Afghan clerics had the opportunity to see projects in Poland, similar to what they plan to do in their regions. “We not only want to build a new dam, landfills, roads, schools, hospitals and other infrastructures; we want to show them, how to effectively manage them also,” said Lt. Col. Kiszkowiak, Ghazni PRT deputy chief.
While in Poland the sub-govs. visited the Polish police command, fire brigade and landfill. They also talked about the monitoring and prevention of potential threats, and disasters such as floods or avalanches. “For us, all meetings are a great experience," said Ghazni City Mayor Noory. “Now, we know more about our job; we see the similarities and differences. I’m convinced that one day Afghanistan will be safe, and that the Afghan administration will work the same as the Polish.”The visit to Poland was organized by the Polish Embassy in Kabul, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Polish TF White Eagle.
MAIWAND DISTRICT -- In Maiwand district of Kandahar prov., where the female literacy rate is 7%, books and radios were distributed to women and girls who would not otherwise have the opportunity to study Pashto, their native language. The distribution, conducted by soldiers with Combined TF (CTF) Spartan's 2nd Bn, 34th AR Regt, took place on 2 dates, during which a total of 90 radios and books were distributed. Future dates are planned with a goal of reaching 350 women in the villages of Maiwand.
Haji Bayan, a local business leader, notified the women and brought them to the distribution location. Additional women, who had heard about the program via word-of-mouth, also walked to the site. "This program is very important for the women in this area, since they primarily stay at home, and have very few opportunities for education," said Bayan.
Literacy lessons are broadcast 3 times daily each week via a local radio station. Women and girls gather in their homes to follow the lessons over a 15-week period.
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DVIDS
Virginia Guard Soldier Late to his own Promotion Ceremony
ZABUL PROVINCE – Pfc. John Gatling with the Virginia Army N.G. was late to a very special formation, Aug. 29: his own promotion. “Maybe he should remain an E-3 for another day,” said Capt. Stephen Carey, from Va., 116th HHC cmdr., to the assembled crowd.
Gatling, a human resources specialist from Va., came running up shortly thereafter. He'd been working so diligently that he couldn’t leave his current mission for the important ceremony. “Congratulations,” said Carey. “It’s always fun to take a break … take some time to recognize a soldier with such great potential as Spc. Gatling.”After Gatling’s rank was replaced, and he'd bathed in the enthusiastic applause of the crowd, Carey issued a familiar and dreaded basic training command: “Front leaning rest position … move! In cadence …”Gatling performed pushups, getting “smoked” as it’s called in the Army, at his own promotion ceremony. It was a day that Gatling and many others will remember as part of their deployment. “The pushups caught me off guard,” said Gatling. “It’s something I’ll always remember. Getting promoted feels great. I feel new opportunities coming my way, and I can finally join the ranks of the specialists.”The following 116th “Stonewall Brigade” soldiers were promoted effective Sept. 1: Christopher C. Tomlinson to master sgt., Andrew W. Doane to staff sgt., Clark J. Lay to staff sgt., George N. Arvan to sgt., Matthew E. Barry to sgt., and Michael Roper to sgt.Newly promoted Spc. John Gatling, is “smoked” at his own promotion ceremony for being late. “Smoked” is Army slang for corrective physical training commonly administered in basic training.
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RC-East, Bagram Media Center
The provincial leadership participated in the meeting to identify avenues for the govt to provide assistance and solutions for increased sustainability. “Everyone in Paktya Prov. has problems,” Paktya Deputy Gov. Mangal, said to shura attendees. “As leaders, we can't solve problems by sitting in our chairs. We have to talk to villagers and hear their concerns. We're here to listen to you and find solutions for your problems,” he added.
Afghanistan has 34 provs., each divided into small districts. Paktya Prov. has 13 districts, with govt reps in each district who are dedicated to improving the lives of Afghan citizens. Provincial line directorates, subordinate to the Ministries in Kabul, have basic service delivery responsibility in key sectors such as health, public works, and info and culture.
The provincial govt, in partnership with Paktya PRT, travels to various districts in Paktya to address local needs, and provide education about the national govt. “The govt cannot succeed without the support of its people,” Mangal said. “This is our country. Let’s stand together with one hand in unity for future generations.” Security remains a top concern for Paktya provincial leadership. During the shura, Zormat villagers spoke about increasing security in the prov., by continuing to develop and enhance relationships with the ANSF through joint training, plans and missions. “Afghan and CF work together well,” Rahamd Noori, a village elder from Zormat, said in reference to joint security missions. “We should continue the mutual respect between the ANSF and CF.” A joint district ops center in Zormat is scheduled to open soon, and will be the first of its kind in Afghanistan. The center will provide a common operational picture across the ANSF, enabling agencies to respond to security and emergency situations more effectively."The ops center will provide a central location for all Afghan security members in Zormat, to maintain situational awareness, allowing the ANSF to coordinate and respond to emergencies," said Maj. Ahmin, ANA EO. “We've scheduled day and night shifts to perform ops over a 24-hour period,” he added. "Along with security comes economic development," said Lt. Col. James Forand, Paktya PRT cmdr. from Mass. Paktya PRT is dedicated to partnering with the GoA, to continue construction projects in areas such as Zormat. “Our team facilitates the reconstruction efforts of GoA in Paktya Prov.,” he added. “We have a strong, honest partnership with the local leaders of the GoA, and support the leadership as they work to develop a more stable and secure prov.” Paktya PRT is comprised of more than 75 military members representing active duty AF, Army, Army Reserves and Army N.G. The team has reps from the U.S. Dept of State, U.S. Dept of Agriculture, and USAID. -30-“The course was created to facilitate the ANA medical providers in sharing their professional medical knowledge in trauma care with local hospital providers,” said AF Capt. Benjamin McGarvery, Paktya PRT physician’s asst., and a native of Penn. “Jaji District has a history of seeing a lot of trauma patients, and we’re hoping this course helps save lives.”
For more than a year, an ultrasound machine sat in its box, only to be used when a doctor from another area was called in to operate it. “ANA Doctors provided ultrasound training to both Jaji doctors and nurses, as well as the local mid-wives, giving them the ability to perform the ultrasounds themselves,” McGarvey said. “Having this ability will enable them to spot problems with pregnancies, as well as perform ultrasounds during traumas to spot problems like blood clots.” This training also enabled CF to fulfill a long-standing promise to the district. “We’re hopeful that by bringing the ANA doctors out and fulfilling this promise, it lays the groundwork for a partnership that will last well into the future,” McGarvey said. “We want the shura members and the doctors to trust in the ANA and CF.” The 30-bed district hospital currently offers basic services like an emergency room, radiology, basic surgeries and obstetrics. “This training builds a bridge which opens the lines of communication between the doctors of the regional hospital and the ANA,” said AF Lt. Col Stephen Sales, MTT lead, from Ind. “They've been taking classes and getting on-the-job training for approx 4 years.”“I thought this training was very goo, and the topics covered were very useful,” said Dr. Shahwali Qurishi, Jaji District hospital general surgeon. “I’m very grateful the ANA was able to come and teach us the material in our own language; it helps us understand it better.” The training led to a return trip being planned for later this year, and its success also brought training requests from other Paktya districts. -30-South
KANDAHAR PROVINCE — A combined Afghan and coalition SecFor detained a Taliban leader, and killed multiple insurgents in Maiwand district. The leader operated in Panjwa’i district and traveled frequently to Kandahar City. He was in charge of a large group of fighters, and purchased multiple weapons each month for use in attacks throughout the region. The SecFor detained several suspected insurgents, and confiscated 20-lbs (9 kg) of opium and multiple weapons during the op.
HELMAND PROVINCE -- A combined Afghan and coalition SecFor conducted an op in search of a Taliban leader in Now Zad district. The leader is responsible for multiple roadside bomb attacks, acquiring funds and ammo for other insurgent leaders, and facilitating attacks against Afghan forces. The SecFor detained multiple suspected insurgents. ----- In Kajaki district, a combined Afghan and coalition SecFor conducted an op in search of a Taliban leader. The leader facilitates narcotics, as well as funding for insurgent activity in Helmand and Kandahar provs. Additionally, he constructs roadside bombs for use in attacks throughout the region. The SecFor detained multiple suspected insurgents. EastKHOST PROVINCE -- A combined Afghan and coalition SecFor killed 2 insurgents during a security op in search of a Haqqani network leader in Musa Khel district. The network leader facilitates weapons, as well as coordinates attacks against Afghan forces along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border between Khost and Paktiya provs. The insurgents were killed after firing an RPG at the SecFor, during the op. One suspected insurgent was detained and multiple weapons were confiscated, including RPG launchers, grenades, a recoilless rifle, ammo and roadside bomb making materials. WARDAK PROVINCE -- In Nerkh district, a combined Afghan and coalition SecFor detained a suspected insurgent during an op in search of a Taliban leader. The leader coordinates attacks against the local populace and Afghan forces in the region. LAGHMAN PROVINCE -- A combined Afghan and coalition SecFor detained multiple suspected insurgents, during an op in search of a Taliban leader in Qarghah’i district. The leader is responsible for murder, kidnapping and the manufacturing and facilitation of roadside bombs used in attacks against Afghan forces.BAGHDAD — Just east of one of the most sacred Shiite mosques in the world, tucked away in one the many pockets of land formed by time and the ever-changing Tigris River, sits Joint Security Station Justice, a symbolic piece of history for American forces who have operated in Iraq over the past several years.
In addition to being the site of the execution of Saddam Hussein and several of his regime’s major figures, the base has been home to a long list of units for the better part of a decade. However, as OND draws to an end and ISF take ever-greater responsibility for their nation’s protection, the need to further occupy JSS Justice is no longer there. With that in mind, soldiers with C Troop “Comanche,” 5th “Longknife” Sqdn., carried out the task of closing the JSS and signing it back over to the GoI. “It was simply known as the Old Iraqi Defense Intel Agency compound when I was first here,” said Sgt. 1st Class John Varney, a plt. sgt., with HHT, 5th Sqdn., and a Kan. native, who was assigned to JSS Justice in 2003 with another unit.That title didn't stick for very long though. Several months and many missions after his arrival, the base had a new name. “Spc. Simeon Hunte was killed near Ghaziliyah in 2003,” said Varney. “The soldier’s death had a deep impact within the unit [1st Bn, 13th Inf Regt, 3rd BCT, 1st AR Div, and as a result, it was then decided that the base be named in honor of the fallen soldier, giving rise to a new title, Camp Hunte.” Regardless of what it was called, the base’s location and operational value was never challenged. It always provided a temporary, protective home for a countless number of soldiers over the span of its existence, while they worked to improve Iraq’s security situation. The base served as a home to not only American soldiers, but Iraqi personnel as well. “I remember a lot of the Iraqis who worked on the FOB,” said Capt. Selina Tolonen, PAO with 2nd AAB and a Fla. native, who was stationed at FOB Justice from October 2008 to April 2009. “I especially remember an older man who once took the time to show me pictures of his family, and a memo he carried around that was signed by a bn. cmdr., stationed on JSS Justice long before I was. That memo meant a great deal to the man," said Tolonen. “It was falling apart, but it stated that he helped soldiers during the invasion find a safe haven at FOB Justice, and that he provided them with water.” Tolonen’s story reflects the level of cooperation that Iraqi citizens, ISF, and American forces established and maintained throughout the years at JSS Justice. The ISF, though separated by concrete barriers from their American counterparts, and occupying their own portion of the base, remained partners in distributing humanitarian aid, training, and conducting full-spectrum ops throughout the area, some of which led to significant results. Capt. Tim Student, cmdr. of Comanche Troop, 5th Sqdn., 4th Cav. Regt. and a Mo. native, was the last Troop-level cmdr. in charge of the ops being conducted in and around JSS Justice. “I feel like we closed a chapter of the Iraq campaign here,” said Student. “Justice was one of the first bases occupied by U.S. forces after the invasion, and it was good to see the Iraqis taking the challenge of using the base to further their own security.”
BAGHDAD — Titan Co provided intel collection, as well as info flow, to maneuver units and troops on the ground throughout Baghdad prov. “Enough can't be said about the professionalism, discipline, and camaraderie these soldiers have exemplifie, while faced with difficult challenges and situations over this deployment,” said Capt. Jason Cano, cmdr. of Co A, STB and a Texas native.
Garrison began the ceremony with a description of the Military Intel coin for excellence, and what it represents. “No matter your rank or duty position, your job is to protect national security at all costs as an Intel professional,” he said. After handing out each coin, Lt. Col. James Botters, intel officer with the 25th ID, and Garrison took the time to talk to each Titan soldier individually, as a show of their appreciation for the service that each has provided towards the intel mission within USD-C. “I think it’s neat to be recognized for all of my hard work over the last 10 months,” said Staff Sgt. Maurin Livingston, a linguist and a Neb. native.Sgt. Maj. John Garrison addresses soldiers during a coining ceremony at Camp Liberty.
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