An injured soldier has a new future... in pizza!

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2007 - A U.S. veteran who lost both legs in 2004 when a roadside bomb exploded in Iraq will begin a new career because his indomitable spirit moved a total stranger to give back to those who have served their country.

Army Staff Sgt. Robbie Doughty and Michael Ilitch, the founder of Little Caesars Pizza, one of nation's largest pizza chains, proudly stood side by side for the grand opening of the veteran's new pizza store in Paducah, Ky., yesterday.

Doughty, 31, was honorably discharged from the Army in July 2004 and began a long road to recovery facing an uncertain future with his young family. As he endured months of rehabilitation, he never gave up hope, never lost his courageous spirit and learned to walk again, he said.

Ilitch who, along with Little Caesars Pizza, owns Major League Baseball's world champion Detroit Tigers and the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings, read about Doughty in a Nov. 23, 2004, USA Today article.

Ilitch was so moved by Doughty's courage and determination that he called the Kentucky veteran to thank him for serving the country. After many conversations, Ilitch offered Doughty an opportunity to open his own Little Caesars Pizza franchise in his hometown of Paducah.

"Doughty stood strong for our country. I was so impressed by his courage, commitment and upbeat attitude in the face of adversity, that I wanted to do something," Ilitch said. "Offering him a new career path in his hometown seemed like a good transition. Doughty's 'can-do' attitude will make him a strong Little Caesars franchisee."

Doughty accepted Ilitch's offer and followed his suggestion to find a business partner. His choice was fellow veteran Lloyd Allard, who served with Doughty in the 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, in a dangerous area in Iraq. "

After a career in the military, I was open to a new venture," Doughty said. "Our military background and familiarity with systems, processes and a teamwork management style make the Little Caesars franchise a good fit.

"Opening a business and becoming an entrepreneur will definitely be an exciting new chapter in my life for my family and me," he said.

"From day one, Doughty was ready for his next challenge," Allard said. "With our leadership skills and Little Caesars' training and ongoing support system, we look forward to becoming strong franchisees and sharing our experience with other veterans."

Their story also prompted Ilitch to launch a new, innovative franchise program to provide qualified, honorably discharged veterans with a business opportunity when they transition to civilian life or seek a career change. The program provides a benefit of $10,000 for qualified veterans and up to $68,000 in benefits for service-disabled veterans. "

Doughty and Allard inspired me with a vision: to develop a program to create career opportunities for military veterans," Ilitch said. "I believe that it's important for Little Caesars and corporate America to thank the men and women who have served in the armed forces and this program offers an exceptional opportunity for veterans who are seeking new career options."

(From a Little Caesars Pizza news release.)

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Veterans of our military should go to the Little Caesars Pizza site for more information on how to start up a new career. http://www.littlecaesars.com/

Iraq is "Winnable"

By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2007 - While the situation in Iraq is challenging, it is "winnable," U.S. Navy Rear Adml. Mark Fox told a group of online journalists and bloggers yesterday during an operational update by telephone.

Fox, who has flown combat and contingency missions over Iraq in Operations Desert Storm, Southern Watch and Iraqi Freedom, is now communications director for Multi-National Force, Iraq.

"Sectarian violence is now the gravest threat to our strategic objectives in Iraq, and to be honest, Iraq is a more complex strategic problem entering 2007 than it was this time last year," he said. However, he noted, he's seen cause to believe the struggle is winnable.

"I draw hope from the fact that we are joined, not opposed, by the overwhelming majority of the Iraqi people in this struggle," Fox said. "In polling conducted in November, 89 percent of Iraqis nationwide agreed with the statement: 'My first loyalty is to my country rather than my sect, ethnic group, or tribe.'"

Fox said he's pleased to be "working in partnership with the liberated people of Iraq as they work to build a stable, secure, and self-governing country." The fact that more Iraqis are joining police forces is cause for optimism, he said.

In December, 1,115 Iraqi men signed up to join the Police Forces. "To put this in context," Fox said, "eight months ago we had zero recruits from Ramadi. In one month, over 600 tribesmen in Ramadi alone qualified for enlistment."

In December, he added, Multinational Force officials restored responsibility for security in Najaf Province to Provincial Iraqi Control.

"Last week, Iraqi forces in Najaf detected and assessed a significant security threat, realized they were outnumbered and facing an entrenched enemy, and did exactly what American forces are trained to do in that tactical situation: call for airpower," he said. "In the end, we killed 262 anti-Iraqi forces, and captured 411. We also recovered 11 mortar systems and enough heavy machine guns to show this was not a group of pilgrims."

Fox attended a city council meeting in Fallujah that he described as raucous and disorganized. He said council members had some significant points of contention. "But it demonstrated even if the Iraqis are not at the levels of Jeffersonian democracy yet, they are eager to find solutions to their problems."

The Iraqi economy is also showing positive signs, Fox said.

"Each time I travel outside the International Zone, I'm amazed that virtually every house in Baghdad has a satellite dish on the roof," he said. "While everybody focuses on the violence in Baghdad, rural Iraq has experienced a post-Saddam boom that is employing and putting cash in the pockets of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi families."

Fox cautioned, however, that it's important to have realistic expectations about short-term progress.

"First, it will take some time for the effects of the additional troops being deployed to take hold," he said. "Second, although (U.S. Army Lt. Gen. David) Petraeus brings unparalleled experience and wisdom to this fight, Iraq's problems are systemic, and will not be turned around immediately in February and March."

Fox went on to highlight what he called "one of the most important intangibles" that doesn't make it through the mainstream media filter: "the sense of mission, and the morale of the people who are serving here.

"It's not every day that you have the opportunity to leave your fingerprints on great work," Fox said. "And this is one of those times where everybody that's here understands what an incredibly important mission we're engaged in.

"We're also focused on this mission to the point where we understand the vast majority of the American people support everything about the military," he continued. "And the people who disagree with the nature of the political decisions that brought us here, we still appreciate the fact that those people also support the military."

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