Military women, particularly soldiers, will see more than 14,000 new job or assignment opportunities because of policy changes the Defense Department announced recently.

The changes are included in a report the department submitted to Congress today, based in part on findings the Military Leadership Diversity Commission reported in March.

Today’s report includes a “vision statement”: “The Department of Defense is committed to removing all barriers that would prevent service members from rising to the highest level of responsibility that their talents and capabilities warrant.”

A Pentagon news release accompanying the announcement quotes Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta as saying women have proven themselves in and out of battle.

“Women are contributing in unprecedented ways to the military’s mission,” he said. “Through their courage, sacrifice, patriotism and great skill, women have proven their ability to serve in an expanding number of roles on and off the battlefield.

“We will continue to open as many positions as possible to women so that anyone qualified to serve can have the opportunity to do so,” the secretary added.

The biggest barrier DOD is lifting is a 1994 policy prohibiting women from jobs — such as tank mechanic and field artillery radar operator — that take place near combat units. With that bar removed, more than 13,000 Army jobs will be available to women soldiers for the first time.

The second change is an “exception to policy” that will allow the Army, Navy and Marines to open select positions at the battalion level in jobs women already occupy.

The current policy, also set in 1994, bars women in jobs such as intelligence, communications and logistics from assignment at units smaller than a brigade. Nearly 1,200 assignments will open to women soldiers, sailors and Marines under the exceptions.

As the law requires, the Defense Department will not implement the new policies until Congress has been in continuous session for 30 days, which should happen later this spring.
The report notes the policy changes reflect conditions already common in the past decade’s wars, where attacks can occur without warning and battle lines can shift to formerly “rear echelon” areas.

“The dynamics of the modern-day battlefield are non-linear, meaning there are no clearly defined front line and safer rear area where combat support operations are performed within a low-risk environment,” the document’s authors wrote.

Pentagon statistics show 144 military women have been killed and 865 wounded in combat and noncombat incidents in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some 20,000 of the 205,000 service members currently serving in Afghanistan are women, and they make up about 280,000 of the more than 2.3 million troops who have served in operations over the past decade.

The 1.4 million-member active-duty force now serving includes about 205,000 women.
The report notes the changes will expand career opportunities for women, provide a greater pool of troops from which combatant commanders may draw, reduce the operational tempo for “male counterparts” by increasing the number of service members available to support direct combat forces, improve consistency in assignment policy, and give field commanders more flexibility in meeting combat-support mission requirements.

Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters the policy changes follow an extensive review that involved input from all the services.

“We believe it is very important to explore ways to offer more opportunities to women in the military,” he said.

Little said the department will continue to look for ways to increase opportunities for military women. He acknowledged most of the positions involve the Army, as the nation’s primary ground force.

“Most positions in the Air Force are already open to women,” Little noted. “The vast majority of positions in the Navy are already open to women, so most of these positions do involve the United States Army.”

The report states that 99 percent of all Air Force positions, officer and enlisted, are open to women. The figure is 66 percent for the Army, 68 percent for the Marines, and 88 percent for the Navy.

The 1994 Direct Ground Combat Definition and Assignment Rule identified five elements affecting women’s military service: direct ground combat, berthing and privacy, collocation, long-range reconnaissance and special operations forces, and physically demanding tasks.

Today’s report addresses two of these with full or partial policy changes, and addresses the others by stating department officials are working to establish gender-neutral job standards.

“This will mean a thorough analysis of job-related physical requirements … expected of service members,” the report reads in part. “These standards will help determine which specific positions presently excluded under the special operations and physical standards criteria are suitable for general assignment of both genders.”

The report’s authors acknowledged there are “practical barriers that require time to resolve to ensure the services maximize the safety and privacy of all service members while maintaining military readiness.”

The secretary directed the services to report results, six months after the policies take effect, on their implementation of the new assignment standards and their progress developing gender-neutral physical standards.

Seven months ago, Josh Quintero sat down with Arturo “Curry” Durazo, owner of Curry Race Cars to build a top notch Class 6 truck. Quintero had a major goal and short timeline to achieve it. He wanted to make his debut at the 2011 Score Baja 1000. Knowing he had no time to spare the truck building began as did the weekly parts running from Kartek located in Ontario, CA to Mexicali, MX. While delivering all the needed race truck parts to Curry Race Cars Josh was also busy getting a team of chase/pit support together and securing a few sponsors. Fortunately, Cocopah Casino (Somerton, AZ) and Fight Legends Clothing (Vista, CA) saw the marketing opportunity and decided to come on board with the sponsorships. Finally, November 4^th, 2011 and only two weeks before race day Curry Race Cars met their deadline and the race truck was complete and ready for testing in Plaster City, CA.

Before hitting the test track of Plaster City the race truck was checked out at Performance Plus with Dyno Testing marking the 500hp, 4.5 Ford custom built engine putting out 293hp to the wheels and 240lbs of torque with a top speed of 120 mph.  Now ready to hit the desert of Plaster City, shock testing with FOX SHOX lasted 3 days when finally the best set up was achieved on the 14” triple bypass and coil overs with the new set-up of 2.5” 250lb. top spring and 3” 500lb. bottom spring.  All that was left was to pick up the new Raptor body from McNeil’s Fab and Fiber only 6 six days until race day.

Now ready for the 2011 Score Baja 1000, JQ Racing- a team made up of three chase trucks and 2^nd driver Chris Taylor made it to Ensenada, MX Tuesday night November 15, 2011. Josh Quintero was ready to make his mark in his new class 6 race truck and show competitors what they will be facing the next race season.  Baja was nothing new to him and as Chris Taylor’s 2nd driver for the last four years Josh Quintero had gained a lot of experience that would be proved valuable. Looking over the class 6 entry list I asked Josh what his thoughts were on the competition and who he was most concerned about competing against.  With a quick grin Josh said, “I’m worried about all of the class 6 drivers, I respect all of them but I know I will have to watch out for Class Champion Dave Caspino especially since he will be starting right behind me.”

November 18, 2011 race day finally arrived and twelve class 6 trucks staged for the start of the toughest race of the season, the Score 2011 Baja 1000. As Quintero was ready to move his class 6 truck #617 into position the first problem would present itself. A blown fuse on the PCI race radio would turn out to be a minor issue and the fuse was quickly replaced and the radio was working again. After an hour delay due to race course issues #617 was ready to head to the start line when the truck would not turn over due to a stuck starter. Again, the problem was minor and was quickly fixed by Co-driver Ruben “Flako” Serrano Sandoval of Curry Race Cars. Now feeling nervous and unsure of the new truck making it through the toughest and longest race of the season Josh set up on the start line and waited for the green flag to drop signaling the start of his first race in his brand new truck. Josh definitely made his mark from the beginning of the race by getting on two wheels and taking out the fence in the very first turn.  With the engine roaring and the Baja desert in the horizon Josh knew he had no room for error with class champion Dave Caspino right behind him.

Thirty five miles into the race Caspino passed Quintero and the race quickly became a game of cat and mouse with the other class 6 trucks closely following. At RM 199, #617 radioed to BFG pits he suspected brake problems and need to come in for their pit support. Once the brakes were checked out, it turned out everything was fine and Josh sped back onto the race course trying to make up for lost ground. After hitting a rock at RM 220 the driveline broke. Co-driver Flako was quickly out of the truck and replaced the driveline with an onboard spare losing only about ten minutes. At RM 244 there was a quick fuel fill up and driver change. Chris Taylor took over the wheel and co-driver Jeram Leon took over race course navigation and didn’t waste any time closing the gap between them and class champ #600 in the unforgiving San Felipe loop conditions. Now waiting at RM 411 Josh Quintero attempted to rest as much as possible knowing the next 300 miles would be the hardest on him, the truck and his co-driver Flako who would have a total of 384 miles in the race truck. Quintero took back the wheel with no issues to tend to and soon completely closed the gap between #617 and #600. Quintero took the lead while #600 struggled through Mikes Sky Ranch high in the mountains and his lead would make him unreachable by any other class 6 trucks. With one final fuel stop and a Co-driver change at RM 540 Jason Davis took over the co-driver seat and Quintero still behind the wheel #617 sped off into the night with no radio communication working and the toughest of the entire course ahead of them.  As the sun rose over Santo Tomas, looking down the coast there was no sign of #600 and #617 knew they had a decent lead. Heading back into Ojos Negros #617 was running strong taking everything Baja had to offer. Averaging 34mph, Quintero brought his class 6 race truck into the Ensenada crossing the finish line after a grueling 702 miles, finishing in first place with in an impressive time of 20hr: 18min: 30sec. with #600 in 2^nd place following 28 minutes later and 3^rd place finisher 3 hours later.

Now that the race is over and Baja is behind him I asked Josh to share his thoughts on his win at the Baja 1000 and what is next for him. “I came into this race with just a goal of finishing. Never did I imagine myself winning. I look forward to starting the new race season and going after the class 6 championship.”

By MATT BOONE
MMANEWS.COM Staff Writer

Dana White announced the UFC 135: “Jones vs. Rampage” bonuses after the event in Denver, Colorado at the post-fight press conference on Saturday night.

Taking home an additional $75,000 for “Fight Of The Night” were main-event combatants Jon “Bones” Jones and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

Josh Koscheck earned an extra $75,000 for “Knockout Of The Night” with his first round stoppage of the UFC Hall Of Famer Matt Hughes.

And finally, “Submission Of The Night” honors went to Nate Diaz for his first-round armbar victory over Japanese legend and former PRIDE champion Takanori Gomi. Diaz as well took home an additional $75,000.

September 26, 2011

Navy News|by Katherine H. Crawford

ARLINGTON, Va. — Deployed Sailors and Marines on board aircraft carriers will be able to use smart phones to navigate, locate and track anyone on the ship in real time, Office of Naval Research (ONR) officials announced Sept. 15.

The ONR-funded Precise At-Sea Ship System for Indoor-Outdoor Navigation (PASSION) system uses wireless technology for internal and external surveillance of ships and aircraft, including tracking people and high-value assets.

PASSION’s current version, which includes real-time capability and stand-alone servers, was demonstrated aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) in April. Since then, it has made significant advancements-most notably, the ability to be loaded onto a smart phone instantly, to see wi-fi signal strength and to send alerts via text or email to personnel in specified areas.

“An aircraft carrier has 5,000 Sailors, more than 2,000 compartments, 75 aircraft and countless high-value assets,” said Dr. John Kim, ONR program officer for Navigation and Timekeeping. “To know where they are at all times, especially in emergency situations, is extremely beneficial. It’s real-time situational awareness.”

PASSION is also a low-cost solution, since it uses commercially available software on the common smart phone. It is all-inclusive, with built-in wi-fi, GPS, camera and any other features the phone may have.

“We can get a map from a ship’s logistics office and then build the map on the smart phone on the fly without human interaction,” Kim said.

PASSION is initially being tested for Nimitz-class ships to support and improve force protection, maintenance and damage-control response. Eventually the system can be rolled out to other ship classes and aircraft that require the capability to track personnel and property.

Dr. Bereket Tanju, deputy program manager for naval enterprise networks at the Program Executive Office for Enterprise Information Systems, is co-developing PASSION with the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command Systems Center and its partners.

The final evaluation, expected to be complete in 2012, will demonstrate the application’s capability onboard a moving ship at sea, using advanced, more compact hardware and software.

ONR provides the science and technology necessary to maintain the Navy and Marine Corps’ technological advantage. Through its affiliates, ONR is a leader in science and technology with engagement in 50 states, 70 countries, 1,035 institutions of higher learning and 914 industry partners. ONR employs approximately 1,400 people, comprising uniformed, civilian and contract personnel, with additional employees at the Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C.

According to multiple reports, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and the returning Dan Henderson have verbally agreed to fight each other in the main event of UFC 139.

Henderson and Shogun will headline the event, scheduled for November 19 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. The fight will replace the original main event of Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos for the UFC heavyweight title, which was moved to the November 12 UFC On FOX debut fight card.

September 20, 2011

Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer|by Drew Brooks

For a moment on Oct. 5, 2009, Air Force Staff Sgt. Robert Gutierrez thought he might die in Afghanistan.

Gutierrez and a team of Green Berets from the 7th Special Forces Group were pinned inside a building in Herat province, outnumbered by Taliban fighters and without an escape route.

As a combat controller, it was Gutierrez’s job to call in and direct air support. But Gutierrez could barely talk.

A gunshot wound to his chest had collapsed a lung while narrowly missing his heart. The Special Forces team leader also was shot.

Despite his injuries, Gutierrez kept fighting, leveling his M-4 rifle toward enemy fighters while refusing to relinquish his radio.

He had to, he said. Otherwise, he’d be a burden to the Green Berets around him.

“It never is about oneself; it is always about the others first, then you last,” said Gutierrez, who at the time was assigned to Pope Air Force Base’s 21st Special Tactics Squadron. “I had a second to think about not making it. After that, I told myself that I was going to get up and fight. I had an unborn child to see and my wife and family to come home to.”

For his actions that day, Gutierrez will be awarded the Air Force Cross this fall.

The award, the highest an Airman can receive outside the Medal of Honor, is approved by the president.

A spokeswoman for Air Force Special Operations Command said the medal is expected to be announced today by Gen. Norton Schwartz, chief of staff of the Air Force, during the Air Force Association Convention.

Gutierrez will receive the cross in late October during a ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Fla., where he is currently assigned, the spokeswoman said.

As the team medic treated his injuries and inflated his collapsed lung, Gutierrez called in three strafing runs from an A-10 Warthog, obliterating the enemy and allowing the team to make it out alive.

“I refused to give up on that soil,” Gutierrez said. “If I did, I would be a burden to my team and that was unacceptable. So I just drove on.”

The strafing runs were so close — enemy fighters were estimated to be only 30 feet away — that Gutierrez’s eardrums burst.

“Throughout the four-hour battle, Sgt. Gutierrez’s valorous actions, at great risk to his own life, helped save the lives of his teammates and dealt a crushing blow to the regional Taliban network,” says a citation that will accompany Gutierrez’s medal. “Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of the enemy, Sgt. Gutierrez reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.”

The battle for which Gutierrez is being recognized came during a high-risk nighttime raid to capture the Taliban’s second-in-command for the region, according to the citation, which was released ahead of today’s announcement.

Gutierrez said he paid little attention to his injuries, crediting his training for helping him concentrate on his duties and the Special Forces medic for saving his life.

“My main focus was to eliminate the threat because the situation and problem was not about me, it was about making sure that my team would be covered and safe,” he said. “He was one of the best medics I have ever worked with, and I had the utmost confidence in him.”

Gutierrez, 31, will be the second living Air Force Special Operations Soldier to receive the Air Force Cross and one of only five total, according to Air Force Special Operations Command.

The medal itself, which dates to 1964, has been awarded fewer than 200 times.

Gutierrez joined the Air Force in March 2002, just months after being added to a waiting list at a recruiter’s office after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

He tried to enlist the day after the attacks, Gutierrez said, but recruiting stations were closed.

Earlier this month, Gutierrez was one of five service members to accompany Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on a visit to the 9/11 memorial and One World Trade Center site in New York.

Gutierrez said he became a combat controller because he wanted to make “as much impact against the enemy as possible.”

From September 2009 until April, Gutierrez was based with Pope’s 21st Special Tactics Squadron.

Gutierrez had seen combat on several prior deployments, but he had never been seriously injured before the Oct. 5, 2009, battle, he said.

In addition to the bullet wound, collapsed lung and ruptured eardrums, Gutierrez broke two ribs during the attack.

The months after the battle included multiple blood infections, three blood transfusions and seven surgeries.

Nearly two years after the battle in Herat, Gutierrez is stationed at Hurlburt Field, Fla., where he serves as an Air Force Special Operations training instructor.

Earlier this year, he told Air Force Magazine that he was about 98 percent recovered but still had limited movement in one arm.

From Hurlburt Field, Gutierrez is close to the new home of the 7th Special Forces Group, which moved from Fort Bragg to Eglin Air Force Base this year.

Gutierrez said he still has a close bond with members of the Special Forces team that he helped save.

“I had never worked with them before,” he said, “but they brought me into their team as if I was one of them. They treated me as an asset.”

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — Two personnel are dead Monday after a helicopter crashed during a training exercise in the Marine base, sparking a fire that has grown to more than 100 acres, officials said.

The incident involved an AH-1W Cobra when it went down at about 1 p.m. PDT in Camp Pendleton, according to a statement released by the Marine Corps Air Station.

Military officials did not release details of how the crash occurred, but referred to the incident as a “mishap” during a training exercise in the southeast corner of the base, near Fallbrook.

Two personnel were aboard the craft when the crash occurred, said Cpl. Steven Posy, with the Miramar Corps Air State public affairs office. Officials described them as a pilot and co-pilot, but have not identified them.

The helicopter belonged to the third Marine Aircraft Wing.

Camp Pendleton’s fire department and paramedics responded to the incident, he said.

The crash sparked a wild land fire that grew to about 120 acres by early Monday evening, authorities said.

Authorities say the fire is about 80 percent contained, and is not expected to move beyond the base property.

The Camp Pendleton Fire Department, along with units from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, are fighting the blaze with the assistance of four air tankers, four helicopter tankers, three strike teams and four hand crews.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

By Michael David Smith

The UFC is bringing Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem into the Octagon, and welcoming him with a bout against the promotion’s biggest star, Brock Lesnar.

UFC President Dana White confirmed on Twitter that Overeem vs. Lesnar will take place on December 30 in Las Vegas.

The fight will be a huge pay-per-view event, maybe the UFC’s most profitable fight of 2011. Lesnar is the single biggest pay-per-view draw in MMA, while Overeem has developed a monstrous reputation over the last couple of years, defending his Strikeforce heavyweight title while also winning the most prestigious title in kickboxing, the K-1 World Grand Prix.

Shortly after signing his UFC contract, Overeem told the Los Angeles Times that he’s excited about the challenge of meeting Lesnar in the cage.

“Brock is a big name, a dangerous guy, and this is a dream matchup,” Overeem said. “Brock’s a big guy, an exciting wrestler with his takedowns. I want to see this fight myself. Overall, I’m a different fighter. A striker, athletic, big. These are going to be two big trucks going at it on a collision course.”

Overeem’s path to the UFC has been a strange one: When the UFC purchased Strikeforce, it seemed like only a matter of time before Overeem would step into the Octagon. But a contract dispute between UFC/Strikeforce parent company Zuffa and Overeem’s management at Golden Glory led to Overeem being released by the company. Those issues, however, have obviously been resolved, and Overeem is now set to fight in the world’s biggest MMA promotion for the first time.

Lesnar, meanwhile, has been out of action for nearly a year while recovering from diverticulitis. White recently said that Lesnar is 100 percent healthy, and Lesnar is apparently ready to start a training camp to meet Overeem.

The fight itself is a fascinating contrast of styles. Overeem may be the best striker in the heavyweight division, and Lesnar has struggled with his striking defense in his last couple of fights. But Overeem has never faced a wrestler nearly as good as Lesnar, and the muscular Overeem, who has grown accustomed to overpowering his opponents, also hasn’t faced anyone as strong as Lesnar.

Lesnar vs. Overeem should be a sensational fight and an enormous pay-per-view draw. Combining that fight with heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez taking on Junior dos Santos on Fox in November, the UFC is positioning itself for some huge heavyweight attractions ahead.