Dear Interested Reader,
The Command Security Detachment hands out microgrants in Adhamiya. TF Iron Gimlet helps improve quality of life west of Baghdad, while IA and 2nd BCT assess quality of life in Afak. IP training expands in Wasit, thanks to improved security. The Al-Adel Sports Club reopens with the help of the 10th Cav. Regt. Criminals continue to be captured and weapons caches seized. In Afghanistan, in an informative story, U.S. is expected to boost troops near Kabul in Jan.
Joanna
_________________________
Dec. 8, 2008
Multi-National Corps - Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342
Striker commander hands out microgrants in Adhamiyah
BAGHDAD -
SSgt. Reggie Martinez (left), team leader with the Command Security Detachment, 3rd BCT, 4th ID, helps an Iraqi shop owner complete mircrogrant paperwork, Dec. 5, before the man can receive his allotted money to improve his shop in Baghdad's Adhamiyah district.
(Army photos by Sgt. Zach Mott)
Col. John Hort (rt), 3rd BCT, 4th ID, MND - Baghdad cmdr, speaks with a shop owner after providing him with a microgrant to improve his business.
-30-
Task Force Iron Gimlet takes shape
BAGHDAD - A new task force began operation west of Baghdad, Nov. 7. TF Iron Gimlet is a combined effort between the 926th Engr Bde and 1st Bn, 21st Inf Regt, 2nd Stryker BCT, 25th ID, and is responsible for Abu Ghraib, Nassar Wa Salaam and other surrounding areas.
The Iron Gimlet team has contracted Iraqi citizens to paint barriers and repair schools. Many projects such as trash removal, and multiple school repairs will start in the near future. "The kinetic line of effort was focused in downtown Baghdad for the earlier part of this year, particularly east of the river, creating a vulnerable access point in the rural area west of Baghdad for the flow of terrorist personnel and supplies into the Baghdad area," said Capt. Matthew Slyder, TF Iron Gimlet project officer, 926th Eng. Bde. "The terrorist cells used intimidation tactics to ensure freedom of movement in this area for the last 5 years, until recent efforts have complicated their movement in this battle space."
The Mohammad Mahdi Al Baseer Girls School, Hamdiniyah School, and Al Magreib Al Araby School are 3 of 19 schools that are already being repaired. Many of the schools need quick repairs before the start of the winter season. "Winterization is important, so we're replacing glass, windows and doors to ensure the students are warm during the winter season," said Slyder. "High priorities are cleaning and repairing septic tanks and sewer lines so that students have functioning bathrooms."
Another project to improve quality of life in TF's area is hiring residents to paint barriers. "We're contracting local Iraqis to paint the barriers around the govt buildings to bring a sense of normalcy and incorporate Iraqi history," said Slyder. The local council selected the types of drawings on each barrier. They often choose themes that relate to the Iraqi culture and history. Other projects are underway to help improve access to govt facilities.
In Abu Ghraib, TF Iron Gimlet contracted with a local company to both remove trash from the Governance Center parking lot and provide jobs for citizens. "There are hundreds of local Iraqis who visit this center daily, and parking in trash-filled, water-drenched parking lot presents a traffic challenge," said Slyder.
With the efforts of TF Gimlet Soldiers, the Abu Ghraib district of Baghdad will start to generate more funded projects. "We work closely with the (civil affairs) section who has been conducting Civil-Military Ops all year in this area," said Slyder. "TFIG has been able to exploit the positive relationships already developed by the bn CMO to expedite initiating new projects and completing legacy projects in this area, "
Iraqi Contractors painted Abu Ghraib Governance Center barriers, Nov. 21 in support of TF Iron Gimlet. (Army photo by Staff Sgt. William Funk)
Workers remove water-damaged plaster from Hamdiniyah School, Nov. 29.
(Army photo by Capt. Matthew Slyder)
-30-
Police training expands in Wasit
FOB DELTA - Police training ops in Wasit province expanded from focusing in al Kut, to include stations in outlying areas, taking advantage of improved security and IP capability.
Following outbreaks of violence in late March, the training ops shifted to focus almost solely on al Kut, the largest city in the province and the center for IP ops. Since Wasit transitioned to Provincial Iraqi Control (PIC) in October, increased security and a focus on training ops led to the broadening of the 511th MP Co.'s focus.
"Since the PIC, with the improved security, we are able to branch out to other stations," said 1st Lt. Matthew Porter to Brig. Gen. Dawood, cmdr. of the al Hayy district. "We can help you with any training you need and can provide some limited assistance with supplies."
The IP's at the stations in al Hayy and Shay'k Sa'ad said the situation in their cities is generally good, but they welcomed the opportunity for their IP's to train with the Americans. "This partnership is good for the station," said Dawood. "It will definitely empower us."
"For now, we're just gathering info about the situation here so we can pass it on to our replacements," said 1st Lt. Daniel Merritt, in his visit to the Shay'k Sa'ad station. "When they get here, they will begin the intensive training program.
1st Lt. Matthew Porter, 511th, speaks with the dep. cmdr. of the al Basheer IP station near al Hayy, Dec. 1.
(Army photos by Sgt. Daniel T. West)
Sgt. Dana Thompson and Sgt. Kyle Beauchene, 511th, take notes while speaking with Maj. Kareem, the Shay'k Sa'ad IP station cmdr. during a visit, Dec. 4.
-30-
IA lead joint quality of life assessment patrol in Afak
AFAK-
An IA soldier questions an Afak resident about living conditions in the area, for an assessment of the overall community, during a patrol, Nov. 30.
(Air Force photos by Senior Airman Eric Harris)
1st Lt. Mark Finley, 2nd BCT, 4th ID, talks with Iraqi children.
SSgt. Raymond Ramos, 2nd BCT, watches an Iraqi boy pass on a donkey.
-30-
MND-B Soldiers detain weapons trafficker, SGC cell leader
BAGHDAD - In the Rashid district of southern Baghdad, at approx. 4:30 p.m., Dec. 5 responding to a tip, Soldiers from Troop C, 7th Sqdrn, 10th Cav Regt, 1st BCT, 4th ID, detained an individual suspected of coordinating weapons trafficking in the Abu T'shir community of southern Baghdad.
At approx. 1:30 a.m., Dec. 6, Soldiers from Co A, 1st Bn, 22nd Inf Regt, 1st BCT, 4th ID, detained a suspected SGC cell leader in the Aamel community. The individual is believed to be responsible for facilitating attacks against Coalition and Iraqi SF. He is also alleged to be responsible for rocket attacks against local nationals and money extortion.
-30-
MND-B Soldiers, IP detain suspected criminal
BAGHDAD - Dec. 6 in Baghdad's Ameriyah district, at approx. 2 p.m., Soldiers from Troop C, 4th Sqdrn, 10th Cav Regt, operationally attached to the 2nd HBCT, 1st ID, along with local IP detained one suspected criminal based on a warrant for arrest issued by Iraqi authorities.
-30-
Sports club reopens in Baghdad
BAGHDAD - "The Al-Adel Sports club was a pretty run down building, it had holes in the walls, in the ceilings, all the glass was in pretty bad shape and the only thing in use was the weight room," said Capt. Kelly Lanphere, 4th Sqdrn, 10th Cav Regt, 3rd BCT, 4th ID, attached to 2nd HBCT, 1st ID. "It just needed a lot of stuff; in fact, more than we could provide. We chose to focus on the main building."
"Basketball, volleyball, handball, indoor and outdoor soccer, tae kwon do, weight training and body building will be available for youth and adults," said Lanphere. "The idea behind these kinds of projects is to give (the youth) something else to do, something to look forward to, occupy their time and promote a healthy lifestyle. There's a lot to be learned from sports. If they can involve themselves with the teams, they'll learn some key things that will help them stay away from crime."
As the crime rate has reduced significantly throughout Baghdad people have gained a sense of normalcy and general happiness allowing community improvement contracts to take place. "Because of the improvement in security we were able to establish contracts and see these projects through," said Samir Sabar project overseer and local contractor. "When the people heard about it, it made them very excited because the building was old and run down, and they were very happy to know they were going to get a new building."
"It feels good to help out, and give these people a chance at living a normal life," Lanphere said. "They don't have the things we get to enjoy and this gives them a little taste of what it's like to have decent facilities, and an opportunity to take an interest in their health, enjoyment and become a better people."
Residents celebrate the reopening of a sports club in their neighborhood, Dec. 3.
(Army photos by Sgt. Whitney Houston)
Lt. Col. Monty Willoughby, serving as sqdrn cmdr for the 4th Sqdrn, hands an award to a sports trainer.
-30-
By Candace Rondeaux
Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
U.S. to Boost Presence Near Kabul
Refugee children play outside a makeshift camp in Kabul. Insurgents have grown increasingly strong in Logar and Wardak, 2 provinces directly adjacent to the Afghan capital.
(By Rafiq Maqbool -- Associated Press)
KABUL, Nov. 24 -- As the United States and NATO attempt to stamp out an increasingly potent insurgency on the doorstep of the Afghan capital, the senior U.S. Army cmdr. in eastern Afghanistan said he plans to send hundreds of troops to 2 volatile provinces immediately south of Kabul that have traditionally lacked Western forces.
Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey J. Schloesser, cmdr. of the 101st Abn Div, said in an interview this week that a portion of the estimated 3,500 additional U.S. troops expected to arrive in Afghanistan in January will be deployed to Logar and Wardak provinces. Neither has been a major center of U.S. or NATO military activity, even though both provinces are directly adjacent to Kabul, and are home to critical transit routes. Schloesser, who spoke at his headquarters at Bagram air base, said he anticipates a rise in clashes with rebel Afghan fighters in Logar and Wardak. "I would expect from this winter on an increase in violence south of Kabul caused by us, caused by us and the Afghans working together," Schloesser said. "Then, over a period of several months, as we are more successful in separating the enemy from the people and consolidating gains, the violence will come down."
NATO and U.S. military leaders have consistently said that Western forces in Afghanistan are stretched too thin and that more troops are needed to eliminate insurgent havens. Fighters in Wardak and Logar who are allied with veteran Afghan rebel commanders Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and Jalaluddin Haqqani have in recent years exploited the absence of any significant Western troop presence in the mountainous region, transforming it into a militant stronghold.
The 2 provinces have experienced a rash of attacks this year on NATO troops and military supply convoys, as well as a rise in high-profile kidnappings.
Schloesser, who took command of U.S. forces in eastern Afghanistan in April, said there are plans to augment the number of Afghan troops in the provinces, apart from the several hundred U.S. troops who will be added.
Despite stalled progress on security near Kabul, Schloesser said there has been an approximately 15% decline in violent clashes with insurgents in the east near the border with Pakistan within the past few weeks. Schloesser, who commands an estimated 19,000 of the 33,000 U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan, attributed some of the decline to the onset of winter, but he also cited improved coordination between Afghan, Pakistani and U.S. forces near the border. He said the coordinated effort, which has been dubbed Op Lionheart, will continue along with other ops as part of a winter offensive.
"None of these things are the thing that's going to be the tipping point. However, each and every one of them, as you add them, are important in terms of adding to overall security," Schloesser said. "Just the ability to work on both sides of this very tough border, to talk to each other, to have complementary ops -- it's encouraging."
-30-