Dear Interested Reader,
Iraqi medical personnel learn advanced pre-hospital care. The 760th EOD train counterparts in controlled detonation. 1st Stryker CT, 25th ID train Iraqis in weapons caches search. "Johnny 5" helps IA engrs. stay alive.
In Afghanistan, combined forces have successful ops against militants. The 154th Transportation Co repositioned to Afghanistan from Iraq. Grand Canal project completed in Nangarhar.
Joanna
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April 22, 2009
Multi-National Division - North PAO
Iraqi medical personnel learn advanced pre-hospital care
SSgt. Grace David, NCO in charge of medical training and education, Co. C, 325th, provides instruction as 2 Iraqi medical professionals evaluate a simulated casualty during pre-hospital care training.
(Army photo by Spc. Jazz Burney)
COB SPEICHER, TIKRIT - Focusing on quickly transporting patients to the nearest hospital for treatment and
stabilization is an excellent, reachable goal -- but, after all this effort, what if they die en route?
Soldiers of 3rd IBCT, 25th ID partnered with the Iraqi Ministry of Health to provide a series of training events geared toward creating an emergency medical system program and improving efficiency in pre-hospital care for civilian health professionals from the Tikrit General Hospital and 4th IA Div medical personnel.
"Our focus of pre-hospital care will definitely save a lot of lives and give our medical professionals a lot of help as we go out and provide health service to our people in Salah ad-Din," said an Iraqi civilian medical provider.
"Iraqi medical professionals are really good at hospital care. An area of improvement for them is their on-site treatment," said Capt. Ulue Porter, co cmdr, Co. C, 325th BSB, 3rd IBCT, 25th ID. "When an IED or suicide bomber goes off within the city, and Iraqi citizens are injured, it's the immediate amount and quality of care that needs to be performed at the site of injury that makes all the difference in saving lives. This is where we are assisting Iraqi medical personnel," he continued.
"The training that we're being provided will definitely show its worth when I return to our Iraqi Soldiers. This is my seventh training opportunity, which makes me well-rounded in providing the type of care to assist my fellow Soldiers when they are in need," said Cpl. Muhamed, Iraqi medic.
An Iraqi medical professional from the Tikrit General Hospital explains the procedure of evaluating casualties to SSgt. Grace David.
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Multi-National Corps - Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342
IA, IP and U.S. Army EOD conduct massive controlled detonation
Soldiers from the 760th EOD stand on nearly 8,000 pounds of inert and live munitions, to inspect the work of the IA and police. They explain the method of overlaying the exlposives to their Iraqi counterparts to insure all of the potential weapons are destroyed in the blast.
(Army photo by SSgt. Dave Lankford)
KARBALA - Members of the IA, IP and U.S. Army EOD teamed up to destroy several tons of confiscated munitions in the desert outside of Karbala, April 4. The rockets, mortar rounds and missiles confiscated from throughout Babil province have been accumulating for some time. Nearly 8,000 pounds of live and inert explosive devices were delivered to the blast site in 4 large trucks.
"A lot of times, this stuff will pile up at IP checkpoints or HQ," said 1st Lt. Thomas Kinsey, 760th EOD Co. "They turn it all in at once, then load trucks with 4 or 5 tons of mortars and rockets. The IA has their own EOD forces and the IP have counter-explosives teams," he continued. "The problem is that they don't have access to the resources we do."
CF are working to help the 33rd IA get the advanced schooling they need. Kinsey said the Iraqi forces are well trained and equipped to handle day-to-day ops, but still need assistance with larger missions. "They're doing the best they can with what they've got," said Kinsey. "It's a problem of them getting the funding and the schools to get to the skill level they need."
Kinsey said his Soldiers enjoy helping out. They see it as a way to advance the technical skills of their Iraqi counterparts, and as a means of eventually turning over full mission control.
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Multi-National Division - North PAO
CF team up with ERF in search of weapons caches
Spc. Patrick Revels digs where SSgt. Matthew Jeanneret's metal detector picked up a possible cache site alongside a wall in an area of abandoned buildings in the desert.
DIYALA - Under the late afternoon sun, Soldiers of 1st Stryker BCT, 25th ID, work in close coordination with the IP's Emergency Response Force (ERF), April 9.
"The ERF is the best Iraqi force that we've come across," said Sgt. 1st Class Mitchell Hanson, 1st Plt's platoon sgt. "They are more than willing to go on any patrol and they share info with us." Both the ERF and 2nd Plt spent the afternoon and late into the evening searching for weapons caches hidden by Al Qaeda or other anti-Coalition groups in the Effa desert.
"The enemy runs a decentralized supply ops, which would be caches," said Hanson. "The check points the IA, IP and the SoI have up and down the Mukdadia area have pretty much denied the enemy freedom of movement. With taking their supplies away, they're pretty much hurting."
To find caches, which could be hidden underground, in a wall or alongside a building, the ERF and Coalition Soldiers use a metal detector that picks up traces of metal of varying sizes, and based on the sound the detector emits, Soldiers can tell if enough metal is present to warrant further searching.
During the search, Coalition Soldiers used the patrol to teach members of the ERF how to operate the metal detector and what type of areas to search.
Spc. Douglas Green instructs 2 members of the IP's ERF how to operate a metal detector and shows them what kind of areas they should search in order to locate hidden caches, during a patrol, April 9.
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Multi-National Division - South PAO
Warhorse commander says farewell to key ISF leaders
CAMP ECHO -
Col. Henry Kievenaar, 2nd BCT, 4th ID cmdr, eats dinner with Lt. Gen. Ali Oothman, 8th IA Div cmdr, Lt. Col. Adrian Bogart III, 2nd BCT, 4th ID dep. cmdr, and Brig. Gen. Abdil Hussein (far right), Diwaniya Police, during a farewell dinner, April 9. The brigade is set to relocate to Basra in southern Iraq.
(Army photos by SSgt. Carlos M. Burger II)
Col. Kievenaar presents Brig. Gen. Hussein with an engraved knife and certificate. Hussein and Lt. Gen. Oothman also presented Kievenaar with plaques in appreciation of their partnership with the Warhorse Brigade.
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225th Engineer Brigade RSS
Johnny 5 Helps Iraqi Army Engineers Stay Alive
Story by Scott Flenner
Shaun Williamson, a member of the 515th Sapper Co, 5th Engr Bn attached to the 225th Eng. Bde, gives detailed instructions on how to maneuver the Talon robot, via the controller box, to Iraqi engr students, April 17 at JSS Deason. The Talon robot is a piece of equipment used by combat engrs during route clearance to examine possible explosive devices where people cannot go.
BAGHDAD – Just like Johnny 5 in the 1986 movie "Short Circuit," IA Soldiers had the opportunity to train on a robot designed to help Soldiers 'stay alive' during a course taught by Soldiers from the 515th. "You can replace a robot," said course instructor SSgt. Shaun Williamson. "You can't replace a person."
During route clearance ops, combat engrs like Pfc. Matthew Foote and Williamson rely heavily on advanced technology and specialized training to effectively conduct their dangerous mission: the hunting down of hostile explosive devices.
Foote said the Husky is a vehicle mounted mine detector that is equipped with a ferret arm that extends from the front of the vehicle and is used to examine possible explosive ordinance. The Talon robot is an unmanned remotely controlled robot that is also used to examine possible threats in hard to reach areas.
The students took turns maneuvering the ferret arm of the husky through a pile of rubble trying to uncover previously placed dummy munitions, while Foote stood by offering suggestions. "They did very well and caught on very quickly," said Foote. "They were very receptive; they wanted to learn. They did an outstanding job overall."
After the students finished maneuvering the ferret arm, Williamson taught the complicated op of the Talon robot. Since it's so difficult to operate, the Iraqi engineer students had many questions, but Williamson did not mind. "I like questions; the more questions you [Iraqi students] ask, the more fun my day is," said Williamson. "I'm here to answer your questions and make sure you understand this piece of equipment."
Understand they did. Within minutes of taking the helm behind the controller box, the students were able to drive the Talon robot down to a pile of rocks, gently pick up a bottle and return it to Williamson with ease. "Today's training was very good, and I appreciate this opportunity. I look forward to more training in the future," said one of the IA engr students.
An Iraqi engr student sits in the cab of a Husky route clearance vehicle using a control box to maneuver the ferret arm which extends out in front of the vehicle.
The Talon robot, being controlled by an IA Soldier picks up an empty bottle with its grippers.
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American Forces Press Service
U.S., Afghan Forces Kill Eight, Detain Five
WASHINGTON, April 17, 2009 – Afghan soldiers, assisted by CF, killed 2 militants in Farah province’s Khaki Safed district. The combined patrol came under machine-gun, small-arms and RPG fire from 5 to 7 militants. Shortly thereafter, 20 to 30 fighters joined in from established firing positions. The Afghan and CF pursued the militants on foot. Most abandoned their fighting positions, but 2 were killed and several others were wounded as the combined elements cleared the area.
In Kandahar province’s Maywand district, U.S. and Afghan troops killed 6 enemy fighters and detained one in an op targeting an alleged mid-level terrorist responsible for orchestrating attacks on U.S. forces. Afghan troops killed 5 of the insurgents in a field near the compound where the suspect was believed to be. The other insurgent was killed inside the complex after taking up arms and refusing to surrender. About 5 and a half pounds of opium was found and destroyed at the compound.
In Nangarhar province, Afghan army commandos detained a suspected insurgent after receiving a tip from local villagers that the suspect was coordinating terrorist activities from his home.
In Logar province’s Baraki Barak district, U.S. and Afghan troops detained a suspected insurgent believed to be responsible for acquiring and developing bomb-making material for use against local residents and SF.
In Paktya province’s Zormat district yesterday, Afghan commandos detained 3 suspected insurgents during a search of an alleged insurgent leader’s home. The suspects and their alleged leader are believed to be involved in mortar and small-arms attacks against Afghan and U.S. forces.
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Multi-National Corps - Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342
154th Transportation Company repositioned to Afghanistan
Spc. Keith Stoner, a gunner with the 154th waits with other unit Soldiers for his company's flight to Afghanistan.
(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Alex Snyder)
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq - A transportation company here was moved from Iraq to Afghanistan on April 14, marking the 2nd time in 3 weeks a 3rd Sust Command (Expeditionary) unit has moved directly from one combat theater to another.
The 154th Transportation Co, an active-component unit from Fort Hood, Texas, was repositioned to southern Afghanistan, where it will continue its mission of transporting supplies to CF, unit leadership said. Capt. Corinne McClellan, the 154th cmdr, said the move would not change her unit's mission - only its location. "We'll go wherever we are needed," McClellan said. "The Soldiers are ready to go."
1st Sgt. Eric Moree, the co's senior NCO, said he is proud of his unit's performance thus far and believes they are "absolutely" ready to assume their mission in Afghanistan. "We haven't lost a vehicle," Moree said. "We haven't lost a Soldier. We haven't lost any cargo. And in doing so, we were able to provide the support to the warfighters that's needed." Moree said the unit will face some challenges, however, and cited the narrow dirt roads and mountainous terrain of southern Afghanistan as 2 examples.
In preparation for the move, the unit trained on various tasks that could prove useful to the unit's mission, including weapons training and first-aid training. The unit conducted additional training on vehicles the company will use in Afghanistan. The unit reorganized itself by creating a "gun truck" platoon - a special convoy security element for its mission in Afghanistan. "They're fully prepared to execute that mission," Moree said. "They had months of extensive training prior to even coming to Iraq."
The 154th Trans. Co. drives the military's Palletized Load System, a vehicle designed with self-loading capabilities that reduces the need for forklifts and other equipment that may not be readily available in smaller military camps in southern Afghanistan.
The Palletized Load System, comprised of a mover truck with integral self-loading and unloading cargo capability.
Soldiers of the 154th make last-minute adjustments to their bags prior to leaving for Afghanistan.
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CJTF-101 in Afghanistan, Bagram Media Center
Grand Canal project completed in Nangarhar
By Air Force Capt. Dustin Hart
Nangarhar Provincial Gov. Sherzai and Nangarhar PRT cmdr AF Lt. Col. Steve Cabosky, take turns cutting the ribbon for the Grand Canal repair project.
(AF photos by Capt. Dustin Hart)
NANGARHAR PROVINCE - Joined by govt and local leaders, the Nangarhar PRT celebrated the completion of the Grand Canal repair project April 12, during a ribbon cutting ceremony in Jalalabad.
The repairs took approx. 9 months to complete, covering 63 km of canal spanning 4 districts. The contractor repaired 850 gates and installed 5 new siphons, which will help control the flow of water through the canal and double the irrigation capability.
"This project represents hope for the people of Afghanistan," said PRT cmdr AF Lt. Col. Steven Cabosky. "It was identified by the govt as one of the most important needs of the province, and was a coordinated effort between the govt and PRT. Afghans will enjoy the fruits of this project for years to come. The canal repairs provide better irrigation, more crops, more jobs and a better economy for the Nangarhar people," Cabosky said. "While the enemies of Afghanistan offer only destruction and death, this project demonstrates the govt's commitment to building a better future for the children of Afghanistan."
The project will directly benefit more than 60,000 families, Gov. Sherzai said at the ceremony. "Reconstruction in Nangarhar is successful because we have the support of the people," the gov. said. "The Grand Canal was one of our biggest projects and it was repaired through the help of our friends. It's a very important project and today is a great day for all Nangarhar people."
The province's Grand Canal including the Moqam Khan siphon shown here.
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A Collapsible Wire Mesh Gabion
U.S. Navy sailors assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Bn 5 (NMCB-5) lift a collapsible wire mesh gabion into position at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, April 11, 2009. NMCB-5 is deployed to Afghanistan to provide contingency construction support to allies and members of the NATO Int'l Security Assistance Force.
(DoD photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Patrick W. Mullen III, U.S. Navy)
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