September 13, 2012

Page 1

WWW.CAMPLEJEUNEGLOBE.COM

VOLUME 74, EDITION 37

The

GL BE SERVING CAMP LEJEUNE AND SURROUNDING AREAS SINCE 1944

Operation Helmand Viper Marines honor fallen comrade | 6A

Scout snipers keep watch over Marines | 8A THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 13, 2012

WWW.LEJEUNE.MARINES.MIL WASHINGTON, D.C.

Marines aid fight against drugs, transnational crime DONNA MILES

American Forces Press Service

Officials at Joint Interagency Task Force South are welcoming the contributions a 200-member Marine Corps detachment is making toward tracking drug traffickers and other transnational criminals. The Marines – mostly from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., and Marine Forces South in Miami – deployed to Guatemala City at the Guatemalan government’s request Aug. 11, reported Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Earnest Barnes, Marine Forces South spokesman. Since their arrival, they are patrolling the skies over Guatemala’s littoral waters with four UH-1N Huey helicopters, reporting suspicious activity as part of Joint Interagency Task Force South’s Operation Martillo mission, which kicked off in January. Detachment Martillo also is using enhanced communications to increase the task force’s monitoring and detection capabilities to help Guatemalan authorities quickly apprehend and prosecute illicit traffickers, and seize their shipments, Barnes said. Barnes emphasized the Marines are not directly involved in apprehending traffickers and are serving only in a supporting role. Air Force Brig. Gen. Steven J. DePalmer, Joint Interagency Task Force South’s deputy director, praised the Marines’ contributions. “Our Marines are well-suited to work with the Guatemalans against transnational organized crime. With their aerial surveillance helicopters and communication support, the U.S. Marine detachment deployed in support of Operation Martillo provides an enhanced capability to partner-nation efforts.” Operation Martillo, which translated, means “Operation Hammer,” specifically targets illicit trafficking routes in coastal waters along the Central American Isthmus -- the route for more than 90 percent of the cocaine destined for the United States. The goal, explained Coast Guard Rear Adm. Charles D. Michel, the task force commander, is to SEE CRIME 5A

Photo by Cpl. Anthony J. Kirby

Marines, in participation of the Patriot Day event at the Legeune Memorial Gardens, presented photos and stories of service members who since gave the ultimate sacrifice in support of the War on Terror Sept. 11. President George W. Bush launched the war on terror in October 2001 and dedicated Sept. 11 as Patriot Day.

2ND LT. SARAH BURNS Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune

It’s strange how a few minutes of life are suspended, frozen in time at a particular moment. The heartbreaking events of September 11, 2001, are like no other reminding us only united can we stand stronger, never forgetting those

whose lives were lost. Civilians and service members of the Jacksonville community gathered September 11, 2012, at the 9/11 Memorial in the Lejeune Memorial Gardens to remember those who died and those who since paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. “Just as we stand around this memorial today, those

of you who are watching or are part of this observance are pausing to remember those who passed as a result of September 11, 2001,” said Dr. Don Herring, chairman of the Onslow Civic Affairs Committee, in his opening remarks. The observance, hosted by Onslow Civic Affairs Committee, was a beautiful representation of how

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Voting Assistance Program eases registration, ballot process

America quickly united in the face of terrorism. Local law enforcement, firefighters, first responders, rescue personnel and service members participating represented those who were killed in rescue and in response to the events of 2001. Everyone in attendance participated in the National SEE MEMORIAL 10A

News Briefs

AMAANI LYLE

American Forces Press Service

With Election Day less than two months away, absentee military and overseas citizen voters can enjoy a streamlined process to register, obtain a ballot and exercise their right to vote, a Federal Voting Assistance Program official said in a Pentagon news conference today. Pam Mitchell, the program’s acting director, outlined new outreach initiatives designed to make voting assistance more innovative and user-friendly than ever before, with an emphasis on engaging junior military personnel, the largest segment of the Defense Department population. “We firmly believe voting assistance for our absentee voters is absolutely the best it’s ever been,” Mitchell said. “There are a lot of tools in our arsenal to help those voters both register, get an absentee ballot and to exercise their right to vote.” Mitchell explained FVAP offers a variety of tools through its “online wizard,” which among other features, can even help users ready ballot envelopes for posting by printing the correct address on them. FVAP has customized its tools, Mitchell said, focusing on the 18-to-25-year-old demographic, given their familiarity and general preference for gleaning information from the Internet and communicating through social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. “We have a mobile website we just unveiled last week so using a smartphone or a tablet from anywhere you may be, you can obtain access to our information and our tools,” Mitchell said. In January, Mitchell said, officials also took to email accounts to broaden outreach. “We use email blasts to every member within a dot-mil email address to remind them how they can register to vote and it’s time to vote,” Mitchell said. Outside of the electronic domain, FVAP maintains a call center that operates five days a week from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. EDT and can be used by voters worldwide to get help on how to file an absentee ballot. For in-person interaction, Mitchell said,

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Photo by Glenn Fawcett

Pam Mitchell, Federal Voting Assistance Program acting director, briefs the media on voting assistance initiatives for the current election cycle at the Pentagon Sept. 5. voting assistance officers and installation voter assistance offices remain available as prescribed by the 2009 Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act. She acknowledged findings in a recently released DOD Inspector General report that indicated difficulties in reaching a number of IVA offices based on dated contact information. “In a military environment, things change,” Mitchell said, citing personnel movements and joint basing as factors. “We … agree with the IG the most important thing we can do is to find the most effective way to maintain assistance for all of our absentee voters, and we are absolutely committed (to it).” In the IG report, FVAP officials said investing in intuitive, easy-to-use Webbased tools, supplemented by well-trained unit voting assistance officers – rather than installation voter assistance offices – could substantially reduce cost and improve voting assistance. “By law, all states must offer electronic delivery of the ballot, but the voter, when apply-

ing for the ballot, can elect to receive it that way or may elect to receive it in the mail,” Mitchell said. “Over the last six months, we spent a lot of time reaching out to every single one of the 221 installation voting offices. We’re confident the information on our website today is accurate and has the most up-to-date contact (information).” Between now and the election, Mitchell said, FVAP officials will continue to make weekly calls to each of the installation voter assistance offices to ensure they are accurately able to capture changes that may occur. “Our goal is to make sure anyone who wants to vote has the resources and tools they need from anywhere in the world to successfully exercise the right,” Mitchell said. Active-duty members of the armed forces, Merchant Marine, Public Health Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, their family members and U.S. citizens who are living outside the United States for work, school or other reasons can use FVAP.

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