Dear Interested Reader,
Cache clearing Pacha Khak and Walli Kalay villages. AUP graduate 172; DownRange video. Op Charkh Restoration. Patrol in Starkats village. Bagram Airman meets his 1st born via Skype. Civil Affairs Team patrols Sangin.
Iraq: Law and Order Airmen see justice served in Iraq. "Tigersharks" in the sky over Kalsu.
Joanna
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Photos by Spc. Kristina Gupton
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Law and Order Airmen See Justice Served in Iraq
Story and photos by Staff Sgt. Garrett Ralston
BABIL - Aviators of the 229th "Tigersharks," are employing their AH-64D Apache helicopters to watch over a wide area around the base, hunting for insurgents who aim to attack Kalsu, and provide security for convoys moving in the area. "Our mission out here is to provide an additional asset for ground forces to counter indirect-fire attacks," said Capt. Zachary Yoklic, EO of Co B. "We will also provide convoy security around Kalsu." COB Kalsu has historically been a hotspot for insurgent attacks, and the presence of combat aviation puts pressure on those who attempt to attack the base. While a Soldier presence on the ground provides a similar deterrent, having the helicopters in the air can offer much faster and wider coverage. "We will basically go out and look at historic areas of interest to make sure there's no threat present, or prevent that threat," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Nathan Ratliff, an AH-64D pilot. Beside the obvious dangers involved with their mission, there is a tremendous logistical requirement to keep the helicopters fit to fly each day. Since the unit is now separated from their main support, and with minimal qualified maintenance support on Kalsu, many hours are spent combing over the aircraft to ensure their readiness. "We do what we can to maintain the aircraft, since we're unable to conduct heavy maintenance here," said Spc. Jameel Sanders, an Apache maintenance chief. "We have to make sure that everything is in order before the pilots take off. If something goes wrong, they can't just pull over on a cloud."Sanders said that when he found out about the mission to come support the 3rd ACR, he jumped at the chance to come back and serve alongside his old unit.
AFGHANISTAN STORIES:
DVIDS
Cache Clearing Pacha Khak and Walli Kalay villages
Photos by Spc. Kristina Gupton
BAGRAM AIR FIELD - Army soldiers with Bravo Troop, 1st Sqdn, 113th Cav Regt, TF Red Horse, 2nd BCT, 34th ID, TF Red Bulls, conduct a dismounted patrol along a mountainside approaching the village of Pacha Khak, Parwan prov., April 7. B Troop's main objectives are to clear the village of weapon caches, and to conduct a key leader engagement (KLE) with the village malik.
Sgt. Cullen Wurzer, and Staff Sgt. Cody Johnson, cavalry scouts, 1st Lt. Andy Zaidi, and Shane Taylor, a combat medic, with Bravo Troop, discuss plans to maneuver into Pacha Khak village, while conducting a dismounted patrol.
Soldiers with Bravo Troop conduct a dismounted patrol along the mountainside approaching the village of Pacha Khak.
Staff Sgt. Cody Johnson, a cavalry scout, finds a land mine after searching a cave located in Pacha Khak village.
Spc. Mark Otte, a cavalry scout, utilizes a Fido Portable Explosives Detector to examine residue from the hands of one of the villagers of Pacha Khak. The Fido is used to detect trace levels of explosive materials.
Sgt. Cullen Wurzer, a cavalry scout, finds a bag of RPGs and a grenade launcher, after searching a compound in Pacha Khak village.
Spc. Mark Otte searches a cave for weapons caches in Pacha Khak.
AF Tech Sgt. Jason Roland, a joint terminal attack controller with the 116th Air Support Ops Sqdn, establishes satellite communications with the rear tactical ops center, during a joint dismounted patrol with Bravo Troop.
Bravo Troop stages vehicles in front of Walli Kalay village, April 7.
Staff Sgt. Cody Johnson, a cavalry scout, writes down grid coordinates on a map during a dismounted patrol in Walli Kalay village. Johnson uses grid coordinates to find and search caves in the village, for weapons caches.
Bravo Troop stages their trucks in order to be able to provide security, while team members conduct a dismounted patrol through Pacha Khak and Walli Kalay villages, April 7.
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NATO Training Mission Afghanistan
Afghan Uniformed Police Graduate 172
KABUL – The AfNSF will hold a ceremony to graduate 172 AUP at Costall Police Training Center, Kandahar prov., April 13, at 1:15 p.m. The 172 graduates are part of 2,593 total ANP to graduate at various training sites across Afghanistan this week. The goal of this course is to provide a single, all-inclusive basic training for ANP recruits.This course design provides an entry-level police recruit the necessary skills to stay alive, and respond to the police needs of the society. All policemen will share the same training. After successful completion they'll be eligible to take unit-specific and additional advanced courses.The 265-hour course includes instruction on use of force, human rights, first responder, traffic law, civil disturbance, basic foot patrol and firearms.
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The cmdr. of TF Strike Dawn in RC-South said that servicemembers are ready for a possible spring offensive by insurgents.
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DVIDS
OP Charkh RestorationPhotos by Sgt. Sean Casey
COP CHARKH - Pfc.Tyler Morgan with 1st Plt, 541st Sapper Co, 54th Engr Bn, 176th Engr Bde, prepares to escort a convoy on foot out of COP Charkh, during Op Charkh Restoration, Charkh District, Logar province, April 6.
Pfc. Joseph Mcdonald walks in front of a mine rolling vehicle, during a patrol to clear the road of possible IEDs outside of COP Charkh.
Pfc. Chaucer Pond, a minesweeper, takes cover behind a wall during an enemy attack in Logar prov., April 6.
Pfc. Chaucer Pond watches a possible enemy position.
2nd Lt. Jeremiah Paterson, the Plt Leader, watches for enemy positions, while crossing an open area of road following enemy fire.
Spc. Jay Santos runs to his fellow soldiers, who are providing cover fire for him.
Sgt. Justin Vinson and Sgt. Urbano Tinoco provide dismounted security for a route clearance patrol.
Spc. Jay Santos provides dismounted security for a mine rolling vehicle.
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DVIDS
Patrol in Starkats Village Photos by Pfc. Donald Watkins
FOB AIRBORNE - A Soldier with 6th Sqdn, 4th Cav Regt, 3rd Bde, 1st ID, provides security in Starkats village, Khowst province, April 2.
Soldiers set up a mortar system in Starkats village.
Soldiers with 6th Sqdn., and ANA soldiers prepare to search Starkats village.
ANP and ANA soldiers prepare to search a house for weapons and explosives.
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DVIDS
Bagram Airman Meets His First Born Via the Internet Photos by Master Sgt. Michael Voss
Toshia Regan, wife of Tech. Sgt. Ryne Regan, holds their newborn, Sarah, April 9. The couple communicated via Skype for 30 hours, while Toshia was in labor at a hospital in Lancaster, Pa., and Regan witnessed, thousands of miles away at Bagram Air Field.
AF Tech. Sgt. Ryne Regan, 774th Expeditionary Airlift Sqdn, watches patiently as his wife Toshia Regan gives birth to the couple's first child, Sarah Grace Regan, 8 lbs. 3 ounces.
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DVIDS
Civil Affairs Team Patrols Sangin Photos by Cpl. Benjamin Crilly
SANGIN - Sgt. Josephine Kennedy, the FET coordinator, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Nicholas J. R. Lile, the team chief and corpsman for Team 2, 4th Civil Affairs Group, patrol toward the Sangin Bazaar, Helmand prov., April 4. The 4th CAG is in direct support of 1st Bn, 5th Marine Regt., and conducts daily patrols to assess and evaluate the local projects and needs of the people of Sangin.
Sgt. Christopher Still, the ops chief for Team 2, leads a CAG patrol through the grain bazaar in Sangin, and patrols daily through the 3 bazaars located near FOB Jackson.
Maj. Jason West, team leader, escorts Stuart Hudson, an advisor for the PRT, through the grain bazaar while on patrol in Sangin. The patrol allowed PRT personnel to experience the bazaar firsthand.
Maj. Jason West speaks with Peter Chilvers, a stabiliazation advisor for District Stabilization Team (DST), and the mayor of Sangin, in the mechanics bazaar. 4th CAG uses the patrols to speak with the local officials about how they can best help the people of Sangin.
Capt. Mark Ramotowski, the asst. team leader, provides security during a pause on patrol through Sangin. 4th CAG are Marine Corps reservists that oversee the re-construction and developmental projects in partnership with the GoA.
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IRAQI STORIES:
U.S. Air Forces Central
Law and Order Airmen See Justice Served in Iraq
Story by Senior Master Sgt. Larry Schneck
AF Tech. Sgt. Aaron Holmes, deployed from Grand Forks AF Base, N.D., opens the door of an evidence locker on JSS Shield, April 7, 2011. Sgt. Holmes is a 17-year veteran, and a paralegal assigned to the Law and Order TF. LAOTF airmen gather and review evidence and documents on Iraqi detainees, then turn over the cases to the Iraqi justice system.
BAGHDAD - A verse in the Quran goes “call to witness, from among your men, 2 witnesses. And, if 2 men be not found, then a man and 2 women.” Airmen assigned to the USF – Iraq LAOTF support a justice system operating differently from U.S. courts. For paralegal airmen who learned the practice of law within codified regulations, statutes and legal precedence, it's truly unique to start working in a legal system influenced by the Muslim culture.“There’s no training for this job,” remarked Tech. Sgt. Diana Wilkins, LAOTF paralegal, deployed from Buckley AF Base, Colo. “It’s all on-the-job training.”The story is the same for the other AF paralegal deployed to JSS Shield, Baghdad, from Grand Forks AF Base, N.D.“I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do,” reflected Tech. Sgt. Aaron Holmes, LAOTF paralegal. “All I knew before I arrived was I would assist the Iraqis in establishing the rule of law.”A typical case involves a detainee picked up by ISF or U.S. forces if detained prior to Dec. 31, 2008, when UN Security Council Resolution 1790 expired. UNSCR gave the U.S. the legal authority to intern enemy combatants. Since that date, detainees in U.S. custody dropped from more than 20,000 people to around 200.Sgt. Wilkins spends her days reviewing stacks of paperwork and electronic data files. She pieces together case files on detainees who are suspected of committing acts of terrorism. “It’s fulfilling to know we’re putting away the bad guys,” she said. “The oldest case we have is from 2004. I review the cases to see which ones might involve U.S. servicemembers wounded or killed.”The cases then are transported to the Central Criminal Court of Iraq, the equivalent of a U.S. Federal court. “We have to fight Baghdad city traffic to hand carry files to the Iraqi court,” sighed Sgt. Wilkins. “We turn over the complete case file to help prepare the detainee for trial in front of an Iraqi judge. Our focus is to facilitate the prosecution of Iraqi cases, assisting the investigators.”The LAOTF team of airmen, sailors and soldiers maintains the physical evidence along with the written case files. Though in the Iraqi criminal justice system, witnesses are more important than evidence before a judge.“What we’re doing is very atypical work for an AF paralegal,” commented Sgt. Holmes. “Their legal system is complex. Islamic law requires 2 sufficient witnesses for each case to go before a panel of trial judges.”The paralegals frequently partner with Iraqi federal judges where they review evidence to determine whether or not there is sufficient evidence for a detainee to remain in custody, pending an investigation and future criminal trial. The judges reviewed the evidence against an accused person, but consistently ask for either witness statements or live witness testimony, underscoring what Sgts. Holmes and Wilkins learned doing the job in Iraq.“Our team of lawyers and paralegals are working hard to help the Iraqis migrate to more modern techniques of gathering evidence,” described Sgt. Holmes. “We’re introducing them to forensics, DNA, fingerprints and ballistics evidence, but they’re used to relying on 2 witnesses in prosecuting cases.”Sgt. Wilkins has 10 years of experience in the paralegal career field. She retrained from a previous AF job to stay in the military and continue to serve her country.
“When they ask me ‘what did you do in Iraq?’” remarked Sgt. Wilkins. “I will respond that I prosecuted terrorists.”
“When they ask me ‘what did you do in Iraq?’” remarked Sgt. Wilkins. “I will respond that I prosecuted terrorists.”
AF Tech. Sgt. Aaron Holmes conducts an inventory of weapons held as evidence. Holmes safeguards these items to help ensure a fair and impartial trial under Iraq law, for detainees accused of criminal and terrorist activity.
AF Tech. Sgt. Diana Wilkins has the tedious task of reviewing thousands of paper files, and millions of megabytes of electronic data, to piece together a case at JSS Shield. Her work builds a case file that she turns over to the Iraqi justice system to try a detainee in Iraqi custody.
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Blackanthem Military News
"Tigersharks" in the sky over Kalsu
Story and photos by Staff Sgt. Garrett Ralston
Sgt. Samuel Rodriguez, an AH-64D Apache maintenance chief with Co B, 1st Bn, 229th Aviation Regt, 21st Cav Bde, conducts pre-flight checks before a mission over COB Kalsu, April 12, 2011. The 229th "Tigersharks" are conducting counter indirect-fire missions around Kalsu, in support of the 3rd ACR.
"The 3rd ACR has bent over backward to make sure that we have everything we need to successfully complete our missions every day," said Yoklic. "If every time we're up there the base does not get rocketed, then that's the best part of my day."
Soldiers of Co B perform maintenance checks on an AH-64D Apache helicopter.
An AH-64D Apache helicopter lifts off from COB Kalsu for a counter indirect-fire mission April 12, 2011.
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