Harrell was sketching on a pad one day when Garrity saw his work and asked Harrell if he would be willing to paint a design on his door.
“It’s phenomenal; he’s very talented,” said Army Maj. Devon Blake, Harrell’s supervisor. “We’re excited that he’s able to use his talents to contribute to the aesthetics of the command group.”
The door incorporates many elements of the 16th MP Bde and the MP corps. Below the banner is the rank of the bde cmdr, Colonel, with a wartime orientation of the eagle facing the arrows. To the left of the eagle is the MP distinctive insignia, and on the opposite side is the distinctive unit insignia of the 16th MP Bde. An aircraft with paratroopers jumping from it, placed behind the design symbolizes the bde’s abn status and preparedness to conduct abn ops. An Armored Security Vehicle and an Up-armored HMMWV are below the Paratroopers, depicting the nature of combat ops conducted by MP paratroopers. The foundation of the design includes the Bde’s motto: “One of A Kind” and the bde cmdr’s philosophy “Be a Professional,” all above an image of the American Flag.
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Combined Joint Task Force - 82 PAO
Keeping FOB Salerno maintained
The 1-19th Indiana ADT, B Co, 2nd Bn, 151st Inf Regt; the 177th Finance Co, and 38th ID’s TF Cyclone, who run base ops, reside at Salerno during their deployment. The cmdr for Salerno base ops, Lt. Col. Rodney Babb, says the work his team does surpasses the expectations of all who live on post.
“The performance of TF Cyclone servicemembers has been outstanding,” said Babb. “Their effort to go the extra mile surpasses the needs of our tenants and improves the quality of life support services at FOB Salerno.”
Two particular Soldiers, Spcs. David Lillian and Devin Blankenship, say their work is difficult, but worthwhile. They say the Soldiers coming and going on a day-to-day basis are the ones who benefit the most from their efforts. “It boosts morale. You live in a house; you like to have your house clean. This is our house and we keep it clean,” Lillian said. “I grew up in the country, so I don’t like having mess and filth, and I’m sure nobody else does,” Blankenship said.
Each Soldier supervises a crew of 10-12 local nationals, who perform a multitude of tasks each working day. The daily tasks for the locals range from filling sandbags and pulling weeds, to preparing billeting and building projects. The specialists both had high praise for the Afghan workers because of their good work ethic and how they engage in each job. “They’re great. They don’t mess around. You show them something and they do it,” said Lillian. “I like these guys. Some of them have been around for 5 years working on the FOB.”
On this particular day the crews were removing weeds and trash from around the base, which are mundane jobs, but crucial for the health of all that live in and around the area. “The weeds are an issue because of the rodents. We've a lot of mice, rats, lizards and snakes here, especially in the summertime,” Blankenship said. “There're all kinds of different diseases out here. We don’t want anything to help feed that.”
Blankenship said the prov. is a high-risk area for malaria adding, “We don’t want standing water and trash to feed the mosquitoes, and we’re trying to come down on the malaria issue.”
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Combined Joint Task Force - 82 PAO
(Photo by Senior Airman Ashley Hawkins)
CAMP TAJI — U.S. Soldiers here visited a local school in need to distribute school supply kits to the nearly 300 students as part of “Operation Back to School,” Nov. 22.
"Basically, ever since the war started, Soldiers saw a need out there in the civilian populace, to be able to give back," said Read. "They realized that we've so much, and we come from a great nation that does have a lot." Read said he sees the heavy involvement of the IA as a positive sign in the road toward turning the country back over to the people of Iraq. IA not only provided security for the event, but also helped distribute the kits to the children.
Capt. Jeffrey Colemere, trial counsel for the 96th SBDE, found himself working closely with the IA. "My job was to stay outside, make sure all the supplies were sorted, and when they were done, the IA would carry them in and distribute them," said Colemere. "The whole purpose of this exercise was to engender trust between the IA and the Iraqi citizens, which hasn't always existed, to my understanding. They did a fantastic job," he said. "They were working hard; we were working right along with them, shoulder to shoulder, and I think we made some very good friends."
Another Soldier who participated in the op was Staff Sgt. Daniel Hanks, a paralegal with the 96th SBDE. Hanks was tasked with hanging nets on the school's soccer goals. He worked with the school's soccer coach to fix the goals, and, like Colemere, mentioned the difficulty in crossing the language barrier. "It was basically gesturing and trying to talk through motions," said Hanks. "But some things, like a smile or a wave, go through any language."
Hanks said he was glad to be able to have the chance to participate in the program. "It's a great thing that we can do as Soldiers, helping to bring some good light into the lives of Iraqi citizens, especially children," he said. "They're the future of this country, and I think it went a long way to building relations between the IA and the citizens, and the U.S. and the citizens."
For Colemere, the best part of the day was being able to help the local citizens. "It was an opportunity to do good for some people who are really in need, and it was an opportunity to see the IA grow and develop, and gain trust in the eyes of their public," he said. "It was an opportunity for us as Soldiers to get off the base and interact with Iraqis in their community, and let them know that we're here for their good."
Read also spoke about the chance to give back to the community, especially around the Thanksgiving holidays. "Honestly, you left a changed person," he said. "I can't think of a person here who wouldn't leave a changed individual. We've so much living in America, and we've so much to be grateful for. We've plenty of everything, and then some. You can't help but feel good for trying to help."
By Army Spc. Maurice Galloway
“The hardest part of the training for me was being able to determine the distance of each of our projected targets from such a long distance away,” said Army 1st Lt. Mike Robinson, an inf officer with Bravo Co, 177th AR Cav. “You have to take into account that there are 2 perspectives: what we see from the ground and what the air-support team sees.”
From their positions on the ground, soldiers used their choice of techniques taught during the training to direct 2 AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopters to hostile ground targets and have them deliver an air strike. Some soldiers used the compass method, shooting an azimuth to gain the distance and direction of their target, while others tackled the difficult task of navigating the air strike verbally, without any target marking. “This event gave our plt leaders an opportunity to see what the Apache is capable of doing for us, if we ever need more firepower,” said Army Lt. Col. James MacGregor, cmdr of 1st Bn. “They're routinely coordinating ops with the air weapons team during their patrols, not only as a secondary source of firepower, but also to expand their field of view.” A lot of different factors come into play when trying to acquire a target, he explained, so communication is important. “The two teams have to constantly talk,” MacGregor said. “The plt leader has to identify his target and help the pilot see what he's looking at. Both may be looking at the same thing, but from a much different perspective.” When multiple targets are near each other, it makes target ID all the more difficult. One strategy is to have troops on the ground use small-arms fire to mark their target. “My objective was to identify the target for air support, using the 240 Bravo light machine gun,” said Pfc. Ian Favro, a gunner with 1st Bn. “I basically shot rounds in short, controlled increments, just short of their intended target to knock dust into the air, so that the[air weapons team could properly identify their objective and destroy it.”
1st Lt. Mike Robinson coordinates the location of his next target with an air weapons team, by using the distance and direction he received from his azimuth.
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MNF-I
The HTT has worked in the Southern Iraqi provs. of Maysan, Dhi Qar and Muthanna for the last 2 years. They work to gain an understanding of the local culture and share that knowledge with the Soldiers operating in the region. As part of their work, they regularly take part in engagements with local leaders, and conduct field research among the Iraqis who live along the many canals in the region and in the Hawizah Marsh.
The design of the mudhif itself reflects local traditions. For instance, there are always an odd number of reed pillars, allowing the host of a meeting to sit along one side wall with an equal number of guests to his right and left. This ensures that the tribal shaykh remains the center of decision making when conducting business and reinforces his prestigious position.
Its completion will serve as a lasting monument to the TF's unconventional mission, while displaying the commitment the U.S. has to ensuring that local history and heritage aren't forgotten. "It was important for us and our mission of building civil capacity, to create a structure that demonstrated our appreciation for local customs and traditions," explained Lt. Col. Michael Eastman, cmdr of TF Pathfinder. "This mudhif is more than a symbolic gesture," he continued. "It is a place where Americans and Iraqis meet and discuss ways to sustain our progress in these 3 provs."