Everyone who attended the celebration seemed to enjoy themselves, and the chance to fellowship with their comrades in arms. At the conclusion of the event, leaders recognized some of the hard working soldiers among their ranks. Five Macedonian Rangers were promoted, and a Vermont NG Soldier from Co D, 3rd Bn., 172nd Inf. Reg., received a Combat Action Badge. In addition, 4 ANP received certificates of appreciation for their part in securing Palau Village.
Lt. Col. David Fivecoat presented a special plaque to the Macedonian cmdr., that boasted a battle-ax engraved with the historic Rakkasan Torii. “It was an honor for the Iron Rakkasans to have fought shoulder-to-shoulder with men of your calibre,” he said. “This battle-ax is to show our appreciation for the Macedonian Rangers. During these last months together, they showed a true dedication and devotion that greatly contributed to the overall success of the mission.” Returning the gesture, the Macedonian Rangers also presented a plaque to Fivecoat and his Soldiers. “When you see this plaque, remember that we're your brothers,” said Macedonian Capt. Turturov. “Our soldiers and our unit will continue to support you in your efforts.”BAGRAM AIRFIELD (BAF) – From the initial meetings with more than 70 maliks in the Bagram district, to clearing an area for the new vendors to set up their shops, a lot of work has been done to re-open the marketplace.
“Initially, when the bazaar was just a good idea, we acquired 2 lists of potential vendors,” said Maj. Stephen Bragg, deputy civil affairs officer for TF Wolverine. “One list was from Mir Rahman, a member of Charikar’s Chamber of Commerce, and the second one was from Gen. Abdul Rahman of the ANA.”
These lists provided a number of vendors. However, Bragg wanted to get more local involvement. When local villagers found out about the re-opening, they brought up concerns about the vendor selection process, which had initially excluded the village maliks. To answer their questions and concerns, TF Wolverine met with more than 70 local village elders, as well as the Bagram district gov., Admad Kabir, at a shura in Janqadam.
“During the meeting we listened to their explanation that they should help choose and provide who works in the bazaar. We told the maliks we would review a list of vendors that they choose,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Vincente Collins Jr., the 86th BSTB command sgt maj. “We received the list and held a follow-up meeting where these vendors were interviewed.”
From that shura, 92 potential vendors representing the local villages surrounding Bagram Airfield were added to the selection and interview process. As a way to showcase the upcoming opening, some vendors had the chance to show and sell their wares beforehand on Bagram Airfield at the TF Wolverine HQ.
“Each Saturday for the past 4 weeks, we've invited various potential vendors in to display and sell their products,” said Bragg. “This has become an auditioning process, if you will. We're looking for product selection, product knowledge, people skills, etc. So far, this has been a pretty successful process with many opportunities for potential customers to preview and purchase items, and give feedback about the candidates. This will continue until the bazaar becomes reality.”
“Veterinarians are animal scientists who just happen to be animal doctors. We wanted to provide lectures from a perspective they'd never had before, using an approach they'd never had before,” said Col. James Floyd.
In order to provide the fresh perspective and capture the students’ attention, Floyd started the series of lectures with a hands-on lesson. First, he used the traditional method of lecturing with a slideshow, teaching the students about the gastro-intestinal track.
Then, they were able to look at 3 goat cadavers to see what the organs actually looked like. "The combination of lecture and lab was something I thought would be new to the students, and I was right," he said. “Virtually every one of them had seen a goat slaughtered before. All had seen the guts, but none knew what the guts do. I thought that would be something we could use to draw them in. That’s why I wanted it in the beginning,” said Floyd.
After capturing the students attention on the 1st day, the team went on to cover other topics they thought were crucial to animal science. Some of the lectures included were animal husbandry, disease prevention, and medical check-ups. However, the most important topic, one the speakers emphasized 3 out of the 4 days they taught, was nutrition.
“An animal that’s not fed well does not grow well and does not reproduce,” said Floyd. “Livestock are very important to the people of Afghanistan. They provide protein in the form of milk and meat,” Floyd added, explaining the crucial need for animal science.
The lectures at Bamyan University were not only unique for the students, but for the Soldiers as well. The ADT is usually out in the villages of Bamyan working directly with the farmers, while the Cooperative Medical Assistance Team (CMAT) is usually stationed at Bagram Airfield. "So, lecturing at a university level was a first for them in Afghanistan," said Floyd.
The experience was especially rewarding for Staff Sgt. Katherine Miles, a veterinary tech with the CMAT, who also taught during the dissection of the goats. Miles proved to be an essential mentor for the women in the class. As her hands gripped and pointed at the goats internal organs, the few female students eagerly crowded by her side, intently hanging on her every word.
“It was great to see they were so enthusiastic. They listened to what I had to say and asked questions,” said Miles. “They usually see us riding by and waving, but there's no interaction. Here, we could interact and answer questions, and help improve the health of the livestock.”
In defining the success of their efforts, Floyd said he didn’t think there really would be a “measurable outcome,” for the week of lectures. However, if he could have been an outsider looking on at the eager students who flocked around him as he made his way back to his vehicle, asking him for additional materials, he said he’d believe it was a total success.
“The training went extremely well,” said Staff Sgt. Peter Ladensack, an infantryman, assigned to the Bamyan ETT, 86th IBCT. “It was very good to see they had a female involved.”
The 2nd day included learning how to use emergency rescue equipment, to include a saw used for cutting open parts of cars, and getting into spaces otherwise inaccessible. The 3 police officers being trained each took turns at sawing a piece of steel using various sawing methods.
The final day brought everything they had learned into perspective. Hale instructed the firefighters on how to plot possible water-gathering points on a map, the various dangers of firefighting, the 3 components of a fire, and finally, the officers had some fun learning how to hold the fire hose correctly, using different techniques for different situations.
"This was certainly a job well done, and everyone involved felt satisfied in what they had accomplished in the limited time together," said Hale. “They've much to learn, like drivers training, entering a building, and the use of oxygen.”
Hale said he sees further opportunity for additional training, and plans to research and attempt to acquire essential pieces of equipment for the Bamyan Fire Dept. Number one on the list: nozzles for the main fire hoses.
Those words echoed through every section and every yard Brooks visited.“I was a bit nervous after being questioned directly by Maj. Gen. Brooks,” said Sgt. Donachiko Faison-Cobb. “When questioned at times, all we get is a quick ‘how are you doing?’ and that’s all. Maj. Gen. Brooks went into detail as to how I was doing. He demonstrated his commitment to soldiers by ensuring that answers were unrehearsed, to gain an insight as to what we do.”Faison-Cobb stated that Brooks expressed true concern for soldiers by showing that, besides being a leader, he was also human and personable. Pfc. Aminata Toure, a Timbuktu, Africa, native, was another soldier who Brooks approached.“It is nice to see how caring senior leaders are,” said Toure. “Maj. Gen. Brooks asked me of my long-term goals, and also asked where I was from. This was my first time talking to a high-ranking officer. I explained what my role in the SSA is, and my contribution to the overall mission.”