War On Terror News

Army Sergeant Builds Morale Through Art

Combined Joint Task Force - 82 PAO Story by Capt. Thomas Cieslak

 

12.02.2009 BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - A service member from Task Force Protector is using his skills to add unit pride and espirit de corps to an office inside a refurbished shipping container.

The many talents of U.S. Army Sgt. Henry Harrell, a counterinsurgency non-commissioned officer with Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 16th Military Police Brigade, are evident on the office door of Col. John F. Garrity, the Task Force Protector commander.

"I have been working with art in general since I was five. I just started drawing one day and never stopped," said Harrell about developing his skill. "I took ten art classes in high school and turned down a full art scholarship to come in the Army."

Two shipping containers placed side-by-side in the Combined Joint Task Force- 82 Champion Main the offices of the Task Force Protector commander, deputy commander, command sergeant major and the counterinsurgency section.

Wooden walls and doors inside the shipping containers were painted white years ago and remained plain until Garrity noticed Harrell's talents and eye for color.

Top US Officials Questioned on Afghanistan for Day 2

Congressional leaders express concern over troops levels, mission importance

VOA News 03 December 2009

Top U.S. defense and diplomatic officials are facing a second day of tough questioning in the U.S. Congress over President Barack Obama's revised Afghan war strategy that includes the deployment of an additional 30,000 troops.

Congress will need to approve an additional $30 billion needed to fund the strategy over the next year.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, Democrat John Kerry expressed concern about whether there are enough Afghan troops to partner with American troops.

Senator Richard Lugar, the ranking Republican on the committee, said more discussion is needed on whether the mission is so important to national security that it requires huge spending increases,

20 NATO Countries to Send More Troops to Afghanistan

NATO says more than 20 countries plan to increase troop levels in Afghanistan, following US President Obama's increased commitment to the war.

VOA  Lisa Bryant | Brussels 03 December 2009  

NATO spokesman James Appathurai told reporters NATO members had shown a clear determination to support President Barack Obama's strategy in Afghanistan - not just through rhetoric, but by dispatching more troops.

"I can confirm we have now well over 20 countries that are indicating or have already indicated they intend to increase the amounts of forces they have in the country - in Afghanistan.  This is on top of the 38,000 (troops from other NATO members and allies) that are already there, taking into account a doubling over the past two years," he said.

Apparthurai said that based on discussions over the past two days, non-U.S. troop contributions to Afghanistan would easily surpass

AFG Salerno Sustained by Indiana Soldiers

Combined Joint Task Force - 82 PAO Story by Spc. William Henry

12.02.2009  KHOWST PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Indiana National Guard Soldiers from the 38th Infantry Division's Task Force Cyclone ensure Forward Operating Base Salerno is taken care of and maintained properly on a daily basis.

Located in the Khowst province of eastern Afghanistan, Salerno is near the Pakistan border and is home to four different elements of the Indiana National Guard.

The 1-19th Indiana Agri-business Development Team, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment, the 177th Finance Company and 38th Infantry Division's Task Force Cyclone, who run base operations, reside at Salerno during their deployment.

Soldiers Engage Afghan Tribal Leaders

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs

 

12.01.2009 NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - U.S. soldiers and their Afghan partners bedded down for the night at the Afghan National Police Achin District Center here, Nov. 18, in preparation for a meeting with Shinwari tribal elders and Afghan security personnel.

The meeting at the compound was something never done before, and it proved historic for the soldiers of the Georgia National Guard's 1st Squadron, 108th Regiment.

Lynn Cites Aerospace Role in Afghanistan Strategy

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs Story by Donna Miles

12.02.2009 NEW YORK - Aerospace assets will be critical to the success of stepped-up operations in Afghanistan – from delivering troops to ferrying logistical support to providing lifesaving intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to ground forces, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn told industry executives here, Dec. 2.

Lynn told several hundred Aerospace and Defense Conference attendees that he firmly supports President Barack Obama's new force commitment and revised strategy in Afghanistan, announced last night at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.

"The situation there is serious," Lynn said. "New terrorist attacks against our homeland are being planned there now,

RIP Acting Sergeant John Paxton Amer

Acting Sergeant John Paxton Amer of 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards died from wounds sustained as a result of an explosion that happened in the Babaji area of central Helmand province on 30 November 2009.

• Acting Sergeant John Paxton Amer, 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, from Sunderland

"He which hath no stomach to this fight let him depart. But we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers!! For he today, that sheds his blood with me, shall always be my brother”. Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten. (W.Shakespeare)

Combined Force in Afghanistan Detains Suspected Militants

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs

12.02.2009  WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan-international security force detained several suspected militants in Afghanistan's Kandahar province, Dec. 2, at a compound known to be used by a Taliban financier and facilitator, military officials reported.

The force searched the compound, about five miles southwest of Kandahar City, without incident and detained the suspected militants, including the Taliban financier and facilitator. No shots were fired, and no one was injured.

In other news, international forces conducted an air strike against a Taliban commander in a remote area of eastern Afghanistan yesterday, officials said.

The Taliban commander was the target of the precision strike in Kunar province's Dara Noor district, which occurred in an open area away from civilian compounds or infrastructure. Assessment of the strike continues.

AFG Best of Task Force Spartan - slideshow

For the fans, Soldiers, and family members of the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division. This is a montage of the best photos from the last year in Afghanistan. 

 

 

 

Slideshow contains music from 3 Doors Down. This video is produced by the 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment for the Public Affairs Office of Task Force Spartan.

 

tfspartan

 

AFG Reducing Winter Attacks - 44 Weapons and Ammo Cache Found

TALIBAN WINTER OPERATIONS TARGETED IN AFGHAN-AUSTRALIAN OPERATIONS 

Thursday, 3 December 2009  Joint Afghan and Australian operations in Afghanistan are having a significant impact on the Taliban’s weapons and ammunition reserves with the discovery of 44 caches in the past two months.

The most recent cache discovered included small arms ammunition, 55 high-explosive anti-tank rocket propelled grenades and an 82mm recoilless rifle (anti-tank weapon) with four rounds. The cache was uncovered during a routine patrol by Australian soldiers from the 2nd Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force (MRTF-2) and the Afghan National Army (ANA) around Mirabad, east of Tarin Kowt in Oruzgan Province.

Commanding Officer of the MRTF, Lieutenant Colonel Peter Connolly, believed the cache finds would have a strong impact on the insurgents’ operational capability.

Sec. of State Clinton Cites Civilian Effort As Vital in Afghanistan

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs Story by Samantha Quigley

 

12.02.2009 WASHINGTON - Civilian partnerships, in combination with military efforts, are crucial to success in Afghanistan, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told the Senate Armed Services Committee, Dec. 2.

The current civilian effort would expand through a "civilian surge" if Congress approves Obama's strategy for the way ahead, Clinton said.

"Civilian experts and advisors are helping to craft policy inside [Afghan] government ministries, providing development assistance in the field, and working in scores of other roles," the secretary said. "When our Marines went into Nawa this July, we had civilians on the ground with them to coordinate assistance the next day."

For the nonmilitary portion of the president's strategy to be effective, Clinton said, the Afghan people

RIP LCpl Jonathan A. Taylor

DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Jonathan A. Taylor, 22, of Jacksonville, Fla., died Dec. 1 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, IIMarine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

"He which hath no stomach to this fight let him depart. But we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers!! For he today, that sheds his blood with me, shall always be my brother”. Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten. (W.Shakespeare)

More Troops Likely for Afghanistan's East, South

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs Story by John Kruzel

12.01.2009 WASHINGTON - With President Barack Obama's expected announcement, Dec. 1, to send more U.S. forces to Afghanistan, a defense official said a portion of the additional troops are likely to reinforce the country's contentious eastern and southern areas.

A chief responsibility of Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, will be to determine where to apply the added resources if the president authorizes them, a defense official said on background.

"I would think he would want to reinforce some of his forces in the east and the south where the main effort by the Taliban and associated forces have been," the official said of McChrystal. "But it's up to him, based on the types of troops he has and where he needs them first and how he's going to use them."

NATO Chief: US Allies Pledge 5,000 More Troops to Fight in Afghanistan

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says NATO countries are throwing their support behind U.S. President Barack Obama's new Afghan strategy, and will send at least 5,000 more troops to fight insurgents in the war-torn country.

VOA News 02 December 2009

The NATO chief said Wednesday in Brussels that all NATO countries must do more in the fight against the Taliban and al-Qaida if they truly want to make Afghanistan stable. 

Rasmussen pledged that NATO and its allies will strive to transition into a role where the Afghan people can take control of securing their country.  But he said the word "transition" is not a code for an "exit strategy."

Afghan National Army welcomes newest soldiers at Marine patrol base

By Lance Cpl. Dwight A. Henderson, Regimental Combat Team 7 

12/1/2009  HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan — The Taliban approached Afghan National Army Sgt. Nazir Mohammad with an offer he couldn't refuse. But he did.

Mohammad has received many letters from the Taliban, telling him to leave the ANA, but he has continued to serve.

"If the Taliban kills my whole family, I will not take off my uniform. I will be with the ANA. I will help the Marines," he said.

Video Gen. McChrystal Discusses Situation in Afghanistan

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of the International Security Assistance Force, addresses members of his staff Wednesday, moments after President Barack Obama announced he would send 30,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan in order to help ISAF gain the initiative against violent extremists, deny them safe haven and enhance the coalition's ability to train and mentor Afghan security forces.

 

AFG IJC Op's Update, Dec. 1: Reconstruction in Zabul Province; Casualty Update

International Security Assistance Force HQ Public Affairs

12.01.2009  KABUL, Afghanistan - The ISAF Zabul Provincial Reconstruction Team, mid-way through its nine-month tour, has completed nearly 40 projects this year. Operational for several years, the Zabul PRT assists the Afghan government with improving stability through governance, reconstruction and development.

The Zabul PRT is a diverse organization with joint, interagency and international components.

"The PRT It is one of the principal counter-insurgency units in the region and part of the larger ISAF effort to bring stability to Zabul province," said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Andy Veres, PRT commander. "The effort [stability] has resulted in approximately $140 million [U.S.] in developments in Zabul since we started the provincial reconstruction team here."

Logistics Play Key Role in US War Effort in Afghanistan

Infrastructure to support U.S. military efforts in Afghanistan is already strained, posing challenges to the troop surge announced by President Obama

VOA  David Axe | Bagram, Afghanistan 01 December 2009

"You just don't have the lines of communication, the road structure, that brings things here sufficiently," U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Steve Kwast

U.S. President Barack Obama announced a new strategy for Afghanistan Tuesday that includes sending at least 30,000 more American troops to the war front. The increase will bring the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to about 100,000. But the infrastructure to support U.S. military efforts in Afghanistan is already strained, posing challenges to a troop surge.

Scene at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan   Photo: David Axe

Somewhere over southern Afghanistan, a U.S. Air Force transport crew prepares to drop a load of supplies by parachute to a Marine unit below.

AFG: Brothers in Arms Get Each Other Through the Holidays

A Thanksgiving Away From Home

30th Naval Construction Regiment Story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Ernesto Hernandez Fonte 11.30.2009

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - For many Soldiers deployed to Afghanistan this will be their first Thanksgiving away from home and for others, it's their second or more. Soldiers like those assigned to the 76th Engineer Company, 19th Engineer Battalion, deployed near the Afghanistan - Pakistan border at Forward Operating Base Spin Boldak.

"I don't like spending Thanksgiving here because it was a really big holiday for my family growing up," said Spc. Arnie R. Greatheart from Wayne County, Ga., assigned to the company. "Thanksgiving is one of those times that everyone, regardless of whether they are family, just everybody in the neighborhood

ISAF Commander's Statement Regarding U.S. President's Announcement

International Security Assistance Force HQ Public Affairs

12.01.2009 KABUL, Afghanistan - The statement of General Stanley McChrystal, Commander NATO International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces Afghanistan regarding the address by the President of the United States:

"The Afghanistan-Pakistan review led by the President has provided me with a clear military mission and the resources to accomplish our task. The clarity, commitment and resolve outlined in the President's address are critical steps toward bringing security to Afghanistan and eliminating terrorist safe havens that threaten regional and global security.

"The NATO International Security Assistance Force objective is equally clear: We will work toward improved security for Afghanistan and the transfer of responsibility to Afghan security forces as rapidly as conditions allow. In the meantime, our Afghan partners need the support of coalition forces while we grow and develop the capacity of the Afghan army and police. That will be the main focus of our campaign in the months ahead.

"The 42 other nations of the coalition will benefit from a strengthened U.S. commitment, as success in Afghanistan must be an international, integrated civil-military effort - from our security and training capacity to the governance and economic development assistance that sustains long-term stability. The concerted commitment of the international community will prevail in bringing real change to Afghanistan -- a secure and stable environment that allows for effective governance, improved economic opportunity and the freedom of every Afghan to choose how they live.

"We face many challenges in Afghanistan, but our efforts are sustained by one unassailable reality: neither the Afghan people nor the international community want Afghanistan to remain a sanctuary for terror and violence. The coalition is encouraged by President Obama's commitment and we remain resolute to empowering the Afghan people to reject the insurgency and build their own future."

US President to Outline Revised Afghan War Strategy

President Barack Obama will announce a revised strategy for the war in Afghanistan Tuesday that will involve deploying at least 30,000 more American troops

VOA News 01 December 2009

U.S. Marine 1st Sergeant Christopher Adams of 2nd Battalion 2 Marines of 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade gives an Afghan child a pen in Mian Poshteh in Helmand Province. 26 Nov 2009

U.S. President Barack Obama will announce a revised strategy for the war in Afghanistan Tuesday that will involve deploying at least 30,000 more American troops.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Tuesday on CNN and NBC's Today Show the president will discuss a time frame in which he believes the United States can transition its forces out of Afghanistan.

U.S. forces have been fighting the Taliban and al-Qaida in Afghanistan since 2001.  The White House is struggling to balance waning public support for the war with national security concerns.  It also is not convinced that Afghan President Hamid Karzai is committed to improving governance and dealing with graft.

Gibbs said President Obama will outline ways the Afghan government can address the graft and make other changes.

Mr. Obama discussed his strategy earlier Tuesday with President Karzai by video conference.

Mr. Karzai's office said the talks included plans for military advancements, political progress and economic developments. 

Mr. Obama will outline his plans Tuesday evening at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.

The announcement will follow months of deliberations by President Obama and his national security team.  The commander of foreign forces in Afghanistan, U.S. Army General Stanley McChrystal, had asked for 40,000 additional troops, fewer than Mr. Obama is expected to commit.

Spokesman Gibbs said the Obama administration believes it will get more troop contributions from allies that he said understand Afghanistan is not just one country's problem, but an international effort.

In London Monday, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he will send 500 additional troops to Afghanistan in December, boosting his country's forces there to more than 10,000.

French Defense Minister Herve Morin said late Monday his country is not likely to contribute more troops to the war.  But he said France plans to bolster its role in the war by providing more aid for reconstruction.

Missing U.S. Paratrooper Found

International Security Assistance Force HQ Public Affairs

11.30.2009  KABUL, Afghanistan - The second U.S. paratrooper who was missing after being swept away by a fast moving current while on an airdrop re-supply mission Nov. 4 in western Afghanistan was found yesterday.

Sgt. Brandon Islip, 24, was recovered from the Bala Murgahab River in Badghis province after a local Afghan citizen provided information on his whereabouts.

Red Horse Stays True to 'Can Do' Spirit

RED HORSE Overcomes Challenges at Forward Operating Base Tarin Kowt

30th Naval Construction Regiment Story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Ernesto Hernandez Fonte 11.30.2009

KANDAHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – The 809th Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers Detachment Tarin Kowt has stayed true to their "Can Do – Will Do – Have Done" motto.

"Vertical and horizontal construction, earthmoving, electrical, you name it, we do it," said Staff Sgt. John Neubaum, operations manager.

The Detachment is in the process of building a Southwest Asia Hut, motor pool, drainage improvements and a supply yard for the 82d Combat Aviation Brigade.

"Supply has been a challenge but you always do as much you can," said Neubaum.

RIP SGT Brandon T. Islip (Change-In-Status )

DoD Announces Change-In-Status of Army Soldier

The Department of Defense today announced the death of a soldier supporting Operation Enduring Freedom who was previously listed as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown.

Sgt. Brandon T. Islip, 23, of Richmond, Va., had been listed as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown.  His status was changed Nov. 29 to having died in a non-combat related incident.

He was a member of the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. and went missing, Nov. 4, while involved in a resupply mission in Bala Murghab, Afghanistan.

RIP PO3 David M. Mudge

DoD Identifies Navy Casualty

 

   The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. 

 

    Petty Officer 3rd Class David M. Mudge, 22, of Sutherlin, Ore., died Nov. 28, in a non-hostile accident aboard USS Rentz while in Port Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates. 

"He which hath no stomach to this fight let him depart. But we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers!! For he today, that sheds his blood with me, shall always be my brother”. Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten. (W.Shakespeare)

Attention: HOOAH Mail begins tomorrow, December 1st

HooahMail means speedy delivery of letters to Afghanistan

By C. Todd Lopez  Army News Service

WASHINGTON (11/23/09) - The Army's HooahMail program makes it possible for friends and family members to put a paper letter and photograph into the hands of their loved ones in Afghanistan, in some cases, on the same day it's sent.

World War II Soldiers read letters from friends and family during a mail call, January 1943. The Army's HooahMail program makes it possible for Soldiers in Afghanistan to receive letters in days, instead of weeks, as in previous wars. (Photo courtesy of John Vachon)

The one-year pilot program becomes available Dec. 1 and makes use of the Internet combined with physical mail delivery to create a hybrid mail system that can get letters into the hands of Soldiers in remote locations much faster than regular mail delivery alone.

"This gives Soldiers actual printed correspondence that is sent from their family members that they can take out on a mission with them and read and reread again," said Bill Hilsher, Army postal program manager.

Airmen brighten Afghan boy's day by fulfilling simple request

by Roger Drinnon Air Mobility Command Public Affairs

11/24/2009 - SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFNS) -- Capt. Marian Collins' third deployment to Afghanistan in October became her most rewarding one. Not because of any medal earned or battle fought, but because she reached out to an Afghan youth whose gratitude gave added meaning to her team's mission.

Captain Collins, the assistant director of operations for the 571st Global Mobility Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., was deployed to Shindand, Afghanistan, to restore a 1960s-era airfield to accommodate air mobility operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. 

While deployed, her desire to help others inspired her to bring candy, cookies and water to some local Afghan children, she said. Captain Collins and other team members gathered donations from fellow deployed Airmen and they set out to offer the treats to any Afghan children in the area.

As they followed the base's perimeter fence, they didn't see any children until reaching the end, Captain Collins said. There, they found an Afghan boy standing with some goats just outside the fence.

Coincidentally one of her teammates, Agent Keivan, was able to speak and interpret the local language. Agent Keivan, who's full name is withheld for security reasons, was deployed for his sixth time to Afghanistan as an Air Force Office of Special Investigations Contingency Response Team member. As he spoke with the boy, Captain Collins wondered why the boy didn't seem happier to be getting the candy and cookies.

Beef: Its whats for chow

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boxes of steak stand stacked in a freezer to be distributed to Marines with Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan.

The steaks were donated to Marines aboard Helmand’s patrol bases, combat outposts and forward operating bases for the holiday season. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Michael Curvin)

AFG RC-North Commander Returns to Germany for Medical Treatment

International Security Assistance Force HQ Public Affairs
 

11.29.2009 KABUL, Afghanistan - International Security Assistance Force Joint Command announced today that German Brig. Gen. Jurgen Setzer, commander of Regional Command North, is returning to Germany for medical treatment.

"Gen. Setzer has been an outstanding leader, and we take pride in what he and his command have accomplished during his tour in Afghanstan," said Maj. Gen. Jacques Lechevallier, IJC deputy commander.

"Throughout his tenure, RC North has consistently partnered with Afghan security forces to improve their capability and ability to protect the Afghan citizens. I wish Gen. Setzer a speedy recovery."

German Brig. Gen. Frank Leidenberger will replace Setzer. Leidenberger most recently served as commanding general, Airborne Brigade 31.

Afghan Civilian Killed in Traffic Accident

International Security Assistance Force HQ Public Affairs
 

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan woman was killed today when she was struck by an International Security Assistance Force vehicle while crossing a street in Kabul.

The driver stopped immediately and transported the woman and her son to the medical treatment facility at the Kabul International Airport military compound. Despite medical treatment, the woman died from severe trauma.

"This is a very tragic accident," said Navy Capt. Jane Campbell, IJC spokesperson. "Our thoughts and prayers are with her family at this difficult time."

The incident is under investigation by ISAF and local police.

AFG IJC Operational Update, Nov. 29: Militants Detained in Wardak, Kandahar

International Security Assistance Force HQ Public Affairs

11.29.2009 KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan-international security force detained several suspected militants today in Wardak province while pursuing a militant who is a Taliban commander and IED weapons facilitator.

The joint security force targeted a compound near the village of Tagab in the Sayed Abad district after intelligence sources indicated militant activity. The joint force searched the compound without incident and detained the suspected militants. No shots were fired and no one was harmed.

In a separate operation today,

AFG Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Visits Kunar's PRT

Kunar Provincial Reconstruction Team Story by Tech. Sgt. Brian Boisvert

11.28.2009 NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – The 16th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force visited the Air Force-led Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team Nov. 28 to see how Airmen are contributing to the Afghanistan's security, development and governance.

CMSAF James Roy visited Forward Operating Base Finley-Shields in Jalalabad as part of a battlefield circulation to see Airmen at deployed locations. Roy is the first CMSAF to visit a PRT in Afghanistan and he was able to see the work

Roy told the PRT, which is made up of Air Force and Army people, that a joint organization like theirs is at the forefront of the war effort.

"We are a nation at war...not an Air Force or an Army, but a nation. We will do whatever our nation requires us to do and we will step up to the challenges," Roy said.

Easier identification leads to easier maintainence

By Cpl. Michael Curvin

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – Most people are familiar with the frustration of standing at a checkout counter while a cashier flips a carton or package every which way, searching for a barcode to scan. After flipping your selection around like pizza dough, the cashier finally finds it with the telltale beep.

Barcodes are everywhere, even in the military - on the back of Department of Defense identification cards, on a sticker wrapped around mission essential gear and emblazoned on weapons and various vehicle parts.

To date, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan has seen the introduction of three new vehicles that have more in common than most would think.

Obama Prepares for Afghan Speech, Senators Offer Advice

VOA   Paula Wolfson | Washington 29 November 2009

As U.S. President Barack Obama prepares to announce his new Afghan strategy, members of Congress are offering last-minute advice.  Mr. Obama will spell out his plan Tuesday in a speech to the nation from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, as lawmakers get back to work after a holiday recess.

Congressional support will be crucial to President Obama's plan, since lawmakers must approve the funding.

Carl Levin, the Michigan Democrat who heads the Senate Armed Services committee, says the president's focus must be on bolstering the Afghan army. "The key here is an Afghan surge. Not an American surge," he said.

Levin told the CBS program Face the Nation that President Obama must

From Afghan Battlefields to Army War College

Joint Sustainment Command - Afghanistan Story by Maj. Sheldon Smith

11.28.2009 KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- As a decision on sending additional forces to counter gains by the Taliban looms in Washington, sustainment Soldiers on the ground continue to provide logistical support to the fight in Afghanistan. The 143d Expeditionary Sustainment Command, an Orlando, Fla., Army Reserve unit, was sent to Afghanistan to play a critical role in the addition of forces to shore up security.

The bulk of the 143d ESC members are assigned to Support Operations or SPO. The largest section in SPO is the Support Operations Distribution Management Center, led by recently-promoted Col. Thomas Vaccaro of Stafford, Va., who also serves as deputy SPO chief.

Vaccaro, a distinguished military graduate of the Shippensburg University Army ROTC program, is responsible for coordinating the efforts of 139 DMC Soldiers to ensure efficient and timely sustainment support to U.S. Forces - Afghanistan and more than 68,000 servicemembers. As an Army reservist, he has also been given a rare set of opportunities.

Video Protection Patrols in Zabul Province, Afghanistan

Video about increased protection for Afghan village elders who have helped U.S. forces in the Zabul province, Afghanistan by expanding Forward Operating Base Wolverine. Produced by Sgt. Wyatt Harper.

Interviewees:
• Maj. Jose Ocasio (US), Executive Officer

Report Blames US Military Leaders for Missing Bin Laden in 2001

Senate report says former US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the top US military commander General Tommy Franks rejected requests for a massive contingent of American troops to attack Tora Bora mountains

VOA News 29 November 2009

A U.S. Senate report says top military leaders during the Bush administration had an opportunity to capture or kill Osama bin Laden in December 2001 in Afghanistan, but they failed to send enough American troops to attack his hideout.  

The report, by staff of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, concludes that U.S. special forces, CIA officers and

Afghan Officials: 26 Militants Killed Near Pakistan Border

Afghan officials say coalition air support backed the guards during the battle, which lasted several hours; no security guards were killed

VOA News 29 November 2009

Officials in eastern Afghanistan say border guards backed by coalition air strikes have killed at least 26 militants near the Pakistani border.

No security guards were reported killed during the hours-long battle in Khost province.  

On Tuesday this week, President Barack Obama

AFG Operational Update, Nov. 28: Militants Detained in Logar, Khowst

International Security Assistance Force HQ Public Affairs

 

11.28.2009  KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan-international security force detained a few suspected militants in Logar province today while pursuing a Taliban IED facilitator involved with several attacks in the area.

The joint security force targeted compounds near the village of Alozi in the Pul-e Alam District where intelligence sources reported militant activity.

British PM Calls Afghan Meeting to Plan Security Handover

Gordon Brown says Britain will host an international conference on Afghanistan next year to outline conditions for handing security responsibilities back to Afghan authorities.

VOA News 28 November 2009

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says Britain will host an international conference on Afghanistan next year to outline conditions for handing security responsibilities back to Afghan authorities.

Mr. Brown made the announcement Saturday alongside U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the Commonwealth summit in Trinidad and Tobago.

The British prime minister said NATO allies, key world powers and regional neighbors will be represented at the London conference, planned for January 28.