Shipmate of the Week – Dr. John Oliver

Posted by: LTJG Stephanie Young

A majestic lighthouse on the Great Lakes. A sustainable fish hatchery along the Atlantic coast. A marine sanctuary off the Olympic Peninsula. An industrious port in the country’s heartland.

America’s coastal environments are all vastly different, yet they remain connected in ways that influence everyone. With the ocean touching every aspect of our lives, preserving the coastal environment is of the highest importance.  The Coast Guard’s Dr. John T. Oliver has become intimately involved in ensuring that our nation preserves these vital ecosystems.

Developing a strategy for the ocean, our coasts and the Great Lakes became a national priority when President Obama announced America’s first national ocean policy in June 2009.

As a result, Dr. Oliver, Senior Ocean Policy Advisor, now represents the Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security on the country’s first National Ocean Council. Oliver, leading a team of subject matter experts, is tasked with developing and implementing plans for the ocean, our coast and the Great Lakes in which a growing number of uses – economy, energy, security, cultural, recreational – are expanding at a rate that challenges our ability to effectively plan and manage ecosystems.

Appreciating the fact that local decisions regarding personal, recreational, or commercial use of a waterfront are often made with little regard to how they can impact hundreds of miles of coastline and the nearby marine environment, Oliver knows that we cannot continue down this path.

“This new approach to ocean management will promote the Coast Guard’s safety, security, and stewardship missions,” said Oliver. “Having the information so that you really know what is going on in the ocean and along our coasts, and making management decisions based on what is best for the entire ecosystem, is critical to restoring the health and maximizing the economic productivity and enjoyment of our bountiful and beautiful maritime domain.”

Addressing the impacts these competing demands can have on a marine ecosystem is known as Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning and Oliver is looked to as one of the nation’s leading experts on effective CMSP.

Developing a CMSP policy is no easy task, and one of the biggest hurdles is ensuring every stakeholder has a voice. To consider all of the key issues, the Task Force has reached out to stakeholders representing the maritime shipping industry, commercial fishing interests, the recreational fishing, boating, and yachting community, coastal tourism boards, port and waterway experts and specialists in national and homeland security.

“Dr. Oliver’s remarkable efforts have ensured that the Coast Guard will play a leadership role in the National Ocean Council and in the Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning process,” said Rear Adm. Brian Salerno, Deputy Commandant for Operations. “We could not have achieved all that we have without his extraordinary work.”

Whether you work in a port complex or sail on a freshwater lake, the oceans and coastal areas all play a key role in the lives of every American. While each ecosystem has connections with others that are both complex and intricate, Dr. Oliver and his colleagues are at the forefront of change aimed at preserving our oceans, coasts and Great Lakes for future generations.

Navy Leadership Disturbed By Rise in Designer Drug Use

By Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class (AW) Tim Comerford - Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Public Affairs

NORFOLK (NNS) -- Navy leadership is expressing concern that recent statistics suggest use of "Spice" and similar so-called designer drugs rose in the last quarter of 2010.

Spice and similar products are essentially an herbal, synthetic form of marijuana, mimicking the chemical compounds found in the drug. These products are banned for Navy personnel.

"The number of incidents of designer drug usage is rising at an alarming rate in our Navy. In the last four months alone, 79 of our Fleet Forces Sailors and 72 Pacific Fleet Sailors have been accused of using or possession of the drug. That's 151 Sailors that if found guilty will be administratively separated from our Navy," said Adm. John C. Harvey, Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command.

Harvey believes it's everyone's responsibility to deal with what could be a dangerous trend.

"I need each and every one of our Sailors looking out for each other," Harvey explained. "Talk to your shipmates about Spice and make sure they understand the dangers and serious consequences involved with its use."

In response to the rising concerns of the military over Spice and similar products, the Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Board of Southeastern Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina placed 10 businesses in Hampton Roads off-limits to service members in November.

Since the release of Naval Administrative Message (NAVADMIN) 108/10 in March 2010, which reemphasized the Navy's drug policy, the U.S. Navy has been proactively campaigning to reduce the number of incidents related to the use of synthetic marijuana.

"Our Navy has zero tolerance for drug use. If you are considering using Spice or a similar drug, I strongly urge you to reconsider," Harvey said. "If you are caught using it, even once, you will be separated from the Navy. There is no second chance."

Navy personnel determined to be unlawfully using, possessing, promoting, manufacturing or distributing drugs and/or drug abuse paraphernalia shall be disciplined, as appropriate and processed for administrative separation, according to Navy regulations.

In the Navy, drug abuse includes: the wrongful use, possession, manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance. Drug abuse also includes: the unlawful use of controlled substance analogues (designer drugs), natural substances (e.g., fungi, excretions), chemicals (e.g., chemicals wrongfully used as inhalants), propellants and/or prescribed or over-the-counter drugs or pharmaceutical compounds with the intent to induce intoxication, excitement or stupefaction of the central nervous system and will subject the violator to punitive action under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and/or adverse administrative action.

Examples of other substances, the wrongful use of which constitutes drug abuse, includes, but is not limited to the following:

- Products that contain synthetic cannabinoid compounds, such as Spice, Genie, Blaze, Dream, Ex-Ses, Spark, Fusion, Dark Knight, Yukatan Fire and K2.

- Natural substances such as Salvia divinorum and mushrooms

- Common use items abused by inhaling or huffing, such as Dust-Off, glue, paint thinner and gasoline

- Over-the-counter products such as Robitussin and Coricidin HBP

- Prescription medications such as Oxycodone, Vicodin, Adderal and Valium

For more news, visit www.navy.mil.

Deputy Attorney General James Cole Appoints Stuart M. Goldberg as Chief of Staff and Lisa O. Monaco as Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General

WASHINGTON – Deputy Attorney General James Cole today announced the appointment of Lisa O. Monaco as the Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General and Stuart M. Goldberg as the Chief of Staff to the Deputy Attorney General.  

“Lisa and Stuart are veteran career prosecutors who have served the department in a number of capacities over the years and I am grateful that they will continue their service in the Deputy Attorney General's office,” said Deputy Attorney General Cole.   “Stuart and Lisa have demonstrated leadership and an unrivaled commitment to this institution and I am confident they will be key assets in our efforts to keep the American people safe, ensure the fairness and integrity of our financial markets, and protect the traditional missions of the department.”

Since 2010, Monaco has served as the acting Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General and before that served as an Associate Deputy Attorney General since 2009.   Prior to joining the Deputy Attorney General's office, Monaco was the Chief of Staff to FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, working on a wide range of national security and law enforcement issues.   She also served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Counselor to Director Mueller during her tenure at the FBI.

From 2001 to 2007, Monaco served as a federal prosecutor.   She was appointed to the Enron Task Force, serving as a co-lead trial counsel in the prosecution of five former executives of Enron Broadband Services. For her work on the Enron Task Force, Monaco received the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service, the Justice Department’s highest award.   Prior to her appointment to the Enron Task Force, she served as the Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.  

Monaco served as Counsel to Attorney General Janet Reno from 1998 to 2001, providing advice and guidance on national security, law enforcement, budget and oversight issues.

Before joining the department, Monaco clerked for the Honorable Jane R. Roth, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.   She earned her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School and her B.A. from Harvard University.

Since 2005, Goldberg has served as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, where he oversaw the work of over 85 Assistant U.S. Attorneys involved in criminal prosecutions and civil litigation.   In December 2010, he was awarded a Director’s Award for his superior performance as a manager at the 2010 Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys Director’s Awards ceremony.

Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Goldberg was Principal Deputy Chief of the Public Integrity Section, the office that oversees the federal effort to combat corruption through the prosecution of officials and employees at all levels of government.   Goldberg began his career with the Department as a trial attorney at Public Integrity in 1988.   He also served the section as Deputy Chief for Litigation and Senior Litigation Counsel.

Before joining the Department, Goldberg worked as a civil litigator at Rogers & Wells LLP, focusing largely on securities and commodities fraud, First Amendment and antitrust cases.

Goldberg has been a member of the adjunct faculty at Georgetown University Law Center, teaching courses on professional responsibility.   He received his J.D. from Harvard Law School and his B.A. from the University of Virginia.

Honoring Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy

By Tracy Russo

Earlier today, on the 50th anniversary of his swearing-in as Attorney General, the Department of Justice came together to celebrate the achievements and enduring contributions of Robert F. Kennedy.  Joined by Kennedy family members, including his wife, Ethel Kennedy, renowned civil rights leaders, historians and current and former Justice Department employees this event commemorated the life and service of our nation’s 64th Attorney General.

Attorney General Eric Holder reflected on the enduring legacy of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, noting:

No one can doubt how Robert Francis Kennedy chose to use the law when he was Attorney General.  He taught us that law can be a powerful force for good – if we are willing, as he was, to roll up our sleeves, to summon our courage and our best efforts, and to lead from the front lines of change.

In doing just that, Attorney General Kennedy championed the cause of the least among us – and made our nation more just, more fair, and more humane.  He was not afraid to dream a better world and to act to create it.

However, the Attorney General also pointed to the work left still to do:

In his first speech as Attorney General, Robert Kennedy argued that the time for apathy had long since passed; that it was time to, “[prove] to the world that we really mean it when we say that all men are created free and equal before the law.”

“All of us,” he said, “might wish at times that we lived in a more tranquil world – but we don’t.  And if our times are difficult and perplexing, so are they challenging and filled with opportunity.”

Despite all that’s been accomplished in recent decades, we – still – do not live in tranquil times.  We continue to face difficulty, injustice, division, and an array of challenges that can serve to sharpen our skills, steel our resolve, focus our energy, and impel us to action.

In times like these, the importance of Robert Kennedy’s work becomes ever clearer…

So, as we celebrate Robert Kennedy’s life and his impact on this Department, let us also commit ourselves to carrying on – and carrying out – his mission to make gentle the life of this world, and to make good on the promise of our nation.  Let us answer his call, “to face up to our nation’s problems and live up to its founding principles.”  And let us heed the wisdom of his extraordinary example.

In marking this special anniversary, the Justice Department is pleased to release a selection of historic photos from the Department’s archives. These images capture Attorney General Kennedy at work in the Department, at home with his family, and in public with people from all corners of the globe.

Also, for the first time, the Department of Justice library has compiled and digitized a collection of Robert F. Kennedy’s statements and speeches from his tenure as Attorney General. These speeches, from 1961 to 1964 provide a window into the world of the Justice Department during that time.

Shipmate of the Week – The crew of CG6022

Posted by: LTJG Stephanie Young

Uncontrollable variables, such as weather, location, time of day or aging response boats and aircraft, presents every Coast Guard search and rescue crew with unique challenges. But, few cases present the confluence of obstacles the aircrew of CG6022 faced when they launched from Andros Island, Bahamas, last month.

Arriving on scene, 47 nautical miles offshore, with the 50-foot sailing vessel Arktur taking on water, Lt. George Menze and Lt. George Cottrell, the aircraft commander and copilot, had to position their helicopter in sustained winds at 35 knots. Using night vision goggles, the aircrew could see the vessel as it pitched and rolled violently in the seas and wind. The sailing vessel was a two-masted ketch, with no open areas for hoisting, and its swaying masts were a clear hazard for the helicopter.

The howling winds and heavy seas had forced the three sailors aboard below decks, making them initially unaware of the 6022’s presence. Menze and Cottrell placed the helicopter in a 70-foot hover and used the searchlight to alert the sailors who eventually moved above decks.

The decision was made to deploy the rescue swimmer, and Menze focused on adjusting the helicopter’s altitude with Cottrell calling out incoming swells. Petty Officer 2nd Class Sara Faulkner had requalified as a rescue swimmer days before and this would be her first case being deployed since Hurricane Katrina followed by a tour as a recruiter. She recalls the moments after she was lowered into the water.

“The boat I was trying to swim to was moving fast,” said Faulkner. “I seriously had my doubts if I would catch it and as soon as they lowered me down I realized just how fast the boat was being pushed away from me by the winds and the helicopter rotor wash. “

The flight mechanic for the 6022, Petty Officer 2nd Class James Nelson, was also battling the breaking swells as he assisted Faulkner from above, and was drawing upon what he learned from Advanced Helicopter Rescue School, a training that is held where the high seas thrash the Northwest coastline in Oregon. Without his focus, the basket and swimmer could easily become lost in the foamy seas.

“I’ve done a lot of medevacs in the past, in all different situations,” said Nelson. “But this is the first time I’ve actually used the swimmer and put them in the water with their fins on.”

Faulkner powered through the 20-foot swells and reached the boat, attempting to grab low hanging ropes in order to talk with the sailors. When a large swell pitched the stern of the vessel into the air, Faulkner disappeared under the stern, but maneuvered out of the way before the stern came crashing back down.

On Faulkner’s command, the sailors, one by one, took the plunge into the Atlantic.

Nelson raised the first survivor, as he contended with the breaking waves that periodically buried both Faulkner and the sailor in white foam. As the first sailor was hoisted, the winds and seas caused the vessel to drift 100 yards from Faulkner, and a rescue sling was used by Nelson to reposition Faulkner, and the second sailor was successfully hoisted.

With only one sailor remaining, it was decided to recover the remaining sailor in a sling deployment instead of a rescue basket to avoid burning out the hoist. After the ready signal was given, Faulkner and the last sailor were hooked together and hoisted into the helicopter’s cabin.

The 6022 aircrew battled nightmarish conditions and personal challenges as they rescued all three sailors aboard Arktur. But every success an aircrew has pales in comparison to the gratitude felt by those whose loved ones are now safe.

“When I heard Lynn’s voice from Nassau, a wave of relief and gratitude flowed over me. Relieved to know he was okay and gratitude that the Coast Guard was there and able to rescue them,” said Barbara Deedler, spouse of Lynn Deedler, one of the sailors rescued. “Because of them, our family has much to be thankful for as we start a new year.”

Chicago Radio Personality Honored by FBI

Local radio and television personality Roe Conn has been selected as the 2010 Chicago area recipient of the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA), announced Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The DCLA is presented annually by FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III to a recipient in each of the FBI’s 56 domestic field offices. Established in 1990, the DCLA is designed to publicly recognize an individual or organization that has helped with crime prevention and educational programs within their community and which have furthered the efforts of law enforcement. In selecting Mr. Conn as the 2010 recipient of this prestigious award, Director Mueller noted his many contributions over the years in assisting both the law enforcement community and related charities and benevolent organizations. Said Director Mueller, “Mr. Conn’s unwavering support of law enforcement in general, and the FBI in particular, has earned him the respect and admiration of police officers and FBI agents throughout the Chicago area. He has used the public airways as a means to educate and inform his listeners, while at the same time remaining an objective journalist.”

In announcing this award, Mr. Grant noted the dedication and personal involvement exhibited by Mr. Conn in assisting the Chicago FBI during the past several years. Mr. Grant added “Our employees were honored to have Roe Conn serve as the master of ceremonies at our 100th anniversary celebration in July of 2008. In addition, his frequent on-air discussion of FBI investigations and related issues has earned him a great following in our office.”

Mr. Conn serves on the board of directors for the USO of Illinois and has been active in supporting the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation and the Chicago Crime Commission, which demonstrates his ongoing dedication to aiding law enforcement.

Mr. Conn follows acclaimed journalist and documentarian Bill Kurtis, who was the 2009 Chicago DCLA recipient.

An awards luncheon honoring Mr. Conn is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. tomorrow at Harry Caray’s Restaurant, 33 West Kinzie in Chicago. Mr. Conn will also be invited to attend an awards ceremony, to be held in Washington, D.C. in March, at which time DCLA recipients from across the nation will be personally honored by Director Mueller.

NASA Announces New Deputy Chief Information Officer for IT Security

Katherine Trinidad

Headquarters, Washington                                         

WASHINGTON -- NASA's Chief Information Officer (CIO) Linda Cureton has announced the appointment of Valarie Burks as the deputy CIO for Information Technology Security.

Burks served as the associate CIO for Cyber and Privacy Policy and Oversight at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) since 2009. She managed Federal Information Security Management Act reporting, governance, risk and crisis management, strategic oversight and compliance.

"Valarie has a significant background and experience in IT management," Cureton said. "That combined with her in-depth understanding of communications and holistic approach to IT security make her an invaluable asset to our efforts."

Burks developed and launched the USDA Certification and Accreditation Center of Excellence to improve and mitigate system risks, reduce costs and improve the quality and standards for systems. Burks has developed, managed, and maintained IT infrastructure and equipment including network, desktop, video, web-hosting and telecommunications operations. She handled IT management responsibilities while working for the Office of Management and Budget, Department of Commerce and Government Accountability Office.

Burks received her B.S. in computer science from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She also received her M.S. in computer systems management from the University of Maryland, University College.

For information about NASA's Office of the Chief Information Officer, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ocio.

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Shipmate of the Week – CDR James Robertson

Posted by: LTJG Stephanie Young

Coast Guard men and women deployed to Iraq are taking part in missions they will draw upon for the rest of their careers. For Cmdr. James Robertson, assigned to United States Forces-Iraq with the Port Advisory Coordinating Element, that life-changing mission just may be taking place outside of his official duties as he works to support the Umm Qasr Women’s Center, empowering local Iraqi women to make a difference in their communities.

As officer-in-charge of PACE, Robertson works with the government of Iraq, port authority and maritime industry to develop and implement a port security program that meets international standards. His four-member PACE team is constantly traveling to engage and mentor area leaders on port security and to assess Iraq’s seaports – vital to both the security and economy of this oil rich nation.

It was on a trip to Umm Qasr to survey community facilities for potential capital improvement projects where Robertson was first introduced to the Umm Qasr Women’s Center.

The Women’s Center is devoted to empowering women in the local community. At the center, women learn basic seamstress and accounting skills that prepare them to own and operate home businesses. The center also provides classrooms where their children can begin a basic education and a get reprieve from the streets of Umm Qasr.

“During my visit to the Center, I saw a great need for even basic supplies at the center,” said Robertson. “I was moved to action by the squalid conditions I encountered there.”

Motivated both by what these women were trying to accomplish and that they were struggling to succeed in the face of financial and societal hurdles, Robertson seized the moment. Through Operation Mailbox, Robertson reached back to his hometown in New Jersey and the Alaska community where his previous unit was based for help.

Combining his passion and relationships with Iraqi community leaders, Robertson’s efforts paid off, in the form of school supplies, toys, sewing materials and personal hygiene items shipped from friends and family back home to support the women and children of Umm Qasr.

Through his actions, Robertson demonstrated both compassion and a keen sense of foreign policy smarts.

“If the Iraqi people can understand that we truly care for their wellbeing, their safety and prosperity, it will open doors of mutual trust.”

Leaders Emphasize Importance of Moral Courage, Candor

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2011 – Telling the boss what he or she wants to hear is easy. But what are service members to do when asked to provide professional advice or a recommendation, knowing it runs contrary to what the senior leader wants or expects?

That’s the dilemma discussed yesterday at a military professionalism conference organized at the request of Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has said he counts candor and moral courage among the essential qualities for 21st-century military leadership. Speaking last spring at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., he cited several Naval Academy graduates who rose to greatness largely because they recognized the need to sometimes buck institutional resistance.

“One of the key reasons they were successful was because they were willing to speak truth to power -- willing to tell superiors what they needed to hear, not what they wanted to hear,” Gates told the midshipmen.

Mullen, speaking last spring at the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation and commissioning in Colorado Springs, Colo., challenged the new officers to be leaders demonstrating loyalty, integrity and imagination as they live up to their commissioning oath. But he warned them that their loyalty should never be blind.

"Few things are more important to an organization than people who have the moral courage to question the direction in which the organization is headed, and then the strength of character to support whatever final decisions are made," the chairman told the cadets.

Speaking at the National Defense University’s conference on “Introspection and Reflection on Basic Tenets and the Way Ahead” yesterday, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Jack L. Rives and retired Army Lt. Gen. Julius W. Becton, Jr., shared their own experiences of what it’s like to offer guidance that doesn’t necessarily track with what the higher-ups want.

Rives, the Air Force’s judge advocate general after the 9/11 terror attacks, played a pivotal role in a broad range of legal deliberations and activities regarding the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, including detainee operations.

Retired Army Lt. Gen. Julius W. Becton, Jr., who rose through the ranks from a private serving in a segregated Army during World War II to commander of VII Corps during the Cold War, helped pave the way to fully integrate women into the military.

Both found themselves negotiating difficult waters and sometimes bucking the establishment along the way.

Rives kicked off yesterday’s panel discussion by reciting the oath every officer takes when receiving a military commission. “That is really all the guidance you need,” he told the attendees, key leaders of the military education and training community. Pausing, he added with a smile, “Of course, the devil is in the details.”

Military members have a responsibility to remain apolitical even when reporting to political figures, Rives said, reiterating a key point made earlier in the day by Mullen as well as retired Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman.

“It’s important to realize that your oath is to [protect and defend] the Constitution,” Rives said. “It is not to a political party. It is not to an administration. It is not to a person…We owe our allegiance and loyalty to the country and its Constitution.”

When testifying before Congress, Rives said he knew he was bound by a promise to provide his best military guidance and when asked, his personal opinion, even when it didn’t jibe with the administration’s position.

“You have to live with yourself. You look at yourself in the mirror each day,” he said. “So you shouldn’t be motivated by, ‘What is this going to do for or to my career if I give my boss certain advice. Your obligation is to give the best advice possible.”

When he shares that conviction with younger officers and advises them to do what they believe is right, Rives said they sometimes balk. “They say, ‘It’s easy for you to say, you’re a three-star general,’” he told the group. “I thought about it and said, ‘Really, it’s easy for you to do as well, because you have to live with yourself. You look at yourself in the mirror each day. And you shouldn’t be motivated by, ‘What is this going to do for or to my career?’”

Rives said he knew during his career he’d given his commanders advice they didn’t like hearing. “But in almost every case, later they showed some appreciation for me telling them what I believed was my best advice,” he said. “So, ‘To thine own self be true’ is what I have to say.”

Becton echoed Rives’ conviction as he shared 12 basic principles that formulated his philosophy of command. Among them: Integrity is non-negotiable. Challenge assertions. And disagreement is not disrespect.

These proved invaluable as he charted the course in helping the Army move beyond isolated billets for the women who were just beginning to enter the military ranks and policies that sounded good on paper but simply didn’t apply in real life.

“A good approach is, ‘How do you feel looking at the person in the mirror in the morning when you have made a decision?’” Becton said. “If you can live with that, I say, fine. If that causes you a problem, maybe you ought to go back and take another look.”

Asked during a question-and-answer period about the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law that had prohibited gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military, Rives offered a response as direct and unvarnished as those he had challenged the audience to present their leaders.

A law is a law and military members must obey it, he said, regardless of their personal feelings about it.

“If it is a legal requirement, they have no choice but to comply,” he said. “If you have a member of the military who feels strongly that they cannot serve in the military because the military will permit someone who is a declared homosexual to serve openly, then their decision will [have] to be to leave the military.”

Randall Thysse Named Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office Counterintelligence Division

January 07, 2011 FBI National Press Office

Director Robert S. Mueller, III has named Randall C. Thysse special agent in charge of the New York Field Office Counterintelligence Division.

In 1989, Mr. Thysse entered on duty as a special agent with the FBI. His first assignment was with the Omaha Division’s Des Moines, Iowa Resident Agency.

Mr. Thysse later worked out of FBI Headquarters in 1998 and served as a supervisor in the Criminal Investigative Division’s financial institution fraud unit.

In October 2000, he transferred to the Salt Lake City Division’s Helena, Montana Resident Agency. There he served as a supervisor overseeing six FBI offices in western Montana.

Mr. Thysse returned to FBI Headquarters in November 2002, where he was a unit chief in the Counterintelligence Division’s counterespionage section. He was responsible for Cuban espionage, internal security, and unauthorized disclosures of classified material programs.

In January 2005, Mr. Thysse was promoted to the Memphis Division’s national security branch as assistant special agent in charge.

He transferred back to FBI Headquarters in October 2008, where he was selected for his most recent position, section chief in the Counterintelligence Division’s global counterintelligence section.

Mr. Thysse is a Minneapolis, Minnesota native. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in financial management and accounting from the University of St. Thomas. He received his Master of Business Administration degree from Drake University and is also a certified public account. 

Mr. Thysse is married with two children.

Frank Montoya, Jr. Named Special Agent in Charge of the Honolulu Division

Washington, D.C.

January 06, 2011 FBI National Press Office

Director Robert S. Mueller, III has named Frank Montoya, Jr. special agent in charge of the FBI’s Honolulu Division. Mr. Montoya most recently served as section chief in the Counterintelligence Division.

Mr. Montoya began his career as an FBI special agent in May 1991 and reported to the San Antonio Field Office, where he worked violent crime and fugitive investigations. He established and led activities of the division’s fugitive task force. Mr. Montoya also worked temporarily in the Oklahoma City Field Office to assist in the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing investigation.

In June 1996, Mr. Montoya transferred to the San Juan Field Office. During his assignment, he worked in the special operations group and served as a surveillance team leader on drug, violent crime, and national security cases.

After San Juan, he was assigned to the Washington Field Office’s national security squad. Mr. Montoya participated and led domestic and foreign investigations and operations.

In April 2000, Mr. Montoya was promoted and worked at FBI Headquarters. He oversaw national security investigations and operations. During this time, he assisted in the Robert Hanssen investigation.

Mr. Montoya transferred to the Milwaukee Field Office in November 2002. He served as supervisor and oversaw the counterintelligence squad and several national security investigations.

He returned to FBI Headquarters in December 2005 and was promoted to unit chief in the Counterintelligence Division. Mr. Montoya participated in the establishment of the National Cyber Investigations Joint Task Force. He moved to the West Coast in July 2007 and worked in the San Francisco Field Office as assistant special agent in charge in the counterintelligence branch.

Mr. Montoya was born in San Diego, California and raised in San Francisco. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Brigham Young University and served in the U.S. Army as an infantry officer. He and his wife have four sons.

Navy Relieves Enterprise Captain for ‘Poor Judgment’

By Karen Parrish

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4, 2011 – A Navy captain whose shipboard videos have made headlines since they surfaced in the media over the weekend has been relieved of his command for demonstrating poor judgment and leadership, a senior Navy officer announced today.

Capt. Owen Honors made the videos while serving as executive officer aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise in 2006 and 2007, and he had served as commander of the Enterprise for about seven months when he was relieved.

“The responsibility of the commanding officer for his or her command is absolute,” U.S. Fleet Forces commander Navy Adm. John C. Harvey Jr. said today in Norfolk, Va. “While Captain Honors’ performance as commanding officer of USS Enterprise has been without incident, his profound lack of good judgment and professionalism while previously serving as executive officer on Enterprise calls into question his character and completely undermines his credibility to continue to serve effectively in command.”

Honors’ video skits garnered global attention after the Virginian-Pilot newspaper published three of them and an accompanying story on its website Jan. 2. The videos include anti-gay slurs and depict male sailors in drag and female sailors showering together in a single stall.

The Enterprise crew viewed some of the videos on the ship’s closed-circuit television system while the vessel was deployed in 2006 and 2007 supporting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the newspaper’s reports.

“It is fact that as naval officers we are held to a higher standard,” Harvey said. “Those in command must exemplify the Navy’s core values of honor, courage and commitment, which we expect our sailors to follow. Our leaders must be above reproach, and our sailors deserve nothing less.”

Honors has been reassigned to administrative duties at Naval Air Force Atlantic.

Navy Capt. Dee Mewbourne will take command of USS Enterprise, Harvey said. The ship is scheduled to deploy in the coming weeks. Mewbourne commanded the carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower during two combat deployments supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, Harvey said. Mewbourne had been serving as chief of staff for Navy Cyber Forces, and was to assume command of the Enterprise this afternoon.

“We will support and work with Captain Mewbourne and the crew of Enterprise to keep them forward focused on their upcoming combat deployment. This is a difficult situation but the men and women of Enterprise are outstanding sailors who have completed a very challenging and comprehensive predeployment work-up period in a thoroughly professional manner. They are well-trained and I have full confidence in their readiness to execute all missions during their deployment,” Harvey said.

An investigation will continue on all aspects of the videos’ production, the admiral added, including the actions of other senior officers who knew of the videos and the actions they took in response.