December 13, 2004
http://www.blackwaterusa.com/

**FROM THE EDITOR:**

Good Morning,
Humvee Heartburn
Continuing transformative needs.
NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE
The media have done a job on Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld - again. First, they celebrated a tough question he received from a National Guardsman at a Kuwait town-hall meeting about unarmored Humvees as a kind of grassroots revolt against the secretary. Never mind that a reporter with the Chattanooga Times Free Press planted the question. Then, they distorted his answer to make it appear that he had brushed off the soldier's question in the most dismissive way possible. Actually, he emphasized that the military realizes how crucial it is to get properly armored vehicles in theater and even shared an anecdote about how he had immediately sent a few up-armored Humvees he noticed protecting the Pentagon to the region.
http://www.nationalreview.com/editorial/editors200412100958.asp

Sincerely, Gary Jackson
President
Blackwater

QUOTE FOR THE WEEK

Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy.

-Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkoff

PROFESSIONAL ARTICLES, EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS

I AM ALWAYS LOOKING FOR PROFESSIONAL ARTICLES. PLEASE DO NOT
HESITATE TO SEND ME SOMETHING YOU HAVE WRITTEN THAT MIGHT
BE OF INTEREST TO OUR READERS.

International Analysis Alert Level: Severe

Somalia

Provided by The Terrorism Research Center http://www.terrorism.com
Immediately after the 9/11 attacks on the United States, Somalia was widely mentioned as a possible safe haven for Islamic terror groups, leading many Somalis to fear that their country would be invaded as part of the US-led war on terror. This has not happened and instead 9/11 may have spurred some parts of the international community to intensify their efforts to set up a functioning national government in Somalia.
http://www.terrorism.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=WarReports&file=index&view=97

What you can expect from Frank Cucci in 2005

Frank will be submitting articles every other week or so through 2005. We are excited about having him contribute on a regular basis. Make sure you check out each issue so you do not miss this great content.

I would like to thank everyone who responded to our last article. Beyond kind words of praise, we received many interesting comments and questions. Read more here> http://www.blackwaterusa.com/btw2004/articles/1213cucci.html

Police Trauma and Addiction
Coping with the Dangers of the Job

By CHAD L. CROSS, Ph.D., and LARRY ASHLEY, Ed.S., LADC
Law enforcement officers face traumatic incidents daily. These events, typically unexpected and sudden, fall well beyond the bounds of normal experience;1 hence, they can have profound physical, emotional, and psychological impacts-even for the best-trained, experienced, and seasoned officers.
The ability to cope with stressful incidents is a personal journey that depends on an officer's past experiences with trauma; appropriate development of coping strategies for stress; availability of support networks (e.g., family, friends, and colleagues); and recognition of the dangers of ignoring signs and symptoms of post-incident stress, which is a normal response to abnormal circumstances.2 Regardless of an officer's personal experiences with traumatic incidents, avoiding, ignoring, or burying the emotional aftermath of a traumatic event can lead to serious
http://www.fbi.gov/publications/leb/2004/oct2004/oct04leb.htm#page_25

BREAKING NEWS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL

'Nanny Problem' Forces Kerik to Withdraw
Bernard Kerik apologized to President Bush on Saturday after questions about the immigration status of a housekeeper-nanny he employed led the former New York City police commissioner to withdraw his nomination as homeland security chief.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20041211/D86TIARG0.html

Nephew: Suspicions About Arafat's Death
Yasser Arafat's nephew said Saturday the lack of a clear reason for his uncle's death raised suspicions the Palestinian leader died of "unnatural" causes.
The comments by Nasser al-Kidwa, after he handed over the 558-page medical dossier to Palestinian officials in Ramallah, were certain to fuel speculation that Arafat was poisoned. Arafat died in a French hospital on Nov. 11.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20041211/D86TI8801.html

Club Shooting Renews Debate on Security
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A nightclub shooting that left four people dead, including a heavy-metal guitarist, has concert bookers and bar managers wondering whether fans will grumble less the next time they're patted down or directed through a metal detector. Scott Stienecker, for one, thinks it will.... http://apnews.myway.com/article/20041211/D86TFIAG0.html

Judge Seeks to Stop Habitual Suer
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A man who has filed hundreds of lawsuits accusing businesses of violating the federal Americans With Disabilities Act was running an extortion scam, says a judge who has barred him from bringing any more such actions without court permission. Jarek Molski is a "vexatious...
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20041211/D86TG1IO0.html

Principal: Boy tries to sell bomb for $35
A 14-year-old boy accused of bringing a pipe bomb to school wanted to sell it to pay for Christmas presents, but several classmates thought his $35 asking price was too high, the principal said.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/12/11/school.evacuation.ap/index.html

SECURITY FOR THE PROFESSIONAL
Sponsored by Blackwater Security Consultants

Man arrested over U.N. kidnappings
Pakistan has arrested the leader of a Taliban splinter group suspected of masterminding the recent kidnapping of three United Nations workers in neighboring Afghanistan, an official has told CNN.
Syed Akbar Agha -- who is the head of Jaish-al Muslimeen -- was arrested earlier this week in Karachi, according to intelligence sources.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/11/pakistan.arrest/index.html

Gunmen kill 2 top-level Iraqi crime fighters
Two high-ranking Iraqi Interior Ministry officials were gunned down in southwest Baghdad Saturday morning, a police official said.
Col. Razaq Adbul Kahreen and Col. Abdul Kahreem Farhan were on their way to work in the ministry's criminal intelligence department when the gunmen sprayed their private vehicle with bullets.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/12/11/iraq.main/index.html

Military hardware wearing faster than expected
Insurgent attacks, desert conditions take toll
Before the war in Iraq, Pentagon officials had predicted that by now, Iraq would be pacified and most American troops would be long gone. But as the war drags on, the toll it's taking is far greater than expected - not only on the soldiers, but their equipment as well.
In fact, senior military officials now tell NBC News all major military equipment - trucks, tanks, helicopters and even guns - is breaking down or wearing out at a faster rate than first estimated.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6694659/

U.S. launches Afghan winter offensive
18,000 troops aim to weaken insurgents before spring elections
Some 18,000 American troops have started a winter offensive against Taliban rebels in Afghanistan, vowing to eliminate insurgents who could threaten parliamentary elections slated for the spring. The U.S. military said Saturday that it hoped the new push, dubbed Lightning...
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20041211/D86TKB2G0.html

NBC: U.S. to boost armored Humvee output
Pentagon ups order after soldier's question causes stir
The U.S. Army has asked the company that is producing fully armored Humvees to expand the Army's order to 550 per month, an increase of 100 a month, NBC News learned Friday.
The move comes on the heels of a highly publicized exchange between a U.S. soldier in Kuwait and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that put the spotlight on the U.S. shortage of armored vehicles in the war with Iraq. It also sparked heated debate about U.S. preparations for the conflict and about the safety and morale of U.S. troops in Iraq.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6694474/

FRANKS REVIEW

5.11 Tactical Pants & Shorts

By: Frank Borelli


Last week we took a look at the top half of the clothing available from 5.11 Tactical. This week we'll take a look at the bottom half: pants and shorts. How much can there be to talk about with pants and shorts, right? Well, I never really studied my Royal Robbins pants before... and getting myself educated about them actually showed me quite a few surprising things. Let's take a look and see if you get surprised too.
http://www.blackwaterusa.com/btw2004/articles/1213frank.html

Frank Borelli
frank.borelli@us.army.mil
frankborelli@comcast.net

CHAPLAINS CORNER

TO AND FOR PEACE KEEPERS OF THE MILITARY AND ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT
AT ALL LEVELS AND ALL OF THOSE IN THEIR SUPPORT SYSTEMS AND ALL
WHO CARE ABOUT THEM AND THEIR WELFARE.

I SOUGHT...

In the early days of my life I knew there was someone watching over me and
seeing to my survival and prosperity. At very early age I remember thinking on
life and the power which impels it. I caught a glimpse of that power at the age
of 7 during a program at my school but could get no explanation of what I could
or should do with it. I asked questions that no one around me could or would
answer.

As I roamed hills and valleys in my childhood and youth I saw evidence, which
was simple to me, of the planning and implementation of creation. I found things
both living and inanimate that told me stories of a creator... but no one could tell
me how to connect with that Creator. In a world full of intelligent people... no one
around me had a usable answer.

Read the rest>>>>http://www.blackwaterusa.com/btw2004/articles/1213chaplain.html

Be Blessed(a condition to be envied by the world).
Be Successful. Be SAFE.
VSP ALUMNI 757-431-2190
Chaplain D.R.Staton, VBPD (Don, C1)
chpln1@juno.com

BUMPER STICKER (As seen on our highways; send your sightings)

The police never think it's as funny as you do