Dear Interested Reader,
Soldiers assist in business initiatives on COB Adder. Indiana NG Transporters bring Corn-Hole to Camp Taji. The 503rd Maintenance Co has an awards ceremony.
In Afghanistan, music and culture is shared with CF. ABP HQ opens in Naray. Combined forces confiscate opium cache, capture Taliban cmdr., and neutralizes several enemy fighters. Team works to counter bombing activity on critical Afghan route.
Joanna
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June 19, 2009
Special to American Forces Press Service
Soldiers Assist in Iraqi Business Initiatives
By Army Sgt. Mark Miranda
Army Spc. Jerrod Quinn and Army Spc. Jill Grey browse an electronics counter at the Oasis market on COB Adder, June 10, 2009.
COB ADDER – Just a short bus trip from work and in a well-secured area here, soldiers of 1st Armored Div’s 4th BCT can be seen on any given day shopping in the Iraqi-based industrial zone.
Industrial zone locations are designated secure areas on coalition bases where a commercial business with a land-use agreement through the coalition can establish ops. The Highlander Bde actively supports the program here.
“We're here to stimulate the local economy, operating mainly around Nasiriyah, by providing opportunities … with contracts and businesses,” said Army 2nd Lt. Sophia Volz, Iraqi-based industrial zone officer-in-charge for the garrison here. “We bring them in from everywhere, but ideally, the people we work with are in the Dhi Qar province.” The goal is to transfer U.S. contractor jobs to the Iraqis, said Army Sgt. James Witt, garrison Iraqi-based industrial zone NCO-in-charge.
COB Adder is expected to remain functional as a way station for units moving out of Iraq in accordance with the U.S.–Iraq security agreement. “Adder will be around long after we’re gone,” Volz said. “The plan is to eventually turn it back over to the IA. It’s one of the things we talk to Iraqis about. We want to have long term goals for Iraq.
When they have time, Army Sgt. Jason Savary and his wife, Army Spc. Amneris Savary, take the shuttle bus to the market to buy DVDs, or to visit their Iraqi friend Saheb Abaes, who runs a carpet shop.
Banking is another sector I-BIZ personnel are pursuing. Volz said an effort is under way to bring Warka Bank from Iraq’s Samarra province into the equation, which he described as 'a huge deal.' “The banking concept is different here in Iraq in that the vast majority of banks don’t have the capability for electronic funds transfer,” he explained. “We’re trying to get more of the vendors set up with Eagle Cash capability. There’s an initiative to get cash off the battlefield, because the dinars vs. dollars exchange is difficult for the merchants.”
Plans also are in the works to bring a vocational/tech school to Camp Mittica, adjacent to COB Adder. Two such schools are in Nasiriyah. “If you’re going to bring people in to do the job, they need training on these essential skills,” Volz said. “We want to use what skill sets they have and help them make it better.”
Army Sgt. James Witt is greeted by Iraqi merchant Saheb Abaes.
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Blackanthem Military News
Transporters bring Corn-hole to Iraq
By 3d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Public Affairs
Col. Mark Drake, cmdr of the 10th Sust Bde, enjoys a game of corn-hole with some of his fellow Soldiers.
CAMP TAJI - Corn-hole is a game that has had a long-lasting run of popularity in the Midwestern U.S., particularly in Indiana. However, it's increasingly becoming popular for Soldiers at Camp Taji.
Soldiers of the 1538th Transportation Co, 419th CSSB, 10th Sust Bde, gather weekly to sponsor a friendly tournament of corn-hole at the company Morale, Welfare and Recreation area. Over the last few months it's interesting to see just who will show up for this fun-filled competition.
"It was the first time I ever played and I had a blast," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Donald Dillon, maintenance officer for 991st Trans. Co. "You can be competitive or just have a good time. It helps ease the stress and promotes a good environment."
So just what is this game you ask. Corn-hole, or Corn Toss, is similar to horseshoes except you use wooden boxes called corn-hole platforms and corn bags instead of horseshoes and metal stakes. Contestants take turns pitching their corn bags at the corn-hole platform until a contestant reaches the score of 21 points. A corn bag in the hole scores 3 points, while one on the platform scores 1 point. If you can aim and toss a corn bag 30 feet, you can master the game of corn-hole. Dillon summed up his perspective very simply, "Good friends and a good time."
Sgt. Lynn Ellyson, said, "It's truly an honor to represent the great state of Indiana here in Iraq - a state with a great heritage, and vast opportunities available to all. Indiana is the birthplace of the great game known as corn-hole. Ellyson said, "I know it may be hard for some to believe, but our activities are very limited here. Therefore, playing corn-hole and introducing it to others from other states is fantastic. The 1538th has a cookout every Thurs. evening, and afterwards there's volleyball and corn-hole. This simple game has boosted morale and helped many Soldiers relax in hard times."
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Blackanthem Military News
503rd Maintenance Company Awards Ceremony
By 3d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Public Affairs
CAMP LIBERTY -
(From left to right) 1st Lt. Celia Nowicki, cmdr of the 503rd Maintenance Co, stands next to Sgt. Gregory Kight, as they wait for the bde cmdr to take command of the formation and begin to pass out awards. The 503rd Maint. Co., 398th CSSB, 10th Sust Bde is finishing a 15-month deployment.
Soldiers of the 503rd listen closely as they receive guidance from the bde cmdr on continuing to be safe when they redeploy back home.
(From left to right) 1st Lt. Celia Nowicki, cmdr of the 503rd congratulates Spc. Tyler Lalumondiere, on a job well done during their 15-month deployment.
(From left to right) 1st Sgt. Chester Hannah, 1st sgt for the 503rd, renders a salute to Lt. Col. William Arther, cmdr for the 398th, after being presented the Bronze Star Award.
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Blackanthem Military News
Staying alert and ready
By 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Public Affairs
CAMP TAJI -
(From left to right) Spc. Meshell Horton and Sgt. Katherine Williams, stand-by as the combat lifesavers and medics for the Bravo Co, 949th BSB's weapons qualification range. Horton works as an administrative clerk, but like many of her fellow Soldiers, is CLS certified. Williams works is a combat medic and has extensive experience for these combat training exercises.
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Blackanthem Military News
Food for thought
By 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Public Affairs
CAMP TAJI -
Spc. Sandra Johnson, who works as a food service specialist for the 10th SBTB, 10th Sust Bde, Cantigny Dining Facility, performs routine counts of rations to ensure proper quantities are in stock or on order. Johnson said," I love my job because there's always something new to learn."
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Special to American Forces Press Service
Afghans Share Music, Culture With Servicemembers
By Army Pfc. Derek L. Kuhn
Abdul Bahrami, Afghan Night Live event director, entertains the crowd of 350 with a traditional dance. The event, held at Bagram Air Field, June 13, 2009, exposed servicemembers to Afghan culture.
BAGRAM AIR FIELD – With the background melodies of a sitar, rabab and bongo drums filling the air, a siren-like voice beckoned the crowd to dance to the unique Afghan sounds. And like ancient mariners in Homer’s Odyssey, they responded.
The standing room only event included live Afghan music, dancers, and food and was meant to show servicemembers some of the culture they are helping to rebuild. “This cultural event is…to build a bridge between the Afghan community and other nations,” said Abdul Bahrami, cultural advisor and director of the event. Music and dance may be that bridge. Many times throughout the evening, servicemembers took part by dancing with performers during songs. Bahrami said rhythm is everywhere and in everyone, and seeing coalition members join his countrymen in dance filled him with pride.
U.S. Army Pfc. Tiffany Brown, a cook for the 32nd Transp. Bn, was moved by the energy of the event and joined in the dancing. “It was awesome to dance and interact with the performers,” Brown said. Others agreed. “It was cool to see everyone dance together,” said U.S. Army Spc. Paul Miranda, a human resource specialist with the 6th Bde, 36th Military Intel Bn. “It was great to see their culture and to get the chance to experience it first-hand.”
Many thought the appreciation gained for Afghan culture at the event will foster better understanding and interaction between the 2 cultures. “This event has opened eyes, and will help soldiers understand and appreciate how Afghans act,” said Miranda. “The culture is very welcoming and nice.”
Some felt the appreciation gained for Afghan culture at the event will provide an avenue for better understanding and interaction. “I think it's important for the military to understand the culture here, because then it will help us relate better to the Afghans,” Brown said. “These are happy people and they know how to have a good time.”
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ACJTF-82 in Afghanistan, Bagram Media Center
ABP headquarters opens in Naray
Photos by Lt. j.g. James Dietle
Kunar PRT
KUNAR PROVINCE - Afghan Border Policemen stand in front of a guard tower at the new ABP HQ in the village of Naray in Nari district, Kunar province, June 16. The new HQ facility will house the 1st Kandak's HQs, and includes living quarters, a dining room, administrative buildings, and weapons storage for the policemen. In addition to these essential facilities, the new HQ also includes amenities for female members of the ABP in the area, as well as a mosque to help provide for all personnel at the HQ.
Kunar Provincial Gov. Fazullah Wahidi, center, passes in front of a formation of Afghan Border Policemen at the opening ceremony.
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American Forces Press Service
Afghan Forces Confiscate Opium Cache, Capture Taliban Cmdr
WASHINGTON – Afghan SECFOR, assisted by CF, confiscated an opium cache and captured several armed enemy fighters in the southern province of Kandahar June 17, and captured a Taliban cmdr in an earlier op, military officials reported.
In the Kandahar engagement, the SECFOR were attacked in the Chenartu Valley by enemy fighters with small-arms fire. The combined patrol returned fire and called in air support on the enemy positions. At the site, forces recovered 30 pounds of opium and captured several armed militants.
The combined SECFOR are in the area conducting multi-day clearing ops, working to disrupt known training camps and capture militant leaders, officials said.
In other news from Afghanistan, military officials in Kabul reported that Afghan soldiers, assisted by CF, captured Taliban cmdr Mullah Shah Mohammed on June 12 in the village of Dizak in Farah province. The Afghan forces and their coalition counterparts found Mohammed while clearing the village to disrupt militant activity. Multiple weapons, homemade explosives and opium were removed from Mohammed's compound during the sweep, officials said.
During a continued search of the area, the combined force was attacked by militant gunfire. After positively identifying the enemy fighting positions, the troops responded with small-arms fire, eliminating several enemy fighters. After the op was complete, the combined forces met with village elders to explain the purpose of the mission.
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Special to American Forces Press Service
Team Works to Counter Bombing Activity on Critical Afghan Route
By Army Sgt. Rob Frazier
Army Sgt. Bill Hunter and his interpreter speak with an Afghan couple while their vehicle is being searched by soldiers at a traffic checkpoint in Afghanistan’s Wardak province, June 13, 2009.
WARDAK PROVINCE – With at least 10 IEDs found and detonated in recent weeks on a key route leaders prepared to travel along on June 13, soldiers in Afghanistan’s Wardak province set up a traffic checkpoint.
The counter-IED team of 2nd Bn, 87th Inf Regt, led soldiers from Btry B of 4th Bn, 25th FA in operating the checkpoint. “We received intel that suggested a VBIED might be in the area,” said Army Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Lebron, the counter-IED team’s NCO-in-charge. “Conducting this traffic checkpoint allows us to clear the route and mitigate the possibility of enemy activity traveling the roads.”
“Over the past couple of days it’s been quiet,” Lebron said. “The insurgents may be restocking and preparing for something big. We know they’re out there. We just have to find them.”
As vehicles approached, the checkpoint team motioned for the drivers to steer onto the shoulder. When the automobile came to a halt, Army Sgt. Jason McDonald, a 4-25th gunner, gave instructions to an interpreter to pass on to the driver. “Tell him to shut off the vehicle and to pop the hood, then tell them they all need to get out and move over there,” McDonald directed. The Afghans followed instructions and moved away from their car. Army Spc. Michael Ung, a personal security gunner, was waiting to search them.
“You never know what they might be carrying on them,” said Army Sgt. Talalelei Upuese of the counter-IED team. “This allows us to pat them down to see if we can detect any illegal substances they may be trying to conceal in their clothes.”
“They can hide all sorts of things in various places,” Upuese said. “We have to be thorough, because if we miss something, it could lead to bad results for other people down the road.”
From another location, Army Sgt. Bill Hunter motioned to the interpreter to escort one of the men over to his area, where he was waiting with hand-held interagency identity detection equipment that allows servicemembers to input Afghans’ personal info into a universal data system.
“There are more than 10,000 fingerprints on file in this system,” Hunter said. “We check their fingerprints and do retinal scans to see if we can match them with the info stored in here. If we determine they're a ‘high risk’ person, we can detain them.”
The counter-IED team is a fairly new concept for his bde, Lebron said. “We learned in Dec. that 3rd Bde was going to support an IED team. We worked stateside with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms unit, learning in blast classes, and then continued our training at Bagram Airfield with TF Paladin’s EOD team prior to starting ops here.”
Army 1st Lt. Silverio Gabriel, the counter-IED team leader, said his troops and the 4-25th artillerymen, who are transitioning from a firing btry to a maneuver element, are a great example of how the military is evolving and changing the way soldiers approach the fight. “It’s the model for the Army today,” he said. “Soldiers now have to be flexible and versatile. They have to have a broad knowledge, or they get behind the curve.”
Army Spc. Michael Ung pats down an Afghan man.
Army Staff Sgt. Herb Clark stands guard while soldiers search a bus.
Army Sgt. Bill Hunter inputs an Afghan’s personal info.
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