After his deployment to Afghanistan in 2008 and 2009, Hirt decided to unite his mosque, the Islamic Institute of Orange County - al Farouk, in Anaheim, Calif., with the Muslim people of Afghanistan during his deployment in 2010 and 2011.
“I talked with my unit about my idea, and they fully supported me,” said Hirt. “I then started e-mailing my mosque in Sept. of last year asking for donations.”
Hirt’s next project is to raise funds and donations through his mosque for powdered milk, baby bottles and baby-safe soap. “I think what Stephen is doing is great,” said Maria Khani, member of the Islamic Institute of Orange County. “I'm excited to help him and support his efforts.” “The future of this country is the children,” said Hirt. “I want them to not just see us supporting them, but for them to know that we care about their futures.”
"The review required approx 15 missions from the PRT," said Burgess, "in addition to missions by the Nuristan PRT and trips by local Afghan employees working for CF.
Overall, Burgess said that he believes the facilities in Nangarhar are being used as intended, and maintained to the best of the Afghans’ abilities. In fact, many of the buildings face maintenance issues stemming, not from neglect, but rather from overuse, a promising sign that the GoA and CF have successfully identified areas where vital services are needed by the Afghan people. “I think a lot of the issues in the schools stem from overuse,” Burgess said. “Maybe we shouldn’t deal with desks, but rather ask the Afghans if we can put thick carpet down for their kids to sit on. That will help a little bit with overcrowding, and they can put more kids in their room.” According to AF Staff Sgt. Scottie McCord Nangarhar PRT photographer and info ops NCO-in-charge, the team will take the assessment results back to the Afghans. “We took all the pictures we had gathered and put them into about 25 powerpoint presentations, broken up by geographic location and subject matter,” McCord said. “We plan on using these presentations to show the Afghans the current state many of their buildings are in. We’ll then work together with them to make repairs, and come up with a solid plan to ensure this doesn’t happen again.” At the most recent Provincial Development Council (PDC) meeting Feb. 23, members of the govt expressed their displeasure with the lack of sustainment many of their buildings had. Former Deputy Gov. Ishaqzai was particularly vocal about his discontentment with the state of affairs, and appointed a special delegation consisting of members of the PDC during the meeting, to create a plan to address this issue.These valleys that provide crops for the villagers, are also where insurgents flowing over the Pakistan border propagate.
This time, however, insurgents weren't just fighting with AK-47 and Russian-made Dushka .51 caliber machine guns. They were using different tactics.
By GySgt. Bryce Piper
BAGHDAD — Enhancing the abilities of the Iraqi forces to sustain their equipment, has become a critical piece of the mission for U.S. forces in Iraq. Leaving behind a force able to provide security for the Iraqi population depends, in part, on developing the capacity to keep vehicles mission-ready.
The training used a “crawl, walk, run” approach and started with introductory training, then went through intermediate and eventually graduate-level training. The 18 Iraqi mechanics that arrived on the first day of class brought along a myriad questions regarding the course curriculum, and how the class would be structured. Many of the Iraqi mechanics said they were pleased to find out the majority of the training would be conducted in the motor pool with a hands-on focus. During the first week of training, the main focus was to introduce the Iraqi mechanics to the Humvee’s various systems, and gauge the level of experience of the IFP mechanics. The intensity picked up during the 2nd week, as the Iraqi mechanics wrapped up the lecture portion of the training and began hands-on work on the Humvees. Many of the component parts of the vehicle were removed, inspected and discussed before being reinstalled by the Iraqis. For many in the class, the highlight of the 3rd week was the transmission class. Consisting of 2 days of assembly and disassembly of a Humvee transmission, the class brought with it many challenges. Many of the instructors felt their Iraqi counterparts benefitted greatly from the instruction, and were fully engaged with the class. “This course worked for them, because it was held here at JSS Loyalty. The scheduling was somewhat flexible, and the graduates will be able to become trainers in their respective battalions,” Hall said. “It has also been very encouraging to see the students’ level of enthusiasm, and active participation in the class." The last week of instruction included practical exercises regarding regular checks and services, brake troubleshooting, and a graduation ceremony to honor the work of the trainees. At the conclusion of the graduation ceremony, IFP 2nd Lt. Salman, with the 1st IFP Div., was grateful for the training team. “On behalf of Iraqi police command, I would like to extend our thanks for this great training,” he said.COB MAREZ - Mortars are the most responsive indirect fire asset available to small unit cmdrs. during the heat of close quarters combat, and the effectiveness of this weapon system is dependent on the proficiency of the mortar crew.
Leading the 3rd iteration of the 25-day collective training cycle, known as Tadreeb al Shamil (All Inclusive Training), "Head Hunter" Soldiers of 1st Sqdn. are training IA divs to develop their capability for conducting unit-level ops, while modernizing IA ground forces. "Our task out here is to train the IA mortars to be tactically proficient," said Rollins. "We want to give them the opportunity of having the best training possible out here." Each U.S. Soldier teamed with a group of IA mortar soldiers demonstrating the proper steps to align the system for the specified target location grid coordinates. Iraqi teams meticulously adjusted their 60, 81 and 120 mm mortar systems, using instructions provided by U.S. mortar Soldiers. "This is excellent training. It's building their proficiency in the mortar system" said IA Lt. Col. Aziz Ali, cmdr. "When the whole company trains together, it's easier for them all to have the same standard. They'll be able to defend themselves in the future and retrain other units." -30-