http://www.GeminiForces.co.uk/ en-gb Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:27:58 GMT http://www.GeminiForces.co.uk/News/September-2010/Major-event-for-exmilitary-personnel-to-tackle-CV-bloopers.aspx http://www.GeminiForces.co.uk/News/September-2010/Major-event-for-exmilitary-personnel-to-tackle-CV-bloopers.aspx Wed, 08 Sep 2010 10:43:06 GMT Failure to recognise unique selling points and complex formats have emerged among the top five CV bloopers made by ex-military personnel returning to civilian life, according to industry experts. The mistakes highlighted in a poll by specialist recruitment company Gemini Forces will come under the spotlight at a major event to help ex-Services personnel find work when they return to ‘civvy street’. Gemini Forces and Drivers Direct, working together as the British Forces Resettlement Services (BFRS), is staging its event at Aldershot on September 16. It is aimed at helping past, present and future service leavers and their family members access a range of support organisations and find meaningful employment. It will also include practical help in areas such as CV writing. The top five mistakes identified by Gemini Forces are: ·Use of complex document formatting. This can make a CV look messy and complicated. ·Inability to back up claims about career. An exaggeration of skills and experience, or even downright fabrication is asking for trouble later. ·Using more than two pages. Most people should be able sum up their career in less than 2 A4 sheets. ·Failure to understand their unique selling point (USP). Job candidates need to demonstrate they have something different or special to offer, and many fail to highlight what they have that gives them the edge. ·Overuse of abbreviations and technical jargon. This can be very offputting for civilian managers who would rather know about what transferrable skills an ex-military employee can offer. Harry Dean, Gemini Forces director who served in the Army for 30 years, said: “Making the move from military life back into civilian life can be an enormously daunting prospect for many and having a first-class CV is vital in taking those first steps back into the civilian workplace. “Our poll has highlighted the fundamental errors that many people make which can often be the difference between getting and not getting the job. The event we are staging on September 16 is aimed at helping ex-Forces or soon-to-be ex-Forces personnel address those issues and put them in a stronger position to market themselves in the civilian world of work.” Gemini Forces specialises in helping ex-Services personnel find employment when they return to civilian life. It has helped countless ex-Services personnel make the seamless transition to civilian life, finding employment in an array of industry sectors including Health & Safety, environmental, aviation, facilities management, project management and defence consultancy sectors. The event on September 16 follows the astounding success of a groundbreaking networking event also hosted by BFRS at Aldershot last year. Mr Dean added: “Last year’s event at Aldershot was a major success and we are looking forward to making this year’s event bigger and better. Attendees and exhibitors found the last event mutually beneficial and we are delighted to be staging another event to help potential service leavers identify their future options.” http://www.GeminiForces.co.uk/News/September-2010/Jobs-market-faces-military-stampede.aspx http://www.GeminiForces.co.uk/News/September-2010/Jobs-market-faces-military-stampede.aspx Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:58:30 GMT EXPERTS at a specialist company that helps ex-military personnel back into civilian life are bracing themselves for a major business offensive. Leicester-based Gemini Forces is anticipating a surge in the numbers of military personnel leaving the Forces and entering the civilian jobs market. It has come amid reports that several British Army regiments could be facing the axe over defence funding. Gemini Forces specialises in helping ex-Services personnel find employment when they return to civilian life. It has helped countless ex-Services personnel make the seamless transition to civilian life, finding employment in an array of industry sectors including Health & Safety, environmental, aviation, facilities management, project management and defence consultancy sectors. Harry Dean, Gemini Forces director who served in the Army for 30 years, said: “Reports have suggested that several regiments could pay the price when the comprehensive spending review is announced in October. This could potentially lead to a huge influx of ex-military personnel looking for jobs in the civilian market which is where Gemini Forces’ expertise can help make that transition as smooth as possible.” The company is already making preparations with Drivers Direct, working together as the British Forces Resettlement Services (BFRS), by staging a major event at Aldershot on September 16. It is aimed at helping past, present and future service leavers and their family members access a range of support organisations and find meaningful employment. It will also include practical help in areas such as CV writing. The BFRS staged its inaugural event in March this year which proved to be a great success and organisers are expecting the September event to prove even more popular. Mr Dean added: “The last BFRS event was a resounding success, giving service leavers and their families a forum to meet recruiters specifically looking for their skill sets and experiences. With the comprehensive spending review on the horizon the next event couldn’t be more timely, with many Forces personnel facing an uncertain future. “Our aim is to help potential service leavers identify their future options and make them aware of the training packages they are entitled to when leaving. All of this is done in an informal environment which will benefit both attendees and exhibitors alike.” -ENDS- http://www.GeminiForces.co.uk/News/August-2010/Upgraded-surveillance-aircraft-arrive-in-Afghanistan.aspx http://www.GeminiForces.co.uk/News/August-2010/Upgraded-surveillance-aircraft-arrive-in-Afghanistan.aspx Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:44:43 GMT Upgraded Desert Hawks - hand-launched, remote-controlled surveillance aircraft which can record video footage day and night, sending it directly to troops on the ground - arrived in Afghanistan this weekend. The latest version of the Desert Hawk has been bought as part of a £3m Urgent Operational Requirement to provide a further boost to the surveillance capability on the front line. The Desert Hawk's cameras have been upgraded, giving a huge improvement to image clarity and stability. It also has a new wing design, which improves its performance in the hot and high conditions of Afghanistan. The aircraft is just 91cm long, with a wingspan of 137cm, but it can fly for 90 minutes with a range of nine miles (14km). Desert Hawk is operated in Afghanistan by 47 Regiment Royal Artillery. It is light and easily transportable by patrols, weighing about 3.7kg. It can be dispatched in ten minutes and is virtually undetectable once it is in the air. Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, Peter Luff, said: "Continuing to support this capability demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that troops on the front line get the cutting-edge equipment to help them in the fight against the insurgents.The improved Desert Hawk is a remarkable piece of kit. It provides a detailed picture of what is happening on the ground for our troops, giving them an operational advantage and keeping them safer." Staff Sergeant Dan Gardner from 47 Regiment Royal Artillery, who recently used Desert Hawk on operations in Afghanistan, said: "Desert Hawk provides an eye in the sky that has become indispensable to troops on the ground in Afghanistan. The fact that it is hand-launched and lightweight means we get a very quick and thorough appraisal of the tactical situations faced on operations. It is used in a variety of roles, including reconnaissance and surveillance of troops and patrols, and it provides valuable situational awareness to commanders of troops in contact with the enemy." Duncan Robbins, programme manager for mini-unmanned air vehicle systems at the MOD's Defence Equipment & Support organisation, said: "Recent technology advances have resulted in front line troops getting crystal-clear imagery from the cameras now being introduced. "General improvements in Desert Hawk 3 introduced by Lockheed Martin allow it to operate more effectively in difficult conditions and provide our soldiers with greater situational awareness in a timely manner. "These air vehicles are essential in delivering highly flexible and responsive intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance [ISTAR] to soldiers on the front line." Desert Hawk is one part of the range of ISTAR assets that are operated by the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Army to support our forces in Afghanistan. For more Information please visit: http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/EquipmentAndLogistics/UpgradedSurveillanceAircraftArriveInAfghanistan.htm http://www.GeminiForces.co.uk/News/August-2010/More-firms-join-Lockheed-for-contract-bid.aspx http://www.GeminiForces.co.uk/News/August-2010/More-firms-join-Lockheed-for-contract-bid.aspx Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:23:34 GMT More companies have joined Lockheed Martin for a planned bid for the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense Development and Sustainment Contract. Final bids for the award from the U.S. Missile Defense Agency contract will be called for this year. The contract winner will be announced in 2011. The contract covers development, manufacturing, testing, training, operations support and sustainment support for the ground-based element of the U.S. missile defense shield to protect the country from attack by intermediate and long-range ballistic missiles. Lockheed said its new Huntsville-based partners are Dynetics Inc., QuantiTech Inc., ARES Corp., CohesionForce Inc., IroquoiSystems Inc., ATK Aerospace Systems, Bechtel National Inc., Harris Corp., Imprimis Inc., Oregon Iron Works Inc., and TDX Power Inc. Expertise provided by the companies range from cyber support training and systems engineering to missile field power supply. "These companies form a best-of-industry team that provides unmatched credentials for this critical missile defense contract," said Mathew J. Joyce, GMD vice president and program manager, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. "Each partner company brings the technical know-how, domain expertise and mission understanding needed for the development and sustainment of this key strategic asset. "The composition of our team also reflects the key role of Alabama in this element of the nation's Ballistic Missile Defense System. As prime contractor and systems integrator, Lockheed Martin's program office will be headquartered in Huntsville, and we will have operations at each GMD site, aided by our partners to assure customer responsiveness and efficiency." Lockheed said that in addition to Huntsville, work would be performed at Fort Greely, Alaska; Eareckson Air Station, Alaska; Schriever Air Force Base, Colo.; and Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Raytheon, Alaska Aerospace Corp. and NANA Development Corp. had joined the Lockheed team earlier. http://www.GeminiForces.co.uk/News/August-2010/FIVE-YEARS-ON-CIVVY-STREET-MAGAZINE-IS-POSITIVE-ABOUT-VETERANS-FUTURES.aspx http://www.GeminiForces.co.uk/News/August-2010/FIVE-YEARS-ON-CIVVY-STREET-MAGAZINE-IS-POSITIVE-ABOUT-VETERANS-FUTURES.aspx Fri, 13 Aug 2010 10:55:24 GMT Acclaimed military-to-civilian-life publication Civvy Street magazine has marked its fifth anniversary with a new summer issue. Editor Paul Cockburn said: “As its name suggests Civvy Street magazine is about the civilian world, as seen from a military perspective. But we’re not just a dry careers magazine; our features are based, whenever possible, on the experiences and understanding of military people who are now succeeding in civilian life. We’re about showing – in an entertaining and engaging way – what Services personnel are capable of achieving after they officially leave the Services. “This includes our approach to career and training information; though we include concise information on a wide range of career and training opportunities, it is grounded on the experiences of Service leavers and the wider military community.” For example, the Summer 2010 issues speaks to several Service leavers who have invaluable experience of working in HR and teaching. Also, in recognition that a significant number of Service leavers are now women, the issue shows how many women are establishing successful businesses – on their own, or with partners – through franchising. A focus on the work of RFEA also underlines the career support available to all Service leavers throughout their civilian careers. “We never forget that we’re dealing with people, and the necessary ‘translation’ Services personnel must make to thrive in a civilian world,” Paul Cockburn added. “That’s why Civvy Street magazine regularly include expert advice on personal and family relationships, sorting out finances plus the ‘ins and outs’ of settling down somewhere new in the world. “Our readers form a unique pool of talent for civilian employers and organisations, but they are returning – often after many years – to a civilian world that’s often ignorant about the everyday realities of military life. Through its online and printed incarnations, I see our role as helping Service leavers successfully ‘translate’ themselves into a civilian context – without losing themselves in the process.” http://www.GeminiForces.co.uk/News/August-2010/BOMBARDIER-is-seeking-up-to-400-additional-temporary-staff.aspx http://www.GeminiForces.co.uk/News/August-2010/BOMBARDIER-is-seeking-up-to-400-additional-temporary-staff.aspx Fri, 13 Aug 2010 09:51:13 GMT BOMBARDIER is seeking up to 400 additional temporary staff for its train-building plant in Derby, but the company is warning that the present demand could be shortlived. The Litchurch Lane site is the last traditional train-building plant in the British Isles, and has benefited in recent times from a surge in orders, both for National Rail and also for Transport for London, which is renewing several key Underground fleets. The first air-conditioned subsurface Underground train has just entered service on the Metropolitan Line, and it will be followed by about 190 more from the Derby works. When the order for S-stock is complete, the entire Underground subsurface fleet will have been replaced, allowing A-stock, C-stock and D-Stock to be retired. Bombardier has also been building a replacement fleet for the Victoria Line, to replace trains built in the late 1960s, and Class 172s for TfL's only non-electric London Overground line, between Gospel Oak and Barking. For National Rail, the company is currently supplying Electrostars for National Express East Anglia. But further ahead, the outlook is uncertain. A decision about a major new fleet for Thameslink has been put on hold, and other potential orders have also been suspended until at least after the government's autumn spending review. Neil Harvey of Bombardier said: ""We have a spike in our activity, with three to four contracts all reaching their busiest periods. "But it must be emphasised that these are temporary positions. Once these contracts have ended, we need more work." http://www.GeminiForces.co.uk/News/August-2010/UK-Armed-Forces-score-highly-at-parachuting-championships.aspx http://www.GeminiForces.co.uk/News/August-2010/UK-Armed-Forces-score-highly-at-parachuting-championships.aspx Wed, 04 Aug 2010 08:55:41 GMT Members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces have won all the major events at the British National Canopy Piloting Championships held in Germany in July. Maj Alastair McCartney won the championships, held at the Joint Services Parachute Centre, from the RLC, who has now secured a place at the World Championships in Russia this month. In addition to winning the overall championships Maj McCartney also won the accuracy category and came second in the speed section. LCpl Sean Sutcliffe came second overall, finishing runner up in the distance section and third in accuracy, while Sgt Wez Westley won the speed and distance events. WO1 Spencer Hogg came third in the distance section and Cpl Stu Storey, who is based at the Joint Services Parachute Centre, was declared the British Forces Germany Champion. They have all been selected to represent Britain at the World Championships. (7 Forces personnel took part in the championships.) The National Championships are open to both military personnel and civilians and are held in Germany because of the centre's world-class facilities that include one of the best parachute landing ponds in Europe. The championships, in which competitors jump from a height of 5,000 feet (1,500m), consist of three dangerous and complex categories: 'speed', in which parachutists nose dive towards the Earth at speeds approaching 100mph (160km/h) before pulling up to glide through a short course as fast as they can; 'distance', in which competitors navigate a course for as far as possible; and 'accuracy', which includes complex manoeuvres, skimming the surface of a pond and a precision landing. Maj McCartney, who earlier this year was part of a team of soldiers mistaken for UFOs by locals while doing a winged suit jump in the skies over Sennelager, took up parachuting at the age of 16, following in the wake of his parents who are both keen parachutists. He said: "It's an amazing sport - just like running a 100-metre sprint; you have to be athletic in what you are doing. "I'm delighted to have won. It's pretty exhilarating and a lot of fun to jump out of a plane and twist your parachute so you come down as fast as possible. It sounds crazy and dangerous but there is a lot of risk management, we prepare well." Maj McCartney, who has already served in both Iraq and Afghanistan since commissioning in 1996 and is currently learning Pashto for a return to Afghanistan, added: "Parachuting is a fantastic sport with high pressure where you have to make instant judgements in extreme circumstances. In this sense it is good preparation for army life as soldiers are often put in intense situations when they deploy." Parachuting is one of the most popular adventurous training sports for Armed Forces personnel. It provides a good opportunity to hone important adventurous training skills, enhancing an individual's ability to withstand the rigours of operations and rapid deployments. Maj Sebastian Muntz, Officer Commanding the Joint Services Parachute Centre, said: "The closest thing to jumping out of an armed vehicle into a combat zone is jumping out of a plane with a parachute on your back. It's an intense and high pressure sport and is an extremely useful character-building exercise for soldiers. "It can be a dangerous sport which is why every competitor has to do at least 1,000 jumps before being allowed to take part in the competition; you have to be confident in yourself as a parachutist and be able to put on a good show. But it's not all about competing - we would urge anyone who wants to really challenge themselves and likes adventurous training to do a parachuting course." http://www.GeminiForces.co.uk/News/July-2010/Army-marksmen-hit-top-spot-in-contest.aspx http://www.GeminiForces.co.uk/News/July-2010/Army-marksmen-hit-top-spot-in-contest.aspx Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:55:33 GMT A team of sharpshooters has been named among the top 100 marksmen in the Army. The eight-man team from 16th Regiment Royal Artillery, based at RAF North Luffenham, in Rutland, took part in a four-day competition this month. During the contest at the National Shooting Centre, in Bisley, Surrey, team members collected five trophies. The Roupell Cup was won by Gunner Sam Gowin, while the team took the Parachute Regiment Cup. More than 240 Army crackshots competed. Staff Sergeant Colin Sutcliffe coached and managed the team and was among the competitors from North Luffenham. He said: "The whole competition is fast and furious. "It simulates life on the battlefield. It is all about marksmanship, but you have also to be able to perform and execute those skills under simulated battle stress. "I have competed in the Army 100 for six years. "With the teams I have coached before we have never managed to come away with a trophy and this year we got five. " It was a great result." For more information please visit: http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/news/Army-marksmen-hit-spot-contest/article-2446730-detail/article.html http://www.GeminiForces.co.uk/News/July-2010/Marching-back-to-civvy-street.aspx http://www.GeminiForces.co.uk/News/July-2010/Marching-back-to-civvy-street.aspx Sun, 18 Jul 2010 13:17:34 GMT For the estimated 45,000 personnel due to leave the armed forces later this year, returning to civilian jobs could be one of the toughest battles they will face, says Lisa Bachelor (The Guardian) Chris Green has seen plenty of action during his 25-year service with the British army. Working in telecommunications, the 41-year-old has been involved on the front line in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Northern Ireland, to name just a few. In May, life took a fresh turn for him. He returned to the UK and started a new job and a new life based at the Ministry of Defence college in Shrivenham teaching IT applications to soldiers who are about to head out to Afghanistan. "After 25 years with only one job interview [for the Army] under my belt at the age of 16, it was quite daunting to be interviewed for the position," he says. However, despite his fears Green secured the job before he had even left active service. He is pleased to have secured paid work so quickly, and in a role with which he is so familiar, but he knows he is one of the lucky ones. According to some reports, 45,000 personnel will be leaving the armed forces later this year, putting major pressure both on those trying to find a job, and on the battered UK jobs market to provide them with employment. "Forty-five thousand forces personnel leaving the services is incredibly worrying, especially at a time when the economy remains in such a fragile state and the jobs market is becoming increasingly saturated," says Gethin Roberts, director of the British Forces Resettlement Services (BFRS), which was recently set up to help army personnel move from active service to the civilian jobs market. "Figures have highlighted that 25,000 are leaving through 'natural wastage' while 20,000 will be flooding the civilian jobs market due to major military cuts," Roberts says. The task of securing a job for someone fresh out of the Army, RAF or Navy can be arduous and daunting. Many soldiers and other military personnel will, like Green, not have had a job interview since joining the forces as teenagers and may never have written a CV. Colonel Richard Kemp, former senior British army officer and bestselling author, speaking at the first BFRS jobs fair in March, said: "In my experience, most former service people tend to very much undersell themselves. It is really important that they recognise the impressive range of skills and experience they have acquired in their military service so they can market themselves to employers." Harry Dean, who runs recruitment agency Gemini Forces, which provides help, advice and a placement service to both service leavers and former service personnel, recalls the case of a sergeant from the military police who came to see him with a CV that focused on his experiences as a police officer. "I helped him instead to identify the managerial skills he had used in that role and showed him how, in many ways, he had been working as a facilities manager. In other words, his skills could easily be translated into the civilian workplace," Dean says. "He had also had to manage 120 people, but he didn't even think of putting that on his CV." But it is not just practical skills that can make ex-military servicemen and women good employees, it is their personal qualities. And these need to be emphasised. "There are qualities such as dedication, loyalty, commitment and impeccable time management that can make these men and women stand out," Dean says. Even if a CV is successfully adapted and accepted by a civilian employer, the job interview can prove equally, if not more, problematic for many returning armed forces personnel. Dean points out that people do things automatically in the military and are used to following orders, so they can often come across as lacking confidence in an interview situation when they are suddenly faced with selling their skills. Green agrees. "I used to have to stand up in front of people to do presentations as part of my job, so I am relatively confident," he says. "But even I found it strange to be doing a job interview again." Thankfully, anyone faced with the prospect of leaving the forces for civilian life is not left to their own devices when it comes to finding a job. The CTP provides career guidance, vocational training and employment support through 10 regional resettlement centres – nine in the UK and one in Germany. Everyone leaving the services is entitled to a standard £534 retraining grant, though more money (into the thousands) is available for some longer serving military personnel. Non-government affiliated agencies such as Gemini Forces have sprung up over the years to complement the CTP service, while the White Ensign Association (WEA), a charity founded in 1958, caters specifically for returning Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel. Keith Ridland, chief executive of the WEA, agrees: "Ultimately, during a time of recession, if somebody comes out of the armed forces and is going for a job against someone who is from the sector that job is in, the employer obviously sees less risk in going for that other person. That is the principal problem all these returning armed forces personnel are going to have to fight against." A study published earlier this week should help their case. The study, carried out for the MoD and endorsed by the Chartered Management Institute, concludes that reservists deployed to Afghanistan gain up to £18,432 of relevant civvy street experience. It says that officers, who make up 14% of all reservists, gained the most valuable experience during a typical nine-month campaign, with warrant officers picking up training worth £14,682 and corporals clocking up £8,307 of relevant experience. It also estimated that in a typical year a reservist gains skills and experience from military training that would cost an average of £8,327 a year for their civilian employers to buy. Meanwhile, recruitment agencies are working overtime to build up more relationships with a wider variety of employers, as the long-established relationships have already proved so fruitful. Employers actively recruiting from the military include Siemens, E.ON, British Gas, Sellafield and Amec, plus BT, BAE Systems, Associated British Ports and Rolls-Royce through the WEA. Both Ridland and Dean think that some of the most marketable ex-army and navy personnel are those with a technical background. Gemini Forces works with a company called Venatrack, which supplies the technology for video analysis in sporting events such as Premier League football matches. The company has just recruited seven ex-military personnel including 32-year-old Kris McEvoy, a former Royal Engineer with the signals section of the British army. He finished serving in November last year. "I wasn't impressed by the standard of some recruitment agencies as they would contact me about jobs, put my name forward but then never get back to me," he says. "My first job was with the army and 12 years down the line trying to find work when you have been out of the market for that long is quite a task." He went on the CTP workshop but says he didn't find it very useful, but then found that he did need some unexpected help with his CV. "I put down my key achievements, some of which I thought had a real wow factor," he says. "But Gemini took one look at it and advised me to take them out and put in other things. They put my IT skills high up on my CV and also highlighted health and safety and NVQ qualifications I had never even though of including and drew attention to army skills, such as leadership," he says. His advice to other people about to find themselves in his position is to think hard about what they have learned in the army outside of the obvious, and to draw on those skills. "One thing you learn in the army, for example, is when to keep your mouth shut and when it's OK to speak up," he says. "You develop a lot of common sense in the army and it is easy for soldiers to forget just how valuable this can be." (Adapted with courtesy & thanks from The Guardian) http://www.GeminiForces.co.uk/News/July-2010/General-Richards-to-take-over-as-Chief-of-the-Defence-Staff.aspx http://www.GeminiForces.co.uk/News/July-2010/General-Richards-to-take-over-as-Chief-of-the-Defence-Staff.aspx Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:09:02 GMT General Sir David Richards will take over from Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup as the next Chief of the Defence Staff. General Sir David Richards KCB CBE DSO ADC Gen currently serving as the Chief of the General Staff will take up the post of Chief of the Defence Staff in October 2010. The appointment has been approved by Her Majesty The Queen. Gen Richards is one of the UK's most experienced military figures in terms of operational command. He saw service in the Far East and Germany, and commanded in East Timor and Sierra Leone, as well as completing three tours of Northern Ireland. He made his name in 2002 as commander of a British-led force which was sent to evacuate Britons and other foreigners from Sierra Leone during a violent civil war. He went beyond his mandate to successfully take on the rebels in what became seen as a textbook campaign. Describing himself as "a seat-of-the-pants soldier," Gen Richards is widely respected by soldiers, journalists, aid workers and others as an excellent communicator, as well as a risk-taker. He will come to the post at a tough time for defence and for the mission in Afghanistan. The Ministry of Defence will not be protected from far-reaching cuts, which could even see the size of the British army slashed by almost 25%, bringing its fighting strength down from around 100,000 to just 75,000. All three services are expected to suffer, with the Treasury suggesting current defence expenditure must be cut by a third of its present level within three years. Dealing with those deep cuts - while ensuring that Britain's armed forces remain world-class - will be one of the first challenges the new Chief of the Defence Staff will have to face. Gen Richards already has wide support within the Army for his clear articulation of the current strategic choices facing allied forces in Afghanistan and elsewhere.