GEN Peter Chiarelli addresses suicides in the Army. The Defense Department takes a look back 20 years after the start of the first Gulf War.

Defense Department officials say the bidding period for the KC-X Tanker program could be extended.

National Guard troops joined hundreds of police and other emergency personnel for a mass safety drill Wednesday at major commuter hubs throughout New York City.

U.S. Northern Command is preparing to assist with flood-fighting efforts in the Northeast.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs ADM Michael Mullen is in Afghanistan for another first hand look at the conflict. There will soon be more U.S. troops in Afghanistan than Iraq.

Hundreds of National Guard troops have been mobilized in Massachusetts ahead of what officials say could be dangerous flooding Tuesday across the Northeast.

250 members of the Nevada Army National Guard returned home Monday after more than a year-long deployment to Afghanistan.

During Women’s History Month, we recognize women who are achieving more at the Defense Department.

Nearly four decades after his plane was shot down over Laos, the remains of Major Curtis Daniel Miller were laid to rest Monday in his home state of Texas.

The Defense Department’s FY 2010 Supplemental Budget Request calls for 33 billion dollars, most of it for operations in Afghanistan.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates says it’s too early to tell whether President Obama’s new way forward in Afghanistan is working.

Commander, U.S. Pacific Command Admiral Robert Willard says, although the U.S. remains the pre-eminent power in the Asia-Pacific, China’s rising influence is creating new challenges.

The U.S. and the Republic of Korea recently completed the ”Key Resolve/Foal Eagle 2010” training exercise.

The U.S. and Russia have reached an agreement on cutting nuclear arms.

A group of ”Wounded Warriors” is on a therapeutic bike ride across Texas.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has called on every member of the Defense Department to play a personal role in creating a secure environment that will help to prevent more tragedies like the Nov. 5 shooting rampage that left 13 people dead at Fort Hood, Texas, reports AFPS’ Donna Miles.

Gates issued a memo yesterday after reflecting on results of the independent review he directed after the incident to ensure the safety and health of servicemembers, civilian defense employees, and their families.

“I ask all commanders, supervisors, noncommissioned leaders and other personnel in the department to reinforce the fabric of trust with one another,” Gates wrote. “From simple everyday expressions of concern, to supervising, mentoring and counseling, we, and every servicemember, need to be more attuned to one another’s mental, emotional and spiritual balance and be willing to take responsible action.”

Gates urged department members to look beyond their day-to-day tasks and challenges and take action if their colleagues appear to be at risk.

He also called for leaders to be honest in their assessments of their subordinates – particularly when they identify red flags – and to document what they identify.

“Leadership at every level depends on the integrity to assess the performance of our people honestly and openly,” Gates wrote. “We can only deal with internal threats if we can rely on the quality of the information in our official records. There are serious effects of failure to reflect fully, accurately and completely on all aspects of professional ethical and personal career development in performance appraisals.”

Gates called on leaders to instill and preserve “the core traits that sustain our profession and keep our forces strong, effective and safe.”

“With responsibility comes accountability,” he wrote. “My expectation is that our leaders will set the standards for leadership, management and mentoring, and will be accountable for the health and performance of the force.”

Gates concluded his memo recognizing how much the country has asked of its servicemembers and Defense Department civilians over the past two decades, and how they have repeatedly risen to the occasion.

“Each of you has an important role in adapting to the changing security environment,” he wrote. “Together, we will make the force and our nation safer, stronger and more secure to face the challenges of today and tomorrow.”

Gates issued the memo based on findings of the Department of Defense Independent Review Related to Fort Hood. He directed the review and appointed former Army Secretary Togo D. West Jr. and retired Navy Adm. Vernon E. Clark, a former chief of naval operations, to lead it. The panel provided its report to Gates on Jan. 15.

Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, is charged with killing 13 people, 12 military and one civilian, and wounding 43 others during a Nov. 5 shooting rampage at Fort Hood. He has been charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 specifications of attempted premeditated murder under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The UCMJ is the U.S. military’s legal system for servicemembers.

Hasan, a Muslim, allegedly became radicalized and complained to colleagues about his role as a U.S. military officer when he was posted at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here before being assigned to Fort Hood in July.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today released the guidelines and parameters of a Defense Department review of the so-called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law in preparation for its potential repeal.

According to AFPS’ Lisa Daniel, the 10-month review should include input from service chiefs and all levels of the force and their families, Gates said in a memo to Army Gen. Carter F. Ham, commander of U.S. Army Europe, who was chosen to head the effort along with Jeh Johnson, the Pentagon’s top lawyer.

Gates established the review Feb. 2, saying it would be critical to ensuring a smooth transition if the law that bans gays from serving openly in the military is repealed, as President Barack Obama has proposed. Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have stated their support for the repeal.

The review also should engage Congress members, Gates said, as well as “key influencers of potential servicemembers and other stakeholder groups.” It should also take into account the experiences of foreign militaries, he added.

“To be successful,” Gates said in the memo, “we must understand all issues and potential impacts associated with repeal of the law and how to manage implementation in a way that minimizes disruption to a force engaged in combat operations and other demanding military activities around the globe.

“Should Congress take this action,” he continued, “strong, engaged and informed leadership will be required at every level to properly and effectively implement a legislative change.”

Gates directed that the review should:

– Determine how repeal of the law would affect military readiness, effectiveness, cohesion, recruiting and retention, and family readiness;

– Determine leadership, guidance and training on standards of conduct and new training, as well as appropriate changes to policies and regulations, including management, leadership, training and benefits;

– Recommend appropriate changes to the Uniform Code of Military Justice;

– Monitor and evaluate congressional proposals related to the repeal;

– Monitor the work force climate and military effectiveness that support follow-through of a repeal; and,

– Evaluate issues raised in ongoing litigation related to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Gates said the review is necessary to “minimize disruption and polarization within the ranks, with special attention paid to those serving on the front lines.” It is due back to him by Dec. 1.

The review is to include input throughout the department and across services.

“To effectively accomplish this assessment, I believe it essential that the working group systematically engage the force,” Gates wrote. “The participation of a range of age, rank and warfare communities in this study including families, in addition to active outreach across the force, is a critical aspect that will undoubtedly lead to insights and recommendations essential to the department’s implementation of any change.”

Noting the political nature of the law, Gates said it is “critical” that the review be conducted “in a professional, thorough and dispassionate manner.”

“It is equally critical that in carrying out this review, every effort be made to shield our men and women in uniform and their families from those aspects of this debate,” he added.

Defense Department officials today identified 6,000 servicemembers to deploy in 2010 as part of President Barack Obama’s order to increase the U.S. footprint in Afghanistan, according to AFPS’ Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden.

About 3,400 soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team are headed to Afghanistan in early summer, according to a statement released by the Pentagon. The soldiers are based out of Fort Campbell, Ky.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates also approved deployment orders for about 2,600 support forces who will begin deploying to various locations at staggered times in the spring.

The president announced Dec. 1 that the United States would send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan. Some already have arrived. The majority of the surge forces will operate in southern Afghanistan, and are expected to arrive by summer’s end. Some 3,000 to 4,000 troops will arrive sometime in the fall to complete the plus-up, Pentagon officials said.

The surge augments the international mission to train Afghan security forces and expel insurgent strongholds. White House and Pentagon officials anticipate the Afghan troop surge to last until July 2011, when U.S. and NATO forces are expected to begin handing over security responsibility to the Afghans.

As of Dec. 12, 68,000 U.S. troops and 42,000 NATO and allied forces are serving in Afghanistan.