Dear Interested Reader,
Iraqi and U.S. bands perform before the Ziggurat of Ur. The Zaab Police Station has validation ceremony. Samarra honors SWAT graduates. U.S. Airmen keep troops, cargo moving through Kuwait. Food Service Marines serve up good food, and keep up morale. Kuwait Logistics Center improves supply pipeline to Afghanistan.
Joanna
_________________________________
April 14, 2009
Multi-National Corps - Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342
Iraqi, U.S. Bands Jazz up Ziggurat
The Ali Joda band performs for a crowd of approx. 200 Iraqi citizens and CF at the Ziggurat of Ur in southern Iraq. This concert was open to the Iraqi public and allowed them an opportunity to see the Ziggurat up close.
(Photo by Spc. Creighton Holub)
COB ADDER — The smooth sounds of keyboard, drums and saxophone echoed off the walls of the 5,000-year-old Ziggurat of Ur during a concert here, April 1. "This concert is because of all of you," said Dr. Anne Prouse, the Dhi Qar PRT leader, as she stood on the stage. "Iraqi citizens, the IA, and the rest of the CF are the reason why this is happening today."
Prouse and her PRT assisted the Iraqi SF, CF and Dhaif Muhsen, the Ziggurat curator, in planning the event. The musical event showcased the Ali Joda band, from Iraq, and the Alvin and Atkinson Jazz Band, from America. "In some other countries in the world, like Egypt or Jordan, they depend on tourism," said Muhsen. "This is a good thing and I hope that Iraq can depend on its tourism using places like the Ziggurat."
The Ali Joda band started the night by performing some of their internationally known music, which has been played worldwide, including at the White House. After a standing ovation, America’s Alvin Atkinson Jazz Band took the stage.
"It was wonderful to see the Iraqi citizens united through music," said Lt. Col. Mark Nelson, the dep. cmdr of the 4th BCT, 1st Cav Div.
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IPs make progress, improve security in Zaab
Col. Muhammad Mohsin, the Zaab police chief, shakes hands with Lt. Col. David Lesperance during a validation ceremony held in Hawijah, March 31.
(Photos by Pfc. Justin Naylor)
FOB WARRIOR, Kirkuk - The Zaab Police Station was validated March 31 at a ceremony in Hawijah. "Being validated means that, as a station, they have qualified in a number of tasks, including everything from evidence processing to detainee handling," said 2nd Lt. Lee Roberts, a TF fire support officer for 2nd BCT, 1st Cav Div. Roberts said policemen from the town of Zaab have been working closely with U.S. MPTT on tasks the officers will need to know in order to work without U.S. military support.
"By successfully earning validation, the Zaab police have demonstrated through actions, not just words, that they possess competence and confidence in the skills necessary to serve and protect the people of Zaab," said Lt. Col. David Lesperance, cmdr of 1st Bn., 8th Cav. Regt. "The IP are the cornerstone of security and the only legitimate stewards of the rule of law in cities, towns, and villages in Iraq," Lesperance added.
"The IP are working hard and giving us security around our cities," said Hussein Saleh, the district council chairman. "I hope that all the IP stations do as well as the Zaab station."
Lt. Col. David Lesperance gives a certificate to Col. Muhammad Mohsin. Mohsin's policemen have begun to work independent of the U.S. military to improve security in their area.
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Multi-National Corps - Iraq PAO
Samarra honors its second class of 'premiere police force' graduates
Lt. Col. Dave Bolduc addresses the newest class of Samarra SWAT graduates.
(AF photo by Staff Sgt. Heidi Davis)
TIKRIT - The Samarra district mayor and several other distinguished guests, along with U.S. SF foreign internal defense partners, have high hopes for the newest class of Iraqi SWAT, who graduated April 2. "We've great hope in our SWAT unit, who will reach to the farthest point in Samarra to crush terrorism, in hopes Samarra will return to its shining past," said Mr. Mahmud, the Samarra district mayor.
Graduates completed 6 weeks of rigorous training in the areas of weapons firing, troop movement and communication, combat-lifesaver techniques, armored vehicle familiarization and Iraqi law, in order to join the ranks in Samarra's elite IP force. They impressed the USSF instructors with their bravery and military competency.
"After training and doing missions with the SWAT, I'm confident they can defeat any terrorist threat in Samarra," said the USSF team leader. "As we go forward and continue to make strides in security and improving Samarra, a brave and competent force like this became increasingly important."
Unique to other IP units in Samarra, SWAT is the only unit organized for the purpose of serving high-risk, terrorism warrants, said Army Lt. Col. Dave Bolduc, Special Ops TF-N cmdr and guest speaker for the graduation. "Samarra SWAT is the premier IP force in Samarra because of your strong leadership, tough personnel, and willingness to train hard," Bolduc told the graduates. "You can be very proud of your unit; it stands as a glorious symbol of Iraqi security."
Delivering his speech in Arabic, Buldoc used the occasion to highlight Samarra SWAT's notable accomplishments since its establishment 6 months prior. "You've fought like warriors against terrorists ... played an important role in detaining an 8-man terrorist cell before they conducted a sniper and IED attack in Samarra," Bolduc said. "You have denied terrorists' supplies by recovering numerous weapons and ammo caches ... and provided security for the most successful election in Iraqi history in January 2009."
"We'll not let anyone mess with the security of Samarra," said Omar, a distinguished SWAT graduate. "With an iron fist, we'll vanquish terrorists."
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American Forces Press Service
U.S. Airmen Keep Troops, Cargo Moving Through Kuwait
By Fred W. Baker III
Two airmen from the 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Sqdrn (ELRS) work to unload cargo from a C-17 Globemaster III at a small air strip in Kuwait, March 17, 2009. The airmen facilitate the most cargo and troops to theater of any air portal in the region.
(DoD photo by Fred W. Baker III)
WASHINGTON, April 8, 2009 - The war may be fought in the sands of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan, but for most troops and cargo heading into theater, it starts on a small air strip just outside of Kuwait City, Kuwait. At the small base that supports the Theater Gateway – the military group in Kuwait charged with getting troops and goods in and out of Iraq and Afghanistan -- about 85 airmen from the AF's 386th work around the clock supporting the warfighter from behind the lines.
"If I'm not doing my job, I'm doing a disservice to the AF, and I'm not getting cargo and personnel out to the fight. It's huge," said AF 1st Lt. Lydia Chebino, the aerial port cmdr. "Mission success is getting their stuff to them as quickly as possible."
Chebino and her crew work day and night, 7 days a week shipping out anything that will fit on a plane, she said. The large mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles known as MRAPs roll regularly into the C-17s. Helicopter replacement blades and military working dogs also make the list, along with tons of other cargo and thousands of troops. The logistics readiness officer joined the AF looking for a challenge and wanting to travel. Now she finds herself deployed to Kuwait, and in charge of ops, as the largest supplier of troops and cargo of any air portal in the region.
"It's phenomenal. I don't think we take the time to stop and think, 'We moved 2,000 passengers today,'" Chebino said. "It's pretty amazing to see what my flight does." Every month, the crew moves 60,000 passengers in and out of the base, about 6,000 tons of cargo, and supports 1,500 sorties of aircraft, mainly C-130 Hercules and the C-17 Globemaster IIIs, she said.
Massive databases track the numbers of troops and the types and destinations of cargo. All of the data is scanned into a tracking system, similar to a grocery store scanning system, and it can be accessed by units around the world. Nothing sits on the line longer than 72 hours, Chebino said.
"We've gotten really smart with our in-transit visibility," she said. Crewmembers, self-nicknamed the "Port Dogs," work 12-hour shifts, splitting the day so each gets its share of the blistering summer heat. Besides the heat, the job comes with other inherent dangers. Moving tons of cargo with heavy equipment can be a dangerous mix for poorly placed arms and fingers. But, Chebino said, the crew has completed more than 2,000 missions in the past 3 months without a safety incident.
Although her airmen are not on the frontline of the fight, Chebino said they understand the overall impact their mission has on the war efforts, and are intensely proud of the crew's job. "They just know the mission and they work it, and they do a damn good job," she said. "We never close our doors -- holidays, birthdays, you name it -- and we're pushing through."
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Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Phoenix Base
APO AE 09348
Over 1,300 Basic Training Recruits Graduate in Mosul
MOSUL— Iraq’s police force continues to add to their growing numbers after 1,346 basic training recruits graduated April 8th from the Mosul Public Service Academy. During the 4-week course, the recruits were trained in weapons marksmanship, basic police skills and hand-to-hand tactics.
Upon graduation, the majority of the recruits will work for local police forces in Mosul, and the surrounding Ninewah Province.
Also attending the graduation was Maj. Gen. Jerry Cannon, dir. gen., Civilian Police Assistance Training Team, Multi-National Security Transition Command-I. The VIPS and guests enjoyed several demos by the graduates including a pass and review, hand to hand defense techniques, and a cordon and search demo.
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Army Pfc. Chris Baker, broadcast journalist, 3rd BCT, PAO is tested on his weapons knowledge during a portion of the 2009 Joint Servicemember competition, March 25.
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CJTF-101 in Afghanistan, Bagram Media Center
Afghan girl receives help from Soldiers, Americans
By Army Pfc. Kimberly D. Cole
40th Public Affairs Detachment
AF Maj. (Dr.) Robert Elwood and AF Capt. LaRita Abel, hold a press conference about Nazia Gardezi's
upcoming surgery with Afghan media at Bagram Air Field, March 30. In the middle, Nazia sits on her brother's lap.
BAGRAM AIR FIELD (April 8, 2009) - A 2-year-old girl from Gardez province and her family flew to Cinn., Ohio earlier this month to have reconstructive surgery on the child's trachea after swallowing a battery a year ago.
Nazia Gardezi had been a permanent resident of the Intensive Care Wing at Craig Joint Theater Hospital, Bagram Air Field since October 2008, when she was brought back to the hospital with severe pneumonia, due the family's inability to suction her airway properly. "Unfortunately," explained AF Maj. (Dr.) Robert Elwood, chief pediatrician, "this kind of airway takes a certain amount of routine care. A lot of suctioning needs to take place and the family's living circumstances made it where they were really incapable of taking care of it properly."
Elwood said the team of physicians who treated Nazia here were able to repair the injury to her esophagus, but the airway had so much scarring, resulting in a narrowing to the point Nazia could not move air in and out of her lungs.
"Fortunately, a group from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center learned of her case and has offered a team of highly-specialized surgeons to do a reconstruction of her trachea," said Elwood. As the team of physicians prepared Nazia for her 4 to 6 month trip, Elwood said she will be greatly missed. "She has learned to walk here, and has learned a very impressive vocabulary for a 2-year-old," Elwood said. "The team has come to think of her like one of their own children. You have to stand in line to get a chance to play with her."
Air Force Capt. LaRita Abel, nurse mgr, intensive care wing, reiterated those thoughts. "She really has become a part of our family. Every nurse and every technician really adores her," Abel said. As far as how it feels to be sending Nazia forward to the U.S. and putting her in other's hands, Abel said she will miss her dearly. "She's been a real pleasure to take care of," Abel said. "It's been a challenge and it's been an honor."
Once the reconstruction to Nazia's trachea is complete, she will no longer need her tracheotomy and will be able to return to a normal life with her family. That sits well with Elwood. "She's been a star," Elwood said. "She's a very special little girl, and we've been very fortunate to have her."
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Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force - Afghanistan RSS
Expeditionary Food Service Marines Serve Up Morale in Southern Afghanistan
(Photo by Lance Cpl. Brian D. Jones)
Lance Cpl. Dennis Escalante, a food service specialist, prepares plates of food at FOB Delaram, Farah province, March 6, 2009. The food service specialists of 3rd Bn, 8th Marine Regt (Reinforced), the ground combat element of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground TF - Afghanistan, are dedicated to improving the quality of food served to Marines in southern Afghanistan. The Marines of 3/8 are here to conduct counterinsurgency ops, and train and mentor the Afghan NP.
Plates of food prepared by Lance Cpl. Escalante are ready for the taking.
GySgt. Joseph M. Doby (right) and Cpl. Matthew J. Ford (left) put together a field food service oven. Doby is the mess chief and Ford is one of Doby's 8 food service specialists who serves with the unit.
A sign in the window of a field food service kitchen suggests plenty of service members were fed!
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Special to American Forces Press Service
Kuwait Logistics Center Improves Supply Pipeline to Afghanistan
By Beth Reece
Army Staff Sgt. Thomas Marstin of Co B, 1st Bn, 4th Inf Regt, enjoys the view from an M939 5-ton truck at FOB Lane in Afghanistan’s Zabol province, Feb. 15, 2009. The Defense Logistics Agency is planning for increased demands of food, building supplies, fuel and spare parts for additional troops expected to arrive in Afghanistan by midsummer.
(Army photo by SSgt. Adam Mancini)
FORT BELVOIR, Va., Feb. 24, 2009 – As 17,000 soldiers and Marines ordered to Afghanistan by President Obama prepare to deploy this spring and summer, logisticians already are orchestrating the shipment of critical supplies. The Defense Logistics Agency here has been working with U.S. Central Command’s Deployment Distribution Ops Center in Kuwait since January to support the troop increase requested last year by U.S. Forces Afghanistan Cmdr Gen. David McKiernan, Navy Rear Adm. Mark Heinrich, dir. of DLA’s Logistics Ops and Readiness Directorate, said.
The ops center merges experts from U.S. Transportation Command, Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, Army Materiel Command, DLA and service components. Together, they plan the most efficient and timely movement of supplies to troops.
“We’re planning for increased demands of food subsistence, building supplies, spare parts and packaged petroleum products in Afghanistan,” Heinrich said. “All of our supply centers are deeply involved with the CDDOC and working closely with DLA support teams in Kuwait.”
Defense Supply Center Philadelphia is partnering with the ops center to ensure collapsible housing units are sent where needed. “The distribution center in Kuwait is playing a role in metering the flow — some by air, some by ship — and getting them to where they need to be to meet warfighters’ requirements,” Heinrich said.