Dear Interested Reader,
The 772nd MP Co. donate needed flashlights.  IP train to provide Babil Province better security.  Logistics Bn of the 82nd BSB keep supply lines open.  Op Iraqi Children delivers school supplies.  Final MV-22 deployment closes book on OIF legacy.  New tactical uniforms for Airmen. 
In Afghanistan, coalition medics prevent diseases and tend to dental care.  Fiber Optics Team keep critical lines of communication open.  Marines conduct security patrols in Helmand Province.
Joanna
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April 15, 2009

Multi-National Corps - Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342

MPs shed some light on IP operations

Sgt. Glen MacDonald stands with Falahea IP station chief Capt. Thwfqi, after delivering 36 flashlights.
(Army photos by Sgt. 1st Class Joe Thompson)

FOB DELTA - Conducting a partnered nighttime police op when unable to see can make any mission difficult.
Soldiers from the 772nd MP Co, realized these challenges when they discovered their Iraqi partners didn't have flashlights. "During a night patrol, we went out there to do a checkpoint and quickly realized it was very difficult to do it without flashlights," said Sgt. Glen MacDonald, 1st Squad, 2nd Plt, 772nd MP Co. "We had to use ours, but they didn't have any at all."
MacDonald reached out to people in his home state to see if they could help. "I have some friends that work for a hardware store, and I made some contacts through my wife, and they went up their chain-of-command to the manufacturer. They donated 36 flashlights," said MacDonald.
MacDonald and his squad delivered the flashlights to the Falahea station chief during a regular visit to the station, April 8.  "It's helpful for us, especially while conducting searches at traffic control points during the night," said Capt. Thwfqir, Falahea IP station chief. "We're very appreciative for this gift from the U.S. forces."

Sgt. Glen MacDonald prepares one of the donated flashlights for use.(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Joe Thompson)

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Multi-National Division - South PAO

IP train to provide Babil province better security

CAMP ECHO - IP trained to improve their traffic control point ops with Soldiers from the 2nd BCT, 4th ID at the Convoy Support Center in Scania, April 4.
IP from the Shumoly district of Babil province performed vehicle and personnel searches during exercises to increase their ability to mitigate the threat of smugglers moving dangerous weapons into the area.
"The biggest threat is smuggling in the area," said SSgt. Jacob Strickland, Btry A, 3rd Bn, 16th FAR. "If they can decrease the smuggling, everyone in Babil province will be safer."
"They've established an acceptable level of security here," said Capt. Jonathan Holm, Btry A cmdr. "However, CF are going to be leaving in the future and ISF need the capacity to maintain this current level of security and even improve it in some areas."
"Train the trainer" is the approach 3rd Bn., 16th FAR is using to enable the policemen to take skills learned to their areas of op and train their own personnel.  "We're training their officer and NCO corps, so when CF leave, they'll still have that capability and their leaders will be able to train new leaders when they join the ranks," said Holm.
In addition to training ISF on running a traffic control point, Soldiers from 3rd Bn., 16th FAR also instructed them in room-clearing procedures, and providing security for building searches.

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Special to American Forces Press Service

Logistics Battalion Keeps Supply Lines Open in Iraq

By Army Sgt. Joshua Risner

Army Spc. Jason Sleeper, left, does pre-combat checks on Army Pvt. Timothy Rickett before the private’s first logistics mission, April 6, 2009.

BAGHDAD – Logistics soldiers here may not be clearing routes of roadside bombs, but they are taking the fight to the enemy in a different way. Without a steady supply of food, fuel and ammo, an army cannot sustain itself for long.
Soldiers of the 82nd BSB keep the supply lines open for the 82nd Abn Div’s 3rd BCT.  Nearly every day, convoys laden with provisions bound for various sites in and around Baghdad, move out of FOB Hammer.
Soldiers in the bn’s Co A accomplish the mission, though it's fraught with dangerous roads, long hours and nearly constant moving, said Army 1st Lt. Jeff Majer, a plt leader in the co.  The convoys carry a variety of materials including fuel, ammo, food and automotive parts, Majer said. To help shoulder the load, contract drivers are included in the convoys.  “These guys help give my soldiers a little bit of a break by taking on some of our mission,” Majer added. To ensure the safety of everyone involved, Co A provides its own security detail, Army Sgt. David Washam said.  Before every mission, the soldiers perform battle drills to keep tactical procedures fresh in their minds, Washam said. Troops mount up in their vehicles and drive around the staging area to simulate convoy ops.
“It’s not unusual for us to do 24 to 30-hour missions,” Majer said. “Some of these guys have been on back-to-back-to-back missions. It’s been rough on them, but they get the job done.”

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Multi-National Corps - Iraq PAO

Op Iraqi Children delivers school supplies to children in Iraq

BAGHDAD - An initial delivery of school supplies from Op Iraqi Children arrived in the hands of local school kids after a trip of over 7,000 miles which originated from Dallas, Texas.  Op Iraqi Children is a combined effort of the DoD and American Airlines to deliver school supplies to school children in Iraq.
The shipment included the "Magic Box" which consisted of pencils, paper, pens and letters of well wishes from American school children. The box started its journey from a local Texas school, and was hand delivered to a U.S. Army soldier who is stationed in Tallil. The Soldier's mother created the idea of the "Magic Box" and is a teacher at a Dallas, Texas school. The box was transferred from American Airlines pilots and crews, and DoD volunteers.  Hand to hand transfers included stops at Kansas City, NYC, Ramstein Airbase Germany, Kuwait, and Baghdad until it arrived at the Iraqi School.
With support from the DoD, American Airlines flew over 75 volunteers and entertainers, including singer Tony Orlando, universally known for his anthem of hope and reunion, Tie A Yellow Ribbon 'Round The Ole Oak Tree. Entertainers who joined Orlando included Vandel-Snook, the Country Tonite singers and dancers, actor Stephen Baldwin, and model/TV host Leeann Tweeden, all of whom helped distribute supplies in Iraq and entertain U.S. troops. Mary Jean Eisenhower, founder of People to People Int'l and granddaughter of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, was also be on the trip.
In addition to the OIC shipment, the Dallas/Fort Worth-based Peter Burks Unsung Hero Fund gathered donations of snacks, supplies, books and video games for the troops serving in Iraq, and soccer balls for the Iraqi children. Dedicated to carrying on the legacy of 2nd Lt. Peter Burks, who was killed in action on Nov. 14, 2007, in Iraq, the fund is managed by Burks' father, Alan, and Burks' fiancée, Missy Haddad. For more information about the fund, visit www.unsungherofund.org.
To learn more about OIC, visit www.operationiraqichildren.org.

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Final MV-22 Deployment Closes Book on Operation Iraqi Freedom Legacy

By Cpl. Ryan Young, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing      

In this file photo, MV-22 Ospreys with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Sqdrn-162 land in Amman, Jordan, July 22, 2008. The deployment of the MV-22 Osprey in OIF is coming to a close as the final Marine Medium Tilt-rotor Sqdrn prepares to head home this spring.
(Photo by Cpl. George Papastrat, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing)

AL ASAD AIR BASE —  The Marines of Marine Medium Tilt-rotor sqdrn (VMM)-266, also known as the Fighting Griffins, have spent every day since their End of Mission Ceremony, April 1, preparing themselves and the aircraft they fly to redeploy home.
The maintenance Marines of VMM-266 kept their wrenches turning 24 hours a day for the entire deployment to keep the aircraft ready for ops.  "All the Marines performed their parts without a hitch," said Maj. Brian McAvoy, the EO of VMM-266. "Watching it all come together each day is a huge credit to the Marines here."
"The Marines have done great proving the capabilities of the Osprey in a deployed environment," explained Lt. Col. Christopher Seymour, the comm. officer of VMM-266.  The experience gained from VMM-266's deployment, coupled with the contributions of VMM-263 and VMM-162, has taught the Osprey community a great deal about the aircraft, which has quickly become a new source of pride in Marine Corps aviation.
"The aircraft was able to test under fire and it, as well as the pilots, proved themselves," said McAvoy. "The Osprey platform has passed the test of survivability. The experience we got here is vital to the growth of the aircraft."
To ensure the aircraft is ready to go home, the Marines will complete maintenance on major components of the aircraft, perform quality assurance inspections and complete a thorough cleaning of each aircraft's interior and exterior, according to GnySgt. William Jankowski, the quality assurance chief with VMM-266.

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Challenged

U.S. Army SSgt. Josh Hedetniemi does pushups to amuse Iraqi children outside a school near Sheik Hammad,  April 8, 2009.  Hedetniemi is from Alpha Co, 1st Bn, 111th Inf Regt, 56th Stryker BCT, 28th ID.
(DoD photos by Sgt. Jacob Smith, U.S. Army)

Shared Humor

Army SSgt. Hedetniemi tests out the tactical capabilities of his new Iraqi friend's umbrella while on a patrol to Nadeem Village, April 9.

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Hearing Protection for Airmen

Airman 1st Class Phllip Brooks, 887th Expeditionary Security Forces Sqdrn, assists 9th AF Command Chief MSgt. Scott Dearduff with the proper way to attach hearing protection before departing on a convoy fro Camp Bucca, April 4.  During his visit to the area of responsibility, Command Chief Dearduff introduced the new tactical uniforms for Airmen working outside the wire.  Airman Brooks is currently deployed from Moody AF Base, Ga.

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American Forces Press Service

Coalition Medics Treat Afghan Troops, Civilians, Prevent Diseases

A traveling Combined Joint Special Ops TF Afghanistan dentist extracts a decayed tooth from a village elder, March 23, 2009.
(Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Marie Schult)

CF are helping Afghan civilians and soldiers alike with medical outreach that is curing illnesses, preventing diseases and keeping soldiers and SF on the job.  In a tent set up to provide dental care, an old man smiled, showing the only 2 teeth left in his mouth. He was happy because a coalition dentist pulled the last rotten tooth from his mouth. Life suddenly is much more pleasant for him.  The man is Arbov Zacharia, the 52-year-old elder of Qanati village, and he was the first of more than 180 people to have teeth pulled by the TF dental team at a special ops clinic near Firebase Thomas in Heart province’s Shindand district.  “The village elder made another appointment to come in and shake my hand,” a TF dentist said. “He kept pointing at the extraction site and giving me the thumbs up. It’s nice to know your work is appreciated.”
Pulling teeth for local residents is a secondary effect of having the dental team at Firebase Thomas. The primary reason for the dental team is to treat coalition personnel, and to keep the missions going.  “We had a team guy who lost a filling, and although it wasn’t causing him any pain, if it had cracked while we were out on a mission, he would have required medical treatment, and that would have been 2 guys out of the fight,” a SF team leader said. The TF physician’s asst requested a dental team to fly out and help.
“The biggest thing I can bring is that I can treat them and they don’t have to interrupt ops. They can get back to the fight,” a dental technician said about his ability to travel around the battlefield treating SF personnel. The teams treat U.S. personnel first, then the interpreters and the Afghan security guards, who have a high absentee rate due to dental problems. “We lose 2 to 4 commandos a week due to dental problems,” the physician’s asst said. “They did surgical extractions, fillings, wisdom teeth. … We ran the whole gamut,” he said.
The dentist said the commandos’ extractions enabled them to get back to work. “We pulled almost 90 teeth,” he said. “That’s going to have an impact, because those soldiers will be mission-ready.”  The technician gave the commando leadership a dental hygiene class, which he said will prevent future disease and keep the commandos out of the dental chair and in the fight.
Back at the clinic, the team got to spend an additional day pulling teeth, passing out toothpaste and toothbrushes, mixing with the local people and teaching them how to care for their teeth.
Meanwhile, a coalition preventive medical team working in the same rural area around Firebase Thomas tested water, gathered bugs, took air samples and evaluated living and dining facilities on base to try to prevent diseases.  One water sample from a dining facility in an Afghan NA commando compound was yellow-orange, a telltale sign that led to a determination of E. coli bacteria, which can cause diseases such as typhoid, hepatitis A and cholera. The source of the contamination was found to be a broken sewer pipe, which was fixed, and the water was treated with chlorine to kill the bacteria.
“Mostly, we concern ourselves with environmental health threats that might expose troops to medical threats,” the team captain explained. “Some of these threats are sand flies and mosquitoes, which can carry leishmaniasis, a painful flesh-eating disease that is difficult to treat and can lead to death.  In addition to testing the water, the team assessed the camp for other possible environmental medical threats such as bugs, arthropods, mosquitoes and sand flies, which were collected, sorted and stored daily. “The other bugs are not medically important to us,” the preventive medicine team captain said, because they do not pose a health threat.  However, the sand flies and mosquitoes carry malaria and leishmaniasis.  Each evening, the team sets out bug traps. In the morning, the traps are collected and the bugs are frozen. In the afternoon, the bugs are sorted by gender and type. The bugs will be sent to a laboratory in Europe for analysis.
Identifying bugs with possible health risks is not enough, the preventive medicine team captain said. The team assessed areas where the pests breed, such as standing water and sand pits, and gave recommendations on how to deal with those areas.  In addition to bugs in the water and air, the team also checked for bugs in the dining facility, and was pleased with the results. “The dining facility is one of the best I've seen in country,” said the preventive medicine team captain during her briefing to the team. “Your cooks are doing a great job of keeping things clean.” The dining facility’s water was the only water on camp that tested negative for bacteria.
This is not the first time the preventive medicine team has assessed a base camp. “We’ve been to 5 camps, and we intend to get to as many as we can during this rotation,” the team captain said. “Usually, they're pretty thankful once they see the results and recommendations.  Usually, they want us to come back and do follow-ups.”

Medical team samples water at Firebase Thomas to ensure it does not contain anything harmful to humans.
(Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class. Marie Schult)

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CJTF-101 in Afghanistan, Bagram Media Center

Paratroopers get dirty to stay connected

By Army Pfc. Andrya Hill

Army Spc. Robert Troxler, a radio operator with the fiber optics team, stands inside of a communication vault in knee deep water, March 22, as he pulls lines of fiber optic cable through tubing buried underground.
(Army Photos by Staff Sgt. Marcus Butler)

KHOWST PROVINCE  - Paratroopers at FOB Salerno are busy running fiber optic lines in order to keep critical lines of communication open.
The paratroopers of Charlie Co, 425th BSTB, 4th BCT (Abn), 25th ID are working to keep everyone connected through a variety of services so the battle can continue.  Army Capt. Brian Collins, cmdr of the Network Support Co, is leading the team of paratroopers. "We provide all of the connectivity for the bde throughout the TF Yukon area of op," he said, referring to the sector of eastern Afghanistan approx. the size of Maryland. "It's a huge tasking for the smallest co. in the entire bde," he added.
The captain explained the necessity of the network functioning at all times.  "We've Soldiers that fly out to different FOBs on signal maintenance.  We've the help desk located in the tactical ops center, network ops, and constant troubleshooting ... we do a lot in 24 hours.  "We have to do our job very well because if we don't then everyone else can't do their jobs," said Army Spc. Robert Troxler, a member of the fiber optic team of C. Co. "Yeah we may get a little wet and muddy, but the bottom line is that the job has to be done."
"We're a very tight co.,"  said Collins, smiling. "I've just an incredible team. They make everything happen; they are awesome!"

Army Spc. Ryan Sudbeck, a paratrooper with the fiber optics team, sloshes through the mud, as he pulls lines of fiber optic cable off of a reel to allow other members of the team to pull the cable through tubing buried
underground.

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Security Patrol in Helmand Province

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Todd Pedilla, a rifleman with Lima Co, 3rd Bn, 8th Marine Regt, enters a compound to set up an over watch position during a local security patrol in Helmand province, April 9, 2009. The Marines are conducting security patrols in their area of op to prevent enemy freedom of movement. The 3rd Bn is the ground combat element of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground TF - Afghanistan.
(DoD photos by Cpl. Pete Thibodeau, U.S. Marine Corps)

U.S. Marines with Lima Co, conduct a local security patrol in the abandoned village of Now Zad, Helmand province, April 12, 2009.

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