TROOP SCOOP: Daily Afghan-Iraq Update/3-01-11

Dear Interested Reader,

Medic trainers graduate 1st Afghan taught class. US SF help secure Panjwai district. MNB TARIN KOT: US firefighters bring the fight to Afghanistan; AUP mentored at kandahar Regional Training Center; Afghans to take lead in COIN ops. RC-SW Dep. Cmdr. visits Zaranj.

Iraq: Fuelers quickly extinguish fire at Camp Taji. 1st IFP cmdr. visits wounded 'First Lightning' Soldier.

Joanna

_____________________________

AFGHANISTAN STORIES:

Regional Command-West Public Affairs

Medic Trainers Graduate 1st Afghan taught Class

Story and photos by Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Stephen Hickok

Col. Gulab Sherzad, 207th ANA Corps Surgeon, reads an award as NATO Training Mission Afghanistan (NTM-A) mentors look on, during the graduation ceremony of the ANA combat medic class at Camp Zafar, Feb. 24, 2011.

HERAT PROVINCE – ANA Col. Sherzad, Corps Surgeon for the 207th ANA Corps provided opening remarks. “This is the very first step in helping your countrymen, and your fellow soldiers,” he said. “Keep your class notes with you, and don’t think that your training is over. Your training starts now.”

Sherzad talked about the importance of the Combat Medic course. “This course is the primary step, but it's very significant,” he said. “If you can't provide aide on the battlefield, the doctors and nurses waiting in the hospitals will not be able to help either.”

Navy Cmdr. Kristine Bradsher, NATO Training Mission Afghanistan mentor and team chief for the Medical ETT in Herat Regional Medical Hospital, says that the goal of the medical mentor program is for Afghans to train their own. “The best part about this class was that the Afghan medic trainers were actually teaching the course, in lieu of our mentors. Our mentors were simply there to facilitate and coach,” she said.

According to Sgt. Rance Beck, Senior Medical Mentor with the 117th FA, the Afghan trainers have improved the training of the combat medics. “It's a lot more efficient with their fellow ANA teaching them. The 4 instructors we have now are world class,” he said. The quality of the training is equivalent to the training U.S. combat medics receive.

A Student from the 5th graduating class holds up his certificate to show fellow students.

-30-

DVIDS

Special Forces Help Secure Kandahar's Panjwai District

Photos by Sgt. Benjamin Watson

KANDAHAR PROVINCE - A Special Forces Soldier assigned to Special Ops TF – South moves down a pathway during a security patrol, Feb. 17, 2011, in Panjwai District. The SOTF-S SF team in the area conducts regular patrols in order to bolster security, as well as to meet with area villagers to assess development projects.

An SF soldier moves along a pathway.

An SF team leader scans the horizon.

A village elder from Panjwai District greets members of SOTF – South as they patrol the region.

-30-

DVIDS

U.S. Firefighters Bring Fight to Afghanistan

Story by Spc. Edward Garibay

A fire blazes Nov. 4, 2010 on Multi-National Base Tarin Kot. The fire consumed 6 ANA tents, and was stopped by the Tarin Kot Fire Dept, just short of consuming a 7th tent filled with mortars and other explosives. The TKFD fought the fire for over an hour with U.S. Army firefighting forces. The U.S. firefighters from TKFD had only been in Afghanistan 2 weeks when the raging fire broke out.

MULTI-NATIONAL BASE TARIN KOT - Almost ten years after Sept. 11, 2001, U.S. firefighters are still carrying on the memory of their fallen brothers, and fighting against terrorism in Afghanistan, alongside all of the coalition’s military forces.

A group of 22 firefighters from all over the country have joined together to form the TKFD, which provides fire protection for every nation on MNB Tarin Kot, and provides assistance during rocket attacks, vehicle accidents and medical emergencies.

“It lets the soldiers do what soldiers do,” said George J. Chambers III, chief of the TKFD. “Some people may think I’m nuts, but I like what I’m doing, and I get to serve my country again.” Chambers is a retired AF firefighter, and has been in Afghanistan since Oct. 2010, when the group of U.S. firefighters took over the fire dept from the Dutch.

Dominic Ahmee, a Hawaii native, and a firefighter on Chambers’ crew, recalled one of the biggest fires they put out, just 2 weeks after arriving in Afghanistan. With a quick effort from both teams, the fire was extinguished just moments before a tent with the unit’s mortar rounds caught fire. “If that would have caught, it would have been a bad day,” said Chambers.

Besides fighting fires, the TKFD also participates in humanitarian efforts. Any time an Afghan child becomes injured, members of the TKFD will go to the hospital, and bring them toys as part of a Toys-For-Tots program. Ahmee said, "it’s amazing to see how much of an impact something so small can have on someone."

"The firefighters also donate their own clothing to wounded Afghans who come through the hospital," said Michael Muston, a firefighter for TKFD. “When some of the wounded come in, they have pretty much all their stuff cut off of them,” said Muston, a former Army Reserve firefighter. “Just being able to help them out that way is a big thing.”

"Despite all of the action and activity, the best part of his job is when he can go to bed at night, knowing nobody got hurt that day," said Chambers. “When everybody comes home with ten fingers and ten toes, I can rest easy, and we can wake up, do it all over again,” he said.

William Woods, a firefighter for the TKFD, extends a fire hose during a training exercise, Feb. 19 while ANA soldiers look.

William Woods (left) and Avery Hanoumis (right), firefighters for the TKFD, pull equipment from their fire truck.

(From back left to front right) Firefighters John Krandall, Edmund Hodo, Avery Hanoumis, Michael Muston, George Chambers III, and William Woods, pose in front of their truck, Feb. 19 at MNB Tarin Kowt.

Michael Muston, a firefighter for the TKFD, starts to remove his equipment after a training exercise. The insignia on the back of Muston's shirt is a rendition of the insignia used by the Dutch fire dept, before the U.S. took over in October. "The insignia continuity is a way to pay homage and carry on tradition" said George Chambers III, chief of the TKFD.

-30-

DVIDS

AUP Mentored at Kandahar Regional Training Center

Photos by AF Tech. Sgt. Adrienne Brammer

MNB TARIN KOT - Sgt. Maj. Carl Fagan of Regional Support Command - South meets with Marines supporting the NATO Training Mission, Feb. 19, 2011, at Tarin Kot in Uruzgan prov. These Marines mentor AUP basic trainees.

AUP Basic Training students assemble Feb. 19, 2011, for a speech from the Kandahar Regional Training Center Cmdr., Gen. Zarefi, while Col. Greg Baine of Regional Support Command - South looks on.

Gen. Zarefi meets with Inspector Pat English, an instructor from the Australian Federal Police.

-30-

DVIDS

Afghans to Take Lead in Counterinsurgency Operations

Story by Spc. Edward Garibay

ANSF members and their Australian mentors receive training, Feb. 17, in Tarin Kot, on counterinsurgency (COIN) tactics, as a part of an ongoing effort to give the Afghan military the lead in upcoming ops. The 2-day training was part of an effort to place ANSF in the lead of upcoming strategies and ops.

MNB TARIN KOT - COIN, is the main focus in Afghanistan. It's a partnered effort between Afghan govt and CF to bring peace to the nation, by gaining the confidence of the people, and it will soon be fully led by ANSF.

On Feb. 16, a class of 20 ANSF members and their Australian mentors received training on COIN tactics. "The goal is to teach ANSF members the best way to defeat the insurgents, which is to build trust in the Afghan gov,t" said Staff Sgt. Neil Frachiseur, COIN instructor from 2nd Bn, 44th Air Defense Artillery Regt.

“Everything we do is seen and interpreted – by ourselves, by the enemy, and by the population,” said Al Bachus, an instructor for the COIN Training Center. “Your actions continue to have an effect. Just like when you throw a pebble into the lake, the water will continue to ripple until it hits the shore. The key to COIN," he said, "is to understand every ripple and its consequences – good or bad."

“This training has been very useful,” said Col. Fahim, ops officer for the Ops Coordination Center – Uruzgan Prov. “It helps us separate the enemy from the regular people.” Ultimately, the plan is to have Afghans teaching COIN to other Afghans, and have them learning from each other from the start.

Frachiseur said, "the Afghan people know what their country needs, so it’s important for them to take control." The COIN Training Center now has a permanent team dedicated to training Afghans in the Uruzgan prov., and plan to continue to offer COIN training to ANSF. “Eventually, the Afghans will take control of the entire class,” said Frachiseur. “We’ll still be here in an advisory role, but the course will be theirs.”

-30-

Regional Command Southwest

RC-SW Deputy Commander Visits Zaranj

Story by Cpl. Brian Gabriel Jr.

Brig. George Norton, RC-SW dep. cmdr., walks through the Mushtark Bazaar in Zaranj district, Feb. 22. Norton paid a visit to meet with Abdul Barahawi, the Nimruz provincial gov., and his staff.

ZARANJ – “We took Brig. George Norton, and several other Marine officers to meet with provincial gov. Barahawi, and his provincial staff, primarily to continue our engagement with key leaders in Nimruz prov., and Zaranj district itself,” said Lt. Col. Michael Geffroy, TF Nimruz officer-in-charge.

This trip marks the 2nd time Norton has been met with Barahawi in person. During their meeting, the 2 exchanged gifts in an effort to show respect for each other’s cultures.

“Brig. Norton gave the Gov. Barahawi 3 volumes of Beluch poetry, that had been translated into English, and Beluch-to-English dictionaries as a gift to help demonstrate our interest in learning more about their culture,” Geffroy said. “In return, the gov. gave a number of gifts to Brig. Norton, and some of the officers who where present, which include traditional fabrics to make turbans or scarves.”

After their initial meeting and conversation over lunch, Norton and his staff toured the local area surrounding the provincial gov’s HQ. The nearby hospital was the first stop on Norton’s list. “The hospital is the district hospital for Zaranj,” Geffroy said. “It also happens to be the only hospital of that size in the prov. They say they can handle up to 400 outpatients each day, and approx 50 inpatients each day. They’re staffed with doctors, nurses, lab techs, and can handle the basics. They have an emergency room, and a basic operating maternity ward.”

After inspecting the area’s medical facilities, Norton’s party walked to Mushtark Bazaar, the closest of Zaranj’s several major bazaars. The streets and stores were packed with shoppers browsing through the bazaar’s wide selection of food, electronics, and computer equipment. In addition to perusing the several multilevel, indoor malls, Zaranj residents can also use the many banks and pharmacies open for business.

“It’s a vibrant city with a vibrant economy,” Geffroy said. “I think the security situation that they’ve created there, helps to encourage that. The AUP command down there has done an excellent job establishing security in Zaranj district, and expanding it.”

Norton ended his tour of the local area with a visit to the local AUP compound. He met with the provincial chief of police, who was eager to show off the newly constructed barracks, gardens, and equipment staging areas.

Norton and his staff headed back to Barahawi’s office for a final meeting between the 2 leaders. The RC-SW and TF Nimruz staff will continue to make routine visits to Zaranj, to continue the relationship with the leadership of Nimruz prov.

Brig. George Norton speaks with Prov. Gov. Barahawi.

Brig. Norton tours the provincial gov.’s compound with Barahawi.

-30-

IRAQI STORIES:

DVIDS

Fuelers Quickly Extinguish Fire

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Troth

Sgt. Roger Jaramillo, Spc. Derrick Rasmussen and Sgt. Jeremiah Pringle stand by the fuel bladder that was closest to the fire they extinguished at the Taji Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP).

CAMP TAJI — When your office is next to 60,000 gallons of fuel, the last thing you want is a fire. But, for the Taji FARP, the alarm “FIRE ON THE FARP” rang out, Feb. 4.

Spc. Derrick Rasmussen had just come on shift at the FARP, which is operated by Co A, 601st Aviation Support Bn, when he heard helicopters landing to refuel. He started heading to the refueling point, as he had done every day of his year-long deployment to Iraq. But, this time something besides the landing Black Hawks caught his eye.

“I spotted smoke that was blowing across the FARP,” Rasmussen said. “At first I thought it was just a burn pit, but after taking a closer look, I realized that we'd a fire on the FARP.”

He ran to the radio room so they could notify the fire dept. Then, Rasmussen headed to the break room, where he knew the rest of those on shift would be, and hollered “FIRE ON THE FARP.”

“The next thing I know, about a dozen guys all kicked into action,” said Rasmussen. “Some headed toward the fire. Myself and some others headed to the pad to let the helicopter crew chiefs know there was a fire.”

As a normal safety precaution at the FARP, all passengers must disembark the helicopter as it refuels. But, this would not be a normal refueling. “I went to the birds to get them off the FARP, because it's a safety hazard having them and their passengers on the ground when there's a fire,” said Sgt. Jeremiah Pringle. “We got the birds off the pads and then we started unhooking the hoses, so the fire wouldn’t spread.”

Sgt. Roger Jaramillo, the FARP’s fire marshal, was one of those that went straight to the fire, which was between 2 concrete walls, with a straight shot to a fuel pump about 15 to 20 feet away. On the other side of one of those concrete walls was a fuel bladder holding thousands of gallons of fuel.

Positioned along the center of the FARP are several compressed air foam fire suppression systems, called Tri-Maxs. Jaramillo went to one, and headed to one side of the concrete wall. “Spc. Salvador Cruz was on the other side of the fire with a fire extinguisher trying to extinguish it, while I sprayed into the fire with the Tri-Max from the other side,” said Jaramillo. The 2 working together, quickly extinguished the fire.

The soldiers all agree that although it seemed like it took awhile to put the fire out, only a couple of minutes had passed between the alarm being sounded, and the fire being extinguished. The Taji Fire Dept showed up right after they had put it out, but all that remained were a few embers.

“Everybody took the initiative in separate areas,” said Jaramillo. “We didn’t have a clutter of people in one area, and no one in another.” According to Pringle, fuelers learn early in their training what to do if a fire breaks out, and the most important thing is to get passengers and helicopters away from the FARP. Here in Iraq, they've practiced what they should do if there was a fire at the FARP.

The FARP personnel are part of the eCAB, 1st ID, from Fort Riley, Kan. The bde is the Army’s sole aviation bde in Iraq, and is scheduled to redeploy to the states this spring. “The most exciting part of the day was seeing our team coming together, and attacking the problem as one unit,” said Rasmussen.

Fuelers normally spend their days refueling Black Hawks and other helicopters.

-30-

DVIDS

1st IFP Commander Visits Wounded 'First Lightning' Soldier

Photos by Capt. Brian Cotter

BAGHDAD - Maj. Gen. Maksusi (left), cmdr. of the 1st Federal Police Div., visits Staff Sgt. Eric Johnson (right), Feb. 16, Co G, 1st Bn, 7th FAR, 2nd AAB, 1st ID, as he recovers at the battalion aid station at JSS Loyalty, from injuries received during an indirect fire attack.