(Photos by Spc. Corey Idleburg)
FOB JOYCE - Army Staff Sgt. Russell Martin from HHC, 2nd Bn (Abn), 503rd Inf Bn waits as Ahmed Abdullah, a translator, explains the English alphabet to ANP during an English literacy class given at FOB Joyce, Sarkani District, Konar Prov, Feb. 15.
The literacy class will be conducted every Monday for 5 weeks.
COP SAYED ABAD - An Army Soldier from the 405th CAB arm-wrestles an Afghan during a patrol to check on conditions in the village of Yawez, Wardak prov., Feb. 17, 2010. The people in this village are always up for a friendly challenge.
An Army Soldier from A Co, conducts a patrol with a plt of ANA soldiers to check on conditions in the village of Yawez. Partnership between the U.S. Army and the ANA is proving to be a valuable tool in bringing security to the area.
Photo by Senior Airman Kenny Holston
TEROT KULACHA - Pfc. Michael Elliott, Charlie Co 2508 TF Furry, talks with Mohammad Dode, a village resident, Feb. 5. Canadian forces 3rd KANDAK 1/205 Corps, and U.S. Army Charlie Co. worked together mentoring the 3-1/205 ANA for a successful execution of Op Mesmar. The mission objective was to clear several villages and fruit orchards in the southern most half of Terot Kulacha, in search of IED's, weapons caches and illegal drugs.
An Afghan senior leader in the village of Terot Kulacha greets ANA members as they walk through the village.
Detail Payne Improves Conditions, Quality of Life
(Photos by Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Lindsey)HELMAND PROVINCE - Petty Officer 1st Class David Fahy, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Bn (NMCB) 74, Detail Payne, ensures support piers for a 16' by 32' SW Asia hut being built at COP Payne, are correctly spaced. Detail Payne is one of several detachments from NMCB 74 performing contingency construction ops in remote areas.
Seaman Richard Gaines, assigned to NMCB 74, works as part of an equipment team forming a level foundation pad at COP Payne, using a grader.
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FOB RAMROD - Staff Sgt. Ronald Smith, (left), and Spc. Charles Clementino listen to a pre-convoy brief, Feb. 1. Both are members of the 402nd BSB.
Spc. Charles Clementino, drives a MRAP vehicle in a logistical convoy from Kandahar Airfield, Kandahar prov. to FOB Price in eastern Helmand prov. He's a member of the 402nd BSB, currently stationed on Kandahar Air Field.
FOB PRICE - MRAP vehicles from the 5th Stryker Bde's 402nd BSB wait to depart FOB Price.
COB BASRAH - Army Staff Sgt. Caroline Keller, asst to Maj. Michael King adds ice cream to Master Sgt. David Holifield's root beer float, Feb. 15. The 17th Fires Bde celebrates Valentine's day by serving "Thunderbolt Floats" to boost the morale of personnel assigned to the 17th FIB on Camp Basrah.
Staff Sgt. Keller scoops ice cream into cups as Maj. King serves a float to Capt. Ashley Ellis.
1st Class Samantha Stryker enjoys a root beer float.
AL ASAD – A specialty aircraft repair shop has become a valuable asset for all U.S. military branches operating out of Al Asad. "There hasn't been any back shop support on all of Al Asad for quite some time, and word started to get out that we had guys with a military occupation specialty for engines, power train, airframe and hydraulics," said Michael Bedsole, a turbine engine maintainer in Co D, 4th Bn, 227th Aviation Regt, 1st ACB. "People started trickling in one by one and then it kind of became regular – they've been relying on us for the last 4 months." During the first repairs, shop personnel had somebody watching over them to make sure the repairs were done correctly. Now, the Navy and the AF drop off components to have them fixed, which shows the level of trust that has been established, said Bedsole.A mutual respect has formed among the Soldiers of the shops plt and the other military branches. Certain parts, supplies and amenities that TF 227 didn't have were acquired because of the willingness to support others outside the unit, said Bledsoe. "They would ask us if we wanted to trade for our work, and that's how we got electricity just for our office," said Bedsole. "We did some work for the Navy, and they came over and wired our shop for us."With very few staff, the Army shops team only had time to work on other military aircraft once their own missions were complete, making some days stretch into the 17th and 18th hour. Essentially, the shops personnel made the effort to help other units on their own time, while also gaining experience they wouldn't have normally received. "We came here just as a TF, thinking that we were going to be working only on our airframes," said Spc. Ryan Stadelmaier. "Since day one, it's been a great experience, being able to get hands on with aircraft from the other branches."
COB Q-WEST - Command Sgt. Maj. Perry Campbell, (left), bestows a bde cmdr deployment coin on Sgt. Victoria Moffett, during a ceremony, Feb. 15. The ceremony was to award command sgt maj's awards to Moffett and Sgt. Kyle Stegall (middle), for embodying the Army values of selfless service and respect, respectively. Moffett is a gun truck cmdr with A Co, 106th BSB, and Stegall is a scout gun truck cmdr with C Co, 2nd Bn, 198th Combined Arms. Both units are part of the 155th BCT, HQ in Tupelo, Miss. To honor outstanding service at the end of the deployment, the senior NCOs of the 2-198th CAB – to which A Co, 106th BSB, is attached – recognized 7 Soldiers from throughout the bn who embody one of the Army values of loyalty, duty, respect, service, honor, integrity and personal courage, said Campbell.
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DVIDS
IA Signal Co Improve Communications Through Joint Training
(Photos by Spc. Maurice Galloway)COB BASRA - Army Cpl. Heath Kennedy, 256th Signal Co, 17th Fires Bde, and Marine Sgt. Michael Mullins, 14th Div MiTT, draft training based scenarios and significant incident locations on Camp Wessam Basra, for their week-long training course with IA soldiers.
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United States Division-North
Command Post North Photos of the Week
(Army photos by Spc. Darwin Seehusen)
NINEWA PROVINCE - Sgt. Christopher Fisher (left) and Sgt. Maj. Matthew McCready from HHT, 1st Sqdrn, 373rd Cav, 82nd Abn Div, provide security during TF Marne's Deputy Comm. Gen. Support Brig. Gen. Tom Vandal checkpoint inspection, Feb. 15.
Engr boats from the 739th Engr Multi-Role Bridge Co, an Army Reserve unit from Granite City, Ill., holds a bridge in place during construction over the Tigris River, south of Mosul, Feb. 15.
(Photos by Capt. Murray Shugars)
COB Q-WEST - Khalil Abrahim (hands clasped), a wheat and sheep farmer near Al Qayarrah, offers chai tea outside his home near Al Qayarrah, Feb. 5. The Soldiers – serving with A Co, 2nd Bn, 198th Combined Arms, 155th BCT, out of Hernando, Miss., the Q-West force protection co – were conducting a security escort mission to the Tigris River pump house, that supplies water to Q-West. The Soldiers recently solicited from home, gifts of clothing, linen, toys, school supplies and other items to give the farmer and his family, whom they befriended during their many visits to the pump house.
Soldiers enjoy visit with farm family
Staff Sgt. Kevin Brown, a truck cmdr says goodbye to the youngest children.
Capt. Drew Clark looks on as Khalil Abrahim hands his son Muhammed a plastic bag of pencils and crayons.
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