Corpsman awarded Commendation Medal for valor in Afghanistan

“When the time comes and you’re down range and a Marine yells ‘corpsman up,’ I know you won’t hesitate, because that’s not what we do.”

Petty Officer 1st Class Lance Wyatt’s words are something he knows firsthand. Wyatt, a corpsman, was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for valor for his actions during deployment to Afghanistan where he cared for more than 30 wounded coalition troops.

Wyatt, in the Navy for 11 years, was deployed to the Sangin District of Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in 2013 and worked as part of a small team of Marines, sailors and soldiers who advised the Afghan National Army on combat tactics and life-saving medical procedures.

On his first day in Afghanistan, he treated a triple amputee. During another operation, Wyatt treated six critical patients. It tested his training, he said, and he worried about having enough medical supplies.

During the course of Wyatt’s deployment, according to the citation, he was credited with treating 32 wounded Afghans, both military and civilian, many of whom suffered amputations, gunshot or shrapnel wounds and traumatic brain injuries. Within the citation, Wyatt is said to have performed lifesaving measures under enemy fire, many times, returning fire himself to protect his patients from additional wounds and repel the ongoing enemy attacks.

“Being a corpsman means the world to me ... and being called ‘doc’ means a great deal to me,” he said. “You earned the name ‘doc’ — it wasn’t just given. ”

Petty Officer Second Class Justin Willis, 27, of Camp Lejeune, listened to the award citation and said Wyatt represents what a corpsman is supposed to do under fire.

“Being a corpsman, we want to be that person who takes care of that person who can’t take care of themselves,” Willis said. “To put your safety aside and do what needs to be done is definitely what inspired me. To sacrifice his well-being for others, and doing so without hesitation, is what makes this so impressive.”

As the senior enlisted adviser to 2nd Dental Battalion, the unit to which Wyatt now belongs, Master Chief Petty Officer Christopher Dingler, 45, of Holly Ridge said that embodying the core values of honor, courage and commitment is exactly what Wyatt has demonstrated through his tenacity and dedication under fire.

“Corpsmen are generally selfless individuals ...who sometimes make the ultimate sacrifice trying to save the wounded,” Dingler said. “He represents everything that corpsmen have gone out and done before him; and for that reason, he should be looked up to.”

Wyatt, who accepted his award with his wife and children present, credits the training he received for his ability to make quick decisions.

“Everything goes back to training while you’re under fire,” he said. “I’m thinking before I get (to the casualty) and basing (decisions) off of what I see. There’s not too much running through your head.

“The training had become muscle memory, so it was acting, not thinking.”

US institute: North Korea may be struggling with nuclear cooling problems

WASHINGTON — North Korea may have temporarily shut down a plutonium reactor earlier this year as it wrestled with water supply problems that could threaten the safety of its nuclear complex, a U.S. research institute said Monday.

The North restarted the 5-megawatt reactor at the Nyongbyon complex only last year, backtracking on a commitment of previous aid-for-disarmament negotiations and raising fresh alarm over its nuclear weapons program.

A constant water supply from a nearby river is essential to cool the reactor, which can produce fissile material for bombs, and would be needed for the safe operation of another reactor under construction at the same complex.

The U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies says recent commercial satellite imagery show the recently restarted reactor may have been temporarily shut down or operated at a lower power level for repairs after flooding caused the river to change course.

The reactor appears to have been operating again by mid-February, according to the analysis by Nick Hansen, a retired intelligence expert who closely monitors developments in the North's weapons programs. The findings were published on the institute's website, 38 North.

The safety of the North's nuclear facilities adds to international worries over Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.

North Korea has conducted three nuclear test explosions, the latest in February 2013, and recently warned, without elaborating, it may carry out a "new form of nuclear test." It also recently test-launched two medium-range ballistic missiles and exchanged artillery fire at its sea border with South Korea.

International negotiations on denuclearization have been stalled since 2009, and envoys of the U.S., Japan and South Korea were meeting in Washington on Monday to discuss policy toward the North.

In late March, South Korean President Park Geun-hye said that because of the concentration of nuclear facilities at Nyongbyon, a fire there could cause a disaster potentially worse than the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl in 1986.

Analysts for 38 North dispute that claim because of the relatively small sizes of the reactors at Nyongbyon, but warn that a failure of the cooling system could cause a fire in the graphite core of the reactor and release radioactivity into the atmosphere and the nearby Kuryong River.

They say the risks are potentially greater for a 30-megawatt experimental lightwater reactor once it begins in operations in perhaps one or two years because the North lacks experience operating such a reactor. Sufficient water supply is another major concern. Judging from overhead imagery, the two reactors depend on the same cooling system using water pumped from the river.

Flooding in July 2013 apparently led to the silting up of cisterns at the riverside used to collect water for cooling, so North Korea installed temporary pipes to draw water from a different location in the river while a new pipe to a cistern was constructed. That provided a fix, but doubts remain over whether the river can provide a reliable, year-round water supply.

"These recent problems should be a wake-up call for Northeast Asia," said Joel Wit, a former State Department official and editor of 38 North.

"Whether the North Koreans will be able to meet the challenge of providing a reliable, adequate source of water to cool the Nyongbyon reactors, particularly when the experimental light-water reactor becomes operational, could pose a serious problem for both Pyongyang and its neighbors," he said.

Navy laser weapon test in Persian Gulf set for summer

The Navy plans to install a laser weapon prototype on a ship this summer for at-sea testing in the Persian Gulf.

The technology, called the Laser Weapon System, will be the first of its kind to be deployed, the Navy said.

The idea is that the laser could zap dangerous swarming small boats and flying drones while on the USS Ponce in the Persian Gulf. Its power also can be scaled down, presenting the Navy a non-lethal alternative to ward off threats such as pirates, terrorists and smugglers.

“This is a revolutionary capability,” Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Matthew Klunder said in a recent statement. “It’s absolutely critical that we get this out to sea with our sailors for these trials, because this very affordable technology is going to change the way we fight and save lives.”

It was developed by engineers and scientists from the Navy, defense industry and academia. It involves commercial fiber solid-state lasers and has already successfully shot down flying targets.

Data from the Ponce deployment will guide the development of a Navy program for combat-ready lasers installed on vessels, such as guided-missile destroyers and the Littoral Combat Ship, by 2016.

The Navy plans to spend $110 million with Northrop Grumman Corp., BAE Systems Inc. and Raytheon Co. over the next two years for development work on the program.

The announcement to deploy the laser comes as military researchers continue to try to make progress on directed-energy weapons. In 2012, the Laser Weapon System downed several drones in tests.

In 2011, the Navy had success with another laser system mounted on a warship when it fired and set fire to an empty motorboat as it bobbed in the Pacific Ocean. It was the first time in history the Navy pulled off the feat.

In what was once considered the stuff of science fiction, the development of laser technology has been fraught with setbacks.

Last year, the Missile Defense Agency’s airborne laser program was canceled after more than 15 years of development and $5 billion in federal funding.

The program involved a Boeing 747 jumbo jet equipped with an advanced tracking system and a massive laser gun on its nose to identify and obliterate enemy missiles as they blast off. But the program experienced a series of cost overruns and delays. It never went beyond testing.

The Navy’s desired targets with the Laser Weapon System are far smaller and slower.

Following the USS Ponce testing — which comes two years ahead of schedule — Navy and Pentagon officials said they will continue to research ways to integrate affordable laser weapons into the fleet.

Fort Hood officials lay out entire shooting spree

FORT HOOD, Texas — Around 4 p.m. Wednesday, Spc. Ivan Lopez argued with fellow soldiers about his request for time off and how that request was being processed, a spokesman for the Army’s Criminal Investigation Command confirmed.

Minutes later, Lopez drew a semi-automatic handgun and began shooting, killing one soldier and wounding nine more in his unit’s administrative office, near the intersection of 72nd Street and Tank Destroyer Boulevard, Chris Grey said Monday in a news conference at Fort Hood.

But Lopez was not finished. He left the building, got into his car and started driving, shooting at two more soldiers standing behind the building and traveling very slowly in the wrong lane, headed toward his own office.

When he arrived, Lopez shot a soldier in the motor pool office, fatally wounding him, then walked to the vehicle bay area in the same building, where he wounded two more soldiers, Grey said.

Lopez got back in his car and drove toward the medical brigade building, Grey said. While driving, Lopez shot into the windshield of an approaching car, injuring the passenger, Grey said. Once he arrived at the medical brigade building, Lopez shot and wounded a soldier in the parking lot, killed the soldier manning the front desk and fired at other soldiers inside the building, wounding one more.

“At this point, we do not know why he entered the building, and we may never know why,” Grey said.

Still, Lopez continued, getting back into his car and driving to another transportation battalion building, where he approached a military policewoman who had responded to 911 calls, Grey said. The woman fired at Lopez, but missed, an autopsy confirmed. Lopez then turned the gun on himself, Grey said.

The rampage did not last long — about 8 minutes from the first 911 calls, Grey said — but ended with Lopez and three other soldiers dead and 16 more wounded. Five remain in area hospitals, but are improving, officials said. The others have returned to duty.

Lopez was being treated for anxiety and depression, among other health problems, and was undergoing a diagnosis for possible post-traumatic stress disorder, Army officials have said. However, Lt. Gen. Mark Milley, commander of III Corps and Fort Hood, said Friday that investigators believe the argument prompted the shooting, not any underlying mental health issues Lopez may have had.

Grey said investigators are still working to determine a motive.

Officials have not confirmed why Lopez was seeking a permissive temporary duty, or whether his request was denied. Permissive TDY may be authorized for career management, to participate in a court proceeding as a witness or juror, for house hunting, to attend civilian education programs, to attend meetings related to a soldier’s profession, to participate in sports or recreation activities, among other scenarios, according to the Army’s official leave policy. No reason was given as to why Lopez was seeking time off.

Stars and Stripes has filed an open records request for the leave policies specific to Lopez’s Fort Hood unit, the 49th Transportation Battalion (Movement Control), 4th Sustainment Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command.

Lopez reportedly was angry he had only received a short amount of leave to travel home to Puerto Rico for his mother’s funeral in November, when he was still assigned to the Fort Bliss, Texas-based 4th Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment. Lopez was assigned to Fort Hood in February.

There is no evidence Lopez had ever been convicted of or involved in any other criminal activity, Grey said, and no evidence so far that he was connected to any terrorist or extremist groups.

Investigators have collected more than 235 pieces of evidence and canvassed more than 1,100 people in connection with the shooting, and have now released the crime scene back to Fort Hood, Grey said.

Fort Hood has opened behavioral health resources — usually only available to Tricare beneficiaries — to Army civilians and contractors associated with the shooting, and created a behavioral health hot line for anyone seeking help, said Col. Paul Reese, III Corps chief of current operations.

A memorial service for the victims of the shooting is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, and President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will attend.

hlad.jennifer@stripes.com

Twitter: @jhlad

Group hopes to buy house for student veteran

HANOVER, N.H. — A nonprofit group is raising money to buy a home for veterans who attend Dartmouth College.

Project VetCare Inc. has received an anonymous pledge of $375,000 toward the home’s $475,000 purchase price and is hoping to raise the rest by May 31.

Co-founder Robert Chambers told the Valley News that the group plans to renovate the house with volunteer labor and use the rent that veteran tenants pay to support its programs, which include helping veterans navigate their health care and benefits and preventing foreclosures and evictions.

There are 18 veterans studying as undergraduates at Dartmouth, including Chris Allen, president of the Dartmouth Undergraduate Veterans Association. The 25-year-old junior says while he has enjoyed living in a dorm, others want the option to live with other veterans.

Navy gear detects prolonged pings in search for missing plane

The Navy has found what appears to be the strongest clue so far in the search for the Malaysian Airlines passenger jet that vanished 31 days ago.

Operators of the Navy’s Towed Pinger Locator detected two acoustic events that could have been from Flight MH370’s “black boxes” in the northern part of the search area Sunday about 950 nautical miles northwest of Perth in waters nearly three miles deep.

The first signal lasted more than two hours, and a second signal went on for 15 minutes as the locator was being towed by the Australian military vessel Ocean Shield, Australian Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston told a news conference Monday.

“We cannot confirm pings are from MH370 until we have wreckage,” Houston said. “But the signals were consistent with those emitted by aircraft black boxes.”

The race to locate MH370’s pings is running on borrowed time, as the black box’s battery is rated for 30 days. Despite being encouraged that the search efforts “are very close to where we need to be.” Houston stressed caution and patience.

“It could take some days before the information is available to establish whether these detections can be confirmed as being from MH370. In very deep oceanic water, nothing happens fast,” Houston said.

As the Ocean Shield continues passing over the area to get a better fix on the sounds’ origin, Commodore Peter Leavy of the Royal Australian Navy said if the Ocean Shield crew detects the signal a third time, “that will be the trigger to launch the underwater vehicle with the sonar” to explore for wreckage.

That would involve the Navy’s autonomous underwater vehicle, Bluefin-21, an unmanned submarine with side-scanning sonar that can map out the ocean floor. However, it can’t detect the pings, so it needs a narrow search area.

Cmdr. William Marks of U.S. 7th Fleet said the pinger locator was only about 300 meters deep when it began detecting pings at one-second intervals, well above the optimal search depth where a black box would typically be detected.

The Navy switched off as much noise-producing equipment as possible to reduce the chance of false alarms and lowered the locator to about 1,400 meters. The crew was able to detect a stronger signal for a two-hour stretch before it faded.

“That is actually encouraging news because as you move toward it, the signal gets stronger and as you get away from it, it should get weaker,” Marks said. “Overall, we are cautiously optimistic at this time.”

Crews then performed a course change and passed back over the area. Crews were able to pick up a signal for about 15 minutes, he said.

The two signals came from two slightly different locations. Marks said this could be an indication the both of the aircraft’s black boxes were still active.

However, until search crews “can reacquire the signal and use the Bluefin-21 side-scan sonar to get a picture of any potential wreckage, it is still not conclusive data,” Marks said. “The 24-hour operation and the Navy team is working around the clock with our Australian partners to reacquire the black box signal.”

The Ocean Shield arrived in its assigned search area April 4 amid concerns that aircraft would have to spot a debris field before the pinger locator could be deployed because it’s search diameter is only about a mile and it must be towed at less than three miles per hour.

To date, the Navy’s two P8 Poseidon patrol aircraft and a P3 Orion previously supporting the search efforts have combined for 24 missions with 220 hours of flight time covering 336,000 square nautical miles.

The Malaysian jet disappeared early March 8 with 239 people aboard en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The United States is among 26 countries aiding in the search.

kimber.james@stripes.com

Twitter: @james_kimber

First women joining Palestinian commando unit

JERICHO, West Bank --- Palestinian women in combat fatigues and headscarves rappelled down a six-story tower, fired assault rifles at imaginary terrorists and in a drill straight out of the movies bundled a would-be VIP into a car and sped off after a shooting.

The 22 future commandos are trailblazers in a still largely male-dominated society, set to become the first female members of the Presidential Guards, a Palestinian elite force of 2,600 men. Their inclusion is the result of gradual changes in the West Bank in recent years.

Some gender barriers have fallen, with a few women assuming posts as mayors, judges and Cabinet ministers or starting their own businesses. At the same time, unemployment is on the rise, and families are more open to women entering non-traditional jobs if it means another paycheck.

Women make up just 3 percent of 30,000 members of the Palestinian police and other security agencies in the West Bank, but there's a push to recruit more, said Brig. Rashideh Mughrabi, in charge of gender issues in the National Security Forces.

The female Presidential Guards recruits were picked from last year's graduating class of Independence University, a four-year security academy in Jericho that trains future officers.

For graduate Kurum Saad, the appeal was immediate. As a female officer, her traditional role would have been in administration, but she wanted adventure.

"I didn't want to sit in an office," the 23 year old said. "Since I was a little girl, I loved shooting and sports."

On Sunday, Saad and the others in her group put on black combat boots, camouflage uniforms and pulled black ski masks over the headscarves to show journalists what they'd learned in their special training.

Several women, including non-swimmers, were asked to jump into a pool as a show of courage. They dove in in full uniform, including boots, and one had to be pulled out by a lifeguard.

Six women, including Saad, rappelled down the six-story tower in pairs. Saad said she excels at sharp shooting but for months was terrified of heights. She said that during training in Jordan with local commandos, she overcame her fear. Sunday, she swiftly made her way down, smiling as she touched ground.

Saad said she relishes her role of opening doors for other women. Her father is proud of her and her little sister is eager to join the Guards, she said.

All but two of the female Guards, including Saad, wore black headscarves, reflecting a growing trend among Palestinian women to cover their hair because of tradition, Muslim religious observance or social pressure.

As the women performed their drills at the walled Presidential Guards training complex in Jericho - having been called back from a break for the occasion - hundreds of young men waited in line outside in the brutal desert sun.

They had responded to ads announcing the Guards wanted recruits, but faced a tough selection process, with only a few dozen of the tallest and fittest being chosen.

The Presidential Guards were established under the late Yasser Arafat, the globe-trotting Palestinian leader. Arafat spent most of his life in exile but returned to the Palestinian territories in 1994, as part of interim peace deals with Israel, and set up a self-rule government.

Under Arafat's often-chaotic rule, various security branches grew in size, with often overlapping or competing assignments. After Arafat's death in 2004, the U.S. and Europe stepped in, training and equipping some of the units as part of an attempt to rein in vigilantes and militants.

Under Arafat's successor, President Mahmoud Abbas, the Guards are engaged in personal protection, including of visiting dignitaries, but are also trained for anti-terrorism missions.

For now, the female Guards are only being drawn from the West Bank. In the Gaza Strip, which is not under Abbas' control and is ruled by the Islamic militant Hamas, about 400 women serve in the 16,000-strong security forces. They have undergone some training, including in martial arts, but work mostly in administrative jobs, including as border control officers and an anti-drug unit.

The West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem were captured by Israel in 1967 and are sought by the Palestinians for a future state.

The Palestinian security force training was meant to help prepare the people for statehood, yet independence remains elusive, with the latest U.S.-led mediation mission appearing to be on the verge of collapse.

Some of the new female Guards say they believe they are serving their homeland, but in the short term there's also the draw of travel and adventure. On Sunday, they filled out European visa applications for a training session in Italy. Meanwhile, Italian and French trainers are to come to Jericho to teach them stunt driving and more personal protection skills.

The women are to start work at Abbas' compound in the West Bank city of Ramallah in the summer. They'll live in separate quarters from those of the men, but their work will be the same: personal protection, especially if there are female dignitaries or wives of male visitors.

Rami Sammar, 23, one of their male colleagues, said he's watched the women train and is impressed. "The way I see them, they are performing no less than us, the guys," he said.

Daraghmeh reported from Ramallah, West Bank. Associated Press writer Daniela Berretta contributed to this report from Jericho, West Bank.