Dear Interested Reader,
Forces strengthen supporting role. "Bring on the Docs" see better health care in Wasit prov. "Op Winged Lion II, a successful air assault mission. 150th Cav Regt supports Iraqis during checkpoint ops.
In Afghanistan, Staff Sgt Conrad Begaye deservedly is awarded the Silver Star. Panjshir women celebrate Mother's Day. Afghans learn grain bin construction.
Joanna
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July 4, 2009
American Forces Press Service
Forces Strengthen Support Role in Iraq
(Sgt. Allison Churchill of Staff Sgt. Carlos Burger II contributed to this report)
Army Capt. Bradford Brannon, and Sameer al-Haddad, a rep of the Iraqi PM, sign documents giving ISF authority of COP Summers in Iraq’s Wasit province, June 29, 2009.
(Army photo by Sgt. Allison Churchill)
WASHINGTON – U.S. forces in Iraq helped to bolster Iraqi sovereignty in recent days with the opening of a new health care center, and the return of 2 COPs to Iraqi control.
A new center is bringing access to health care closer for the 30,000 residents of the Humer Kwer area of Sulaimaniyah prov. “Most of the Humer Kwer residents currently have to travel an indirect route of approx. 7 kms to access the nearest existing primary health care center,” said Lucy Tamlyn, team leader of the U.S. Regional Reconstruction Team, Kurdistan Region. “This project is a great example of the partnership between the U.S. and the Kurdish region. We look forward to continuing that partnership.”
Army Col. Margaret Burcham, cmdr of the Gulf Region’s North District, praised the project team for working hard to deliver the health care center. "The USACE is very pleased to coordinate a partnership to provide such a high-quality medical clinic that will last for many years,” she said.
Elsewhere, the Service Battery of 1st Bn, 77th FAR, 172nd BCT, handed over control of COP Summers, near Suwayrah, to the IA, June 29. "Tomorrow you should be standing very tall," Army Col. Dick Francey, 41st Fires Bde cmdr and cmdr of U.S. troops in Wasit province, told Iraqi soldiers at the ceremony. "ISF are capable of protecting their people," he said. "We stand by you as friends and realize you're in the lead." In compliance with the agreement, 77th FAR moved to FOB Delta after the ceremony.
In Basra, elements of the 21st MP Co and 178th MP Co, attached to the 4th ID’s 2nd BCT, withdrew all supplies and personnel and returned control of COP and the Old State Building to the IA, June 28. "This is a symbolic moment for the people of Iraq. It's exciting to watch the IA step up and protect their people," said Army 1st Lt. Jeremy Poisson, plt leader for the 178th MP Co.
1st Lt. Jeremy Poisson and Lt. Col. Mohamed Ali, EO for the 50th IA Bn, shake hands as U.S. forces close the gate at the entrance to the Old State Building, June 28, 2009.
(Army photo by Staff Sgt. Carlos M. Burger II)
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Special to American Forces Press Service
TF’s Final Visit Shows Better Health Care in Iraqi Province
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Joe Thompson
Army Capt. Michael O’Leary checks a patient’s eye during an exam at the last “Bring on the Docs” cooperative medical engagement at the Jassan Health Clinic, June 23, 2009.
FOB DELTA – Soldiers serving with a medical TF completed nearly a year’s worth of missions last week, satisfied that they’ve helped to improve health care in Iraq’s Wasit province.
“It was great. The security was amazing,” said Army Capt. Jason Smith, HHB, 41st Fires Bde. “We had a great time working with the Iraqi physicians, meeting the pharmacists, talking to all the civilians, and giving them good care.”
"Bring on the Docs" started in August, and was a joint medical civil-military op between the Wasit dir. gen. of health and the 41st Fires Bde. It was designed to restore the medical capacity in Wasit and bring clinics up to regional standards.
Initially headed by Col. Italo Bastianelli, 41st Fires Bde surgeon, and carried on by Maj. N.I. Okpokwasili, TF Gunner Med’s approach to improving the health care in Wasit was multifaceted.
Ways were identified where CF could help with facility improvements at clinics and hospitals. Medical training also was conducted here for physicians and ISF medics to attend.
The last "Bring on the Docs" mission was a little less hectic than the previous medical engagement, as the doctors saw about 100 patients instead of the normal 250 to 300, Smith said.
“I think this clinic is in great shape. I got to look through their pharmacy, and they've a bunch of good medications,” Smith said. “I got to work hand-in-hand with an Iraqi physician, and she did an outstanding job seeing and treating people.”
Capt. Michael O’Leary, front, and Sgt. Matthew Schenck apply bandages to a patient who had cut off his tattoos to join the IP.
Capt. Jason Smith listens to an infant’s breathing.
Capt. Jason Smith hands a stuffed animal to a girl.
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3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs RSS
Iraqis Lead Air Assault
(Photos by Sgt. 1st Class Alex Licea)
Paratroopers assigned to K Troop, 5th Sqdrn, 73rd Cav, 82nd Abn Div, check their surroundings as a CH-47 Chinook helicopter takes off behind them during "Op Winged Lion II," an Iraqi-led air assault clearance mission, June 26, in the Ma'dain region, located outside of eastern Baghdad. The op was to deny enemy movement into the city and seize potential weapons caches in the region.
Sgt. 1st Class Thavee Salayphonh takes a knee on the edge on a trench overlooking the terrain.
Paratroopers position themselves in order to provide support fire for their fellow Paratroopers and their Iraqi counterparts, as they prepare to clear a nearby village.
INP officers and Paratroopers load a CH-47 Chinook helicopter following the completion of an air assault clearance op. More than 240 Iraqi and American personnel conducted the Iraqi-led op.
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Joint Combat Camera Center Iraq RSS
Soldiers Support Iraqis During Checkpoint Operations
(Photos by Petty Officer 2nd Class Edwin Wriston)
Sgt. Joel Rollins, 1st Sqdrn, 150th Cav Regt, 30th HBCT, 1st Cav Div, stands watch at a checkpoint south of Baghdad, June 28, 2009.
Lt. Col. Rob Scarberry, comm. officer of 1st Sqdrn, converses with an Iraqi soldier.
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Joint Combat Camera Center Iraq RSS
Soldiers Hand Out School Supplies
(Photo by Spc. Bobby Allen)
Soldier attached to Delta Co, 1st Bn, 8th Cav Regt, 2nd HBCT, 1st Cav Div, shakes hands with an Iraqi boy in the village of Dibits, in Kirkuk, June 27. U.S., coalition and ISF are teaming up to distribute food, school supplies and generators to families in and around the prov. of Kirkuk.
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DoD Imagery
Army 1st Lt. Seth Sanert with Delta Co, 1st Bn, 18th ID goes over the scheme of maneuver with his troops, in Baghdad, June 25, 2009.
(DoD photo by Spc. Donte Baltimore)
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Special to American Forces Press Service
Face of Defense: Soldier Hopes His Story Instills Sense of Reality
By Army Capt. Joseph Sanfilippo
Army Staff Sgt. Conrad Begaye stands before fellow soldiers from 2nd Bn, 503rd Inf Regt, during a ceremony in Vicenza, Italy, June 30, 2009. Begaye was awarded the Silver Star for his valorous actions during an enemy ambush Nov. 9, 2007, in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province.
(Army photo by Capt. Joseph Sanfilippo)
VICENZA, Italy, July 1, 2009 – Even as Army Staff Sgt. Conrad Begaye relived the firefight that took the lives of his fellow soldiers, and even as he was awarded the military’s third-highest honor for valor yesterday, his thoughts were on his comrades.
Begaye, a Navajo from Black Canyon City, Ariz., said he wants the story of his actions in Afghanistan to help younger soldiers understand the importance of training, leadership and motivation. For troops eager to see combat, he said, he hopes his story instills a sense of the reality of war. "It should open their eyes. A firefight is a life-altering experience - one that I'm still living through," Begaye said following a June 30 ceremony. "Soldiers should understand … this is real life, and people do die."
On Nov. 9, 2007, Begaye, an Abn Ranger with the 503rd, was part of a unit that had just met with local leaders in Afghanistan’s Nuristan prov. They were hiking along rugged terrain when his squad, his plt's HQ sections, and a squad of Afghan soldiers began taking fire from enemy positions above.
Pinned down at first, Begaye was struck in the arm while returning fire and directing his men. Begaye bounded over a cliff, calling to his troops to follow him down the rocky slope to find cover.
Keeping his composure against overwhelming odds, Begaye directed and encouraged his fellow soldiers under heavy fire. One paratrooper had been shot in both legs and was still taking fire. Begaye called out to him to play dead, knowing the enemy would shift their fire away if they thought the soldier was killed -- quick thinking that likely helped to save that soldier's life.
Ignoring his own injuries, Begaye moved a wounded soldier to a nearby cave to protect him from enemy fire. Using a radio, he called his higher HQ and directed mortar fire onto enemy positions - essentially ending the battle. Then he motivated a soldier to organize a defensive perimeter of Afghan soldiers to prevent their unit from being harassed or overrun.
Twenty-one months later, with his comrades standing quietly on the parade ground behind him, Begaye listened as Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, cmdr of U.S. Army Africa, spoke here, where Begaye began his service 10 years ago. "Today, we honor an NCO whose bold actions turned the tide of battle and saved the day, whose courage under fire and fierce loyalty to his men still astounds us all," Garrett said. "Outnumbered, wounded, and initially pinned down in the kill zone of an enemy ambush -- he didn't hesitate to leap forward, literally, and take charge of the fight."
Garrett spoke of the "warrior ethos" that guides soldiers: place the mission first, never accept defeat, never quit, and never leave a fallen comrade. "These are just words to some people," Garrett said. "But the warrior ethos is a way of life to Staff Sgt Begaye. Amazing acts of bravery and valor were commonplace that grim day. But this morning, we recognize Staff Sgt Begaye for his courage - and we are thankful for the opportunity to serve with such a man."
After the ceremony, Begaye's wife, AF Staff Sgt. Idellia Beletso, a flight medic based at Aviano Air Base, Italy, hugged her husband. Hundreds of red-bereted paratroopers lined up to shake Begaye's hand, many of whom served with him in combat.
"There are people who have passed on, that deserve this," said Begaye, who served 3 combat tours. "There were 5 men who died. I'll accept and wear it in honor of them, not for my actions, but for theirs." Begaye said he would have preferred a simple handshake or a pat on the back. After all, he said, infantrymen don't fight for medals; they fight for each other. That's why Begaye felt grateful to have soldiers from his unit, Chosen Co, behind him on the parade field during the ceremony. "What happened there is something I think about every day,” Begaye said. “It's not easy to forget about."
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CJTF-82 in Afghanistan, Bagram Media Center
Panjshir Women celebrate Mother's Day, reminded to vote
By Panjshir PRT PAO
BAGRAM AIR FIELD - Nearly 150 women celebrated Mother's Day June 23, with guest speakers and a luncheon at the Astana Guest House in Panjshir prov's Bazarak District.
The event, organized by the Panjshir dir. of women's affairs, featured a series of speakers who highlighted a mother's role in Afghan society. They also talked about the importance of education and offered a reminder to vote in the Aug. 20 presidential and provincial council elections.
During his speech, Gov. Bahlol credited all of Panjshir's mothers, saying they're the ones who create the province's newest generations. "I'm calling on our women to be more representative," said Bahlol. "The duty of an educated woman is to teach others."
Former Afghan judge, Rahila, who was recognized as "Panjshir's Woman of the Year" during an Int'l Women's Day event March 8, talked with the women about her role as a working mother, and encouraged them to pay attention to the election and campaign process. "I'm proud of the women who're running for a position on the provincial council, and I offer my support to them."
As a testament to women's advancement in Panjshir, 7 local women are competing for 3 provincial council positions. Once elected, they serve 4 years and help determine the provincial development objectives of the govt in areas such as economic, social, health, education and reconstruction.
Following the speeches, the women continued conversing with one another and enjoyed a traditional Afghan lunch of pilau, a rice dish made with raisins and carrots. "One of the highlights of this deployment has been attending events like this Mother's Day celebration, where I've had the chance to interact with Panjshir's women," said AF Capt. Stacie Shafran, a member of the Panjshir PRT, who has served as mentor for Panjshir's women. "During my time in Afghanistan, whether I've talked to mothers, professional women or school girls, I've learned that they're
all striving for a successful, brighter future."
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CJTF-82 in Afghanistan, Bagram Media Center
ADT trains Afghans on grain bin construction
By Army 1st Lt. Lory Stevens
Afghans assemble the roof of a grain bin with guidance from Soldiers with the TF Warrior Agri-Business Development Team at Bagram Air Field, June 24.
BAGRAM AIR FIELD - The TF Warrior Agri-Business Development Team (ADT) conducted training with local farmers from nearby provinces, showing them how to properly store seed for the next planting season.
Farmers from Parwan, Panjshir and Kapisa provs. learned how to assemble grain bins, which will prevent spoiling of their harvested grain. "Our team set up the bottom ring, top ring, and some roof pieces," said Master Sgt. John Herron, ADT agronomist and hydrologist, who helped set up the training site with more than 16 Afghan workers.
During the training, Herron and his team showed the Afghans how to properly assemble the grain bins. The local farmers were also taught how to properly apply a silicone caulk at the seams during construction to keep moisture out during the harsh Afghan winters.
"A local truck was contracted to transport the bins to several locations in Kapisa," said ADT Agronomist, Sgt. 1st Class Eldon Kuntzelman, who coordinated with a group in Nebraska to have the bins shipped to Afghanistan.
The grain bins will be built at 8 different locations throughout Parwan, Kapisa and Panjshir. Tool sets were given to the farmers for them to use to assemble their grain bins once they arrive.
TF Warrior ADT work alongside local Afghans who travelled to Bagram Air Field, to learn how to assemble grain bins.
An Afghan picks up a screw driver from a tool set.
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DoD Imagery
Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. James Burks, chief of info ops with RCT 3, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Bde, works from a cot at FOB Dwyer, June 25, 2009. The Marines are establishing FOB Dwyer to provide security in the southern part of the country.
(DoD photo by Sgt. Joseph Breinlinger, Marine Corps)
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