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By Maj. Wendy Rodgers
SAN VINCENTE, El Salva-
dor – The 807th Medical Com-
mand (Deployment Support)
(MDSC) provided medical, den-
tal, and veterinary services to the
citizens of rural El Salvador and
their animals over a 15-day mis-
sion in June.
Lt. Gen Jack C. Stultz, Chief,
Army Reserve, and Maj. Gen.
L.P. Chang, Commander, 807th
MDSC were in attendance at the
opening ceremony, marking the
first day of a Medical Readiness
Training Exercise (MEDRETE).
The ceremony emphasized a
continuing partnership between
the United States and El Salvador,
one that included an alliance in support of Op-
eration Iraqi Freedom.
―I’m very proud of my Soldiers doing this,‖
said Chang immediately following the opening
ceremony. ―I think it’s very exciting for the
Soldiers to come here to a very different cul-
ture, different environment, to implement their
skills and actually help people.‖
Over a period of 15 days, the 349th Combat
Support Hospital (CSH) from Bell, Calif., es-
tablished clinics in Tepetitan, San Vicente and
Barrio San Jose Calvario, providing medical,
dental, pharmaceutical, and veterinary services.
The team of 34 medical providers assisted
6,504 people, 750 livestock, and 383 cats and
dogs. Staff Sgt. Byung Park, unit supply ser-
geant, from Los Angeles, said it took more than
12,000 pounds of equipment and supplies to
support the mission.
In years past, El Salvador has needed assis-
tance due to economic reasons, but this mission
was especially important because in November
2009, the Salvadoran city of La Paz was com-
pletely buried in mud. The disaster was caused
349th Combat Sup-port Hospital Leads Medical Exercise
June-July 2010
Volume1, Issue 4
The 807th MDSC Newsletter is
a bi-monthly publication for the
Soldiers, Families, civilians and
medical professionals of the
807th MDSC.
807th MDSC Commander
Maj. Gen. L.P. Chang
Command Sergeant Major
Command Sgt. Maj. Alan Elwood
Chief of Staff
Col. Janet Shipko
Public Affairs Officer
Lt. Col. Brent Campbell
Editor
Maj. Matthew Lawrence
Public Affairs Staff
Maj. Wendy Rodgers
1st Lt. Franklin Sarratt
Staff Sgt. Kristen King
Staff Sgt. Adam Stone
Sgt. Craig Anderson
This newsletter is an authorized
publication for the members of the
807th MDSC. The content within
does not necessarily reflect the offi-
cial views of, or endorsed by the U.S.
Government or the Department of
Defense. The 807th newsletter is an
unofficial publication authorized by
Army Regulation 360-1. Editorial
content is prepared, edited and pro-
vided by the Public Affairs Office of
the 807th MDSC. All photos are
Department of Defense unless other-
wise credited.
807th Medical Command
(Deployment Support) “Soldiers First”
El Salvador Gets Medical Help From 807th MDSC
by a series of floods and landslides resulting
from heavy rains after Hurricane Ida wreaked
havoc across Central America. More than 100
people lost their lives, and hundreds of others
were displaced when mud swept down the
side of the Chichontepec volcano. Some of
those displaced relocated to San Vicente and
surrounding neighborhoods.
The 349th earned the distinction of being
the first Army Reserve CSH to provide medi-
cal support to the citizens of El Salvador using
only Reserve assets when they treated people
at three separate clinics in and around San
Vicente.
The 349th unit commander, Capt. Clarisa
Colchada, a registered nurse from Cerritos,
Calif., has participated in MEDRETEs before,
but this is her first time as a planner. A lot of
coordination was done between the United
States and El Salvador. ―When we came in
January we met with the mayor of the city and
the people in charge of the health department,
and the education department to tell them we
Army Reserve preventative medicine officer, Capt. Raudel Rivera
from Pasadena, Calif., receives assistance from a local Salvador-
ian boy during his briefing at a medical clinic in San Vicente. The
youth demonstrates the proper brushing technique for maintain-
ing good oral health. The 349th Combat Support Hospital from
Bell, Calif., provided medical support to citizens in the San
Vicente area during a 15 day medical readiness exercise. - Photo
by Army Maj. Wendy Rodgers, 807th MDSC Public Affairs
See El Salvador on page 4
have a Master Resilience Trainer (MRT)
in their ranks. The program is heavily
weighted to the training commands so
that in the future, new Soldiers will come
trained to their assignments.
This training is also open to family
members, who have their own set of
stresses to deal with when their loved
ones leave on deployment. I encourage
every family member to take advantage of
the resources the Army has available, and
I encourage Soldiers to work with their
units to get the training and the help they
need in making themselves mentally and
spiritually fit.
-Maj. Gen. L.P. Chang
Resources - http://www.army.mil/csf/
index.html
http://www.army.mil/csf/family.html
most Soldiers face, to include marital or
financial difficulties. For these reasons,
we as leaders must ensure that our Sol-
diers are not only physically strong, but
also mentally strong as well.
The Army’s resilience training pro-
gram is in place to help Soldiers to be
tougher mentally. The Army has part-
nered with the University of Pennsylvania
in developing a program that helps Sol-
diers deal with the stresses of combat and
life and continue to operate at home and
in the Army. This is a serious program,
and it works. Resilience training helps
Soldiers identify problems, how they per-
ceive them, and understand how they
cope with them. In the end, Soldiers can
become more positive individuals, better
equipped to handle the issues life presents
them with.
Each battalion-sized unit is required to
Resiliency of our Soldiers has been a
focus of the Army since programs
started appearing in 2008. Resiliency
refers to the mental fitness that Soldiers
must have to deal with adversity and
continue the mission and their lives.
Too often, Soldiers lacking this quality
have been unable to deal with problems
and adversity, which can lead them to
larger problems including discipline is-
sues and even suicide.
Adversity can face us at many points
in our lives. Our command’s mission is
to help Soldiers when they are at their
worst and most vulnerable, whether they
arrive wounded at a field hospital or
detail their nightmares or suicidal
thoughts in a mental health clinic. The
burden of what we see and hear can
weigh heavy on our minds. In addition,
we also have the normal pressures that
By Sgt. Craig Anderson
USNS MERCY, South Pacific Ocean
- Riding the waves on a U.S. Navy vessel
to Vietnam and Cambodia is not exactly
what an Army Soldier expects for a mis-
sion. This is far different from Iraq. But
for Spc. Shawn Hicks, it is the right place
for him.
As part of a humanitarian mission for
Pacific Partnership 2010, Hicks plays a
vital role in the health and safety of over
900 personnel aboard U.S. Naval Ship
(USNS) Mercy.
―My mission is to prevent anyone
from contracting a disease that is prevent-
able,‖ said Hicks, Preventative Medicine
Specialist of the 228th Combat Support
Hospital from Fort Sam Houston, San
Antonio. ―Not only onboard the ship but
also in the host nations we visit,‖ he said.
―I have been deployed to Camp Bucca
in Iraq and worked in a joint services en-
vironment there,‖ said Hicks, ―From that
experience, I came into this mission with
an understanding of how to treat people
from other services and countries with a
level of respect and professionalism.‖
Hicks is part of a joint service preven-
tative medicine team that constantly in-
spections the food, water, bathrooms and
living quarters aboard Mercy. ―We want
Page 2 Volume1, Issue 4
Commander’s Corner—Resilience
to make sure people do not get
sick,‖ he said.
But his duties reach beyond the hull
of the 894 foot ship. Hicks goes in-
country and, through translators,
works with the civilians and local
organizations, educating them on
ways to improve their sanitary lev-
els and food handling practices.
―I have always wanted to help out
anyone I can who needs help, it
feels great to help those who have
little access to healthcare,‖ said
Hicks. ―It is good to show other
countries that may not have a good
view of the US, that we do care and
we are out there helping around the
world,‖ he added.
This mission fits Hicks well. Mercy
is a fully functional floating hospi-
tal used to support the Pacific Part-
nership 2010 mission. There is
every type of equipment and de-
partment on board that one would
find in the best hospitals anywhere
in the U.S. It is staffed with mili-
tary and civilian volunteer sur-
geons, nurses, dentists, optome-
trists, pharmacists, pediatricians
and more.
See Mercy on page 5
Spc. Shawn Hicks inspects the storeroom of the
galley aboard the USNS Mercy for food handling
violations. Spc. Hicks is a preventive medicine spe-
cialist aboard the Mercy for a third of its 90-day mis-
sion in the South Pacific. Photo by Sgt. Craig Ander-
son, 807th MDSC Public Affairs.
Soldier on the High Seas
cally has a high drop-out rate.
The air assault course has three phases, including air assault
operations, slingload operations, and rappelling. The capstone
event is a 12-mile road march that candidates must complete in
three hours.
By Maj. Matt Lawrence
The 807th MDSC graduated 10 Soldiers from the Army’s
Air Assault School on June 17 at Camp Rilea, Ore.
The Soldiers graduating from the course came from every
brigade in the command.
The Air Assault School graduates were:
Sgt. Moises Ayala—139th Medical Group
Spc. Walter Bhatti—176th Medical Brigade
Spc. Daniel Canales—228th Combat Support Hospital
Spc. Julian Cornejo—349th Combat Support Hospital
Staff Sgt. David Graham—328th Combat Support
Hospital
Sgt. Joseph James—Headquarters, 807th MDSC
Staff Sgt. Jacob Olson—477th Ambulance Company
Sgt. David Rider—256th Combat Support Hospital
Spc. Isaac Schreiber—477th Ambulance Company
Staff Sgt. James Wacker—388th Medical Battalion
The command sent 18 Soldiers to the school, which histori-
Page 3 807th MDSC Newsletter
It is an often heard cry,
―Who is my career manager?‖
And it’s a good thing you
asked. I can make a personal
introduction for you.
Take a second and go find
a mirror. Look into the reflec-
tive part. That sterling indi-
vidual you see staring back at
you is YOUR career manager.
That guy or gal knows all
sorts of things about you and,
if you work with them just a
bit, can get you going in the
right direction to fulfill your
potential in the Army.
There are some things
about your military career that
you must know and remem-
ber.
What is your Basic Pay
Entry Date?
This is handy in figuring
out time in service and where
in the line of progression you
stand when compared to the
Army norm.
What is your Estimated
Termination of Service (ETS)
or Mandatory Release Date
(MRD)?
A year before you reach
your ETS or MRD, begin
working on your reenlistment
or your MRD Extension
packet.
When is my next annual
evaluation due?
You may not recall the
exact day, but you should
know at least the month it is
due and begin working with
your rating chain a month
prior to get it going. Your
support form should always
be ready and up to date. A
final check and some flour-
ishes and your rater is on their
way to completing the evalua-
tion mission.
What do your military and
civilian education completion
levels look like?
A little research by your
career manager will tell you
what schools you need to pro-
gress to the next higher rank.
The way the system generally
works is you may get a waiver
to proceed past ―GO‖ but no
further until you make the
education hurdle.
Are you coming up for
promotion?
Want to know what the
promotion board is going to be
reviewing concerning your
records? Visit the ―2XCitizen‖
website and look at your re-
cords. If you don’t see it there,
neither will the board. And if
they don’t see it, you’re not
getting promoted.
Your new-found career
manager can also help out at a
much more personal level.
Record and information up-
dates are always necessary and
always neglected. The Army is
good but it is not clairvoyant.
Whenever any of your per-
sonal circumstances change
such as your getting married,
having a baby, adopting, mov-
ing, changing your phone
number, ensure you bring this
new info in and get with the
unit administrator to update
your records.
Do those overlooked birt-
month audits. Pay close atten-
tion to your records at the Sol-
dier readiness processing. Too
many times we have seen griev-
ing widows denied service-
man’s group life insurance
(SGLI) payouts because the
beneficiary form had not been
updated. Too many times we
have tried to move the world to
find somebody only to find out
later that they had moved to
another address and sometimes,
another city. Too many times
have we seen pay problems
because of inaccuracies brought
on by Soldier indifference to
their records. Too many times
have we seen Soldiers denied
promotion because their records
weren’t straight.
Career management is a
personal thing; you are person-
ally responsible for what is or is
not in the record. Your success
is in your hands and depends
upon you knowing the stan-
dards and timeframes. Be pro-
active. Be the driving force for
your future.
- Mr. David Feil, Command
Executive Officer
“Who Is My Career Manager?”
807th MDSC Graduates 10 From Air Assault School
were coming and presented our plan,‖
Colchada said.
Even though many of the unit’s
members speak Spanish, the Salva-
doran Army’s 5th Infantry Brigade pro-
vided several translators as part of the
partnership agreement. The two armies
worked very closely to ensure the peo-
ple in the area were provided with as
much medical care as the CSH could
provide. When Colchada heard about
other Salvadorians living in remote
locations who desperately needed medi-
cal services, she spoke to the 5th’s
commander, Col. Julio Enrique Ochoa-
Orellana to work out a way to bring
those people to the clinic.
Colchada said, ―As long as we still
have the supplies, we’re going to be
here anyway, so why not help as many
of the people as we can.‖ The effort
brought in an additional 60 patients
from neighborhoods such as Cristo
Rey, whose medical treatment is lim-
ited to a visiting doctor one day a
month.
The citizens of Cristo Rey live on a
mountainside and had to walk two and
a half miles to reach a pick up point,
arranged by the Salvadorian Army.
They continued the journey in the bed
of a five-ton truck for just over 12 miles
to the clinic where they patiently waited
their turn for consultations with a health
care provider, dentist, pharmacist, and
chaplain.
The CSH developed camaraderie
with their MEDRETE partners and host
nation. They were even invited to the
5th’s headquarters for a friendly game
of basketball, karaoke and dinner. Sgt.
Ramiro Silvar, non-commissioned offi-
cer in charge, from Corona, Calif. said,
―It was a lot of fun, even though they
beat us twice in one game. They were
winning then reset their score to zero
mid-game and beat us again.‖
Colchada admits she was nervous,
but feels proud to have been a part of
something so beneficial to an ally coun-
try in need. The sentiment was echoed
by every member of the unit, including
Chaplain (1st Lt.) Eleazar Bermudez,
from Northridge, Calif. who said, ―I
only wish I could do more.
Page 4 Volume1, Issue 4
Medical Symposium in September El Salvador
Continued from page 1
June 14, 2010 — Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, Chief, Army Reserve, receives a gift from the Army of
El Salvador on the U.S. Army‟s 235th birthday. Stultz and Maj. Gen. Lie-Ping Chang, Com-
mander, 807th MDSC (far left) were in San Salvador for the celebration and the opening of
Operation Beyond the Horizon 2010 — Photo by Staff Sgt. Kristen King, 807th MDSC Public
Affairs
Hosted by the 807th MDSC and the University
of Utah Department of Health Sciences
September 17-19, 2010
Salt Lake City
University Park Marriott
“Medical Diplomacy—an Army Perspective”
Featured speakers: Mr. Steven Goodwin, Director, Strategy & Operations at the Institute for Na-
tional Strategic Studies
Dr. Marla Haims, Senior Management Scientist, RAND Corporation, and
Associate Director of Global Health
Dr. Devon Hale, University of Utah
Dr. Marta Petersen, University of Utah
Col. Daniel Berliner, Army South Surgeon
Capt. (Navy) James Terbush, Navy South Surgeon
Col. (Air Force) Brian Masterson,
Questions concerning the symposium should be directed to Col. Margaret
U.S. Army Turns 235 Years Old
tive attitudes which
kept his morale up,
he said.
The Pacific Partnership
team is made up of highly
skilled professionals from
each service, four govern-
ment agencies, six host na-
tions, eight partner nations
and 17 non-governmental
organizations (NGOs). The
humanitarian mission will
visit Vietnam, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Papua New
Guinea, Timor-Leste and
Palau. The mission will end
in September, Hicks returns
home earlier in July.
When Hicks come home
he will prepare to continue
his education at San Antonio
College studying political
science.
Page 5 807th MDSC Newsletter
By Staff Sgt. Kristen King
SAN VINCENTE, El Sal-
vador - Her typical day con-
sists of treating about 25 pa-
tients in a rural town in Flor-
ida; quite a difference from
the 85 patients she’s seeing on
a daily basis in El Salvador.
Maj. Dawn Frost is a Nurse
Practitioner and, with just two
weeks notice, volunteered to
leave her practice in Vernon,
Fla., for a trip to a depressed
region of Central America.
―I really appreciate this
opportunity,‖ said Frost. ―It’s
always rewarding to meet
new people. If we can touch
just a few, that’s so impor-
tant.‖ This isn’t Frost’s first
medical readiness exercise
and she’s no stranger to
worldwide travel. She went
to Guatemala in 2007, the
Dominican Republic in 2008,
served Soldiers for two weeks
at Camp Atterbury, Indiana,
another two weeks in Land-
stuhl, Germany, and will start
a yearlong mobilization in
Texas this summer.
Leaving her family is
tough on the emotions, but
―it’s harder to leave the pa-
tients, because they don’t
have anybody to take care of
them,‖ she said with tears in
her eyes. She’s the sole pro-
vider within a 45-mile radius
and when she leaves her pa-
tients to take care of others.
―They don’t have anybody.‖
Her compassion
translates across
borders and some of
her patients in El
Salvador have
stopped by just to
say, ―Hi.‖ ―You
need someone that’s
going to care about
these folks. You
have to have the
heart to want to
help,‖ she said. Her
patients here aren’t
much different from
those she treats at
home. ―A lot of
them don’t have
Medicaid or Medi-
care. If you can just
help one person, it’s
so worth it.‖
She’s had some
emotional days in
San Vicente, a town
about 30 miles from
the capitol, San
Salvador. It was
one of the areas that took the
most damage during Novem-
ber’s landslides, and people
are still trying to recover.
Houses of tin and plywood,
makeshift doors and busted
windows lined trash-filled
streets as the residents try to
rebuild with whatever they
can find. One patient traveled
four hours by foot with her
toddler in tow to seek help for
his high temperature. After
receiving antibiotics and a
―This mission gives us a
chance to show other nations,
who do not have a good under-
standing of us, that we are bet-
ter than they perceive,‖ Hicks
said, ―We have to be good am-
bassadors of the US.‖
It is not only a culture shock
working with people from other
countries, but also as a soldier
living aboard a Navy ship.
―Living aboard was a little
hard to get use to,‖ Hicks said,
―The quarters are very small,
but the view outside was noth-
ing less than amazing.‖
Aside from the view, Hicks
said that the people he works
with is what he likes the most
about his work. They have posi-
Borderless Compassion Mercy Continued from page 2
The aft view of the USNS Mercy in the South Pacific Ocean. The
Mercy is one of two U.S. Navy „floating hospitals‟ that each have a
1,000 bed capacity. Photo by Sgt. Craig Anderson, 807th MDSC
Public Affairs
fever reducer, she started her
walk home, worried that the
river might rise before she
could cross. ―It’s heartbreak-
ing,‖ said Frost. ―I wish we
could do more.‖
The Army Reserve is in El
Salvador for two weeks and
will treat patients at three loca-
tions in the San Vicente area,
in coordination with the Min-
istry of Health and Ministry of
Defense. Most patients seek
treatment for colds, flu-like
symptoms, headaches, back-
aches and abdominal pain due
to parasites. Before they’re
seen by a provider, they’re
given a presentation on pre-
ventative medicine and a dose
of medicine to kill intestinal
parasites.
―It’s focused here,‖ said
Frost of the clinic workflow.
―They come in with a chief
Maj. Dawn Frost checks the vital signs of a
Salvdoran girl during an 807th MDSC Medi-
cal Readiness Exercise. The 807th MDSC
Soldiers treated over 6,500 people in two
weeks. Photo by Staff Sgt. Kristen King,
807th MDSC Public Affairs.
See Frost on page 8
By Maj. Matt Lawrence
FORT DOUGLAS, Utah —Olympic medal winners Bill
Schuffenhauer and Allison Baver addressed the Soldiers of the
807th MDSC on July 10 at the Fort Douglas Prayer Breakfast.
Both Schuffenhauer and Baver have ties to the Salt Lake
area and had stories of faith pulling them through hardships in
life and competition.
Schuffenhauer won the silver medal in the 2002 winter
games in Salt Lake City for the 4-man bobsled competition, and
Baver won the bronze in short track at the 2010 winter games in
Vancouver, British Columbia.
father-in-law battle some sort of cancer
and feels she has ―become quite ac-
quainted with cancer in some form or
another.‖ She and Delgado went through
treatment together. Although she’s par-
ticipated in the relay before, this was her
first time to walk as a survivor.
The ―Soldiers First‖ team, made up of
fifteen civilians and Soldiers, walked
around the clock. ―It’s all day and all
night walking to fight this devastating
disease that takes so many lives,‖ said
Delgado. One team member was on the
track at all times during the thirteen-hour
relay.
In addition to Soldiers and spouses
from the 807th MDSC, Soldiers from the
965th Dental Company and civilians from
Family Programs also helped the cause.
―The courage and determination that
is on constant display is amazing and
some of these same Soldiers, who should
be more concerned about themselves, still
display an incredible work ethic and en-
sure their mission gets done – not easy
when you are undergoing treatment,‖ said
McFadden.
―A huge part of recovery is the mental
toughness that you have to ensure you
maintain a positive and fighting attitude.
807th MDSC Soldiers are great examples
of that.‖
Soldiers First was the ―silver team‖
this year, coming in second place in over-
all funds. Donations go towards research
and patient support in the local area.
had in my personal arsenal.‖
In addition to setting up the relay site
and coordinating contracts, she served as
Team Captain, recruiting members for her
team and driving fundraising efforts. ―I
was shocked when each of my initial ap-
pointments meant a counseling session
with a financial advisor. I quickly real-
ized that cancer treatment was not only
scary, but expensive.‖
Team members raised money through
online donations for the ACS, ―The Offi-
cial Sponsor of Birthdays.‖ Lt. Col. Fran-
cesca McFadden from Ferris, Texas
joined Delgado’s team. ―I benefited di-
rectly from what the American Cancer
Society does and so I really wanted to
help this special organization,‖ she said.
McFadden was diagnosed with breast
cancer in 2008 and is currently in remis-
sion. She’s seen her husband, father and
By Staff Sgt Kristen King
SEAGOVILLE, Texas—Soldiers
from the 807th Medical Command
(Deployment Support) raised money for
the American Cancer Society (ACS) in
May.
Texas Soldiers from several units
came together to participate in the Relay
for Life, raising $4,250 for the Best
Southwest Cities Relay.
Capt. Stephanie Delgado, 807th
MDSC, served as the Committee Logis-
tics Chair for the Best Southwest Cities
Relay, which serves Cedar Hill, Desoto,
Duncanville and Lancaster, Texas. As a
cancer survivor, she feels a personal
connection to the cause. ―No one ever
wants a doctor to sit down and tell you
that you have cancer,‖ said the Lancas-
ter, Texas native. ―I was determined that
I would fight back with every weapon I
Page 6 Volume1, Issue 4
Olympians Visit 807th MDSC Prayer Breakfast
807th Cancer Survivors in Relay for Life
Olympian Allison Baver addresses Soldiers at Fort Douglas while fel-
low Olympian Bill Schuffenhauer and Chaplain (Col.) Bryce Holbrook
look on. Photo by Maj. Matt Lawrence, 807th MDSC Public Affairs
Soldiers and civilians from the 807th MDSC and area units start their walk in the “Relay For
Life.” The march was organized by two 807th officers who are both cancer survivors. U.S.
Army Reserve photo.
Page 7 807th MDSC Newsletter
So my unit told me I have to submit for a security clearance,
what do I have to do now?
1. Read the e-QIP handbook supplied by the Security Man-
ager handling your submission
2. Read the e-mail the security manager sent to me as well,
because it contains very important instructions and ad-
ditional tips to help me navigate the e-QIP program.
3. Gather all of my required information in a timely manner.
What’s Timely?
1. You have 30 days to enter the e-QIP program once your
security manager enables it for you.
2.. Once again, the program is NOT intuitive, you must read
and comply with all instructions the Security Manager
has supplied you with.
But I’m not sure about this, I have some information I don’t
want to divulge, it’s too personal!
1. Full disclosure must be made, your security manager has
been trained to assist and provide you with guidance.
If you falsify any item on the form you are subject to
administrative discipline and involuntary separation.
2. If you fail to complete the investigation in the timeframe
allowed (90 days from when you entered the program),
you are subject to administrative discipline and invol-
untary separation.
3. Bad news does not get better with age! You have a better
chance of getting a clearance with the truth, and evi-
dence you are heading in the ―right‖ direction.
4. Once a lie or omission of information is discovered by
the investigator, they will then expand the investigation
and go deeper, your chances of obtaining a clearance
diminish at that point
Relax, Really!
1. You are now a soldier representing your country, and
your life has changed forever, just be truthful to the
government you’ve sworn allegiance to and you’d be
surprised how many people will help you get where
you need to be.
2. All questions about this procedure should be answered by
your local security manager and handled professionally
by them, if you think they are not assisting you, you
may talk to your Commander about seeking assistance
from the 807th MDSC G2.
-Mr. Jeffery Black, Security Manager
Q&A on requesting a clearance
From the G2—Security Clearances
Employment Assistance Workshop
Free Military Job Search site where Employers are looking for people with YOUR skills, motivation, discipline and
work ethics. The Military is known as the number one source for reliable, values-
driven, trained talent.
Go to www.armyreserve.army.mil and click the “Employee Partnership” logo in
the center of the page
WHEN: 3rd Tuesday of every month
WHERE: Bldg. 131, Osborne Hall, Fort
Douglas, Utah
COST: FREE, NO CHARGE, NADA
WHO: Service Members and Veterans
of the Armed Forces
Contact Chuck Rackham @
(801) 656-4133 (office)
Email:
Seats are limited. Call to re-
serve yours now.
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also fortunate that I was able to serve as
an enlisted soldier prior to becoming a
chaplain.
So, what am I like as a person?
What do I enjoy? I read a lot. I write
some. I play guitar (folk, old rock). I
enjoy baseball (Red Sox Nation!). I like
people and enjoy hearing their stories. I
like to see all sides of an issue, and like
to approach topics from less obvious
directions – sort of an oblique angle guy.
I enjoy the Far Side and Doonesbury
(any cartoon that makes you think is a
good cartoon). I’m a tease and have a
dry sense of humor. I grew up on a
small farm in Tennessee and majored in
Agriculture in college (B.S., Plant and
Soil Science), so I still enjoy hanging
around those who understand farm work.
I also enjoy cities, especially those with
universities and places that force you to
think.
Of course no written introduction can
fully describe what a person is really
like, so come on down to the office
(Building 105) and say hello. If you live
away from Salt Lake City, give me a call
at 801-656-3617, or send an e-mail to
[email protected]. I really
look forward to meeting and working
with all of the great folks in the 807th.
-Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Robert Brady
Greetings everyone! I’m ―the new
guy‖ in the 807th Unit Ministry Team
here at Fort Douglas. I recently arrived
in Salt Lake City, having PCSd from the
200th Military Police Command at Fort
Meade, Maryland. It was a long 2100+
miles (and a 4,200 foot rise in eleva-
tion!) from the east coast to the moun-
tain states, but I’m thankful that I arrived
safely, signing in on the 4th of July.
Currently I’m residing in Utah as a
geographic bachelor. Gail, my beautiful
bride of 28 years, remains in Tennessee
providing some elder care and working
on our small country home. She will be
visiting Salt Lake City soon, so I hope
you have a chance to meet her. She
plans on relocating here, Lord willing,
when she feels things are in good order
with the older members of the family.
I will serve as the Active Guard/
Reserve (AGR) Assistant Command
Chaplain while assigned to the 807th.
That means I will have the privilege of
working with Chaplain (Col.) Bryce
Holbrook, the Command Chaplain, and
Master Sgt. Tina Saunders, the AGR
Command Master Chaplain Assistant.
Together we’ll support the ongoing de-
velopment of the Commander’s religious
support program, and assist all of our
great 807th Unit Ministry Teams, located
throughout the down trace. I hold the
7R additional skill identifier (Clinical
Pastoral Education, residency at Brooke
Army Medical Center) which I believe is
a good skill to have in a medical com-
mand.
Some have asked me about my reli-
gious background and work as a minis-
ter. I’m endorsed as a chaplain by the
Church of Christ, a fellowship that is
fairly common in the south, but a bit
rarer outside of the Bible Belt. I worked
for congregations for 14 years before
becoming an Army chaplain. As a chap-
lain, I’ve served in the Arkansas Na-
tional Guard, the Active Component
(Fort Bragg, Korea, Fort Huachuca, Fort
Sam Houston) and in the Reserve (Fort
Hunter Liggett, Fort Devens, Fort
Meade, and now Fort Douglas). I’m
complaint and that’s all we focus on.‖ In
a town with just one clinic for about 800
people, these small army clinics are alle-
viating strains on the local medic and
offering services free of charge.
―The area itself isn’t the cleanest, but
we’ve done the best we can,‖ said Frost
as she sat in a small classroom in the
absence of air condition, considered a
luxury for most. Soldiers are using edu-
cation centers around the town of San
Vicente for their clinics, which include
examination rooms, dental offices and
pharmacies. ―It’s a lot like working at
home, except with no air conditioner.‖
Despite the heat, mosquitoes and
threat of diseases, Frost says she’s happy
to be here. ―I’ve never had the opportu-
nity to do mission trips with the church.
This is my opportunity to go and be safe
and help. It’s so rewarding.‖
Frost will reach 20 years of service
just after beginning her tour at Fort
Bliss, Texas in August. She’s not sure
what she’ll do when she returns to Flor-
ida in 2011, but betting she’ll find her
way back to a foreign country to help
people and spread smiles, probably
won’t be far from the truth.
Page 8 Volume1, Issue 4
Meet the New 807th MDSC Chaplain Frost
Continued from page 5
The 807th MDSC will send two
competitors to the USARC Best Warrior
competition at Fort McCoy, Wis., from
July 25-31.
Sgt. David Rider from the 256th
Combat Support Hospital (CSH) and
Spc. Daniel Canales from the 228th CSH
will compete against the best Soldiers
from every other Army Reserve com-
mand.
USARC Best Warrior
Page 9 807th MDSC Newsletter
By Kelley Jackson Higgins, DarkRead-
ing
Seasoned red team hacker Chris
Nickerson initially accepted Robin
Sage's LinkedIn invitation because sev-
eral of his colleagues had, but after mak-
ing a few inquiries he realized something
was fishy about "Robin," a twenty-
something woman who purportedly
worked for the Naval Network Warfare-
Command.
―Within an hour, I started asking
around, 'Hey did you get a friend request
from Robin Sage?' ... and [friends] were
saying, 'I thought you knew her.' I knew
something weird was going on," Nicker-
son says.
So Nickerson started hammering
away at Robin on Twitter, and quickly
figured out it was a fellow red team
hacker behind the phony persona. But
not everyone caught on as quickly to the
phony profile as Nickerson: Robin actu-
ally duped an Army Ranger into friend-
ing her.
The Ranger then inadvertently ex-
posed information about his coordinates
in Afghanistan to Robin with his up-
loaded photos from the field that con-
tained GeoIP data from the camera.
"You could see them talking about
where they were going and where they
were in Afghanistan and Iraq ... some
were uploading pictures with geoloca-
tion information, and we were able to
see them," says Thomas Ryan, the mas-
termind behind the social network ex-
periment and co-founder and managing
partner of cyber operations and threat
intelligence for Provide Security, who
will present the findings later this month
at Black Hat USA in his "Getting In Bed
With Robin Sage" talk.
Ryan says Robin's Facebook profile
was able to view coordinates information
on where the troops were located. "If she
was a terrorist, you would know where
different [troops'] locations were," Ryan
says.
Robin Sage gained a total of about 300
friends on LinkedIn, counting those
who came and went, he says. All three
of the phony woman's social networking
accounts remain active -- the LinkedIn
profile currently has 148 connections, the
Facebook profile has 110, and the Twitter
account has 141 followers. Ryan officially
ran the experiment for 28 days starting in
late December and ending in January of
this year.
Among Robin's social networking ac-
complishments: She scored connections
with people in the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the
CIO of the NSA, an intelligence director
for the U.S. Marines, a chief of staff for the
U.S. House of Representatives, and several
Pentagon and DoD employees. The pro-
files also attracted defense contractors,
such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grum-
man, and Booz Allen Hamilton.
Lockheed and other firms made job
offers to Robin, some inviting her to dinner
to discuss employment prospects. "I was
surprised at how people in her same com-
mand friended her -- people actually in the
same command and the same building,"
Ryan says.
Among the security experts who Ryan
says initially accepted Robin's invitations
were Lares Consulting's Nickerson,
Jeremiah Grossman, CTO and co-founder
at WhiteHat Security, and Marc Maiffret,
who says he figured it out pretty quickly
because Ryan used graphics in the profiles
that he also uses for his paintball group.
Ironically, the once-infamous social engi-
neer Kevin Mitnick is listed as one of "her"
connections on LinkedIn as well.
Grossman says he coincidentally was
writing a Facebook bot when Robin's
friend request showed up on his place-
holder Facebook profile, which he doesn't
actually use. The bot program then ac-
cepted Robin as a friend. "I look at Face-
book and LinkedIn as public record,"
Grossman says. "What difference does it
make if you vet them or not -- you should-
n't be disclosing" private information on
these profiles, he says.
Meanwhile, the real woman in the
Robin Sage LinkedIn, Facebook, and
Twitter profile photos has agreed to
show up at Black Hat USA later this
month to introduce Ryan for his presen-
tation. Ryan says he confirmed that us-
ing her photo for the social network ac-
counts was legal, as long as none of her
personally identifiable information was
used, and it was not. The woman appar-
ently posed for photo shoots for a porno-
graphic site, according to Ryan. He
found the woman's photo by searching
"emo chick" via Google.
"I created a whole profile on that, so
that nothing could link back to who she
really was," he says. He set up a Blogger
account under the name Robin Sage,
named after the U.S. Army Special
Forces training exercise. Robin Sage is
the final phase of special forces training
before becoming a Green Beret -- but
even that apparently didn't tip off some
military and intelligence community
people who accepted LinkedIn or Face-
book invitations from her.
He purposely left several clues that
Robin was a fake, including choosing a
woman who appeared to be Eastern
European and a potential spy, he says.
He built a prestigious resume for Robin:
a degree from MIT, an internship at the
National Security Agency, and her cur-
rent position at the Naval Network War-
fare Command. Her address was that of
BlackWater, the infamous military con-
tractor.
Whenever someone got suspicious
and questioned any of Robin's creden-
tials or information, Ryan says he would
change it on the fly. He had the perfect
comeback for hesitant LinkedIn mem-
bers: "'Don't you remember we partied
together at Black Hat?'" That was usu-
ally all it took for them to accept the
invitation, he says.
Ryan's social networking experiment
isn't the first of its kind, however.
Researchers Nathan Hamiel and
Shawn Moyers two years ago at Black
Hat demonstrated how they successfully
impersonated security icon Marcus
Ranum on the social networking site
LinkedIn, even fooling Ranum's sister
into connecting to the phony Ranum
profile.
Safeguard Your Social Media Activity!
Social media can be a great tool, but
there are security risks that we must be
aware of. As the below article shows, even
seasoned pros can become security risks
because of small indiscretions online.
The Army Reserve allows us to access
social media on the AR-net, but with that
privilege comes responsibility. Be sure that
you know who is looking at your material
and that you don’t post anything that could
damage the military.