War On Terror News

Obama Decides Gas Prices Can Afford a Boost

President Barack Obama is moving ahead with sanctions against Iran's vital oil exports, deciding there is enough crude on the world market so that U.S. allies won't be hurt if they curtail their purchase of Tehran's oil.

Mr. Obama's decision Friday will allow the U.S. — starting in late June — to impose sanctions against foreign banks that make oil-related financial transactions with Iran's central bank. The U.S. action, in concert with a planned European embargo of Iranian oil purchases, is aimed at pressuring Iran to abandon its disputed nuclear weapons program. Tehran maintains its nuclear work is for civilian purposes.

RIP Cpl Roberto Cazarez

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

Cpl. Roberto Cazarez, 24, of Harbor City, Calif., died Mar. 30, while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

"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.

RIP SPC David W Taylor

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

Spc. David W. Taylor, 20, of Dixon, Ky., died Mar. 29, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan.

Taylor was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, 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.” (W.Shakespeare) Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten.

Libyan Arms Fuel Mali Insurgency

Witnesses tell VOA that separatist rebels in Mali have entered the strategic northern town of Gao, one day after they overtook the provincial capital of Kidal.

A VOA reporter on the scene says there are eyewitness accounts of Tuareg rebels in vehicles entering Gao, carrying the Azawad flags of their planned homeland. Heavy gunfire could be heard, and witnesses say army troops have launched a response using helicopters.

Tuareg rebels began their insurgency in mid-January, armed with weapons brought into the country following the fall of neighboring Libya. The rebel's recent advancement has been aided by confusion caused by last week's coup in Mali's capital, Bamako. Mid-ranking soldiers overthrew the democratically elected government of President Amadou Toumani Toure on March 22nd after accusing leaders of not providing adequate resources to fight the Tuareg rebellion in the north.

Malian coup leader Amadou Sanogo told VOA in a phone interview Friday that Mali, as part of the regional group known as the Economic Community of West African States , needs international support to protect its territorial integrity against the advancing Tuareg rebels.

Coup leaders are facing growing international pressure to give up power, especially from its neighbors. ECOWAS has given Sanogo until Monday to restore the country's constitutional order or face harsh economic sanctions.

Sanogo said he is now head of state in Mali and has all the honors and privileges that go with it, including the support of the Mali people. The coup came just weeks before elections and the scheduled end of President Toure's term. VoA

OBL Spawned 4 kids While On the Run in Pakistan

Osama Bin Laden's youngest wife has revealed that the al-Qaida leader spent much of his time on the run living in Pakistani cities, moving between safe houses and fathering four children.

The details of bin Laden's life after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States are contained in an interrogation report of Amal Ahmed Abdulfattah, his 30-year-old Yemeni widow.

Abdulfattah told investigators that the family “scattered” in the months following the attacks. She said she reunited with bin Laden in 2002 in Peshawar and then moved to the Swat Valley.

They later moved to Haripur, near the Pakistani capital Islamabad. During this time, she said she gave birth to two children at government hospitals, staying only “two or three hours” in the clinics on both occasions.

Islamist Explosion Kill 8, Wound 70 in Thailand

Officials in Thailand say eight people have died and at least 70 people were wounded in three bomb blasts just minutes apart in the country's Islamist-plagued south.

The governor of Yala says the explosions went off Saturday around lunchtime in Yala city's business area.

Authorities say the bombs, hidden in two motorcycles and a car, also set several nearby buildings on fire.

Such bombings are a common tactic of Islamist separatists who have been waging an insurgency in the Muslim-dominated provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani since early 2004. The conflict has taken more than 5,000 lives.

Troops Get Some Play Time w/California Kids

 by Sgt. Scott Akanewich CA NG

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. - They crawled on hands-and-knees under the camouflage netting, through the wet grass, then sprung to their feet before sprinting to a set of tires, which they carefully negotiated, before moving on to the next obstacle on the course.

This is a scene that plays out countless times every day at places like Fort Jackson, S.C., Fort Knox, Ky. and Ft. Benning, Ga., as the Army’s newest recruits pass through the gauntlet known as Basic Combat Training on their way to becoming soldiers.

However, these were no recruits making their way through the muck and mire on this day.

Pictured: Spc. Jimmie Lopez, 950th Support Maintenance Company, 311th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, helps a student try on an Army Combat Helmet at McCauliffe Middle School's annual Fit-A-Thon in Los Alamitos, Calif., March 30.

SFC Petry, MoH, Points Out That Veterans Help Each Other

By Elaine Sanchez, AFPS, WASHINGTON, March 30, 2012 - Service members can draw strength from each other rather than attempt to deal with tough times alone, a highly decorated wounded warrior who triumphed over great adversity said here today.

Adversity "is not best dealt with by oneself; it's overcome by the help of others and hard work and the will to get through it," Army Sgt. 1st Class Leroy A. Petry, the Army's most recent Medal of Honor recipient, told an audience of nearly 750 behavioral health experts and military leaders.

Petry discussed his recovery and the people who helped pull him through during the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury's Warrior Resilience Conference. This conference, in its fourth year, is intended to equip service members, units, families and communities with resilience-building techniques and tools.

Petry was wounded May 26, 2008, during an operation to capture an insurgent leader in a compound in Afghanistan's Paktia province, near the Pakistan border. His unit was met with heavy automatic weapons fire when they moved into the area. He and several of his fellow soldiers were wounded and sought cover as an enemy lobbed a grenade at the unit.

Although wounded in both legs by assault-rifle fire, rather than turn away or seek cover, Petry picked up the grenade to throw it back at the enemy. Instead, the grenade detonated, amputating his right hand.

War In Afghanistan News - 31 March 2012

An Afghan-led security force captured a Haqqani leader during an operation in Khost district, Khost province, Friday.

The leader organized roadside bombings and other attacks against Afghan and coalition security forces throughout the district. He also supplied insurgents with materials for building explosive devices. The security force detained one additional suspected insurgent as a result of this operation.

Tailor the way you get your War On Terror News

10% Discount on 5.11 Products expires at midnight on Saturday:

In other ISAF news throughout Afghanistan:

 

RIP PFC Johnathon F Davis

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

Pfc. Johnathon F. Davis, 20, of Griffin, Ga., died Mar. 29, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from enemy small arms fire.  Davis was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, 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.” (W.Shakespeare) Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten.

Middle East News 30 March 2012

Kofi Annan demands ceasefire in Syria; the killings continue with 11 killed on Friday according to early reports.

VOA News reports:

U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan says the Syrian government must immediately implement a cease-fire and stop its attacks on opposition groups, as fresh clashes broke out across the country on Friday.

Annan's spokesperson, Ahmad Fawzi, told reporters in Geneva that the "deadline is now" for President Bashar al-Assad to implement the six-point peace plan drawn up by the former U.N. chief. He did not specify what action, if any, would be taken if Assad did not comply.

 

Dempsey: Strategy Drove Budget Decisions

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT, March 29, 2012 – Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said today he stands by his testimony that the fiscal 2013 defense budget request grew from the new strategy and was not simply a target number that planners had to hit.  [WOTN Editor note: Previously he and other senior Administration appointees have stated the strategy was derived from the budget cuts required of them.]

Speaking with reporters returning to the United States with him after a trip to South America, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the budget request, which trims $487 billion from projected Defense Department spending over 10 years, “was very much a strategy-driven process.”

On the military side, the budget request was the product of not only the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but also the combatant commanders. All agreed with the process, officials said. [political appointees]

NG share excitement of school with Afghan kids

By Army National Guard Capt. Jacqueline Wren
Georgia National Guard

When Americans think of spring they might think of rain, flowers returning from months of hibernation or children getting antsy with the thrill of upcoming summer. In Afghanistan a different excitement stirs in the month of March, and that is of children welcoming the start of the school year.

Army Lt. Col. Robyn Blader, a staff judge advocate team member with Task Force Hyrda, Georgia National Guard, speaks with Gulnaz, an eighth grade student, at the Darulaman school in Kabul, Afghanistan. Gulnaz told Blader that she would wants to study literature in college. (U.S. Army courtesy photo)

The Georgia Army National Guard’s 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Task Force Hydra, is active throughout Kabul working with Kabul’s political leaders, religious leaders and police to provide humanitarian assistance and funding for special projects. Two such projects are aimed at providing a better quality of life and employment for local Afghans.

This month the advancement of education was the focus of one of seven current projects that the team is overseeing.

Video: Wounded Warrior Makes Final Airborne Jump

49th Public Affairs Detachment(Airborne) Video by Staff Sgt. Richard Lower

After being injured in an improvised explosive device attack in July 2010, Cpl. Adam Keys of the 618th ESC (C)(A) "The Nasty", Fort Bragg, N.C. makes his final jump in the Airborne with the help of the Golden Knights. Includes soundbites from Capt. Justin Roy, commander, Sgt. Cody Cruse, section sergeant and Cpl. Adam Keys, all of 618th ESC(C)(A).

French forces train Afghan police in investigation, detention

Story and photo by French Navy Chief Petty Officer Christian Valverde

NEJRAB, KAPISA PROVINCE, Afghanistan — Graduation is a time for celebration and pride in one’s accomplishments, but most of all, it signifies graduates are ready to put their knowledge to practical use. For the graduates of the Nejrab Afghan Local Police Department, knowledge gained from the Criminal Investigation and Detention Course will help Afghan security forces continue to take the lead in security operations.

French military policemen from Task Force Lafayette in Kapisa province, and Afghan police vehicles, secure a route in Nejrab Valley during a combined mission to inspect electrical infrastructure March 14.

Abdel Shafir, Nejrab Afghan Local Police Department captain, and his fellow Afghan police members presented their criminal investigation certificates to the audience, March 18, after completing the last part of their judicial education provided by French Military Forces, Gendarmerie Nationale (French military police), part of Task Force Lafayette.

“This final test is the conclusion of three months of hard work in a high-level classes,” said Capt. Emmanuel Leibovici, the Gendarmerie Nationale officer in charge of the course. “The graduating members included seven educated officers and non-commissioned officers of Nejrab Valley and the vicinity’s surrounding police departments. Their training included 50 hours of theoretical and practical police training, including criminal investigation and interrogation procedures.”

Lex: Retired MWD dies

Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, GA-Cpl. Dustin J. Lee, military police working dog handler, takes a break with his K-9 partner, Lex, during operations in Iraq in 2007. Lee was killed and Lex was wounded in a 73 mm rocket attack, March 21, 2007. Later that year, Lex was adopted by Lee’s parents, Jerome and Rachel., Courtesy Photo, 11/28/2006

3/29/2012  By Nathan L. Hanks Jr.  , Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany 

Marine Corps Logistics Base ALBANY Ga.  — Lex, a retired Marine Corps K-9, died Sunday at Mississippi State University Animal Health Center College of Veterinary Medicine in Starkville, Miss., from an aggressive form of cancer.

He served the Marine Corps from January 2002 to December 2007.

Lex received national attention when he became the first military working dog to be retired from active-duty in the Marine Corps and adopted by the family of a fallen Marine, Cpl. Dustin J. Lee.

He was adopted by his handler’s family, Jerome and Rachel Lee, during a nationally-televised ceremony aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Dec. 21, 2007.

Lex’s handler, Lee, 20, of Quitman, Miss., was fatally wounded during a 73 mm rocket attack in Iraq, March 21, 2007. Lex, who sustained shrapnel wounds during the incident, remained with his partner until other Marines arrived to provide medical attention. Following the incident, Lex underwent 12 weeks of intensive treatment at Camp Lejeune, N.C., before he was deemed fully recovered.

Several months following the incident, Lee’s parents, Jerome and Rachel - avid dog lovers - began appealing to the Marine Corps for the adoption of Lex, even though the dog was returned to active duty with the Marines.

The Lee family’s request was indeed a unique one, the first of its kind. After months of prayers, mailing tons of letters, and making hundreds of phone calls, the Lee family’s prayers were answered.

Since his adoption, Lex had been busy giving back to those who served, according to Rachel Lee.

“Lex, a certified therapy dog with Paws 4 Hearts, visited many wounded veterans in hospitals and veterans’ homes,” she said. “He was involved in many veteran meetings and dedications and brought more awareness to the War Dog Memorial.

“Lex demonstrated the important role of a military working dog and brought more understanding to the relationship between a military working dog and its handler,” she said. “Dustin and Lex’s mission of service will continue on in their honor.”

For Lee’s actions, MCLB Albany’s K-9 kennel was renamed the Corporal Dustin Jerome Lee Kennel during a ceremony held here, March 19, 2010.

 

(c) USMC

[Editor note: For other Lex and Cpl Dusty Lee columns go over to Assoluta Tranquillita and start here.]

Homegrown Hero Receives Purple Heart

By Marine Corps Cpl. James Clark
2nd Marine Expeditionary Force

LUMBERTON, N.C., March 29, 2012 – A grove of dark green slacks ending in immaculately shined dress shoes stands at rigid attention. Vibrant dress jackets adorned with a collection of medals and ribbons add a dash of color, like budding apples in an orchard. Each right shoulder bears a patch, modest in color and unassuming, which reads “JROTC.”

Matt Ellis, a former Marine sergeant, speaks during his Purple Heart ceremony at Lumberton High School, N.C., March 27, 2012. Ellis, who graduated from Lumberton High School in 2007 before joining the Marine Corps, now works as a deputy sheriff for Hokes County. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. James Clark 

The Junior ROTC cadets – students at Lumberton High School here, stood in their campus auditorium. Their eyes rose toward a uniformed figure on stage, but he was not a student, although he once was. He wore the same outfit as the students during that time – until he graduated, and months later, donned the uniform of a United States Marine.

Matt Ellis, a former sergeant in the Marine Corps, received his second Purple Heart in a ceremony at his old high school for injuries he suffered in an improvised explosive device strike during his second deployment in 2009 and 2010, where he served in Marjah, Afghanistan. Ellis graduated from Lumberton High School in 2007.

“I wanted the military experience, and it’s helped me a lot in life,” said Ellis, who attributes much of his drive to enlist to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. “I was in my seventh grade science class when it happened, and at that moment I decided I wanted to go into the military. I graduated a year early from high school and joined at 17. I wanted to go to combat, and the Marines were the first to fight.”

Video of Doggie Dental: Joint Team Assists Ailing K9

03.28.2012 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Video by Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon

It’s not every day you go to work, and lose a tooth while doing your job…that’s exactly what happened to this 4-legged military member as he “bit in” to his work. Soundbites include Staff Sgt. Joel Brooks - 405th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron dog handler, 1st Lt. Maria Harris - 422nd Medical Detachment Veterinary Services Veterinarian and Lt. Col. Richard Eckert - 379th Expeditionary Medical Group Dentist. Produced by Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon.

ANA to take over counterinsurgency leadership course

Story and photo by Lt. j.g. Amanda White Counterinsurgency Training Academy – Afghanistan

Afghan National Army soldiers take notes March 15 during a counterinsurgency leadership course at the COIN Academy at Camp Julien, Kabul, Afghanistan.

 

CAMP JULIEN, KABUL, Afghanistan — Counterinsurgency Training Academy – Afghanistan conducted its final coalition-led COIN Leadership course here March 15. As of April, Afghans will run the course.

The Afghan National Army trainers are also sponsoring mobile training teams across the country, qualifying more Afghan instructors to teach, and increasing the number of kandaks that will receive instruction.

RI NG Soldier makes selfless, ultimate sacrifice for Afghan child

By Kris Gonzalez  U.S. Army

Sgt. Dennis Weichel Jr., a Rhode Island Army National Guard infantryman mobilized with Company C, 1st Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment, sits inside a Black Hawk helicopter prior to a mission earlier in his deployment in Afghanistan. Weichel died March 22, 2012, from injuries he sustained when he was struck by a mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle, or MRAP, after moving an Afghan child to safety. (U.S. Army courtesy photo)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (3/29/12) -- The actions of one Rhode Island National Guard Soldier epitomized the Army Value of selfless service, "doing one's duty loyally without thought of recognition or gain," as he heroically saved an Afghan child without regard for his own life.

Sgt. Dennis Weichel Jr. died March 22, from injuries sustained when he was struck by an armored fighting vehicle after moving an Afghan child to safety.

"Sadly, today we realized the death of a Rhode Island National Guard Soldier in a combat zone, and we are once again reminded of the enduring sacrifice our Soldiers and Airmen have made, and continue to make, in service to this great country," said Army Maj. Gen. Kevin McBride, adjutant general of the Rhode Island National Guard, in a press release March 23.

War In Afghanistan 30 March 2012

No combat reports available at this time.

RIP Capt Francis D Imlay

The Department of Defense announced today the death of an airman who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Capt. Francis D. Imlay, 31, of Vacaville, Calif., died March 28 from injuries received in an accident involving an F-15 aircraft near a base in Southwest Asia. He was assigned to the 391st Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.

"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.

Middle East News 29 March 2012

Afghan officials say a NATO supply convoy came under heavy fire in mountainous western Afghanistan late Wednesday, sparking a gunbattle in which at least five Afghan security guards, an Afghan soldier and 14 attackers were killed.

Violence across Syria killed at least 22 people - most of them civilians - as Arab leaders in Baghdad backed a peace plan during a summit focused on resolving the year-long Syrian crisis.

In southwest Pakistan, gunmen have shot and killed five Shi'ite Muslims and a United Nations employee in two separate attacks.

Despite a recent political transition in Yemen, analysts say al-Qaida-related militant groups are mounting a major threat to the government. The continuing chaos in Yemen, analysts say, is increasing the danger of al-Qaida attacks against Western targets.

Leading U.S. lawmakers are urging the Obama administration to take an even tougher stance with Iran over its nuclear program, questioning whether expanding economic sanctions are making a difference.

Details after the break.

Presidential Proclamation: Vietnam Veterans Day

Presidential Proclamation -- Vietnam Veterans Day

VIETNAM VETERANS DAY

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

On January 12, 1962, United States Army pilots lifted more than 1,000 South Vietnamese service members over jungle and underbrush to capture a National Liberation Front stronghold near Saigon.  Operation Chopper marked America's first combat mission against the Viet Cong, and the beginning of one of our longest and most challenging wars.  Through more than a decade of conflict that tested the fabric of our Nation, the service of our men and women in uniform stood true.  Fifty years after that fateful mission, we honor the more than 3 million Americans who served, we pay tribute to those we have laid to rest, and we reaffirm our dedication to showing a generation of veterans the respect and support of a grateful Nation.

The Vietnam War is a story of service members of different backgrounds, colors, and creeds who came together to complete a daunting mission.  It is a story of Americans from every corner of our Nation who left the warmth of family to serve the country they loved.  It is a story of patriots who braved the line of fire, who cast themselves into harm's way to save a friend, who fought hour after hour, day after day to preserve the liberties we hold dear.  From Ia Drang to Hue, they won every major battle of the war and upheld the highest traditions of our Armed Forces.

Eleven years of combat left their imprint on a generation.  Thousands returned home bearing shrapnel and scars; still more were burdened by the invisible wounds of post-traumatic stress, of Agent Orange, of memories that would never fade.  More than 58,000 laid down their lives in service to our Nation.  Now and forever, their names are etched into two faces of black granite, a lasting memorial to those who bore conflict's greatest cost.

Video: USS New York on first deployment

usnavy on Mar  28, 2012 NORFOLK (March 27, 2012) U.S. Navy Sailors, assigned to the amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD 21), and U.S. Marines, assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (24 MEU), depart for a regularly scheduled deployment. New York and 24 MEU are deployed as part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (IWO ARG) to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet Areas of Responsibility. (U.S. Navy video by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Betsy Knapper/Released

Idaho NG, Royal Cambodian Army provide medical care to thousands of Cambodians

By Army National Guard Staff Sgt. April Davis
Idaho National Guard

KAMPOT PROVINCE, Cambodia (3/26/12) – Idaho Army National Guard Soldiers from Charlie Company, 145th Brigade Support Battalion, assisted with medically treating more than 5,000 Cambodian citizens in a joint Medical Civic Action Program during the Angkor Sentinel 2012 exercise here, March 13 to 23.

Angkor Sentinel is an annual bilateral military exercise sponsored by United States Army Pacific Command and the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.

The MEDCAP included 16 U.S. Army medical personnel, 15 delegates from the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, 17 interpreters, and a medical team from the Children’s Surgical Center in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

'Operation Warm and Dry' in Kyrgyz gives out almost 12K coats and blankets

By Staff Sgt. Angela Ruiz, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing

Staff Sgt. Elise Pavlak, a humanitarian assistance representative with the Theater Security Cooperation division at the Transit Center at Manas, helps two boys get fitted for new winter coats at an Operation Warm and Dry distribution in Balykchy City, Kyrgyzstan, Jan. 15, 2012. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Angela Ruiz)

TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, Kyrgyzstan (March 24, 2012) — Over the course of three months, 311 service members here volunteered to support Operation Warm and Dry by distributing 11,789 coats and blankets to people in need across Kyrgyzstan.

When Operation Warm and Dry started in 2009, it was a small volunteer project where Airmen at the Transit Center donated from their own pockets. Today it has grown into much more.

Many organizations came together this year to support Operation Warm and Dry. The U.S. Embassy and Kyrgyz Republic government gave the Transit Center approval to execute the project. U.S. Central Command approved the Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster and Civic Aid request to fund the project with $300,000. U.S. Peace Corps volunteers and the Kyrgyz Ministry of Social Protection Workers advised and guided the Transit Center's Theater Security Cooperation division to where needs were the greatest.

RIP Sgt Joseph D'Augustine

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

Sgt. Joseph D'Augustine, 29, of Waldwick, N.J., died March 27 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine 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.” (W.Shakespeare) Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten.

Afghan Border, Uniformed Police graduate in joint ceremony

3.28.2012  Maj. Tony B. Crumbey 504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SPIN BOLDAK, Afghanistan – More than 300 Afghan Border and Uniformed Police officers graduated from the basic training course March 14 at Training Support Site Kostel in a ceremony, officially making them members of the Afghan National Security Forces.

Newly-trained Afghan Uniformed Police graduates wait the awarding of certificates at a combined graduation ceremony for Afghan Uniformed and Border Police on FOB Kostel in Spin Boldak, Afghanistan, March 14. (U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Scott D. Matheson)

The joint graduation marks the culmination of the months-long program that gave recruits basic techniques and tactical skills as the ANSF moves to take the lead in providing security and safety for its country. The ABP graduates will serve at border crossing points and enforce immigration flow into Afghanistan. The AUP is the largest organization within the Afghan National Police, and its members will work in various districts to enforce laws and investigate crimes.

During the graduation ceremony guest speakers included Lt. Col David Jones, the Commander of 2nd Squadron, 38th Cavalry Regiment, whose soldiers are partnered with ABP officers on daily security operations, and Brig. Gen. Nasrullah Zarifi, the Regional Command South Training Commander for the Afghan National Police.

PRT medic provides health care for Afghan women and kids

Written by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. April Quintanilla, RC-East PAO Thursday, 29 March 2012

GHAZNI PROVINCE, Afghanistan -- U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Melissa Goldstein, a hospital corpsman, stands at the entrance of the entry control point with a volunteer-local Afghan doctor to provide care to local Afghan women and children at a designated clinic on Forward Operating Base Ghazni March 10. The U.S. and Polish military members of FOB Ghazni provide care to local Afghans seeking medical attention. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. April Quintanilla, Ghazni Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs)

B-52 beefs up capabilities

3.27.2012   2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs Story by Airman 1st Class Micaiah Anthony

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. - A radar screen illuminates its operator’s complacent face when suddenly a little green dot makes its way onto the monitor. The radar operator reaches for a phone when suddenly the dot begins multiplying. Frantically, the radar operator dials his commander’s number to inform him of an impending attack, but it’s too late. A small group of U.S. fighters and bombers zoom in from different directions strategically taking out their targets as a missile-like object flies in from the other direction.

Photo by Airman 1st Class Micaiah Anthony

Two Miniature Air Launch Decoys sit side by side in the munitions storage area on Barksdale Air Force Base, La., March 21. MALDs, when uploaded to the B-52H Stratofortress, are capable of reprogramming while the aircraft is in flight. MALDs are programmed to run several different routes to give aircrews more options when flying in enemy territory. The U.S. Air Force is currently testing and incorporating new armaments to be used by the B-52H Stratofortress and the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

The new armaments are Miniature Air Launch Decoys and Miniature Air Launch Decoy Jammers. MALDs are small jet powered decoys used to mislead radars and deceive enemy combatants. MALD Jammers provide the same function with the added capability of jamming enemy radars allowing friendly aircraft to fly into the area undetected said Capt. Kera Rolsen, 96th Bomb Squadron weapons and tactics assistant flight commander.

War In Afghanistan News 29 March 2012

No combat reports available at this time..

Middle East News 28 March 2012

Syrian government troops continue killing civilians - another 40 reported so far today - as the politicians continue talking.  Following on from Kofi Annan declaring promises from Assad, today the Arab League is noted as being involved in the latest peace deals.

Pakistan's army chief on Wednesday met with with top U.S. commanders for the first time since a November NATO airstrike on a border post killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, causing relations between the two countries to sink to a new low.

Afghan women have been imprisoned for "moral crimes" that include running away and adultery. A Human Rights Watch report is particularly critical of President Hamid Karzai's Western-backed government, saying it has failed to fulfill its obligations under international human rights laws.  The imprisonments are validated under interpretation of sharia law.

Details after the break.

Chaplain Helps Marines in Afghanistan

By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Mark Garcia
Regional Command Southwest

FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELARAM II, March 26, 2012 – Growing up as a self-described “military brat,” Navy Chaplain (Lt. Cmdr.) Mark Tews said he knew he wanted to serve his country. But he also felt a calling to be a minister.

Navy Chaplain (Lt. Cmdr.) Mark Tews grew up in a military family and now provides for the spiritual needs of Marines deployed to Afghanistan. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Mark Garcia 

Before his June 1996 commissioning, the chaplain for Regimental Combat Team 6 said, he had been a minister at a parish for four years and knew he wanted to continue that career while in the military.

“I always wanted to kind of follow in my dad’s footsteps by being patriotic and serving my country, but I also had a calling to ministry,” said Tews, 53, from Alvin, Texas. “I knew the only job I could do that in would be as a chaplain, and the Navy happened to be the only branch looking for chaplains at the time.”

During his time in the Navy, Tews has had the opportunity to be a chaplain for Marines, Coast Guardsmen, and has served in Navy surface and aviation commands.

“I think the Navy is one of the greatest opportunities I’ve ever had,” Tews said. “I’ve liked the Navy ever since I decided to join. I like the variety and diversity associated with my job.”

RIP SGT William R. Wilson III

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

             Sgt. William R. Wilson III, of Getzville, N.Y., died March 26 in Paktika province, Afghanistan, of wounds from small arms fire. 

            His death was originally reported by the International Security Assistance Force, which characterized it as the result of gunshot wounds inflicted by an alleged member of the Afghan Local Police. 

            Wilson was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade, Grafenwoehr, Germany.

 

"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.

RIP Sgt Luke Taylor and LCpl Michael Foley

Sergeant Luke Taylor, Royal Marines, and Lance Corporal Michael Foley of the Adjutant General's Corps  [Picture: via MOD]

Sergeant Luke Taylor and Lance Corporal Michael Foley killed in Afghanistan

A Military Operations news article

28 Mar 12

It is with great sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the deaths of Sergeant Luke Taylor, of the Royal Marines, and Lance Corporal Michael Foley, of the Adjutant General's Corps (Staff and Personnel Support), in Afghanistan on Monday, 26 March 2012.

The two men were serving as part of Task Force Helmand when they were shot and killed at the main entrance to Lashkar Gah Main Operating Base in Helmand province.

JCS Dempsey: Afghans Must Prevent ‘Green-on-Blue’ Violence

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

BOGOTA, Colombia, March 27, 2012 – The United States will do more to prevent attacks on coalition personnel by members of Afghanistan’s security forces, but ultimately it will be up to Afghans to stop these tragedies from happening, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here yesterday.

Speaking with reporters traveling with him aboard an Air Force C-17 transport jet, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said NATO will have to build up the Afghan counterintelligence function to stop Taliban members from infiltrating the Afghan army or police to kill NATO and allied personnel.

NATO Training Mission Afghanistan has increased training for the program and beefed up the vetting process, the general said.

“There’s an eight-step vetting process that includes everything from letters from tribal leaders to biometrics,” he said. “But where this will finally be solved is when they have the same vetting as we do, because they know who they are better than we do. And the same was true in Iraq.”

OCTs use experience in training SFAT for Afghan mission

354th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment  03.27.2012  Story by Spc. Justin Snyder

FORT POLK, La. – On March 26, another rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center came to an end. The next day, units performed an after-action review of their time at the training center and began their departure back to their home stations.

Photo by Sgt. Bob Timney

An observer coach/trainer watches a Security Force Assistance Team commander being interviewed by simulated Afghan media during a mock transfer of authority ceremony, at the pretend village of Dara Lam at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Fort Polk, La., March 21. For Sgt 1st Class Joseph Washington, observer coach/trainer at JRTC, there was a feeling of pride in what he’s helped these soon-to-be-deploying units accomplish.

Army planning drawdown in Europe

March 26, 2012 By Gary Sheftick

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, March 26, 2012) -- As part of the Army's restructuring in Europe, V Corps Soldiers will not return to Germany when their deployment to Afghanistan ends next year, senior Army leaders said Wednesday.

Soldiers with 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team reunite with their families after returning Feb. 15, 2012, to Baumholder, Germany, from a yearlong deployment to Afghanistan. The unit is scheduled for inactivation this October.

The move is part of an overall downsizing in Europe which will include two brigade combat teams leaving and dozens of installations closing over the next two years.

V CORPS LEAVING

V Corps headquarters, now located in Wiesbaden, Germany, is expected to deploy to Afghanistan in June with most of its 700 Soldiers. Its commander, Lt. Gen. James L. Terry, will oversee coalition operations nationwide as commander of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command.

966th AES EOD active duty, Guard, Reserve save lives, deny terrorists victory

By Staff Sgt. Sara Csurilla, U.S. Air Force Central Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (March 27, 2012) — It's midnight at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan and the team leader for the Explosive Ordnance Disposal flight is running from door to door in his PT gear yelling "get up, it's go time!"

Warnings are coming over the giant voice system outside, exclaiming "incoming, incoming, incoming." Two rockets have been fired onto the base, shaking the Airmen rooms as they lace up their boots.

Airmen from the 966th Air Expeditionary Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal flight set off a controlled detonation at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, March 16, 2012. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Sara Csurilla)

It takes the EOD techs no more than 10 minutes after getting out of bed to be fully geared up and ready to go on their next mission, and four more rockets have already been fired into areas where they will be headed next.

There are two three-man EOD teams and a team leader at Bagram. They are a part of the 966th Air Expeditionary Squadron, and support Combined Joint Task Force Paladin.

As EOD technicians, responding to indirect fire or rocket attacks on base is just one of their many inherently dangerous jobs.