Dear Interested Reader,
Army's top medic Command Sgt. Maj. Althea Dixon visits "Lifeline" crew. The 340th MP Co along with IP delivered donated supplies to school children. MNF-Iraq announces force reductions. The 2nd BCT, 1st Armored Div. deliver micro-grants to business widows. The 509th QM Co. consider safety a top priority. US Agricultural team vaccinate chicks. In Afghanistan, CF detain suspected militants in Kapisa Province. Afghan and CF disrupt Taliban and Haqqani IED cells.
Joanna
_________________________________
March 10, 2009
Multi-National Corps - Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342
Army's top medic visits "Lifeline" crew
Command Sgt. Maj. Althea Dixon (right), shakes hands with Command Sgt. Maj. Julia Kelly, senior enlisted leader, 299th.
(Army photos by Spc. Dustin Roberts)
BAGHDAD - With top leaders in the U.S. Army naming 2009 as the "Year of the NCO," the Army's senior medic flew from Fort Sam Houston, Texas to Camp Liberty to meet with MND-Baghdad's Army Medical Corps enlisted leaders and Soldiers.
Command Sgt. Maj. Althea Dixon, senior enlisted advisor to the Army Surgeon General, U.S. Army Medical Command, paid a visit to medical Soldiers serving with the 299th Bde Support "Lifeline" Bn, 2nd HBCT, 1st ID, at the Riva Ridge Troop Medical Clinic on Camp Liberty, March 5.
"One of the reasons for my visit was to see our medical people, and to take a look at the services they are providing. Everybody knows the great medical support the Soldiers get when they're deployed," said Dixon, who was also there to update the troops on what's going on in the Army medical dept. "As the senior medic in the Army, I try my best to meet and talk with each and every medical Soldier, or as many of them as I can, and hear their concerns and ideas."
To better understand their own rolls as medical NCOs, Dixon informed the Lifeline leaders about the recently released Army Medicine Strategic Map, which shows the key tactics and objectives for the medical corps in terms of leading, guiding and developing Soldiers. "I want them to know where they fit in that strategy," said Dixon. "Our mission is to train, develop and equip a medical force that supports full spectrum ops."
Dixon also detailed the various aspects of being a leader in a Warrior Transition Unit (WTU), where many Soldiers in the Army's medical field may find themselves working. "Working in a WTU is one of the toughest leadership jobs there is. In addition to taking care of injuries and medical problems, they are taking care of emotional and family issues," said Dixon. "There are many challenges to being a leader in a WTU; it's not a 'take a knee' kind of job."
In a deployed environment, Soldiers have to constantly make sure they are "combat-ready," and Dixon said the Soldier-medics are one of the reasons why missions outside of the wire are successful.
Command Sgt. Maj. Dixon speaks with Sgt. Adam Funk, a lab tech serving with Co C, 299th
Command Sgt. Maj. Dixon speaks with Spc. Melanie Harris (left), a medical Soldier serving with Co C. After a tour of the facility, which treats injuries and illness of deployed Soldiers, Dixon exchanged ideas with the Soldiers, and updated them on changes in the medical field.
SSgt. Randy Maurer (right), a medic serving with Co C shows the inside of a Heavy Armored Ground Ambulance to Command Sgt. Maj. Dixon.
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Iraqi, U.S. Police Deliver Donated Supplies to School Children
By Maj. Jeff Parker
More than 500 students at Tadhia Primary School received school supplies through a collaborated effort by local Iraqi Police and Soldiers from the 340th MP Co, Feb. 25.
BAGHDAD — The IPs distributed basic school supplies, clothing and sporting equipment to the students to further develop the positive relationships between the IPs and their New Baghdad neighborhood. “It’s something we’ve always talked about, wanting to do something for the kids in the area that we patrol,” said Sgt. Peter Farley, 340th MP Co, PTT member, and 4th-grade teacher at Hancock Elementary School, in Brockton, Mass.
The collaborative effort among IPs and Soldiers from the 2nd plt, had its roots stateside from a program called ‘Take a Vet to School Day.’ Farley, who took part in the event, asked U.S. school children to focus on the needs of the Iraqi kids instead of himself. With a common desire among other 340th MPs to give, Farley said, “I told them to focus more on donating things to the Iraqi children; notebooks, paper, pens and crayons.”
Through the help of his wife, also an elementary school teacher in the Boston area, along with family and friends of other Soldiers from the 340th, several boxes of donated supplies began arriving. “The collection of donated goods was the easy part. The hardest thing about the whole op was to afford mailing the boxes,” said Sgt. 1st. Class Sidney Glanz, the plt sgt for 2nd Plt.
After receiving more than 50 boxes of donations, coordination and school selection was made by IP Lt. Col. Zubeidi, cmdr, New Baghdad Patrol Station. The event, dubbed “Op Iraq Tomorrow” by Farley, began with the IPs and MPs meeting at the New Baghdad Patrol Station. Large boxes of supplies, often splitting on the sides from their travels, were transferred by the IP and MPs onto IP vehicles. Many of the 500 plus students were found sitting along raised walkways within the school’s courtyard. Remaining students were in their class room. “This is known to be one of the poorest schools in the area. The New Baghdad city councilmen were very thankful that the Al Tadhia Primary School was chosen,” said Zubeidi.
The children were frequently heard thanking the IPs in for the supplies they received. “They were most appreciative of the simple things we often take for granted back home, like a simple pack of pencils, or notebook,” Farley said. “The smiles on their faces showed it all. Today was definitely a team building experience as well as showing the people that we are working together to help them,” said Farley. “The teachers, the faculty, the IPs, everybody worked together, and today was just a great positive experience for all involved including us and the IP.”
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MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ
PRESS DESK
BAGHDAD, Iraq
Multi-National Force-Iraq Announces Force Reductions
BAGHDAD - MNF-Iraq announced today that 2 BCTs, who are scheduled to redeploy in the next 6 months, along with associated enabling forces such as logistics, engrs, and intel, will not be replaced. Additionally, an F-16 sqdrn recently redeployed, and will not be replaced.
This drawdown of forces from Iraq will reduce the total number of U.S. BCTs from 14 to 12. Additionally, a British Combat Bde will also redeploy without replacement. The reduction is possible due to the increased level of security and stability that Iraq has achieved over the last 12 months, the growth in capability and capacity of the Iraqi SF, and the transition from counterinsurgency to stability ops throughout most of Iraq.
Gen. Ray Odierno, Comm. Gen., MNF-Iraq, made the recommendations to reduce these forces within the next 6 months. When complete, approx. 12,000 fewer U.S. and 4,000 fewer British forces will be in Iraq. This is a significant step in the implementation of the Security Agreement between Iraq and the U.S. that took effect on January 1, 2009, and President Obama’s recent announcement concerning the responsible drawdown of U.S. combat forces in Iraq.
"The time and conditions are right for CF to reduce the number of troops in Iraq," said General Ray Odierno. "The successful provincial elections demonstrated the increased capability of the IA and Police to provide security. In the coming months, Iraqis will see the number of U.S. forces go down in the cities, while more and more Iraqi flags will go up at formerly shared security stations."
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Mico-grants for widows in Mamuri Gaurari
U.S. Soldiers from 2nd BCT, 1st Armored Div chat outside a sheik's house in Mamouri Gaurari, March 4.
(Photos by Sgt. Kani Ronningen)
An Iraqi girl watches as her mother fills out a micro grant application for widows, to help better her farm business.
Soldiers from 2nd BCT, eat dinner at a sheik's house. The Soldiers visited the area to bring widows micro grant applications to help with their farming businesses.
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Safety is everyone's responsibility
1st Lt. Man Fung Wong, native of Hong Kong, and the Safety Officer for the 590th QM Co, 398th CSSB, 10th Sust Bde, provides instruction to Spc. Christopher Fox, Spc. Danae Mohalland, and Spc. Tuesday Pruitt. Fox, Mohalland, and Pruitt are Soldiers of the 140th QM Co, 398th CSSB, 10th SBDE. The Safety Officer is an important role in the 590th QM Co. Safety is everyone's responsibility, but it is the role of the Co Safety Officer to regulate and direct safety inspections. These safety inspections identify potential safety risks and hazards. Following the results of the safety inspections, Wong and his staff then implement safety procedures to ensure the health, morale, and welfare of the Soldiers. Safety is very important, for it ensures the effectiveness and readiness of both the unit and the Soldier. Wong comments, "Safety is a top priority for the 590th QM Co. Without strict adherence to safety regulations, the 590th could not accomplish its wartime mission."
(Army photo by Spc. Brian Samuels)
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U.S. Agricultural Team Vaccinates Chicks
Charles Russell, a member of the U.S. State Dept ePRT and an agricultural advisor, sprays 21-day-old chicks with a vaccine to prevent Gambaro disease, which attacks a chick's immune system, at the Poultry Agkardi Hatchery during an EPRT event in Mahmudiyah, Feb. 27.
(Photo and story by Jamie Vernon)
MAHMUDIYAH — Charles Russell, an agricultural advisor for the EPRT, traveled to the Poultry Agkardi Hatchery here to assist local Iraqi farmers in spraying 22,000 chicks—each 21-days-old—with a vaccine to protect them from Gumboro disease, (also known as infectious bursal disease) which destroys a chicken’s immune system, leaving it susceptible to infections much like AIDS does in humans. Untreated, the highly contagious disease can lead to high mortality rates among chickens.
The chicks were taken from the hatchery to the Mahmudiyah Poultry Assn where they will be raised for 40 days, long enough for them to grow to a weight of at least 2 kilograms. At that weight, they will be ready to be sold to local markets, and the Iraqi populace as poultry. Prior to the program, the chicks were raised for 60 days. Many times the chickens would only weigh 1.7-1.8 kgs, not enough to be sold as poultry.
This ePRT project helped reduce the amount of time needed to raise the chicks, consequently cutting back on feed costs, as well as the fuel used for the hatchery’s heaters. “The profit is in the mgt. When the feed is not good, and the breed of chicks is not good, the outcome is not good,” said Shaykh Khalid, owner of the coops and a board of dir. member for the Mahmudiyah Poultry Assn.
In the past, the poultry assn did not have healthy chickens to sell. The farmers of Mahmudiyah could not rely on having enough poultry as their source of income. “This project, established with U.S. assistance, is going in a smooth way,” said Mr. Shakeir, owner of the Poultry Agkardi Hatchery and a member of the board of directors for the Mahmudiyah Poultry Assn. “This is a wonderful project that creates a lot of jobs for many different tribes and helps the economy in the Mahmudiyah area. The money that went to cater this project went to the right place.”
More vaccines will be given to the chicks in the coming weeks to help further prevent Gumboro and other diseases related to reduced egg production.
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Blackanthem Military News
Joint IA, MND-B Patrol nabs suspect in Kadamiyah
Confiscated items seized by IA and MND-Baghdad Soldiers during an early morning op, March 8 in the Kadamiyah district of northwest Baghdad.
BAGHDAD - At approx. 4 a.m., Iraqi Soldiers working with Soldiers from the 1st CCAB, 18th Inf Regt, 2nd HBCT, 1st ID, detained an individual with a warrant, and seized firearms, a computer, several cell phones and other materials.
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Blackanthem Military News
By US Forces Afghanistan Public Affairs
Coalition Forces detain suspected militants
KABUL - CF detained 3 suspected militants during ops in Kapisa Province March 5.
CF conducted ops in Tagab District, Kapisa Province, approx. 50 km northeast of Kabul, to disrupt Taliban operatives known to facilitate the movement of suicide bombers into Afghanistan.
With info provided by local Afghans, CF targeted a compound where militants were staying. After searching several buildings without incident, forces detained 3 suspected militants.
With the cooperation of those on the compound, no shots were fired and all non-combatants were unharmed. Six women and 13 children were protected.
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Blackanthem Military News
By US Forces Afghanistan
Afghan, Coalition Forces disrupt IED cells
KABUL - Afghan and CF killed one militant and detained 4 suspected militants during ops to disrupt Taliban and Haqqani networks in Kandahar and Khowst Provinces, March 5.
In Maywand District, Kandahar Province, approx. 80 km northwest of Kandahar, Afghan and CF conducted ops to disable a prolific IED-network run by Taliban operatives. On info from a local Afghan, the assault force entered the compound where militants were known to be staying. Without firing any shots, forces detained 2 key Taliban operatives involved in IED facilitation. CF provided medical treatment to one non-compliant militant who sustained a minor injury. When forces approached a separate building on the compound, an armed militant maneuvered on the force and was killed. IED-making material was found in a separate building on the compound.
Twelve women and 25 children were protected.
In Khowst Province, approx. 10 km northeast of Khowst City (Khost, Matun). Afghan SOF and CF conducted an op to disrupt the Haqqani IED network. When the combined force arrived at the targeted compound, they searched several buildings without incident, detaining 2 suspected militants. No shots were fired.
Sixteen women and 35 children were protected.
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