“She had an idea, and I told her I would do it. She gave me a picture, and I took it from there. I estimated the size of their beds, and kind of just worked backwards, and tried to minimize the wood used,” said Halaszynski.
“I’ve been down and out a few times in my life, and there’s always been someone there to pick me up. In this case, with these orphans in the middle of Afghanistan, they don’t have that person there to pick them up and get them back on the road,” said Halaszynski. This isn’t the first project Halaszynski has taken on. He’s made or fixed many items for the PRT to make other Soldiers lives a bit easier. “Ski helps the guys have a sense of personal space in their room. It’s the one place on the FOB they can go and have it set up the way they want it. Stuff like that improves morale,” said Staff Sgt. James Miller, Khost PRT security element. “He does a lot around here for people; he really does go above and beyond his team leader duties. He’s got to worry about the people beneath him, and, on top of that, you can go and talk to him about something, and he takes the time to make it for you.” Miller asked Halaszynski to build a desk for him after his broke, and remembers the day he walked into his room to find a newly built desk waiting for him. “Our squad went on a mission and got stuck because one of our vehicles rolled over, and when we got back, it was there all set up. I didn’t expect for it to be there,” said Miller. “He even built a flag holder on the top for the flag I had folded in my room. It’s the first flag flown at the start of our deployment and means a lot to me.” Halaszynski attributes his passion for carpentry to one of his high school teachers, Michael Lock, from McKeesport High School, Pa., and the Youth Apprenticeship Program he participated in during his junior and senior years. He also credits his generous nature to the positive influence of his parents James and Judith Halaszynski. “I’ve seen my dad plenty of times go out of his way to help somebody, and that inspires me to do the same,” said Halaszynski.COB ADDER — Since arriving here in May, soldiers with the 632nd Maintenance Co, 110th CSSB, 224th Sust Bde, 103rd ESC, have completed hundreds of maintenance work orders, and performed duties ranging from guarding entry control points, to staffing the dining facility. Now they're preparing for a new mission: convoy ops.
During the months of July and August, they've been brushing up on their convoy skills. As Op New Dawn begins, soldiers with the 632nd must be prepared to take on whatever is thrown their way, including the missions of units that are exiting theater. “We’ve got to be prepared,” said 1st Lt. James Schafer, convoy ops officer-in-charge, and electronic equipment maintenance plt leader. “While we haven’t received any missions yet, we know we may have to perform any number of different duties.” Soldiers from each of the company’s plts were brought together to form the convoy team. Twice a week, the team meets to train for convoy ops. Their training includes both classroom portions and hands-on time with the equipment--the Caiman series of MRAP vehicle in particular. “Most of us have never worked with the MRAPs before,” said Pfc. Kelvin Sanchez, convoy team member with the 632nd, and a Dominican Republic native. “Getting to train on new equipment is always exciting, especially when I might get to use it on actual missions.” Schafer is not taking any chances. He uses detailed computer presentations and carefully planned exercises, in order to maximize training time. The end result, he hopes, will be a team that's ready, willing and able to execute any missions that come their way. “We won’t really know if the training has paid off until we get out on the road, but I’m confident in our guys,” Schafer said.-30-
DVIDS
COB ADDER — Day or night, soldiers with the 40th Quartermaster Co, 110th CSSB, 224th Sust Bde, 103rd ESC, supply convoys responsible for delivering needed supplies to soldiers serving throughout Iraq. They operate a Class I subsistence point that supports convoys on their way through COB Adder.
The Class I point was built to provide direct support for convoy soldiers who are responsible for delivering commodities to other FOBs for theater sustainment and redeployment ops. “We're located near their convoy staging lanes, so after the convoy personnel are finished refueling, they can stop by and take with them several bags of ice and water for their trip to the next destination,” said Sgt. John Ueki, a Class I yard NCO with the 40th QM Co., and an Aimeliik, Palau native. “We also provide snacks such as muffins, potato chips and other misc. items,” said Ueki. “Whatever kinds of snacks or drinks we have, we issue it out. It’s all about supporting the ongoing mission.” Ueki said that his team knows that August is usually one of the hottest months in Iraq, which is why Soldiers at the Class I point will give convoy personnel all the help they can. “We make it easier for our convoys to get subsistence support,” said Sgt. Monica Soto-Benavides, a Class I yard NCO with the 40th QM Co. “Before we started this Class I point, the convoy support was through Camp Cedar, which has been closed and returned to the GoI,” said Soto-Benavides. “Now, we’re here conducting full, 24-hour ops, assisting all those that may have been affected with Cedar being closed.”Committed to meeting the current timeline of drawing down forces in Iraq to 50,000 troops by Sept. 1, soldiers with the 40th QM Co. are keeping stomachs full and thirsts quenched of those facing the task of moving materials and troops across Iraq, at a scale that hasn't been matched since WWII.Within that bigger picture, the 3rd HBCT, 3rd ID was designated as an Advise and Assist Bde (AAB) prior to our deployment. Our entire training plan, from Hammer Focus to the National Training Center, was geared toward the brigade's new mission. We were augmented with transition teams, and trained at every level of command, and as sections to partner with our Iraqi counterparts.
During our deployment, we have trained on medical, intel, and public affairs ops, and the Rule of Law just to name a few. Others have partnered with the State Dept's PRTs to assist in building civil capacity. Those projects include drip irrigation for farmers, bee keeping grants, libraries for schools, and progress toward the preservation of historical sites. So, although the symbolic transition to stability ops will occur Sept. 1, the 3rd HBCT has been doing just that since they put boots on the ground, Oct. 2009.
It boils down to this: having no more combat troops in Iraq does not mean the troops left in Iraq are not combat capable. As outlined in the Security Agreement, U.S. Forces have the right to defend themselves if attacked. It's the mission and the training for that mission which have changed.
Looking at the big picture, it should be easy to see this change is made possible by the successes of U.S. forces and ISF. Despite attacks over the past year, we've witnessed the safe passage of millions of pilgrims traveling to the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala during religious holidays. For Arba'een, some reports estimated as many as 14 million pilgrims. This would not have been possible without the success of the ISF.
I believe success for the Iraqi people and for the U.S. forces who have served in Iraq, is a journey, not a destination, and we should not judge success or failure based on one event.
As outlined by the Security Agreement, U.S. Forces remain in Iraq to train, advise and assist the ISF to continue to increase their capability. We'll continue to support the PRTs in building civil capacity. Simply, we will honor the Security Agreement, and continue to build on our strategic partnership with Iraq.