Tuesday, November 19, 2013

AIR FORCE MAJOR GENERAL (RET.) MARTHA RAINVILLE, ARMY BRIGADIER GENERAL (RET.) LOREE SUTTON, IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN VETERANS OF AMERICA, VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA, SERVICE WOMEN'S ACTION NETWORK, SURVIVOR/PROTECT OUR DEFENDERS ADVOCACY COMMITTEE KATE WEBER, SARAH PLUMMER, SURVIVOR & ADVOCATE, AUTHOR/LEADERSHIP COACH ARRIVE ON CAPITOL HILL TO CONTINUE PUSH FOR INDEPENDENT MILITARY JUSTICE SYSTEM

Chorus of Military Voices Continues to Grow: Senators Release New Letter Supporting Military Justice Improvement Act Signed by 26 Retired Generals, Commanders, Colonels, Captains and Senior Enlisted Personnel - Includes 4 Retired Generals/Admirals Speaking Out for First Time

Last September, DOD's Own Advisory Panel Voted in Favor of Gillibrand Approach Without a Single Vote Against, 9 of 10 Yes Votes by Former Military Members

Washington D.C. - U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Rand Paul (R-KY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Dean Heller (R-NV) were joined on Capitol Hill today by Air Force Major General (Ret.) and former Vermont National Guard Adjutant General Martha Rainville, who served in the military for twenty-seven years, including fourteen years in command positions, plus Brigadier General (Ret.) Loree Sutton who served as the top psychiatrist in the U.S. Army, Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Service Women's Action Network (SWAN), Kate Weber, a survivor and Protect Our Defenders Advocacy Committee Member from the state of California, and Sarah Plummer, Survivor & Advocate, Author/Leadership Coach to continue their unified push for an independent military justice system.

While in Washington, the generals are meeting with undecided Senators to make their case on why this reform is critically needed to strengthen our military. The Senators also publicly released a letter supporting the Military Justice Improvement Act signed by twenty-six retired generals, admirals, commanders, colonels and captains - including four flag officers (two generals and two admirals) speaking out for the first time. Rainville, the first woman in the history of the National Guard to serve as a state Adjutant General, and Sutton, are now joined by a dozen generals or admirals, knows as flag officers, in supporting the Military Justice Improvement Act.

"America is home to the world's best and brightest, brave men and women who join the armed services for all the right reasons - to serve our country, defend all that we hold sacred, and make America's military the best the world has ever known," Senator Gillibrand said. "But too often, these brave men and women find themselves in the fight of their lives not off on some far-away battlefield, but right here on our own soil, within their own ranks and commanding officers, as victims of horrific acts of sexual violence. Our bipartisan bill takes this issue head on by removing decision-making from the chain of command, and giving that discretion to experienced trial counsel with prosecutorial experience where it belongs. That's how we will achieve accountability, justice and fairness."

"As a former commander, endorsing a change that removes certain authority from military commanders has been a tough decision," said Major General (Ret.) Martha Rainville. "It was driven by my conviction that our men and women in uniform deserve to know, without doubt, that they are valued and will be treated fairly with all due process should they report an offense and seek help, or face being accused of an offense. When allegations of serious criminal misconduct have been made, the decision whether to prosecute should be made by a trained legal professional. Fairness and justice require sound judgment based on evidence and facts, independent of pre-existing command relationships."

"Failure to achieve these reforms would be a further tragedy to an already sorrowful history of inattention and ineptitude concerning military sexual assault," said Brigadier General (Ret.) Loree Sutton. "In my view, achieving these essential reform measures must be considered as a national security imperative, demanding immediate action to prevent further damage to individual health and well-being, vertical and horizontal trust within units, military institutional reputation, operational mission readiness and the civilian-military compact. Far from 'stripping' commanders of accountability, as some detractors have suggested, these improvements will remove the inherent conflict of interest that clouds the perception and, all too often, the decision-making process under the current system. Implementing these reforms will actually support leaders to build and sustain unit cultures marked by respect, good order and discipline."

In a letter released by the Senators from twenty-six retired generals, admirals, commanders, colonels, captains and senior enlisted personnel they wrote, "It is time to create an independent, objective, and non-biased system of criminal justice in the armed forces. We believe that the decision to prosecute serious crimes, including sexual assault, should be made by trained legal professionals who are outside the chain of command, but still within the military. This change will allow prosecutorial decisions to be made based on facts and evidence and not be derailed by pre-existing relationships, attitudes, biases, and perceptions... It is our sincere belief that this change in the military justice system will go a long way to safeguard the integrity of the judicial process and provide the opportunity for real progress toward eliminating the scourge of sexual assault in the military."

"Senator Gillibrand's reform is needed, and it's the right thing to do. We've tried working within the current system and military leaders have made promises about addressing the problem of sexual assault for years and years, but the problem only seems to be getting worse. In fact, the current system seems to be part of the problem," Senator Grassley said. "Now, we're being asked once again to wait and see if the latest attempts to reform the current system will fix the problem. The truth is, the time for waiting for another report or study has long since passed. Commanders can and should be held accountable for the climate under their command. But, the point here is that sexual assault is a law enforcement matter, not a military one. An advisory committee appointed by the Secretary of Defense himself supports this bipartisan reform initiative, and the Military Justice Improvement Act should pass along with this year's defense authorization bill."

"We have to change the way the military investigates and prosecutes cases of sexual assault within its ranks," Senator Shaheen said. "The support the Military Justice Improvement Act has received from current and retired military officials is a testament to the importance of passing this bill."

Senator Blumenthal said, "Victims of this hideous, horrific crime deserve a fairer, more effective justice system - with decisions made by a trained, experienced prosecutor - so they will be better protected and encouraged to report sexual assaults. As the best and strongest military in history, our men and women in uniform deserve a justice system worthy of their excellence. Our legislation is vital to victim trust and confidence in military justice. I am proud to stand with Senator Gillibrand and this broad, bipartisan coalition of advocates and colleagues."

"The crime of sexual assault in the military is gut-wrenching and there should be no tolerance of it," said Senator Hirono. "I'd like to applaud the work of all my colleagues to help solve this terrible problem that has plagued the military. As we move forward to pass NDAA, I urge my colleagues to support the Military Justice Improvement Act. Today's letter from retired generals, commanders, colonels, captains and senior enlisted personnel show that we are gaining support and that its time to create an independent, objective, and non-biased system of criminal justice in the armed forces."

"I want to thank my constituent - Kate Weber, an Army veteran and mother of four - for her courage in speaking out today about the horrific abuse she suffered at the hands of her fellow soldiers," Senator Boxer said. "We owe it to Kate and all the other survivors of military sexual assault to end the decades of empty promises and fix our broken military justice system."

"The status quo is simply unacceptable. These individuals deserve justice which is why prosecutorial authority should be in the hands of unbiased, objective military prosecutors," said Senator Begich. "It's time to bring change, confidence and justice back to the system by instituting a zero-tolerance policy for sexual assault in our ranks . This is exactly what Sen. Gillibrand's amendment will do and why I am a proud to be a  co-sponsor. "

The carefully crafted Military Justice Improvement Act moves the decision whether to prosecute any crime punishable by one year or more in confinement to independent, trained, professional military prosecutors, with the exception of 37 crimes that are uniquely military in nature, such as disobeying orders or going Absent Without Leave. The decision whether to prosecute the 37 serious crimes uniquely military in nature plus all crimes punishable by less than one year of confinement would remain within the chain of command. The bill does not amend Article 15 pertaining to non-judicial punishments.

According to the FY2012 SAPRO report released earlier this year by the Defense Department, an estimated 26,000 cases of unwanted sexual contact and sexual assaults occurred in FY2012, a 37% increase from FY2011. Another report released by the Defense Department this year showed that more than 1 in 5 female service members reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact while serving in the military. Also according to the FY2012 SAPRO Report, 25% of women and 27% of men who received unwanted sexual contact indicated the offender was someone in their military chain of command. Further, 50% of female victims stated they did not report the crime because they believed that nothing would be done with their report. Even the current top military leadership admits the current system "has failed" and as Commandant of the Marine Corps General James F. Amos stated this year, victims do not come forward because "they don't trust the chain of command."

The problem of sexual assault in the military is not new, neither are the pledges of "zero tolerance" from commanders, which date all the way back to then-Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney in 1992. The Military Justice Improvement Act would for the first time remove the decision whether to take a case to general court-martial completely out of the chain of command and give that discretion to experienced military prosecutors for all crimes punishable by one year or more in confinement, except crimes that are uniquely military in nature, such as disobeying orders or going AWOL.

In September, the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS) voted overwhelmingly in support of removing the decision whether to prosecute sexual assaults and other serious crimes from the chain of command. Ten members voted in support of the measure, six abstained to study further, none voted against. DACOWITS was created in 1951 by then Secretary of Defense, George C.  Marshall. The Committee is composed of civilian and retired military women and men who are appointed by the Secretary of Defense to provide advice and recommendations on matters and policies relating to the recruitment and retention, treatment, employment, integration, and well-being of highly qualified professional women in the Armed Forces. Historically, DACOWITS' recommendations have been very instrumental in effecting changes to laws and policies pertaining to military women. Secretary Chuck Hagel was recently quoted as saying, "I have a put a premium on that advisory board."

Many of our allied modern militaries have reporting outside of the chain of command, such as Britain, Canada, Israel, Germany, Norway and Australia. For example, the British military has prosecutors making trial decisions for all crimes through the Service Prosecuting Authority (SPA) within Britain's Ministry of Defense. Four allied commanders recently testified to the Response Systems Panel that these changes to their military justice systems had no negative consequences to good order and discipline.

The text of the full letter from twenty-six retired generals, admirals, commanders, colonels and captains is below. For more information, visit www.gillibrand.senate.gov/mjia

Dear Senator Gillibrand:

We write to express our support for the changes to the military justice system proposed in your bill, the Military Justice Improvement Act (S. 967). We represent all branches of the military and bring many years and a range of experiences, including that of convening authority for courts martial.

We know that, in too many cases, service members have not reported incidents of sexual assault because they lack confidence in the current system. The inherent conflicts that exist in the military justice system have led service members to believe that their allegations of sexual assault will not receive a fair and impartial hearing and that perpetrators will not be held accountable.

Additionally, we know firsthand that commanders often lack the deep and broad legal experience necessary to make critical decisions about whether sufficient evidence exists to move forward with a prosecution.

It is time to create an independent, objective, and non-biased system of criminal justice in the armed forces. We believe that the decision to prosecute serious crimes, including sexual assault, should be made by trained legal professionals who are outside the chain of command, but still within the military. This change will allow prosecutorial decisions to be made based on facts and evidence and not be derailed by pre-existing relationships, attitudes, biases, and perceptions.

The bill appropriately excludes uniquely military crimes and leaves commanders with the tools they need to maintain good order and discipline, including non-judicial punishment.

We applaud the Department of Defense for its ongoing efforts to address this serious problem.

However, it is our sincere belief that this change in the military justice system will go a long way to safeguard the integrity of the judicial process and provide the opportunity for real progress toward eliminating the scourge of sexual assault in the military.

We thank you for your leadership on this important issue that affects mission readiness and national security.

Sincerely,

Arlen D. Jameson, Lt Gen, USAF (Ret.), Austin, TX 78731

Claudia J. Kennedy, LTG, USA (Ret.), Hilton Head Island, SC 29928

Marty Evans, RADM, USN (Ret.), Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082

Dennis J. Laich, MG, USA (Ret.), Powell, OH 43065

Elizabeth M. Morris, RADM, USN (Ret.), Herndon, VA 20171

Rear Admiral: Rabbi Harold L. Robinson, RADM, CHC, USN (Ret.), Centerville, MA 02632

Julia J. Cleckley, BG, USA (Ret.), Fredericksburg, VA 22406

Barbara L. Brehm, CAPT, USN (Ret.), Annandale, VA 22003

Margarethe Cammermeyer, COL, USA (Ret.), Langley, WA 98260

Ellen Haring, COL, USA, Bristow, VA 20136

Lory Manning, CAPT, USN (Ret.), Arlington, VA 22209

Carolyn V. Prevatte, CAPT, USN (Ret.), Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250

Katherine Scheirman, MD, Col, USAF (Ret.), MC, Oklahoma City, OK 73132

Glenna L. Tinney, CAPT, USN (Ret.), Alexandria, VA 22315

Sherry de Vries, LtCol, USMC (Ret.), Alexandria, VA 22301

Rev. Karen M. Rasmussen, CDR, USN (Ret.), Annandale, VA 22003

Coy A. Flowers, MD, FACOG, LCDR (former), USNR, Lewisburg, WV 24901

Stefanie Goebel, LCDR (former), USN, Mt. Shasta, CA 96067

Brynn Tannehill, LCDR (former), USN, Xenia, OH 45385

Hon. Carolyn Becraft, former Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs), CPT (former), USA, Burke, VA 22015

Anu K. Bhagwati, Capt (former), USMC, New York, NY 10027

Tanya Domi, CPT (former), USA, New York, NY 10471

Gregory S. Jacob, Capt (former), USMC, New York, NY 10023

Beth L. Schissel, MD, Capt (former), USAFR, MC, Decatur, GA 30030

Julianne H. Sohn, Capt (former), USMCR, Fullerton, CA 92833

Cynthia A. Pritchett, CSM (Ret.), USA, Brandon, FL 33511

Just in time for its 30th anniversary in 2014, the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival has been honored with a Keeping the Blues Alive Award from the international Blues Foundation of Memphis TN.  The coveted award, in the U.S. Festival category, is the equivalent of lifetime achievement recognition.

The Blues Foundation notes that the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival has become "one of the longest running, most prestigious blues festivals in the world. Held on the shores of the Mississippi River in Davenport, Iowa, this event features music on two outdoor stages and educational presentations. Four different times, the festival has moved due to river flooding, but each time, festival organizers have been up to the task. Beginning in 1995 with Honeyboy Edwards, the festival inaugurated its RiverRoad Award to honor the true legends of the blues. Thus far, 36 men and women have been so honored."  The Festival is also the only major blues festival in the nation to be produced by a non-profit, all-volunteer organization?the Mississippi Valley Blues Society.

Each year, The Blues Foundation presents the Keeping the Blues Alive (KBA) Awards to individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the Blues world.   Unlike the Blues Music Awards, which recognize the past year's best in recordings and performance voted on by thousands of The Blues Foundation's members, the KBAs are awarded to non-performers strictly on the basis of merit by a select panel of blues professionals. Affiliated organizations, past KBA recipients and members of The Blues Foundation's Board of Directors are eligible to submit nominations.

The Mississippi Valley Blues Festival was nominated for the KBA award by musician Michael "Hawkeye" Herman, himself a 1998 KBA recipient for Education and a former member of the board of directors of the Blues Foundation. In his nomination, Hawkeye noted that "The 2014 KBA Award would be a most auspicious way of honoring this event's 30 years of hard work and dedication to 'Keeping the Blues Alive' in both spirit and action."

The Blues Foundation will present 20 individuals and organizations with KBA awards during a recognition luncheon Friday, January 24, 2014, at the Downtown Memphis Doubletree, during the International Blues Challenge weekend of events.

Congratulations to the 2014 Keeping the Blues Alive Award recipients:

1. Affiliated Organization: Crossroads Blues Society of Illinois - Rockford, Illinois
2. Art: Cristen Craven Barnard - Senatobia, Mississippi
3. Club: Kingston Mines - Chicago, Illinois
4. Education: Tas Cru - Chaumont, New York
5. Festival (International): Cazorla Blues Festival - Cazorla, Spain
6. Festival (U.S.): Mississippi Valley Blues Festival - Davenport, Iowa
7. Film, Television and Video: Stefan Grossman - Sparta, New Jersey
8. Historical Preservation: George Mitchell - Fort Myers, Florida
9. International: The Royal Mail Hotel - Goodna, Queensland, Australia
10. Journalism: Gene Tomko - Lafayette, Louisiana
11. Literature: Gerard Herzhaft - Lyon, France
12. Manager: Marcia Weaver - Jackson, Mississippi
13. Photography: Dick Waterman - Oxford, Mississippi
14. Producer: Tom Hambridge - Nashville, Tennessee
15. Promoter: Myron Mu - San Francisco, California
16. Publicist: Frank Roszak - North Hills, California
17. Radio (Commercial): Jerry Schaefer - East Islip, New York
18. Radio (Public): Larry Lisk - St. Petersburg, Florida
19. Record Label: Stony Plain Records - Edmonton, Alberta
20. Special Committee Award: Blue Star Connection - Winter Park, Colorado

DAVENPORT, Iowa (NOV. 19, 2013) - The Quad Cities River Bandits have made a pair of offseason acquisitions, as they announced on Tuesday their two new assistant general managers, whom the Midwest League club will have oversee the baseball operations of the franchise and the year-round special events at Modern Woodmen Park.

The front office team welcomes Travis Painter as the Assistant General Manager of Baseball Operations and Taylor Satterly as the Assistant General Manager of Special Events.

"We are very pleased to add two talented and experienced new members to our front office team," said River Bandits co-owner Dave Heller. "Travis brings diverse experiences in Minor League Baseball and is widely regarded as a rising star within the industry, and Taylor is the kind of outstanding home-grown talent we pride ourselves on hiring. She has proven skills, great experience and the kind of familiarity with the Quad Cities region that only a local could have. Together, they are going to take baseball and special events at Modern Woodmen Park to a whole new level!"

Painter joins the River Bandits from the Pensacola (Fla.) Blue Wahoos, Double-A affiliate of the Cincinatti Reds in the Southern League. A native of Luray, Va., and graduate of James Madison (Harrisonburg, Va.) University, Painter previously served as assistant general manager for the Potomac (Va.) Nationals, the advanced Class-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals in the Carolina League. He also helped start the Pensacola franchise and open its new stadium in his two-year stint with the Blue Wahoos. Painter will assist with the day-to-day operations of the club and help oversee many of the River Bandits front office departments.

"I am excited to be joining the River Bandits, and helping to take this already extraordinary team to the next level," Painter said. "It's been a great transition to the Quad Cities, and I look forward to jumping into my new role, and meeting lots of new people."

Satterly comes to the River Bandits after eight years at the Stoney Creek Inn of Moline, Ill., most recently as the Assistant General Manager. A native of Henry County, Ill., Satterly graduated from Western Illinois University in the Quad Cities. She will lead the special events department at Modern Woodmen Park and will oversee all sales, planning, setup and cleanup of special events - including weddings, rehearsal dinners, corporate meetings, luncheons, holiday parties, fundraisers and many other year-round events.

"I would like to thank Dave Heller and Bob Herrfeldt for this opportunity to join such a great organization so committed to outstanding customer service," Satterly said. "I am very excited to use my years of experience in the hospitality industry to help make Modern Woodmen Park the first choice for weddings, parties and all kinds of events here in the Quad Cities."

The River Bandits, the Class-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, will open the 2014 Midwest League season at Modern Woodmen Park Thursday, April 3. A full schedule of home and road games for 2014 is available at www.riverbandits.com, and ticket plans for the 2014 season are now on sale.

UP NEXT: Lock in your season ticket plan - with new lower prices - for the 2014 season! A deposit of $25 per seat by December 31 enters you in a drawing for a free suite rental at an April 2014 home game. Call the River Bandits box office at 563-324-3000 or visit www.riverbandits.com to download the season ticket order form. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $40. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

ABOUT THE BANDITS: Having just been named Ballpark Digest's winner of Best Ballpark Improvement in America under $1 million, the River Bandits ownership is making one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 112 feet over the playing field, is planned for this spring, along with a carousel, a new ride called a "Drop and Twist," and many other new games and attractions. In 2013, the team unveiled a new 300-foot long dual zip line, a rock climbing wall, and a number of new bounce houses. The team's major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, just saw all six of its affiliates reach the playoffs - the first time in a decade any MLB team can claim such success. The River Bandits were one of three affiliates to reach the championship round and one of two to win their league championship.

*****

DAVENPORT–Waste Commission of Scott County facilities will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013, for Thanksgiving.  Facilities closed include :

• Scott Area Recycling Center, 5640 Carey Ave., Davenport
• Scott Area Landfill, 11555 110th Ave., Davenport
• Household Hazardous Material Facilities, Davenport
• Electronic Demanufacturing Facility, 1048 East 59th St., Davenport

Regular hours will resume at all facilities on Friday, Nov. 29, 2013. However, no appointments for household hazardous material drop-off will be available on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013

Waste Commission of Scott County is an intergovernmental agency whose mission is to provide environmentally sound and economically feasible solid waste management for Scott County. For more information, please call (563) 381-1300 or visit www.wastecom.com.

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