Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses the Office of the National Drug Control Policy's (ONDCP) contract with Ogilvy & Mather, the lead media campaign contractor for the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. GAO reviewed ONDCP investigations into: (1) the facts and circumstances surrounding actions taken by ONDCP after receiving the allegations that Ogilvy may have over-billed the government, and (2) allegations that Ogilvy had provided services unrelated to the contract and had submitted invoices under the contract for those services. The Director of ONDCP, General Barry McCaffrey, knew about the fraud allegations concerning Ogilvy's billing practices. GAO found that Director McCaffrey had a private meeting with Ogilvy's project director after internal ONDCP discussions of the need for an external audit. However, GAO found no evidence that this meeting affected any decision with respect to an external audit of Ogilvy's contract. GAO also found that Ogilvy did not write congressional testimony for ONDCP employees, which would have gone beyond the scope of its contract with ONDCP. Ogilvy did provide ONDCP with figures, research, and documentation for use in responding to congressional inquiries and testimony. Ogilvy did not provide any services to Director …

BRAC Early Bird 4 October 2005

Document listing dates of the founding of CSLA chapters, the geographic areas of the chapters, and, as relevant, the dates that chapters were disbanded.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Three U.S. national strategies, developed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, directed U.S. law enforcement agencies (LEA) to focus on the prevention of terrorist attacks. The strategies called for LEAs to intensify their efforts to help foreign nations identify, disrupt, and prosecute terrorists. This testimony addresses (1) the guidance for LEAs to assist foreign nations to identify, disrupt, and prosecute terrorists and (2) the extent to which LEAs have implemented this guidance."

Dayton Ohio Region "The Wright Place for AFIT" Wright Patterson Community Input.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "A 1994 Executive Order sought to ensure that minority and low-income populations are not subjected to disproportionately high and adverse health or environ-mental effects from agency activities. In a July 2005 report, GAO made several recommendations to improve the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) adherence to these environmental justice principles. The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA) requires certain facilities that use toxic chemicals to report their releases to EPA, which makes the information available in the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). Since 1995, facilities may submit a brief statement (Form A) in lieu of the more detailed Form R if releases of a chemical do not exceed 500 pounds a year. In January 2007, EPA finalized the TRI Burden Reduction Rule, quadrupling to 2,000 pounds what facilities can release before having to disclose details using Form R. Congress is considering codifying the Executive Order and requiring EPA to implement GAO's environ-mental justice recommendations. Other legislation would amend EPCRA to, among other things, revert the Form A threshold to 500 pounds or less. In this testimony, GAO discusses (1) EPA's response to GAO's environmental justice recommendations, (2) …

FAX from Jacksonville, FL Mayor John Peyton to Chairman Principi dtd 3OCT05 regarding Cecil Field.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The rapid spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 showed that disease outbreaks pose a threat beyond the borders of the country where they originate. The United States has initiated a broad effort to ensure that countries can detect outbreaks that may constitute a public health emergency of international concern. Three U.S. agencies--the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Department of Defense (DOD)--support programs aimed at building this broader capacity to detect a variety of infectious diseases. This testimony describes (1) the obligations, goals, and activities of these programs and (2) the U.S. agencies' monitoring of the programs' progress. To address these objectives, GAO reviewed budgets and other funding documents, examined strategic plans and program monitoring and progress reports, and interviewed U.S. agency officials. GAO did not review capacity-building efforts in programs that focus on specific diseases, namely polio, tuberculosis, malaria, avian influenza, or HIV/AIDS. This testimony is based on a report (GAO-07-1186), which is being released with this testimoy. GAO did not make recommendations. The agencies whose programs we describe reviewed our report and generally …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In response to the global spread of emerging infectious diseases and the threat of bioterrorism, high-containment biosafety laboratories (BSL)--specifically biosafety level (BSL)-3 and BSL-4--have been proliferating in the United States. These labs--classified by the type of agents used and the risk posed to personnel, the environment, and the community--often contain the most dangerous infectious disease agents, such as Ebola, smallpox, and avian influenza. This testimony addresses (1) the extent to which there has been a proliferation of BSL-3 and BSL-4 labs, (2) federal agencies' responsibility for tracking this proliferation and determining the associated risks, and (3) the lessons that can be learned from recent incidents at three high-containment biosafety labs. To address these objectives, GAO asked 12 federal agencies involved with high-containment labs about their missions and whether they tracked the number of labs overall. GAO also reviewed documents from these agencies, such as pertinent legislation, regulation, and guidance. Finally, GAO interviewed academic experts in microbiological research."

Document listing significant dates in the history of the Church and Synagogue Library Association, including when the membership passed certain landmarks, when individual chapters were granted tax-exempt status, and when anniversaries were celebrated, among other topics.

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Federal agencies face few tasks more critical than attracting, retaining, and motivating people. As our society has moved from the industrial age to the knowledge age, the success or failure of federal agencies can depend on having the right number of people with the right mix of knowledge and skills. This is especially true in the information technology (IT) area, where widespread shortfalls in human capital have undermined agency and program performance. This report discusses strategic human capital management as a high-risk area, summarizes agencies progress in addressing IT human capital needs, compares suggestions GAO made in earlier testimonies and those made in a recent report by the National Academy of Public Administration, and highlights important challenges to implementing IT human capital reform proposals."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This report focuses on the federal involvement in acquiring human fetal tissue for preclinical research. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officials reported that the National Institute for Health (NIH) is the only federal agency under the Senate Labor, HHS, and Education Subcommittee's jurisdiction that sponsors research using human fetal tissue. According a GAO survey, 12,116 human fetal tissue samples were acquired during fiscal years 1997 through 1999 for use in NIH-sponsored research. In fiscal year 1999, three fetal tissue suppliers received federal funding. For therapeutic transplantation research, the NIH Revitalization Act requires written statements by the donor, the physician who obtained the tissue, and the researcher receiving the tissue to ensure that the provisions of the law are met. It also requires that all applicable and local laws must be followed. The costs to acquire human fetal tissue were low. Principal investigators reported that quality of tissue and compliance with federal regulations were their primary criteria for choosing a human fetal tissue supplier."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Because the safety and economic security of the United States depend in substantial part on the security of its 361 seaports, the United States has a vital national interest in maritime security. The Security and Accountability for Every Port Act (SAFE Port Act), modified existing legislation and created and codified new programs related to maritime security. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its U.S Coast Guard, Transportation Security Agency, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have key maritime security responsibilities. This testimony synthesizes the results of GAO's completed work and preliminary observations from GAO's ongoing work pertaining to overall port security, security at individual facilities, and cargo container security. To perform this work GAO visited domestic and overseas ports; reviewed agency program documents, port security plans, and post-exercise reports; and interviewed officials from the federal, state, local, private, and international sectors."

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles E. Jones. With his father's consent, Jones joined the Marine Corps in Tennessee when he was 15 years old in 1940. When he finished training at Parris Island, South Carolina, he was assigned to the Fourth Defense Battalion at Guantanimo Bay, Cuba. In November, 1941, his unit was assigned to Wake Island. He was at Pearl Harbor en route to Wake Island when the Japanese struck Hawaii on 7 December 1941. Jones describes his activities during the battle. Shortly thereafter, Jones was sent to Efate, New Hebrides where his unit defended an airstrip from which the US was able to attack Guadalcanal. Jones retunred to the US and trained on 155mm artillery guns at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. While at Camp Lejeune, Jones was able to shake President Roosevelt's hand. Jones recalls a story about meeting his brother randomly on Guam. Jones was on Guam when the war ended. He mustered out of the Marines in November, 1945 and eventually reenlisted in the US Air Force. He served in the print shop at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Dale R. Walker. He joined the Marine Corps in 1944 and was trained in mortars at Camp Pendleton, California and then went on to Camp Tarawa at Hawaii for further training with the Fifth Marine Divison. Walker landed with the sixth wave on D-day at Iwo Jima. While working with mortars supporting the infantry, he was called on to be a stretcher bearer on occasion. Walker spent 36 days on Iwo Jima. After the Japanese surrendered, Walker served in the occupation of Japan.

Interview with Dale R. Walker of Kingsville, Texas, a United States Marine Corps veteran from World War Two. The interview includes Hill's memories about growing up as well as his personal experiences while in the Marines, including details from his involvement in the Iwo Jima attacks, 3rd Battalion, and the occupation of Nagasaki.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Douglas Canning. Canning was born in Wayne, Nebraska 4 July 1919. He attended Nebraska State Teachers College where he participated in the Civilian Pilot Training program. Graduating in 1940, he entered the Army Air Corps, training in various aircraft prior to being assigned to the 70th Fighter Squadron flying P-40 fighters. After gunnery training, the squadron boarded the USS President Monroe (AP-104) bound for Fiji. Upon arriving, the group was given instructions for flying P-39s. Canning was one of 14 pilots selected by Major John Mitchell to go to the 67th Squadron to Henderson Field from which he flew strafing and bombing missions. He tells of the primitive living conditions and the daily harassment by long-range Japanese Artillery and frequent bombardment by Japanese ships. On one occasion he flew divisionary tactics over a group of nine Japanese destroyers allowing accompanying TBF and SBD’s to attack and sink six of them. He witnessed the actions of a P-70 night fighter shooting down a Japanese bomber. Being selected as a member of Operation Vengeance, he tells of the detailed planning of the flight by Captain John Mitchell and the special …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Durwood Chester Kincheloe. Born in 1921, he chose to join the Army Air Force upon being drafted in 1943. After receiving air traffic controller training, he was transported to Kunming, China. He describes the trip on the USS Hermitage from Long Beach, California to Karachi, India by way of Australia; the train trip from Lahore, India to the province of Assam; and the flight to China on a B-24 bomber. He talks about his living conditions and Japanese air raids in China as well as his function as air traffic controller. He was discharged in December 1945. He shares anecdotes about the heat at Wichita Falls, Texas during his basic training; the rain and humidity in Assam; the insufficient number of oxygen masks on the B-24; and the Chinese method of runway repair and agricultural fertilization. He also describes life in the rural community of Burnet, Texas as well as his work as a planimeter operator with the Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS). The interview also includes information about his parents and siblings.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Gaylord Whitlock. Whitlock was born in Mount Vernon, Illinois on 1 July 1917. Upon graduating from high school in 1935, he entered university in Carbondale, Illinois and graduated in 1939. In 1943, he received a commission in the US Navy Naval Reserve and reported to the Naval Training School of Aerological Engineers at UCLA where he received a professional degree in meteorology. He was then ordered to attend the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in La Jolla, California. While there, he worked on a method of determining shoreline depths an island for military purposes. In October 1944 he was sent to Kodiak, Alaska as a reanalysis officer, where he drew weather maps every six hours. He recounts and episode where he and fifteen others were shipwrecked. Only six survivors were rescued by the Coast Guard. In July 1945, he was assigned to the Chemical Warfare Training Center at Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah. While at this base, he developed a medical condition which led to five months in the naval hospital at Sampson, New York. He was discharged following his release from the hospital.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with James McClanahan. McClanahan completed the Civilian Pilot Training program in the summer of 1940. He had received his wings and commission when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. He served with the Army Air Forces 35th Fighter Group. McClanahan primarily served in Fiji, Guadalcanal and New Caledonia, as a P-39 fighter pilot. He returned to the US and was discharged in September of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Leonard Frame and William Houseworth. Both Frame and Houseworth were P-39 pilots in the Pacific during the war. Houseworth completed the Flying Cadet program in November of 1940, and received his wings and commission in the Army Air Corps in July of 1941. He remained in the US during the war as a tactical instructor for the training program. He was discharged in late 1945, and later participated in the Korean War, retiring in January of 1955. He continued in the Reserves. Leonard Frame joined the Army Air Corps in March of 1941, and graduated from flight school in October. He was assigned to the 35th Fighter Group, and served in Fiji and Guadalcanal for 22 months. After several assignments within the US and the Caribbean, Frame was discharged in 1945. He served in the Air Force Reserve and retired in 1976.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert E. Mills. Mills joined the Marine Corps in 1939 and trained at Parris Island, South Carolina. After training, Mills was assigned to 4th Defense Battalion and sent to Cuba in 1940. Late in 1941, Mills was transferred out to Pealr Harbor and describes the Japanese attack. He manned a machine gun until he ran out of ammunition, then went aboard a small vessel and rescued folks from out of the harbor. Shortly thereafter, Mills was sent to the Solomon Islands where he discusses building an airstrip at Vella Lavella. Mills then speaks about getting communications established at Nagasaki after the war ended. He also shares an anecdote about assisting a chaplain with the baptism of several men on Iwo Jima. He also describes the time he was wounded by a Japanese shell.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Willard Norris. Norris joined the Army in 1942 and was eventually sent to the 42nd Infantry Division as a replacement. He discusses the rations and living conditions on the front lines in Belgium. Norris describes getting body lice and how he was treated. He discusses liberating Nordhausen concentration camp and the condition of the prisoners he encountered. Norris describes an encounter with a unit of Hitler Youth on his last day of combat. He was then sent to the 71st Infantry Division as a part of the occupation of Germany. Norris became a warrant officer and served in Korea. He retired from the Army several years later.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The development of competent and loyal government ministries is critical to stabilizing and rebuilding Iraq. The ministries are Iraq's largest employer, with an estimated 2.2 million government workers. U.S. efforts to build the capacity of Iraqi ministries include programs to advise and help Iraqi government employees develop the skills to plan programs, execute budgets, and effectively deliver services. The administration received $140 million in fiscal year 2007 to fund U.S. capacity-building efforts and requested an additional $255 million for fiscal year 2008. This testimony discusses (1) U.S. efforts to develop ministry capacity, (2) the key challenges to these efforts, and (3) the extent to which the U.S. government has an overall integrated strategy. This statement is based on GAO-08-117. To accomplish our report objectives, we reviewed reports from and interviewed officials of U.S. agencies, the Iraqi government, the United Nations, and the World Bank. We conducted fieldwork in Washington, D.C.; New York City; Baghdad, Iraq; and Amman, Jordan."