By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2007 - The Commission on the National Guard
and Reserves heard testimony here today from three top leaders
concerning how best to empower the Guard through its top
leadership position.

Congress directed formation of the independent commission,
charged with recommending any needed changes in law and policy to
ensure that the nation's Guard and reserve forces are organized,
trained, equipped, compensated, and supported to best meet
national security requirements.

Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey and Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum
gave the commission their views on the way forward for the top
National Guard position, which Blum currently occupies, as well
as on the Guard's organization and funding.

Blum told the commissioners that while there has been some
adaptation by the Defense Department, the Department of Homeland
Security and other agencies in acknowledging the more significant
role the National Guard plays in national security, that role
needs to be formalized and written into the National Guard's
charter.

"DoD and DHS are adapting, although not formally. It's ad hoc
and hit-and-miss," Blum said. He also said the National Guard's
top officer should have a formal relationship with the chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the secretary of defense.

Pace agreed with Blum that the National Guard Bureau chief's
relationship with the chairman and secretary of defense should be
formalized, but said the Guard chief should be an advisor,
reporting to the chairman, as opposed to being a member of the Joint
Chiefs. Pace said most of DoD's top staff and combatant
commanders reach out to Blum in an informal manner because they value his
expertise and input.

"The truth is that all of those folks know that Steve Blum knows
a lot of stuff, so we have informally reached out," he said.

Rewriting of the Guard's charter to include a relationship to
the secretary of defense through the chairman, Pace said, would
allow for formal lines of communication between the Guard and
combatant commanders.

"I would encourage that in whatever is rewritten in the charter
that we recognize the unique capabilities of the chief of the
National Guard Bureau," Pace said.

Among the questions the commission is considering is whether the
Guard would be better served with a four-star general in charge.
Blum, who wears three stars, said it comes down to "scope and
responsibility of the job."

His role is increasing in responsibility, he said, and he noted
that he manages a force that in terms of budget and personnel is
larger than the United States Marine Corps.

Pace said that based on the Guard Bureau chief's current job
description, a three-star billet is sufficient, but that the
commission should review the position to see if additional current and
future obligations are comparable to a four-star general's
responsibilities.

And if the position of advisor to the chairman is added, he
said, then additional resources also should be allocated.

"If we are going to add those kinds of tasks to his ruck sack,
then we also resource him," Pace said. "I don't know how much in
office staff and resources he will need, but if we want to make
him available to all of those decision-makers, then we should
resource him and not take it out of his pocket."

Pace conceded that the Defense Department did not go a good
enough job in the past of resourcing the Guard, but that DoD
officials have taken those lessons learned and are applying them to
current practices. He said systems now are in place that will
systemically ensure that officials are appropriately looking at
resourcing units.

"We need to do this right. I am comfortable that we recognize
what we've done wrong in the past, and we have systems in place,"
Pace said.

Pace said seating the Guard chief with the Joint Chiefs would
create a rift in joint cooperation.

"If you make this individual a member of the Joint Chiefs, you
create two armies and two air forces," the general said. "You
will do major damage to the synergy that we've gotten. We are
there, and should not take a step back. I would recommend in the
strongest terms I know how, 'Do not do that.'"

In his opening statement to the commission, Harvey cited
progress in joint cooperation since the Goldwater-Nichols Defense
Reorganization Act became law in 1986. The law streamlined the
military chain of command and required the services to work more
closely together. He said proposed legislation aimed at, among other
things, making the Guard Bureau chief a member of the Joint
Chiefs is unnecessary, but that he understands the motivation behind
it.

"(The legislation) would confuse command and control
relationships and lines of authority that the department has formed over
the past 20 years since Goldwater-Nichols was enacted," Harvey
said. "I believe that the legislation stems from decades of neglect
of the needs of our reserve forces. This partially resulted from
a strategy that was based on using the reserve components as a
strategic reserve.

"However, just as our strategy has dramatically changed, so has
the department's entire approach to organizing, training and
equipping our reserve forces. ... Quite frankly, the proposed
solution is intended to solve a problem that does not exist," Harvey
said.

The commission is due to submit its recommendations to Congress
on March 1.

American Forces Press Service

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla., Jan. 31, 2007 - The Continental
U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region is stepping
up its air patrols in the Miami-Dade area to increase security
during Super Bowl XLI activities.

Spectators will see the Air Force Demonstration Squadron, the
Thunderbirds, fly over Dolphin Stadium Feb. 4 during pregame
events and other Air Force fighter jets in the local area during the
game.

The patrols are a smart, efficient way to protect American lives
and resources in the region, said Maj. Gen. Henry C. Morrow, the
commander of both 1st Air Force and Continental U.S. North
American Aerospace Defense Command Region.

"NORAD protects a variety of national assets across the nation
on any given day," Morrow said. "In this instance we are
increasing our sorties in the Miami-Dade area as part of our continuing
resolve to protect our homeland and citizens during these major
events."

In preparation for Super Bowl XLI, NORAD fighters will make low
approaches at several local airports Feb. 2, including Boca
Raton, Pompano Beach Airpark, Fort Lauderdale Executive, Opa Locka,
and Kendall-Tamiami Executive.

Air patrols are carefully planned and closely controlled to
ensure public safety while demonstrating NORAD's rapid response
capability. NORAD has conducted air patrols throughout the U.S. and
Canada since the start of Operation Noble Eagle -- the command's
response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The flights
will have minimal impact on aircraft in the area and are not in
response to any specific threat.

"We want citizens to know that we remain dedicated to protecting
their freedoms as we project our determination to preserve peace
and our way of life," Morrow said.

Why is Cyber Security a Problem?

You've heard the news stories about credit card numbers being
stolen and email viruses spreading. Maybe you've even been a victim
yourself. One of the best defenses is understanding the risks, what
some of the basic terms mean, and what you can do to protect yourself against them.

What is cyber security?

It seems that everything relies on computers and the
Internet now --communication (email, cellphones), entertainment
(digital cable,mp3s), transportation (car engine systems, airplane navigation), shopping (online stores, credit cards), medicine (equipment, medical records), and the list goes on. How much of your daily life relies on computers? How much of your personal information is stored either on your own computer or on someone else's system?

Cyber security involves protecting that information by
preventing, detecting, and responding to attacks.

What are the risks?

There are many risks, some more serious than others.
Among these dangers are viruses erasing your entire system, someone
breaking into your system and altering files, someone using your computer to attack others, or someone stealing your credit card information and making unauthorized purchases. Unfortunately, there's no 100% guarantee that even with the best precautions some of these things won't happen to you, but there are steps you can take to minimize the chances.

What can you do?

The first step in protecting yourself is to recognize the
risks and become familiar with some of the terminology associated with them. Hacker, attacker, or intruder - These terms are applied to the people who seek to exploit weaknesses in software and
computer systems for their own gain. Although their intentions are
sometimes fairly benign and motivated solely by curiosity, their actions are typically in violation of the intended use of the systems they are exploiting. The results can range from mere mischief (creating a virus with no intentionally negative impact) to malicious activity (stealing or altering information).

Malicious code - This category includes code such as
viruses,worms, and Trojan horses. Although some people use
these terms interchangeably, they have unique characteristics.

* Viruses - This type of malicious code requires you to
actually dosomething before it infects your computer. This action
could be opening an email attachment or going to a particular web
page.

* Worms - Worms propagate without user intervention. They
typically start by exploiting a software vulnerability (a flaw
that allows the software's intended security policy to be violated),
then once the victim computer has been infected the worm will
attempt to find and infect other computers. Similar to viruses,
worms can propagate via email, web sites, or network-based
software. The automated self-propagation of worms distinguishes
them from viruses.

* Trojan horses - A Trojan horse program is software that
claims to be one thing while in fact doing something different
behind the scenes. For example, a program that claims it will
speed up your computer may actually be sending confidential
information to a remote intruder.

This series of information security tips will give
you more information about how to recognize and protect yourself from attacks.

_________________________________________________________________

Authors: Mindi McDowell, Allen Householder

_________________________________________________________________
Produced 2007 by US-CERT, a government organization.

DENISE MCNAMARA REPRESENTS TEXAS ON THEREPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE. HER REMARKS ARE USED HERE WITH HER PERMISSION.

Secure Fence Act of 2006



Was Congress Just Throwing Us a Bone?



By Denise McNamara, Republican National Committee



The way that our elected officials are talking, the much-touted Secure Fence Act of 2006 which Congress passed just in time for the November elections may have been just what its title implies: nothing but an act. Despite the President¢s signing of both the Secure Fence Act and the Homeland Security Appropriations Act which allegedly provides funding for the fence, no one that I've talked to believes that it will ever be built.

Scoffers maintain that the fence is an ineffective solution and that illegals will simply dig under or climb over. That begs the question, what is their alternative plan? Why did they pass the legislation? Are we planning on asking our border patrol agents to line up along the border and link arms? Red Rover, Red Rover, send terrorists right over.

The Secure Fence Act may not be perfect, but inaction is no alternative. Americans want our borders secured, and a barrier would go along way toward accomplishing that goal. High-tech accessories such as electronic sensors and security cameras would presumeably be used to increase its effectiveness.

The fact that we have not had another attack on our homeland since 9/11 is a huge accomplishment for the President. With the Democrats in charge, we might as well kiss any further progress on border security goodbye. Meanwhile, the borders continue to be breached. Persons of unknown background continue to flood our country. Americans worry about their safety. Let¢s just pray that the terrorists are otherwise occupied in Iraq and are too busy to plan another attack on our homeland. But with millions of unknown illegal aliens already roaming our streets, we may never know until it is too late.
DeleteReplyForwardSpamMove...

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2007 - A joint U.S. military organization
headquartered in Virginia regularly coordinates with state and
local emergency preparedness agencies to prepare for potential new
terrorist attacks on the homeland and other catastrophic events,
the organization's commander said here yesterday.

Joint Task Force Civil Support helps coordinate federal efforts
to help civil authorities prepare for and manage the effects of
possible terrorist attacks on the homeland involving chemical,
biological, radiological, nuclear or other high-explosive
weapons, Army Maj. Gen. Bruce E. Davis, the task force's third
commander, said at the second-annual Chemical, Biological, Radiological
and Nuclear conference in Vienna, Va.

Davis said his organization, created in October 1999, also
assists federal, state and local authorities in reviewing emergency
plans and gauging various resources necessary to respond to
possible major events like terror attacks, disease outbreaks and
other contingencies.

Federal, state and municipal authorities nationwide have lists
of potential major contingencies and have established plans,
identified personnel and earmarked other resources that would be
committed to each type of event, Davis said.

"This is a dynamic list, and each and every year they are
updating (the list)," he said.

In the event of a catastrophic event, special teams of on-call
military and civilian technicians would be sent to respond to and
assess what is needed to respond to the emergency, save lives
and mitigate the aftermath, Davis said. For example,
decontamination missions would likely be ordered in the event of certain
kinds of WMD attacks, he said.

"Anything we can do to accelerate that response time, we try to
do," Davis said.

The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on America underlined the
importance of the joint task force's mission, Davis said. The
Fort Monroe, Va.-headquartered organization was made a subordinate
of U.S. Northern Command after NORTHCOM was stood up Oct. 1,
2002.

Headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., U.S. NORTHCOM
plans, organizes and executes homeland defense and civil support
missions. When directed by the president or the defense
secretary, NORTHCOM supplies military assistance to local authorities,
including consequence management operations.

If there is another attack on America, a NORTHCOM-supplied team
of experts would evaluate the situation, based on city and state
emergency plans and capabilities, Davis said. That assessment
can identify shortfalls between what's needed and what's available
via local authorities and may become the basis of requests for
DoD assistance, he said.

In addition, at least 42 weapons of mass destruction civil
support teams have been stood up across the country. Each team
consists of 22 highly skilled National Guard members trained to
rapidly respond to assist civil authorities during domestic WMD
incidents. Congress has authorized a total of 55 such teams, enough to
field one team in every state, territory and the District of
Columbia.

Although it is widely believed that large U.S. military
formations would be deployed to a disaster site within hours of an
event, that's not necessarily so, Davis said. Civil authorities would
be first to respond to a major emergency, he pointed out, noting
that major DoD involvement likely wouldn't start arriving for a
couple of days.

Also, in the past year JTF Civil Support has teamed with the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other federal
agencies in coordinating plans to respond to a potential flu
outbreak, Davis said. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, and
other federal, as well as state and local agencies, also are
involved in this effort, he said.

The National Guard and local law enforcement agencies are
considered to be ideal responders to assist in potential quarantine
and other missions in the event of a major disease emergency in
the United States, Davis said. "That is a perfect mission for the
National Guard and (civilian) law enforcement," he said.