War On Terror News

Marines and Sailors Aboard Al Asad Receive Swine Flu Vaccination

II Marine Expeditionary Force (Fwd) Story by Cpl. Triah Pendracki

11.29.2009  AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq – After the recent outbreak of swine flu in the United States, the Department of Defense mandated all service members, whether deployed or stateside, receive a vaccination for the H1N1 virus.

"The vaccination for swine flu is being distributed from Army Medical Logistics in batches," explained Lt. Cmdr. John Brooks, the preventative medicine officer for II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward). "Since the vaccination was just recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration, we can only get so many doses of it as it is produced."

Marines with II MEF (Fwd) have been lining up to get their mandatory shots from the corpsmen aboard Al Asad Air Base, Iraq.

"Swine flu has become an epidemic in the states, so we need to make sure we are all protected," said Seaman Apprentice Deen Brooksher, a corpsman with II MEF (Fwd). "Anybody attached to [Multi National Force – West] needs to get this vaccination."

Within a week to 10 days after receiving the vaccination,

Iraq Chaplain Assistant Trains With PSD

4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division  Story by Pfc. Kimberly Hackbarth

 

11.29.2009 BAGHDAD, Iraq – Following the command "Dismount!" a group of Soldiers jumped off the ramp of a Stryker and scanned the area for potential threats.

Surrounded by Soldiers whose main job it is to protect the commander, Spc. Jacob Barbe, a chaplain assistant, trains with the personal security detachment in order to learn how to properly protect the chaplain.

Barbe's mission in the Army is helping the chaplain with important services, preparing sermons and providing religious support throughout unit. When those tasks are done, he searches for a different, but equally important mission; tagging along with the 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division's PSD.

It's necessary to train with the PSD to gain experience and knowledge of tactics used when outside the wire in order to effectively protect the chaplain, said Barbe, an Ocala, Fla. native. Chaplains are designated as non-combatants and do not carry weapons.

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.

Condemnation Follows Swiss Voter Approval of Minaret Ban

The French foreign minister has joined with Muslim human rights groups in criticizing a Swiss referendum banning the construction of new minarets attached to mosques.

VOA News 30 November 2009

Bernard Kouchner said Monday he is "scandalized" by the right-wing Swiss initiative, which nearly 58 percent of Swiss voters approved on Sunday.  Kouchner called the vote an expression of intolerance.

In Geneva, the head of leading Muslim interfaith group, the Muslim Council of Interknowing, Hafid Ourardiri, said he was

50th Multi Role Bridge Company Returns Home

37th Engineer Battalion (Combat)(Airborne)–Joint Task Force Eagle Story by 1st Lt. Meghan E. Keefe

11.29.2009 AL BAKIR AIRFIELD, Iraq – After serving in Iraq for 12 months, the 50th Multi Role Bridge Company returns home after a year of service to not only the U.S., but also to Iraq, Dec 1.

The 50th MRBC, based out of Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., has spent the past year deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 09-11 repairing, maintaining and building bridges throughout Northern Iraq. However, the most significant aspect of their mission was not just that they successfully sustained the freedom of maneuver and travel for U.S. Forces, Iraqi forces and civilians, it is that they did all of this in partnership with the Iraqi army soldiers who will be responsible for continuing the mission.

While in Iraq and under the command of Capt. John Davis, of Virginia Beach, Va., they conducted

Somali Pirates Seize Greek-Owned Tanker

Maritime officials say Somalia pirates have seized an oil tanker, some 1,100 kilometers off the coast of Somalia.

VOA News   30 November 2009

Authorities say the Greek-owned Maran Centaurus, with 28 crewmembers on board, was hijacked Sunday. 

Officials say the tanker, which can transport more than 2-million barrels of oil, was sailing from the Middle East to the United States.

A tanker full of oil would be worth millions and could pose a huge security and environmental threat. 

Somali pirates have hijacked dozens of ships over the past two years, demanding and receiving millions of dollars in ransom from the hijacked ships' owners.

World powers, including the European Union, the United States and NATO, have dispatched naval forces to try to protect the busy shipping routes near Somalia from pirate attacks.

In response, the pirates have extended their reach, attacking ships up to 1,800 kilometers from Somalia, deep into the Indian Ocean.

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,

Airpower Summary for November 27

U.S. Air Forces Central Public Affairs

 

11.29.2009 SOUTHWEST ASIA — Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in the following operations Nov. 27 according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.

Air Operations in Afghanistan:

Jalalabad
Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft provided armed overwatch for friendly forces. When the aircraft arrived on station, they were tasked with pre-emptive strikes; the aircraft utilized precision guided munitions to successfully eliminate enemy activity from enemy fighting positions.

Asmar
Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft provided armed overwatch for friendly forces. When the aircraft arrived on station, they were tasked with pre-emptive strikes; the aircraft utilized precision guided munitions to successfully eliminate enemy activity from enemy fighting positions.

MND - Baghdad Celebrates Native American Heritage Month

366th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment Story by Staff Sgt. Jeff Hansen

11.28.2009 BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers entertained a crowd with speeches, poems and songs during a celebration of Native American Heritage Month at the Camp Liberty Morale, Welfare & Recreation here, Nov. 27.

According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Native American Heritage Month has been nationally observed since 1990, when President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November as "National American Indian Heritage Month."

MND-B's Equal Opportunity Office hosted the event as part of their monthly observances of cultures, backgrounds and ethnicities.

Chaplain Corps heals emotional wounds

11/26/2009  By Lance Cpl. Chris Kutlesa, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni 

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan  — United States military chaplains all over the world celebrated the the Chaplain Corps’ birthday Nov.21.

“The birthday celebrates chaplains’ involvement throughout the history of the U.S military,” said Lt. Cmdr. Denis Cox, Marine Aircraft Group 12 chaplain.

The second article of Navy Regulations reads, “The Commanders of the ships of the thirteen United Colonies are to take care that divine services be performed twice a day on board and a sermon preached on Sundays, unless bad weather or other extraordinary accidents prevent.”

On Nov. 28, 1775, that article was adopted and thus the Chaplain Corps was born.

The first chaplain known to have served in the Continental Navy was Reverend Benjamin Balch, who served aboard the frigate Boston in October 1778.

The Chaplain Corps’ early history has not been as well documented as the later.

By Jan. 25, 1802, a new edition of the Naval regulations read,

Qatar Passes Provide War Fighters a Needed Respite

Area Support Group Qatar Public Affairs Office Story by Dustin Senger

11.29.2009 CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar – "I really wanted to swim in the Persian Gulf," said U.S. Army Sgt. Mary Phillips, from Boone, N.C., enjoying her last day participating in the U.S. Central Command rest and recuperation pass program at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, Nov. 28. She did swim in the Gulf waters, during three separate occasions, along with three other soldiers from the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team operating outside Baghdad, Iraq.

R&R leave is a long-held military tradition. Exposure to excessive combat stress is known to significantly affect mission accomplishment. While everyone deals with stress differently, continuous exposure to enemy engagement eventually takes its toll, even on the nation's hardest warriors.

Military leaders routinely authorize subordinates reprieve from the rigors of combat in hopes of boosting unit morale, performance levels and career motivation. The goal is to accommodate absences for as many people as possible without adversely affecting the fight.

Officer Down: Known Facts in WA 7:35PM PST 29Nov09 Updated

Four Police Officers were Murdered near McCord AFB, in Lakewood, WA on 29 Nov 2009 0815 Pacific
- They ( were using their laptops prior to their shift.

• SGT Mark Renniger, 39
• Ronald Owens, 37
• Tina Griswold, 40
• Greg Richards, 42

- Two shot execution style, one able to fight attacker to door.
- The Forza coffee shop was near but off post and was known to be frequented by Police.
- Forza coffee shop is owned by former Police Officer.
- These 4 Officers were due on shift at 0900.
- They were wearing bullet proof vests.
- Two employees & two customers not injured. One Employee saw gun and escaped out back door.
- One Officer shot more than one round in fight with criminal, hitting Maurice Clemmons in back.
- Suspect approached cashier as if to make purchase, opened coat, pulled weapon, began shooting officers he had previously passed.
Hotline: 1-866-977-2367 for tips on suspects location. $10,000 Reward

Updates in bold.

Iraq Drawdown Discussed over Lunch

US Army Leaders Meet With Shaykhs in Southern Iraq

13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Story by Spc. Lisa A. Cope

11.28.2009 CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION ADDER, Iraq – Brig. Gen. Gerald E. Lang, the Multi-National Division – South deputy commanding general for support, visited local shaykhs at a private residence near Contingency Operating Location Adder, Iraq, for a key-leader engagement, to discuss how the drawdown of forces in Iraq will affect the shaykhs' area.

"My main goal with Shaykh Uday today was to discuss the drawdown of forces and his assistance ... to maintain security on route Tampa by working with and providing information to the local police and Iraqi army," said Lang, a Sauk Rapids, Minn., native.

One of the Shaykh's main discussion points was the process of selecting contractors for area projects, said Lang.

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.

30 Nov 2009 #MoS Moments of Silence on #MilitaryMon #HonorTheFallen 1PM EDT-1:12EDT

1 PM Eastern is Kabul 22:30/10:30PM, Baghdad 20:00/8PM, London 18:00/6PM, San Diego 10AM

He which hath no stomach to this fight let him depart. But we in it shall be rememberd. 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)

 

REQUEST that all afford my Brothers a Moment of Silence each on Monday 28 beginning 1:00 PM, Eastern Time.  REQUEST that each Moment of Silence be dedicated each Monday to my Fallen Brothers in order of noticification since prior Monday. 

 

• #MoS #MilitaryMon 1PM to 1:02 EDT: PFC #Bowe Bergdahl, Kidnapped by Taliban, Two Minutes until he comes home #MIA #SOT #MoS
• #MoS #MilitaryMon 1:02-1:04 EDT: SGT #Brandon T. Islip, Two Minutes Until He Comes Home #MIA #SOT #MoS
• #MoS #MilitaryMon 1:04-1:05 EDT: SSG John Cleaver, Marysville WA 11/19/09 Zabul AFG, 82nd ABN #HonorTheFallen #SOT #MoS
• #MoS #MilitaryMon 1:05-1:06 EDT: SGT Daniel Frazier, St Joseph MO 11/19/09 Zabul AFG, 82nd ABN #HonorTheFallen #SOT #MoS
• #MoS #MilitaryMon 1:06-1:07 EDT: SGT James M. Nolen, Alvin TX 11/21/09 Kandahar AFG, 82nd ABN #HonorTheFallen #SOT #MoS
• #MoS #MilitaryMon 1:07-1:08 EDT: PFC Marcus A. Tynes, Moreno Valley CA 11/21/09 Kandahar AFG, 82nd ABN #HonorTheFallen #SOT #MoS
• #MoS #MilitaryMon 1:08-1:09 EDT: SGT Briand Williams, Sparks GA 11/22/09 Numaniyah Iraq, 3rd ID #HonorTheFallen #SOT #mos
• #MoS #MilitaryMon 1:09-1:10 EDT: LCpl Nicholas Hand, Kansas City MO, 11/22/09 Helmand AFG, 2nd MEF #HonorTheFallen #SOT #Mos 
• #MoS #MilitaryMon 1:10-1:11 EDT: SSG Matthew Pucino, Cockeysville MD, 11/23/09 Pashay Kala AFG, 2/20th SFG(A) #HonorTheFallen #SOT #MoS 

• #MoS #MilitaryMon 1:11-1:12 EDT: SPC Jason McLeod, Chrystal Lake IL, 11/23/09 Pashmul AFG, 4th ID #HonorTheFallen #SOT #MoS

1 PM Eastern is Kabul 22:30/10:30PM, Baghdad 20:00/8PM, London 18:00/6PM, San Diego 10AM.  This time  accomodates those in London, Baghdad & Kabul, as well as Congress. 

Please Remember, the Moments of Silence are in Honor of Our Fallen.  It is a collaborative effort in recognition of their sacrifice and the families effected by it.  It is encouraged to tweet only the above during their INDIVIDUAL moments.

A special thanks to @US_Fallen of www.USFallen.org who puts together the video in honor of those that have sacrificed all in defense of Freedom each week in an Honorable, Dignified manner without political or financial gain as motivation.

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.

Security Forces Along Iraq, Turkey Border Inspect Trucks

13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Story by Sgt. Ryan Twist

11.28.2009 HABUR GATE, Iraq – Along the border of Iraq and Turkey, U.S. service members, Iraqi security forces and contractors work together to ensure the safety of Iraq's citizens.

At the validation yard in Habur Gate, Iraq, KBR, Inc., employees, Iraqi security forces and U.S. Soldiers check transportation movement requests and validate cargo on incoming trucks, said Sgt. 1st Class David A. Holder, the noncommissioned officer in charge with the 561st Movement Control Team Detachment, out of Springfield, Mo. Holder, a Waco, Texas, native, said they look for anything that is illegal and not on the cargo list.

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.

'First-strike ration' aims for better nutrition

by Christen N. McCluney  Defense Media Activity

11/27/2009 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Several military organizations are working together to provide servicemembers with healthy, good-tasting, sustainable and nutritionally sound combat rations.

"We're charged with a fairly awesome task, and that is to fuel the Defense Department's most flexible and adaptable weapons platform, and that, of course, is the individual warfighter," said Gerry Darsch, director of the Defense Department's Combat Feeding Program at the Massachusetts-based Natick Soldier Systems Center during a Nov. 23 interview on the Pentagon Channel podcast "Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military.

Mr. Darsch was joined by Andy Young, chief of the Military Nutrition Division at the U.S. Army Institute of Environmental Medicine.

Specialists with the DOD Combat Feeding Program and with the Military Nutrition Division at the U.S. Army Institute of Environmental Medicine are developing a special light-weight, nutritional field ration known as a first-strike ration that warfighters can take into the field instead of MREs, such as the one shown here. (U.S. Navy photo/Petty Officer 2nd Class Jesse B. Awalt)

Because many military personnel have jobs similar to those in the civilian sector, their nutritional requirements aren't going to be very much different from those of their civilian counterparts, Mr. Young said, but some servicemembers in operational specialties do require more fuel and energy then most civilians. Achieving their nutritional requirements while working in the field can be especially difficult, he added.

Iranian Lawmakers Call for Reduced Nuclear Cooperation

Also, Iran's state-run media say the government plans to build 10 new uranium enrichment plants similar to the country's main enrichment facility in Natanz.

VOA   Elizabeth Arrott | Cairo 29 November 2009

State media report five locations have already been approved for new plants, and the country's Atomic Energy Agency has been directed to find five additional sites. 

Meanwhile, the Iranian parliament is urging the government to lessen its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.  The warning comes two days after the IAEA censured Iran for not cooperating enough.

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

U.S. Doctors Meet Iraq Partners

4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Story by Sgt. Bryce Dubee

 

11.28.2009  BAGHDAD – The exchange of information regarding the latest medical studies and procedures are commonplace throughout the worldwide medical community, however after years of conflict and instability in Iraq, many Iraqi medical professionals have been left out of the information loop.

To help Iraqi doctors learn some of the latest medical, U.S. medical Soldiers from the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division organized an alliance between U.S. military doctors and local Iraqi hospitals.

"Our goal is to meet with the hospitals monthly," explained Capt. Gabriela Niess, a native of Davis, Calif., the brigade's medical planner.

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

Iraq Soldiers Rest, Learn From Locals at Habur Gate

13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Story by Sgt. Ryan Twist

 

11.28.2009 HABUR GATE, Iraq – As convoys escort trucks across the border between Turkey and Iraq, Soldiers take advantage of one of Iraq's most accommodating cities to rest between missions.

Service members and local nationals at Habur Gate operate a former hotel building, converted into a place where Soldiers eat, sleep, relax and recover while they wait for their next convoy mission.

"[Our] mission is to provide communication for the convoys coming in and out of [Contingency Operating Location] Q-West and other parts of Iraq ... [give Soldiers] a resting home for overnight stays and make sure everybody gets supplies," said Pfc. Andre R. Taylor, a central processing mode operator with the 15th Sustainment Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), out of Fort Hood, Texas. "Convoys stop here to pick up their trucks from the [Movement Control Team] yard and head back to where they came from."

Swiss Voters Approve Ban on Minarets

Both the government and parliament said the initiative violates the Swiss constitution as well as the nation's tradition of tolerance

VOA News 29 November 2009

Unofficial Swiss election returns show voters approving a right-wing initiative banning construction of new minarets attached to mosques.

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

Iraq Dealing Death from Above

Air Weapons Team Deals Death From Above During Joint Call for Fire Training

17th Fires Brigade Story by Spc. Maurice Galloway

 

11.28.2009 CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq – 12 Soldiers from 1st Battalion (Air Assault), 377th Field Artillery Regiment and 1st Battalion 130th Infantry Regiment, Task Force Panther, teamed up to conduct an air support live fire exercise at a detonation range outside of COB Basra.

The old adage "Send in the Cavalry" used to refer to a group of Soldiers on horseback that would come to the aid of their fellow comrades who found themselves hunkered down in a battle with the odds against them.

Today, we use

Iraqi Helo Pilots Get Inside Look at U.S. Army Aviation

2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs Story by Pfc. Justin A. Naylor

11.28.2009  FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARRIOR, KIRKUK, Iraq — Months of training, hard work and dedication is what it took to get a group of Iraqi air force students, training to become helicopter pilots, to where they are. They have already completed the first part of their training, and are ready and eager to continue to learn and improve on their skills.

In support of their studies, Soldiers from the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, invited the IAF students to an open house on Forward Operating Base Warrior, Kirkuk, Nov. 25, where they had the opportunity to speak with U.S. Army aviators and get a close look at the helicopters they use.

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.

U.S. Airmen and Iraqi Airmen Build Operational Guidance

U.S. Airmen Build Relationships With Iraqi Airmen Through Communication

U.S. Air Forces Central, Baghdad Media Outreach Team Story by Senior Airman Alyssa Miles

11.28.2009CAMP VICTORY, Iraq – Iraq Training and Advisory Mission Airmen attached to the 321st Air Expeditionary Advisory Group are advising members of the Iraqi air force on the day-to-day communication procedures within their air operations center.

The Airmen's mission is to help the IAF build operational command and control capabilities to translate air force headquarters and national guidance into operational guidance for individual squadrons.

15th SB to Open Testing Center for Industry Certifications

15th Sustainment Brigade  By 1st Lt. Michael Anderson

11.28.2009  CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION Q-WEST, Iraq - Soldiers from the Special Troops Battalion, 15th Sustainment Brigade will lead the way in obtaining the latest industry certifications.

Warrant Officer 1 Slyvester Price, a communications technician with the brigade, has been the leading force in providing this unique opportunity to the brigade.

"These certifications provide a high level skill set for the Soldiers," Price said.

Certifications allow individuals to validate that they are an expert in that area of the industry, and is especially prevalent in the constantly changing world of information technology, said Price.

"This will allow a Soldier to market themselves better," added Price.

Afghan Military Training Poses Challenges

The politicians opposing Support of Our General have suggested that we should instead recruit and build a massive Afghan Army overnight.  Fortunately, the US Army and Our Allies have been training the Afghan Army long enough to know the challenges of such a task.  The program began in 2002 with 19th Special Forces Group setting up the initial training of the origins of the Afghan National Army.

While the Iraq Army reached a point in 2006 where its rapid growth had proved counter-productive and required a complete overhaul, by 2007 it was back on track improving in both quality and quantity at a rapid rate.  Augmenting the growth in the Iraqi Police and Army were the Sons of Iraq.  But the success in building Iraqi security quickly has lessons in both the wrong and right way.  And there is a major difference in the availability of the quality of recruits.

The average Iraqi is educated while the average Afghan is illiterate.

Swiss To Vote On Proposal To Ban Minarets

VOA   Lisa Bryant | Paris 28 November 2009

Swiss vote in a referendum Sunday on whether to amend their constitution to ban the construction of minarets. 

The proposal to ban minarets in Switzerland is being championed by the nationalist Swiss People's Party and a fringe party called the Federal Democratic Union.  The People's Party has been critical of foreigners in Switzerland in general, with one proposal to kick whole families of foreigners out of the country if a member breaks Swiss law.

(Photo credit - infidelsunite.typepad.com/.../e-switzerland/ )

There are reportedly only four minarets in Switzerland. But the campaign to ban them has struck strong chords - both for and against. Campaign posters portray minarets as missiles, rising from the Swiss flag. Underscoring the heightened tensions, the Geneva mosque was vandalized by unkown assailants on Thursday. 

Reports of Abuse at U.S.-Run Secret Prison in Afghanistan

VOA News 28 November 2009

U.S. media reports detail alleged abuses that took place at a secretive U.S. jail in Afghanistan, seemingly undermining U.S. President Barack Obama's efforts to improve conditions at such facilities.

Al-Qaida-Linked Militants Capture Key Somali Town

Witnesses tell VOA heavily armed fighters with the hardline Islamist group, al-Shabab, met no resistance when they rolled into the southern city of Dobley early Saturday.

VOA News 28 November 2009

An al-Qaida-linked militant group in Somalia has captured a key town near the border with Kenya, sending hundreds of people fleeing across the border.

Witnesses tell VOA heavily armed fighters with the hardline Islamist group, al-Shabab, met no resistance when they rolled into the southern city of Dobley early Saturday.

Before al-Shabab moved in, witnesses say

Servicemembers' Holiday Greetings now available online

11/25/2009 - SAN ANTONIO (AFNS) -- Members of the Joint Hometown News Service here recently posted more than 8,000 holiday greetings from servicemembers and their families stationed around the world on its Web site.

To see the holiday greetings, family members, servicemembers and their families can visit at http://www1.dmasa.dma.mil/hometown/webpages/holidaygreetings.htm to see their greetings.

The greetings are categorized by state and then servicemembers are listed alphabetically.

Shortly after Labor Day, broadcast teams began taping greetings from by visiting more than 60 locations worldwide until mid-October.

This is the 26th year the Joint Hometown News Service staff has sent teams around the world to tape holiday greetings.

Giving thanks for veterans

Commentary by Lt. Col. Thomas J. Finneran  95th Reconnaissance Squadron commander

11/27/2009 - ROYAL AIR FORCE MILDENHALL, England (AFNS) -- Two significant holidays occur during the month of November every year - Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. In the United Kingdom, Veterans Day is called Remembrance Day, but the sentiment is the same. Remembrance Day, or Veterans Day, is a day to think about veterans who have served and those who sadly -- but heroically -- made the ultimate sacrifice in past and present wars.

Thanksgiving is the one day each year we watch football, and eat loads of turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie. More importantly, however, it is a day for us to consider those things we are truly most thankful for -- our families, friends, freedom and hopefully, the servicemembers who protect our freedom.

While I've lived for nearly 40 years with Veterans Day and Thanksgiving only weeks apart from one another, it wasn't until this November that I truly realized how intertwined those two holidays could be.

On Nov. 8, I was flying from London to Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., for a conference starting Nov. 9. The Sunday before Nov. 11 -- or Nov. 11 if it is a Sunday -- is celebrated as Remembrance Sunday in the U.K. Throughout the U.K., services were conducted at churches, cemeteries and on military installations to remember the veterans from "the Great War" to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Okay, so big deal; people recognize veterans at a few services each year -- so what? As the late, great Paul Harvey would say, "And now, the rest of the story."

My flight didn't leave London until noon, so I arrived at the airport a little before 10 a.m. Just before 11 a.m., an airport employee announced there would be a two-minute moment of silence at 11 a.m. to remember -- and give thanks for -- veterans who gave their lives in time of war. At 11 a.m., another announcement came that said the two minutes of silence starts now. For a solid two minutes, the busiest airport in the world stopped.

Lance Bombardier gunning for the Taliban in Helmand

A Military Operationsnews article  27 Nov 09

Six weeks into his deployment to northern Afghanistan, Lance Bombardier Michael McClarence is using one of the Army's powerful artillery guns to keep the enemy's head down.

Lance Bombardier Michael McClarence beside an L118 Light Gun in Afghanistan
[Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]

Lance Bombardier (LBdr) Michael McClarence from 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery is based in Forward Operating Base Inkerman in Helmand province.

He works as the Second-in-Command on a 105mm Light Gun, one of the powerful artillery pieces used to give firepower support to the troops on the front line. He said: