War On Terror News

GySgt Verice W. Bennett, Marine, Silver Star, Afghanistan

SILVER STAR Citation for Gunnery Sergeant Verice W. Bennett
Approved by GEN JAMES F AMOS on 11/16/2011

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as Platoon Commander, Company I, 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, Regimental Combat Team-2, 1st Marine Division (Forward), I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) Afghanistan.

While serving as the Platoon Commander on 13 September 2010 just after seizing a key bridge crossing for the company, Staff Sergeant Bennett set his platoon into a battle position located in a built-up area inside the Southern Green Zone of the Sangin District. Shortly afterwards, the company began to receive heavy fire from all directions as they became surrounded by more than 100 Taliban fighters armed with small arms, rocket propelled grenades, and medium machineguns.

As the engagement ensued, Staff Sergeant Bennett’s platoon became the focus of the enemy attack. For the next ten hours Staff Sergeant Bennett displayed exceptional resolve by employing his platoon to repel numberous enemy advances. On several occasions he exposed himself to enemy fire in order to gain positive identification of enemy targets and direct fires and supporting arms onto enemy positions. At one point during the attack the enemy closed to within ten meters of friendly positions.

Staff Sergeant Bennett personally led a hand-grenade ambush from the top of a walled compound to disrupt an enemy squad attempting to isolate his platoon from the company’s defense. As a result of his actions that day, his platoon suffered no casualties while the enemy suffered eighteen killed and more than a dozen wounded.

Staff Sergeant Bennett’s bold leadership, wise judgment, and complete dedication to duty reflected great credit upon him and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

 

 

 

 

Photos courtesy of a Marine attending the ceremony, 12/14/2011, Camp Lejeune.

Saudi F-15 Inventory to be Doubled

F-15 Sale to Saudi Arabia Part of Broader Effort

By Donna Miles and Karen Parrish, AFPS, WASHINGTON, Dec. 31, 2011 - The recently announced $29.4 billion sale of F-15SA fighter aircraft to Saudi Arabia is just one part of a broader U.S.-Saudi military sales and defense cooperation effort that's central to regional security, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

U.S. officials announced an agreement Dec. 29 to sell 84 new F-15 fighter jets and upgrades for 70 existing aircraft to Saudi Arabia. Little said the same represents less than half of the $60.5 billion in U.S. sales of aviation capabilities agreed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

In addition to the Royal Saudi Air Force, this broader program includes aviation capabilities for the Saudi Arabian National Guard, Royal Saudi Land Forces and Saudi Royal Guard, he said.

Al-Shabab Defeated in Village Near Ethiopia

Ethiopian troops and Somali government forces have seized control of a key rebel-held town in Somalia after battling al-Qaida-linked militants.

Somali officials say the fighting began early Saturday after Ethiopian and Somali forces attacked positions held by al-Shabab, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, fighters on the outskirts of Beledweyne, about 30 kilometers from the Ethiopian border.

A resident of Beledweyne told the French news agency that 18 people, most of them militants, died in the fighting.

But al-Shabab denied it was defeated and said many Ethiopian troops were killed in the clashes. The militant group said it carried out a planned withdrawal from Beledweyne after the fighting.

Saturday's assault on Beledweyne marks the third location in Somalia where militants have been challenged. Control of the town has changed hands often in recent months as different militias push to seize control of it.

African Union troops have mostly forced al-Shabab out of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, and Kenyan troops are battling militants in the south.

Somalia has been mired in anarchy since warlords toppled military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. VoA

Spanish Economy Worse Than Reported

Spain is getting ready to start the new year with a new round of austerity measures, hoping to contain a growing deficit.

The country’s new government announced $11.5 billion in fresh spending cuts Friday, saying the budget was in worse shape than the previous government had acknowledged. It also announced a freeze on pay for civil servants and a two-year income tax hike.

Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria was quoted by the Associated Press as saying the cuts are just “the beginning of the beginning” and that the government would be forced to take “extraordinary measures” in 2012.

The spending cuts and tax hikes come as the new conservative government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced the country’s budget deficit was bigger than anticipated – totaling 8 percent of Spain annual income and not the 6 percent that was expected.

Despite the problem, Mr. Rajoy’s government did say it would increase pensions by 1 percent, making good on a campaign pledge.

Spain’s economy has already been hit hard by unemployment, with the country’s more than 20 percent unemployment rate the highest in the European Union.

Meanwhile, Germany’s finance minister is offering hope for 2012. In a newspaper interview, Wolfgang Schaeuble said he believes the 17-nation eurozone will bring the debt crisis under control in the new year.  VoA

[Spain's Budget Deficit is 1/10th of the US Budget Deficit. ]

4 Pakistanis Exploded in Northwest

Pakistan security officials say a bomb blast has killed two Pakistani soldiers in the country's northwest near the Afghan border.

The remote-controlled bomb ripped through a vehicle in a military convoy Saturday on the outskirts of Miran Shah, the main town in the North Waziristan tribal region.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack, but the area is a stronghold of Taliban and al-Qaida-linked militants.

Elsewhere in the northwest, a homemade bomb has exploded outside a tribal elder's home in the Khyber tribal region, killing two people and wounding at least four others.

A major land route to Afghanistan passes through Khyber and was used to supply U.S.-led coalition troops before Pakistan suspended it to protest a November NATO air attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.

Video: 2011 in Review - NATO

Secretary General Foghs Rasmussen on NATO operations in Libya, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Iraq:

 

Cutting Our Troops in a Time of War?

In a recent conversation about the pending cuts to the number of Active Duty Troops, a reader asked, "but with the end of the War in Iraq, aren't these 'overflow' Soldiers unnecessary?"  (I'm paraphrasing.)  The base of the discussion is that the current Administration is cutting 49,000 Soldiers from the Active duty Army.  The question is whether this is a responsible thing to do, while we continue our War in Afghanistan, or if the end of the War in Iraq, and the Administration's plan to "end" the War in Afghanistan means that these Troops are no longer needed and hence can be thrown into the unemployment lines.

Some would argue that these aren't wars at all, that the Administration calls them "Overseas Contingency Operations," but to the Troops on the Ground, getting shot at, political correctness does not translate into a change of reality.  Nevertheless, we've been at war for 10 years, and one would think that we've increased the size of Our Military since the attacks of 9/11/01.  And we did, by a little bit, sorta, but most of the increase in Troops serving every day of the week has been by activating units and members of the National Guard and Reserves.  Other shortfalls in manning were filled by sending in Air Force or Navy Troops to back-fill the Army and Marines, in ground operations, in places that Navy and Air Force personnel wouldn't normally be assigned.

War In Afghanistan News - 31 Jan 2011

General John R. Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force, condemns today's roadside bomb attack that reportedly killed four civilians in Trinkot City, Uruzgan Province. A fifth male was listed as critically injured.

"Today, another cowardly insurgent attack killed four innocent Afghans," said Gen. Allen. "Our heartfelt thoughts are with the families of those killed and injured. Those responsible for this shameful attack must be held to account for their actions against the people of Afghanistan."

Middle East News 30 December 2011

Iran says it will fire long-range missiles on Saturday as part of military exercises in the Gulf.

Israel and the United States are planning joint military exercises in early 2012 with a focus on missile defense.

Egypt has agreed to halt raids against non-governmental pro-democracy groups and return property seized in the crackdown., according to the US State Department.

In Syria, murders continue with at least 32 citizens reported dead today, even as the Arab League monitors visited more sites to check the government's compliance with a pledge to end its crackdown on dissent.

Details after the break.

Deployed Sailor Leads FET in Afghanistan

By Marine Corps Cpl. Meredith Brown
American Forces Press Service

FORWARD OPERATING BASE JACKSON, Afghanistan, Dec. 29, 2011 – When Kimberly Ryan stepped into the Navy recruiter’s office at age 18, she had no idea what she wanted to do. All she knew was she wanted to get out of Connecticut and broaden her horizon. 

“The recruiter said, ‘Do you want to be a corpsman like me?’, and I said, ‘Sure!’” recalled now-Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan, a Norwich, Conn., native. “I ended up loving it.”

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Kimberly Ryan is the team leader for Female Engagement Team 8 in the Sangin district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province. The team supports the Marines of 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, by conducting counterinsurgency operations in Sangin. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Meredith Brown 

Seven years later, after serving overseas in Sasebo, Japan, Ryan now serves as the team leader for Female Engagement Team 8 in the Sangin district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province.

When she stepped up and accepted the team-leader challenge, Ryan thought she would be the equivalent of a female infantryman during her first deployment, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

“[The team] is actually completely different,” she noted. “The female engagement team is all about counterinsurgency, and I actually like what it ended up not being.”

Ryan’s day-to-day activities vary depending on the mission and support requirements. The team works in direct support of 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, assigned to Regimental Combat Team 8 in 2nd Marine Division (Forward).

Each week, however, Ryan and her fellow team member, Marine Corps Cpl. Brandy Bates, work together with Afghan National Security Forces to plan and host a children’s meeting for local children in the Sangin district in southwestern Afghanistan.

RED HORSE airmen build new home to sustain deployed operations

379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Story by Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon 12.30.2011

Twenty airmen from the 557th Expeditionary Rapid Engineer Deployable, Heavy Operations Repair Squadron Engineer, better known as the 557th Expeditionary RED HORSE Squadron, are accustomed to sawing, drilling, paving and building from the ground up; but, unlike other projects RED HORSE is working on around Southwest Asia, one task hits close to home.

The task: consolidate all 1st Expeditionary RED HORSE Group Headquarters’ assets under one roof.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon

Tech. Sgt. Kevin Keith, 557th Expeditionary RED HORSE Squadron team member and native of Pittsboro, N.C., saws a window opening on a new RED HORSE facility Dec. 28, 2011. The building will allow the 1st Expeditionary RED HORSE Group to consolidate all headquarters functions in one location. RED HORSE stands for Rapid Engineer Deployable, Heavy Operations Repair Squadrons, Engineer.

“We began this project on Oct. 4 and there has already been significant progress,” said Master Sgt. Christopher Belknap, 557th ERHS project manager and native of Rochester, N.Y. “This facility will allow us to centralize our operations and our leadership into one facility instead of the four facilities they currently occupy.”

The 9,000-square foot complex will bring administration, logistics, contracting, finance, engineering and personnel support for contingency operations together to better coordinate planning and operations between sections, Belknap said, who is deployed from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

Veterans Get Five More Years to qualify with Undiagnosed Illnesses

December 29, 2011

Rules Liberalized for Veterans with Undiagnosed Illnesses

Application Window Extended for Five Years

WASHINGTON – Veterans of the Persian Gulf War with undiagnosed illnesses have an additional five years to qualify for benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“Not all the wounds of war are fully understood,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “When there is uncertainty about the connection between a medical problem and military service, Veterans are entitled to the benefit of the doubt.”

A recent change in VA regulations affects Veterans of the conflict in Southwest Asia.  Many have attributed a range of undiagnosed or poorly understood medical problems to their military services.  Chemical weapons, environmental hazards and vaccinations are among the possible causes.

At issue is the eligibility of Veterans to claim VA disability compensation based upon those undiagnosed illnesses, and the ability of survivors to qualify for VA’s Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.

Under long-standing VA rules, any undiagnosed illnesses used to establish eligibility for VA benefits must become apparent by Dec. 31, 2011.  The new change pushes the date back to Dec. 31, 2016.

Veterans or survivors who believe they qualify for these benefits should contact VA at 1-800-827-1000.

Further information about undiagnosed illnesses is available online at www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/gulfwar and www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/oefoif/index.asp

Afghan, Coalition Forces Partner to Destroy Explosives

By Air Force 1st Lt. Mark Graff  - Provincial Reconstruction Team Farah Public Affairs

FARAH PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Dec. 29, 2011 – Afghan soldiers, U.S. sailors and members of a local provincial reconstruction team partnered to dispose of more than 250 pieces of confiscated unexploded ordnance, improvised explosive device materials, mines and ammunition here Dec. 27, officials said.

The weapons totalled more than 1,300 pounds of explosive material and more than 50 types of ordnance. The items were carefully transported from a secure location in Farah City and safely destroyed by Explosive Ordnance Disposal Platoon 815 technicians on Forward Operating Base Farah.

Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Jake Hystad,right, an explosive ordnance disposal technician with EOD Platoon 815, instructs Provincial Reconstruction Team Farah members, from left, Petty Officer 2nd Class Kenneth Scheuerman and Petty Officers 3rd Class Colin Black and Moses Perez on safety procedures during a mission to safely remove, transport and destroy explosive devices being stored at an Afghan National Army compound in Farah City, Farah province, Afghanistan, Dec. 27, 2011. U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Mark Graff 

“Most of these items were emplaced [as weapons] … and [we] came and got them,” said Afghan National Army Col. Abdul Razak, who organized the handover of the weapons.

National Guard 2011 Highlights

Domestic disaster relief and a birthday among National Guard 2011 highlights

By Army National Guard Sgt. Darron Salzer
National Guard Bureau

ARLINGTON, Va. (12/29/11) - The U.S. experienced an unusual number of natural disasters in 2011, including Hurricane Irene, flooding across the northern Plains states and Midwest, Southwestern wildfires and tornados that leveled communities.

Maryland National Guard members, seen here in Salisbury, Md., on Aug. 28, 2011, worked around the clock to support civilian law enforcement and firefighting agencies during Hurricane Irene. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. Rick Breitenfeldt)

These events were among the moments when the National Guard answered the call in 2011.

On any given day in 2011, thousands of Citizen-Soldiers and -Airmen conducted operations here at home and abroad. Some of the most significant missions:

No. 10: Southwest Border

The National Guard continued its support with the Department of Defense and Customs and Border Patrol in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas along the Southwest border, providing up to 1,200 Guard members to support civil authorities.

Earlier this month, officials announced that the Guard mission along the border would shift to the air, where they will assist with aerial surveillance, reconnaissance, intelligence and mobility capabilities.

IAF Reports 'Direct Hit' on Gaza Rocket Cell

by Gavriel Queenann 30.12.2011

The IAF launched an air strike on a terror cell in northern Gaza early Friday morning as it prepared to launch rockets at Israeli targets.

The IDF spokesperson's officer reported a direct hit.

According to the IDF the terror cell was the same one that has been launching missiles at Gaza-area communities over the past week.

ANP students experience biometrics system

December 28, 2011 By Air Force Staff Sgt. Sarah Martinez, RSC-East/NTM-A Public Affairs Specialist

BAMYAN, Afghanistan (Dec. 28, 2011) -- New students entering the Afghan National Police Noncommissioned Officer Course at Bamyan Regional Training Center experienced the biometrics record system firsthand, Dec. 12-13.

Fifty-four Afghans aspiring to join the Afghan National Police go through in processing at the beginning of their 16-week course.

A new noncommissioned officer course student looks through an eye scanner during an in processing event at Bamyan Regional Training Center, Afghanistan, Dec. 13, 2011. The eye scanner is part of the biometrics information collected to create a student file.

"The in processing serves two purposes. One is to build personnel databases, and two is to be aware of who is joining the Afghan security forces," said Staff Sgt. Luis Badillo, Bamyan Regional Training Center advisor.

A six-man team takes the students' personal information, fingerprints and more as part of a two-day in processing event.

"We take their information, collect biometrics and then they get a physical exam by our doctor," said Zabin, in-processing team lead. "Usually we do this activity with 12 people but we are making it work with only six."

MWCS-28’s home in time for the holidays

12.29.2011 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing; Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point Story by LCpl. Glen Santy

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. - Families and friends pack into the common area of the Marine Wing Communications Squadron 28 barracks aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point to keep warm. Six months of waiting has come down from weeks, then to days, and now just a few short hours before they are reunited with their Marines.

Photo by LCpl. Glen Santy Sgt. Maj. Thomas Foster (right), sergeant major of Marine Wing Communications Squadron 28, congratulates Staff Sgt. Mark Mattson, the radio chief with MWCS-28, on the birth of his first child, Lydia, at the MWCS-28 barracks aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point Dec. 28. Mattson was able to see the birth via Skype just three weeks prior during his six-month deployment to Afghanistan.

“We finally get to have our Christmas,” said Casey Krebbeks, wife of Sgt. Joe Krebbeks an automotive organizational mechanic with MWCS-28. “I am very excited and very anxious and just ready for him to be home. The hardest part of him being gone is taking care of a 4-year-old by myself, so now it’s his turn and mommy gets to sleep in.”

Blue Geronimo transfer authority to Blue Spaders

12.29.2011 CJTF-1 Afghanistan By U.S Army Staff Sgt. Jason E. Epperson  RC-East PAO

KHOWST PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Alaska-based paratroopers formally took responsibility of security and training operations in the province in a transfer of authority ceremony here Dec. 27.

assumed responsibility from the 1st Battalion-26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Task Force Blue Spaders, at Forward Operating Base Salerno in eastern Afghanistan.

 Courtesy Photo

U.S. Army Lt. Col Patrick J. Ellis, commander of the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Task Force Blue Geronimo and a native from Alameda, Ca. speaks before guests the Transfer of Authority ceremony at Forward Operating Base Salerno in eastern Afghanistan Dec. 27. Task Force Blue Geronimo assumed responsibility of security and training operations in the province from The 1st Battalion-26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Task Force Blue Spaders. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jason Epperson)

Blue Geronimo joins the rest of Task Force Spartan in assuming responsibility of Khowst and Paktya provinces in Regional Command-East’s area of responsibility.

”Today is a great day for us,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col Jessie Pearson, 1st Bn., 26th Inf. Regt., commander. “The thing I’m most proud of is the amount of development we’ve seen in the Afghan National Security Forces and the [Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan], so it’s extremely satisfying to know in the last twelve months we’ve seen dramatic gains in our Afghan partners’ capacity and capability to perform their mission.”

NCO Infantry Battle Course

2011/12/29 By Master Sgt. Paul Hughes Regional Support Command-South/NTM-A Public Affairs

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – Thirty-five Afghan National Army noncommissioned officers stand in formation, anxiously waiting for their turns to practice the “movement to contact” drill.

A noncommissioned officer with the Afghan National Army's 205th Corps looks down the barrel sight of his M-16 rifle during a react to contact drill of the NCO Infantry Battle Course at the Regional Military Training Center, Nov. 29, in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The NCO Infantry Battle Course is now taught entirely by Afghan National Army noncommissioned officers. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Paul Hughes)

The NCO Infantry Battle Course at the Regional Military Training Center has a new twist this time around.  All of the instructors are Afghan soldiers.

“At this point in the transition we’re basically trying to empower the Afghan instructors to affectively teach their students in the different courses that are run here,” said U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Clayton Covel, the lead Marine adviser for the Training Advisory Team at the RMTC.

War In Afghanistan News 30 December 2011

War in Afghanistan News reports provided by ISAF Joint Command. Operations are reported in the following provinces: Kandahar and Paktiya.

A combined Afghan and coalition security force discovered a drug cache during a routine patrol in Panjwa‘i district, Kandahar province, Thursday. The cache consisted of approximately 2,200 pounds (1,000 kilograms) of hashish. The security force destroyed all the drugs on site without incident.

 

Tailor the way you get your War in Afghanistan News

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

Middle East News 29 December 2011

Turkey's military carried out airstrikes late Wednesday in the mountainous border region with Iraq and says it was targeting Kurdish rebels.  Local officials report 35 people were killed and say the victims were civilian smugglers, not fighters.

Predictably, Iran has rejected a U.S. warning against blocking oil shipments through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, as a war of words between the two countries continues.

At least 25 more Syrian citizens killed today, as the death toll arises unchecked, even as Arab League monitors are in country.

A police surgeon who testified against Pakistani security forces is dead, gunned down by unknown assailants.

The United States Thursday announced a major aircraft sale to Saudi Arabia amid tensions in the Gulf over Iran’s threat to close the Strait of Hormuz if nuclear sanctions against it are tightened.

Details after the break.

RIP Petty Officer Stacy O. Johnson

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

            Petty Officer Stacy O. Johnson, 35, of Rolling Fork, Miss., died July 18, while supporting operations in Bahrain.  Johnson was a master-at-arms assigned to Naval Security Force Bahrain.

"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.” (W.Shakespeare) Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten.

SGT Josh Cooley: Renewed hope through healing

12/29/2011  By Lance Cpl. Chelsea Flowers, Headquarters Marine Corps 

TAMPA BAY, Fla.    — ‘Don’t expect any miracles’ – that’s what doctors told Christine Cooley when she received news that her son, Sgt. Joshua Cooley had been severely injured by an improvised explosive device in Iraq in 2005.

“I got the phone call on July 6,” Christine said. “They told me that I was going to be escorting his body home.”

TAMPA BAY, Fla. -Sgt. Josh Cooley takes a break from his work on top of an M1 A1 Abrams tank in Iraq July 1, 2005, just days before his convoy was blown up by an improvised explosive device. Cooley, a crew chief for amphibious assault vehicles, lost a third of his brain in the blast and sustained significant burns over much of his body. Over the next six years, Cooley defied all odds by steadily improving until he was able to walk, stand, talk and perform daily tasks., Photo courtesy of Christine Cool, 12/27/2011

The injuries Cooley sustained were catastrophic. He lost the front third of his brain, the majority of his body was covered in burns and he had countless pieces of shrapnel in his body. The prognosis wasn’t good.

What the doctors didn’t consider, however, was the undying spirit of a Marine and the helping hands of the Healing Heroes Network.

Russian Nuke Sub Ablaze

VOA News 29 December 2011

A Russian nuclear submarine caught fire Thursday, but officials say there was no radiation leak and no one was injured.

The fire on the Yekaterinburg submarine happened while the vessel was docked for repairs in the northern Murmansk region.

The Russian Defense Ministry said all of the submarine's weapons had been unloaded before the repairs and its reactor had already been shut down. The Delta IV class vessel is able to carry 16 intercontinental ballistic missiles.

101st Soldiers oversee demining in Chad

December 28, 2011 By Sgt. Terysa M. King, U.S. Army Africa Public Affairs

N'DJAMENA, Chad (Dec. 28, 2011) -- After decades of conflict, vast stretches of land in Chad are contaminated by mines and unexploded ordnance, affecting millions of people in the country.

Three Soldiers from the 52nd Ordnance Group, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), provided a program of instruction on explosive ordnance disposal to 13 soldiers in the Republic of Chad, Nov. 7-25.

Sgt. Vance Scruggs, explosive ordnance instructor from the 52nd Ordnance Group, 10st Airborne Division (Air Assault) (left) leads students of the Humanitarian Mine Action program at the Chad National Demining Training Center in N'djamena, Chad, through a practical exercise using the Vallon metal detector, which locates unexploded ordnance and metal-cased mines at large depths. With the help of the metal detector, students locate land mine training aids that are buried in the sand by the explosive ordnance instructors. 

The 21-day demining event is part of the Humanitarian Mine Action program and was conducted at the Chad National Demining Training Center in the capital of the country, N'djamena.

Heavy Weapons Course ends with a bang

Written by Sgt. Matthew Thompson RC-East PAO Wednesday, 28 December 2011

LAGHMAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan—The booming rapport of the SPG-9 73 mm recoilless rifle reverberated off the walls of the valley while the M2 .50-caliber machine gun tore through reinforced targets.

Twenty-three Afghan National Army soldiers completed a three-week training course on three heavy weapons systems at Forward Operating Base Gamberi, Dec. 22.

An Afghan National Army soldier lines up his target through the sights of an SPG-9 73 mm recoilless rifle at Forward Operating Base Gamberi, Dec. 21, during a three-week heavy weapons course. Afghan National Army soldiers trained on the SPG-9 73 mm recoilless rifle, M2 .50-caliber machine gun and 82 mm mortars. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Matthew Thompson, 7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

“You have done an excellent job,” said Afghan National Army Lt. Col. Rayees Khan, the officer in charge of training. “Continue to train like this to defend Afghanistan.”

“You should share your training with your units,” added French Army Capt. Jean Michael Filipi, Infantry Mobile Training Team Leader. “You should do everything in your power to defend your country.”

Reserve Forces on Active Duty December 2011

National Guard (in Federal Status) and Reserve Activated as of December 27, 2011

This week the Air Force and Coast Guard announced an increase in activated reservists, while the Army, Navy and Marine Corps announced a decrease. The net collective result is 216 fewer reservists activated than last week.

At any given time, services may activate some units and individuals while deactivating others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. The total number currently on active duty from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 66,935; Navy Reserve, 4,421; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 10,180; Marine Corps Reserve, 5,220, and the Coast Guard Reserve, 769. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated to 87,525, including both units and individual augmentees.

RIP Captain Tom Jennings

Captain Tom Jennings killed in Afghanistan

29 Dec 11

It is with great sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the death of Captain Tom Jennings, Royal Marines, who was killed in Afghanistan on 22 December 2011.

Capt Jennings died after the vehicle he was travelling in struck an explosive device whilst on an operation to the south of Kabul.

Squadron Leader Anthony Downing RAF, whose death was announced separately by the Ministry of Defence, had been travelling in the same vehicle.

Captain Tom Jennings, Royal Marines

RIP Sqdn Ldr Anthony Downing, Capt Tom Jennings

It is with great sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the death of Squadron Leader Anthony Downing, who died on 23 December 2011 following an incident in Afghanistan.

He had been seriously wounded when the vehicle he was travelling in was caught in an explosion south of Kabul on Thursday 22 December. He was flown back to the UK where sadly, he died of his wounds at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. His family were with him when he died.

Captain Tom Jennings, Royal Marines, whose death was announced separately by the Ministry of Defence, had been travelling in the same vehicle.

RIP SGT Noah M. Korte, SPC Kurt W. Kern, PFC Justin M. Whitmire

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. 

                They died Dec. 27, in Paktia, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device.  They were assigned to the 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas. 

                Killed were:

                                Sgt. Noah M. Korte, 29, of Lake Elsinore, Calif.,

                                Spc. Kurt W. Kern, 24, of McAllen, Texas, and

                                Pfc. Justin M. Whitmire, 20, of Easley, S.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.” (W.Shakespeare) Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten.

DoD Live: Year In Review

DODvClips A video montage depicting military operations and events from 2011 in one second clips.

FET8, ANSF host children’s shura

2nd Marine Division, Story by Cpl. Katherine Keleher 12.28.2011

FORWARD OPERATING BASE JACKSON, Afghanistan – With 53 little, smiling faces in attendance, members of Female Engagement Team 8 joined Afghan National Security Force troops recently to host a children’s shura aboard the base in Sangin district, Helmand province.

During the shura, which is a formal Afghan meeting, the children were taught various lessons and given the opportunity to vocalize any concerns they had of their communities.

Courtesy Photo

A little girl coaxes her sick baby sister at a recent children’s shura on Forward Operating Base Jackson, Sangin district, Helmand province. Children’s shuras are hosted on FOB Jackson every Friday and are coordinated by Female Engagement Team 8, working alongside Afghan National Security Forces during the shuras. (Official USMC photo by Cpl. Katherine Keleher)

In attendance to lead the shura were five Afghan troops, a local teacher, the ministry of justice and FET-8.

Nangarhar joins AFG reintegration efforts

Written by By 1st Lt. Jeff M. Nagan, RC-East PAO Thursday, 29 December 2011

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – After nearly a year of discussion between leaders in Kabul and Nangarhar province, the official start of the Nangarhar reintegration program began with an inaugural ceremony, Dec. 17, in downtown Jalalabad.

NANGARHAR, Afghanistan - Following a ceremony inaugurating the Afghan Peace and Reintegration Program in Nangarhar, Qazi Muhammad Amin Waqad, a member of the High Peace Council, Gul Agha Sherzai, Nangarhar governor, and other leaders cut the ribbon on the new Nangarhar Reintegration Center compound, Dec. 17. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Jeff M. Nagan, Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs)

A delegation of members from the High Peace Council and Joint Secretariat, who maintain and oversee the implementation of the Afghan Peace and Reintegration Program, traveled from Kabul to Jalalabad, to formally recognize the beginning of the program and show their support for the peace process.

US' Panetta 'will not tolerate' bullying, hazing

December 27, 2011 By Karen Parrish, American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON (Dec. 27, 2011) -- Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta added a pointed anti-bullying directive to a message sent Dec. 23 to service members around the world.

"I cannot be more proud of who you are and what you represent as you serve and sacrifice for our great nation," the message read, in part. "With that honor, is the responsibility to show by example our core values that demand we treat everyone with dignity and respect at all times.

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta added a pointed anti-bullying directive to a message sent Dec. 23, 2011, to service members around the world.

"In that vein, let me be clear," the secretary continued. "I will not tolerate any instance where one service member inflicts any form of physical or psychological abuse that degrades, insults, dehumanizes or injures another service member."

Panetta directed military commanders to "personally review" policies and ensure compliance.

War In Afghanistan News 29 December 2011

War in Afghanistan News reports provided by ISAF Joint Command. Operations are reported in the following provinces: Kandahar, Helmand, Paktiya.

A combined Afghan and coalition security force discovered a drug cache during a routine patrol in Spin Boldak district, Kandahar province, Wednesday. The cache consisted of approximately 660 pounds (300 kilograms) of opium. The security force destroyed all the drugs on site without incident.

 

Tailor the way you get your War in Afghanistan News

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

Middle East News 28 December 2011

Syrian forces fire at protesters, leaving at least 8 dead in another day of murder, even as the Arab league monitors are in country.

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has appeared in court for the first time in three months on charges related to the deaths of hundreds of anti-government protesters early this year.

 Iran has threatened to block the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz if Western governments attempt to impose sanctions on its petroleum exports. Predictably, the US says they 'will not tolerate' disruptions in Strait of Hormuz traffic.

The Iraqi political bloc led by anti-American Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has issued a call to dissolve Iraq's parliament and hold early elections, in a move that could escalate the country's growing sectarian crisis.

Details after the break.

Nigeria: Arabic School Attacked by Bomb

VOA News 28 December 2011

Police in southern Nigeria say assailants have thrown a bomb into an Arabic school, wounding seven people days after a string of deadly church bombings across the country.

Authorities in Delta state say the homemade bomb went off after it was thrown from a car late Tuesday. Six children were among the wounded.

The attack follows a string of four coordinated bombings Sunday that killed at least 39 people.

The radical Muslim sect Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the Christmas Day attacks.

Peace Reintegration Center opens in Nangarhar

Written by U.S. Army Spc. Ken Scar, RC-East PAO 23 December 2011

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan — Elders who are members of the provincial peace councils wait to shake hands with the governor of Nangarhar, Gul Agha Sherzai, at the governor's palace Dec. 17, before a ceremony celebrating the opening of the new Peace Reintegration Center. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ken Scar, 7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

9/11 Survivors approach important January 2 deadline

There seems to be much confusion as to which 9/11 Survivors will be affected by the looming deadline of January 2, 2012.

The New York Times had this the other day:

Zero hour for 9/11 victims

By DAVID B. CARUSO

More than 1,600 people who filed lawsuits claiming their health was ruined by dust and smoke from the collapsed World Trade Center must decide by Jan. 2 whether to keep fighting in court, or drop the litigation and apply for benefits in a federal compensation fund.

For some, the choice is fraught with risk. Federal lawmakers set aside some $2.76 billion last winter for people who developed illnesses after spending time in the ash-choked zone.

But to be considered for a share of the aid, all potential applicants must dismiss any pending lawsuits by the deadline and give up their right to sue forever over 9/11 health problems. Anyone with a lawsuit still pending on Jan. 3 is barred from the program for life...

Confused enough yet?  A 9/11 group I belong to sent out a mass email today, which clarifies:

January 2, 2012 deadline regarding the Victims Compensation Fund

There has been great confusion over the January 2, 2012 deadline regarding the Victims Compensation Fund. I want to use this email to help clarify some points and help you protect your rights.

First, the January 2, 2012 deadline only applies to those men and women who have CURRENTLY PENDING LITIGATION BEFORE A STATE OR FEDERAL COURT. For those who have currently pending litigation, it is imperative that you discuss this matter with your attorney and decide whether to continue your litigation or withdraw such court action so that you may enter the Victims Compensation Fund. If you do not withdraw the pending litigation prior to January 2, 2012 you will be barred from entering the Victims Compensation Fund. This appears to be a steadfast statute of limitations issue and there will be no exceptions. Please do not miss this deadline without giving this issue due and proper consideration.

Please note, that if you have previously settled all your court claims and are simply awaiting your final payments, this deadline does not apply to you. However, if you are uncertain whether you have currently pending litigation before any federal or state court, I urge you to contact your attorney immediately to ascertain this information. No one should miss this deadline due to lack of information!

For those that know they have currently pending litigation, and are uncertain whether their attorney has withdrawn the matter, I again urge you to contact your counsel immediately and advise them of your wishes. If you are unable to contact counsel timely, but wish to withdraw your claims, I urge you to write letters both to your attorney and Judge Hellerstein advising of your desire to have your claims withdrawn. I would suggest that you send these letters via certified, overnight mail or FedEx in order to properly track them and show proof that you attempted to withdraw your matters in a timely fashion.

In closing, for those that have currently pending litigation, please do not take this issue lightly. It is a very difficult choice that you face and I urge you all to listen to the advise of your attorneys. Neither I nor anyone other than counsel can properly inform you which avenue to choose, but I can advise you that inaction will make the choice for you. ..

 

All the First Responders who worked within the madness that was 9/11 need to be sure they have the FACTS to protect their rights to what they so selflessly EARNED on that day, and in the weeks and months following.

2011 Top 10 Resource Bulletins from the National Resource Directory

Throughout 2011 the National Resource Directory (NRD) reached out to its growing audience of more than 30,000 subscribers through email bulletins about important news, events and resources added to the site. Below are the top 10 email bulletins that our subscribers found most helpful. Click on the links below to find information about TRICARE, job training programs, help for caregivers and much more.