By Samantha L. Quigley

American Forces Press Service

May 18, 2008 - While race car drivers sped around the track trying to bump slower competitors out of next week's 92nd Indianapolis 500 lineup, 55 military recruits took a step to shift their lives into high gear. Coinciding with "Bump Day," the last day of timed driver qualifications, the track hosted its Armed Forces Day celebration. The day included a military band, an F-16 flyover by the 122nd Fighter Wing of the Indiana Air National Guard and the annual trackside enlistment ceremony.

"Our armed forces have the ... ability to make a supreme difference," said U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, who administered the oath of enlistment. "I thank these young people for their service every day."

Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communication and public liaison, offered her thanks and encouragement as well.

"At no time in our nation's history have we seen more support for our men and women in the military than we do today," she told the recruits and their families and friends. "That's a good news story for all of us."

Barber went on to tell the recruits about a friend who originally enlisted in the Army with thoughts of serving for just a few years. Just last week that friend was promoted to the rank of general.

"She's an example of what Abraham Lincoln meant when he said, 'Whatever you are, be a good one,'" Barber said. "Whether you're joining for a few years or if you're going to stay to be a general, I ask you to be a good one."

Mindy Andrews said she's joining the Navy to be a better mom to her 17-month-old daughter.

"I'm a single mom," the 26-year-old from Shelbyville, Ind., said. "I have a little girl [and] I want her to have a real positive, strong, female role model."

Other recruits said they realized the military was the right choice for them and now was the right time to enlist.

"Things at home were kind of slowing down," said Jerad Maxwell, who chose to join the Coast Guard. "I'm not really getting anywhere with school or my job, so I figured I better go in the military."

The Fort Wayne, Ind., volunteer firefighter enjoys responding to emergency situations and staying in the country was important to him. "So I kind of figured the Coast Guard was for me," he said.

One recruit in particular said had always known he wanted to enlist in the Army. He just had to wait until he was old enough.

"I've always wanted to be in the Army, ever since I was in first grade with my friend ... We'd play Army in the backyard," said Devon Pollard, an Army National Guard enlistee from Indianapolis. "It's something I've always wanted to do."

Pollard, who enlisted through the Delayed Entry Program, will spend the summer before his high school senior year in basic training at Fort Benning, Ga.

e's not bemoaning the fact, though. In fact, Pollard was so enthusiastic about the enlistment ceremony that he had trouble finding words to express himself. "I'm honored. I'm actually speechless," he said. "I don't know what else to say."

Nickolas Stafford of Martinsville, Ind., who enlisted in the Marine Corps today, didn't have that problem.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I couldn't pass it up," he said, adding that the ceremony was his first trip to the Indianapolis track. "It's really quite awesome."

Today's ceremony concluded with a medley of the service anthems before cars reemerged on the track to continue their dizzying laps.

May 17, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books.  The website continues its leadership position by adding two local law enforcement officials and one federal law enforcement official.

Randy Dickinson was a full-time officer with the Smith County Sheriff’s Department (Texas) during the 1970s and 1980s.  It was while with the Smith County Sheriff’s Department that he became involved in a fatal shooting wherein he and his partner interrupted an armed robbery.  This event provided Randy Dickinson with some of the fundamental insight that led him to teaching and writing about trauma mitigation. 

Throughout the 1990s, Randy Dickinson was employed by the Austin Police Department in a non-sworn role within the Crisis Response Unit. The unit provides a broad range of services including crisis intervention, suicide intervention, post-incident support for officers and other first-responders, and services to victims and witnesses.  Randy Dickinson is a co-author of Officer-Involved Shootings and Use of Force: Practical Investigative Techniques.

According to the book description of Officer-Involved Shootings and Use of Force: Practical Investigative Techniques, it “continues to provide sound and sober models, protocols, and procedures to handle the highly charged fall-out from officer involved shootings. Written by cops for cops, it is designed to address the needs of the agency, the rights of the employee, and the concerns of the public, and give law enforcement the policies and tools to properly investigate and document this high profile area.”

Neville Cramer served more than twenty-six years as a law enforcement officer with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). At the time of his retirement in 2002, he was one of the most experienced INS Special Agents in the U.S. Department of Justice. He began his career in 1976, as a U.S. Border Patrol Agent after serving four years as a police officer in Arizona and Florida. After his tour of duty on the Mexican border, Cramer served eight years as both a Special Agent and Supervisory Special Agent in Chicago, Illinois and Washington D.C. District Offices. Neville Cramer is the author of Fixing the INSanity – America’s Immigration Crisis and Immigration Chaos – Solutions to an American Crisis.

According to the book description of Fixing the INSanity – America’s Immigration Crisis, “Former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) special agent Neville Cramer divulges the real causes of America's seemingly uncontrollable immigration problems. He explains the issues, describes common-sense solutions, and shocks the reader with facts about working in the lunacy of the former INS. From the 9/11 attacks to President George W. Bush's Guest Worker Program, Cramer covers it all . . . and then some.”

Kevin Ferguson is a retired Deputy Sheriff Richmond City Sheriff’s Office.  He was injured on the job assisting a co-worker.  The injury left him with two plates and twelve screws in his right arm; and, six pins in his wrist.  Kevin Ferguson is the author of Generosity or Justice.

According to the book description, “This book is based on a true story about a Deputy Sheriff who was injured and wrongly accused of an incident while on duty. Terminated from a 14-year career, he was forced to prove his innocence and clear his name.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 1002 police officers (representing 421 police departments) and their  2113  police books in 32 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.

Leaders develop from a combination of new challenges and experiences, new knowledge, and time for reflection. Leader development in the Army is a deliberate, continuous, sequential, and progressive process, grounded in Army values (FM 7-0). The result is Soldiers and civilians who are competent and confident leaders capable of decisive action.

The operational (unit) assignment is the most effective setting for leader development. In a 2006 leader development survey, captains and majors ranked leading a unit along with personal examples and mentoring as the three most effective ways their leadership qualities are developed. The consensus among private sector leader development professionals is that a full 70 percent of leader development occurs on the job, 20 percent from other people (leaders, mentors), and 10 percent from training courses.

The organization and content of this handbook provide you with key principles, TTPs, and applications to implement the most effective methods of leader development.

First – Set conditions for leader development. Personally model behaviors that encourage leader development, create an environment that encourages on-the-job learning, and get to know the leaders within your command.

Second – Provide feedback on a leader’s actions. Immediate, short bursts of feedback on actual leadership actions enhance leader development in operational assignments.

Third – Integrate Learning. Leverage leaders who are role models in your unit. Encourage mentoring, training, reflection, and study. Learning from other leaders is one of the most effective and efficient methods of development.

Fourth – Create a legacy. Modify job assignments to challenge leaders. Be deliberate about the selection and succession of leaders. Integrate leader development across day-to-day unit activities. Evaluate its effectiveness.

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http://usacac.army.mil/CAC2/Repository/Materials/CAL_CommandersHandbook.pdf