War On Terror News

Afghan Combat Medic Program Continues

Afghan docs gain valuable skills through mentorship program
by Staff Sgt. John Wright 455th AEW

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan - Afghan medical professionals graduated from a two-week mentorship program at the Craig Joint Theater Hospital Sept. 24, 2011.

The Afghan Trauma Mentorship Program is a joint effort between coalition partners and airmen from the 455th Expeditionary Medical Group at Bagram Air Field designed to familiarize Afghan medical professionals with modern medical procedures and equipment.

The intensive program was developed in partnership with the Afghanistan National Army Office of the Surgeon General, the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, Combined Joint Task Force-1, Task Force Medical East and CJTH.

Pictured: Master Sgt. James Jesionowski, 455th Expeditionary Medical Group emergency department flight chief, explains how to use an electrocardiogram machine to Capt. Nematullah, physician assistant, 2nd Brigade, 203rd Afghan National Army Corps., and Senior Capt. Abdul Hadi, dentist, Afghan Border Police, 1st Zone Headquarters, as part of the Afghan Trauma Mentorship Program at Craig Joint Theater Hospital, Sept. 22, 2011. The ATMP is a joint effort between coalition partners and airmen from the 455 EMDG designed to familiarize Afghan medical professionals with modern medical procedures and equipment.

Georgian Farmer-Soldiers Teach Afghans about Seeds

CJTF-1, Afghanistan: WARDAK PROVINCE, Afghanistan (Sept. 28, 2011) – The Georgia Agribusiness Development Team continued working toward building the economy in Wardak province with a seed germination class at the Director of Agriculture Irrigation and Livestock compound in Maiden Shahr district Sept. 21.

The seed germination class at the DAIL is a result of local farmers expressing concerns about what seeds are good and bad for growing. U.S. Army Sgt. Nathaniel Smith, a non-commissioned officer in charge for Georgia ADT in Wardak province and Dunwoody, Ga., native, helped put this event together to address those concerns.

“The Nerkh farmers association approached my predecessor about wheat seed qualities that they were having,” said Smith. “So I and [U.S. Army] Sgt. [Carmen] Benson - our horticulture specialist, put our heads together, and she came up with this training program.

“[We hope to] teach them how to find quality seed, so they can go out on the market, buy 10 seeds and test them to see what percentage they expect to yield from what they plant,” continued Smith.

3/6 Marines Sponsor Marjah Health Clinic

Afghan government hosts health clinic for Marjah residents
by Sgt. Earnest J. Barnes 2nd MarDiv

MARJAH DISTRICT, Helmand province, Afghanistan — Local representatives of the Government of Afghanistan and service members with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, hosted a medical clinic at the Paham Chareh bazaar recently.

Doctor Habivulah, a local Afghan physician; along with a midwife, two medical sergeants with the 4th Tolai, 3rd Kandak, 4th Brigade, 215th Corps, and several Navy corpsmen with 3/6; assessed and treated 247 residents of Marjah.

“The health initiative [allowed local residents to] gain trust in their local physicians. Medical education was a little slacked [during the rule of the insurgency], so a big problem that medical providers have is [the people] feel [the doctors] are not well educated,” said Navy Lt. Robert Sklar, a Peekskill, N.Y., native and the battalion surgeon for 3/6. “What we do with these medical initiatives is get them set up, advertised, and out to the people. [Local residents] come for the free health care, and they get introduced to the doctors. [They] see that these doctors are able to treat them; it helps them build trust in their own government and medical system."

Sailors Building Bridge in Musa Qalah, Helmand

by Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew Snodgrass

MUSA QAL’AH, Afghanistan - Seabees with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4 began constructing a low water crossing in Musa Qal’ah district, Helmand province, Sept. 17, to decrease flooding and help Afghan locals transport their crops to the city.

The construction project, which is similar in appearance and function to a bridge, has been underway for over two weeks.

“The construction project is a solution to the flooding problem the farmers in the area have each rainy season,” said Senior Chief Petty Officer Edgar D. Walker, the assistant officer in charge of the bridge project and an Ocean Spring, Miss., native. “The flooding damages crops and prevents the farmers from getting to the markets in the city. The bridge and water tunnels we’re constructing should be a solution to most of these problems.”

Ohio School Kids Help Soldiers/Diplomats Bring Clean Water to Afghanistan

CPT Cowles Opens the Clinic Doors to Afghan Women

Stryker medics deliver aid through understanding
by Sgt. Thomas Duval 25th ID

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - When Pvt. Liliana Nunez joined the Army in 2009 with the hopes of being a combat medic, she had one goal in mind: help save the lives of the men and women defending her freedom.

After deploying to Afghanistan with the 25th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, and 25th Infantry Division earlier this year, the Brownsville, Texas, native, and her fellow medics from the 25th BSB sprang into action providing care to a number of sick and injured soldiers.

Marines Help Feed Afghans in Helmand

Afghan soldiers, US Marines help Helmand farmers with food delivery
by Cpl. Adam Leyendecker RC-SW

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – Just outside of Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, insurgents still occasionally emplace improvised explosive devices into the sand and fields where local children play, farmers tend flocks, and coalition and Afghan National Security Forces conduct patrols. By contrast, the day after one group of coalition forces encountered an IED near the base, Afghan National Army soldiers gave food and built relationships with locals, Aug. 27.

During the food distribution, ANA soldiers with the 215th Corps, along with U.S. Marines with the Houston-based 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, entered two villages to hand out food, tea and discuss needs and concerns of the residents.

Army Medical Team Saves Afghan Baby's Life & Mother

Medical emergency leads to gift of life
by Sgt. Charles Crail CJTF-1

PAKTYA PROVINCE, Afghanistan - When the Khan family arrived at the door of the Task Force Black Lions’ medical clinic, Forward Operating Base Orgun-E, Aug. 24, they expected the day to be one of tragedy.

As doctors from the 2nd Forward Surgical Team, from Fort Carson, Colo., operated on a pregnant Afghan woman to remove what they thought was a stillborn infant by Caesarean section, they were greeted by the pleasant surprise of kicking feet.

“He is my first-born son,” said Rosu Khan, the baby’s father. “I am very excited to have him here. I am very happy with all the doctors who helped us.”

Pictured: Rosu Khan poses with his younger sister Jelah Khan holding his newborn son, Rusiz Khan, moments after he was delivered by Caesarean section at Forward Operating Base Orgun-E in eastern Paktika province, Afghanistan. Medical personnel expected baby Rusiz to be still born when the Khan family arrived at the 2nd Forward Surgical Team’s medical clinic. Midway into the C-section he began kicking, and moments later was delivered into the waiting arms of his family.

 

Troops Give Their Stuff to Iraqis

Baghdad-based soldiers donate goods to local families in need
by Sgt. A.M. LaVey XVIII Airborne Corps

BAGHDAD — When a service member rotates out of a combat zone, he can try to sell or give away his personal property - things like televisions or other small appliances, but most of the time those things get discarded.

“The Army has a very good organized, structured plan to handle government property, but not the soldiers’ personal property,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Velisa E. Phillips, deputy chief, Joint Task Force Counterintelligence Coordinating Authority Analysis Cell, military intelligence directorate, United States Forces – Iraq. “Over the years, we have accumulated a lot of stuff. When I got here, there were 47,000 service members here, so even if half that number had a fridge or TV, we are talking about a lot of stuff!”

That got Philips thinking about what could be done with all equipment destined to be left behind. Abandoned personal property creates a real problem for American forces and the Iraqi government, as they prepare for the eventual handover of base facilities.

Searching for IEDs - one of the most dangerous jobs in Helmand

A Military Operations news article

10 Aug 11

Sapper Vasilis 'Taz' Tzanetis is the lead searcher in an elite team of Royal Engineers on 24-hour call to seek out improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Helmand province.

Sapper Vasilis 'Taz' Tzanetis
[Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2011]

This is Sapper Tzanetis's second tour of Afghanistan as part of the specialist Royal Engineers Search Team (REST). He is the first person into a high-threat area, completing the initial fingertip searches and detection equipment sweeps. He has one of the most dangerous jobs in theatre. He said:

"I was really worried about coming to Helmand. You hear the news and everyone tells you to be careful and keep your head down. We are on permanent standby for 10-liner support [reaction to IED find]. That doesn't mean we're stood in armour all the time - we live a normal life until the runner arrives from the ops room to summon the team, then we can be out within 20 minutes."

Senior US Marine aviator in Afghanistan receives second star

8/2/2011  By 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Fwd.) Public Affairs  , 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Fwd) 

 

  CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan  — The commanding general of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) pinned on his second star in a ceremony at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, Aug. 2.

Newly promoted Maj. Gen. Glenn M. Walters deployed to Afghanistan in February from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. In Afghanistan, Walters leads the aviation combat element in support of NATO International Security Assistance Force’s Regional Command Southwest.

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan-Newly promoted Maj. Gen. Glenn M. Walters deployed to Afghanistan in February from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. In Afghanistan, Walters leads the aviation combat element in support of NATO International Security Assistance Force’s Regional Command Southwest., Staff Sgt. James R. Richardson, 8/2/2011

 

"I pin on another star today, not due to my own efforts, but because of the quality of Marines that serve in my command,” said Walters following the promotion ceremony. “They are the only reason I am a major general today."

Soldiers take Afghan boy under their wing

Combined Joint Task Force 1 - Afghanistan

U.S. Army Spc. German de la Roche, an infantryman and COP mayor assigned to Company D, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, Task Force Cacti, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Task Force Bronco explains a job to Shahidulla, center, and another Afghan worker at Combat Outpost Honaker-Miracle in eastern Afghanistan's Kunar province, July 31. Since Shahidulla speaks some English, de la Roche can use him to provide instructions to the rest of the workers.  Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Mark Burrell

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Mark Burrell 08.02.2011 KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - A few years ago, Shahidulla's father, an Afghan National Army soldier, worked as a cook on a base in Kunar province's Korengal Valley in eastern Afghanistan.

One day, his father and another ANA soldier went to a nearby village to get a lamb for dinner. They were ambushed and killed by the Taliban, leaving Shahidulla, 9, to take care of his mother and younger sister.

National Guard Continues Relief Efforts in North Dakota

By Master Sgt. Marvin Baker, Joint Force Headquarters

MINOT, N.D. — Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota adjutant general, flew into Minot Thursday to check on the flood-recovery process and to thank Minnesota National Guard soldiers and airmen who have been working in Minot for the past two weeks.

The general’s visit included a conference with Brig. Gen. Cecil J. Hensel Jr., the air component commander for the North Dakota Air National Guard in Fargo. Hensel was in town to talk to airmen stationed on flood duty.

USS Sam Roberts Brings Tools of Education to Kenya

Samuel B. Roberts sailors participate in Kenyan community relations
By Petty Officer 2nd Class William Jamieson, U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs

MOMBASA, Kenya – Sailors from USS Samuel B. Roberts built and painted blackboards for a community relations project at Marenje Primary School, July 21.

This project is just one of the many ways Samuel B. Roberts is participating in Africa Partnership Station East’s Kenya “Hub.”

Marenje Primary School, located in one of the poorest areas of Kenya, serves more than 295 students at four grade levels with just four full-time teachers. The difficult task of providing students with a quality education is even more difficult with the lack of adequate teaching materials.

Texas Marines Smitten by Afghan Kids

Texas battalion’s good neighbor policy helps keep Helmand base secure
by Staff Sgt. Jeremy Ross RC-SW

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – Marines and sailors with the Houston-based Lone Star Battalion, 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, have been conducting security and counterinsurgency operations in the vicinity of the Camp Leatherneck-Camp Bastion complex since deploying to Afghanistan in January.

The battalion is responsible for the area surrounding the bases, which are the largest coalition installations in Helmand province.

LCpl Francisco: FET "This is one of the greatest experiences I've ever had."

Face of Defense: Marine Reaches Out to Afghan Women

By Marine Corps Cpl. Katherine Keleher
2nd Marine Expeditionary Force

FORWARD OPERATING BASE JACKSON, Afghanistan, July 28, 2011 – More than 6,500 miles from the Pacific Northwest, the arid heat of southern Afghanistan is almost the complete opposite of the damp, cool weather of Monroe, Wash.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Chandra Francisco, a member of Female Engagement Team 15 in the Sangin district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province, holds a baby after meeting Afghan women during a patrol, July 17, 2011. As a member of the team, Francisco helps to build relationships with the local people. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Katherine Keleher 

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Chandra Francisco left the comforts of Monroe in 2009 to serve her country, and is now deployed as part of the Marine Corps female engagement team in the Sangin district in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.

Royal Marine clears the road for Afghan 'ghost town'

Launceston Local Diffuses Bombs in Helmand Province

July 28, 2011  by ukforcesafghanistan

A village in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, is on the road to recovery thanks in part to the efforts of a Launceston man, Sergeant James ‘Donners’ Donoghue aged 25.

After a gruelling Operation in the Nad-e Ali area of Helmand Province, Sgt Donoghue had disposed of over 10 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) laid by insurgents and has helped open up a village for local people to return to once again.

Sergeant James Donoghue. Picture: Crown Copyright 2011

The village of Loy Manday Kalay had been chocked by IEDs for over four years, driving locals away and rendering it a ghost town. There had been no market held for over four years.

Sgt Donoghue is attached to 42 Commando Royal Marines as one of their Counter Improvised Explosive Device Bomb Disposal experts. His job is to diffuse and exploit any IED’s found in the village. Following his team’s work the local Bazaar is once again open and the village able to thrive once more.

A qualified High Threat Operator, Sgt Donoghue is able to not only destroy IEDs but also render them safe for further analysis. It makes him one of the most highly qualified Bomb Disposal Experts in Afghanistan and a sought after specialist.

It is a dangerous job, his parent unit 11 EOD Regt RLC is one of the most highly decorated in the British Army.

Marine SGT Earns Afghan People’s Friendship

“Since we arrived, we have gone from having the people resist shaking our hands to them inviting us into their homes,” [...] “The acceptance increases every day.”

By Marine Corps Cpl. Colby Brown
Regimental Combat Team 1

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan, July 27, 2011 – It looks like Marine Corps Sgt. Jose Hernandez is teaching an anatomy class, but he’s actually learning the local language as he points to a boy’s arms, legs, ears and eyes, naming each in Pashto.

Marine Corps Sgt. Jose Hernandez interacts with local men during a security patrol in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, July 8, 2011. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Colby Brown 

For the last month, Hernandez has been patrolling here without an interpreter and has learned enough Pashto to hold a casual conversation.

“If they see me taking an interest in learning their language, it shows I really care about what I talk to them about, and they take it as a sign of respect,” said Hernandez, leader of 2nd Section, Combined Anti-Armor Team 1, Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment.

His immersion in the local community doesn’t stop at language. Hernandez befriends everyone, from the children to the local elders.

Face of Defense: Soldier Sees Progress in Iraq

By Army Spc. Kandi Huggins
U.S. Division North

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq, July 26, 2011 – Since the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, thousands of soldiers have witnessed progress throughout their deployments to Iraq.

Army Sgt. Kevin Chapman leaves the emergency services unit headquarters after a mission in Kirkuk, Iraq, July 16, 2011. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Robert DeDeaux

For Army Sgt. Kevin Chapman, a squad leader with the 1st Infantry Division’s Company D, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, being a part of the transition from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn has shaped his career as a soldier.

Chapman said he always wanted to serve in the armed forces, and enlisted in the Army in 2005.

“I joined the Army to try to make a difference for my country,” the Conyers, Ga., native said. “I knew it was something I could make a career out of and do for the rest of my life.”

From 2005 to 2007, Chapman said, he was as a gunner for the mortar platoon with the 1st Armored Division’s 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, from Friedberg, Germany. He later was tasked as the radio and telephone operator in the fire direction center.

Taliban IED factory destroyed

Bomb disposal pair clears Taliban IED factory

A Military Operations news article

25 Jul 11

Two members of the Counter-Improvised Explosive Device Task Force (C-IED TF) have spent two full days making safe an IED factory found by British soldiers in the Nahr-e Saraj area of Helmand province.

British Army bomb disposal specialists Captain Nick Welby-Everard Torbet (right) and Corporal Ed Williams (left) at the IED factory, found by British soldiers in Nahr-e Saraj
[Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2011]

The compound, uncovered by members of 1st Battalion The Rifles (1 RIFLES), contained enough components and equipment to make over 80 devices.

Captain Nick Welby-Everard Torbet, from 521 Squadron, 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps (RLC), and Corporal Ed Williams, from 22 Headquarters and Support Squadron, 101 Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), Corps of Royal Engineers (RE), were part of a four-man team called to search the compound, make safe any devices, and help the soldiers of 1 RIFLES collect any evidence the bomb makers may have left.

SOF Treat 700 Afghans in Baghlan

Coalition Forces, Treatment Teams Provide Medical Care for Afghan Villagers

A U.S. doctor treats a local child at the Kuk Chenar Clinic, Baghlan-I Jadid district during a Village Medical Outreach Clinic, July 17. Nearly 700 local villagers from the surrounding area, mostly women and children, were seen at the clinic. (Photo courtesy of Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force- Afghanistan) Regional Command North Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force- Afghanistan BAGHLAN, Afghanistan (July 25, 2011)– Afghan and coalition Special Operations Forces performed a Village Medical Outreach event to further develop relationships with local villagers by providing medical care in Baghlan-I Jadid, July 17. The team provided medical care to nearly 700 people, mostly women and children in a small clinic named Kuk-Chenar, about six kilometers outside of Mangal village.

Afghans in Bamian Benefit from Malaysian Doctors

Malaysian medical team delivers innovative healthcare
by Capt. Kenneth Stewart CJTF-1

BAMYAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan –Tucked away into a corner of the Bamyan Provincial Reconstruction Team Headquarters is a small compound housing members of the Royal Malaysian Medical and Dental Force.

The Malaysian army is working with the civilian community to improve health care and the quality of life for residents of Bamyan province.

Pictured: Standing from left to right: Malaysian army Capts. (Dr.) Juhanis Safira, and (Dr.) Rina Sumira, Bamyan Provincial Hospital administrator Humayun, Malaysian army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Anuar, Bamyan Provincial Hospital director Sarjo, Malaysian army Maj. Madzlan and Malaysian army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Azman. Malaysian medical professionals are the driving force behind several innovative programs designed to increase public health in Bamyan province.

MicroLoans Fuel Business Buzz in Nangahar

Grants bring hope to small business owners in Afghan village
by Sgt. 1st Class Mark Burrell CJTF-1

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Haji Shir-Ali Khan has bees. In fact, he has so many bees he can't count them. Forty years ago, his father bought five boxes of bees. Today, they own 100 boxes filled with thousands of bees and all the honey those bees produce.

Yet, at his small roadside stand in eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar Province, he can barely provide for his large extended family.

Pictured: Nasser Khan, an Afghan wood worker, smiles after finding out that he was selected to receive a $700 small-business grant as his sons look on in Rodat District in eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, July 18. Soldiers assigned to Troop C, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, Task Force Raider, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Task Force Bronco teamed up with a local Afghan finance conglomerate to help choose which businesses will most likely thrive from such grants. (Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Mark Burrell)

Patriotism Drives SPC Crystal Gregan

Idaho Guard member driven to serve by patriotism

By Army Staff Sgt. Patrick Caldwell
310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq (7/21/11) – Army Spc. Crystal Gregan, a driver and gunner assigned to Golf Company, 145th Brigade Support Battalion, and a member of the Idaho National Guard, does not mince words regarding why she is stationed at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.

Army Spc. Crystal Gregan, a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle driver and gunner assigned to Golf Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, 77th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, disassembles an M-240B machine gun after a convoy mission at Joint Base Balad, Iraq July 7, 2011. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Patrick Caldwell, 310th ESC)

The reason she joined the military and came to Iraq was simple: patriotism. "This deployment is my patriotic duty. I've always been proud of my country," Gregan said.

Gregan stepped out of a management slot at a chain retail pharmacy store in her hometown, and into the role of a Soldier more than a year ago. The transition from Citizen to Soldier carried its own unique challenges.

"In civilian life, I tell people what to do. Here, I do what people tell me to do," she said.
Gregan said there are times, though, when as a lower ranking Soldier, and a female, it is important to ensure her voice is heard.

Soldier Gives Back to Adopted Country

Face of Defense: Soldier Serves His Adopted Country

By Army 1st Lt. Jared Hirschkorn and Army Spc. Rosalind Arroyo
Task Force Dolch

LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, July 20, 2011 – The thirst for freedom and the hunger for a better way of life led Ali Baharanyi to seek asylum in the United States to escape a tyrannical regime in his native Africa.

Army Spc. Ali Baharanyi works in his shop at the construction management squad yard on Forward Operating Base Shank in Afghanistan’s Logar province, May 30, 2011. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Rosalind Arroyo 

Now an Army specialist, Baharanyi -- a native of the Democratic Republic of Congo who now resides in Auburn, Ala. -- is a 54th Engineer Battalion combat engineer.

Baharanyi originally hails from Lubumbashi, where he was born in 1974 when the Congo was called Zaire. The country has been enmeshed in civil war for much of the past 15 years. Political, ethnic and state-based actors have competed for control of its valuable natural resources.

Sgt Gonzales Combat Experienced Civil Affairs

Baltimore Marine leads Kajaki in positive direction
by Sgt. Earnest J. Barnes 2nd MarDiv

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FOB ZEEBRUGGE, Helmand province, Afghanistan — The image of most wars portrayed in the history books is that of battles in which sweaty, dirt-covered men storm beachheads and battlefields, while all that is left to read about are captivating dialogs of victory. Rarely do these books reflect on the human experience of what happens in the depths of counterinsurgency operations, in which these same men fight with their minds, guts and glory. One Baltimore native, however, has experienced this first hand and must now use all three to accomplish his mission once again.

Sgt. Christopher Gonzales, the Kajaki Civil Affairs Team chief, has seen multiple facets of combat operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom as an infantryman and a Civil Affairs Marine.

Video: Constucting a Woman's Health Center in Paktika

Bringing obstetric knowledge & experience to the women of Afghanistan:

 And teaching the men better construction techniques in the process.

Airborne Soldier Recruiter Tells Army Story

Face of Defense: Airborne Soldier Tells Army Story

By Christine June
U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion, Harrisburg, Pa.

HARRISBURG, Pa., July 14, 2011 – Jumping into a two-hour airborne class of his own design, Army recruiter Staff Sgt. Joseph Tremblay shares his experiences as a soldier with rapid-fire command and enthusiasm.

Army Staff Sgt. Joseph Tremblay shows how to rig combat equipment onto a parachute jumper with assistance from Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Joseph Dempsey during a June 29, 2011, airborne class for 15 cadets from the Civil Air Patrol Harrisburg International Composite Squadron 306 on the 193rd Special Operations Wing’s Pennsylvania Air National Guard base in Middletown, Pa. U.S. Army photo by Christine June

“Check body position, toe to toe, heel to heel, knees off to the rear, elbows in tight -- 45-degree angle -- hands on the side of your reserve -- pretend you have one -- chin on your chest, eyes open,” drilled Tremblay to 114 future soldiers in April and 15 Civil Air Patrol cadets in June.

Army Spc. Brad Cryderman chooses to re-up rather than fly home

“I like what we are doing,” Cryderman said. “In a way, I am relieved that I missed my flight. I don’t feel like I got everything I needed.”

 

Face of Defense: Engineer Re-ups Instead of Flying Home

By Army Pfc. David Huddleston
Task Force Sword

PAKTIKA PROVINCE, Afghanistan, July 13, 2011 – Army Spc. Brad Cryderman, a carpentry and masonry specialist from Sacramento, Calif., serving here with the 902nd Engineer Company, 15th Engineer Battalion, was heading home after his term of service expired.

Army Capt. Ervin Purvis, left, congratulates Army Spc. Brad Cryderman after Cryderman extended his contract at Forward Operating Base Sharana, Afghanistan, July 4, 2011. U.S. Army photo by Capt. Kathryn Werback 

After fulfilling his contract, Cryderman planned to leave the Army to take care of his mother and to pursue a degree in business management at Sacramento State University.

But while he was waiting at Forward Operating Base Sharana Airfield to fly back to his battalion’s home station in Germany, the passenger terminal staff told Cryderman there was no room on the airplane, and that he may need to wait another two days before he could board another flight. 

New Team Arrives at PRT Farah

New Provincial Reconstruction Team Arrives in Farah, Afghanistan

By: USAF1st LT Mark Graff

FARAH, AFGHANISTAN (July 10, 2011) - U.S. Navy Cmdr. Shane Voudren assumed command of Provincial Reconstruction Team Farah from incumbent U.S. Navy Cmdr. Joseph Bozzelli at a Transition of Authority ceremony here, July 2.

With servicemembers from the incoming and incumbent team assembled in formation, Bozzelli officially transferred authority of the unit’s mission to Voudren through the Navy tradition of reading each commander’s respective orders.

Pictured: Incoming members of Provincial Reconstruction Team Farah disembark a C-130 Hercules after arriving at Forward Operating Base Farah, June 27. The PRT's mission is to support the provincial-level government of Farah Province on issues including governance, economic development and security. (ISAF photo/ USAF SrA Alexandra Hoachlander)

Navy Preps for New MidWife Facility in Kandahar

Kandahar PRT visits midwifery and medical facility
by Senior Airman Sean Martin

KANDAHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Engineers from the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team performed a quality assurance, quality control check at a midwifery and a medical facility project collocated in Kandahar City July 7.

The Medical storage facility will be divided into two parts: a dry storage and a cold storage facility. The cold facility will used to store perishable medical supplies, like immunizations, that must be kept cold. The dry storage unit will house all other medical supplies that do not need to be kept at a certain temperature.

Fiedler brothers give 50 years service to Iowa NG

Face of Defense: Brothers Devote 50 Years to Iowa Guard

By Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Matson
Task Force Red Bulls

LAGHMAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan, July 5, 2011 – Army Sgt. 1st Class Tim Fiedler Jr., and his younger brother, Army Staff Sgt. Rich Fiedler, have put in more than 50 years of combined service in the Iowa National Guard’s Company A, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment.

Army Staff Sgt. Rich Fiedler, left, and his brother, Army Sgt. 1st Class Tim Fiedler, right, sit together June 14, 2011, on Combat Outpost Najil in Afghanistan’s Laghman province. The Fiedler brothers have more than 50 years of combined service in the Iowa National Guard’s Company A, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Capt. Jason Beck 

Tim said he joined the Guard 29 years ago for the college money. But regardless of their initial motivation, the brothers said, a sense of family has kept them in Company A.

Mortar Men make "a good size boom" at Sea Breeze 2011

Targets Destroyed In Three Minutes Or Less

As soon as the call comes in from the forward observer, the countdown begins.

Three minutes is all the Marines from Mortars Platoon, Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, have. Three minutes to plot the direction, distance and elevation of a round, apply this information to their mortar tubes, launch the round and destroy the target. It’s three minutes of chaotic action, but for the Marines involved the payoff is worth it.

Mortars Platoon, a Marine Reserve unit based out of Johnson City, Tenn., spent the day honing their craft at one of the firing ranges at the Shirokyi Lan Training Area, an area used by Ukrainian Armed Forces for training, June 8 during exercise Sea Breeze 2011.

The Marines began the firing day by splitting into two groups, fire direction controllers and gun teams. An FDC’s job is to receive a fire request from a forward observer, and then using maps of their area of operations which are divided into grids, relay direction, deflection, distance and elevation data that will be needed to drop a mortar onto the target.

World War II to Afghanistan: Rocket scientist, third generation Marine serves in Helmand province

6/27/2011  By 1st Lt. Megan Greathouse  , II MEF (FWD) 

 

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan  — Every Marine has a story. For one Reservist currently serving in Helmand province the story is of a rocket scientist who answered the call to serve his country as a third generation Marine.

First Lt. William J. Fredericks, an amiable 29-year-old raised in Nantucket, Mass., works as an aerospace engineer at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. He graduated from Purdue University in 2006 with a degree in aeronautical engineering, and moved to Williamsburg, Va., after landing the position with NASA. While he enjoys the challenge of his prestigious career in what he jokingly refers to as “cubical land,” sitting at a desk in the Aeronautics Systems Analysis branch was not quite enough.

 

 

“I was out of college a year and I didn’t want to be 40 and say I sat in a cubical in my 20s and 30s,” explained Fredericks, whose military occupational specialty is artillery. “I had a privileged upbringing, and I felt called to serve the country that gave me so many opportunities.”

That upbringing included a military flavor. Fredericks’ father and grandfather both served as Marines as well, a legacy now spanning three generations.

In Islam, ALL children are Suhana

Nine-year-old Pakistani girl Suhana was on her way to school when the militants allegedly seized her and drugged her, she said in a news conference broadcast by CNN affiliate GEO TV.

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Monday, June 20, 2011

9-year old Girl Caught Wearing Suicide Vest

20 June 2011 VOA News In the Lower Dir tribal area, police Monday said they have detained a 9-year-old girl who was wearing a suicide vest and told to blow up a security checkpoint.

Golfers support injured heroes

Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni

Ryan Chilson, golf-a-thon fundraiser participant, looks down range as he prepares to tee-off during the golf-a-thon fundraiser held at the Torii Pines Golf Course here, June 10, in support of injured and fallen military members. The money earned went toward the Sgt. Elliott fund and the Wounded Warrior Project. Photo by Lance Cpl. Cayce Nevers

06.22.2011 Story by Lance Cpl. Cayce Nevers IWAKUNI, Japan - Eight Marines and sailors participated in the golf-a-thon fundraiser at the Torii Pines Golf Course here, June 10, in support of fallen and injured military members.

The Marines and sailors who participated in the all-day golf fundraiser were Louis Starnes, Robert Pippin, Troy Ruby, Jerry Woods, Keith Applegate, Travis Eno, Geno Johnston and Ryan Chilson.

The fundraiser was put together by these same Marines and sailors with hopes to raise money for Sgt. Joshua Elliott, a Marine whose legs and half of his left hand were blown off by an improvised explosive device while deployed to Afghanistan, as well as the Wounded Warrior Project.

"His greatest fear was leaving others distraught"

To celebrate his life and remember the good times was the desire of Royal Marine David C. Hart, should he not make it back from his Afghanistan deployment.

Photo Courtesy of MoD
© Crown Copyright/MOD 2011

One year after his death, 32 of his close friends and their partners are traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada to fulfill a request of British Royal Marine David C. Hart, a combat medic killed in Afghanistan.

Developing ANA Medical Care Capacity

Medical mentor team trains standards, lifesaving
By USAF TSgt Mike Andriacco, NTM-A

CAMP MIKE SPANN, Afghanistan – An important part of any military is the ability to feed, house and care for its soldiers. Without this, a power force can collapse from within.

A team of mentors from Camp Mike Spann, near Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, is working hard to ensure the Afghan National Army has caring for its soldiers well in hand.

The Medical Embedded Training Team mentors the staff at the local ANA hospital in patient administration, pharmacy, surgery, nursing, laboratory, radiology, biomedical equipment, preventative medicine, patient evacuation, MEDEVAC and has recently gained a physician mentor, a role that has, so far, been empty.

British troops haul Ridgback in Helmand marathon

A People In Defence news article 

14 Jun 11 British troops at Camp Bastion have recently spent some of their downtime running a marathon for charity, pulling a 20-tonne Ridgback armoured vehicle.

As the sun rises, soldiers of General Service Squadron near the end of their marathon challenge
[Picture: Flight Lieutenant Nick Downs, Crown Copyright/MOD 2011]

Soldiers from the General Service (GS) Squadron decided that running a marathon in the Afghan summer heat was just not original enough so they opted instead to up the ante and pull the huge armoured personnel carrier around the 26-mile (42km) route - all after working at least 12 hours through the day doing their normal duties.

Labelled the Sond Chara (Red Dagger) Challenge, five relay teams of 20 soldiers from the squadron began the feat at midnight on 4 June - when the temperature had fallen from the day's blistering 45 degrees Celsius to a still balmy 30 degrees.

10th Mountain Wives Gather School Supplies for Afghan Girls

Fort Drum Community Collects Supplies for Afghan School

  By: Sgt. Sam P. Dillon, RC-S KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (June 11, 2011)– Two hours and some miles later, students arrive at the steps of the Gandanak Girls’ School, a dilapidated building surrounded by barbed wire. At the prospect of furthering their education, more than 500 students have walked many miles through the mountains of Daykundi province.

This humble, six classroom building is where the young girls of Nili, the provincial capital city, and surrounding villages come to learn language, math, history, social science, etiquette, calligraphy, art and religion.

In this photo provided by Internation Security Assistance Force Regional Command (South) a second grade student at the Gandanak Girls' School in Nili, Daykundi reads from her book during class 8 June, 2011. There are more than 575 students that attend the school that study eight different subjects.