Saluteto the Military

Coming HomeWelComing tHe troops at BWi/tHurgood marsHall airport

marylandlife®

maryland’s Best soldiers

maryland’s not-so-seCret seCret

The following pages are a tribute to those who selflessly serve our great nation and protect the freedoms that we all too often take for granted. As a supplier of critical electronics, equipment and services to the warfighter, our work is always driven by the knowledge that each DRS Defense Solutions employee plays an important role in enhancing the mission-readiness of our troops. We all take pride in our work knowing that we are making a difference. This issue also highlights the special connection between the state of Maryland and our armed forces. I can think of no better illustration of that relationship than our cover story on Operation Welcome Home, which highlights family homecomings at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport. Of particular importance is the airport’s USO Lounge, which is open around the clock to offer the first point of welcome for many men and

women returning to the United States from service in Iraq and Afghanistan. I would also call to your attention to the article on Operation Homefront DC Metro, an area nonprofit organization that provides emergency assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors. Their work does much to honor the commitment of our men and women in uniform -- and this particular article movingly describes the deeply personal impact of that work on two area families. On behalf of all DRS Defense Solutions’ employees, thank you to those who serve. We salute the sacrifices that both you and your families make on a daily basis to ensure the greater good and carry you in our hearts throughout the year.

Richard S. DanforthPresident and CEODRS Defense SolutionsBethesda, Maryland

Dear Reader, It is with great pride that our company participates in Maryland Life’s Salute to the Military. Our employees are proud to sponsor this issue – and to be part of Maryland’s vibrant defense community.

Salute to the Military | Maryland Life 3

Who are Maryland’s best soldiers?

Sgt. Hiram Hendri (Far Left), U.S. Army Public Health Command (Provisional) Headquarters, demonstrates his skills in splinting during the common task testing segment of the NCO of the Year competition. Sgt. Hendri was selected as the public health command’s top NCO in 2010.

Spc. Sharia Leal (Left), U.S. Army Public Health Command (Provisional) Headquarters Soldier of the Year demonstrates map-reading skills during the common task testing segment of the command-wide Soldier of the Year competition. Spc. Leal was selected the command’s soldier of the year in 2010.

Photos by Christina Graber, USAPHC Visual Information Division

Each year, the U.S. Army strives to determine this superlative through a highly competitive process during which soldiers and noncommissioned officers (NCOs) from each Command study and prepare for a rigorous skills check.

Soldier of the Year (SOY) and NCO of the Year (NCOY) testing is held quarterly, locally and regionally. At Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) in Maryland, the post also holds a competition in which the best soldiers from the Commands compete against each other. In the 2010 competition, both the APG SOY and NCOY came from U.S. Army Public Health Command (Provisional). To be deemed top warriors, APG’s 2010 winners first proved their expertise at multiple soldierly tasks, including breaking down and cleaning a weapon, reading a map, communicating and fighting hand-to-hand. They also showed that they are physically fit, completed an essay, and faced a demanding oral examination in which questions on any aspect of soldiering could be asked. Experienced senior enlisted soldiers supervised and rated these tests, and selected the winners.

The soldiers were also tested within their area of specialty. For example, those serving in medical specialties had to prove unsurpassed medical skills, such as triaging a patient in the field, explains Lyn Kukral, U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) Public Health Command (Provisional) public affairs officer. Then, to earn the APG title, they went before a second oral board. Being deemed worthy of these awards is an “incredible accom-plishment for which the soldiers work very hard,” says Kukral. That dedication really paid off for the Public Health Command last year. For the first time, a soldier and an NCO from this Command swept the APG SOY and NCOY awards. Sgt. Hiram E. Hendri and Spc. Sharia C. Leal represented APG as the installation’s top NCO and soldier. Sgt. Hendri, who studied twice a day to prepare for the test, is

a Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry specialist. A South Carolina native, he enlisted nearly nine years ago. Prior to his assignment at APG, he served as a medical laboratory technician in Korea and at nearby Fort Belvoir. He was recently promoted to staff sergeant. Spc. Leal, a preventive medicine specialist, enlisted in the Army in 2008 after graduating from Robert Morris University. She was the first in her family to obtain a college degree. Leal served as the Vice President of APG’s Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers program and volunteered at the Armed Forces Retirement Home. She was recently reassigned. The 2011 SOY and NCOY will be chosen in April, and the new awardees will be honored on May 19 during a Military Appreciation luncheon hosted by the Harford County Chamber of Commerce and APG as part of Military Appreciation Week. Typically the event is held on post at the Top of the Bay; due to renovations this year, however, it will be held in the Richlin Ballroom, says Vanessa Milio, president/CEO of the Harford County chamber.

Volunteers Cheer Troops’ Return

Operation Welcome Home team leaders include (from left to right): Diana Thompson, Ken Funk, Lisa Funk, Paul Ketteridge,

Gary Wood, Pat Hamilton and Hank Helwick.

Welcome HomeOPERATION

Four chattering Brownies trek down the wide hallway to International Terminal E at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). Their mothers, loaded down with boxes of Girl Scout cookies, patriotic balloons, white poster board, and felt pens, trail behind the bubbly second-graders. Once in the waiting area, the talkative crew joins other adults and children who have turned out in force as part of Operation Welcome Home Maryland (OWH). The all-volunteer group was founded in 2007 by Captain Kathy Thorp, a Navy nurse who was disappointed in the meager turnout for returning troops. Now a core group tracks hundreds of incoming flights and encourages Marylanders to greet thousands of returning servicemen and women.

Salute to the Military | Maryland Life 5

Due to heightened security, the airlines’ passenger manifests cannot be released, so OWH volunteers estimate the number of troops that will be arriving each time. Today’s estimate is 250 from Afghanistan. Some of those waiting are family members, including a couple from Florida who drove 12 hours to meet their Air Force daughter and her 90-pound golden retriever. They’ll greet their daughter—and the dog—and then grab a few hours of sleep at a friend’s place before making the long ride home. Although many relatives arrive to welcome their soldiers, the vast majority of those waiting are simply well-wishers, including Ruth Drucker of Columbia, who comes to BWI once a month because she wants the troops to know that she appreciates their efforts. As today’s team leaders, who include married couple Ken and Lisa Funk of Pasadena and Paul Ketteridge of Catonsville, tape up

“welcome home” posters from Girl and Boy Scout troops, the Broadneck High School Swim Team, and other groups, about 80 people gather to wait. Some put donated food and water into bags for any tired service members who’ll be going directly through the airport and to another installation. Until they are officially processed, they can’t go home. In the meantime, three of the Brownies—Ellicott City’s Manor Woods Elementary School students Carson Harvill, Bethany Wilson, and Shayna Kieley—lie on the floor and draw posters with catchy slogans like, “You Saved Us!” Fifth-grade Girl Scouts Paxton Kieley and Kennedy Manley, already experienced greeters, supervise. Paxton says she loves handing cookies to the soldiers as they come through the line and seeing the smiles on their faces. “It’s our job to do a good turn every day,” she explains, while demonstrating how she

can literally turn the Girl Scout emblem on her uniform when the deed is done. Also among the regular volunteers are Broadneck High School seniors and National Honor Society members Kaila Ward, Stephanie Crane, and Kat Hawkins. All three began coming to BWI monthly to earn service hours, but soon got hooked on the service itself. Before the troops arrive, Ward and Crane sit cross-legged on a bench and work on statistics homework. “This wasn’t what I expected at all, but I like it,” says Ward. “I support our troops, and this is well worth the extra effort.” With a note of pride, Hawkins, who has applied to the United States Naval Academy, says, “My dad came home from Iraq, and I know how much he appreciated this.” Another woman who under- stands what it’s like to have a family member deployed is Christine Reinhardt. Dressed in a sporty “Save Our Troops” shirt,

Scenes from a recent homecoming at BWI’s International Terminal. At bottom left: Sally Rejas (right), her children Daryl and Savelly and their cousin Jayla welcome home SFC Daryl Rejas. Christine Reinhardt (to Rejas’ left) of Blue Star Mothers, stands with the family. She was among those making care packages for Rejas and his unit during the

past year.Photos by Mike Morgan

Reinhardt rushed out of work to meet today’s plane because she and other members of Blue Star Mothers have been making care packages for the 398th FMC for the past year. She came to personally greet those soldiers and to stand by Sally Rejas, whose husband, Daryl, is part of the 398th. Before now, the women had never met in person. “This is so emotional, and it isn’t even my soldier,” says Reinhardt, whose son, Brandon, an Army police officer, recently returned from Afghanistan. Cradling her 13-month-old son, Daryl, in her right arm and holding the hand of seven-year-old daughter Savelly with her left, Rejas trembles with excitement and nervousness. Savelly and cousin Jayla, four, hold a large sign that says, “SFC Daryl Rejas, we’ve missed you.” Rejas received a heads-up call about an hour before the flight was scheduled to arrive. She’ll get to spend a few minutes with her husband in the airport before he is transported to Fort Dix, where he will stay for a few days before coming home.

Finally, Ken Funk, who is among many volunteers who rearrange their schedules to meet incoming flights, announces that the troops will be disembarking shortly. “Our troops make sacrifices for all of our freedoms, and their families also sacrifice,” says Funk. “It’s [equally] important that we are here for our troops and their families because serving takes a toll on [all involved].” As patriotic music booms from a small box, the first soldiers come through the double doors. Thunderous applause and gleeful shouts—“Welcome home!” “Welcome back!” “Thank you for your service!”—break out. Regular volunteer Fred Hallett of Arnold, retired Navy, stands close to the entryway shaking a cow bell. He grins and hollers,

“Welcome home,” before grabbing the hand of every serviceman and woman who passes. “It’s all about those first 20 seconds and seeing them light up,” says Hallett, whose son is an active-duty Marine. Dressed in fatigues, many of the troops look exhausted and appear surprised by the welcoming party. Some volunteers do seem like paparazzi as they climb onto benches, hold cameras over their heads, and snap photos of the returning soldiers—most of them smiling broadly by now. Among those cheering the loudest are Joan and Marshall Kramer of Rockville. The couple is awaiting their son, Army Reservist Bryan Andrews, who has been serving with the 398th for 400 days. They learned of his impending arrival just hours earlier and wanted to greet him. Anxiously waiting, the Kramers cheer for every serviceman and woman who goes by before peering around the bend to see if their son will be the next one out. Finally, Bryan arrives. Marshall claps while Joan throws her arms up in the air and then around her son. Their boy is home.

“It’s [equally] important that we are

here for our troops and their families

because serving takes a toll on

[all involved].” - Volunteer Ken Funk

Above and right: Scenes from a recent homecoming at BWI’s International Terminal. Bottom right: Joan and Marshall Kramer of Rockville welcome home their son,

Army reservist Bryan.

Salute to the Military | Maryland Life 7

For 70 years, the USO has provided entertainment, programs, and centers to troops in the U.S. and abroad to boost morale and to say “thank you” for the sacrifices that servicemen and women and their families make as they help keep our country and those who inhabit it safe. Their motto: As a nonprofit, non-political organization, the USO is now, and always will be, about our troops. Wherever and whenever they go, the USO will be there, until every one comes home. Close to home, the $1.1 million, 5,000-square-foot USO International Gateway Lounge is located on the Lower Level of the International Pier of Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). Serving 99 percent of the U.S. Armed Forces traveling to and from duty stations in Europe, Southwest Asia, and the U.S., the lounge is a comfortable “home away from home.” Access to its numerous amenities—including TV and movies, free wireless Internet, a sleeping room with

wake-up calls available, and a snack bar—is given only to active-duty and retired military personnel, National Guard, reservists, and Merchant Marines, as well as their dependents. “The USO of Metropolitan Washington is the way for the local community to say thank you to our troops. Last year, our amazing volunteers served more than 25,000 hours at BWI, supporting nearly 70,000 troops and their families,” says Elaine Rogers, the organization’s president and CEO. “Active-duty service members and their families often experience additional stress while traveling, whether they are saying goodbye to a community they’ve just settled into, or are deploying to a combat zone.” Last year, the USO Lounge at BWI celebrated its 11th year of operation.

To volunteer and to donate, visit www.usometro.org or www.facebook.com/USOmetroDC

of Metropolitan Washington

In 2010, Operation Welcome Home Maryland (OWH) volunteers greeted more than 45,336 servicemen and women on 215 flights into BWI.

In March, OWH celebrated its fourth year in existence. Founder Kathy Thorp estimates that volunteers have greeted more than 100,000 service members since 2007.

December is the busiest month for greeters. On Christmas Eve, more than 800 people turn out to welcome home the troops.

USO

“Operation Welcome Home Maryland”

at a Glance

You, too, can be part of Operation Welcome Home

Maryland! Two to three flights carrying

service members arrive each week, and the busy volunteers at OWH

can always use help greeting them. Donations of cash, food, and bottled water are needed, too. (Anything left over goes to the USO Lounge at BWI.)

For more information, visit www.operationwelcomehomemd.org.

Tired servicemen gratefully enter the USO Lounge after a long flight home.

Photos by Mike Morgan

Curtis ChappellFacility Security OfficerYears With the Company: 1.5Prior Work Experience: International Logistics and Project ManagementPrior Work Experience: U.S. Merchant Marine Academy graduate and U.S. Navy reservist

How does your current work draw on skills learned during your previous military service? My training translates directly into my work for Defense Solutions: supporting and managing security and trade functions. The preparation, decisive action, and attention to detail required to handle the time-sensitive and mission-critical tasks I manage each day were traits I first learned in the military. Integrating these traits into my routine at Defense Solutions has enabled me to sustain a high level of performance for the company and serve as an example to colleagues.

How do you see the culture at our company embracing and valuing our military? Defense Solutions provides the military with technologies, products, and services, but also supports the military in a subtle, behind-the-scenes manner. This stems from a higher sense of purpose and the desire to serve rather than the desire to just do a job.

I believe DRS Defense Solutions…is a model of success as a multinational company striving to preserve U.S. national security interests at home and abroad.

Gail CusickManager, Treasury & ComplianceYears With the Company: 27

What traits kept you with our company for more than 20 years? Defense Solutions’ loyalty to its employees and emphasis on ethics, in addition to its overall corporate culture, earned my long-term commitment.

What opportunities have you been able to seize during your career with DRS Defense Solutions? Twenty-seven years ago I began my career as an accountant for the predecessor of DRS Signal Solutions. Over the years I was promoted to a manager in the accounting department and, later, my current role of treasury and compliance manager – a position in which I am proud to oversee a team of four female employees. Our company has gone through many changes over the past 27 years, but each change has opened different opportunities for me to learn and grow.

I value… the various interactions with my peers, upper management, and the relationships that I have created over the years. I enjoy coming to work and interacting with my colleagues on a daily basis.

Lillian Angom Manager, Trade Shows and Events Years With the Company: 4.5 Prior Work Experience: Sales representative, Armstrong World Industries

How has your career developed at DRS Defense Solutions? During my time at Defense Solutions, I have been given many opportunities to not only learn more about our work and the defense industry at large, but also to hone my management skills and focus on personal growth.

What makes you proud about working for DRS Defense Solutions? Knowing that Defense Solutions provides products and services to support troops around the world makes me proud of my work each day.

I know…that making the decision to work for Defense Solutions was the right stepping stone for my growing career.

Kelly BaerDirector, Benefits Years With the Company: 6Prior Work Experience: Nine years, ADP Benefit Services

How does the company help you balance work and personal time? As a working mother, I am able to balance both my family’s needs and my career ambitions thanks to the benefits offered by Defense Solutions. During my first years with the company, I worked part-time and enjoyed a great deal of flexibility in scheduling my hours around my other commitments. Now that I work full-time, I appreciate our generous paid leave plan, the opportunity to work remotely on occasion and the many communications tools made available to employees.

Why would you encourage other women to work for DRS Defense Solutions? I have had the pleasure to work with inspiring women at all levels within Defense Solutions. Women are respected at Defense Solutions and have the opportunity to contribute to our success as much as our male colleagues.

I believe DRS Defense Solutions ...values the contributions of each and every employee.

Meet the Faces of DRS Defense Solutions

Salute to the Military | Maryland Life 9

Poonam GuptaSenior EngineerYears With the Company: 4 Prior Work Experience: More than five years in the semiconductor and communication industries

How does DRS Defense Solutions keep our customers on the cutting edge? Defense Solutions maintains very close relationships with our customers. As a leader in defense technology, we make a point to understand their current needs and to prepare for their future challenges. The resulting cutting-edge solutions and services resolve customer challenges and foster loyalty to our brand.

What excites you about your work? The opportunity to create advanced, innovative, cutting-edge technology. Equally rewarding is my daily opportunity to help protect our national security and redefine the way men and women in uniform execute a successful defense mission both on the front lines and at home.

I value… being a part of a bright, dedicated and customer-focused team of professionals whose efforts ensure and support the customers towards their successful mission.

Alex Kim Mechanical Engineer Years With the Company: 2.5Prior Work Experience: Summer internships at MITRE Corp, Siemens Building Technologies

As a recent college graduate hired by the company, what were your expectations for us? Were they fulfilled? I expected that I would work on engineering design. Today my work is fast-paced and challenging. My expectations were definitely fulfilled – in fact, I still learn something new every day.

How does your work support our military? The products I help develop assist troops in the field, ranging from direction-finding equipment to software-definable radios for combat vehicles. They must be reliable and rugged to operate in all environments.

I know DRS Defense Solutions… will continue to support my personal goals and challenge me to gain knowledge in engineering.

Did you know?

Although headquartered in Bethesda, DRS Defense Solutions offers employment opportunities nationally and around the world. Our company provides best-in-class defense and security solutions and services to military operations worldwide. Due to continued growth, we are currently seeking talented professionals in the U.S. and abroad.­•­Active­Directory­Engineers­•­ Electronic­Security­Systems­Design­

Engineer­•­ McAfee­HBSS­Technicians­•­ Exchange­Architects/Engineers­•­ Records­Managers­•­ Property­Book­and­Resource­Manager­•­ VOIP­Engineers­•­ Certification­and­Accreditation­Technicians­•­ Network/Systems­Administrators­•­ Senior­Network­Engineers­CCIA­•­ CDI­Design­Engineers­•­ Electronic­Security­Systems­Program­

Manager­•­ Information­Assurance­Engineers­•­ Operations­and­Change­Management­

Managers­•­ Spectrum­Managers­•­ Information­Management­Officers­•­ VTC­Technicians­•­ Microwave­Line­of­Sight­Engineers­•­ Logisticians­•­ Firewall­Engineers­•­ Enterprise­SAN­Engineers­NetAps/Dell DRS­Defense­Solutions­offers­an­exciting­and challenging work environment, a competitive­compensation­and­benefits­package, and a business culture in which outstanding work performance is recognized and rewarded.

Visit­our­Careers­Home­Page­today­at­ www.drs-ds.com/careers­and­apply­online­ to these and other opportunities with DRS Defense Solutions.

We have opportunities in the U.S. and abroad

Photos by Dan Patrell

Although Bev was aware that soldiers returning home from deployment often become hyper-vigilant in public, Max’s anxiety and extreme discomfort in crowds seemed abnormal. After a particularly “bad episode,” Bev contacted Max’s Family Readiness Group (FRG), a command-sponsored organization of family members, volunteers, and soldiers designed to provide support and networking among servicemen and women and their families. Max was admitted to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Silver Spring and eventually diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an anxiety disorder that can be triggered in people who have seen or experienced frightening or life-threatening images or events. Symptoms of PTSD can include rage, insomnia, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, addiction to drugs and alcohol, and an inability to cope with the return to civilian life. While exact numbers of troops who have PTSD are unknown, experts estimate that at least one in five has the disorder. After a month in an inpatient

unit, Max was placed back on active duty so that he could receive care through Fort Meade’s Warrior Transition Unit (WTU). He and his family then moved onto base housing so that he could continue to receive outpatient treatment, including a multi-drug regimen. Bev remained at home with their daughter and took Max to his many appointments. Their savings quickly drained. About this time, “our only car, a clunker, stopped moving,” says Bev. “We had no transportation for our appointments, groceries, for anything.” For the first time, the Poyers reached out to Operation Homefront (OH) DC/Metro, a local chapter of a national nonprofit committed to providing emergency financial and other assistance to families of service members and wounded warriors. OH provided the funds to repair the car. “OH was founded by a military spouse after 9/11. Her take was simply, ‘These families need help,’” explains Vivian Dietrich, who helped launch the local chapter in 2007 and serves as its president.

“Because we are a local chapter, we have the leeway to adjust independently to what our clients need, and we’ll do most anything to resolve the issue for deployed or wounded soldiers and their family members.” Dietrich, a military spouse whose husband recently returned from another deployment to Iraq, says, “We really want to make a difference, so we meet directly with clients, get to know them, and help them get the resources and community support they need to get through incredibly difficult times.” Through direct and in-kind donations, OH helps families pay bills to mortgage lenders, auto mechanics, contractors, and hospitals, doctors, dentists, and other healthcare providers; offers counseling and/or recovery support; supplies infant formula, food, and diapers; repairs and furnishes homes; and even offers moving assistance and Wounded Warrior Transitional Family Housing in several locations. “And where there is a need we do not provide, we’ll partner with others to benefit our military clients, the majority of whom

Helping Military Families in NeedHomeFRoNT

With a new wife and baby at home, soldier Max Poyer deployed to Iraq. When he returned home to Fort Meade after a year later, his wife, Bev Poyer, soon realized something was wrong. “Max was struggling more than what I’d read should be expected,” she explains. “He was self-medicating with alcohol because he couldn’t function. He suffered from panic attacks, nightmares, and rage that seemed to come out of nowhere.”

OPERATION

Operation Homefront volunteers served more than 500 wounded warrior family members at Holiday Hall (the Old Red Cross Auditorium at Walter

Reed Army Medical Center) during a festive holiday party.

Photos courtesy of Operation Homefront

Salute to the Military | Maryland Life 11

are among the lowest-paid service members, E-1 through E-6 enlisted,” says Dietrich. For the Poyers, Operation Homefront has been the lifeline they need to stay afloat during endless challenges. After months of group therapy and skills training to try to get Max ready to transition to civilian life, the Army medically retired him. Soon after, the Poyers were required to move out of base housing. Bev began searching for another place to live, only to discover that they couldn’t afford to rent an apartment. She made another call to OH, which promptly helped place the family in a furnished apartment in the Wounded Warrior Transitional Family Housing in Silver Spring. In addition, Dietrich quickly coordinated a team to pack up, clean up, and move the Poyers out. “This was the best place ever because there was a group of wounded warrior wives I could be with who were going through the same thing,” says Bev. This fall, the Poyers moved to southern Maryland. Until Max’s Veterans Affairs’ benefits kicked in, OH continued offering gift and grocery cards. The organization even provided an “adoptive family” over the holidays—a company that purchased a Christmas tree, presents, and even a washer and dryer for the Poyers. “Recently, we got behind on our electric bill with everything going

on, and OH stepped in again to help us,” says Bev. “As long as they know we are doing everything we can, they step up to help us in so many ways.” These days, Bev is working hard to become the family’s breadwinner. “We hope Max will return to information technology, which is what he did with the Army, but with his PTSD, it’s unlikely,” she says. “He still suffers from anxiety, especially in public, and he can’t focus like he used to. He is still very early in his recovery.” Two hard-won scholarships are enabling Bev to take a whopping 23 credits online this semester. She is working toward a social science degree so that she can help other wounded warrior families when she graduates. “There is emphasis, and it’s needed, on a soldier when he comes home, especially if he is hurt,” says Bev. “There should be that concentration, but families need help, too. I want to provide that kind of help by educating the family and keeping the family

together while they are supporting their soldier. ” Last year, at the Wounded Warrior Transitional Family Housing in Silver Spring, Bev connected with a woman who would become her best friend. At 27, Emily Schlictel is the mother of three sons and expecting a fourth child. During his third deployment to Iraq, her husband, Josh, an Army corporal, was severely injured when the Humvee he was driving rolled over two car bombs. “The bombs exploded and opened up the Humvee like a can opener,” says Emily. The gunner, one of Josh’s best friends, was killed. Josh’s injuries, while not fatal, were devastating. Metal tore through his face, causing significant damage, including the loss of his left eye and nine teeth. Because he had stopped breathing, a tracheotomy was performed, leaving him unable to speak. To help save his right eye, and to hold his broken facial bones together, an external fixator—metal rods affixed through his head—was screwed into place. Josh was flown back to Walter Reed for treatment. Emily, at the time three months pregnant with their second child, visited Josh in the ICU. “He kept thinking he had been captured. He couldn’t see because he was missing an eye and he’d been trached in the field so he couldn’t speak, and he had no idea where he was.”

...the Poyers reached out to

Operation Homefront (OH) DC/Metro,

a local chapter of a national nonprofit

committed to providing emergency

financial and other assistance to

families of service members and

wounded warriors.

DRS TSI employee Nancy Costea’s daughter Alicia and husband Chris

decorate Holiday Hall before the Operation Homefront holiday party.

Holiday Hall (the Old Red Cross Auditorium on the Walter Reed Army Medical Center campus) was filled to capacity when Operation Homefront hosted a holiday party

for more than 500 wounded warrior family members.

Photos courtesy of Operation Homefront

While doctors were able to save Josh’s right eye, his wounds required multiple surgeries and therapies. For months, the Schlictels lived in a hotel, then a motel, until Josh’s orders could be changed and he could be stationed at Walter Reed and become eligible to receive money for housing. The transfer came through just in time to bring home their newborn to an apartment. Over the past three years, says Emily, Josh has improved slowly. He is now able to drive a car, but he still receives daily therapy. “He deals with depression, PTSD, a traumatic brain injury, and we have to live in D.C., away from our families, even though we have had two kids since we’ve been here.” She adds, “My husband is suffering, and that takes a toll on our whole family unit.” The Schlictels are grateful for the housing provided by OH, but they are still struggling. Josh drives their one car to Walter Reed every day. Emily is training to become a massage therapist. She attends school at night and hopes to complete her coursework soon. Like Bev, she eventually wants to help wounded warriors. Emily isn’t sure how her family would’ve survived if not for the support of OH. “If I need anything, I can ask and apply online for it. “There are many injured soldiers out there who need your help,” she continues. “I can’t tell you how many people I’ve met who want to help and don’t know how. [Wounded warriors and their] families need to feel appreciated and supported. It doesn’t have to be a monetary donation. Offer your time, even babysitting services, or your time to help at an event.” Dietrich, one of only three paid staff members at OH, would be grateful for such help. Of the 1,000 volunteers on her roster, a core of just 35 regularly ensures aid to individual and military families in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia (north of Richmond). Not only does OH assist military families coping with deployment and injury recovery, they offer numerous morale-boosting events and children’s programs (from holiday parties to homefront celebrations), host baby showers for expectant mothers whose

husbands are deployed, and entertain kids while a parent is undergoing surgery or medical treatment. “OH volunteers try to fill the void and help those families most in need,” says Dietrich. The nonprofit doesn’t keep exact totals, but she estimates that the financial and morale needs of over 3,000 families were met last year. To keep costs to a minimum, OH accepts donations from companies and individuals. Its 5,000-square-foot office and utilities are paid for by DRS Defense Solutions, and many DRS employees volunteer. Other companies also offer assistance. “There is a significant price being paid by our troops and their families,” says Dietrich. “Most Americans know this and want to repay these families in some way. We give people the chance to give back.” “Many want to say ‘thanks’ by offering their serviceable car, or services like a car repair, a job, free childcare or yard care, and more,” adds Gene Carter, the Reach Back Program director with the International Division of DRS Defense Solutions, who started the local OH chapter four years ago. “When that happens, there are smiles on all sides.” “When donors don’t step forward, we work hard to minimize costs so that 93 cents of every donated dollar can go directly to clients,” says Dietrich. “When you give us your money, you want it to go to a military member, not overhead. That’s easy to do when the services

are donated by individuals, companies, and organizations who offer it as their expression of gratitude.”

For more information on Operation Homefront, visit www.operationhomefront.net/dcmetro.

The DC Metro chapter of Operation Homefront was started by Gene Carter, director of the Reach Back Program in the International Division of DRS Defense Solutions, and a handful of volunteers four years ago. Their goal was three-fold:

To increase awareness of the sacrifices being made by the families of deployed or wounded Reservists, National Guardsmen, and active-duty military.

To service the needs of those families who lie within the chapter’s Maryland, Northern Virginia, and D.C. footprint.

To connect citizens who want to say “thanks” in some significant way to those who deserve that expression of gratitude.

“Wonderful things happen to those who make that connection, and the results have been astonishing as individuals and organizations have come together to weave a lasting fabric of care and concern for these families,” says Carter.

“DRS has led the way with strong and lasting support for these families through the DC Metro chapter from day one. As a DRS employee, I’m extremely proud of our company’s support for our military families.”

The Goal of Operation Homefront

At the George Catlett Marshall Memorial Dinner, a black-tie affair that is the culmination of a three-day Annual Meeting of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA). L-R: Todd Steggerda, Operation Homefront Board Chairman; Serena

Bowen; Rod Nenner, Vice President, Washington Redskins; Michael Bowen, Captain Gene Carter USAF (Ret); Josh and Emily Schlictel, Larry Brewer, DRS-DS Senior Vice

President, Government Relations and his wife, Doris; and Audrey Monish DRS-DS Vice President, Government Relations. The Bowens and Schlictels are Operation

Homefront families who were sponsored by DRS Defense Solutions.

Photo courtesy of Operation Homefront

Salute to the Military | Maryland Life 13

Taking care of the families they leave behind is one small way of repaying them.

Operation Homefront DC Metro Chapter provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of wounded warriors and deployed troops throughout Maryland, DC and northern Virginia. Contact us today to learn how your volunteer and financial support can help.www.operationhomefront.net/dcmetro toll free 800/779-5903

We owe a tremendous debt to the thousands of Maryland men and women who risk their lives for our security.

DRS Defense Solutions proudly supports Operation Homefront

Maryland’s Not-So-Secret Secret

SIGSALY, speech encipherment system

Dr. David Kahn’s book, The Codebreakers

The Zimmermann telegram resulting in the United States declaring entry into World War I

Codebook, designed to break a code or explain what seemingly random numbers or characters actually mean in words

Enigma, an electro-mechanical rotor machine used to encrypt and decrypt secret messages

Satellite exhibit

First desktop computer used by NSA

Museum Photos, courtesy of National Cryptological Museum

Courtesy of John Garcia NCM

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“If you like history, this is a marvelous snapshot of our past,” says DRS Intelligence Community Liaison Al Gray, a retired Air Force chief master sergeant. At 75, Gray—who served in the NSA for 31 years and personally knows many of the folks whose photos grace the exhibits—makes an excellent, if unofficial, docent. “NSA employees are closed-mouthed about their jobs,” he says. “But we need to talk about the valuable contributions [the NSA] has made to the country in general.” Beginning with a copy of the Rosetta Stone, discovered in 1799, the museum exhibits provide an overview of the evolution of the technologies used to protect confidential information and to decipher codes. In the Civil War section, displays explain tactical battlefield communications and the ways in which soldiers used signals—such as flag-waving—to transmit messages across enemy lines. A colorful slave quilt, filled with coded symbols, hangs close by. A section on World War I includes the infamous Zimmerman telegram, a coded document containing secret information that, when deciphered, convinced President Woodrow Wilson to ask Congress to declare war on Germany in 1917. Among the museum’s World War II collection are several

Enigma ciphers, machines that both generated and cracked codes. The Germans considered Enigma codes unbreakable, but an enormous U.S. Navy Cryptanalytic Bombe (displayed nearby) proved they weren’t. The Bombe helped the Allies unravel the Germans’ codes, a crucial breakthrough that may have shortened the war. Other crypto-treasures pertain to the Korean War, including a flag once belonging to Kim Il Sung. This era is of particular interest to Gray, who enlisted at age 17. Because he served during the Korean armistice negotiations, he can speak firsthand about the 80-pound SP 600 Super Pro Receiver, a cumbersome piece of equipment from that era also on display. “Today’s derivative [of the Super Pro], a software definable receiver by DRS Signal Solutions…fits in my shirt pocket,” he says. Among the museum’s most prized possessions is the Dr. David Kahn Collection. The renowned cryptological historian and author has donated nearly 3,000 books, including a copy of the first printed book on cryptology, Polygraphiae, along with other writings and transcripts from interviews with American and foreign agents. “The NCM exists to help the general public and the world to better understand the critical role that cryptology has played throughout history in preserving freedom,” says museum curator Patrick Weadon. “[For me], the best description of the facility came from a visitor last December, who wrote in our guestbook that the NCM was, quite simply, ‘extraordinary, amazing, and endlessly fascinating.’”

For more information, visit www.nsa.gov/about/cryptologic_heritage/museum.

Dr. David Kahn Exhibit The museum’s rare book exhibit

features the book Polygraphiae, published in 1518, along with other ancient books on cryptology.

The National Cryptologic Museum at Fort Meade

Rumors often surround the National Security Agency (NSA)—jokingly referred to as “No Such Agency”—but there’s no mystery swirling around its quaint National Cryptologic Museum (NCM) at Fort Meade. Opened in 1993 and supported by the NCM Foundation, the museum—the only one of its kind—sits on the public portion of NSA grounds and isn’t classified. Inside, visitors can explore, for free, thousands of cryptologic artifacts—the declassified gadgets and tricks of the trade used by American and foreign snoops and code-breakers.

Museum Photos, courtesy of National Cryptological Museum

DRS Technologies and the National Guard Educational Foundation have established The DRS Guardian Scholarship Fund, which will provide college scholarships to the children of National Guardsmen killed while serving their country. Eligible High School Juniors and Seniors can apply for up to $25,000 paid over a four-year college education. These are the children of heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect freedom.

If you would like to contribute or get more information about The DRS Guardian Scholarship Fund, please visit www.drsfoundation.net/guard

THE DRS GUARDIAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND

National GuardEducational Foundation