Dear Interested Reader,
"Warm Basing" ops produce strong partnership. NP EOD directorate build capabilities. Major weapons cache seized. Raising the quality of life on Camp Shaibah. Partnership encourages cultural exchange.
In Afghanistan, PRT Panjshir celebrate girls' school opening. 1st ID welcomes 4th ID replacements. Lt. Gen. Thomas Metz visits FOB Altimur. Newly graduated ANP ready to serve in Helmand prov.
Joanna
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June 29, 2009
Blackanthem Military News, Multi-National Division - North PAO
'Warm Basing' Operations Improve Climate for ISF and CF
By Sgt. Angie Johnston
1st Lt. Steve Pinkham and Officer Faras Shakour share a smile after a barbeque at the Amerli Police Station, June 16. Pinkham's plt has been conducting warm basing ops with the Amerli police for several weeks, and the 2 groups celebrated their successful partnership, with a small gathering at the station.
FOB BERNSTEIN, TUZ - "These ops have been greatly successful. We've done many things together," said Amerli Police Chief Col. Sabah Khalif. Sabah and his forces have been actively affiliated with troops from Co A, STB, 3rd IBCT for months - and it was high time for festivities, including an outdoor barbeque and plenty of mingling between ISF and CF.
Warm basing includes partnership between Iraqi and CF in remote areas of the province to assure instant support by U.S. troops, if ISF requests their presence. Faras Shakour, a 2-year veteran of the Amerli Police Dept, was a teacher in his hometown. He gave it up when CF began working more closely than ever with the police because he wanted to serve Iraq. "I love to work with CF," said Faras, "mainly because we do joint ops in my city. We walk through the market, and these Soldiers give us candy they had sent from home, which we give to the little children on the street. I like to know I'm giving something to Amerli; not only making them safe, but making little babies smile."
Pvt. 1st Class Stephanie Griffin, a combat medic assigned to Co A, has been getting to know the Amerli police officers over the last few months. "They're always so hospitable," said Griffin. "Through them, we get to know the locals and interact with kids."
"Working with CF has us doing so much more than we have done before. We visit other IP stations, get to see the villages more, and I have seen myself that the power and water situations are getting better," said Officer Husayn Abbas, another 2-year veteran of the Amerli force.
Conducting such close ops with ISF allows CF more freedom to interact with the local populace and find out what their needs and wants are. Market walks often prove lucrative for local shop owners, as Soldiers pick up a soccer ball or trinket for local kids, who give them thumbs-up as they drive by.
The STB's cmdr, Lt. Col. Chris Stenman, expressed his gratitude to the police chief for his unceasing hospitality and constant readiness to partner with Coalition Soldiers. "I've been very impressed with all the ops you've been doing here," Stenman told Sabah, "and I know this partnership will continue for a long time."
Amerli Police Officers and Soldiers of Co A socialize over barbeque and sports drinks.
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Blackanthem Military News
National Police EOD Directorate Builds Capabilities
By Multi-National Security Transition Command-1, PAO, Phoenix Base
BAGHDAD - Defusing munitions is a delicate proposition. To build ISF' confidence and capabilities to do so, the National Police Training Team (NPTT) established the Joint EOD School.
As ISF prepare to assume full control of security within cities June 30, the training team recognizes the importance of this specialization toolkit. To meet a need to expand NP enablers, the ISF is funding the JEOD School.
This project gives the NP the capability to conduct independent full spectrum ops, counterinsurgency ops, specific ops as route clearance, building and area search, demolitions, route sanitation, excavation and force protection across the entire country.
The NP are much like an expeditionary force. They are employed to supplement or complement the IP, when called upon. The NP maintain specialized skill sets and are deployed around the country.
The training is based on a required UN standard to have recognized EOD techs.
The Security Agreement signed by the U.S. and Iraq, mandates the allied relationship that exists between the 2 nations. This agreement defines how U.S. PTTs and ISF will work together to ensure a professional and credible force is available for the overall internal security and the attainment of Police Primacy.
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Blackanthem Military News
Major weapons cache seized north of Baghdad
By Multi-National Division - Baghdad PAO
Iraqi and U.S. Soldiers lay out items recovered from the cache found near Tarmiyah, June 23. The items included a hundred different rockets and mortars, thousands of rounds of ammo and materials for bomb making.
CAMP TAJI - ISF and Soldiers from 1st Bn, 111th Inf Regt, 56th Stryker BCT discovered a massive weapons cache June 23, near Tarmiyah. The cache was seized while conducting clearance ops in the vicinity of the village approx. 18 miles north of Baghdad, and included 26 grenades; 35 RPGs; 5 IEDs with detonation devices; 2 anti-personnel mines; a suicide vest; 100 rocket and mortar rounds, and a mix of other ammo, including thousands of small-arms rounds. Also recovered were base elements used to produce explosives, including military grade plastic explosives, and the mechanisms for triggering them.
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Blackanthem Military News
Raising the quality of life on Camp Shaibah
By Staff Sgt. Rodney Foliente
Pfc. Anthony Romero, food service specialist, HHC, STB, gets a workout in before preparing dinner for Soldiers on Camp Shaibah, June 18.
COB BASRA - In a deployment of multiple moves throughout central and southern Iraq, Warhorse Soldiers continue to show their resiliency and adaptability. One such example is the recent move of Soldiers to Camp Shaibah, and turning an empty space into a temporary home.
"When we first came here, there was nothing!" said Pfc. Anthony Romero, food service specialist, HHC, STB. "We've got everything we need now." He admits there's room for improvement, but said things have improved drastically already, and with additional projects underway, he feels confident the camp leadership will continue to look out for the Soldiers' welfare.
"This was an empty desert space converted into a full living area," said 1st Lt. Shawn Peterson, camp cmdr, HHC. When Soldiers began arriving at the end of May, they were crowded into an empty hanger and took showers with a plastic water bag, hose and showerhead. Soldiers ate packaged Meals, Ready to Eat, or drove to a neighboring camp on the installation for food. Shower buildings and sleeping tents were built. The living tents are comfortable and spacious with a/c, and power outlets for Soldiers to use their laptops and entertainment equipment.
There are also force protection measures surrounding the whole area and individual areas within, said Peterson. There's a Morale, Welfare and Recreation tent with an internet café, a gym tent, a mobile kitchen trailer, and a cafeteria tent. Soldiers are able to work in tents as well. All of the tents have a/c and power.
The 10 computers and 4 phones are especially important to the Soldiers, said Spc. Jade Claybrook, MP. Being able to stay connected to his wife and infant son helps him focus on his mission and deal with the sacrifice of being apart from his family.
The gym tent currently has only dumbbells, a bench and dip bars, though there are plans to acquire more equipment. It might not be much of a gym yet, said Romero, but it's enough that Soldiers can still get a good workout.
"Our goal is for the Soldiers to have everything they need, so they can focus on their mission," said Peterson. "We worked hard to have an improved and higher quality of life for the Soldiers." He applauded his Soldiers for the hard work and their dedication to their fellow Soldiers. "These guys have done an amazing job! They designed and built the entire camp in 2 weeks." He also said the work could not have been done so quickly without the partnership and assistance of their Iraqi neighbors from the 14th IA Div.
Spc. Jade Claybrook, MP, prepares to be reunited with his wife and infant son by searching for a house in Colorado Springs, Colo. on the internet.
Soldiers relax between missions in their a/c and powered sleeping tents. The tents have a concrete floor, are surrounded by concrete barriers and have a hard-shelled roof for force protection.
Staff Sgt. Steven Behr, food service NCO and personnel security det member, stands in the Lonestar Café, where Soldiers can dine in a/c comfort.
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DoD Imagery
Partnership Encourages Cultural Exchange
By Capt. John Landry
1st Lt. Jed Fisher, plt leader for Btry B, 2nd Bn, 29th FAR practices his Arabic while greeting Iraqi villagers in the Maysan province.
FOB HUNTER — As 2nd Bn, 29th FAR arrived on FOB Hunter, the bn felt they had a good understanding of the mission at hand. The first few weeks allowed them to begin their patrols alongside 5th Bn, 82nd FA Soldiers, who had been here since January. This type of handover was designed to familiarize incoming Soldiers with their new surroundings, and learn from Soldiers who have been doing the same jobs. Furthermore, this essential phase gave the newly arrived Soldiers a chance to meet with the local leaders and discuss how, with their help, 2nd Bn. 29th FAR can make their province and country a little better.
1st Lt. Jed Fisher, Btry B, came to this region with a working knowledge of the local history. "This area was once known as the Fertile Crescent. Saddam decided to divert the mighty Tigris River in an attempt to dry out the fertile marsh here," Fisher said. He expanded on the region's significance saying, "This land is almost purely Shiite, the born enemy to the Ba'ath party."
In 1991, there was a Shiite uprising against Saddam Hussein that was crushed by his loyalists. Many Shiites were killed and the marshes in Maysan were drained resulting in an ecological catastrophe. This basic understanding of the local population's history aids Soldiers in connecting with the Iraqi populace. The addition of an Iraqi interpreter embedded in Fisher's plt enhances his unit's capabilities to understand the local population even more. Upon meeting his interpreter, a man known as "Blade," Fisher recalled, "He is your average Iraqi male. He speaks with elegance and grace and is, in general, very brave." Fisher has developed a relationship of mutual respect with Blade in the short time they've been working together. He's been encouraged to learn the language and acknowledges, "Blade mentors me nearly as much as my NCOs. It's not very hard to see a teacher-student relationship forming. Without a doubt this friendship will prove to be extremely fruitful in such a place," Fisher said.
In their encounters with the local population Blade has been encouraging Fisher to speak the language as best as he can. Blade's lesson for the 3rd Plt's leader is one of cultural respect, which is a building block to stability in the Maysan province, and an example of effective leadership. It's learning points like this which will enable long-term success in a region rich in history.
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MNF-I
Geospatial
Pfc. Amanda Po, a geospatial analyst with HHC, 56th Stryker BCT, shows Ministry of Water and Ministry of Agriculture techs, features of a mapping program, June 21, during a conference in the Int'l Zone. Po and another Soldier from the Stryker bde's geospatial intel cell presented a week-long course on compiling GIS data related to agriculture.
(Photo by Sgt. Doug Roles)
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CJTF-82 in Afghanistan, Bagram Media Center
PRT Panjshir, Afghan leaders celebrate girls' school opening
By Air Force Capt. Stacie N. Shafran
1st graders at the newly-opened PRT Panjshir-funded Haish Saidqi Girls' School answer questions about what they want to be when they grow up.
BAGRAM AIR FIELD - Haish Saidqi Girls' School in Panjshir prov. resounded with laughter of children for the first time, June 23. As the little girls milled about their newly constructed 8-classroom school in Rokha District, their faces beamed with excitement as teachers scrawled the Dari alphabet across freshly blackened chalkboards.
The Panjshir PRT demonstrated its commitment to education by joining Gov. Haji Bahlol, Zulami Saheen, the province's director of education, and other distinguished guests to celebrate the school's grand opening.
Governor Bahlol dedicated the school-opening ceremony in honor of AF Lt. Col. Mark Stratton, the PRT's cmdr who was killed May 26, when a suicide bomber detonated an IED against the PRT's convoy.
Over the course of the academic year, more than 500 primary-school age girls will attend classes here, many going to school for the first time. Although Haish Saidqi is designated as a girls' school, a small number of boys will attend as well. In this area of Panjshir, boys and girls can attend classes together until third grade.
"This school means a lot to the future of these girls," said Saheen, through an interpreter. "They used to study in destroyed buildings and temporary facilities. Now they have things like good desks and blackboards."
According to the Afghan Ministry of Education, there are 1.7 million girls studying in primary schools across the country. Only 30% of girls reach the 5th grade, compared to 56% for boys.
Under the Taliban regime all of Afghanistan's schools were religious and girls were banned from attending. The revival of Afghanistan's education system, especially the return of girls to schools, is considered to be one of the biggest accomplishments of the Afghan government since 2001.
During the grand opening of the School, Army Lt. Col. Steve Lancaster, PRT cmdr, helped the Afghan provincial leadership cut the official ribbon, symbolizing the school's completion.
For many 1st graders this is their first time to receive formal education.
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CJTF-82 in Afghanistan, Bagram Media Center
1st ID Soldiers welcome 4th ID replacements
(Courtesy photo by 5th Mobile Public Affairs Det
Soldiers from the 1st Bn, 26th Inf Regt, 1st ID, Fort Riley, Kan., and Soldiers from the 2nd Bn, 12th Inf Regt, 4th ID, Fort Lewis, Wash., conduct a patrol outside the city of Nangalam, Kunar province, June 18. The 1st ID Soldiers are being replaced by their 4th ID counterparts.
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CJTF-82 in Afghanistan, Bagram Media Center
Counter IED leader visits FOB Altimur
By Army Spc. Jaime DeLeon
Lt. Gen. Thomas Metz meets a "Lucky Dogs" Soldier.
LOGAR PROVINCE - Army Lt. Gen. Thomas Metz, cmdr of the Joint IED Defeat Org., visited FOB Altimur, June 18, during a visit to Afghanistan and Iraq. "The main reason for this trip is for Lt. Gen. Metz to maintain a constant picture of the current situation in both theaters," said Maj. Heidi Hoyle, Metz's aide de camp. "Solutions to IED problems may not always be the same in both countries."
Metz met with Command Sgt. Maj. Ralph Delosa, 3rd Sqdrn, 71st Cav Regt, Maj. Thomas Jauquet, 3-71 Cav. EO, and other members of TF Iron Titan's Paladin team, whose mission is to counter IEDs. "It's important for us to keep improving our technology, because the enemy is going to figure out ways to get around the technology we have now," said Metz.
Metz met with some of the Soldiers and Airmen involved in counter IED ops around FOB Altimur. Service members weren't the only counter IED team members he took time to greet. He also met up with a few of the sqdrn's "Lucky Dogs". The Lucky Dog program links Soldiers from a variety of career fields with dogs specially trained to sniff out explosives.
Metz then met with senior sqdrn staff and members of the Paladin team to discuss issues with the current counter IED program. "I cherish and value your opinions," said Metz. Before leaving, Metz offered TF Iron Titan words of encouragement.
"You're really helping out the next watch, and the next rotation beyond them," Metz said. "Keep up the good work."
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International Security Assistance Force HQ Public Affairs RSS
Newly Graduated ANP Ready to Serve in Helmand Prov
KABUL – At the new ANP HQ in Lashkar Gah, Helmand province, Gov. Gulab Mangal recently congratulated 147 Afghan NP, who successfully completed their Focussed District Development (FDD) training. They'll be deployed to Lashkar Gah to help provide stability and security to local communities.
Started in Feb. 2008 and driven by the MoI and Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan, FDD training is the national model for the re-vitalisation of the ANP. The training is provided by a combination of civilian and military personnel from the U.S. and ISAF, who educate ANP on their core responsibilities. The course includes training in discipline, security, and self-protection, as well as policing skills such as community engagement and criminal investigation.
Lt. Col. Jasper de Quincey Adams, head of Security Sector Reform in Helmand prov. for TF Helmand, said: "With the return of these newly trained ANP, we continue the work of building a highly capable force that can protect the people of Helmand province".
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