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Missouri town continues to honor the legacy of one its fallen heroes

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Family members of Second Lieutenant George Whiteman have been visiting two symbolic sculptures in west-central Missouri’s Sedalia. The artwork is inspired by Airman Whiteman’s ultimate sacrifice and the community’s strong relationship with the military. The 22-year-old Sedalia native was the first airborne pilot killed in Japan’s December 7, 1941 surprise attack on the U.S. naval base of Pearl Harbor.

Photo courtesy of Whiteman Air Force Base

Whiteman’s niece, Gayle Kent, tells Missourinet the artwork helps to keep Whiteman’s memory alive.

“He just went. ‘I’m going. I’m getting that plane out of here.’ He died doing what he loved to do,” says Kent.

One sculpture represents a P-40 Warhawk plane flown by Whiteman and points toward his childhood home in Sedalia. Another that sits next to it is of a B-2 stealth bomber. Whiteman Air Force Base in the neighboring community of Knob Noster is the home of the B-2 stealth bomber. Together, the sculptures are called “Whiteman: Legacy of Freedom.”

They were constructed by Sedalia artist Don Luper and stand in Katy Park at 24th Street and Park Avenue.

Kent says Sedalia has embraced Whiteman’s service to his country, including an annual service honoring all U.S. soldiers. Other community efforts memorializing Whiteman include the naming of Whiteman Air Force Base after him, a plaque that sits at his childhood home, a “Shadow” sculpture on the State Fair Community College campus and Whiteman’s gravesite in Sedalia’s Memorial Park Cemetery.

Fort Leonard Wood backers express relief at lower reduction total

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The Army has announced Force Structure Realignment 2020, a plan to restructure its forces and cut uniformed and civilian personnel around the country. It includes the elimination of up to 885 positions at Fort Leonard Wood by 2019. That would include the inactivation of an Engineer Battalion Headquarters, three Engineer Construction Companies and the Brigade Support Battalion.

A draft plan in January called for as many as 3,900 positions to be eliminated at Fort Leonard Wood, leading Governor Jay Nixon (D), Senators Claire McCaskill (D) and Roy Blunt (R) and Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (R) all to release statements noting that the plan announced Tuesday could have been worse for Missouri.

Sustainable Ozarks Partnership Executive Director Joe Driskill credits those elected officials as well as State Representative Steve Lynch and State Senator Dan Brown for their roles in raising awareness about the proposed cuts.

He notes no cuts were made among the Fort’s training personnel, which he calls its most important mission for the future.

“Some 80,000 not only soldiers but members of the Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and even foreign officers are actually trained at Fort Leonard Wood … both for entry-level training, what most people call ‘basic training,’ plus advanced training in the major specialities that are taught here; military police, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear, and also engineering specialities.”

Driskill notes these cuts are not related to sequestration, which could take an additional toll on the Fort.

“We are hoping that the Congress and the President can get together around a modest level of further cuts that don’t impact Fort Leonard Wood and don’t impact the readiness of our Army and other military forces.”

For a transcript of the announcement by Army Chief of Staff General Ray Odiero, click here.

Military Preparedness and Enhancement Commission meets

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The commission was joined by legislators, retired military folks and a host of interests from areas surrounding Whitman Airforce Base and Fort Leonard Wood such as school officials, chambers of commerce members, Realtors and others.

Reports were given by the USS Missouri Submarine Commissioning Committee, National Guard and Military Base liasons. Additionally, Pat Kerr with the Veterans Commission talked about how vital it is that veterans and military families are educated about the benefits available to them.

Kerr says with 541,000 veterans in Missouri with their families, that means more than 3 million people are affected by military news. She urged everyone to frequently check the VA Web site for changes in benefits.

Concerns were brought up about K through 12 education rules that affect incoming military transfers. Roger Dorson with the Department of Education says those who must live on base — if they want their children to go to school in a different district — have to pay tuition. Dorson says the concerns can probably be addressed with a change in bylaws.

Retired Col. Dennis Sandbothe talked about the National Guard Youth Challenge Program, spearheaded by Congressman Ike Skelton. He compares the program to ROTC and says Missouri used to have the program but it went away because of a lack of state funding. He says it takes at-risk youth and puts them into a good environment.

There have been four USS Missouri ships throughout history … the fifth is being built in Connecticut.

Sam Bushman with the USS Missouri Submarine Commissioning Committee says the commission date keeps getting pushed up and now the group has about a year to raise $300,000.

Bushman says there are some things the Navy cannot pay for — one is the highly ceremonial and traditional commissioning of a vessel. He says the committee’s fundraising provides amenities on vessels such as home theaters and libraries, and pays for the celebrations surrounding a new ship’s commissioning.

Jessica Machetta reports [Download/listen MP3]

Army Engineer says military is making progress in Iraq

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A top Army engineer back home from Iraq says the United States is making progress there, though he says "it’s still very fragile".

Colonel Dan Grey serves as Chief of Staff, US Army Maneuver Support Center and Fort Leonard Wood. Grey briefed reporters at Fort Wood on his experience in Iraq. He said a change of strategy turned a faltering mission into a successful one.

"It was all about securing the population where they sleep," Grey told reporters.

Prior to that, according to Grey, US military couldn’t get intelligence from everyday Iraqis, because al-Qaeda threatened to wipe out the entire family of anyone who snitched on them. Americans and coalition forces would be successful in chasing al-Qaeda from a city and then leave for another. The terrorists would simply return after the military left, intimidated the populace and re-establish themselves. The military now will secure a city and leave personnel behind for protection as it moves on to another. Iraqi security forces also are gaining their footing and providing security, according to Grey.

Secure in the military presence with a growing confidence in their own government, Iraqis began to turn. They began to provide the intelligence needed to inflict real harm on al-Qaeda, and the military began rooting them out of key Iraqi cities. Violence fell. The number of deaths dropped.

"It’s a very good news story," Grey said, "Now, I will tell you, it’s still very fragile. I’m not telling you we won the war, because it’s very far from it."

Grey returned from Iraq in February. In Iraq, Grey served as the Engineer Director of the Multi-National Corps. Engineers were vital to the new strategy. They would establish a joint security station used by Coalition and Iraqi military or an outpost for Coalition forces that would move the military from large bases into the population. Grey said that dictated the pace. He compared it to General Douglas MacArthur’s successful island hoping campaign in World War II.

Grey emphasized the fragile nature of progress in Iraq, "There’s a keen sensitivity that we haven’t won this yet, but it is going in the right direction. We need to continue doing what we’re doing, but be cautious about it."

Grey says the tactic in Iraq has changed from winning the hearts and minds of Iraqis to getting the Iraqis to trust each other and build their own government. Eighteen American soldiers died in May, the lowest total of the war. In comparison, 126 soldiers died in May of last year.

Download/link Brent Martin reports (1:15 MP3)

Party Cove Off Limits to Fort Leonard Wood Soldiers

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The commander at Fort Leonard Wood has put the Party Cove at the Lake of the Ozarks off-limits to soldiers. Major General Bill McCoy doesn’t want any Fort Wood personnel visiting the place or taking part in any of the activities there.

McCoy’s order cites health and safety issues. A Fort Wood soldier broke his neck when he jumped off a houseboat two weeks ago. Earlier this summer, a soldier and a civilian employee drowned in separate incidents.

Fort Leonard Wood has its own recreational area at another part of the Lake.

Red Cross Warns Military Families About Scam

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American Red Cross officials want to warn military families about a scam that could be targeting them.

So far, officials believe this is an isolated case. But is does concern the Red Cross, according to Stephen Hall with the St. Louis Chapter . A person who identified herself as with the Red Cross recently called a woman, claiming that her military husband had been hurt in Iraq and sent to Germany for medical treatment. The caller claimed she needed the husband’s Social Security number and date of birth to complete paperwork so her husband can get treatment.

No such information should be given over the telephone. Both the Red Cross and the Department of Defense warn military families to never give personal information over the telephone to someone they don’t know. Military families shouldn’t even confirm that a loved one is deployed.

Hall points out the Red Cross only follows up on communication initiated by the family. It doesn’t make cold calls. American Red Cross representatives typically do not contact military members or dependents directly. The normal protocol would be for the Red Cross to go through a commander of first sergeant.

Hall adds the Red Cross doesn’t call families to report on injuries, leaving that to the Department of Defense.

It is hard to determine how many spouses might be targeted by the scam, but the Red Cross hopes it is an isolated case. 

Download/listen Brent Martin reports (:60 MP3)

State Commission Assesses BRAC Decisions

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The Chairman of Missouri’s Military Preparedness and Enhancement Commission admits his group might have gotten into the fight to prevent base closings recommendations from the Base Realignment and Closure Commission. The President and Congress stil have to sign off on those recommendations. Dalton Wright says his panel’s real focus has been on how to prevent any future cuts. He says the state must make sure our two biggest bases. Whiteman Air Force Base and Fort Leonard Wood are kept save from any future cuts. But, Wright says panel members are prepared to go to Congress to try and prevent the currently proposed closings.

BRAC Decisions Affect Missouri Military Facilities

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The juggling of military units and offices is going to bring a unit to Fort Leonard Wood that is critical in the efforts in the Middle East. The Base Realignment and Closure Commission is recommending the Prime Power School be moved from Fort Belvoir, Virginia to Fort Wood. The BRAC Commission is recommending that Fort Wood lose the Drill Sergeants School, though. It would go to Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

Adult Entertainment Club Off Limits To Fort Leonard Wood Soldiers

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Soldiers at Fort Leonard Wood are now forbidden from going into Big Louie’s – the biggest adult entertainment business in the area. The Army won’t say why it’s put Big Louie’s, in St. Robert, off-limits. The owner says the Army has never contacted him. He says the ban could cost many of his 120 employees their jobs. Some of them are married to soldiers at the base. A Fort spokesman says the base commander issued the order becasue of an emergency but the Army won’t say what the emergency is. The ban also applies to Club Purgatory, another adult entertaiment attraction near Big Louies. Other adult entertainment businesses have not been affected.

Defense Bill Good For Missouri Military Installations

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Missouri’s leading Congressman on defense issues lists the things Missouri gets in the new National Defense Authorization Bill. Congressman Ike Skelton says the bill contains about $77-Million for Missouri’s major military bases. The final version includes about $45-Million to replace 160 family housing units and build a new child development center at Whiteman Air Force Base. Fort Leonard Wood will get $32-Million for a new training facility for response to weapons of mass destruction, for a new training complex on countering mines, a kennel for mine-detecting dogs and to upgrade the firing range and classroom facility.