Afghanistan Daily News - January 1, 2009 HAPPY NEW YEAR !!
ISAF, ANA treat 835 Afghans in two-day MEDCAP
KABUL, Afghanistan – ISAF and Afghan National Army (ANA) doctors visited villages in Herat Province recently to provide medical care.
As they endure one of the most severe winters in 20 years in Afghanistan, the people’s need for medical attention has increased.
A combined team of doctors from ANA and ISAF treated 120 men, 65 women and 152 children in Saheb Zadeh Village.
Villagers of Bagh E Nazargah also received treatment during the medical outreach that helped 115 men, 186 women and 197 children.
Some ailments treated during the two-day operation were gastritis, respiratory problems, musculo skeletal, climatic pain, dermatitis, cardiac and ocular.
While people were in line to be seen, ANA and ISAF soldiers distributed snacks and treats to the many children there as well as humanitarian aid.
The village elders expressed great appreciation for the help brought to the population with the Medical Civilian Action Program (MEDCAP), a need felt in this part of the year more than in others due to the bad weather conditions.
ISAF mentors, headed by Lt. Col. Vincenzo Giacobbe, Regional Command West medical advisor, thanked the 207th Corp doctors and Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team for their professional contributions.
This activity is part of a larger plan carried out by ISAF soldiers to help the local population to overcoming the trials of winter.
TACPs provide vital link between pilots, ground troops
(U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon)
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by Staff Sgt. Andrea Thacker
Air Forces Central News Team
12/31/2008 - FORWARD OPERATING BASE ORGUN-E, Afghanistan (AFNS) -- Although
they make up one of the Air Force's smallest career fields, their
mission leaves a huge impact on the battlefield and can mean life or
death for troops on the ground.
Tactical air control party Airmen serve as liaisons between ground
commanders and pilots in the sky to eliminate the enemy's threat to
ground forces. They're responsible for the planning, communicating and
coordinating the ground commander's need for CAS, or close-air support.
"While infantry is the ground commander's piece of the world, he has to
trust us on the information we give him and the air capability we can
provide," said Tech. Sgt. Harvey Wagenmaker, 2nd Battalion, 506th
Infantry Regiment air liaison officer. "How much trust he has in us is
reflected on how often he uses us."
Their numbers bear out their reliability to the ground force
commanders. In the last two months here, they have controlled more than
100 CAS missions and have had a substantial impact on the munitions
dropped on enemy forces.
"[Their efforts] provide the ground commander a valid means to
neutralize the targets while preserving the lives of friendly forces
and the civilian populace," said Master Sgt. Leigh Bradley, Combined
Joint Task Force-101 TACP superintendent.
Traditionally, TACPs serve on the frontlines alongside ground forces,
but with advances in technology, that is not always necessary. The
two-man team comprises one joint terminal attack controller, or JTAC,
and one radio operator maintainer and driver, or ROMAD. Together,
operating from a tactical operations center, or TOC, they use advanced,
real-time full-motion video footage, to acquire a broader view of the
battle space.
Commanders must weigh the benefits of placing the TACPs on the ground
with the infantry or in the TOC, Sergeant Wagenmaker said.
"It's a trade off," he said. "In the TOC, we have better lines of
communication and access to advanced equipment that we can't always
take with us in the field. But on the ground, we have a better pulse of
what's going on because we're in the heat of battle and can make things
happen."
The TACPs have a variety of CAS options at their disposal. Choosing the
right one for the situation is a key component of their role.
"Target destruction is a desired outcome, but it doesn't solely justify
effectiveness," said Sergeant Bradley, deployed from the 19th Air
Support Operations Squadron at Fort Campbell, Ky. "CAS effectiveness
can come by way of a simple show of force.
This non-lethal mission has the ability to force the enemy to carefully
consider their mortality and allows friendly forces to execute their
combat mission without challenge."
An example of the TACP's impact was recently felt when an Army convoy
came under fire from enemy forces and needed close-air support.
"We were pulling convoy security near [Afghanistan's] Manekandow Pass
when we came in contact with heavy enemy fire, and our lead vehicle was
disabled from a close-proximity mortar round," said Army Staff Sgt.
Chris Summers, 2-506th Battalion targeting NCO.
When the Soldiers called for close-air support, the JTAC requested
airpower, and a Navy FA-18 Hornet arrived on station to successfully
end enemy contact with the troops, he said.
"Airpower plays a vital role in dismounted or mounted maneuvers through
hostile areas," Sergeant Summers said. "When CAS is on station, it
greatly reduces the threat. If we do get hit, only a handful (of enemy
troops) will be brave enough to fire knowing [aircraft are overhead]."
After a day of successfully controlling close-air support sorties, the
TACPs take pride knowing their actions saved the lives of the Soldiers
they live and bond with every day.
"It feels good having that responsibility," said Airman 1st Class Eric
Czachor, a ROMAD deployed from the 19th ASOS. "I'm capable of helping
Soldiers in potentially hazardous situations. I like living and working
with the Army. We're able to develop a close bond with the Soldiers
since we work in such a small group. We understand what they bring to
the table, and they can trust in us when the time comes."
(U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon)
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(U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon)
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