Dear Interested Reader,
PA National Guard delivers food to orphanage. "Chaplains closet" helps Landstuhl's wounded warriors. "Red Dragons" and IA turn night into day. Tuz Sports Center keeps kids busy. Suspected terrorists arrested in Ninewa prov., while explosive cache seized in Abu Ghraib.
In Afghanistan, 82nd Abn supports villages in Parwan prov. Girls school gets final inspection. TF Duke hands over operational authority to TF Mountain Warrior. 10,000 provincial ANP growth approved.
Joanna
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July 1, 2009
2nd BCT, 1st ID Public Affairs RSS
Pennsylvania National Guard Deliver Food to Abu Ghraib Orphanage
Story by Sgt. Philip Schratwieser
Sgt. Andrew Fox, 2nd Bn, 112th Inf Regt, "Paxton Rangers," 2nd BCT, 1st ID, shows the contents of one of the food bags being distributed by the joint CF and IA foot patrol, June 25 to a newly discovered orphanage.
BAGHDAD – Soldiers conducted a combined patrol through Abu Ghraib June 25, to disrupt insurgents in the area and improve their relationship with their Iraqi counterparts. The area they patrolled is called the "1st of June" as Iraqis often name areas after significant dates in their history.
One of the goals of these joint ops is training, and another is to show the people that there is a transition happening as CF begin pulling back. Part of today's mission was to take a small step in attempting to improve those relationships.
Under the guidance of Co. C of the 2-112 "Paxton Rangers" dozens of bags of beans, rice, canned meat, bottled water and other supplies were given to the IA soldiers. As they began their patrol, they stopped at a number of houses handing out these bags and holding brief conversations with the residents. They were surprised as they came to an unofficial orphanage, and were surrounded by kids.
"Finding an orphanage right away was really good," said Staff Sgt. Andrew Fox. "We were really able to help some needy people." Medical issues were discussed, and the location was marked in order to bring back supplies and a medic.
As is often the case, once word starts getting around that things are being given away, a crowd starts to develop as the Soldiers came upon a medical clinic, little more than a small drug store, next to a shop selling automotive fluids. Dozens of bags of food were unloaded as people started coming from all directions. The IA soldiers kept order and quickly formed the people into a line. The residents thanked the soldiers as they left. Within just a few minutes the food was gone.
"Well, it's important to help get the community back on its feet. We work with the IA in joint patrols," said Sgt. Sean Rawlings. "We're kind of like role models. Seeing the kids is the best part. They're a lot of fun."
An Iraqi Soldier distributes the contents of a food bag to residents.
Staff Sgt. Joel Oravitz and Spc. Mark Laird both of the "Paxton Rangers," load bags of food onto an Iraqi army truck.
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Special to American Forces Press Service
‘Chaplains' Closet Helps Landstuhl’s Wounded Warriors
By Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill
AF Maj. Gen. Michael Dubie, the adjutant gen. of the Vermont National Guard, stands in the Wounded Warrior Ministry Center -- nicknamed the "Chaplains' Closet" -- at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, June 17, 2009, during a visit to wounded warriors.
LANDSTUHL, Germany, June 26, 2009 – The boxes arrive daily from the U.S., 15 to 20 each day, along with $8,000 to $12,000 in cash every week from Americans and U.S. nonprofit groups.
The boxes and the money are meant for the wounded warriors who pass through here, most coming from Afghanistan or Iraq. More than 54,000 wounded warriors have passed through Landstuhl Regional Medical Center’s doors since Op Enduring Freedom began in October 2001, according to a hospital spokesman.
Lined with shelves organized in a manner that would make even the most obsessive-compulsive supply sgt proud is the “Chaplains’ Closet.” The name is a misnomer; it's about the size of an average neighborhood convenience store and its official name is the Wounded Warrior Ministry Center.
The Chaplains’ Closet shelves are stacked with clothing, toiletries and shoes. A box of shoes marked “single shoes, left” is for servicemembers who are amputees. Their spirit shows in their humor. Recently, one soldier took a left shoe and another soldier took a right from the same pair. They looked at each other. “We’re brothers,” one quipped.
The servicemembers who receive the donations didn’t expect to be here -- they arrive suddenly, with nothing, because they required treatment for wounds suffered on the battlefield. The medical center is a jointly staffed, Army-commanded, 138-bed hospital near Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It's the largest American hospital outside the United States.
“We have Conex boxes full of stuff,” said AF Lt. Col. Curtis Wagner, a Protestant chaplain from the Ohio Air National Guard’s 179th Airlift Wing, serving a 120-day rotation here."
About 1,200 servicemembers visit the Chaplains’ Closet each month. If they're bed-ridden, a liaison officer gets their supplies for them. On average, servicemembers spend 3 to 5 days here before they are sent to the U.S. or back into theater.
A team of volunteers -- family members and the local community -- donates 500 to 600 hours each month to help the chaplains accomplish their mission. “We've distributed over $2 million of financial support in these last 7 or 8 years,” Wagner said.
Every Tues., Thurs. and Sat., the chaplains take wounded warriors on trips in the local area to help them relax and sightsee. The chaplains use some of the donated money to pay for transportation and meals. “That helps break up their time here,” Wagner said.
AF Lt. Col. Robert Barry of the Illinois Air National Guard’s 183rd Airlift Wing, a Roman Catholic chaplain and teacher from Chicago, is serving his 6th tour at the hospital in 5 years. “It’s the best ministry I’ve ever done,” he said.
Servicemembers at the medical center can talk with chaplains from a variety of religious backgrounds, including Buddhist. When they don't want to talk to a chaplain, the chaplains encourage servicemembers to talk with someone, because they believe talking helps with stress. “One of the things we try to do is to get the guys to talk about what they’ve been through,” Wagner said. “It’s a privilege to me. I get a front seat to these incredible, heroic things that they’ve done.”
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Multi-National Division - North PAO
'Red Dragons' and IA turn night into day in support of combined patrol
Soldiers from 3rd Bn, 82nd FAR, fire illumination rounds from an M109A6 Paladin self-propelled 155mm howitzer.
FOB WARRIOR, KIRKUK - Artillerymen in Iraq often perform duties similar to infantrymen, conducting patrols with IP and Soldiers. However, Soldiers from 82nd FAR had the rare opportunity to dust off their artillery skills by firing illumination rounds in support of a combined IA, IP, and U.S. Army patrol in the Iraqi village of Sara Swais, Kirkuk province, June 20.
"This was a complex op involving 2 M109A6 Paladin self-propelled 155mm howitzers from 3rd Bn, 82nd FA, 2nd BCT, a dismounted scout plt from 4th Sqdrn, 9th Cav. Regt., 2nd BCT, IA Bde and an IP det from the nearby town of Rashaad," said Lt. Col Andy Shoffner, cmdr of 4th Sqdrn.
There's been an increased use of IEDs during the low lunar illumination nights, so 4th Sqdrn, requested permission for the terrain denial artillery mission, Shoffner said. According to Staff Sgt. Timothy Thacker, a fire direction sgt in 3rd Bn., 82nd FA, the IA mortar plt was fully integrated into the firing mission, with the IA soldiers firing more than half of the 80 illumination rounds used during the op. "It was a good partnership exercise to show the capabilities we have, and give them some hands-on experience with it," said Thacker. "We hope they'll eventually have these same capabilities."
"At first the people were startled," said Capt. John Forehand, the Troop A EO. "The mukhtar was happy about the combined op with Iraqi and CF, and hopes to see continued combined efforts."
"Not only were insurgents disrupted across the Rashaad Valley, but the mission allowed the artillerymen a rare opportunity to train and execute some of their core competencies," said Shoffner. "More importantly, this op demonstrated the versatility of the partnership between the ISF and their coalition partners."
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Blackanthem Military News
Tuz Sports Center Keeps Kids Busy
By Sgt. Angie Johnston, MND - North PAO
Future martial arts stars Mohammad el-Din and Karar Ali show off their Tae Kwon Do skills at the Tuz Sports Center, June 17. Children of all ethnicities and financial backgrounds are welcome at the center, which offers classes and tournament-style competition events in several sports.
FOB BERNSTEIN, TUZ - Until recently, the children of Tuz had few options for extracurricular activities. However, the Tuz Sports Center is changing that. With daytime and after-school programs that include soccer, volleyball, weightlifting and basketball, administrators invited members of the Tuz City Council and Lt. Col. Chris Stenman, cmdr of the STB, 3rd IBCT, 25th ID, to visit their well-equipped complex.
"Our job is concentrated on the youth of this city," said Hassan Hamdan, a mgr at the center. "With the City Council and CF' cooperation, we can meet the needs of Salah ad-Din Province's kids."
The only thing administrators feel the center is lacking is a fence, which they asked council member Shalal al-Marhabi and Stenman to help provide. "As a city council, we are honored to work with you. Before, the focus was on security; now it's on rebuilding.
In the coming weeks, the Tuz City Council will address ways to help the sprawling center and begin filing paperwork with the Ministry of Sports in Tikrit to receive funding from the province.
The center proudly welcomes children and adults of all ethnicities. "Look at us. He's a Turcoman, I'm Arab, and the gym mgr is Kurdish. It doesn't matter - we can all play here," said 19 year-old Adem Sahad, a regular weightlifter at the center. "If there're women who want to play sports, they come here because they are welcomed."
Classes in Tae Kwon Do, Karate and boxing are given throughout the week. The only day the center isn't open is Friday, which families often spend together, rather than pursuing individual interests, according to Adem.
"After I leave school, if I'm not working in my father's candy shop, I'm learning Tae Kwon Do with Mr. Aziz," said Karar Ali, a 9 year-old aspiring martial artist. Karar's close friend, Mohammad el-Din, visits the Tuz Sports Center 6 days a week. "If I'm in school, I have to wait all day to come here. Now we're not in school - I can come here when I please," said 10 year-old Mohammad.
The center boasts several trophies which speak volumes about the dedication of the administrators and their young charges. The administrators are mainly interested in keeping the kids so busy they don't have time to get into trouble, while the kids are enjoying camaraderie and healthy competition with friends. "When I was a teenager," Stenman told the group, "if I wasn't out on the sports field, I was probably out getting into trouble."
According to Hassan, the center is teeming with children most afternoons and they expect a deluge of adults every evening. "We even have a six-man chess team," said Atheer Ibrahim, a busy teenager who comes to the center when he isn't working with his family. "I'm not on it - I don't like chess - but these guys are really good."
According to Shalal, it's the perfect time for the city council to help the Tuz Sports Center. "The bad times and terrorist activities are gone. It's done. The people here are getting a feel for democracy… The council, CF and the Sports Center need to work hand in hand to rebuild a new Iraq."
Lt. Col. Chris Stenman plays an informal soccer game with kids from the Tuz Sports Center.
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Multi-National Corps - Iraq PAO
Iraqi Security Forces arrest suspected terrorists in Ninewa province
TIKRIT - Mosul SWAT, with CF advisors, arrested 4 suspected terrorists ,June 25 during an op in Ninewa province, with a warrant issued by the Central Investigative Court of Iraq-Karkh. Two of the arrested individuals are suspected of leading violent terrorist orgs responsible for attacking ISF. The other 2 are believed to be terrorist fighters.
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Multi-National Division - Baghdad PAO
Explosive cache seized in Abu Ghraib
BAGHDAD - During combined clearance ops, June 25, ISF and the 1st CAB, 63rd AR, 2nd HBCT, 1st ID, seized an explosives cache in the Abu Ghraib area, west of Baghdad. In a joint mission, Soldiers discovered a 5-gallon drum filled with 3 anti-tank grenades, 7 anti-tank grenade heads, 2 anti-tank grenade handles, 2 un-fused hand grenades, 10 feet of detonating cord, a cannon simulator, 8 mortar fuses and a mortar.
A Coalition EOD team safely conducted a controlled detonation on the 3 complete anti-tank grenades; turning the rest of the cache over to the IA for investigation.
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CJTF-82 in Afghanistan, Bagram Media Center
82nd Airborne DSTB supports local district
By Army Pfc. Cody Thompson
Lalsaid, a village elder from Lalabamba Village, listens during a meeting with Capt. Booker Wilson. Quality of drinking water, dilapidated irrigation systems and roads, lack of jobs, security, schools and school supplies were the main concerns.
BAGRAM AIR FIELD - The 82nd Abn Div STB, Co B cmdr met with local Afghan leaders, June 20, in Dandar Village.
Army Capt. Booker Wilson, cmdr Co B, met each leader to seek resolutions to the major issues affecting villages in Kohe Safi district, Parwan province. According to the elders and shura leaders, a
few of their concerns are quality of drinking water, dilapidated irrigation systems and roads, lack of jobs, security, schools and school supplies.
According to the CIA the unemployment rate in Afghanistan is approximately 40%. New jobs could usher in the potential for increased money, which would bolster the local economy. "Almost everyone in our village is jobless, so they go to Iran and Pakistan for work," said Naqibullah, village elder and teacher for Sanjali Village. After the villager explained his plight, Capt. Wilson carefully explained his plans and potential solutions.
"Find us contractors from across the province and hire locals from your village, and when I return we'll pay you to build schools and fix the irrigation systems and roads," Capt. Wilson offered Naqibullah.
Security was a concern for one village elder, although others reported little Taliban activity. "I've been working with CF and ANP and would like to continue to in the future," said Lalsaid, a village elder from Lalabamba. "We've had problems with the Taliban, but if we'd more security it would be safer."
Capt. Wilson said he would "look into bringing a larger security presence to Lalabamba Village."
"We're trying to incorporate area support groups with police mentorships and U.S. Soldiers, to increase security in the village," said Army 1st Sgt. Ramah Wilson, 82nd Abn DSTB Co B.
Afghans in Dandar Village have to travel far to receive medical treatment, where time could potentially prove fatal. One elder requested the construction of a health clinic in Dandar for the locals residing there. "In the summer it's easy to travel to the hospital in Kabul, but in the winter the roads are covered with snow and we can't drive there," said Mohammad, the village elder for Dandar.
Capt. Wilson's goal is to distribute payments to multiple contractors who will hire the locals from across the province to build better schools, clinics and roads. "A civil affairs team assesses what would be gained by placing a school in a certain location," said 1st Sgt. Wilson. "Building a school creates an investment in that area."
Afghan teachers listen to Capt. Booker Wilson, June 20, in Dandar Village. Working in conjunction with civil affairs, the DSTB are gathering lunchboxes, textbooks and other school supplies for the students.
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CJTF-82 in Afghanistan, Bagram Media Center
Haish Saidqi Girls School final inspection
(Photos By AF Capt. Stacie Shafran)
AF 1st Lt. Dustin Koslowsky, a PRT engr deployed from Andersen AF Base, Guam, conducts a final quality-assurance inspection at the nearly-completed 8-room Haish Saidqi Girls School in Panjshir
Province, June 17.
AF Capt. Patrick Kolesiak, Panjshir PRT lead engr deployed from Wright-Patterson AF Base, Ohio, explains considerations and expectations of concrete aggregate quality to the contractor of the
school retaining wall project. The challenging terrain in this mountainous region usually creates the need for large-scale excavation, and the construction of retaining walls.
Air Force 1st Lt. Dustin Koslowsky, a PRT engr, ensures the windows inside the school function correctly. The 8-room school was requested by the people of Rokha and the nearby villages of
Shast, Pai Chinar and Molakhel, all located in Panjshir province.
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CJTF-82 in Afghanistan, Bagram Media Center
TF Duke hands over operational authority to TF MTN Warrior
Story by Spc. Eugene Cushing
Col. Randy George (left) and Command Sgt Maj Charles Sasser (right), also 4th BCT, unveil the Bde colors during a transfer of authority ceremony.
(Photos by Army Pfc. Elizabeth Raney)
NANGARHAR PROV. - 3rd BCT, 1st ID handed over responsibility for their operational area in
eastern Afghanistan to 4th BCT, 4th ID during a transfer of authority ceremony, June 26, at FOB Fenty, in Nangarhar province.
The 4th BCT, or TF Mountain Warrior, assumed responsibility for missions to improve security and development in the Nangarhar, Nuristan, Kunar, and Laghman provinces, from 3rd BCT, or TF Duke, who has been conducting ops in the area for the past 15 months.
In attendance were provincial govs, local and national media, and the Combined Joint TF-82 Cmdr, Maj. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti.
"We've trained hard in the mountains of Colorado for the demanding terrain of this mission," said Col. Randy George, cmdr, 4th BCT. "TF Mountain Warrior is ready to get to work."
Col. Randy George (center right) discusses the way ahead with Kunar Provincial Gov. Wahidi (left) and Maj. Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti (right), after the ceremony.
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Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan RSS
10,000 Provincial Afghan National Police Growth Approved
CAMP EGGERS — At a recent meeting of the Int'l Police Coordination Board, the int'l community approved Afghan national police growth of up to 10,000 to meet security needs for the upcoming August elections in 14 key provinces.
According to Col. Bradley Nelson, the Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan ANP Force integration officer, the training for the additional police will be divided into 2 phases, much like the training for the additional 4,800 police that are already being trained for duty in Kabul. The officers will attend 3 weeks of training prior to the elections, and will receive an additional 5 weeks of training after the elections. "This is a critical component in election security," stated Nelson, "as we continue to build police forces throughout Afghanistan."
The additional police will provide site security to polling stations throughout the 14 selected provs. With approx. 10 ANP assigned to a station, this will allow the ANP to secure nearly 1,000 additional polling stations.
The training of the 10,000 is the 2nd phase of the plan to train 15,000 new police, and will take place after the 4,800 new Kabul police are trained. "There's a lot of hard work going on all across Afghanistan, from the Ministry of Interior to the CF, to enable the ANP to perform their duties and ensure a safe election," stated Nelson.
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