Dear Interested Reader,
In Afghanistan, celebrities a hit with troops. 32nd Inf Regt, 10th Mtn Div on a dawn patrol. Navy Adm Mike Mullen helps celebrate education in Panjshir Valley. Weapons seized and militants detained or killed in Khandahar, and in Ghazni.
In Iraq, program to bond women, strengthen economy. MP begin new law/order mission in Basra. ISOF Dental Clinic clebrates first "Smile Day." Forces detain insurgents, seize weapons.
Joanna
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July 18, 2009,
CJTF-82 in Afghanistan, Bagram Media Center
Celebrities a hit with troops in Afghanistan
By Capt. Michael Greenberger
Actor Bradley Cooper greets Ronny, a patrol detector dog and his handler Navy Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Gina Pronzati.
BAGRAM AIR FIELD - Hundreds of troops were treated to handshakes, photographs, laughs and autographs, July 15, as the USO's Summer Troop Visit made a stop at Afghanistan's second largest American base.
Actors Bradley Cooper and D.B. Sweeney, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Warrick Dunn, NFL Hall of Famer Don Shula, and sports commentator, and model Leeann Tweeden accompanied U.S. Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as he criss-crossed the U.S. Central Command area of ops to thank troops for their service.
"We feel like we want to give something back," said Shula, a well known former coach for the Miami Dolphins. "We appreciate so much what our troops do, and we wanted to do something in return."
Traveling with the troupe to different locals presents many challenges in logistics. Afghanistan remains a very dangerous place to travel and most COPs are so remote the only way to reach them is by helicopter. "Getting to remote COPs means getting helicopters, and we got lucky this time because the 82nd Airborne graciously gave us 2 to use."
"All of the places we go are really important, but the smaller locations are very austere, where they don't have hot showers or necessarily a hot meal every day," said USO entertainment ops VP Rachel Tischler.
Many of the hundreds that lined up outside the Pat Tillman USO on Bagram Air Field, July 15, were delighted that the stars could break away from their regular lives to visit them. "It's great to have the support of celebrities over here," said Army Sgt. Linnea Biniak. "Them being here and showing support for the troops definitely raises morale."
Rather than stay indoors, the stars decided to "walk the line" outside, where they got to be more personable with everyone as well as make sure everyone who came to see them got an autograph or personal photo.
In addition to the "grip and grins" some of the troops got to have full blown conversations with the celebrities. Army Spc. Jonathan Grizzard was able to ask Sweeney about several of his films. "That was the sweetest experience I'd ever had," said Grizzard. "I waited almost an hour, but I would have waited 2 hours - it was totally worth it!"
Elsewhere in the line football fans shook hands and mugged with Dunn. Iraq veterans swapped stories with Tweeden from her last trip overseas. Cooper was a big draw following his most recent hit film, The Hangover.
Inside, Shula shared moments with die hard sports fans eager for a glimpse of his Super Bowl ring, and an autograph for their footballs.
"It's amazing for them to come out here and represent the U.S.," said AF Master Sgt. Raymond Stone. "Not many people come out here, and I think it's great that they do it."
Former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula (center) poses for a photo with a group of service members.
Actor Bradley Cooper signs an autograph for Army Sgt. Linnea Biniak.
Sports announcer and model Leeann Tweeden poses with Ronny and Benzzi, a couple of patrol detector dogs.
(right), Former Dolphins head coach Don Shula autographs a football for Army Pvt. John Gentry.
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CJTF-82 in Afghanistan, Bagram Media Center
Dawn patrol during Operation Mountain Fire
(Photos by U.S. Army Sgt. Matthew Moeller)
NURISTAN PROVINCE - Army Sgt. Arturo Islas, scans the hills surrounding the village of Barge Matal, following an air-assault mission into the remote mountain area during Op Mountain Fire, July 12. U.S. and ANSF quickly secured the remote village, which was reportedly overwhelmed by insurgent forces several days prior. Islas is a combat medic attached to Co Alpha, 1st Bn, 32nd Inf Regt, 10th Mtn Div.
A U.S. Army Soldier watches for enemy activity.
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Blackanthem Military News
Afghan-Coalition Force Discovers Weapons in Khandahar
By US Forces Afghanistan Public Affairs Office
KABUL – Joint Afghan and CF searched several compounds last night in Khandahar Prov., known to be used by a senior Taliban cmdr responsible for multiple weapons and munitions supply lines and several attacks on coalition, ANA and ANP units.
The joint force searched the compounds, near the village of Nakhonay, after intel indicated significant militant activity. During the search of the buildings, the force uncovered numerous IED-making materials, mortar rounds, AK-47 rifles, sniper rifles, RPG’s, over 500 mags of AK rifle ammo, and 100 pounds of opium. The op resulted in one militant killed when he attempted to maneuver on the assault force, and 11 suspected militants detained.
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Blackanthem Military News
Afghan-coalition force detains suspected militants in Ghazni
By US Forces Afghanistan Public Affairs Office
KABUL – A joint Afghan and CF intercepted a vehicle of suspected militants traveling in Ghazni Prov., July 13.
The force targeted the vehicle near the village of Nango after receiving intel indicating militant activity. The force approached the vehicle, which was parked on the shoulder of the road and observed the militants. Several of the suspected militants ignored the force’s instructions and warnings and were killed. Based on critical info discovered during the search of the vehicle, the force traced the suspected militant network to compounds about 20 kms to the north, near the village of Shemolzi. Searches of the compounds were conducted without incident. Three suspected militants were detained.
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American Forces Press Service
Mullen Helps Celebrate New Opportunity for Afghans
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael Carden
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, hands out notebooks at the opening of Pushghar Village Girls School in Panjshir Valley, July 15, 2009.
(DoD photos by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad McNeeley)
PANJSHIR VALLEY – Afghanistan’s future depends on its ability to educate youth, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today at the opening of Afghanistan’s newest elementary school here.
“I bring good wishes from the American people, in particular, to express gratitude to all of those who’ve given so much to build this school,” Mullen said. “The focus of today is opening a school for our children. Our future together depends very much on our children’s education.”
Mullen brought several boxes of school supplies to help the children get started in their new curriculums. The enthusiastic children were appreciative of the pens, paper and other supplies, and seemed to look forward to getting started with their studies. “May this just be one of many, many more schools to open up for our youth in Afghanistan,” the admiral said. “In this, I find the future for the Afghan people to be very bright based on the opportunities for education.”
The Peshghur school can serve between 300 to 400 students each school term and will greatly impact the community here, said Army Maj. Ian Murray, ops officer for the local PRT. “Education in the Panjshir Valley has always been important to the locals, but it’s been a struggle,” he said.
The beautiful, but harsh, terrain of Panjshir Valley has been somewhat of a blessing -- and setback -- for the predominantly Tajik inhabitants. During the Russian occupation and fighting throughout the 1980s, Panjshir Valley was the only prov. to hold off Taliban attempts of control. “The biggest challenge in the valley is building roads, because roads bring employment and prosperity,” he said. “The valley has been historically isolated and served them well in 30 years of conflict, but now they’re trying to get their roads built so they can get to the natural resources that they have, to bring more income outside of agriculture.”
Murray added that Panjshir Valley residents are patient, and understand the processes necessary to launch projects and programs, and they’re willing to wait as long as they see progress.
Village girls attend the opening of the new school.
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Special to American Forces Press Service
Program Bonds Iraqi Women, Strengthens Economy
By Army Spc. Stephanie Cassinos
Army Capt. Jennifer Glossinger, Women’s Initiatives program coordinator for MND-S, learns more about the specific talents of Iraqi women at a conference in Zabir, July 7, 2009. Glossinger hopes to find women who are willing to teach others new skills.
COB BASRA, July 15, 2009 – The view from a Humvee window in rural Iraq is a confusing sight. Small, broken structures disrupt long stretches of sand. Closer to town, abandoned vehicles corrode on the side of the road, trash collects in puddles and ditches, and people herd animals mere yards away from shops on the street. It’s almost as if a hurricane swept through a few centuries of development and everything landed at random. There's no rhyme or reason to the landscape, and everything seems out of place.
“What can you expect?” asked Margaret Jaji, a bilingual bicultural advisor for the Women’s Initiatives program. “These people have seen war for 28 years.” Jaji would know. A Christian Iraqi native, she left Baghdad shortly after U.N. sanctions were put into place in 1991, and moved to Chicago, later becoming a U.S. citizen. She not only serves as an interpreter, but also as a cultural advisor to MND-S' provincial PRTs. Jaji’s knowing interjections make the mission to communicate with and assess the needs of Iraqi women easier. But easy wouldn’t be the right word to describe the Women’s Initiatives program.
“That’s the thing with Women’s Initiatives; people associate it with bra burning, radical stuff,” said Army Capt. Jennifer Glossinger, Women’s Initiatives coordinator. “They think it’s like going and serving the homeless for Thanksgiving. It’s a nice thing to do, but it’s not really necessary.”
The role of Glossinger and Jaji is to be a voice for the Iraqi women, including thousands of Iraqi widows who inhabit the rural areas and whose families may be more susceptible to terrorist activities. By speaking to women from various locations, they're able to assess their needs, and in turn, develop programs to give them the tools they need to generate more income.
Education is the most valuable thing that can be given to these women, Glossinger noted. “They came into the eyes of the military because of security issues, but at the same time you want to help educate them, provide them with something nobody can take away, because they’ve had everything else taken away from them,” she said.
Glossinger said the estimated thousands of widows in southern Iraq are the reason she and Jaji have convoyed to Querna and Zabir with pen and paper in hand. The conferences they hold in these rural parts of Iraq are why women travel in high numbers, cloaked in traditional black hijabs, to share their life stories with them, stories that follow a similar theme of death, poverty and destitution.
“When you think about our culture, if you were married and you lost your husband, nine times out of 10, if you had a good relationship with your family, your family is going to take care of you. Your friends are going to take care of you,” Glossinger said. “You’re going to have a support system, a church system, or something. These women don’t have that.” As one Iraqi woman spoke in Querna of recently losing her mother-in-law, something shifted in the crowded, little conference room. Women began to comfort each other. They understood the loss. Tears began to flow. The soldiers there cried, too. Many things wind up lost in translation, but not tears. Everyone understands pain.
The Women’s Initiatives program is an important part of the PRTs missions, one of the most dramatic investments to ensure the success of Iraq’s economy. “If you take gender out of the equation, and you just look at bang for the buck, over 55% of the population is female,” said Glossinger. “My hunch is that in MND-S' area of responsibility, particularly in Basra, the population of women is greater than that. If you ignore 55% of your population, you’re ignoring the vast majority of where your business is. That’s over half of the population,” she explained. “If you take the gender out of it, and you just look at the amounts of people, the greatest amounts of people are going to be women and widows.”
“We’ve concentrated mostly on agriculture in the other 8 provs. because 80% of the employment comes from agriculture, and 70% of that work force is women,” Glossinger said. “You have to be able to take everything and break it down into priorities,” she said. “What are we going to do? We are never going to be able to change their culture. They have to change it on their own. The only thing we can do is provide them with more education and more economic stability.”
Glossinger and Jaji will continue to speak to more women and prepare for the intricate work ahead of them. They'll begin drafting programs to benefit women, most likely educational and agricultural projects. Meticulous planning will be in place, picking women to represent each of the villages, determining a location to hold classes and deciding who will teach what, whether it be sewing, farming, harvesting honey, weaving rugs or other skills to enable them to profit in the workforce.
Other works on the horizon include water sanitation projects, basic health care and first-aid training, and a legal assistance program to aid illiterate women in receiving small govt stipends available to them.
Margaret Jaji records the names and villages of the more than 60 women.
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Special to American Forces Press Service
Military Police Begin New Law, Order Mission in Basra
By Army Spc. Darryl Montgomery
Army Sgt. David Karlson, MP with the 34th Red Bull ID’s 34th MP Co, approaches a vehicle to address a violation during a training exercise on COB Basra, Iraq, July 11, 2009.
COB BASRA – A new law and order force is now on duty here to provide a safe and secure environment for servicemembers.
MP of the 34th began patrolling the base, due to the combined efforts of the 34th Red Bull ID provost marshal’s office and STB. The mission includes mounted and dismounted patrols of the living support and common areas, said Army Lt. Col. Dale Slimmer, provost marshal for MND-S.
Anything a citizen would expect from the police back home, soldiers should be able to expect from the MPs, once the program is fully operational, said Army Capt. Matthew Dick, ops officer for the 34th ID’s provost marshal’s office. “This can range from vehicle accidents, lost ID cards, criminal activities or suspicious activities,” said Slimmer. “From the ops center the fire dept, ambulance, MP, or quick-reaction force will be dispatched depending on the emergency. Because of the uniqueness of this project, there were no existing resources to fall in on,” he said. “The COB Basra law enforcement agency will be built from the ground up.”
MP provide extra security to residents.
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Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - RSS
ISOF Dental Clinic Brings Smiles to Bus-loads of Children
Story by Sgt. Jeffrey Ledesma
Local Iraqi children color while they wait to be seen for their dental screenings, cleanings and sealants during the first "Smile Day" at the ISOF dental clinic, located on an Iraqi military compound in Baghdad, June 29.
BAGHDAD – Dozens of Iraqi children scampered from one station to the next during the first "Smile Day," June 28 and 29.
A cordial staff of Iraqi dentists and dental hygienists, along with CF volunteers, conducted the enjoyable event that introduced approx. 50 young visitors to dental care. The fun-filled affair, manned by a team of 4 dentists and 10 techs, was designed to educate the local children about preventative care.
With the summer heat starting to reach new heights, a bus-load of children marched into a cool a/c waiting room and was greeted with smiling faces, coloring books and an assortment of toys. However, it wasn't all fun and games for the youthful crowd. "The goal is to teach them life-long habits that they can carry with them to prevent dental decay, and learn the techniques that they can bring home, adopt and utilize," said AF Master Sgt. Mark DiBurro.
As he stated the goal of the event, the dental advisor pointed out a dental puppet sitting on a near-by table that the dental team uses to help in the educational process. "Hopefully, they adopt a fondness to make sure they take care of their oral health," said the affable DiBurro. "We want them to appreciate the importance of taking care of their teeth and maintaining their oral hygiene for a lifetime."
While the American volunteers helped out by conducting the dental screenings and cleanings, the Iraqi dental staff handled all of the actual dental work. A majority of the work performed on the children were sealants, a protective covering that goes over the tooth to prevent decay from occurring in the future. According to DiBurro, sealants are known to reduce oral caries, also known as cavities or tooth decay, by 60 to 80%.
"We are screening kids for any oral pathologies, oral caries, and seeing what problems they have," said Dr. Mohammad Kasim, the ISOF dentist.
The group of Iraqi and American service members all took something different from the 2-day affair. "I'm very happy... because I know all the kids here eat a lot of candy and all those sweets," said Maj. Raheem Falen, a civil affairs officer who helped facilitate the event. According to Falen, who spoke through an interpreter, everyone was ecstatic to get involved in "Smile Day."
For some this was a new experience and for Kasim it was certainly worthwhile. "We're teaching them how to brush, how to floss, how to take care of their teeth and how important dental care is. It's a great thing," Kasim stated. "The children experience the dental clinic and they can get used to it."
Kasim, an easygoing doctor who spoke fluent English, hopes that the children get comfortable being in the dentist chair. He then mentioned the common fear people have of visiting a dentist. With a smile on his face, Kasim said perhaps the children will convince their parents to come to the dental clinic as well, after the time they've spent here.
"It's very rewarding to see the children smile and have fun interacting with dental personnel," DiBurro said. "Not only by getting their teeth clean, but just hanging out and getting to know each other." At the end of the day, Kasim said he hopes both the children and the military dental staff leave with something to smile about.
As Dr. Mohammad Kasim watches, AF Master Sgt. Mark DiBurro conducts a screening of a local Iraqi girl's teeth.
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American Forces Press Service
Forces Detain Insurgents, Seize Weapons in Iraq
WASHINGTON – Iraqi forces, aided by U.S. soldiers, detained 5 suspects and discovered several weapons caches during multiple ops throughout Iraq, July 13.
Iraqi forces, assisted by soldiers of the 1st Cav Div’s 4th Sqdrn, 9th Cav Regt, 2nd BCT, detained 3 suspected insurgents and discovered a weapons cache in Rashaad, Kirkuk prov., consisting of a 125 mm homemade bomb, a 120 mm round and AK-47 assault rifles.
IP discovered a 2nd cache in Zaab, Kirkuk prov., containing RPGs, anti-tank rockets and rocket mortars. ISF in Kirkuk prov. have detained 11 suspected insurgents and disposed of 3 large weapons caches since June 30.
In Baghdad, the ERB, along with CF advisors, arrested 2 suspected terrorists during an early morning op in Hor Rajab. The detainees are wanted for kidnapping, murder and targeting ISF, and are allegedly affiliated with an insurgent cell operating in the area.
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