Summit Aims to Improve Family Support Programs

By Elaine Wilson
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 6, 2009 - More than 300 leaders who provide support to military families will gather next week to discuss the effectiveness of the military's family support and readiness programs and hear firsthand from the people who use them. The first National Leadership Summit on Military Families is an important step in a process to improve military family support programs, said Tommy T. Thomas, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy. The summit is slated for Nov. 9 and 10 at the University of Maryland.

"This is one of the steps in a strategic planning process," Thomas said. "Our long-term goal is to transform family support and readiness programs and lead to more effective and productive ways for coordination in implementation."

The summit is expected to draw participants from all services as well as active and reserve components. The Defense Department's military community and family policy office organized the summit in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and the University of Maryland.

The summit will include the latest military family research, an overview of challenges and a series of breakout sessions. Participants will work together to explore opportunities, unique challenges, commonalities among the services and programs, and the barriers that prevent programs from working effectively, Thomas said.

"The concurrent discussion sessions will enable deeper consideration of the specific issues related to strengthening family support and readiness programs and making them more relevant to the realities facing military families today," he said. "After each breakout session, participants will re-assemble to identify key priorities from each discussion."

Additionally, leaders will hear from the programs' end users – the military families. Speakers will couple that feedback with the results from multiple family group "listening" sessions and Defense Department data, Thomas said.

While the summit has a set agenda, the topics themselves will be widely varied, Thomas said. "We have a sense of what we might hear, especially with regard to communications, functioning with the robust operational tempo and communications," he said. "But with that said, we are approaching the summit process with open minds. We look forward to this important collaboration."

Following the summit, representatives from the Defense Department and land-grant universities will review identified priorities, issues raised at the summit and feedback from family member sessions and prepare a report with recommendations on ways to strengthen the development of a Defense Department strategic plan for military family support, Thomas said. The report is slated for completion in early 2010.

Thomas said he anticipates a positive outcome from the summit. "We see great potential for a long-term, long-lasting impact," he said.

For coverage of the summit, visit the "Family Matters" blog at http://afps.dodlive.mil next week.

DoD Hosts National Leadership Summit On Military Families

The Department of Defense will host a National Leadership Summit on Military Families Nov. 9-10 beginnning at 8 a.m. EST at The Inn and Conference Center, University of Maryland University College, Adelphi, Md. Gail H. McGinn, performing the duties of the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, will deliver the keynote address.

The summit, organized by Military Community and Family Policy, is through collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the University of Maryland. More than 300 leaders who provide support to military families are scheduled to attend. They comprise leaders in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, the National Guard and Reserve, land-grant universities, and other non-governmental partners.

The summit will begin with a call to action reviewing the Defense Department's commitment to family support and readiness. In addition, participants will learn about what current research is telling us about the status of military families, and what challenges we anticipate families will experience in the future. Following the summit, DoD and the University of Maryland will produce a report for leadership with recommendations on ways to improve family support and readiness programs.

Journalists may cover the event from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., Nov. 9 and should plan to arrive no later than 15 minutes prior to the event; have proof of affiliation and two forms of photo identification. Please contact Maj. April Cunningham at (703) 697-6727 or (571) 309-4734 or via e-mail at April.Cunningham@osd.mil indicating your plan to attend.

Medic Hopes Her Stress Story Can Help Others

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 4, 2009 - Army Staff Sgt. Megan Krause's words come out in a rush, as if she wants everyone to hear and learn from her story. Krause, an Army reservist with the 365th Engineer Battalion in Pennsylvania, does want people to hear her story, and she wants to connect with servicemembers so they don't go through what she did.

The 27-year-old staff sergeant is a part of the "Real Warrior" campaign, which aims at getting the word out to servicemembers about post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychological trauma. The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury sponsors the program. Krause spoke about her experiences during the Warrior Resilience Conference here.

On active duty, Krause served as a medic in Afghanistan and Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division. It's part of her "can-do" persona that she felt she had it wired – she knew how her life was going to go.

"I was going to go off active duty, get a degree at Penn State and then get a job in Washington," the Illinois native said during an interview. "When I got home, I never thought I had any psychological issues. Not me. That was for other people. I had goals."

What she also had were flashbacks and nightmares. Still, she said, "I really felt fine. I knew what triggers to avoid, and I was coping quite well."

And she was drinking. "But I attributed that to just being a college kid," she said. Once in college, she enlisted in the Army Reserve and took pride in serving and taking care of her troops.

Krause was on her way to reaching her goals when post-traumatic stress disorder crashed down on her last year.

She was going through a rough patch – her father had lost his job, her brother and sister-in-law had deployed, and she had no job to go to after college. And her unit had been put on stand-by for hurricane relief.

"What I did not realize was that increases in symptoms were causing increases in bad choices, which were causing increases in problems," she said. "But I was so busy worrying about other things and drinking my life away. It all piles on itself, and there was no good way to start to fix it."

Krause was blowing off classes and papers. She skipped Reserve duty. One of her soldiers sat her down and told her that people were worried about her and that she should get help. Her company first sergeant reached out and tried to get her to seek help.

"Everybody around me noticed there was a problem, but I didn't," she said. "My first sergeant said, 'Let's fight this together.' But I still didn't get help."

Her epiphany came after a night of drinking. She was talking with friends after the bars closed when a truck backfired. She took off running across campus and got to her apartment.

"There was a light on, and I didn't remember leaving a light on," she said. "I called the State College police and told them that someone needed to come check my apartment, because I think the terrorists are waiting for me."

A police car and an ambulance arrived. Krause said she didn't want to go to the local hospital, but to the Veterans Affairs hospital in Altoona, Pa., about 45 minutes away. Her roommate drove her there.

"I spent three days in detox, talked to psychiatrists and psychologists and care coordinators, and they helped me," she said.

Krause worked with the Penn State veterans outreach office and her professors to get back on track for school, and graduated in December. She also received a job offer froma public relations firm in Washington.

"It's really amazing how as soon as you make the choice to get help and address the issue, that things start falling into place," she said.

Krause credits her friends, soldiers, military leaders and the medical system for the help.

She volunteered to be part of the Real Warrior campaign in March. "What I hope to do is take what was a really horrible experience and turn it into a positive experience for other veterans and servicemembers who may be struggling and don't necessarily see the light at the end of the tunnel," she said.

"If one other soldier out there sees my profile and can relate enough to say, 'I can do that. I can get help,' that's what I hope to accomplish with this program," she said.

Soldiers Gain Insight on Leadership

By Army Spc. Maurice A. Galloway
Special to American Forces Press Service

Nov. 3, 2009 - Soldiers here are getting a trial run at the nerve-wracking experience of going before promotion boards. "Soldiers that take the initiative are exactly what we're looking for in our future leaders," said Army 1st Sgt. Gary. R. Dillard, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 17th Fires Brigade. "In cases where the candidates are very evenly matched, it normally comes down to what makes one stand out more than the other, and that's who gets promoted."

Dillard said the process begins long before the soldier first approaches a promotion board. It begins with mentorship, counseling and observation provided by the first-line supervisor from the moment the soldier signs the enlistment papers to the time when his or her leadership decides the time is right to make the quantum leap.

Once it's determined the soldier is ready, the noncommissioned officer recommends him or her for the promotion board.

"When a soldier comes to the board, it means he or she is seeking a rite of passage into a leadership role," explained Army 1st Sgt. Jonny L. Anthony, Battery B, 1st Battalion, 377th Field Artillery Regiment. "As first-line supervisors, it's our responsibility to ensure each and every soldier we recommend for leadership has been thoroughly trained and proven trustworthy."

Walking into a conference room to face a panel of judges composed of sergeants major, first sergeants or other senior NCOs can be an unsettling experience.
"Nervousness is normal for an individual attending any type of board," said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph E. Santos of the 17th Fires Brigade. "How that soldier overcomes that nervousness under stress is a good sign of a leader. Handling adversity when faced with difficult decisions are what these boards are designed to test of each soldier."

Army Pfc. Samie G. Berhane, an advanced field artillery tactical data system operator with 17th Fires Brigade, was well aware of what promotion boards could be like, having talked to his NCO and other soldiers who'd faced the experience. With the encouragement of his supervisor, Berhane decided to prepare for his eventual appearance before the promotion board with a trial run at a mock board.

Conducted each Monday at the brigade's headquarters here, the mock boards provide soldiers a chance to familiarize themselves with the trials of promotion and Soldier of the Quarter and Soldier of the Year boards.

"All the studying that I'm doing is not only preparing me for the promotion board, but also building my knowledge base which I'll need for the responsibilities I will inherit as I cross the threshold into a leadership role," Berhane said. "The mock board gave me that extra edge of real-world experience one can't get with just books. Yes, I was nervous. Everyone was right about that, but I'm glad I went through it."

The mock board's intent is to mirror a promotion board's questions as well as its atmosphere. The questions vary from an initial life summary provided by the soldier to other questions touching on "what if" scenarios regarding leadership styles and choices.

"We have to drill soldiers that come to the board, test their mind and their ability to think on their feet," said Army 1st Sgt. Derek Q. Bazile of the 377th Field Artillery Regiment. "Every soldier is entitled to a competent leader. It's our responsibility to put these soldiers through hell and make sure they are able to withstand the heat." Santos agreed with Bazile and said his job as board president is to make sure every soldier has a fair and equitable experience during their trip to the board.

The path to success takes patience and drive to be one of the best, and knowledge that the goal to lead carries responsibilities beyond one's own desire for career advancement, said Army Sgt. Courtney G. Kargal, a 17th Fires Brigade battle captain.

"You have to put yourself mentally into the position that you're looking to achieve, prepare yourself to handle the responsibilities that come with that position and always conduct yourself in a professional manner," Kargal added.

(Army Spc. Maurice A. Galloway serves in the 17th Fires Brigade public affairs office.)

Group Recognizes Troops, Leaders for Service

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 3, 2009 - Twelve servicemembers were honored by the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs for their exemplary service here last night during the institute's annual dinner at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. Each of the five military service chiefs and the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command received the 2009 Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson Distinguished Service Award, while six other servicemembers, each nominated by their respective military departments and the U.S. Special Operations Command, received the institute's Grateful Nation Award for their service throughout the past eight years.

"We are here this evening to celebrate our country and to honor and respect the men and women who protect and defend us," Bob Friedman, a vice president with the institute, said. "We celebrate the strength of our government, our people and our institutions.

"We're here to celebrate heroism, service, sacrifice and country," he continued. "The five service chiefs and the commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command ... and our young Grateful Nation Award recipients are the embodiment of those qualities."

The 2009 Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson Award recipients are:

-- Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., Army chief of staff;

-- Marine Corps Gen. James T. Conway, Marine Corps commandant;

-- Navy Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations;

-- Coast Guard Adm. Thad W. Allen, Coast Guard commandant;

-- Air Force Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, Air Force chief of staff; and

-- Navy Adm. Eric T. Olson, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command.

The 2009 Grateful Nation Award recipients are:

-- Army Sgt. Gregory S. Ruske, a reservist with the 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 104th Division, Fort Lewis, Wash., who served with distinction in combat April 2008 in Afghanistan and was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart medals;

-- Marine Corps Cpl. Richard S. Weinmaster, a recovered wounded warrior formerly assigned to the 7th Marine Regiment's 2nd Battalion, who distinguished himself in Afghanistan and was awarded the Navy Cross and Purple Heart for gallantry in July 2008;

-- Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer John W. Marcum, a SEAL who served with distinction on several deployments in Afghanistan and has been awarded four Bronze Stars with valor since Sept. 11, 2001;

-- Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Thomas L. Boyles, who served honorably in overseeing the decontamination of personnel and equipment at Ground Zero following the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centers in New York, and also was recognized for his actions in response to the Columbia shuttle disaster in February 2003 and other missions since 9/11.

-- Air Force Maj. Austin A. Moore, an MQ-1B Predator pilot, who has flown more than 250 combat sorties in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, gathering key intelligence information in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan; and

-- Air Force Tech. Sgt. Christopher B. Grove, who distinguished himself in Afghanistan in April 2009 and was awarded the Bronze Star with valor for his direction of precision air strikes under fire.

"Our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines are a force for good in the world," Friedman said. "If we forget to be grateful for the blessing of this country, we do ourselves a disservice. This evening is given to celebration of the best of who we are and what we do."

Casey echoed Friedman's remarks, noting that his soldiers and the armed forces are in their ninth year of fighting in the Middle East and Southwest Asia. He noted that more than a million troops have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and that last year alone, more than 275,000 men and women enlisted or re-enlisted in the Army, Army National Guard or Reserve, knowing they would likely see combat.

"I'm amazed at the resilience and the strength of these forces," Casey said. "You can feel very good about the future of our country."

Roughead talked about the example set by past sailors and military members and how their service will always be remembered. Particularly, he spoke about Navy Lt. Cmdr. Scott Speicher, whose fighter jet was shot down over Iraq on the first day of Operation Desert Storm, Jan. 16, 1991. His remains were finally discovered by Marines in Iraq's Anbar province in August.

"He was lost to his family, he was lost to his community, and he was lost to his shipmates, but those who serve today and those who've served over the years have never forgotten about him," Roughead said. "I believe that that speaks about the spirit, the tenacity and the commitment and the courage of those who serve."

Marine Lt. Gen. George J. Trautman, deputy commandant of the Marine Corps for aviation, accepted the award on Conway's behalf. He lauded the military service chiefs for their accomplishments and the courage of the troops they lead.

"As a Marine, I stand in awe of [the award recipients'] collective accomplishments in service to our country," Trautman said. "As citizens in the world, we should be proud to represent and honor the brave men and women of the military who are willing to preserve true freedom at any cost."

Olson noted that more than 12,000 members of the special operations community are present in 80 countries, and though they're engaged in direct combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, many are "moving ahead of the sounds of guns, contributing to stability, to the long-lasting effect" of peace.

Schwartz talked about the sacrifice of military families throughout the past decade of war. He simply asked the audience to stand and applaud the families' dedication and support.

"It's important that each of us recognize that while the military member is honored here tonight, that there is a vital component that also serves, and that is the spouse and the families."

Allen said few honors are greater than talking about the men and women of the Coast Guard. Those servicemembers are operating in Iraq and Afghanistan, guarding oil platforms in the Arabian Gulf and managing the border with Russia at the Bering Sea. They also monitor the U.S. borders and answer the call of homeland security.

"We are on watch around the world," Allen said. "We are protecting our national vital interests, but we are also permanently deployed in defense of our homeland, working with our partners every day to ensure that when people get up, they have a safe, secure and resilient America.

"You can be very proud of this generation," he continued. "We truly have another great generation out there that is serving this country well."

The Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson Distinguished Service Award was named for the former U.S. senator following his death in 1984. Past recipients include chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen in 2008, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in 2007, U.S. Sen. John McCain in 2006, and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace.

LEADERSHIP IS A FUNCTION OF MULTIDIMENSIONAL AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY PREPARATION(*): ... By (c) Copyright 2009 Andres Agostini (Andy)

LEADERSHIP IS A FUNCTION OF MULTIDIMENSIONAL AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY PREPARATION(*): ON EDUCATION AS PER THE ULTIMATE EUROPEAN EMPEROR AND THE FATHER OF THE AMERICAN CONQUEST OF THE OUTER SPACE PROGRAM. By © Copyright 2009 Andres Agostini (Andy) at www.CyberCV.blogspot.com and www.AgostiniWorks.blogspot.com and www.ecademy.com/account.php?op=cv&id==

(*) Preparation begins with the utmost discipline of the mind.

General Colin Powell: “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” Quotation commentary: Clearly, education takes an immense part of preparation.

G. W. F. Hegel (1770 – 1831), German idealist philosopher: “Civil society has the right and duty of superintending and influencing education, inasmuch as education bears upon the child’s capacity to become a member of society. Society’s right here is paramount over the arbitrary and contingent preferences of parents.”

-Andy: "Once you do your ethics, you can do your actionable knowledge. Once your actionable knowledge is done by you, you can do you future. When your future is done by you, you can do your risks. When risks are done by you, you can do your benefits."

INTRODUCTION
Mostly, this work addresses some deep and yet wise reflections by Wernher von Braun and Napoleon Bonaparte. Both proved to be great leaders in their respective areas of dominion. Taking both considerations seriously will be extremely interesting and productive.

Many authors, speakers, and experts elaborate “in circles” about numerous traits and practices desirable for successful leadership. Nonetheless, they gravely fail to link their reflection to desirable and measurable objective, targets, and goals. It will never suffice to attempt (in failure) to shed light (out the unnecessarily abstract) by giving third-party examples whether accounts are real ones or fictitious ones. You cannot sublime the “gamed” abstracts to get readers in the marketplace while some authors offer the “seductive” attraction to buy some “literature” bathed by ambiguity for the sake of sales ratings. In practice this will not accomplish anything but disappointment and even bankruptcy for the avid reader and practitioner.

There are quite a few – sometimes many – optimum modes of leadership. There some wonderful leaders too. Precision and unambiguous actionable, transferrable language (a form of knowledge encoding) is beyond absolutely indispensable. Likewise, people speak and pontificate about “values” but they never specify unambiguously what his / her values really are about. Most reasonable people understand that without values specified and practiced consistently and congruently, one cannot exercise true leadership. No matter what some leadership authors and success speakers will not fail to address many vital subject matters in an ocean of ambiguity. The reader must get prepared to anticipate what literature and “key note” speeches he / she wishes to rule in or out.

Leadership is not only about accountability, transparency, and responsibility but also about adaptive and resilient effectiveness. The undersigned is thoroughly under the belief that in Century 21 – as many things are getting beyond reinvention – the leader is going to need “real time” qualitative updating. People like Sir Winston Churchill would have no problem to lead through these daring times at all. If one thinks that this into the theoretical realm, Einstein would tell him / her: “I do not know of anything more practical than theory.” No one can get to a new place with an old map!

Every sustainably successful leader must have his / her own system to think unthinkably for Life. The criticality of this matter is greatly ignored. This effort, of shaping and re-shaping one’s mind, goes on until the last breath marshaled. “The empires of the futures are the empires of the mind.” (Churchill). In my view, leadership is such a serious matter which requires the finest and newest from both science and art, not just art. Thorough lack of integrity, morality, and ethics does never make a true leader. Without those vital and actionable traits the “global crises of corruption” – immensely universally practiced – can never be mitigated and modulated. If the global crisis of corruption, as I like to term it, it is not massively countered on the face of Earth, it is childish to think that the global crises of, say, the climate, the economy, the geology, and geopolitics can be seriously addressed.

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE ON EDUCATION (1769 – 1821):
“…Education, strictly speaking, has several objectives: one needs to learn how to speak and write correctly, which is generally called grammar and belles letters. Each lyceum has provided for this object, and there is no well-educated man who has not learned his rhetoric. … After the need to speak and write correctly comes the ability to count and measure. The lyceums have provided this with classes in MATHEMATICS embracing arithmetical and MECHANICAL KNOWLEDGE IN THEIR DIFFERENT BRANCHES. … The elements of several other fields come next: chronology, geography, and the rudiments of history are also a part of the education of the lyceum …. A young man who leaves the lyceum at sixteen years of age therefore knows not only the mechanics of his language and the classical authors, the divisions of discourse, the different figures of eloquence, the means of employing them either to calm or arouse passions, in short, everything that one learns in a course on belles letters. He also would know the principal epochs of history, the basic geographical divisions, and how to compute and measure. He has some general idea of the most striking natural phenomena and the principles of equilibrium and movement both with regard to solids and fluids. … Whether he desires to follow the career of the barrister, that of the sword, or ENGLISH, or letters; if he is destined to enter into the body of scholars, to be a geographer, engineer, or land surveyor – in all these cases he has received a general education necessary to become equipped to receive the remainder of instruction that his circumstances require, and it is at this moment, when he must make his choice of a profession, that the special studies present themselves. … If he wishes to devote himself to the military art, engineering, or artillery, he enters a special school of MATHEMATICS, the polytechnique (institution, especially college dealing with or devoted to various TECHNICAL subjects). What he learns there is only the corollary of what he has learned in elementary mathematics, but the knowledge acquired in these studies must be developed and applied before he enters the different branches of ABSTRACT MATHEMATICS. NO LONGER IS IT A QUESTION SIMPLY OF EDUCATION, AS IN THE LYCEUM: NOW IT BECOMES A MATTER OF ACQUIRING A SCIENCE ….

Sir Ian Hamilton in 1921 on Napoleon: “It is only progressively that one can form a great army. Certainly no other commander in his day devoted as much thought and attention to organization as Napoleon, who went into painstaking detail to assure that his forces were disciplined, prepared, and ready to take the field. The army marches, works, and has its being by organization and discipline.”

WERNHER VON BRAUN ON EDUCATION (1912 –1977):
“…The average citizen today, of course, has far more scientific information at his disposal than did those greatest of intellects of earlier times. Yet paradoxically, I think that there has never been a greater need for increased understanding and appreciation of science. It has been said that, although the choice of direction for our civilization will be determined through democratic process, it is there that the problem begins. To make rational choices, the average citizen must understand the nature and role of science at a time when its breadth and complexity are increasing almost exponentially. … Conversely, the scientist, at a time when he can barely keep up to date in his specialty, must not isolate himself in his parochial interest. Instead, he should see his profession as a part of the larger world, to evaluate himself and his work in relation to all forces, especially the humanities, which shape and advance society. The need, then, is for an educational process resulting in more scientific literacy for the layman, and more literacy in the humanities for the scientists. … Man in this scientific age is free only to the extent he has a grasp on himself and his surroundings. FREEDOM – THE ABILITY TO SPEAK, THINK, ACT AND VOTE INTELLIGENTLY – is based largely on our ability TO MAKE CHOICES growing out of our understanding of the issues involved. With each advance of science, there is an invitation to more understanding. This is the essence of the burden borne by all peoples since the dawn of humanity. There must be widespread understanding of the role of science in modern society, both as to its limits and our dependence on its basic function as a tool for our survival. This is the imperative for scientific literacy. … How do we encourage scientific literacy? I THINK THE PROBLEM IS HOW TO INSTILL IN STUDENTS A PERMANENT DESIRE TO LEARN. All youth is endowed with curiosity from the very beginning. What can education process do, not only to keep this natural curiosity alive, but to make it a permanent part of the individual drive? … Students should be encouraged, beyond learning facts, to be intrigued by objects and events in their environment, as well as to become aware of and responsive in a positive manner to beauty and orderliness in their environment. They should be taught to willingly subject their data and ideas to criticism of their peers while acquiring a critical, questioning attitude toward inferences, hypotheses and theories. Early in education, they should be led to recognize the limitations of scientific modes of inquiry and the need for additional, quite different approaches to the quest for reality… Ultimately, they should be instilled with an appreciation for THE INTERRELATEDNESS OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY. …This is essentially the scientific method. By learning the scientific method, students will understand its role in society and at the same time to think for themselves. LEARNING TO THINK FOR ONESELF, IN TURN, IMPARTS A DEEP SENSE OF FREEDOM. ONCE TESTED, AN APPETITE FOR IT IS FORMED WHICH MAY WELL ENDURE THROUGHOUT LIFE. …But if our young people are going to gain the appetite, our schools, our colleges, our universities, must bear an ever greater responsibility. ALL TOO MANY TIMES IN THE PAST, EDUCATION – PARTICULARLY IN THE SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES – HAS PLACED EXTREMELY HEAVY EMPHASIS ON TRANSMITTING THE ESTABLISHED KNOWLEDGE OF THE PAST. THERE HAS BEEN A TENDENCY FOR TEACHERS TO ASSIGN, AND TO ENCOURAGE ROTE LEARNING, INSTEAD OF TAKING THE ADMITTEDLY MORE DIFFICULT PATH OF ENCOURAGING STUDENTS TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES. … THE MAINSPRING OF SCIENCE IS CURIOSITY. SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL, THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MEN AND WOMEN WHO FELT A BURNING DESIRE TO KNOW WHAT WAS UNDER THE ROCK, BEYOND THE HILLS, ACROSS THE OCEANS. THIS RESTLESS BREED NOW WANT TO KNOW WHAT MAKES AN ATOM WORK, THROUGH WHAT PROCESS LIFE REPRODUCES ITSELF, OR WHAT IS THE GEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE MOON.

QUESTION: ARE THE ROMANIC CULTURES IN SOUR OPPOSITION WITH NAPOLEON BONAPARTE’ AND WERNHER VON BRAUN’S SUCCESS PRESCRIPTIONS?
Yes, the Romanic cultures – to an appalling and unfortunate degree (and with the notorious exception of Leonardo Da Vinci) – have this overwhelming counter feeling against Napoleon Bonaparte’ and Wernher von Braun’s Success Prescriptions. When the subject matter is addressed, the respective incumbents take it as a violation to their traditions and not as an opportunity to grow beyond any past historic consideration.

TO VIEW THE LEADERSHIP SUCCESS TENETS BY © COPYRIGHT 2009 ANDRES AGOSTINI (ANDY), PLEASE LOG ON TO
http://www.slideshare.net/andresagostini/1-2399821

TO VIEW “APPLIED OMNISCIENCE” DEFINED BY © COPYRIGHT 2009 ANDRES AGOSTINI (ANDY), PLEASE LOG ON TO
http://www.slideshare.net/andresagostini/1-1610862

TO VIEW “TRANSFORMATIVE AND INTEGRATIVE RISK MANAGEMENT” DEFINED BY © COPYRIGHT 2009 ANDRES AGOSTINI (ANDY), PLEASE LOG ON TO
http://www.slideshare.net/andresagostini/definition-of-tranformative-and-integrative-risk-management-authored-by-copyright-2005-andres-agostini-andy-arlington-virginia-usa

By © Copyright 2009 Andres Agostini (Andy)
Ich Bin Singularitarian, High-Tech Visionary and Method Developer/Proprietor of: "Transformative And Integrative Risk Management" (with the applied omniscience perspective), Blitzkrieg, Organizational Strategist, TransLeadership / Preter-Leadership Innovist, Iconoclastic Mind Expansionist, Applied Omniscience Activist, so forth.

ON ANDRES AGOSTINI’S (ANDY’S) "TRANSFORMATIVE AND INTEGRATIVE RISK MANAGEMENT". "TRANSFORMATIVE AND INTEGRATIVE RISK MANAGEMENT" is not only a pervasive methodology to exploit sustainable and breakthrough UPSIDES out of DOWNSIDES but also it represents a hyper-catalyzer to amplify the intelligence of your biological computer. In disrupting potential hazards in advance, TAINRM does not only reduce and eliminate grave expenses but also create a framework of new lucrative opportunities. Dr. Stephen Hawking mentioned (this year in a CNN interview) that no one is compelled to study the Universe but that is “foolish” not to do it. By the same token and as AI and massive automation is beyond geometrically exponential, it is “foolish” not to cultivate and expand the mind.

At Google.com, write “andres agostini” and click search. Read more at:
www.AgostiniWorks.blogspot.com
www.ecademy.com/account.php?op=cv&id=408933
www.plaxo.com/directory/profile/201864946128/463c7d64/High-Tech/High-Tech+Visionary
www.BeyondCV.blogspot.com
www.CyberCV.blogspot.com
www.AA450.blogspot.com
www.AA210.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/sciczar
www.linkedin.com/in/andresagostini
www.slideshare.net/andresagostini
http://www.docstoc.com/profile/OmniSciCzar
http://bigthink.com/wwwagostiniworksblogspotcom
www.youtube.com/andresagostini
www.blogtalkradio.com/OmniSciCzar
www.SciEditor.blogspot.com
www.Omniscieditor.blogspot.com
http://friendfeed.com/OmniSciCzar
http://OmniSciMogul.wordpress.com/

NOTA BENE: "TRANSFORMATIVE AND INTEGRATIVE RISK MANAGEMENT" is not only a pervasive methodology to exploit sustainable and breakthrough UPSIDES out of DOWNSIDES but also it represents a hyper-catalyzer to amplify the intelligence of your biological computer. Dr. Stephen Hawking mentioned that no one is compelled to study the Universe but that is “foolish” not to do it. By the same token and as AI and massive automation is beyond geometrically exponential, it is “foolish” not to cultivate and expand the mind.

Wounded Warrior Diaries: 'Failure is Not an Option'

By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Special to American Forces Press Service

Oct. 28, 2009 - Believing faithfully that failure is not an option is a guiding philosophy for a former Army staff sergeant who, despite his injuries in combat, applies it to his life daily. Staff Sgt. Joe Beimfohr advanced in his military career, serving as a recruiter, then as section sergeant in charge of the health, welfare and training of soldiers. In January 2005, he was assigned to 1st Infantry Division's 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, at Fort Riley, Kan., and was deployed to Baqouba, Iraq. He was severely wounded on July 5 of that year when an improvised explosive device exploded on his patrol north of Baghdad.

Beimfohr's 25-vehicle convoy had stopped to investigate a possible IED, and he led a team to inspect the site. The team found and cut a wire that led to the road, disabling the IED. But terrorists were watching, and detonated another IED.

Army Spc. Christopher W. Dickison was killed instantly. Beimfohr lost both his legs, fractured his pelvis and right hand, and suffered abdominal injuries. His team's sacrifice in disabling the first IED directly contributed to saving the lives of other soldiers in the convoy.

Beimfohr was transported from Balad to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, and eventually to Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, where he spent nearly a year in recovery. He became involved in many sports-related activities, from mastering martial arts to excelling in hand-cycle marathons.

Beimfohr says he's stubborn by birth, and that he believes his internal drive to persevere and overcome helped him to move past his injuries.

"When I woke up and I was alive, that is what changed everything -- that was the last thing I asked God," he said. "When I woke up and realized I was alive, everything else didn't matter, because I was alive."

During recovery, Beimfohr was different from most of his fellow wounded warriors in that he had less family support to assist him through his recovery. He said he believes this propelled him to move forward and to not feel sorry for himself. In the absence of family support, he relied on the staff at Walter Reed, peer mentors and his comrades in arms, who all helped him recover.

"During that time when I was by myself and didn't have anyone, it was probably the hardest times, and I just had faith that things would work out," he said. "I had faith in myself, and I knew that I wasn't going to call it quits."

Beimfohr drew inspiration from the countless peer mentors, many of them amputees themselves, who came to sit by his bedside to share stories of their own recovery. Another role model he drew life lessons from was champion bicyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong. He recalled reading Armstrong's book and remembering a passage in which Armstrong recalls an e-mail he received from a cancer survivor welcoming him to the "club."

Though he didn't understanding the significance of the club at the time, Armstrong wrote, it served to shape his character later during his personal struggle with the disease, and through this, he truly understood what it meant.

Beimfohr said he identifies with Armstrong, because his injuries have welcomed him into a unique club as well.

"We are a unique club -- we are a unique band of brothers," he said. "Our experiences are one-of-a-kind, and especially with this generation, with the media and the Internet, and a population that supports what we do. They want to learn more about us, and that brings us together."

Wounded warriors have choices during their recovery, Beimfohr said. "You can sit in your hospital bed and complain about your injuries," he said, "or you can accept what happened to you and move forward in a positive direction."

Beimfohr said that wounded warriors forge their bond of brotherhood when they are first injured on the battlefield, lasting through the recovery and beyond. But, healing from those wounds takes some warriors longer than others, he acknowledged.

"Everyone comes around to that direction," he said. "It may take some folks longer than others to accept their injuries and to accept what happened to them. For me, the big part was seeing other people who were at different stages than I was."

Beimfohr said he drew inspiration from watching others in their recovery process when he went to physical therapy.

"I saw an achievable physical goal that I could attain if I worked hard enough and stayed positive enough," he said. "I thought that I could be like that guy. And, I think that is what really helps people turn that corner in a positive direction," he said.

Beimfohr said he doesn't believe he is a hero, but rather servicemembers killed in battle are the true heroes.

"The heroes are the guys like Specialist Dickison -- the guys who didn't come back who sacrificed their lives for their units, for their comrades, for their soldiers," he said.

Beimfohr noted his unit's efforts the day he was injured that resulted in locating three other hidden explosives. "I think Dickison's sacrifice and my sacrifice are what led to 18 other guys being alive," he said. "I went back to Fort Riley and got to see some of the soldiers who were near the explosive that day. One of my soldiers that I knew very well, his wife just had a baby. I think to myself, 'Well, what would have happened if we didn't find that device and disabled it? Then he wouldn't be here."

That, he said, makes his sacrifice worth something. "If I have to go through life without legs, it was worth it," he said.

Beimfohr currently works with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Offices, but during his off time he doesn't seem to slow down. He is co-founder of the Able Warrior system that teaches self-defense to people with various disabilities – including many wounded warriors who have amputations of the legs and arms.

He also has acquired the passion of hand cycling. He has participated in the Marine Corps and New York City marathons, and is preparing for the Palm Beach, Fla., marathon in December.

Beimfohr is setting his sights high, looking at possibly qualifying for the U.S. Paralympics team for hand cycling. He acknowledged he might not be at the elite status yet, but added that he would like to attain that level and understands it won't happen overnight.

"I think Paralympics is something that is always the top goal for everyone who starts to compete in the higher levels," he said.

(This is the 14th installment of the Wounded Warrior Diaries series. Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg works in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.

Wounded Warrior Continues to Lead

By Ignacio Rubalcava
Special to American Forces Press Service

Oct. 26, 2009 - The noncommissioned officer corps often is considered the backbone of the Army, but defining what it means to be a part of that brotherhood is not as easy as it sounds. A wounded warrior now serving in the plans, training, mobilization and security directorate at the U.S. Army garrison here believes that attaining NCO status does not automatically make a soldier a leader.

Though his injuries prevent him from accomplishing the basics such as physical training, weapons training or physically showing other soldiers how to perform tasks, Sgt. 1st Class Chris Edwards has elected to remain in the Army and continue to serve.

After becoming an NCO, Edwards said, a soldier usually goes through a transition period before becoming an effective leader, and learning humility is an important aspect of that transition.

"I think that the easiest way to transfer from being an NCO to a leader is for one, you have to be humble," he said. "In the grand scheme of life, you're not better than anybody else. Yes, you're a higher rank. You've probably been in longer than your troops. But to really be a leader, you have to take the needs of your soldiers before the needs of yourself. Once your troops figure out that you're there for them and not the other way around, that's when you become a leader. That's when they give you the respect.

"You earn the respect; you haven't demanded it," he continued. "They give it to you freely, and it's a much better environment."

An NCO doesn't need to yell and scream to get respect, Edwards said. "It irritates me to no end to see a young NCO yelling and screaming at his guys," he said. "You could get twice as far with just a calm word and explaining to them what they're doing wrong instead of yelling at them."

The transition from being an NCO to being a leader comes with maturity, Edwards said, "because then you're leading your troops, you're not telling them what to do."

Edwards said that being an NCO has taken on a totally different perspective for him since he was injured, but the meaning of being an NCO remains as intact in his mind as when he was able to lead his soldiers into battle.

"Being a wounded warrior, I chose to stay on active duty," he said. "I didn't need to, but it's just that I love being an NCO. I don't think there's any greater honor than leading troops into battle."

But things are much different for him now, Edwards acknowledged. "I'm just being around the guys," he said. "I'm helping out the younger troops with whatever it might be - helping to spread a little bit of knowledge, a little bit of wisdom.

"Being an NCO is a once-in-a-lifetime thing," he continued. "Once you leave, you're done. I mean, you can always retire and sit around reliving the glory days, but I wasn't ready for that, so I chose to stay in and still live them."

(Ignacio Rubalcava works in the public affairs office at U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder.)