Dear Interested Reader,
ISAF to limit offensive ops on election day. Crossing the "Desert of Death" with correspondents Mal Jones and Greg Palkot. Captured Pakistani Taliban spokesman admits leader is dead.
Iraq: "Martha Stewart" living at JBB. Clearing roads from Maysan to Basrah. MNF-1, Iraqi and Kurdistan leaders hold discussions. Logistics Conference highlights equipment accountability. 858th MCT helps convoys roll out.
Joanna
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August 19, 2009
International Security Assistance Force HQ Public Affairs RSS
ISAF to Limit Offensive Operations on Election Day
KABUL, Afghanistan – Following the call from the GoA for a Day of Peace, the ISAF will suspend offensive ops during the election.
In support of the ANSF who lead the security efforts during the electoral process, only those ops that are deemed necessary to protect the population will be conducted on that day. "Our efforts alongside our Afghan security partners will focus on protecting the people of Afghanistan from the insurgents, so that the population can freely exercise their right to choose their next president and their provincial reps," said Brig. Gen. Eric Tremblay, ISAF spokesperson.
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On the Scene Fox News
Crossing the Desert of Death
by Mal James
Getting to the Frontline in Afghanistan is not easy; you take whatever you can, whenever you can. Competition amongst all media agencies whether the TV, Print, Stills or Radio is intense. We all want to get there before the others and get the proverbial scoop.
Sitting in the tent at Camp Leatherneck in Helmand Prov., Correspondent Greg Palkot and I were grouped with 3 members of AP and Radio Reporter from NPR. We'd already waited at Kabul Airport for 37 hours trying to get ahead of the rest of the pack, only to have had 2 flights canceled, and had become known as the “Kabul Two” for being stranded there and waiting.
To get to our FOB at Now Zad, in Northern Helmand, we were told that we might have a chance in the next 36 hours, but we saw other media going to other areas, coming back after being bounced time and time again. Greg had an idea, if you can't fly, then what about driving up in a Convoy; the FOB is only 60 miles North of Leatherneck.
Without letting on we managed to find a Supply Convoy heading out that afternoon (August 6th 2009), a 41-vehicle log train driving through the “Desert of Death” as Helmand Desert is called, for being one of the most inhospitable places on the planet, carrying everything from ammo to food and water. It would stretch over 2 km’s long.
It should take no longer than 8 hours was the word from the PAO (Public Affairs Officer) organizing logistics. That’s doable, I agreed with Greg; anything beats sitting around and waiting. And, we could also do a story on the Convoy itself.
We were introduced to the guys who were to become relatively close friends in the confines of the MRAP we were to travel in. Sgt James Mitchell or (Terrets) was the Vehicle Cmdr, Lance Cpl Chris Lance (Old Man) driving the beast, sharing the gun of the roof were Lance Cpl Raul Lustre, and (Dr J) Lance Cpl Jaron Hester.
They simply laughed when I asked about the 8 hour drive. “Man, the record for this trip is 17 hours, the longest trip 53 hours,” replied the Sarge. Something you should know is that we expect to get hit by IED bombs. We've done this convoy 4 times and only once we've not been hit. “Welcome to the most dangerous trip you can do in the world.” Seatbelts not required, but you must wear your body armor at all times. These vehicles are designed to withstand IED blasts, but we hoped not to test the theory”.
Together with 131 Marines we began the trip. There would be no road traveled. We were to make our own new road across the desert to avoid IED’s, as is the normal practice here. A bulldozer scrapes a path and everyone stays in tracks ahead of them.
“Old Man” finally touched the gas pedal at 3:40 pm. It took 40 min. to actually get out of the Base and past the final strand of Razor Wire less than a mile, and the 60 to go didn't start till the gate. We approached the main East West Highway and the only 200 yards of road we would be on. It was considered safe, as the Base had “eyes” on this stretch.
As the last light faded, we had covered less than 300m in 2 hours, due to trucks breaking down. Five hours after leaving the Base we could still see the lights clearly, things weren't going well but there was no turning back, only the tracks of the vehicle ahead in the sand.
Just before midnight the convoy halted to refuel; the convoy travels with its own gas tanker. The lights of the Base were still on the horizon, nearly 8 hours after leaving. There's only so much room and so many positions you can try to get comfortable in, imagining 2 economy class seats facing each other with even less legroom than a cheap charter plane crams in. That's your world; your body armor plates dig into your back making sleep near impossible - 2 minutes here 5 minutes there; the next bump wakes you as we tumble into each other. At times it became a Pilate stretching class as you try to find that extra inch to stretch out a cramping muscle.
Lance Cpl Lustre, 19, joined the Marines, because he wanted to “Make a difference.” Was he excited about being here; he answered “Yes.”
We were yet to enter what the Marines called “Hell Pass” and the beginning of Taliban controlled territory. Over the radio you could hear muffled messages from the Intel guys warning of trouble looming.
Twelve hours into the trip, we'd stopped asking how far or how much further. First light was coming; we'd not eaten since lunch the day before. It's too hard to digest, when every 15 seconds or so you go over another bone jolting bump. Conversations in the vehicle became less and less; exhaustion was setting in. Boredom a fact of life, as was my body armor chaffing my skin red.
We'd requested to move up in the convoy after dawn, as there's only so much video you can shoot from the back. After 16 hours we bade farewell to the guys, and moved into “Vic 2” the 2nd vehicle after the clearance team in the convoy. I could now stand up through the exit hatch at the back and see why we'd taken so long to get such little distance. We were now approaching the most feared part of the trip for the convoy the “Wadi Zone.” Dried river and creek beds is where the Taliban favored planting IED’s. The previous attacks had all taken part in this area.
We crossed without incident, and I expected that tension would ease up in the vehicle, but as the Sarge said we were still to cross “IED Wadi.” The one we'd traversed was simply a tributary of the one they all feared.
Our destination was getting close, but 4 more Wadis had to be cleared. 18 hours had passed and the lookouts were nervous. Children carrying yellow plastic jugs were noted; shepherds with flocks of goats were potential Taliban lookouts. Anyone moving at more than a slow shuffle in the late morning heat haze was a suspect.
The final miles had become a struggle against exhaustion and nervous tension. Locked in a metal box the a/c battled the extremes of the approaching noonday sun, but at least we were moving closer by the hour. We entered the safe confines of FOB Now Zad after 20 hours. For Greg and I, we looked at each other and wondered just what planet we were on. Moon dust or “Afghan Snow,” a fine powder, was 6 inches deep and the temp was in the 120s. We had beaten the competition up, and had a good story in the can, as we say.
The other Press flew up that night. It took them 18 minutes in a helicopter to cover the same distance it had taken us 20 hours to travel.
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On the Scene Fox News
Captured Pakistani Taliban Spokesman Admits Leader Is Dead
Man identified as Pakistani Taliban's top spokesman Maulvi Umar.
ISLAMABAD — SECFOR captured the Pakistani Taliban's top spokesman, and he acknowledged the death of the group's leader in a recent U.S. missile strike, officials said Aug. 18 — further signs the militants are in disarray since the American attack.
U.S. and Pakistani officials have said they were almost certain that the chief, Baitullah Mehsud, had been killed in the Aug. 5 strike, but at least 3 Taliban operatives, including the detainee, Maulvi Umar, had called media orgs following the attack to say he was still alive.
Umar's comments were relayed by an intel official who took part in the questioning. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The spokesman's capture was the 2nd arrest of a prominent Taliban figure in 24 hours, dealing another blow to the network blamed for scores of bloody attacks on Western and govt targets gnawing at the stability of the nuclear-armed country.
He was captured along with 2 associates in a village in the Mohmand tribal region Aug 18 while he was traveling in a car to South Waziristan, a Taliban stronghold, said Javed Khan, a local govt administrator.
The announcement of Umar's capture came a day after police arrested militant cmdr Qari Saifullah, another close Mehsud aide, as he was being treated in a private hospital in Islamabad, the capital. Saifullah, who is reportedly linked to Al Qaeda, told police he had been wounded in an American missile strike in S. Waziristan, said 2 police officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the info. It was unclear if it was the same strike believed to have killed Mehsud.
The two were being questioned for possible roles in attacks on U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan, as well as terrorist attacks in Pakistan, said Islamabad police ops chief Tahir Alam Khan.
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13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) RSS
Martha Stewart Living in Iraq
Story by Lt. Col. Renee Rouse
Maj. Gina Garbedian, with the 304th Sust Bde, use her creative ingenuity to decorate her containerized housing unit (CHU) at JBB. She used materials around post to create an environment more like home.
JOINT BASE BALAD – "It was like moving into a warehouse," she said. She immediately began to think of ways to make it seem a little cozier and more like home. Garbedian said she visualized, "Creating a little sanctuary where I could recharge my battery."
For her first project, she replaced her mini blinds with curtains made from two bath towels and a shower curtain. Garbedian found an old piece of pipe in the yard next to the self-help woodshop and cut it down to the appropriate length. She used ribbon to cover the exposed sides and placed a bow at each end to cover hooks. She said no one could have known these materials were used, had she not pointed them out because the curtains looked professional.
"It became like a game for me to find things around post that could be reused," she said. As time went by, Garbedian tackled several other projects. She tapped the self-help resources on post, and got her husband in on the act by having him go to fabric stores to purchase and ship materials she could use to glamorize her CHU.
When Garbedian went home on leave, she had a lot of ideas for her CHU, she said. She bought foam, fabric, thumb tacks and dust ruffles with plans to use them when she returned to JBB. Much like Martha Stewart, Garbedian has always drawn inspiration from her surroundings, she said.
Each project took approximately 2 months to complete, and the final unveiling of the completed CHU took 6 months. "I would do a little bit every night," she said. Her creative vision resulted in a tastefully decorated CHU in hues of light green and yellow. Garbedian made her own sanctuary in the desert and now shares the knowledge she gained through the interior decorating process. "I no longer have to wait until I retire to decorate my home," said Garbedian. "I can do a little bit each night until it is finished."
Maj. Garbedian uses her creative ingenuity to decorate her containerized housing unit.
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MNF-I
Clearing Roads from Maysan to Basrah
By 2nd Lt. Juan Torres, Jr.
A Route Clearance Team with the 77th AR inspects a Maysan prov. road for threats while on patrol, recently. The 30-foot remote controlled arm of the Buffalo Mine Resistant Clearance Vehicle provides increased safety to operators inside.
FOB HUNTER — Combat engrs with TF Saber recently performed their final route clearance mission in Maysan, then headed to Basrah to do the same. "It's our job to focus on the road and make sure it's safe for travel," said Pfc. Jeffrey Bernier, a combat engr, assigned to the Route Clearance Team (RCT). "We've really gotten to know the area, but it's time to let the new team take charge."
Soldiers memorized every detail of local roads to the point where even a rock shifted from its position would gain their attention. Indicators like a new pile of debris or a change in a person's body language can lead to finding IEDs and EFPs.
The RCT from 2nd Plt, Co E, 1st Bn, 77th AR spent June and July assigned to the 2nd Sqdrn, 13th Cav Regt, "Sabers." The safety and security of CF and local citizens traveling along roads and highways were their main responsibility.
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MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ
MNF-I and Iraqi Leaders Hold Discussions
BAGHDAD – Gen. Ray Odierno, comm. gen. of MNF-I, met Aug. 16 with GoI and Kurdistan Regional Govt leadership, to lay the groundwork for dialogue, and progress on security issues concerning the disputed areas in Ninewa, Diyala and Kirkuk.
Gen. Odierno joined the ministers of defense and interior from the GoI, and the MoI and the command of the Peshmerga from the Kurdistan Regional Govt. Gen. Odierno called the talks an important step forward in creating a useful dialogue on the key issues of defining a joint security framework for the country’s disputed internal boundaries. The group also discussed the topics of unity of command, coordination measures, force-level arrangements, effective intel-sharing processes, and efficient rule of law oversight.
“Today’s meeting represents an important first step in working through the security issues in the disputed areas,” said Gen. Odierno. “I was pleased with the positive and overall sense of cooperation. All parties are focused on improving security for all Iraqis.”
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Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq
Logistics Conference Highlights Equipment Accountability
BAGHDAD – To gather info from provs across Iraq to determine needs and capabilities, the MoI’s Asst Dep. Minister for Infrastructure, Iraqi Maj. Gen. Abdulameer Ali, hosted the MoI Info Center Symposium Aug. 15.
The purpose of the conference was to outbrief a month-long data call from provs and MoI separate commands. This data call included status on provs implementing automation capabilities by establishing their own info centers; detailed reports and info on vehicles, weapons, equipment, supplies; and info on arrests made in each prov.
The conference was attended by FP forces from all provs in Iraq and each prov was given the opportunity to speak to the group about their equipment, automation and arrest records. In addition to the many police logistics officers, also in attendance was the Senior Dep. Minister Adnan Al-Assadi, all director generals, provincial chiefs of police and cmdrs. U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Richard Rowe, Iraq Training and Advisory Mission cmdr, represented U.S. forces who assisted with the conference.
The Iraqi MoI has never had a full accounting of the equipment on hand. Over the years, the coalition and the GoI have distributed almost $2 billion worth of items without a centralized record at the MoI. This full accounting will better guide the MoI in applying future resources.
ITAM- MoI Logistics only played a minor role in providing info to the training teams, translating presentation from Arabic to English, and providing some audio-visual equipment for the conference.
Future automation improvements will link subordinate info centers to the MoI Directorate of Infrastructure Info Center. This concept is still in the planning phase and will eliminate the need to have these personnel meet in one location. This will improve efficiency within the logistics center of the MoI.
The conference was a huge success in collecting a significant amount of info and adding it to the central accounting system. With the Security Agreement signed between the U.S. and Iraq being the driving force behind all relationships that the logistics teams have formed, it’s good to know that when anyone gives equipment or automation capabilities to the MoI, from now on, it will be accounted for in a much more professional manner.
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13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) RSS
858th MCT Helps Convoys Roll Out
JOINT BASE BALAD – In an immense yard with staging lanes that hold up to 2,000 vehicles, a giant machine loads connexes onto a flatbed truck. As convoys roll in from the night before, each needs reconsolidation and reorganization to ensure mission success and efficiency.
This is a typical morning for the 858th Movement Control Team (MCT) located at the Convoy Support Center (CSC) on JBB, where Soldiers and contractors are responsible for accommodating convoys arriving at, and passing through JBB.
The primary job of the MCT is to track each convoy from its starting point until it arrives here. JBB is the central hub of the transportation system in Iraq, meaning the team here is in charge of moving cargo from central Iraq to the rest of the country.
The Soldiers of the CSC work long hours – 12 hours a shift, 7 days a week—and maintain the op 24 hours a day. The CSC moves an average of 12 civilian and military convoys per night through their facilities, with each convoy comprised of up to 500 trucks.
"As far as efficiency, Central Receiving and Shipping Point here at JBB is the quickest I've seen," said AF Tech. Sgt. Timothy Smith, convoy cmdr for the 424th Medium Truck Det, 57th Joint Logistics TF.
Among the most time-consuming tasks is ensuring trucks do not leave JBB without a full load, said 1st Lt. Randell Krug, battle capt for the 858th MCT. Of the 4,000 to 5,000 trucks travelling from Kuwait to Balad every month, less than 1% are empty, he said.
The CSC is operated by a mixture of Soldiers, Kellogg Brown and Root Inc., contracted employees and foreign nationals. "I don't divide our MCT between KBR and Soldiers," said Krug. "They're here specifically to augment the MCT; they can do everything the Soldiers do."
I take a great degree of pride in our high level of quality control," said Krug.
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MNF-I
Orphaned Children are Gifted with Toys and Books
Iraqi boys watch U.S. Soldiers with the 3rd Bn, 7th FAR, 3rd Bde, 25th ID, IP officers and members of the Salah ad Din PRT, during a visit to the children of the Tikrit Orphanage, to drop off toys and books, Aug. 8.
(Photo by Staff Sgt. Luke Thelen)
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MNF-I
1st Lt. James Murrett, the EO for C Co, 1st Bn, 505th PIR, 3rd BCT, 82nd Abn Div, listens as an Iraqi man explains where he's coming from during joint Op Zelig Teftish, in the outskirts of southern Baghdad, Aug. 15.
(Photo by Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell)
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