessed spending priorities in drafting I their fiscal 2004 defense budget, said a senior Defense Department official. The 2004-2009 budget will reveal a shift in spending of about $90 billion from traditional...

Errata. (Washington Pulse).(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
February 1, 2003... The story on page 26, "Army's Future Combat System Shakes up Procurement Culture," of the January 2003 issue said that the Army is testing two diesel engines: one from Detroit Diesel and one from Cummings. It should have also said that Cummins...

Revamped Missile Defense plan in place. (Washington Pulse).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The Defense Department will begin fielding missile defense capabilities in 2004. According to DFI-International, the initial capability will build on the planned Pacific Missile Defense tested and will "serve as a starting point for fielding...

Air Force institute, Naval postgrad school form alliance. (Washington Pulse).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The secretaries of the Navy and the Air Force signed an agreement to form an alliance between the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), in Monterey,...

Navy school offers Homeland defense degree. (Security Beat).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, Calif., will offer a master's degree in homeland security. Lt. Cmdr. Joe Navratil, an NPS spokesman, said the courses will be primarily taught through distance learning, via electronic...

Clarke: attack on the internet 'worrisome'. (Security Beat).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Despite efforts by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop information security technologies, vulnerabilities remain, said Richard Clarke, special advisor to the president for cyberspace security and chairman of the president's...

Funding up for Cyber Security Research. (Security Beat).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Before the winter recess, Congress passed the Cyber Security Research Act of 2002, which authorizes $900 million for cyber security research at universities. The funds are an addition to existing Defense Department and National Security...

Homeland Security money flows in 'rivulets'. (Security Beat).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Government contractors hoping to do business with the new Department of Homeland Security should "hold onto your hat," advised John H. Home, co-chair of a new homeland security practice group at the law firm of Powell, Goldstein, Frazer &...

Quest: 45,000 federal passenger screeners. (Security Beat).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... As the Transportation Security Administration prepares to become part of the new Department of Homeland Security, it is congratulating itself for successfully completing the largest peacetime mobilization in the nation's history. Congress...

Ports, roads, rails pose 'daunting' challenges. (Security Beat).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The United States needs to improve security for other modes of transportation besides aviation, warned Richard Bennis, the Transportation Department's associate undersecretary for maritime and land security. While much has been done to...

Defense Department will inoculate against smallpox. (Security Beat).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The Department of Defense said it plans to prepare against smallpox attacks aimed at U.S. service members. "Like civilian communities, the Defense Department will ensure preparedness by immunizing personnel based on their occupational...

Medical Journal endorses smallpox vaccines. (Security Beat).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The New England Journal of Medicine has issued a report on the need for smallpox vaccinations. "The possibility of biological warfare has entered the national psyche," wrote Terry Schraeder and Edward Campion, both medical doctors. The...

Company introduces 'hack-free' server. (Security Beat).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... A computer scientist claims to have developers an "invulnerable" Internet server. Eric Uner, co-founder of Barrington, Ill.-based Bodacion Technolgies, applies chaos theory principles to software engineering. His work with biomorphic...

Futuristic Army uniform adapted for cops. (Tech Talk).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... A new uniform--based in part on the U.S. Army's Objective Force Warrior system--is being modified for police and corrections officers in special operations assignments. A prototype Law Enforcement/Corrections Tactical Uniform System is...

LAPD deploys station to crime scene. (Tech Talk).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The Los Angeles Police Department has three new mobile substations that he Los can be moved quickly to a crime site. The substations-built by the Matrman Company, of San Marcos, Calif.--help officers coordinate communications and develop...

Airships proposed for homeland security. (Tech Talk).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Airship Management Services, headquartered in Greenwich, Conn., is pro posing to modify one of its airships for immediate use in homeland-security operations. Because of its enormous size, an airship can accommodate sensors normally too...

Coast Guard gets high-speed boats. (Tech Talk).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The U.S. Coast Guard is deploying 80 new craft to boost security at various coastal and inland water-ways. The 25-foot boats--constructed of welded aluminum--are powered by twin V-6 Honda BF225 4-stroke engines. They can reach speeds of 50...

Blood Clot saves lives. (Tech Talk).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory will test a new blood-clotting agent that could help save lives on the battlefield. The lab will buy 2,500 units of a granulated, chemically inert material--similar in appearance to cat litter-known...

'Expeditionary Warrior' probes Marine-SOCOM relationships.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... A tabletop war game at Quantico Marine Base for the first time examined the details of how Marines and special operations units could fight as a combined force. The drill, in late November, was called Expeditionary Warrior, and was part...

New GPS handheld receiver planned for '04: fast processors, advanced displays will simplify satellite-guided navigation in the field.
February 1, 2003... The U.S. Defense Department is preparing to test a next-generation Global Positioning System handheld receiver that will be lighter and easier to operate than current devices, officials said. The new system, known as the Defense Advanced...

Special ops forces are 'tool of choice': when U.S. policy makers need a job done quickly, they often turn to SOCOM. (Commentary).
February 1, 2003... The U.S. special operations forces occupy center stage in today's war against terrorism. Unfortunately, claims for their services far outstrip available supply. This was not always the case. By the end of the war in Vietnam, the military...

Avionics upgrade underway for special ops helicopters.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... During the next several years, U.S. Army special operations helicopters will be upgraded with modern avionics, designed to improve the capabilities of the aircraft, while making them easier to maintain, officials said. The technology is...

Air-strike coordinators need lighter equipment: tac-air controllers on the ground are still burdened by heavy combat gear.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Putting bombs on target is, in large measure, the responsibility of U.S. Air Force specialists known as tactical air control parties. The TACPs typically are assigned to Army combat units to request and direct air strikes against enemy targets...

War on terror reaffirming role of special operators.
February 1, 2003... As the United States continues to pursue the war on terrorism, special operations forces increasingly will be relied upon, for their unique skills in unconventional warfare and urban combat, said the former deputy chief of U.S. Special...

Special ops helmet to be fielded Army-wide: lightweight MICH headgear so far well received by troops, officials said.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... A new lightweight military helmet already fielded to U.S. special operations forces and elite Army infantry units could, in the future, be distributed among conventional troops, officials said. During the past three years, the Special...

Pentagon broadens duties for its Civil Affairs teams.
February 1, 2003... The Defense Department is increasing its use of Army Civil Affairs teams as the war in Afghanistan moves into a reconstruction phase. These highly specialized units--part of the U.S. Special Operations Command-work with local governments...

Navy special warfare expands command role in joint force.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... For the first time ever, a Navy SEAL was the commander of a joint task force, fighting 400 to 600 miles inland in Afghanistan, during Operation Enduring Freedom. Navy special warfare commanders were placed in unprecedented leadership...

U.S. Marines closing ranks with special operations.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... After 15 years of keeping its distance, the tradition-oriented U.S. Marine Corps is cooperating more closely with the unconventional U.S. Special Operations Command. The two organizations are stepping up joint training exercises and...

Peacekeeping in Kosovo: no tanks required; U.S. Army tank operators learn new infantry skills, miss their armored vehicles.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Freezing rain has been pouring for days, washing away the first December snow. The fog stubbornly lingers over the mountains of Kosovo and the ravaged villages of this embattled region in the Balkans. Inside a still-dry field tent at a...

Digital visual-aid technology helps pilots 'own the weather'.(synthetic vision aids landings in poor visibility conditions)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Air Force transport-aircraft pilots are testing a so-called "synthetic-vision" system that would make landings in rough terrain and poor visibility conditions safer and easier. The technology creates a digital picture of the environment...

Navy. (Brass Tracks).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Rear Adm. John D. Butler is being assigned as program executive officer for submarines in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition. Butler was deputy commander for undersea technology, SEA-93,...

Air Force. (Brass Tracks).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The president has nominated the following Air Force officers for promotion to the rank of brigadier general: Col. Paul F. Capasso, director for communications and Information at the Air Education and Training Command, at Randolph Air Force...

Industry. (Brass Tracks).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... H&K Strategic Business Solutions, located in McLean, Va., has formed a board of advisors to help government contractors. The board's chairman is Jack Hughes, senior vice president of IITRI, a not-for-profit engineering and technology company....

Combat survivability division presents awards: NDIA welcomes new government policy VP. (NDIA News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) welcomes Peter M. Steffes as vice president of government policy. He replaces Steven Thompson, who accepted a partnership at a Washington lobbying group. Steffes has been a...

Head of Chesapeake Bay Chapter honored. (Women in Defence).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Cindy Broyles--president of the Women In Defense Chesapeake Bay Chapter, in Lexington Park, Md.--has been named Woman of the Year by the Margaret Brent Business and Professional Women's Organization, which is headquartered in the same town. ...

Event description. (NDIA Even).(Brief Article)(Calendar)
February 1, 2003... FEBRUARY 19 TECHNICAL SUPPORT WORKING GROUP [TSWG] ADVANCED PLANNING BRIEFING FUR INDUSTRY (APBI) Event #3090 Arlington, VA, Marriott Crystal Forum Regular Registration Fees: Industry: $70 Government: $60 ...