Posts Tagged ‘military’
University of Hawaii/PACOM Wounded Warriors Tribute
I was fortunate to once again be invited by Pacific Command to cover their Wounded Warriors tribute event along with the University of Hawaii during the halftime of a football game at Aloha Stadium. Much like last year’s event, it rained, I met a lot of awesome people, and the action was great to watch from the sidelines, but unlike last year, this time I got to experience it all with my own ‘wounded-ish’ warrior by my side. This time, we also got to see a selection of military spouses honored prior to the game’s start for their own achievements. Enjoy the photos! (And click the top photo to see a bigger version!)
Again, much thanks to Theresa Donnelly and Pacific Command for this awesome opportunity!
JPAC Forensic Science Academy
Today, I had the opportunity to visit the Forensic Science Academy at JPAC’s Central Identification Laboratory, which is the largest skeletal identification laboratory in the world. Though I’ve attended JPAC events before, such as the arrival ceremony for American remains, this was my first extensive time in one of the labs, giving the attendees a crash course in forensic anthropology.
As I’ve blogged before, the mission of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command is “to achieve the fullest possible accounting of all Americans missing as a result of our nations past conflicts.” The command was created in 2003, and consist of more than 400 joint military (all branches) and civilian personnel. The Forensic Science Academy was opened in the CIL in 2008, and is a very competitive and advanced 5-course program where students of forensic anthropology receive a variety of training in the lab, as well as spending five weeks on a military search and recovery mission in Southeast Asia.
We started off with a presentation given by Dr. Robert Mann, the director of the Forensic Science Academy, which covered the basics of JPAC’s mission techniques and processes. He told us an interesting story of how they identified a bunker in Vietnam based on a survivor’s memory of throwing down a sardine can and spoon near the bunker’s door just as a battle began – years later, after excavating the bunker they found the sardine can and spoon right where the survivor said it would be.
Pacific Partnership 2011 – USS Cleveland
Note: I have a new blog on NonStop Honolulu! Click here to see my recent coverage of a C-17 Globemaster III returning from supporting Operation Tomodachi in Japan.
Last week I was honored to be invited along with other members of Hawaii’s Social Media community to take a tour of the USS Cleveland while it was docked at Pearl Harbor before embarking on its Pacific Partnership 2011 humanitarian missions throughout the Pacific. We also had the privilege of having a casual dinner with the commodore, Captain Jesse A. Wilson, Jr., and a few crew members, allowing us to learn more about the ship and their mission firsthand.
The Pacific Partnership Mission Statement:
Pacific Parternship is an annual humanitarian and civic assistance mission designed to strengthen regional relationships and increase interoperability between the United States, partner nations, and international humanitarian and relief organizations. Through a variety of humanitarian and civic assistance activities throughout the Pacific Fleet area of responsibility, Pacific Partnership works closely with host nations, partner nations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other U.S. government agencies to leave a lasting impact through cooperative engagements in the region.
Pacific Partnership 2011 will deliver humanitarian and civic assistance, along with environmental sustainability missions from USS Cleveland to the nations of Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste, and the Federated States of Micronesia.
Enjoy the photos below, and please click here for the FULL gallery!
If you are interested in following the USS Cleveland during its mission, here are some links:
December 7th Hickam Field Remembrance Ceremony
December 7th, “the day that will live in infamy”, immediately brings Pearl Harbor to mind, but this morning I had the privilege of attending a quiet ceremony at Hickam Air Force Base commemorating the Japanese attack of Hickam Field, which was also bombed that day, 69 years ago. The nearby buildings riddled with bullet holes from the air strike that day are a somber reminder of the destruction that sent our country into war.
The ceremony was attended by three December 7th survivors, and U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Herbert J. Carlisle, the 13th Air Force commander, was the guest speaker.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
Today, I was invited to attend U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s arrival at Hickam Air Force Base by Pacific Command, as well as her press conference with Japan’s Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, which was held in Kahala. Mrs. Clinton was personally greeted by Admiral Robert Willard, the Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, his wife, and Colonel Robert J. Dague (Vice Commander, 15th Wing, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii).
After her arrival, Mrs. Clinton’s motorcade escorted her to Kahala, where she exchanged gifts with the Mr. Maehara (he, an apparent train enthusiast, was presented with a model train, while he gave her a set of crystal wine glasses) and then met with him for two hours before both diplomats entered the press conference.
I admit that written journalism is not yet my strong point, but the Honolulu Star-Advertiser has an article detailing the topics covered during the press conference.
And now, onto the photographs!
UH/PACOM Wounded Warrior Tribute at the Nevada vs. Hawaii Football Game
First of all, I’d like to apologize for the tardiness of this posting – between shooting three weddings this month, getting sick, setting up my house while my husband is deployed, life has gotten a little crazy and I have a huge backlog of work to get done. However, I have now stayed up till 2:30am just to get this posted!
On October 17th, I had the honor of being invited by PACOM to photograph UH Manoa’s Wounded Warrior Tribute ceremony during the halftime of their football game against Nevada. Along with a few of my photographer peers/friends, I was granted sideline access for the entire game, which was a fantastic experience. As a University of Hawaii alumni, as well as an Army wife, I was proud to witness and document these two organizations honoring some of America’s heroes. Here are some of my photos from the night:
Ft. Shafter Columbus Day Flag Ceremony
Randomly, I went with my friend, soldier/photographer Phil Velez, to shoot the flag detail ceremony at Ft. Shafter as they took down the gigantic flag that had been flown for Columbus Day. It was nice to shoot something a little more relaxing and artsy after the crazy 10/10/10 wedding weekend! As you can see, I had fun with just some random processing. A lot of this was quick edits, so I might come back and polish them later, but for now it was just for fun. This was not an official PACOM event like the others that I’ve been photographing this year. (…speaking of, I’ve just realized I still need to edit my F22 Activation Ceremony pics…such a backlog of work to do!)
I’d also like to mention that even though I’m an Army wife, this is my first Army event that I’ve shot! So far it’s all been Navy, Air Force, Marines, Air National Guard…now I just got to get the Coast Guard!
Blue Angels At Kaneohe Bay 2010
EDIT 9/27: I now have the sky and landscape photos available for print purchases here!
This past Friday I had the opportunity to attend the Blue Angels’ airshow rehearsal day, ahead of the major crowds and epic traffic jam. I was also granted a media pass, allowing for front-row seating within the media section. Here are some of my favorite photos captured from the day:
JPAC – National POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony
JPAC, or the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, hosted a ceremony in honor of National POW/MIA Recognition Day on September 17th, 2010, at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl. Here are some of my images from the event.
JPAC Arrival Ceremony For America’s Heroes
On September 10th, I was invited by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command to attend an arrival ceremony for the recovered remains of fallen U.S. personnel from World War II and the Vietnam War. These remains received full military honors during the ceremony at Hickam Air Force Base, before being transported to JPAC’s Central Identification Laboratory to undergo the forensic identification process.
As an Army wife with a husband currently deployed to Afghanistan, I must commend JPAC for their mission, which is “to achieve the fullest possible accounting of all Americans missing as a result of our nations past conflicts.” Granting families who have suffered losses some closure, and simultaneously granting these fallen heroes the recognition they deserve is a truly noble cause.
Our day began with a video briefing on JPAC’s mission, introduction to the commander and other JPAC members, and a brief tour of their forensics lab.
Major General Tom, Commander of JPAC
JPAC CIL forensic anthropologist Carrie Brown gives a talk about forensic evidence used for identification.
Dogtags recovered from Vietnam.
An American Flag displayed in front of one of the lab's rooms.
Skulls created from X-rays of the scientists' own skulls, printed in plaster with a 3D printer. Part of an experiment for future identifications.
Names of Americans who have been identified so far.
We then carpooled out to Hangar 35 for the ceremony. The following information is from the JPAC press release:
The remains receiving full military honors represent losses associated with the Vietnam War and World War II. An honor detail made up of JPAC military members will carry four flag-draped transfer cases from a C-17 to a bus that will transport the cases to JPAC’s laboratory for analyses. The first two transfer cases represent the Vietnam War and were recovered from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. The remaining transfer cases were recovered from the Republic of Vanuatu and Germany, and represent World War II losses.
To view my complete collection of photos from the event, please click here. I would like to thank JPAC for the opportunity to observe and photograph this solemn event, and for their service to our country.
© 2010-2012 Dallas Nagata White
