Dear Interested Reader,
62st Cav Regt watch over the Tsunnel Valley. Old allies celebrate Bastille Day. 509th Abn Inf Regt conducts fire mission. Insurgents captured in Kunar and in Khowst.
In Iraq, changing over from dollars to dinars. An excellent re-cap of the last 7 years of extraordinary challenges met. Amb. Hill praiss TF Pathfinder contributions. IA officers integrate with U.S. TOCs.
Joanna
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July 19,2009
CJTF-82 in Afghanistan, Bagram Media Center
Watching over the Tsunnel valley
(Photos by Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Allison)
KUNAR PROVINCE - Two Army Soldiers from Troop C, 3rd Sqdrn, 61st Cav Regt, keep an eye out while performing guard duty, July 7, at COP Pirtle King, in the eastern Afghanistan district of Glehazi Abad. The main focus of the outpost is to maintain control over the Tsunnel Valley, an area formally used as a high traffic route for insurgents.
Two U.S. Army Soldiers scan the surrounding area while performing guard duty.
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CJTF-82 in Afghanistan, Bagram Media Center
Old allies celebrate Bastille Day
By Army Pfc. Derek L. Kuhn
Maj. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti salutes a French service member.
BAGRAM AIR FIELD - Freedom is a bond that unites the U.S., Afghanistan and the coalition of partner nations. As service members of each nation sacrifice to secure Afghanistan, it's important to remember those who have walked the path of freedom before us. Lessons learned from the past may allow future generations to enjoy the freedoms many hold dear today.
It's in that spirit of brotherhood that Combined Joint TF-82 celebrated Bastille Day at Bagram Air Field with a ceremony led by members of the French military in the morning, and a celebration later in the evening on July 14.
Bastille Day is the equivalent of America's 4th of July, and marks the day in 1789 when the French Revolution was triggered by citizens storming the prison-fortress of Bastille. Parallels can be made between the French struggle for independence and the American Revolution. In fact, France has been a U.S. ally since the Revolutionary War, and that long-term partnership was remembered by many in attendance. "I'm absolutely proud to be here for the French National Day, especially with the 82nd Abn Div," said French Army Lt. Col. Pierre Verborg, Regional Command Capital French Liaison Officer. "The history of the 82nd is clearly linked with France since the drop over Normandy in 1944."
French Marine Lt. Col Jen Christope Berry, Liaison Officer for TF Kurragan said, Bastille Day is a great day for freedom, and the lesson of never standing for oppression, is applicable today in Afghanistan.
Others believe the ceremony and celebration is a good way to strengthen bonds and thank French service members for the contributions being made by their soldiers. "It's important to commemorate France," said Army Maj. Mike Hubbard, ops planner for CJTF-82 HQ. "France is one of our key allies and contributing nations in Afghanistan. They have one of the premiere armies in the world."
The sacrifices made by those serving in Afghanistan are great, but some believe Bastille Day is an occasion to reaffirm their commitment to making Afghanistan better for all of its citizens. "The conflict is very hard," said Verborg. "Our Soldiers' blood is spilled every day, but it's very important to remember that we're bringing peace and stability to this country." Still the day took on a lighter note, bringing old allies closer together. "I feel like part of the world village by serving in Afghanistan,"
said Verborg. France like the U.S. is a country that has a history of enduring many wars which teaches the values of peace and freedom, he said. "I'm proud to be here," said Verborg. "I'm a Soldier; its my duty."
French service members stand at attention during a ceremony
commemorating Bastille Day.
A Soldier samples some French cheese.
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CJTF-82 in Afghanistan, Bagram Media Center
Fire mission
(Photos by Army Staff Sgt Andrew Smith)
PAKTIKA PROVINCE - Spc. Gareth Warner drops a 120mm mortar round into the tube, while Spc. Ricky Olivo keeps the gun on target during a fire mission on COP Zurok, July 13. The Soldiers are deployed with the 3rd bn, 509th Abn Inf Regt, 4th BCT, 25th Inf Div.
Spc. Ricky Olivo, left, and Spc. Vincent Cutler assume a protective posture as a 120mm mortar round is launched from the tube.
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International Security Assistance Force HQ Public Affairs RSS
ANA and ISAF Kill, Capture Insurgents in Kunar
KABUL – ANA and ISAF soldiers in the Pech District, Kunar prov., killed 2 senior insurgents and captured 4 others, July 15. Two of the detained individuals are known insurgents, and were involved in IED attacks throughout the Pech area.
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U.S. Forces Afghanistan RSS
Afghan-CF Search Militant Compound in Khowst
KABUL – July 15, Afghan and CF searched a known militant compound in Khowst, to disrupt Haqqani network communication lines and the flow of money and weapons into the regions.
The combined force targeted the compound, about 20 kms north of the city of Khowst, after intel indicated militant activity. A search of the compound was conducted without incident and 2 AK-47 rifles and a shotgun were confiscated. Five suspected militants were detained.
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Multi-National Division Baghdad RSS
Dollar to Dinar? Coming Sooner Than You Think
Story by Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell
Spc. Myra Vance (left), a casualty liaison specialist assigned to the 510th Human Resources Co, Div Special Troops Bn, 1st Cav Div, gets help with a financial issue from Spc. Charles Yurtin, a customer service specialist assigned to the PA National Guard 828th Financial Mgt Det, 208th Finance Co, 10th SBTB, 10th Sust Bde, at Camp Liberty Finance Office, July 15. "Helping the Soldiers out with pay problems and getting their stuff on track if it's messed up is what we do," said Yurtin.
BAGHDAD – "Can I get fifty bucks in Iraqi dinar?" That may sound like an odd request from an American Soldier at a finance office in Baghdad, but in the next few months it will be as natural as buying DVDs or energy drinks from the Iraqi shops here.
However, the Army and AF Exchange Services run shops and the military postal services will still only accept U.S. dollars, explained Maj. Timothy Lancaster, the cmdr of the 208th. "The goal is to migrate from using primarily U.S. dollars to primarily Iraqi dinar by, Oct. 1," said Lancaster. He stressed that October isn't a deadline, but a reasonable goal. Lancaster is in charge of 6 finance dets. from all over the world that support finance in MND – Baghdad. "Iraq is their own country and sovereign," Lancaster added. "Their currency is the Iraqi dinar, so we need to respect that and start adopting what we can to support them."
"The advantage of switching over is we inject their economy, and that makes the dinar stronger," said Capt. Jason Hempstead, the 828th cmdr . "It helps us accomplish our mission and it helps Iraqis become more economically stable," added Hempstead.
"The switch from the dollar to the dinar has been harder than expected, because it's been so ingrained in Iraqi vendors," explained Lancaster. "Vendors are so used to seeing cash and U.S. dollars, that there has to be a mental shift."
Though many Soldiers come in to request money from their Eagle Cash card, the need for U.S. currency is mostly coming from paying agents that pay their contractors, added Hempstead.
In the market, the price of the Iraqi dinar fluctuates daily, but for the past 7 months the military exchange rate has held at 1,170 Iraqi dinars to one U.S. dollar, explained Lancaster. Differences in on base and off base exchange rates can lead to black market currency prices, and fear of counterfeit currency coming into circulation.
Using the dinar will also cut out steep costs of transitioning cash from the U.S. to Iraq with Soldiers carrying it every step of the way, added Lancaster. As word spreads and more Soldiers start to take advantage of the dinar, the easier it will be to transition out of Iraq when the time comes, and the easier it will be to get a better deal on those DVDs and energy drinks at the markets.
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41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team RSS
Soldiers Look to Build Confidence and Trust in Iraq
Story by Spc. Cory Grogan
During the initial push into Iraq after 9/11 the U.S. military toppled the Saddam Hussein regime with overwhelming force. It was a testament to what our armed forces are capable of in a conventional war.
It was a decisive initial victory, but the campaign had just begun, and a new battlefield opened with an enemy that was harder to define. Conventional warfare proved to be an insufficient method for rebuilding a nation in shambles. Defeating an enemy that is hidden among the population would prove extremely difficult.
The cultural aspect to the conflict in Iraq was what Soldiers were having a difficult time understanding. Respect for cultural differences was needed to influence the perception of the local populace in Iraq, said 1st Lt. Eric Zimmerman, an intel officer. "It comes down to education, so we can explain and interact to gather infor and influence perception rather than pushing people around," explained 1st Lt. Zimmerman.
Many people who were just trying to survive in Iraq did not believe America was doing any better helping them receive basic necessities like power, water, sewage, medical care, academics, jobs, money and security, explained Harlan Ortega, a counterinsurgency instructor at Camp Buerhin, Kuwait. The country needed to be re-built and some of the people that Sadaam Hussein's dictatorship had control over were causing problems. "We were trying to help, but a lot of people didn't know that," said Ortega.
The complicated problem of long time secular divides between Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims, and the Kurdish in the north of Iraq were being used by insurgents to create chaos and make it difficult for America to accomplish its mission. Moreover, 2 million members of Sadaam Hussein's predominantly Sunni Muslim Baathist Party that had controlled Iraq were fired, and left disgruntled and unemployed. The Sunni Muslims only make up about 2% of Iraq's population, but they had controlled the country politically for 1300 years, explained Ortega.
The historic elections of 2004 gave the majority Shiite Muslims political control, and many of the Sunnis became insurgents in the unstable environment. Service members worked to re-build the nation and get rid of insurgents without understanding these cultural dynamics well enough. This all changed when Gen. George Casey took over. His plan was to use counterinsurgency strategies, said Ortega. Counterinsurgency had proven successful in past conflicts—particularly with SF—where missions focused on how to influence people by teaching them to defend themselves and build their communities.
Under Gen. Casey's plan, emphasis has been put on training a large police and military force, while building better relationships through cultural awareness. One counter insurgency strategy was to employ the Sunnis who fought in the Baathist Party and allow them to help defend Iraq. These Sunni fighters are now called the "Sons of Iraq," and they are playing a large role in the reduction of violence. The SoI are now being paid by the GoI, and many former insurgents are defenders of their country.
Training innocent people to defend themselves while communicating with cultural sensitivity in order to gather info, and show that the U.S. is helping Iraq, is now an emphasis in training, said Zimmerman.
These strategies are what Oregon Soldiers from the 41st IBCT, along with other servicemembers in Iraq, will be utilizing as they look to help build the trust and confidence of the Iraqi people.
The 41st has been taking counterinsurgency classes to go along with their force protection and convoy security training at home units, since finding out about their mobilization over a year ago. The training continued during pre-mobilization training at Camp Roberts, Calif., during mobilization at Ft Stewart, Ga., and now in Kuwait as they ready to move into Iraq.
"Many of the National Guard Soldiers have an advantage with counterinsurgency because they tap into skill sets that are used to help shape public policy in their civilian lives," said 1st Lt. Zimmerman.
The Oregon Soldiers are well trained in their conventional tactics, techniques and procedure, but this year they will also be relying on their interpersonal skills as Iraq continues to re-build.
Only time will tell how able Iraq is to defend itself after the draw down of American Troops. However, with counterinsurgency, battles of good will and intellect have proven that the U.S. military can have success in an unconventional war, where building trust and confidence is just as critical as overwhelming force.
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Special to American Forces Press Service
Ambassador Praises Task Force for Contributions in Iraq
By Army Sgt. Mark Miranda
U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Christopher Hill talks with Army Lt. Col. Michael Eastman, cmdr of TF Pathfinder, July 12, 2009.
COB ADDER – Amb. Hill met with soldiers and leaders of TF Pathfinder, to thank them for their contributions and to discuss military support of PRTs in Iraq. “What we’re seeing is a crucial year, and it’s good to see the military working with the PRTs,” Hill said.
“We try to meet the central needs of each area, and every day we’re making progress,” said Eastman, 2nd Bn, 29th FAR, also the dep. cmdr for civil capacity for 1st Armored Div’s 4th Bde. The bn provides support to PRTs in Dhi Qar, Maysan and Muthanna provs.
Hill acknowledged the challenges of leading the way in efforts to advise and assist. “Not only are you working with the State Dept, but there're about 10 other civilian agencies working out there,” he said. “Coming together can be tough; it’s a bit like herding cats.”
Communication is key, said Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert Smith Jr., a cavalry scout working with a military movement team in support of the Muthanna PRT. “We have to communicate constantly to make sure we’re not in each other’s way.”
Hill was told about the many roles the TF soldiers take on in support of the PRTs. “Soldiers are stronger and smarter than any time in the Army’s 233-year history,” he said. “Intelligence and adaptability are exactly what’s required on today’s battlefield.”
The Cmdr's Emergency Response Program has been particularly effective, Hill noted. Program funds are applied to water, agriculture, electricity, rule of law, governance and other essential service projects requested by the GoI. “I expect to see a program surge,” he said.
Building Iraq’s economic power and helping the population become self-sustaining will win out in the end, over traditional military actions, Hill said. New infrastructure -- with an educated and entrepreneurial population -- is needed to create an environment that is peaceful and free of terrorism, he said.
“There’s a cycle. We’ve been at this for almost 7 years and people are ready to see an end to violence,” Hill said. “I appreciate what you’re doing. You’re a real credit to those who want to see a secure, economically stable Iraq.”
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MNF-I
Iraqi Officers Integrate with U.S. Units
By Pfc. Jared Sollars
INP Lt. Hayhav works in the 6th Sqdrn, 9th Cav Regt Tactical Ops Center at FOB Sykes. He assists with the flow of infor between the INP and U.S. forces.
MOSUL — ISF officers were recently brought into the Tactical Ops Centers (TOC) of the 3rd HBCT to act as liaison officers. This increase in communications not only strengthens the bonds between 3rd HBCT and Iraqi forces here, but they also build a flow of info that is timely, direct and allows a faster response by U.S. and Iraq forces when a significant event occurs.
"If we can get them to see the benefits of the change they will be able to adapt and internalize a lot of our standard operating procedures," said Master Sgt. Robert Lilly, 8th Cav Regt. Lilly is also the bn liaison for the Iraqi officers working with the bn.
These select IA and NP officers have been integrated into the personnel of numerous TOCs throughout the bde. By showing the Iraqi liaison officers how the U.S. Army runs its TOCs, they're potentially showing the Iraqis how to run their own, when they get into a command position.
"Whenever I ask my div for any info for CF they give it to me in full detail," said 2nd Lt. Tareq Hamed, liaison officer. "My TOC is the center of info for Iraqi forces in the area. CF are first and foremost here to help the Iraqi people. My presence here is to help my people and my unit as much as possible," said Tareq. "I'm one of the means of communication between ISF in Mosul and CF, since CF are not out with the Iraqi units all the time now."
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MNF-I
Loaded
Army Spc. Michael Winters, assigned to Echo Troop 1st of the 230th Air Cav Sqdrn looks on after signaling for another rocket to be loaded onto a OH-58D helicopter at FOB Diamond Back, Mosul, July 14. (Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Carmichael Yepez)
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