Story and photos by Army Pfc. Michael Syner, TF Falcon
Soldiers with TF Tigershark, HHC, 10th CAB, 10th Mtn Div pay their final respects at FOB Salerno, June 11, to Chief Warrant Officer 2 Bradley Gaudet and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Kenneth White, both OH-58 Kiowa helicopter pilots. The two pilots died June 5, while conducting a mission in Khowst Prov.
PAKTIKA PROVINCE – Soldiers displayed White’s and Gaudet’s boots, rifles, ID tags, and photos, in the traditional method for fallen service members. “These two great men were outstanding warrant officers and cavalry pilots, who made the ultimate sacrifice, while taking the fight to the enemy. They both did the job that they love, and they loved doing their job,” said Maj. Brook Lee, the ops officer-in-charge for TF Tigershark. “I know that Ken and Brad were extremely proud to be among you all, and to have served with you. They were the best of what Army aviation is, and embodied what we all strive to be.”
Capt. Joshua, cmdr. of Troop B, 6th Sqdn, 6th Cav Regt, CAB, 1st ID, spoke of the loss. “Today is a hard day, and a day I hoped that would never come. Today we remember two extremely dynamic individuals. I'm proud to have known and fought alongside both Brad and Ken. Their loss is not only a loss to their families, but also to the Army,” Simpson said.
White is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. White received the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, two Air Medals, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, two Army Good Conduct Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, two Over Seas Service Ribbons, the Senior Aviator Badge, the Combat Action Badge and the Meritorious Unit Citation.
Gaudet is survived by his wife, two daughters, his mother and father. Gaudet’s decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Air Medal with “V” device, the Army Achievement Medal, a Meritorious Unit Commendation, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the International Security Assistance Force NATO Medal, the Army Aviator Badge, and the Combat Action Badge.
Close friends of Chief Warrant Officer 2 Bradley Gaudet and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Kenneth White bow their heads in prayer.
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DVIDS
Kandahar PRT Assesses Shur Andam Industrial Park Story by Chief Master Sgt. Richard Simonsen
Sgt Michael Magnuson (Right), and Sgt. David Sterin (Left), members of the Kandahar PRT SECFOR, lead members of the PRT through the Shur Andam Industrial Park in Kandahar City, June 11. The PRT met with business leaders to assess the use of and need for electricity in the area. The PRT works with govt and civic leaders at the district and provincial levels, to improve infrastructure capacity in the prov.
KANDAHAR PROVINCE – The industrial park became partially electrified last winter. The PRT visited the area to see what economic impact the electricity has had on the businesses at the site. “I would say in the last few months there has been serious economic benefit,” said Navy Cmdr. Bill Mallory, the comm. officer of the PRT. “The factories now have 2 to 3 times more workers, and many have added an extra shift.”
The industrial park contains approx 40 factories producing shoes, cotton, metal products, car parts, PVC pipe, and other consumer goods. Some areas in the industrial park aren't yet connected to the electric grid. These businesses require on-site electric generators to power the heavy machinery at a cost of 10 to 30 Afghani per kilowatt hour, or between 20 and 60 cents. “As you know, electricity is needed for running factories,” said Fazilhaq Mushkani, the deputy director of the Industrial Park Assn., that advocates for the business owners. “Our goal is to get electricity to all the factories, so we can make cheaper products for the people and create more jobs.”
Amin Uhlah owns 5 buildings in the park, but can only operate one cardboard box making factory that employs 45 workers, with his on-site diesel generator. “If I had more electricity I would open up all 5 factories, with 100 employees each,” said Uhlah. The area is serviced by a generator currently providing 8 megawatts of electric power. The addition of a 2nd generator expands that capacity to 16.5 megawatts. The businesses currently pay a subsidized rate of 6 Afghani or about 12 cents per kilowatt hour; this temporary rate affords the businesses an opportunity to get established before subsidies end.
It costs them 2 to 5 times more to generate the power themselves,” said Mallory. “Before they couldn’t compete with imported products from Pakistan, and now they can.”
Navy Cmdr. Bill Mallory examines a newly constructed aluminum pot, manufactured at a metal works factory. The PRT works with govt and civic leaders at the district and provincial levels to improve infrastructure capacity in the prov.
Amir Muhammad completes construction of an aluminum pot at a metal works factory. The factory hopes to get on the industrial park’s electric grid, enabling it to run more of its machinery, and hire more workers.
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IRAQI STORIES:
Blackanthem Military News
A Soldier's journey: from the Ukraine to America to Iraq
Story and photo by Spc. Matthew Wright
1st Lt Stanislav Boyko, a battle captain for the 640th Aviation Support Bn, plays volleyball at a unit barbecue on Camp Taji, May 19, 2011.
CAMP TAJI - 1st Lt. Stanislav Boyko's life has been a journey - from his youth in the Ukraine, to immigrating to America, to joining the California Army NG, to deploying to Iraq.
Boyko was born to a family with a long history of military service. "All the males in my family were in the military," Boyko said. "My great grandparents, my grandparents and my father - they were all in the Soviet Army." His father was a combat engr. who spent most of his military career in the Ukraine. However, his father was deployed to Afghanistan in the 1980s, during the Soviet Union's 10-year war there. "It's kind of funny, because if I go to Afghanistan, I will be in Afghanistan on the U.S. side, and he was in Afghanistan on the Soviet side," Boyko said.
Boyko followed his father and family's tradition by going the military route, attending both a military high school and a military academy. Boyko received a degree in the Ukraine in International Relations, and his road to becoming an American citizen began. He met an American girl in the Ukraine, and developed a relationship with her, he explained. They then got married and moved to the U.S.
After moving to Sacramento in 2004, he decided that a career in the U.S. Army was the route he wanted to pursue. He signed up with the California Army NG, and went in as a specialist. He received his citizenship 4 years after coming to the U.S., and then applied for the State of California's Officer Candidate School.
He was commissioned as a 2nd lt. in 2007. Since then, he has been on 2 deployments to Kosovo with the California Army NG's 40th ID. He's now deployed to Iraq where he serves as a battle captain, tracks all current ops of the bn., and makes sure that the bn. EO and cmdr. are informed with all critical and significant info.
"He is high energy," said Staff Sgt. Obed Jimenez, who works with Boyko. "I think he brings experience, and he brings knowledge." Jimenez said that his co-workers see how Boyko embraces the American way, yet still shows his Eastern European roots, and his Ukrainian side still shines through. "He still has his accent, the customs and stuff," Jimenez said. "He may be from another country, but he's very dedicated to the U.S. Army," Jimenez added. "He talks about how he loves to wear the American uniform."
Boyko said that he hopes to use his university degree in international relations to the fullest, both in the National Guard and on the civilian side.
Blackanthem Military News
Flying Tigers Fly Flags in Appreciation
By Spc. Darriel Swatts
Pilot in Command Capt. Jeffrey Maxwell holds up a flag that he's flying in an AH-64D Apache Longbow Attack Helicopter, for a Soldier stationed on Camp Taji. (Army photo by Chief Warrant Officer 4 Allan Kidwell)
CAMP TAJI - Most people, when thinking of flying a flag, think of a flag majestically waiving atop a flag pole. However, the 8th Attack Recon Bn, 229th Aviation Regt, fly the flag a bit differently. They fly their flags inside an Apache attack helicopter, while patrolling the skies of Iraq.
"The American flag is a great honor and a great symbol of our country. To have a flag that was over in combat, flown on a mission, is very powerful to a lot of people," said 1st Lt. Michael Moran, an Apache pilot for B Co, 8-229th, based out of Ft. Knox, Kentucky. "It's a way we can give something back to those who have given to us, and to show people back home that we appreciate them, by giving a large token of respect."
"We started as soon as we got here. We took over from our predecessors, and it has really exploded from there. We've flown flags for people from everywhere back home, the VFW, schools, employers, and even individual people," said Maj. Alan Hardin, TF Tiger, EO for the 8-229th. "I personally have flown a couple flags for people who mean a lot to me. It's a way to let them know you're thinking of them, and to say thanks for what they do for us back home. Sometimes we forget while we're forward doing our job, that as hard as it may be for us, it's equally as hard if not harder for those back home."
The flag flying program is open to any and all Soldiers stationed on Camp Taji with the Flying Tigers. "I've flown tons of flags since we got here," said Moran. "I enjoy flying the flags, because it's a way of showing respect to the people back home, and it's a way of thanking them for what they've done. When I'm out there flying that flag, I realize the importance of it all."
"We couldn't do this program without the help and support of our flight ops people," said Hardin. "People come in and ask us to fly a flag, and we accept the flag, document what needs to be done, and hand it off to the pilots before the flight. We get it back, make a certificate of flight, and have the pilots sign it to authenticate the certificate."
"For people back home, it's like ‘wow, this flag was flown on an Apache helicopter in Iraq'..." said Staff Sgt. Robert Ethridge, S3 NCO-in-charge for the 8-229th, "... ‘My son, daughter, husband, wife, friend or colleague is there and they were thinking of me when they asked to have this flag flown'. It's just a great ‘thank you for everything' for whoever is fortunate enough to receive the flag."
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