Happy Veteran’s Day 2008

Happy Veteran’s Day 2008. Most government workers are off today, which always makes it a bit odd to be working at a publication or radio station that covers… the government.

One of the things I’ve been proud of in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is that we, as a society, have evolved and learned from our mistakes. During the Vietnam War era, we treated our soldiers horribly. Some people got so caught up in their opposition to the war… that they forgot that the soldiers were doing what they were told to do — and, in the end, that is the only way we would want it. They perform with courage and they are doing the work that I would not want to do. So for that, I thank all of them.

So… some Veterans Day resources…

The Department of Veterans Affairs has a whole page dedicated to Veterans Day, as you might imagine… including the poster here, and ones from previous years.

Arlington National Cemetery has a Web site, including the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

You could visit the Vietnam War memorial… the Korean War memorial… the WW II memorial…

And the Census looks at Veterans by the numbers:

Veterans Day 2008: Nov. 11

Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation in 1954 to change the name to Veterans Day as a way to honor those who served in all American wars. The day has evolved into also honoring living military veterans with parades and speeches across the nation. A national ceremony takes place at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

23.6 million
The number of military veterans in the United States in 2007.
Source: Table 502, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009 Female Veterans

1.8 million
The number of female veterans in 2007.
Source: Source: Table 502, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009

16%
Percentage of Gulf War veterans in 2007 who were women.
Source: Table 503, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009 Race and Hispanic Origin

2.4 million
The number of black veterans in 2007. Additionally, 1.1 million veterans were Hispanic; 278,000 were Asian; 165,000 were American Indian or Alaska Native; 27,000 were Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; and 18.7 million were non-Hispanic white. (The numbers for blacks, Asians, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders, and non-Hispanic whites cover only those reporting a single race.)
Source: 2007 American Community Survey When They Served

9.3 million
The number of veterans 65 and older in 2007. At the other end of the age spectrum, 1.9 million were younger than 35.
Source: Table 503, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009

7.9 million
Number of Vietnam-era veterans in 2007. Thirty-three percent of all living veterans served during this time (1964-1975). In addition, 5 million served during the Gulf War (representing service from Aug. 2, 1990, to present); 2.9 million in World War II (1941-1945); 3 million in the Korean War (1950-1953); and 6.1 million in peacetime.
Source: Table 503, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009

358,000
In 2007, number of living veterans who served during both the Vietnam and Gulf War eras.

Other living veterans in 2007 who served during two or more wars:
315,000 served during both the Korean and Vietnam wars.
69,000 served during three periods: World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
263,000 served during World War II and the Korean War. Source: 2007 American Community Survey
Where They Live

More stats from the Census after the break.

CORRECTED: Microsoft Federal promotes Carlson

Editor’s note: This post was… well, it was not correct. (You know, you can point these things out, right?) I had heard about Teresa Carlson’s promotion, but I couldn’t find the information out there. When I did, it was a link to information dated October 2007. So technically it was accurate, just not accurate for the time. In fact, Carlson has been promoted to lead Microsoft Federal. You can read about that here.

In the interest of transparency, I have made clear the error, but I am not just deleting the post… particularly because the information about A Salute to the Troops is still accurate — and important. And I’ll post about the DorobekInsider’s correction policy this week. Frankly, I didn’t have a formal one, but… I will now.

Kudos to three of Microsoft federal’s senior management team, which I heard about late last week but which Government Executive’s Tech Insider blog reports managed to write up first.

Teresa Carlson was named general manager of U.S. Government Civilian Agencies and International Global Organizations, and Brian Roach general manager of the Federal Department of Defense group. And Suzanne Behrens, former director of public sector marketing, was named general manager of the company’s Business Marketing Organization, handling public sector communications.

Microsoft has a powerful federal team — a group of people who are passionate about helping the government accomplish it’s mission. Yes, they are also interested in helping Microsoft be successful, but…
I know Carlson and Behrens fairly well, and I have met Roach several times. Carlson was a powerful force in helping the government establish the Federal Core Desktop Configuration. (Read Microsoft’s info about the FCDC here.) That is a case where the FCDC may have helped Microsoft, but… it is also an important piece of securing agency PCs… and it is a key part of OMB’s cyber-security initiative. She did not win a Fed 100 award for her efforts — Shelly Bird, chief architect at Microsoft Consulting Services did, and, from what I have heard, deservedly so. But I have also had insiders tell me that this initiative never would have come to fruition without Carlson’s energy and efforts.

I think FCDC is an example where both government and industry can work together. It doesn’t always work out that ways, does it?

I didn’t get a copy of the press release — in fact, I don’t see it posted anywhere — but… GovExec has it, so… I’m passing it along…

FOR RELEASEOctober 3, 2007

Microsoft Advances Three Leaders in its U.S. Public Sector Division

Behrens, Carlson, Roach Each Promoted to General Manager Positions

WASHINGTON, D.C. — October 3, 2007 — Microsoft Corporation has promoted three leaders of its U.S. Public Sector organization. The company named Suzanne Behrens , General Manager of its Business Marketing Organization; Teresa Carlson, General Manager of U.S. Government Civilian Agencies and International Global Organizations; and Brian Roach, General Manager for the Federal Department of Defense group.

Behrens served as director of the government division and most recently public sector marketing. As General Manager she will oversee Microsoft’s public sector marketing and communications efforts, breadth sales, as well as the organization’s citizenship efforts. She leads a team of professionals responsible for developing programs designed to identify business opportunities and facilitate Microsoft’s thought leadership across the public sector, including government and education. She joined Microsoft in 1996.

Carlson, who had served as U.S. director for strategy and operations, now leads the U.S. Government Civilian Agencies and International Global Organizations within the federal division and is responsible for defining the strategy and overseeing the execution of sales, customer satisfaction and performance of these business units. Carlson joined Microsoft in 2002. Roach, who had served as the Manager of Microsoft’s Federal Healthcare organization, now leads the U.S. Federal Department of Defense business unit and is responsible for defining the strategy and overseeing the execution of sales within the services, combatant commands, and Defense Agencies. Roach joined Microsoft in 1999.

Curt Kolcun, Vice President of Microsoft Federal, is the over all leader of the team. Last year, Federal Computer Week honored Kolcun with a Fed 100 award for his impassioned work helping veterans and USO. Kolcun spearheaded a remarkable event in New York — A Salute To Our Troops — held at Radio City Music Hall. I mention it because they are holding the second annual salute again in November.

Read more about the salute after the break.