Dear Interested Reader,
A good Memorial Day project: Afghan children need used English books. Rakkasan Soldiers presented medals for valor at FOB Salerno. A 9-5 day of an Infantryman in Marjah. Cooperation for Kandahar from FOB Blackhawk.
Iraq: A Memorial Day remembrance for a fallen comrade at COB Kalsu. Father/daughter return from Iraq. Suspected senior JRTN media leader arrested. Gen. Odierno's statement on being asked to lead U.S. Joint Forces Command.
Joanna
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AFGHANISTAN STORIES:
Camp Stone PAO
Children in Afghanistan Need Used English Books
By Lt. Colonel Donald Davis
Tuesday May 18, 2010
CAMP STONE - May 18, 2010 - I would like you to consider what I believe to be a fairly easy community service project that can potentially make a significant difference in the country of Afghanistan. Making a difference for the people of Afghanistan can make a very real difference for America.
The Army is working hard to give Afghanistan an army of its own, a police force of its own, and facilities for the Army and police to work and live out of. If we are successful, Afghanistan will someday be able to police its own borders and towns, and to protect its own govt and country. This would be a good thing for Afghanistan, but it would not really change this country. Afghanistan would always need more police, more soldiers, and more US money to pay for them. Real change will come when the reasons this country needs a bigger police force and a bigger army are corrected.
Afghanistan is a very old country. Its history is long, more than 3000 years. However, Afghanistan has not grown as a country for a very long time. Many other countries have invaded it, and many countries have kept it weak. The fighting amongst the Afghan tribes has also kept the country weak, and cut off from the World. In many ways, life in Afghanistan today is much like life in Europe before 1500 a.d., before the Renaissance Era.
To be successful in today’s world, the country of Afghanistan must become a member of the world community of nations, in a way that it has never been able to. When Afghanistan is strong enough to trade its goods and services in the world economy, when Afghanistan can send its students abroad to study, when Afghanistan can participate in the int'l debates, then will Afghanistan be strong enough to take care of its borders and govt. One of the ways in which the people of Afghanistan could become so strong is by learning English. Our language is the language of business, of int'l education, of the internet. By giving these people the tools to learn English, you can help them become members of the world community.
What I would ask of you is this:
1. Find the books in your homes that you read when you were younger, even the one-word-per-picture books. Find the books you learned to read with. Find the books that your family is done with. Please do not buy new books. New books in a mud and straw hut don't stay new for long.
2. Package the books in Post Office flat-rate shipping boxes. Shipping in non-standard boxes will significantly increase the cost of this program.
3. Please add notes, pictures, letters that you would like me to share with the children of Afghanistan. Please don't put addresses or phone numbers in your letters. Let them know how you see the world, how you feel about school, what you do on weekends, what you do at church or Scouts. Share the ideas that make you “American.”
4. Send the books to me at this address:
Don Davis
USACE Area Office
Camp Stone
APO AE-09354
When the books arrive, we will get them to kids and schools in the rural communities throughout the Harat, Farah, Ghor, and Badghis Provs., where we're working. Real kids will have real books from which they can begin to piece together the English language. Every child we help to become a successful adult with hope for the future is one less angry adult we will have to fight in the years to come. We can make America stronger by sharing our language with these people.
Lt. Col. Donald Karl Davis is in Afghanistan with the US Army Engineer Corps. He's the Officer-in-Charge of the Harat Area Office. This letter was originally addressed to Los Altos Girl Scouts who had sent cookies to the troops there.
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DVIDS
Rakkasan Soldiers Presented Medals for Valor
Story by Pfc. Christopher McKenna
Date: 05.21.2010
Posted: 05.21.2010 08:02
FOB SALERNO - Many Soldiers have received Bronze Stars and Army Commendation Medals, but relatively few know the pride that comes with adding the small metal "V" to the ribbon – a device that denotes the award was presented for acts of valor.
On May 12, 11 more Soldiers learned what it felt like to have their courage publicly recognized when they received awards with "V" devices at a ceremony where Army Lt. Gen. David Rodriguez, cmdr for ISAF Joint Command was on hand to present awards.
Army Staff Sgt. Philip Burchfield, plt sgt, Co A., 3rd Bn, 187th Inf Regt, 3rd BCT, 101st Abn Div., received the Bronze Star with "V." On March 18, 2010, Burchfield's mounted element encountered a complex enemy ambush in the Musa Khel Village, Paktika prov. In complete darkness, Burchfield moved 15 meters on foot, while receiving a barrage of enemy gunfire, to the lead truck where he began to coordinate an effective triage. Once the wounded Soldier was stabilized and the enemy attack was disrupted, Burchfield moved his platoon back to their outpost.
Army Cpl. Shelton Woolever, forward observer with Co A., 3rd Bn, received the Bronze Star with "V." On March 18, Woolever, despite a thick level of smoke, and holding a complete disregard for his own injuries, quickly identified a fellow Soldier with a wounded leg, suffered during a RPG blast, and immediately applied pressure and a tourniquet to the wound. Denying self treatment, Woolever dismounted his vehicle and moved 15 meters to his sgt's vehicle, where he called for indirect fire to suppress the enemy. He quickly moved back to the injured Soldier and continued to provide medical aid until the medical evacuation helicopter arrived.
Army Pfc. Michael Ranger, Co D., 3rd Bn, received the Bronze Star with "V." On Feb. 25, 2010, Ranger's plt was engaged by enemy forces as they were responding to an event as the Quick Reaction Force. Ranger's vehicle moved directly in front of an insurgent safe house, exposing him to continuous enemy fire. Ranger calmly placed accurate fire on the building, causing the enemy to shift their fire off of another plt. This transformed what was a potentially catastrophic engagement into a tactical info op victory for combined forces. His fire resulted in 2 enemy insurgents killed in action and 2 more detained.
The Soldiers who received the Army Commendation medal with "V" Device are: Army Lt. Col. Stephen Lutsky, 1st Sqdrn, 33rd Cavalry Regt cmdr; Army 1st Lt. Charles Davis, HHB, 3rd Bn, 320th FAR; Army Staff Sgt. Jesse Johnston, Co A., 3rd Bn, 187th Inf Regt; Army Sgt. Andrew Nelson, Co C., 1st Bn, 187th Inf Regt; Army Spc. Robert Brennan, Co C., 1st Bn; Army Spc. Tyler Garvin, Co C., 1st Bn; Army Spc. Vincent Kelly, HHB, 3rd Bn, 320th FAR; Army Spc. Samuel Keefer, Co A., 3rd Bn.
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DVIDS
The Nine-to-five of an Infantryman
Story by Lance Cpl. James Clark
Lance Cpl. Jesse Vargas, a mortarman with 81 mm Mortar Plt, Weapons Co, 1st Bn, 6th Marine Regt, takes a moment to drink some water while on a patrol in Marjah, May 9. Marine and Afghan soldiers went out on a 48-hour op, where they manned checkpoints, conducted patrols around the market, and residential areas in the center of the city.
FOB MARJAH, Helmand province – The mortarmen live a regulated and precise life - one where they can all be assured that at the end of each day, the following morning they will awake to do it all over again. Their day begins as early as 5 a.m., and ends as late as 1 a.m. Getting up at least an hour before going out patrol, some of the Marines eat a quick breakfast, while others forgo food in favor of a few more minutes of rest. Thirty minutes before heading out they check their radio equipment, rehearse the reporting format in case there are casualties, and go over the patrol route.
Fifteen minutes prior to setting out on a 2-to-4 hour patrol, they get last minute info on suspected threats, such as IEDs, Taliban suicide bombers, and snipers operating in the area. They do this at least twice every day, and can only look forward to a rare day off; or more likely a day with only 1 patrol rather than 2.
However, the weariness never seems to show once they've left the gate. They greet local vendors and elders, give candy to children, and even while shaking hands or sharing tea, their eyes are always shifting left and right, checking alleyways and rooftops.
"You start knowing and recognizing the locals, those who like or dislike you, and you begin to recognize significant elders," said Lance Cpl. Jesse Vargas, a mortarman with 81 mm Mortar Plt. "You begin to get a feeling for which alleyways or roads are safe, and know which locals gather at specific spots, like the mosque."
Their endless rotation of patrols seems to be paying off, Vargas explained. "It's been kind of nice getting to know the area that you patrol," said Vargas. "When we first got to this part of the city, the locals didn't even look at us, and the kids wouldn't wave or smile. Now the children come up to our patrols, giving us high-fives, or asking for food. Kind of nice to see how we've helped improve the area, and see that the locals no longer fear us. We're doing what we can to give them a good life."
However, the benefits of working on area continuously are not without their own risks. "In a small area of ops, we have to keep from putting ourselves in a pattern, and prevent the Taliban from targeting us," said Cpl. Timothy Stark, a squad leader with 81 mm Mortar Plt. "Another challenge is that the area is so saturated with Marines that the Taliban know they can pick and choose their battles. There's always another patrol coming, so they can wait until it works in their favor."
Often, by the time the Marines return from patrol, their clothes have become stiff with dried sweat, the sun has set, and the chow hall has closed. They debrief just inside the gate, while the info is still fresh, and then make their way slowly back to their tent, where they peel off white socks that have turned brown, and douse their feet in foot powder.
Some huddle together to watch a movie before falling asleep; others read, and a few other stay up thinking about the events of the day, asking themselves what they could've done differently, and what they'd do the following morning.
A Marine with 81 mm Mortar Plt, is chased by a herd of livestock while on patrol. Marine and Afghan soldiers, went out on a 48-hour op, where they manned checkpoints and conducted patrols around the market and residential areas in the center of the city.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Joshua Pittman, a corpsman, reads a book during his break between patrols.
Lance Cpl. Allan Fenley, a mortarman, shares a cigarette with a Marjah resident.
Lance Cpl Richard Louke speaks to a local boy while Marine and Afghan soldiers search shops in the bazaar for contraband, May 10.
Cpl. Kyle Sutherland, a team leader, patrols a side street in Marjah, May 9.
Lance Cpl. James Borzillieri, a gunner, plays with a puppy during his break between patrols.
A Marine searches a man's vehicle before he enters the bazaar in Marjah, May 10.
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DVIDS
Hamkari Baraye Kandahar - Cooperation for Kandahar
(Photos by Tech. Sgt. Michele Desrochers)
Army 1st Lt. David Leydet, 3rd Plt, Bear Troop, enters mission data into an Army Light Armored Vehicle III, Blue Force Tracker system, before leaving FOB Blackhawk in the Spin Boldak region of Afghanistan, May 13.
Army soldiers load items of humanitarian aid onto a ANP truck. These items will be handed out by the 5th ABP Bn, and Afghan elders in the village of Kariz, in the Shorabak District, May 11. This effort is part of Hamkari Baraye Kandahar (Cooperation for Kandahar), an Afghan Govt led initiative to better connect the Govt with its people by providing improved security, governance, and economic opportunity.
A young Afghan child watches as elders and ABP unload a tractor full of food and other items.
Young Afghan children in the village of Kariz.
A young Afghan boy sits with an elder in the village of Kariz, in the Shorabak District, May 11.
A young Afghan child and his baby sister pose for a photo outside a local business establishment in the Takthepol District, where U.S. Army Soldiers have arrived to conduct business surveys, in an effort to gather info as to whether or not improved security measures have led to any sign of economic prosperity, May 13.
Army soldiers with 3rd Plt, Bear Troop, 8th Sqdrn, 1st Cav Regt, 5th Bde, 2nd ID, approach local business owners in the Takthepol District, May 13.
Army Staff Sergeants Bobby Flores (left), and Brian Wozny (right) of the 3rd Plt, Bear Troop, look over a local business survey they're about to administer to local Afghan business owners in the Takthepol District, May 13.
Army Sgt. William Golden (right), 3rd Plt, Bear Troop, approaches local business owners in the Takthepol District.
Col. Gul Mohammed (right), cmdr of the ANP, Takthepol District, leads U.S. Army soldiers outside to observe his station's entry control procedures, May 13.
Army 1st Lt. David Leydet meets with Col. Gul Mohammed.
Army soldiers with 2nd Bn, 508th and Afghan interpreters depart Ops Coordination Center District on a convoy, May 10.
(Photos by Technical Sgt. Joselito Aribuabo)
AMP and U.S. Army soldiers from Delta Co, march to Sarde Sofla.
Army Private First Class Taylor Krinner from Delta Co, 2nd Bn, 508th PIR, 4th BCT, 82nd AD secures a perimeter in Sarde Sofla during a recon mission, May 7. Delta Co operates out of Sakari Bah, an FOB in the Arghandab River Valley, where Afghanistan nationals and U.S. Military forces work together.
Army soldiers from Delta Co secure a perimeter in Sarde Sofla.
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IRAQI STORIES:
DVIDS
Remembering a Fallen Comrade
Story and photos by Staff Sgt. Natalie Hedrick
A photo of Sgt. Anthony O'Neal Magee, Co A, 2nd Bn, 69th AR Regt, 3rd HBCT, 3rd ID, rests at the base of the memorial stand, at the service held in his remembrance May 8, 2010, at COB Kalsu.
COB KALSU – Soldiers gathered at the chapel to remember their fallen comrade, Sgt. Anthony O'Neal Magee.
Magee survived 3 days before passing away, April 27, from wounds suffered during an indirect fire attack on COB Kalsu.
According to Col. Robert Ashe, cmdr of 2nd Bn., 69th AR, after being wounded, Magee was moved to safety by another injured Soldier. Immediately, other Soldiers came to help, using the shirts off their backs as bandages.
Tireless efforts were taken to save his life at the COB Kalsu aid station, the hospital in Balad, and finally the hospital in Germany where he passed. Magee's final act was to serve as an organ donor.
At the memorial service, Ashe said the actions of all involved gave Magee's family time to say their final goodbyes. He is survived by his wife Courtney, his son Kameron, and his parents, Tony and Patricia Davis.
Two of his many friends, Spc. Bryan Hammers and Pfc. Ronald Simpson, brought the spirit of Magee alive as they took the audience through a journey of his life as they knew him. "He wouldn't have wanted me to stand here today and dwell on the negativity of the situation," Hammers said. "If Magee were here today, I guarantee you his exact words would be, 'Quit crying about it; life's too short.'"