Dear Interested Reader,
U.S. AF instructors put together Warrior Week Block for Iraqi airmen. Iraqi business center opens in Balad. IA and their Coalition partners participate in 1st logistics conference. CF provide relief for worst drought in 100 years. Red Horse welcomes new leadership at change of command ceremony. U.S. soldiers in a show of friendship, host Eid Al Fitr Festival.
Joanna
______________________________
Oct. 9, 2008
Multi-National Corps - Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342
U.S. Air Force Instructors Build Tactical Course for Iraqi Airmen
By Senior Master Sgt. Trish Freeland
An Iraqi Air Force warrant officer shows his excitement after low crawling under barbed wire during his run, Sept. 27, 2008.
Photo by Staff Sgt. Paul Villanueva II
AL TAJI AIR BASE — When Military Training Instructors (MTIs) saw an unmet need in the Iraqi Air Force Basic Military Training (BMT) Program, they did what all good Airmen do. They found a way to fill the need.
For Staff Sgt. Matthew Coltrin and Tech. Sgt. Chris Ramsdell, MTIs deployed from the 322nd Training Sqdrn, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, no BMT course is complete without a Warrior Week block. The 2 men are air advisors assigned to the Coalition AF Transition Team where they advise Iraqi AF Basic MTIs.
The goal of a tactical course is to help trainees learn basic movements with a weapon while in combat conditions. The duo wanted to build a Lackland style obstacle course but knew they’d be limited by the resources available.
“We knew we could not come up with money for bringing materials in from all over the place so we improvised,” said Ramsdell. “We looked in junk yards and trash piles and found tires along the way.” Sandbags were in big supply all around the base and local construction companies donated wood and other equipment.
Ramsdell and Coltrin had a lot of help from their BMT teammates, but especially Tech Sgt. Brent Warren, who performed a huge chunk of the manual labor. “I was very excited when I first heard of the prospect of building an obstacle course,” said Warren. “Plus, just to be outside building stuff from scratch, I thought would be a lot of fun.” It took about 12 hours a day of physical labor over a 2-week period to build the various obstacles. “We slowly built each obstacle on our own time when we weren’t dealing with the trainees,” said Coltrin. “We would stay late and build an obstacle here, build an obstacle there ,and then come back later and make improvements.”
As the trainees watched the course slowly become a reality, they began querying the advisors. “When we told them they’d be the first class to go through the course, they jumped down to the ground and started high crawling on it because they were so excited,” Coltrin said. Warren and Coltrin ran the course first to show the Iraqi instructors and the trainees how it should be done. “Sgt. Coltrin and I were pretty tired after running it, so we knew it would be a challenge for them,” said Warren. “It was tough but they were up for it.”
“The first time they went through the course, they were pretty pumped and excited,” said Ramsdell. “That’s all the feedback we really needed.”
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Iraqi business center opens in Balad
JOINT BASE BALAD - Iraqi govt and business leaders joined CF officials Oct. 7 to celebrate the opening of the Iraqi-based Industrial Zone Host Nation Business Center, near Joint Base Balad, a strategic logistical hub in Iraq.
The business center will help local business owners to receive coalition contracts to provide services and materials to CF. Coalition officials point to strategic security gains made by the GOI and SF as a primary factor in enabling Iraqis and CF to collaborate on the initiative.
Gov. of Salah a Din Province, Hamad Shekti, and other local Iraqi leaders and CF make it official during ribbon cutting ceremony.
(Army photo by Spc. Charlotte Martinez)
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IA, Soldiers participate in logistics conference
BAGHDAD - IA logisticians and their Coalition partners gathered Oct. 8 in the first 5th IA logistics conference here in Kirkush.
The conference helped standardize procedures and training for vehicle repair and class IX for the IA's supply system, including repair parts and components.
U.S. sustainment leaders Brig. Gen Michael Lally, cmdr. of the Fort Knox based 3rd Sus. Command (Expeditionary) and Col Katleen O' Brien, cmdr. of Fort Belvoir's 55th Sus. Bde partnered in attendance with IA leaders to give their advice.
The conference, in addition to allowing the Iraqi and U.S. partners an opportunity to share ideas and lessons learned, specifically addressed a number of ongoing logistical initiatives. Attendees got a chance to coordinate face to face and receive updates on processing and supply of repair parts as well as upcoming IA training on vehicle code-out procedures.
IA leaders and sustainment partners, including Brig. Gen Michael J. Lally (right), discuss standardizing procedures and training.
(Army photos by Pfc. Amanda Tucker)
Brig. Gen Michael J. Lally observes an Iraqi major demonstrate the computer system used to keep track of automobile parts in Kirkush.
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Transition ceremony for BIAP hangar
BAGHDAD - A transition ceremony between MND- C's Task Force 49 aviation bde and the Ministry of Transportation is scheduled for Oct. 11, at the Baghdad Int'l Airport, Victory Base Complex.
The transfer of Hangar 2 is an important step toward advancing political and economic development throughout Iraq, with the GOI taking control from CF.
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CF donate $8.5 million to MND-N provinces for relief
TIKRIT - CF announced an $8.5 million drought relief package as a gift for Eid to the people of Salah Ad Din, Diyala, Kirkuk and Ninewa Provinces to provide emergency relief to these drought-affected areas, Oct. 8.
The ongoing drought is the worst in 100 years. The emergency funds provide farmers with agriculture technologies and seed to prevent the complete loss of another growing season. Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling, cmdr. of MND-N, presented the gifts to each province at an event at the Tikrit University Agriculture Center campus in Salah ad Din.
Droughts like this have caused major societal changes in the past to include mass migration to cities, widespread insurgency and major changes in govt. These worsening conditions can be prevented by a coordinated and successful response, said Steven Donnelly, a certified urban planner with the Salah ad Din PRT's Infrastructure and Urban Plans section.
Iraq is already struggling with a disrupted, but not defeated insurgency. "Mitigating the drought is critical to maintaining the security gains achieved in the last year", said Lt. Col. Carson Mayo, MND-N Civil Affairs chief. According to Donnelly, GOI solutions are still needed to address the crop loss, loss of food & income, short-term emergency drinking, irrigation and livestock watering, restarting agriculture and accelerating medium and long-term capital projects to completion.
Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling speaks at the Tikrit Drought Relief Media Day.
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RED HORSE changes command
JOINT BASE BALAD - The 557th Expeditionary Rapid Engr Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Sqdrn Engr Sqdrn here, welcomed new leadership at a change of command ceremony, Oct. 6.
Brig. Gen. Brian Bishop, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing cmdr., presided over the ceremony, and presented Col. Wilfred Cassidy as cmdr. of the expeditionary wing.
"We deploy with our home unit, and this is my second time to lead my unit to (Joint Base Balad), so it's different than a normal change of command," Cassidy said. "Still, it's a great opportunity to command and lead a unit in a combat situation such as this."
Cassidy will lead the RED HORSE Airmen deployed from the 820th RED HORSE Sqdrn at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. They account for more than 70% of all RED HORSE Airmen in U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility, and will contribute to the unit's mission at 13 locations across the AOR for approx. 6 months. "We will have Airmen outside the wire and operating in a joint environment on a regular basis," said Cassidy. "I'm honored and humbled to serve with the Airmen in the AOR."
The cmdr's current vision is for the unit to provide quality construction services in an expedient manner to war-fighters. Maximizing productivity of RED HORSE Airmen in theater can enhance joint ops in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said.
The 557th ERHS is tactically controlled by the 555th Engr Bde in lieu of an Army construction bn. Col. Randall L. Fofi and Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Thomas, who command the 555th Engr Bde, attended the change of command ceremony to show their support and appreciation for all that 557th ERHS does for the Triple Nickel and Iraq.
Col. Wilfred Cassidy accepts the guidon and command of the 557th. Brig. Gen. Brian Bishop (left), the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing cmdr., presided over the ceremony.
(Air Force photos by Tech. Sgt. Richard Lisum)
The Joint Base Balad Honor Guard posts the colors.
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U.S. Soldiers Host Eid Al Fitr Festival
By Pfc. Evan Loyd
FOB HAMMER — U.S. Soldiers recently hosted an Eid al Fitr festival on FOB Hammer, marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Traditionally, the festival begins with the sighting of the new moon, when Muslims eat a celebratory meal while visiting with relatives and friends.
“We worked hard to set up the invitations, the tents and everything else so everyone could come out here for the feast,” said Warrant Officer Mark Deboe, the main event organizer for the festival. “It shows how far along we’ve come in partnership with the Iraqi people, that you have such great people of strength come to our FOB for an Eid al Fitr feast.“
The festival illustrated the strength of the partnership between the Soldiers and the leaders of the Mada’in Qada. Guests included Iraqi SF leaders, Mada’in Qada political leaders and influential sheiks.
“This feast brought together all of the clans of the Mada’in; the SoI, the IA, the IP, govt officials and our American friends to celebrate being one team working for a better Mada’in,” said Abu Bahar, mayor of the Mada’in Qada. “This was a great meeting that offered us a chance to thank our brothers and good friends of the Iron Bde for helping us with the tremendous achievements in the Mada’in.”
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MND-B Soldiers arrest suspected SG criminals
FOB FALCON - Oct. 8, in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad, at approx. 2 a.m., Soldiers from Troop B, 7th Sqdrn, 10th Cav Regt, 1st BCT, 4th ID, detained a SG criminal believed to be responsible for emplacing roadside bombs and the murder of innocent Iraqi citizens while conducting a raid in the Hadar community.
The patrol confiscated an AK-47 assault rifle, a pistol and various bomb-making materials during the arrest.
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