World Naval News
Lagos August 11, 2006 (AA) - Navy personnel allegedly acting on the instruction of the head of welfare and logistics, Naval Headquarters, Rear Admiral Dirisu, on Monday forcefully broke into the residential quarters of Atabo Mohammed Abubakar and threw his property outside.
Last Friday, the Federal Capital Territory Administration {FCTA} disobeyed a high court injunction restraining them from evicting Atabo, when they forced the lock of the apartment opened and threw some of his property outside. Those that executed the eviction left the property in the first floor of the apartment, which was removed by naval men on Monday afternoon.
When City News visited the place; two armed naval men were seen manning the front and back entrances of the apartment to prevent the occupant from gaining access to the place.
A reliable source told City News that few weeks before the matter was taken to court; the Rear Admiral had threatened the civil servant and given him two weeks to pack out of the house. The source disclosed that the naval officer admitted that the house was sold to him by the FCTA and wondered how the bidding for the property was done. "This particular house was not posted in the Internet as the latest list of government houses to be sold and I can not understand when it was bided for. I also find it very difficult to understand what concerns a naval officer with the property of a civil servant that has the first offer of purchasing the property", he said.
When contacted on phone, Atabo said he stands by the court ruling and he intends to pursue the case to a logical conclusion.
The special assistant to the FCT minister on information and strategy, Hajia Amina Salihu said she contacted the Head of the task force on eviction team who denied knowledge of the court injunction. "He said he is not aware of any court injunction regarding the issue while I am also not aware that the property is not posted for sale in the internet", she said.
London August 11, 2006 - The Royal Navy is pleased to be welcoming four foreign warships to this year's Navy Days. The Russian, French, Dutch and German navies are all being represented at the event that is being held at Devonport Naval Base over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
The Russian Udaloy II-class destroyer Admiral Chabanenko will be open for visitors over the three days. This anti-submarine destroyer was originally built for the Soviet Navy in 1995 and has visited Devonport Naval base a number of times in the past. Following Navy Days her crew will be taking part in Flag Officer Sea Training that will include disaster relief training at Bull Point.
FGS Hessen, a Sachsen-class frigate, will represent the German Navy. She was launched in July 2003 and is one of three based at Wilhelmshaven. The Sachsen class frigates are equipped with anti-surface and anti-submarine helicopters and are also able to act as an air defense force. The ship is 143 meters long and can travel at speeds of up to 29 knots and there are 255 sailors serving onboard.
FS Cormoran will also be alongside at Navy Days. The patrol ship is one of three in the class and is a fisheries patrol boat based in Brest.
Frigate HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën will be representing the Dutch Navy. The ship is one of three in the De Zeven Provinciën class and was launched in April 2000. She has a crew of 202 and can reach top speeds of 30 knots.
London August 11, 2006 - One of the Royal Navy’s smallest warships is about to make a big impression in the Mediterranean.
[Picture: Royal Navy]
On what is a rare deployment, the minehunter HMS Hurworth will leave her Portsmouth base on Monday 14 August 2006 to begin a four-month deployment to warmer waters.
Hurworth, a Hunt-class vessel, has not deployed beyond home waters for four years, having spent that time as a member of the Fishery Protection Squadron. She is deploying to the Mediterranean to carry out warm-weather trials with the sonar she uses to seek out mines on the seabed.
HMS Hurworth will also join a NATO force of mine countermeasures vessels in two training exercises – one based on the French naval base of Toulon and the other in Turkish waters.
Hurworth’s Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Commander Jason Horne, said:
"It is quite unusual for a mine countermeasures vessel to deploy on her own for four months, rather than as part of a Task Group. However, we shall be working with various other units during our time in the Mediterranean, and aim to make a big impression for a small ship."
That 'big impression' will extend to a series of visits and commemorations, not least to Malta, which she last visited in 1998. Royal Navy ships are guaranteed a warm reception from the Maltese people, many of whom have not forgotten how the Service doggedly defended and supported the island against wartime enemies.
The ship’s name is in itself a reminder of those days; the first HMS Hurworth was a Hunt-class destroyer involved in the fierce battles to keep the island re-supplied by convoys, and was one of the close escorts for the convoy that marked the end of the siege in November 1942.
In the following year, while attempting to aid a Greek ship that had been torpedoed, she was mined and sank in just 15 minutes off the island of Kalymnos in the Greek Dodecanese. Today’s Hurworth will conduct a wreath-laying ceremony over the wreck in which 134 officers and men – about half the ship’s company – lost their lives.
As the minehunter heads home, she will also visit Bordeaux to take part in another commemoration of heroism in the Second World War – the feat of the ‘Cockleshell Heroes’.
In December 1942 in an operation named 'Frankton', ten Portsmouth-based Royal Marines paddled their five two-man canoes up the Gironde and Garonne rivers to destroy German blockade-running ships in Bordeaux. Although the operation was a remarkable success, only two of the Commandos survived.
London August 11, 2006 - The enormous capability of the new Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliary) has been proved with the successful completion of final amphibious trials of RFA Mounts Bay.
RFA Mounts Bay, the first of the Bay Class of four – Largs Bay, Cardigan Bay and Lyme Bay are the others – will shortly be entering service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Largs Bay, accepted off contract in March, is undergoing capability trials off the south coast in readiness for achieving her in-service date, while Cardigan Bay has now been accepted off contract and will soon begin trials.
The fourth ship, Lyme Bay, is undergoing her final build with BAE Systems and will undertake contractor sea trials in 2007. The ship was transferred to Govan after the MoD and Swan Hunter agreed to close the contract for building after cost escalation on Tyneside.
The Bay Class quartet will replace the current Landing Ship Logistics (LSL) capability of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and provide a significantly enhanced capability for the amphibious task force.
They will enable faster deployment of troops, vehicles and stores into the operational and front line areas, at a safer distance and in higher sea states than their predecessors.
Design of the class is a commercial exploitation of the Royal Schelde’s Enforcer concept that has been re-engineered to meet the UK specific requirements. It enables offload at sea, without the need to anchor, utilizing an integral dock.
Force projection will be achieved initially over the horizon by helicopters and landing craft. Mexeflotes will be operated closer to the shore for the volume offload.
Improved seakeeping and speed will enable the LSD(A)s to keep up with the Amphibious Task Group at 15 knots, with the Mexeflotes attached to the sides of the hull. Dynamic positioning will provide for safer operation of the dock, the Mexeflotes and for self-berthing. The LSD(A)s are the first to have night vision device compatibility included at build. All four ships will be fully operational by the end of 2007.
Final amphibious capability demonstration trials on Mounts Bay were an important milestone towards the declaration of the in-service date. Tony Graham, the LSD(A) IPT leader, said:
"These trials demonstrated fighting capability, not just the performance of the class. The success of these trials was built on genuine teamwork across a wide range of project stakeholders."
Washington August 11, 2006 - The CVN 78 ship specifications were certified at a Senior Stakeholder Board/Executive Steering Group meeting held recently, after 12 months of specification writing and three months of intense reading sessions. The Naval Sea Systems Command’s (NAVSEA) Ship Design, Integration and Engineering Directorate (SEA 05), in cooperation with Northrop Grumman Newport News (the Lead Design shipyard), led efforts to develop the ship specifications with support from across the Navy enterprise.
NAVSEA and the Program Executive Officer for Aircraft Carriers (PEO Carriers) will commemorate the certification of the ship specifications for the CVN 78 Class Aircraft Carriers in a signing and awards ceremony to be held Sept. 5 at the Washington Navy Yard.
The CVN 78 ship specifications will be signed by PEO Carriers Rear Adm. David Architzel, and NAVSEA Deputy Commander for Ship Design, Integration and Engineering Rear Adm. Kevin M. McCoy (SEA 05). NAVSEA Commander Vice Adm. Paul E. Sullivan, will present an Award of Merit for Group Achievement in recognition of this significant accomplishment in the development of the ship specifications.
This certification of ship specifications marks a major milestone in the future aircraft design process and forms the basis of the technical data package used to prepare a ship construction contract.
In a recent memo Sullivan recognized the CVN 78 Design Team's accomplishment, "Your personal efforts were critical to the successful completion of the baseline ship specifications for the Navy's next generation aircraft carrier…your outstanding efforts have had a tremendous and positive impact on this Nation's ability to field affordable, state of the art aircraft carriers throughout the 21st Century."
Washington August 11, 2006 - Submarine Team One (ST1), a cross-organizational group charged with providing permanent improvement in cost savings and performance to submarine depot availabilities, is currently focusing on the removal of hull-coating tiles in submarine sails. ST1 consists of Commander, Naval Submarine Forces; Commander, Submarine Forces Pacific Fleet; Naval Sea Systems Command's (NAVSEA) Deputy Commander for Undersea Warfare (SEA 07); the Submarine Maintenance Engineering, Planning and Procurement Activity; Deputy Commander for Industrial Operations; Naval Nuclear Propulsion; Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion, and Repair Groton and Norfolk, and the Naval Shipyards
"Our concern with the tiles in the sail is the corrosion that occurs behind them," said Capt. A.J. Mullarky, SEA 07's Program Manager for Strategic and Attack Submarines. "The corrosion is hidden from view and not discovered until the tile is removed in depot availabilities, which leads to higher availability costs."
Removal of the tiles will reduce the cost of depot availabilities and reduce the total weight of the ship. ST1 estimates that by removing the tiles, 55 mandays and $22 thousand in materials will be saved during each major depot availability (MDA), which conservatively translates into a total savings of around $75 thousand per MDA.
An even larger cost avoidance could be found in the reduction or outright elimination of sail structural repairs due to corrosion. Structural repairs are several times the cost of the tiles.
The USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 709) sail structural repairs alone cost $2 million. The submarine served as the test platform for sail tile removal during its recent availability. Sea trials following the availability showed no adverse effects from tiles being removed.
This success has led to a change in requirements for all first flight Los Angeles Class submarines. The USS Hartford (SSN 768) is the test platform for Improved Los Angeles Class submarines, and if this proves to be successful, this ST1 initiative can be implemented across these submarines as well.
Panama City FL August 11, 2006 - Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City, Fla., (NSWC PC) is helping lead the way in the growing field of Human Systems Integration (HSI). HSI is an engineering discipline that focuses on human interaction with the warfighting equipment and environment and is made up of seven dynamics: human factors engineering, manpower, personnel, training, safety and health, habitability and personnel survivability. NSWC PC began implementing HSI design in it projects in 1990. Today, the warfare center’s Ranges and Facilities Branch is continually assigned HSI projects because of the collective technical capability and experience of local scientists and engineers.
As the Navy’s operating budget changes, HSI is becoming increasingly important. Currently, there is a Navy-wide initiative to minimize the necessary operating crew on all Navy vessels as a way to lower operating costs, according to Patrick Spring, NSWC PC’s Expeditionary Warfare & Seabasing Integrated Product Team Leader.
"Human beings are part of the system and sometimes designers forget that somebody’s got to operate the equipment - often under very demanding conditions - at night, in extreme temperatures, in heavy sea states and so on," Spring said.
The need for HSI engineering throughout the Department of Defense will continue to increase, and every program is now required to address HSI issues, said Rich Roesch, a senior systems engineer for Human Systems Integration.
"The limiting factor in the performance of most systems is the human-to-machine interface," Roesch said. Just try shooting a gun underwater with a thick, three-finger diver’s glove, and the importance of a well-designed human-to-machine interface will become immediately apparent.
Roesch is currently working on the Joint Maritime Assault Connector (JMAC), which will eventually replace the amphibious high-speed connector Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC). Other HSI efforts at NSWC PC include the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) mission modules; airborne mine countermeasures (AMCM); unmanned vehicles; diving/underwater tools; and the shock, vibration and human performance of high speed craft.
Keyport WA August 11, 2006 - The Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Mullen, visited the Naval Sea Systems Command's (NAVSEA) Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Keyport Division on Aug. 1, as a part of his scheduled five-day trip to the Pacific Northwest. NUWC Keyport Commander Capt. Jonathan Dowell provided a windshield tour through Keyport’s industrial area, giving Admiral Mullen, accompanied by Rear Adm. Bill French, Commander Navy Region Northwest, and Rear Adm. Frank M. Drennan, Commander Submarine Groups 9 (Bangor, Wash.) and 10 (Kings Bay), a first-hand look at warfare center enterprise resources in the Northwest, and a storyboard tour of the Torpedo Depot/Intermediate Maintenance Activity (IMA).
Dowell briefed how Keyport is applying NAVSEA’s five focus areas to enhance its business and relevance to the Navy Enterprise. He described the products, capabilities, and resources that support fleet readiness, emphasizing how Keyport is leveraging Lean Six Sigma into its culture to assist in delivering the "right readiness at the right cost."
"The visit went extremely well and was highlighted by the photo op with my Torpedo Depot/IMA personnel who are responsible for our recent TCEB (Torpedo Certification Examining Board) success," said Dowell. "Admiral Mullen was personable, shaking hands with each and every one of my mid and first-line supervisors, and made a positive impact to our morale."
Admiral Mullen shared in acknowledgment of the division's recent successful certification of its torpedo and Vertical Launch Anti-Submarine Rocket maintenance activities by the TCEB. The board judged three of the six areas examined as excellent and three as outstanding, indicating that Keyport is the Navy’s flagship IMA.
Pearl Harbor August 11, 2006 - Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard welcomed 102 skilled journeymen into its civilian workforce Aug. 4. The shipyard’s apprentice class of 2006, representing 18 trades, officially graduated during a ceremony at the Naval Station Pearl Harbor. The ceremony marked the completion of a rigorous four-year program in which apprentices completed at least 7,200 hours of paid on-the-job work experience, along with academic and trades training. The apprenticeship program is the result of a partnership between the Shipyard, US Department of Labor and Honolulu Community College. Apprentices attend community college-level courses taught at the shipyard and earn an associate’s degree in the applied trades as part of their training.
"Four years of hard work finally paid off," said Grant Akamine, who was honored as the outstanding apprentice of both his shop and the entire Class of 2006.
At the successful conclusion of their apprenticeships, graduates receive certificates from the Navy and the US Department of Labor attesting to their proficiency in ship maintenance. They also convert to journeyman positions paying about $26 an hour.
The apprentice program, which was resurrected in 1998, has been the key to revitalizing the waterfront workforce. At that time, the average age of a civilian worker was nearly 49 years. The program, by bringing in about 135 apprentices every year, has improved the average age to slightly over 44.
Although the workforce is still overwhelmingly male, the 10 women among the graduating apprentices comprise a growing cadre of females in non-traditional occupations at the shipyard. Over the last 10 years, women have increased from 9 percent to 12 percent of the workforce, making the greatest gains in the professional and blue-collar fields.
Roberta Awana of Kailua, Hawaii, graduated from the program as an electronics mechanic. Her job at the Shipyard involves testing, modifying, installing and removing electronics equipment aboard ships. "It’s different than anything I’ve ever done before," she said. "It’s so diverse. Some days, it’s very technical … [like] troubleshooting. Other days, it’s simply turning wrenches. It varies so much. Every day is new and different."
As for being a woman in a predominantly male blue-collar environment, Awana said, "It takes a little getting used to. I have a great bunch of guys I work with. We have a job to do and we do it. Gender’s not really an issue."
Shipyard management views the graduates as the best candidates among the state’s labor pool. The hiring process for the Class of 2006 began in early 2001 with a written test that cut a field of 2,250 applicants down to about 260. After personal interviews, physical exams, background checks and other screening, 114 apprentices were brought aboard in January 2002 as the Class of 2006.
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard is the largest industrial employer in the state of Hawaii and contributed more than $550 million to the local economy in fiscal year 2005. Strategically located in the Pacific Ocean, it is a full-service naval shipyard and regional maintenance center for the US Navy’s surface ships and submarines.
San Diego August 11, 2006 - Commander, Naval Surface Forces, is overseeing the development of a revolutionary training process for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) called Train to Qualify (T2Q) that will enable LCS’s hybrid Sailors to be fully trained before reporting to the ship.
The new system of preparation and evaluation for LCS is necessary because of its unique crew size and billets aboard. Each LCS will have a core crew of about 40 Sailors for a ship about the size of a frigate. The core crew will be joined by a mission package crew and an aviation detachment, bringing the total crew size to approximately 75. To perform any one of several missions, an LCS seaframe can be configured with mine warfare, anti-surface or anti-submarine mission modules.
"With Train to Qualify, everyone has to report aboard the LCS ready to fulfill all the duties of their watches and their jobs, both individually and as an integral part of the crew," said Dr. Carl Czech, head of the Human Performance Center Detachment at Commander, Naval Surface Forces.
The main change with this process is that each Sailor will be evaluated by strict reference to uniform measures, metrics and standards. They will be required to demonstrate parts of their job in ways that give their evaluators, their fellow crew members and commanding officers confidence that they will be able to step into their role aboard LCS with minimal on-the-job training.
"I believe this process is revolutionary because of its strict adherence to a performance basis evaluation process," said Czech. "We’re going to require Sailors to actually demonstrate certain things. Not just demonstrate knowledge, not just demonstrate comprehension, but actually do the things they’re going to do aboard ship as carefully and safely as they can before they get there."
"The training process is not harder on LCS, it’s just different," said Cmdr. Bill Johnson, assistant chief of staff for Training and Readiness at Commander, Naval Surface Forces. "Because of the small crew size and the fact that the basic phase training will be done ashore in the LCS shore trainer, the LCS training process will work differently from the historical training we have adopted with Shiptrain. The goal is that the shore-based unit level training will support follow-on integrated and advanced training at sea and allow more ship operability with multiple crews."
The way the LCS Sailor is chosen is also a new process. Instead of looking for a specific Navy Enlisted Classification (NEC), they are looking for a specific set of skills for each LCS billet. Every Sailor stationed aboard an LCS will be filling a specific numbered billet defined by tasks that often range far from their individual rating or NEC.
With this, the entire detailing process is being changed to incorporate time for all the training a Sailor must get before stepping aboard an LCS. With LCS, a billet will become available 18–24 months before a scheduled loss instead of the normal 9–12 months currently used.
"This is sometimes easy, sometimes hard depending on what the detailers are looking for," said Cmdr. Curt Renshaw, LCS project officer for Commander, Naval Surface Forces and prospective commanding officer of PCU Independence (LCS 2) Blue. "You might find an IT (information systems technician) with lots of ET (electronics technician) skills, but some ratings are the other way around and are very specialized."
Once a Sailor has been chosen to fill the LCS billet, their individual training track will then be made up for them and train them on the skills they are lacking. This will be completed by a combination of online, classroom and simulator training since they will be required to step aboard LCS ready to stand watch.
Every qualification will be performance-based, with set standards for timeliness, accuracy and quality applied to every critical task.
"The standard has to be very high for Sailors coming off of shore duty, so the ships have confidence that what they get is really a person that has received a qualification level of that fully supports taking the watch upon reporting aboard," said Renshaw.
Helsinki August 11, 2006 - Admiral Juhani Kaskeala, chief of the Finnish Defense Forces, is to travel to Sweden on Friday for a Nordic defense chief meeting, Finland's Defense Staff announced Friday.
The three-day meeting is hosted by General Håkan Syrén, supreme commander of the Swedish Armed Forces.
Jacksonville FL August 10, 2006 - Contrary to reports published Wednesday, the decision whether to return the US Navy's Master Jet Base to Cecil Field lies not with the Navy or the Defense Department, but with the State of Florida and voters participating in a November referendum.
When contacted about his work on the BRAC report last year, US Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Jacksonville, agreed. "The law is clear. If Jacksonville and the State of Florida meet the requirements of the BRAC law, the Master Jet Base will move to Cecil Field."
In 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission determined the Navy must move its jets at Naval Air Station Oceana, Va. to Cecil Field if local governments in Virginia failed to meet certain conditions and if Florida and Jacksonville met its requirements.
The deadline for Virginia was March 31, and the Defense Department Inspector General announced the State had failed to satisfy all of the obligations such as preventing development from encroaching on the base.
The State of Florida now has until Dec. 31 to meet the BRAC requirements for returning the Master Jet Base to Cecil Field. Those conditions include the City of Jacksonville returning the base to the Navy, and the State developing a plan and appropriating funds to relocate the base's commercial tenants and establishing a public-private partnership for military family housing.
The November referendum would ask voters whether the City should amend the City Charter to require the City to meet BRAC conditions for making Cecil the Navy's East Coast Master Jet Base.
Ken Underwood, co-founder of VoteJacksonville.com, stated, "It's very simple. BRAC law requires that the base be moved to Jacksonville as long as the State of Florida and City of Jacksonville keep their promises that were made to the Navy last year. While the Governor continues to stand by his commitment to the Navy, our Mayor and City Council have reneged on their promise. That's what this referendum is about: making good on a broken promise. Once the voters decide to return Cecil Field to the Navy and the City and State meet the criteria, no one can stop the base from coming back. It's federal law, and it's the right thing to do for Jacksonville, our Navy, and our nation's defense."
New York August 11, 2006 - The head of the United Nations cultural agency today sounded the alarm about threatened heritage sites in Israel and Lebanon, calling on both sides of the current conflict to safeguard properties that are part of humanity's ancestral legacy.
Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Koïchiro Matsuura, singled out the site of Tyre, in southern Lebanon, which remains cut off after the Israeli Defense Forces destroyed roads and bridges leading to the city. The agency has previously launched two urgent appeals, asking the parties to the conflict to spare the site and its surroundings.
In renewing the appeal, Mr. Matsuura extended the call for protection to other endangered cultural and historical heritage sites, including Baalbek, Byblos, Anjar, the Holy Valley and the Forest of the Cedars of God in Lebanon, as well as the Old City of Acre in Israel.
"All these names - names that stir the imagination - are symbols of the encounter of religions and cultures that are universally recognized as our common heritage," he said. "We must ensure that they survive to be handed down to future generations, just as previous generations handed them down to us," said the chief of the Paris-based agency.
While Mr. Matsuura said the more immediate concern is of course "the men, women and especially the children who are experiencing the ordeal of fire, shelling and despair," the world must also protect the area's "cultural properties of inestimable value."
Mr. Matsuura said that as soon as conditions allow, UNESCO will help assess the condition of these sites and provide expertise for their rehabilitation.
Chicago August 11, 2006 - Alfred Faticoni of Newington, Conn., and Joan Antonaccio of Islip, N.Y., have been selected by the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) to receive the 2006 George H. Seal Memorial Trophy for extraordinary volunteerism. The awards will be presented by DAV National Commander Paul W. Jackson during the opening ceremonies of the organization's 85th National Convention at the Hilton Chicago Hotel in Chicago, Ill., Aug. 12.
"The compassion and dedication of Alfred Faticoni and Joan Antonaccio are heartwarming examples of the DAV's mission of service to disabled veterans and their families," Commander Jackson said. "They have served our hospitalized veterans well for many years -- displaying gentle kindness and heartfelt compassion so common among all DAV volunteers."
The prestigious awards annually honor the remarkable volunteers who serve disabled veterans and their families through the Department of Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service (VAVS) Program. The awards are conferred in memory of George H. Seal, a DAV director of membership and voluntary services and leading organizer and administrator of the DAV VAVS program from 1952 until his death in 1977.
In his 46 years as a DAV VAVS volunteer, Faticoni has donated 56,210 hours, which continues to increase each week. "This is what my obligation is," he said. "I was treated at the VA hospital and helped by the DAV, so I feel that I should give back."
Faticoni, a member of DAV Chapter 8 in New Britain, Conn., was injured during the Berlin Airlift, when western powers had to supply the city's inhabitants with the necessities of life by air over an 11-month period. After recovering from the accident, Faticoni -- thankful for the good treatment by DAV and volunteers -- decided to become a volunteer to repay the kindnesses -- and that's what he's done for 55 years.
Antonaccio, a member of Auxiliary Unit 95 in Islip, N.Y., has donated 22,712 hours over 13 years to help the sick and disabled veterans of Long Island the Northport, N.Y., VA medical center. She was attracted to volunteering when she saw the wonderful treatment provided to her disabled veteran husband. "I'm here for the veterans, and that's my main purpose," she said. "I enjoy helping them."
The 1.3 million-member Disabled American Veterans, a non- profit organization founded in 1920 and chartered by the US Congress in 1932, represents this nation's wartime disabled veterans. It is dedicated to a single purpose: building better lives for our nation's disabled veterans and their families.
Chicago August 11, 2006 - Two dedicated employment specialists and two outstanding companies that employ veterans will receive the National Commander's Employment Awards from the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) at the organization's 85th National Convention at Hilton Chicago Hotel in Chicago, Ill. The awards will be presented by National Commander Paul W. Jackson on Aug. 12.
Charles W. Eldridge, an employment specialist at the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Nashville, Tenn., was selected as the nation's Outstanding Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialist of the Year. Shawn Deabay, with the Texas Workforce Center, Lufkin, Texas, was selected as the Outstanding Local Veterans' Employment Representative.
"We are very appreciative of the exemplary records of these outstanding individuals to be recognized this year," said Commander Jackson. "They have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to serving veterans in the labor force and promote the fact that disabled veterans are highly capable workers with skills that are in great demand."
The Home Depot, headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., was selected by the DAV as the Outstanding Large Employer of the Year, while T- Square Logistics, Colorado Springs, Colo., was named the Outstanding Small Employer of the Year.
"These two businesses emphasize that disabled veterans are dedicated employees, who have the background and dedication to perform superlative work," Commander Jackson said. "They reach out to veterans and disabled veterans because of the skills they possess, the knowledge they have and the dedication and perseverance they exhibit as employees."
"The DAV is pleased with the personal diligence of these employment specialists and companies who work so thoroughly on behalf of veterans," said Commander Jackson. "They go far beyond what is considered their jobs. Their efforts are personal, based on a deep gratitude they have for the contributions of disabled veterans."
Chicago August 11, 2006 - Three outstanding Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees will receive the National Commander's Outstanding VA Employee awards from the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) at the organization's 85th National Convention at the Hilton Chicago Hotel in Chicago, Ill. The awards will be presented by National Commander Paul W. Jackson on Aug. 12.
James W. Kidwell, a social worker with the Togus VA Medical Center in Augusta, Maine, will receive the National Commander's Award for Veterans Health Administration in appreciation of his compassionate and consistent service to veterans using VA's health care facilities. "Kidwell has skillfully worked as a mentor and Field Instructor for Social Worker interns and served on many committees and councils to best address methods to meet the needs of our veterans," Commander Jackson said.
Michael Bucolo, supervisor veteran’s service representative at the VA Regional Office in New York, N.Y., will receive the National Commander's Award recognizing the outstanding member of the VA's Veterans Benefits Administration. Bucolo has responsibility for processing all Compensation and Pension appellate work for the 31 counties in Eastern New York. Leading a team of 17 others, Buccolo has greatly improved the timeliness of appeals processing and dramatically reduced the number of pending cases. "This remarkable performance is reflective of his outstanding performance as a leader and a compassionate advocate of veterans," said Commander Jackson.
The National Commander's Award for Outstanding Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration will be presented to William H. Francis, management and program analyst for the Fort Custer National Cemetery in Augusta, Mich. "Francis is the consummate professional who genuinely enjoys his job," said Commander Jackson. "He considers it an honor to serve veterans and their families with the dignity and respect they deserve."
"The VA, as the second largest federal agency, has thousands of employees dedicated to helping build better lives for disabled veterans, their families, and survivors," said Jackson. "These three individuals we are recognizing are the best of the best and living examples of the roles that all VA employees should follow."
Ottawa August 11, 2006 - Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced that George Da Pont, currently Acting Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, becomes Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard.
The appointment is effective September 5, 2006.
George Da Pont
Date of Birth
December 1952
Education
Master of Arts, Canadian History, University of Saskatchewan
Bachelor (Honors), History and Political Science, University of Saskatchewan
Professional Experience
Since December 2005
Acting Commissioner, Canadian Coast Guard
2003 - 2005
Assistant Deputy Minister, Human Resources and Corporate Services, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
2001 - 2003
Assistant Deputy Minister, Human Resources, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
2000 - 2001
Associate Regional Director General, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
1997 - 1999
Director of Strategic Operations, Economic and Regional Development,
Privy Council Office
1993 - 1997
Director General, Government Relations Branch, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
1992 - 1993
Senior Advisor, Constitutional Affairs, Privy Council Office
1990 - 1992
Director General, Community Negotiations and Implementation Branch, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
1987 - 1990
Director, Community Negotiations Directorate, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
Washington August 11, 2006 - Today, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and US Department of State (State) announced the proposed requirement, with some exceptions, for citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and British Overseas Territory of Bermuda to present a passport to enter the United States when arriving by air or sea from any part of the Western Hemisphere beginning January 8, 2007.
A second proposed rule will be published at a later date proposing certain requirements for those travelers entering the United States through a land border crossing beginning January 1, 2008. The land border rule will also address document requirements for ferry passengers, US citizen members of the armed forces on active duty, and for vessels used exclusively for pleasure and not for the transportation of persons or property for compensation or hire.
Together, these two proposed rules set forth the requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). WHTI is the government’s plan to implement a provision of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act signed into law in 2004 which requires that by January 1, 2008 all citizens of the US, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda, have a passport or other accepted document that establishes the bearer’s identity and nationality to enter or reenter the United States from within the Western Hemisphere.
DHS and the Department of State are providing the public with an opportunity to comment on the proposed rules and enable them to meet the proposed requirements. The proposed timeline and requirements would be as follows:
January 8, 2007 – Passports, Merchant Mariner Document (MMD) or NEXUS Air cards would be required for all air travel, and most commercial sea travel, from within the Western Hemisphere for citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda. This is a change from the previously scheduled date of January 1, in order to accommodate holiday travel.
January 1, 2008 – The statutory deadline for all Western Hemisphere travel, including land border travel. Passports or other accepted documents determined to sufficiently denote identity and citizenship will be required for anyone crossing at a land border, as well as air and sea.
In addition to the passport, two other proposed travel documents that sufficiently denote identity and citizenship for the air and sea environment include the Merchant Mariner Document (MMD) and the NEXUS Air card. The MMD or "zcard" is issued by the US Coast Guard to merchant mariners and the NEXUS Air card is issued to citizens of Canada and the United States, lawful permanent residents of the United States and permanent residents of Canada. The NEXUS Air card may only be accepted when used in conjunction with the NEXUS Air program. The MMD card may only be accepted when used on official maritime business.
To provide vital information to the general public, the Departments of Homeland Security and State are issuing this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). This follows an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) published in the Federal Register on September 1, 2005. Public comments from the ANPRM are discussed in this NPRM. The Department of Homeland Security is issuing an economic assessment of the proposed rule for air and sea. The public may provide input and/or comment on both the proposed rule and the economic assessment on or before September 24, 2006.
Washington August 11, 2006 - The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reaffirmed today its commitment to work closely with Congress to develop legislation that will increase both criminal and civil penalties for maritime alien smugglers. The physical risks inflicted on aliens by repeat-offender smugglers are very significant, but the current law is not well suited for prosecution of alien smugglers by sea. Modeled on the maritime drug-smuggling laws, the proposed legislation will enhance prosecution against those who repeatedly endanger innocent lives.
DHS also announced today additional measures to discourage Cubans from turning to alien smuggling as a way to enter the United States. These measures will promote the safe, legal, and orderly migration of Cubans with families in the United States and Cuban medical personnel in third countries, while prohibiting entry into the United States to members of the Castro regime who have committed human rights abuses.
"We urge the Cuban people to stay on the island, so that they may work for their freedom and a democratic society. We discourage anyone from risking their life in the open seas in order to travel to the United States," said Department of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Michael P. Jackson. "However, I understand many Cubans have been separated from their families for years and long for the day when they can reunite. If a Cuban chooses to reunite with their family in the United States, we support a safe, legal and orderly migration."
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will undertake the following measures related to US policy with Cuba:
Canberra August 11, 2006 - After a five-month operational deployment to the North Persian Gulf, HMAS Ballarat will arrive in Cochin tomorrow for a three-day visit. The visit will provide an opportunity for rest and recreation for its crew after a busy operational deployment.
Ballarat departed Sydney on 01 March 2006 under the command of Commander Malcolm Wise OAM RAN.
Ballarat has contributed to the multi-national force efforts to assist the Iraqi National Government in developing a secure and stable environment in Iraq. This work included protecting Iraq's offshore oil export terminals, and monitoring, intercepting and boarding vessels suspected of illegally trafficking oil and other cargo that diverts funds from the Iraqi economy.
Australia remains committed to supporting the rehabilitation of Iraq. HMAS Warramunga will shortly take over the maritime duties that have been undertaken by HMAS Ballarat.
HMAS Ballarat's visit to Cochin also reflects the ongoing development of Australia's defense relationship with India - focussed on practical cooperation in areas of mutual interest such as maritime security, counter-terrorism and peacekeeping.
HMAS Ballarat is the eighth of the ANZAC Class frigates built for the Royal Australian Navy. Ballarat is a long-range frigate capable of air-defense, surface and undersea warfare, surveillance, reconnaissance and interdiction. The ship can counter simultaneous threats from aircraft, surface vessels and submarines.
=============================================================
Industry News
Talcahuano August 11, 2006 - On August 10, 2006, the Chief of Staff of the Royal Malaysian Navy, Admiral Tan Sri Ilyas Bin Hj Din, visited the Industrial Plant of ASMAR in Talcahuano accompanied by the Managing Director of ASMAR, Rear Admiral Heinz Pearce.
At the shipyard, Captain Kurt Sulzer, General Manager of ASMAR Talcahuano, and the Shipyard managers, welcomed them.
After a presentation about the company and the main projects carried out in the areas of shipbuilding and ship repair given by Captain Sulzer, the delegation had lunch at the shipyard to later visit the main facilities of the industrial plant.
San Diego August 11, 2006 - A high-level forum of industry, government and academic leaders today proposed action to ensure continued US economic leadership by strengthening California's innovation and competitiveness. The West Coast Competitiveness Summit was co-sponsored by Northrop Grumman Corporation.
At the same time, some 40 distinguished teachers from the San Diego area took two "zero gravity" aircraft flights as part of the Northrop Grumman Weightless Flights of Discovery program, which is designed to inspire and motivate students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Both events addressed the need to provide more tools and hands-on learning opportunities for teachers and students-a vital component of President Bush's American Competitiveness Initiative to encourage critical research and provide American children with a strong foundation in math and science.
"There's much the private sector can contribute to this national dialogue, and as an advanced technology company Northrop Grumman is doing its part," said Ronald D. Sugar, Northrop Grumman chairman and chief executive officer, who addressed today's Summit attendees and participated in the discussion at the San Diego Air & Space Museum. "That's why we're so committed to the West Coast Competitiveness Summit, the Weightless Flights of Discovery and a number of other programs to help inspire young people."
Other Summit participants were Michael Griffin, NASA administrator; Robert C. Cresanti, undersecretary of Commerce for technology; Craig R. Barrett, chairman, Intel Corporation; Marye Anne Fox, chancellor, University of California, San Diego; Steven B. Sample, president, University of Southern California, and Sally K. Ride, a former astronaut and currently president and CEO of Sally Ride Science. George M. Scalise, president of the Semiconductor Industry Association, served as the moderator.
The West Coast Summit followed a National Summit on Competitiveness held in December 2005 in Washington, D.C., which identified the seriousness of the global challenge to America's innovation leadership. Both summits were presented by members of the Task Force on the Future of American Innovation, a coalition of businesses and business organizations, scientific societies and higher education associations that advocates greater federal investments for basic research in the physical sciences and engineering.
During today's discussion, participants focused on ways to foster education and basic research in California in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The Summit concluded with the introduction of the San Diego teachers who participated in the weightless flights.
The Northrop Grumman Weightless Flights of Discovery is a first-of-its-kind program that uses hands-on science workshops and zero-gravity flights to help educators teach students how math, science and engineering principles apply to weightless space environments.
The two flights followed a workshop Aug. 5 where teachers learned about the physics of weightlessness and what to expect on their flights. They also designed a microgravity experiment that applies principles to human activities in a weightless environment.
"I'm grateful to have the opportunity to participate in the Northrop Grumman Weightless Flights of Discovery program, because it will allow me to convey challenging scientific principles in a way that bridges the gap between the laboratory and real life," said Alfonso Ortiz Garagarza, a chemistry and physics teacher at Hidden Valley Middle School in San Diego County. "Imagine the reactions of students watching a video of their teacher in a zero-gravity flight as they perform the same experiments in the earth's gravity. I hope to inspire a generation of future scientists and engineers to reach for the future as only the greatest teachers can."
Northrop Grumman worked through the Science and Technology Working Group of The San Diego Foundation to select the teachers. The California Space Authority was a regional sponsor of the flights in San Diego, the third stop in a scheduled five-region national tour that runs through September. The program will allow approximately 240 teachers to participate in 12 flights.
Northrop Grumman is the Weightless Flights of Discovery program's major sponsor. Zero Gravity (ZERO-G(r)) Corporation, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., developed and conducts this unique professional development program for teachers. Florida Space Research Institute, a research organization for the state of Florida, is providing national funding support. AOL, an industry-leading educational resource for teachers and students, serves as the program's official online, interactive Web site (<http://homeworkhelp.aol.com/zero-g>).
Durham NC August 11, 2006 - A Defense Department study sent to Congress yesterday shows that Congress must stop predatory lenders from preying on our soldiers, sailors and aviators, said President Michael Calhoun of the nonprofit Center for Responsible Lending.
The Pentagon report says payday lenders should charge no more than 36 percent annual percentage rates on their loans to service members, the same cap many states impose in their usury laws in order to ban loansharking. The report said these lenders damage morale and hurt our military preparedness.
Payday lenders typically require borrowers to endorse a postdated check and then trap them into rolling the loan over repeatedly at annual percentage rates that can top 400 percent. The average payday borrower pays back $827 on a $339 loan.
"I applaud the Defense Department's report," Mr. Calhoun said. "Military families need protection from these predators. We must protect the people who protect us."
Congress asked the Department of Defense to investigate these predatory lenders and how they gouge our service people and hurt the country's preparedness for war.
The Department of Defense found that soldiers, sailors and aviators are as many as four times more likely to be victims of payday lenders. These lenders cluster around military bases, the report found.
"Predatory lending undermines military readiness, harms the morale of troops and their families, and adds to the cost of fielding an all-volunteer fighting force," the report said. "The Department of Defense cannot prevent predatory lending without assistance from Congress, the state legislatures, and federal and state enforcement agencies."
Sen. Jim Talent (R-MO) and Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) amended a defense budget bill to impose the 36-percent cap, and the bill has passed the Senate. It must now be approved by a House-Senate conference committee before it can become law.
CRL supports additional protections recommended by the Department of Defense including a ban on loans secured by personal checks or car titles.
Farnborough August 11, 2006 - Farnborough International Limited(FIL), the organizers of the Farnborough International Airshow, announced today that more detailed study of the order announcements made by industry at the 2006 airshow (July 17-23) shows that the total value of these announcements reached nearly US$42 billion, up from the previous estimated figure of US$38 billion.
FIA 2006 was one of the biggest in recent memory with 1480 exhibitors from 35 countries taking part. Some 75 defense delegations from 43 countries attended, along with 40 civil aerospace delegations from 15 countries. Tradeshow attendance figures during the week were up from 133,000 in 2004 to 140,000, while public day visitors rose by 20,000 over the 2004 airshow to reach 130,000.
Trevor Sidebottom, Managing Director of Farnborough International Limited said today: "Now that we have had time to review the details of the order announcements made by companies at the airshow, we are pleased to be able to announce that a total of nearly US$42 billion of business was announced at the event - one of the highest on record.
"We have had a fantastic airshow this year. We promised a new look to the show and we have delivered with a wonderful range of new exhibit and chalet buildings that really have caught the imagination. The comments back from our exhibitors are extremely positive and encouraging for the future, despite the power generation setbacks we had to deal with due to the extreme weather. From the scale of business announced, the high caliber of the visitors attending and the fact that companies are using our airshow to make significant product or partnership announcements, there is no doubt that Farnborough International Airshow is the world's pre-eminent business to business airshow."
International aerospace companies used the airshow to announce orders from across the aerospace spectrum, covering civil and defense products, aero-engines, the supply chain, the MRO sector, training, equipment and services. Of the US$42 billion, some US$37 billion was from the civil aerospace sector with the balance of nearly US$5 billion covering the defense industry. Airframe orders totaled US$35.5 billion, engine orders came to just over US$ 4 billion, with equipment and services business coming to just over US$2 billion.
New products on display at the airshow included the Airbus A380, the Raytheon ASTOR Sentinel surveillance aircraft, a host of new business jet types and the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey. Bell Boeing used Farnborough International Airshow to launch an international sales drive for the aircraft.
The most significant new product during the week was the new Airbus A350XWB airliner, which by the end of the week had secured its first order. The rotary winged sector was very busy with the X-Hawk Fancraft from Bell Helicopter and Urban Aeronautics of Israel, the new AgustaWestland AW149 multi-role helicopter and two new variants of the Sikorsky Black Hawk being announced.
Raytheon of the USA unveiled its AT-6 Joint Airborne Weapons System - a light attack version of the T6B turboprop trainer, Honeywell launched its Synthetic Vision System for a business jet with the first to be installed next year on the Gulfstream range of aircraft, and Lockheed Martin used the airshow to reveal details of its all-composite long-range high altitude P-175 Polecat UAV.
Several new collaborative ventures were launched at the airshow, among them being Pratt & Whitney's new strategic alliances for possible powerplants for future medium range twinjets and Bombardier's partnership agreement with Shenyang Aircraft for the manufacture of Dash 8-400 fuselages. Of great UK significance was the announcement of the Team Complex Weapons strategy by Lord Drayson, Minister of State for Defense Procurement under the auspices of the Defense Industrial Strategy.
Prime Minister Tony Blair visited the airshow on Thursday July 20 and after watching a flypast of the Airbus A380 in formation with the RAF's Red Arrows said: "The flypast was absolutely stunning, the most spectacular thing I have ever seen. The Farnborough show is a magnificent showcase for the British aerospace industry. I am pleased to see that the airshow is back on its feet."
Tucson August 11, 2006 - Raytheon Company and Alliant Techsystems have successfully completed the second ground test of an advanced version of the Solid Divert and Attitude Control System (SDACS).
The SDACS' thrusters place the kinetic warhead (kW) used on Raytheon's Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block 1A in the path of the threat warhead to accomplish a lethal intercept. The ground testing is a step toward fully qualifying the advanced SDACS design for fleet deployment as part of sea-based missile defense.
The advanced SDACS design adds two individual burns to the current design's solid propellant sustain burn function for additional kW thrust and hit-to-kill maneuvering capacity.
The Design Verification Test - pulse 1 was conducted in a vacuum chamber test facility at Elkton, Md. The test included a full pulse burn to simulate the kW’s approach and intercept of an enemy ballistic missile. Preliminary data indicates that all test objectives were achieved.
"This test was a major milestone on our path to providing full capability to the warfighter," said Ed Miyashiro, Raytheon vice president for Naval Weapon Systems. "It also confirms our deliberate spiral development and test philosophy to guarantee our customer 'no doubt' Mission Assurance."
"Once fully qualified, the pulsed SDACS developed by Raytheon and ATK will provide the US Navy with the most advanced, forward-deployed missile intercept capability in the world," said Bart Olson, vice president and general manager, ATK Propulsion and Controls. "We look forward to completing the remaining tests so that we can bring this exciting new capability to the fleet as soon as possible."
Raytheon Company is the prime contractor for the SM-3. Boeing, Aerojet and ATK are the primary subcontractors on the program.
Long Beach CA August 10, 2006 - The Sea Launch team is preparing for its fourth mission of the year, the launch of the Koreasat 5 communications satellite. The Odyssey Launch Platform and the Sea Launch Commander are on their way to the launch site at the equator to begin launch operations. Liftoff is expected at the opening of a one-hour launch window, at 8:27 PM Pacific Daylight Time on August 21 (03:27 GMT, Aug. 22).
Upon arrival at the launch site, the team will initiate a 72-hour countdown, ballasting the Launch Platform 65 feet, to launch depth, and performing final tests on the launch system and the spacecraft. A Zenit-3SL vehicle will lift the 4,448 kg (9,806 lb) Spacebus 4000 C1 spacecraft to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO), on its way to a final orbital position of 113 degrees East Longitude.
Built by Alcatel Alenia Space in Cannes, France, the hybrid spacecraft carries 36 active transponders in multi-band frequencies. Koreasat 5 is owned jointly by the Agency for Defense Development of Korea and KT Corporation. The Agency for Defense Development has managed the military side of the Koreasat 5 program and the Joint Chief of Staff of Korean Armed Forces will operate SHF and Ka-band transponders on the spacecraft to provide satellite communications services.
KT Corporation will operate 24 Ku-band transponders. Half of these will be capable of switching to regional beams to provide advanced broadband multimedia and digital television transmission services, as well as conventional telecom services to operators in the Asia-Pacific region. The remaining 12 Ku-band transponders will replace Koreasat 2 capacity for domestic use in South Korea. While Koreasat 5 is designed for a 15-year lifespan, Sea Launch's direct insertion into equatorial orbit is expected to yield additional years of fuel life.
Sea Launch will carry live coverage of the Koreasat 5 mission via satellite and also streaming video on the company website. Specifics about accessing this coverage will be announced when launch operations begin at the launch site.
Millwood VA August 10, 2006 - As USNS Mercy continues its service to Indonesia, entering the fourth month of its five-month humanitarian deployment in South East Asia, 16 Project HOPE volunteers have joined the hospital ship for the duration of Project HOPE's summer-long presence aboard, which will end on Sep. 3.
Arriving and departing volunteers were greeted over the weekend by Project HOPE President and CEO John P. Howe, III, M.D. in Singapore, as he toured the ship's Medical Treatment Facility with representatives of corporations whose donated medicines and medical supplies made up a $6.3 million shipment sent to the region at the time of the Mercy's deployment.
The Indonesia mission segment ending last week resulted in long-awaited reunions for Michele Okamoto of Honolulu and Olinda Spitzer of Monument, Colorado with Indonesians they treated last year. More than half the Project HOPE civilian nurses and physicians now aboard served in either a 2005 mission of the Mercy or that of its sister ship, the Comfort.
Project HOPE first served Indonesia in 1960, during the maiden voyage of SS HOPE. Today, Project HOPE has ongoing land-based activities in Indonesia at hospitals and in communities served by the 210 volunteers who participated in the Mercy's tsunami and subsequent Nias earthquake responses last year.
The final rotation of Project HOPE volunteers involved in the Mercy's 2006 humanitarian deployment includes:
Founded in 1958, Project HOPE (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere) is dedicated to providing lasting solutions to health problems, with the mission of helping people to help themselves. Identifiable to many by the SS HOPE, the world's first peacetime hospital ship, Project HOPE now conducts land-based medical training and health education programs across five continents.
Silver Spring MD August 10, 2006 - Using a definitive, minute-by- minute timeline of rarely seen and heard events, Discovery Channel brings viewers inside the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, in INSIDE THE TWIN TOWERS, premiering Sunday, September 3, 9-11 PM ET/PT. The tragedy unfolds through the eyes of more than 15 people living through it -- including office workers, emergency personnel, Port Authority engineers and firemen. Personal stories, interviews with survivors and family members, archival footage, CGI and dramatic recreations place viewers inside the confusion, horror and heroic acts that shaped that day.
"INSIDE THE TWIN TOWERS is a world premiere of the WHAT HAPPENED WHEN program initiative, created to provide perspective about recent historical events," said Jane Root, EVP and GM of Discovery Channel. "WHAT HAPPENED WHEN specials will focus on events in the last thirty years, giving viewers the opportunity to relive the urgency, immediacy and emotional significance of the key stories of our time."
INSIDE THE TWIN TOWERS reveals little known facts and knowledge about the twin towers disaster, including:
The broadcast of INSIDE THE TWIN TOWERS will include public service announcements, urging people to support the World Trade Center Memorial Fund and the Flight 93 National Memorial Fund.
INSIDE THE TWIN TOWERS is produced for Discovery Channel by Dangerous Films. Richard Dale is the executive producer for Dangerous and Bill Howard is executive producer for Discovery Channel.
Copyright 2006 Seawaves Publishing Inc. ISSN 1481-4307. This information is licensed to the recipient only. If you wish to disseminate any information contained herein, please contact
webmaster@seawaves.com for details. Images may be subject to copyright. Ask before you right-click.