Volume 6, No. 19 ©SS 2014
FRIDAY, A PRIL 25, 2014
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Settling into
DJIBOUTI
INSIDE Accompanied tours under consideration in Djibouti as US digs in for long haul | Page 2 Air Force mission in Africa expands as focus shifts away from Afghanistan | Page 3 Army ramps up crisis response force | Page 4 On patrol with Coastal Riverine | Page 6
Triple- and double-decked containerized units house troops at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. MICHAEL A BRAMS/Stars and Stripes
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SETTLING INTO DJIBOUTI
Digging in for the long haul US ponders the long-term potential of the military’s core forward base in Africa BY JOHN VANDIVER Stars and Stripes
T
CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti he U.S. military’s operational hub in this strategic Horn of Africa nation still has the lonely dust-swept feel of combat outposts that have come and gone in Iraq and Afghanistan, but something more enduring is taking root in Djibouti as commanders ponder the long-term potential of the military’s core forward base in Africa. “I think we just keep building,” said Rear Adm. Alexander Krongard, deputy commander of Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa. “Everyone wants to be here, and the reason is it sits on a really important piece of real estate. The longer we are here the more it pays to build permanent facilitates, which given enough time, are much cheaper than tents or containers.” At Camp Lemonnier, a former French Foreign Legion post taken over by the U.S. soon after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, military officials now see a base that could be destined for the kind of permanent U.S. mili-
PHOTOS
BY
MICHAEL A BRAMS/Stars and Stripes
Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, a former French Foreign Legion post, is home to Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa. tary presence found in other parts of the world. That means few tents and container-style housing units and more concrete in the years ahead. Given the likelihood for an endur-
ing U.S. military presence in the country, commanders are contemplating something unthinkable just a few years ago: Should tours to Djibouti one day be accompanied?
“It’s the classic debate. Should families be here?” said Capt. Kelly Passmore, commander of the 449th Air Expeditionary Group at Camp Lemonnier. “We see the French military with their families here as well as our own embassy people. It’s an interesting idea.” SEE PAGE 3
Although most tents at Camp Lemonnier are no longer being used to house servicemembers, most will stay erected in case of a temporary influx of troops.
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SETTLING INTO DJIBOUTI FROM PAGE 2
While there are no formal plans yet for such a move, accompanied tours — a signal of U.S. commitment to a region — are a subject senior officials are openly discussing these days. Rather than a reflexive “no way,” commanders say the merits of a future with accompanied tours should be analyzed. “It absolutely merits thinking about,” said Krongard, speaking about the prospects of one day bring families to Djibouti. “But to do it right would take some legitimate support back inside the Beltway and would take some pretty extensive deliberation.” Less than 10 miles from the Somalia border and 50 miles across the For sea from Yemen, soldiers, Djibouti’s proximity sailors, to hot spots and key airmen and commercial transit routes means it is Marines abuzz with foreign this is military. The French really home maintain multiple and what bases, the Germans you have is have a steady Navy presence in the area what you and the Italians have. One are in the midst of my top of constructing a base of their own priorities alongside Djibouti’s would be to single paved road get a more that leads directly into Somalia. China, enduring a growing prespersonnel ence across Africa, also aims to boost facility. its profile, having Navy Capt. recently signed a Michael S. multimillion dollar Newman security deal with Camp Lemonnier Djibouti, underscorcommander of ing the strategic base facilities significance of a nation only slightly bigger than New Jersey. The U.S. military is pressing forward with $500 million in active construction projects now underway. The new construction will bring a host of improvements to a base that has grown from 85 acres in 2002 to 500 acres today. New taxiways to the neighboring commercial runway and a combat aircraft loading area, which would function as a parking apron for the growing Air Force mission in Djibouti, are among the on-going efforts. A new headquarters for CJT-HOA and the installation command group also is in the works, as well as a mini backup operations center for Central Command to use in the event of contingencies in its area of operations, which
‘
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U.S. Air Force HC-130 and C-130 aircraft sit on the tarmac at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti.
Air Force on the rise in Africa amid Afghan drawdown BY JOHN VANDIVER STARS AND STRIP ES
CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti — With an expansion effort well underway at this strategic Sudoku Puzzle - Medium military hub, expect more Air Force assets to be stationed at Camp Lemonnier in the years ahead as resources once dedicated to the war in Afghanistan begin to shift toward the African continent. “Our presence here in Djibouti is enduring and I think it is growing,” said Col. Kelly PHOTOS BY MICHAEL A BRAMS/Stars and Stripes Passmore, 449th Air Expeditionary Group commander at Pararescuemen of the 82nd Expeditionary Rescue Camp Lemonnier. “As DOD has Squadron at Camp Lemonnier prepare for a mission. capacity that is freed up from our transition out of Afghanistan, sance capabilities for intelligence Embassy there. it gives us forces that are able to gathering efforts in the region In 2013, the airlift and now focus on this region.” personnel recovery mission and ensuring that a team of Additional aircraft taxiways unified under Air Force comspecial operators is prepared to and ramp space at Lemonnier mand. For years, the responsiexecute rescue missions around will add flexibility “that will give bility also was shared with the the clock. us a more robust capability,” Marine Corps. The shift to an “We cover the entire region Passmore said. “It’s very likely it Air Force-led effort has helped and we’ve got enough assets will get filled up over time.” bring cohesion, Passmore said. here that it is a rare day that we For the Air Force, the mission www.sudoku-puzzles.net The personnel recovery effort aren’t able to meet that requireat Camp Lemonnier centers involves a range of air craft, ment,” said Passmore, whose on providing air lift support for including HH60 helicopters and unit provided airlift when Army Puzzle were - Medium crisis response units, maintain- Sudoku HC-130s designed specifically crisis responders sent into for medical evacuations. South Sudan to secure the U.S. ing surveillance and reconnaisincludes the waters around the Horn of where you can go out the gate and get Africa. a lot of things,” Newman said. “For New triple-decked containerized soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines housing units also are slated to soon this is really home and what you have is open, and construction on one of the what you have. One of my top prioribase’s first barracks buildings is unties would be to get a more enduring derway, a trend that will continue going personnel facility.” forward as Lemonnier moves away In addition, the military has its eye Sudoku on Solution - Medium from temporary structures. leasing a small slice of territory that For now, the base coffee shop, tiny occupies a swath of land in the middle Navy Exchange and gym are all in of its 500-acre presence at Lemonnier, small makeshift facilities, but plans for known respectively as the Djiboutian a building that consolidates all supand French notches. port and recreational services is in the The U.S. hopes to eventually incorpoworks, officials said. rate those areas into Camp Lemonnier, “I think we are at a transition point,” which the U.S. government leases for said Navy Capt. Michael S. Newabout $38 million per year from the man, commander of base facilities at Djiboutian government. Lemonnier. The areas, which have been rumored “It’s not Iraq and it’s not Afghanito also be of interest to the Russians stan, but it’s not Norfolk or San Diego, and possibly China, would give some www.sudoku-puzzles.net
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As the overall operation tempo increases in Africa, the potential for medical evacuations, whether for illness or combat injuries, is likely to grow. Puzzle - Medium Capt.Sudoku Keegan Owens, a combat rescue officer with the 82nd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, said his unit is in a constant state of readiness, prepared to parachute into the line of fire should hostilities emerge. “It’s our job to get in while bullets are flying,” Owens said. “These (pararescuemen) are able to provide the very best medical care in the most dangerous combat environment.” Meanwhile, Passmore declined to go into detail about a hush-hush mission that is an open secret around Camp Lemonnier: intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance operations conducted out of Djibouti. “Obviously there is ISR capacity here,” he said. “The location in Djibouti is key. It is key for multiple combatant commands. From here you www.sudoku-puzzles.net can reach Central Command’s and Africa Command’s areas of Sudoku Puzzle - Medium concern.” vandiver.john@stripes.com
flexibility to the space-squeezed base, U.S. military officials said. Washington is in the midst of talks with Djiboutian officials over the land and the long-term lease. “There was some discussion the Russians had some sort of interest,” Newman said. “I don’t know how seriSolution ousSudoku that was or if-itMedium was a Djiboutian negotiating tactic.” With or without the additional acreage at Camp Lemonnier, which generates all its own power and produces as much as 200,000 gallons of water a day, future construction for the military in Djibouti has only one way to go, Newman said. “We need to start thinking up rather than out,” Newman said.
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SETTLING INTO DJIBOUTI
‘THINGS ARE UNPREDICTABLE HERE’
Crisis response force adds firepower to US base in Africa BY JOHN VANDIVER Stars and Stripes
S
CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti taff Sgt. Alan Wardell was anticipating a slow-going deployment when he got the order to go to Africa, one with enough downtime to bulk up at the gym and head back to Kansas lean and mean. “It was going to be the diet and gym deployment,” said Wardell, who serves with the 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment out of Fort Riley. “But that’s not how it worked out. Things are unpredictable here.” Just days after arriving at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, in late December, Wardell and other members of the Army’s new East Africa Response Force were called to action in South Sudan, where ethnic conflict between warring factions came dangerously close to the U.S. embassy in Juba. About 45 soldiers boarded a C-130 and headed for the hot spot, where they would help with civilian evacuations and embassy security in Juba. “We’re basically the firemen for AFRICOM (U.S. Africa Command). If something arises and they need troops somewhere, we can be there just like
that,” said Capt. John Young, who serves as company commander for the response force. The prime mission for Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa at Camp Lemonnier — U.S. Africa Command’s main operational hub on the continent — remains focused on a 10-nation area that includes Somalia, where U.S.-trained African Union forces have been fighting al-Qaidaaligned insurgents for years now. “I think the heart of our mission is trying to create militaries that are capable on their own of bringing stability, so you can have peace and security in
this region,” said Vice Adm. Alexander Krongard, deputy commander of CJTHOA. “Frankly, we don’t have a lot of forces to move around on the ground. We’re not into the wholesale training of giant armies.” EARF is part of AFRICOM’s more muscular posture that emerged after the 2012 attacks on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya. Those attacks, which left four dead including U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens, exposed a lack of critical crises response capability on the continent. That prompted the Army to form EARF — a company-size ele-
ment that is forward stationed at Camp Lemonnier. Together with a Marine Air Ground Task Force in southern Spain, and additional special operations forces assigned to AFRICOM, the command for the first time has assigned units on a short string. A platoon-size element from the Army unit continues to provide security in Juba, while the rest of the force, drawn from the 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, remains on call in Djibouti. “You never know what’s going to happen, but getting called up on a mission like that really justifies your deployment,” said Wardell, who, like all other EARF soldiers, carries a beeper at all times in the event of a crisis.
see page68 SEE PAGE
‘ We’re basically the firemen for AFRICOM. If something arises and they need troops somewhere, we can be there just like that. ’ Capt. John Young company commander for East Africa Response Force
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SETTLING INTO DJIBOUTI FROM PAGE 4
A U.S. vessel with Coastal Riverine Squadron-1 Forward Wave 2 skips across the water while on patrol in Djibouti port.
Sailors in Djibouti patrol to prevent another USS Cole BY JOHN VANDIVER STARS AND STRIPES
CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti — Before sunrise, the sailors slip off base in a boat-hauling convoy through the darkened streets of Djibouti, harbor-bound. Sailors of Coastal Riverine Squadron-1 Forward Wave 2, deployed to Camp Lemonnier to guard big U.S. Navy ships cruising into Djibouti’s port, have the tricky task of offloading their 34-foot Sea Ark vessels onto a crowded ramp occupied by rickety fishing canoes. “You have to be careful here,” said U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Alan Tubbs, who leads 69 sailors deployed with CRS Wave 2. “People sometimes are sleeping under those boats.” On a recent morning, the offload went off without a hitch as the three Sea Arks slid past the overturned wooden fishing boats and headed out to deep water. With Yemen a mere 50 miles across the narrow stretch where the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden meet, and Somalia directly to the south, the tiny nation of Djibouti is nestled in a key strategic zone where the U.S. maintains drones, special operations forces, crisis-response soldiers and an array of airlift capability. It’s all aimed at countering threats and building the capabilities of partner militaries. But when it comes to securing Djibouti’s waterways for passing U.S. Navy vessels, the job belongs to the Navy’s Coastal Riverine Squadron. Formed soon after the 2000 terrorist attack on the USS Cole in Yemen, Coastal Riverine squadrons provide security for Navy ships navigating dangerous waters around the world. The high-speed boats, which can reach speeds of about 40 knots, or 46 mph, are mounted with two .50-caliber machine guns and one M240 7.62mm machine gun at the front. “When you are postured like that, people don’t want to come near you,” Tubbs said.
PHOTOS
BY
MICHAEL A BRAMS/Stars and Stripes
Petty Officer 1st Class Cindy Berkshire keeps a lookout during a patrol of the Djibouti port with Coastal Riverine Squadron-1 Forward Wave 2. On patrol with Coastal Riverine Squadron-1 in Djibouti port stripes.com/go/fw2 Ultimately, the squadron’s job is to de-escalate tensions and ensure no unknown vessels get near U.S. warships, which often refuel in Djibouti. The hardest part of the job, sailors say, is distinguishing when an unidentified boat poses a true threat. In a busy harbor often filled with fishing boats, language barriers pose a challenge, sailors said. If a boat does approach, the team goes through a variety of measures to ensure the boat keeps its distance. Loudspeakers, flares and aggressive boat maneuvers that kick up white water all send a message of warning to the approaching vessel, sailors said.
“It’s to show an aggressive posture, said Petty Officer 2nd Class Javan Wells, patrol leader. “Our job is to prevent things from developing into a threat in the first place.” As the team cruised the Djiboutian waters, running through maneuvers and monitoring the security landscape, Tubbs quizzed team members on the rules of engagement. If a true threat emerges, there is no time to call up the chain for approval to open fire. That means the decision to attack is delegated to the boat’s coxswain. There is no room for mistakes. Any misfire on civilians would result in a major diplomatic row, Tubbs said. “That’s why we go through these test rides,” he said. “I need to be comfortable in what they are doing out here.” vandiver.john@stripes.com
For Lt. Col. Robert Magee, who commands the 1-18 Infantry Regiment, crisis response is only one part of the mission in Djibouti. While one company of troops is always on call, most of the remaining 700 soldiers provide security at Camp Lemonnier or travel across Africa to conduct training missions with U.S. partners. The unit, which is part of the Army’s regional alignment concept that pairs units with regions of the world, is intended to provide combatant commands with a more reliable source of support. For AFRICOM, that means more forces for more missions. In 2013, AFRICOM conducted 546 security activities on the continent, ranging from operations and exercises to small training events, a sharp spike from the 172 missions the command inherited when it became fully operational in 2008. Since arriving in Djibouti in December, Magee’s troops have been key to boosting the Army’s role on the continent, training roughly 2,000 troops from about 25 different countries. Overall, the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, which includes the soldiers of 1-18, have trained five battalion-size units and scores of smaller teams across the region, preparing African soldiers for deployments in places such as Somalia and Mali, Magee said. Last year, AFRICOM also sent a small team of advisers into Mogadishu to coordinate with AU forces operating in the area. While the advisers are fewer than 12 troops, the deployment was likely the first time regular troops have been assigned to Somalia since the infamous 1993 “Black Hawk Down” battle that left 18 U.S. troops dead. The troops now in Somalia have a noncombat role, military officials said. As the mission in Djibouti grows, an ever-present rapid response team will be key to contending with crises virtually impossible to forecast, Krongard said. “It’s the sheer unpredictably here,” Krongard said. “A lot of things come out of the blue. You wake up in the morning and prepare for whatever comes during the day, and that is just the nature of the job.” vandiver.john@stripes.com
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the U.S. traditionally tries to maintain in the Western Pacific,” Holslag said. “China knows that it can only recover what it calls lost territory if the U.S. is kept at a distance. “I don’t think that the security dilemmas in Asia are going to have a peaceful ending,” he said. “All these territorial disputes will ultimately be decided by power and probably also military power.”
BY M ATTHEW M. BURKE Stars and Stripes
SASEBO NAVAL BASE, Japan — China’s recent announcement that it would increase defense spending by 12.2 percent in 2014 is making some American allies nervous in a region where perception matters and the possible flashpoints are numerous. Those countries, mainly Japan and the Philippines, have come to rely on the U.S. military for protection from a neighbor who seems on creating instaANALYSIS set bility by expanding and intensifying territorial claims to disputed waterways, airways and islands in the Pacific. Those actions — coupled with U.S. plans to scale back military spending for the next several years — have led to the perception that China is rising as the U.S. slips. That perception may be even more important in countries sitting on the fence, like Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Myanmar, which only recently started backing off from its close ties with China. In reality, America’s $495.6 billion defense budget dwarfs the $132 billion in spending planned by China this year, but some lawmakers in the region find little comfort in that fact, analysts say. “It will take China a long, long time before its budgets will effectively alter the military balance with the U.S.,” said Jonathan Holslag of the Brussels Institute of Contemporary China Studies. “But that’s not the main concern. While the U.S. still has some scope to respond, neighbors are getting much more nervous… Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines all know that they could be the first victim if the balance of power shifts at America’s detriment.” In recent months, China has done its best to look like the bully on the block. Late last year, it announced a new “air defense identification zone” over a broad swath of the East China Sea, requiring foreign aircraft to report flight paths and follow other regulations if they enter the zone. Days after the announcement, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel made it clear that the U.S. has no intention of complying. “This announcement by the People’s Republic of China will not in any way change how the United States conducts military operations in the region,” Hagel said. Then on March 9, China entered Japan’s airspace, flying a surveillance plane and two bombers between
Japan, Philippines take notice
Powers of perception D ENVER A PPLEHANS/Courtesy of the U.S. Navy
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer JS Yuudachi rides in front of the aircraft carrier USS Washington during a formation in the East China Sea in June 2012. Japanese lawmakers are looking to increase the country’s defense spending and change its self-defense constitution, possibly to help the U.S. deal with a rising Chinese military. Japan’s Okinawa and Miyako islands. Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force responded by scrambling its fighter jets. The same day, Chinese Coast Guard vessels prevented two civilian ships contracted by the Philippine Navy from resupplying and rotating Philippine forces at its Ayungin Shoal, Philippine officials said. Other incidents include Chinese submarines encroaching on Japan’s outlying islands in 2013 and Chinese
coast guard patrols around the disputed Senkaku islands in 2012. Earlier this year, Chinese vessels drove Filipino fishermen away from the Scarborough Shoal with water cannons and issued fishing regulations that would require foreign vessels to obtain Chinese approval before casting nets in the South China Sea. “What we are seeing is just the beginning of an effort of China to break through the security perimeter that
Perhaps in recognition of that prospect, other countries in the region are looking to bolster their militaries. Japan is reconsidering its military spending and doctrine of self-defense only. Japan spent almost $57 billion in 2013, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has asked for more this year, according to IHS Jane’s Annual Defence Budgets Review. For now, however, any Japanese reaction to Chinese provocation is limited by the country’s pacifist constitution, foundering economy and reliance on the war-weary United States for protection. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the issue came up at a national security seminar last month in Tokyo. “Truth be told, the U.S. can no longer afford to play the world’s policeman,” Yosuke Isozaki, a ruling-party lawmaker who advises Abe on national security issues, was quoted in the report as saying. “This is no longer an era when Japan is permitted to do nothing and count on America to protect us for free. It’s become extremely important we do our own share alongside the U.S.” Other Japanese lawmakers said China’s military buildup will diminish America’s power. “We need to think about how to maintain the military balance,” Shigeru Ishiba, a top ruling party official and a former defense minister, said at the same seminar. Meanwhile, Philippine officials are in the process of inviting U.S. forces back to the islands. Philippine Defense Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino told reporters in Washington last month that an agreement to allow shared use of Philippine military bases with U.S. forces was almost complete, according to Reuters. “Through the proposed PhilippinesU.S. Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, the Philippines wants to enhance its defense cooperation with the U.S. in maintaining and developing individual and collective capacities and further strengthening its defense posture,” Charles Jose, a spokesman for the Philippine office of foreign affairs, wrote to Stars and Stripes.
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The Bill of Rights Amendment III No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law. Amendment IV The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
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PACIFIC from page11 8 FROM PAGE “Although the Philippines respects U.S. policy that it would not take position on conflicting claims and on sovereignty issues, our two countries share common positions on resolving disputes, including the adoption of a rules-based approach, adherence to international law and non-use of force.” Even Australia, which historically has had good relations with China, has been eager to work more closely with the U.S. military. In 2012, the U.S. started sending Marines to Darwin for joint training, and more than 20,000 U.S. troops took part in the Talisman Saber exercise in 2013. Plans call for more U.S. troops and more bilateral cooperation in the coming years. Australian officials told Stars and Stripes they don’t have a problem with China’s military modernization, but they encourage Beijing to be open and transparent about the policy that is driving its budget increases and modernization programs.
Still a Pacific pivot? The U.S. has security treaties with the Philippines and Japan and would be compelled to come to their aid in the event of conflict. But the current administration has also given mixed signals on its commitment to the Pacific pivot. “The Asia-Pacific rebalance remains an administration priority — we will continue seeking to preserve peace and stability in a region that is increasingly central to U.S. political, economic and security interests,” Marine Lt. Col. Jeffrey Pool, a Defense Department spokesman, wrote in a statement provided to Stars and Stripes in March. Pool said the Defense Department was making long-term investments in capabilities that directly support the rebalance — undersea and in space, the cyber realm, aircraft and longrange strike capabilities. Some members of Congress are questioning that commitment. “When the president framed rebalance, he discussed how we could now safely turn our attention to Asia because the war in Afghanistan was receding and al-Qaida was on the path to defeat,” Rep. Buck McKeon, RCalif., said in a House Armed Services Committee statement in January. “I’m concerned those conditions haven’t panned out.” On March 13, Rep. J. Randy Forbes, R-Va., penned a letter to National Security Advisor Susan Rice, calling for a new Asia-Pacific strategy review.
Perceptions matter Despite the budgeting bottom line having changed very little, the per-
K AITLYN R. BREITKREUTZ /Courtesy of the U.S. Navy
Ships from the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Republic of Korea navy are underway during a trilateral exercise in June 2012. Japanese lawmakers are looking to increase the country’s defense spending and change its self-defense constitution. ception is that the U.S. is shrinking its budget and moving backward on its proposed pivot while the Chinese forge ahead with growth and expansion. That perception is important and could make matters worse, according to experts. “Perception matters indeed,” said Baohui Zhang, a political science professor at Lingnan University’s Centre for Asian Pacific Studies in Hong Kong. “In particular, China’s continuous military buildup will deepen the mistrust between itself and Japan. The security dilemma with Japan has been driven by the rise of China and Japan’s relative decline. So we may expect additional measures by Japan to respond to China’s military expansion,” Zhang said. In a move that many believe will anger the Chinese, Japan broke ground on a new military lookout station this month on the tiny tropical island of Yonaguni, according to Reuters. It plans to send 100 soldiers and radar to Japan’s westernmost outpost, which is located off Taiwan and only 93 miles
from disputed islands claimed by both countries. Some say this perception might also be enough to sway smaller nations like Cambodia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam, which either sit on the fence between Chinese or American partnerships or are locked in their own disputes with China. Poor economic times in these countries could also lead to nationalism and the chance for conflict. “It may not come close to the United States, but this is not a good news for the American allies in the region,” said Toshiyuki Shikata, a former Japan Ground Self-Defense Force lieutenant general and current professor at Teikyo University in Tokyo. “The U.S. needs to show its understanding (toward these countries) and show them that it is OK because it is there.” Moreover, the perception that the U.S. is scaling back its military might be enough to further embolden China. Capt. James Fanell, director of intelligence for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, warned at a conference in San Diego last month that the Chinese military
had been tasked with the capability of conducting a “short, sharp war to destroy Japanese forces in the East China Sea, followed with what can only be expected, a seizure of the Senkakus or even the southern Ryukyus (islands),” according to the Brookings Institution’s Jonathan Pollack and Dennis Blasko. Scholars are divided on whether the Chinese can continue to grow or whether the U.S. can wait them out without being dragged into unnecessary conflicts. However, scholars say it isn’t necessarily a good thing if China’s growth and defense spending falters. “China is heading for difficult economic times,” Holslag said. “That makes defense spending more difficult, but military muscle-flexing more likely. … The biggest uncertainty is whether China will move when it feels it is powerful and ready or if it would slide and panic.” Stars and Stripes reporters Erik Slavin, Ashley Rowland and Hana Kusumoto contributed to this report. burke.matt@stripes.com
The Bill of Rights Amendment V No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
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Belgium-based US soldier saves boy at park on Easter B
Racing caregivers make special DC stop
BY JOHN VANDIVER Stars and Stripes
First Sgt. Jared D. Dowland was planning a relaxing Easter Sunday at the Jemappes park, a lush pastoral spot just outside Mons, Belgium, with flowers, a lagoon and a lovely chateau. A soldier with the 128th Signal Company at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Dowland was kicking back as his three sons ran off to the playground when he noted a commotion about 50 yards away. At first he ignored it, he said in a telephone interview, but then it became clear something was wrong. A young child, dripping wet, was surrounded by a crowd of people near the water’s edge as someone pressed on the boy’s stomach. “You have to do something,” said Dowland’s wife, Marie. “Get over there and save him.” Dowland said he found the boy unconscious and not breathing, his skin pale. “Everything about this boy’s appearance told me he was dead, he was in the water too long before he was discovered, and that reviving him was probably not possible,” Dowland said. As those thoughts raced through his head, Dowland said he fell back on his training, employing life-saving techniques learned years ago as a new recruit. He started chest compressions, followed by a breath of air. “I pinched his nose and the first breath was hard to force in,” Dowland said. “Then
Courtesy of Jared Dowland
First Sgt. Jared D. Dowland, a soldier based at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Mons, Belgium, visits Mahmud, a 5-year-old boy he saved by providing CPR after he had apparently fallen into a park lagoon and lost consciousness. I instructed the father to push, so that he could do the compressions.” With the second breath, the boy’s chest rose a little. He heard a gurgle, a possible sign that the air went to the stomach. He again recalled his training: Tilt the head back farther to open the airway. Still worried that air was entering the stomach, Dowland started losing hope. He felt himself welling up with tears. But he pressed on. After what felt like many minutes, water began shooting from the boy’s nose. After turning the boy’s head to the side, and wiping his mouth clean of mucus, Dowland gave another breath. Water spit out once more. After a couple more rotations, color started to return to the boy’s face. “He’s going to be all right,” Dowland shouted. After the rescue, Dowland shared his account with Bel-
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gian authorities, who thanked him for stepping in. Apparently, two other attempts by bystanders to resuscitate the boy had failed before Dowland arrived. As Dowland tried to save the boy, people were calling out in French to stop, that it was hopeless, Belgian authorities told Dowland. “I’m glad I couldn’t understand them,” he said. Leaders from Dowland’s unit credited the soldier for stepping in, saying his actions should serve as an example for all soldiers. Dowland said the rescue was a reminder that soldiers are trained to help both on and off the battlefield. Dowland visited the boy later in the night at the hospital and again the next day. He learned the youngster’s name was Mahmud. “The father kissed me on both cheeks,” Dowland said. “It was very emotional.” vandiver.john@stripes.com
This publication is a compilation of stories from Stars and Stripes, the editorially independent newspaper authorized by the Department of Defense for members of the military community. The contents of Stars and Stripes are unofficial, and are not to be considered as the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government, including the Defense Department or the military services. The U.S. Edition of Stars and Stripes is published jointly by Stars and Stripes and this newspaper. The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the DOD or Stars and Stripes of the products or services advertised. Products or services advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use, or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation, or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user, or patron.
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eing invited to the Angel,” shares a message of White House was inclusion, telling the story of “mind blowing,” said how running races keeps their 12-year-old Briley whole family connected. All Rossiter. She enjoyed seeing the funds for Briley’s book are the beautiful rooms, artwork pledged to Ainsley’s Angels. and chandeliers, but she wasn’t Briley said Biden, in a there just to sightsee. private conversation before the Briley and her Marine Corps caregivers event, asked what family received a special she wanted to do when she invitation from Jill Biden, wife grows up. “I told her I wanted Vice President Joe Biden, to to work with special needs chilattend the unveiling of the dren probably being a physical National Coalition of Military or occupational therapist or Caregivers, initiated by the a special education teacher,” Elizabeth Dole Foundation, at Briley said. “She told me I the White House this month. would make SPOUSE CALLS an amazing April is both the Month of the Military Child and Militeacher. She tary Caregivers Month. This encouraged conjunction was especially me to follow meaningful for the Rossiters my dreams.” because of the special care this The family Marine Corps family gives to also met and one of its members, 10-year-old had brief Ainsley. conversaAinsley has a rare disease, tions with infantile neuroaxonal dysDole and Terri Barnes trophy, which progressively former First destroys her Lady Rosalmuscles, leav- Join the conversation with Terri at ynn Carter, ing her unable stripes.com/go/spousecalls who attended to move or the event. communicate They left a on her own, but her family copy of Briley’s book for Sasha and Malia Obama. didn’t want that to keep her on the sidelines. “I hope they get the message A few years ago, Kim RosI have to share,” Briley said. siter began participating in “They can probably relate to road races while pushing his Ainsley and I, since they have daughter in a specially fitted a sister relationship.” running wheelchair. Before First Lady Michelle Obama long, Briley wanted to join in also spoke to the gathering of and began racing with Ainsley military families and press as well. about new initiatives sponEnjoying these events as a sored by businesses and founfamily despite Ainsley’s condidations to support military tion, the Rossiters wanted to caregivers. share the experience. They Briley’s goal is to have her founded Ainsley’s Angels of book in every school in the nation, to share the message of America, which now has a including disabled people, said dozen chapters nationwide. her mom, Lori Rossiter. The charity and its partners Lori said that although purchase jogger chairs, bike Briley is normally shy and trailers and rafts to allow reserved, she has embraced disabled children, adults and her role as ambassador for her veterans to experience endurcause and her sister. ance events like road races Lori said that although and triathlons, teamed with an Ainsley shows minimal awareable-bodied partner. ness of her surroundings, she Jill Biden heard about the family’s efforts and subsequent- was wide-eyed at the colorful rooms in the presidential ly invited them to the caregivhome. ers event. Biden also learned “Ainsley can’t show her emothat she and Briley have tions,” Briley said. “We don’t something in common. Each know how much she is aware has written a book for children, of things like this — but if she and the two authors have now was aware, she would have exchanged autographed books. thought it was really cool, just Biden’s book about military like all of us do.” children is “Don’t Forget God Bless Our Troops.” Terri Barnes writes Spouse Calls weekly for Stars and Stripes Briley’s book, “Born an
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The Bill of Rights Amendment VI In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense. Amendment VII In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law. Content provided by A1 Publishing Alaska
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The Bill of Rights Amendment VIII Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. Amendment IX The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
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