War on Terrorism

Face of Defense: Lieutenant Leads EOD Unit in Afghanistan

2012-01-28T20:09:00.000-08:00

By Navy Chief Petty Officer Oscar Troncoso
International Security Assistance Force Regional Command North

CAMP MARMAL, Afghanistan – Leading one of the most dangerous units in northern Afghanistan typically includes a heavy burden of responsibility for its company commander.

Navy Lt. Eric R. Bond, a 2007 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, understands this better than most as the officer in charge of the Combined Joint Task Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit based in Camp Shaheen.

Bond, an Ashburn, Va., native, is responsible for the safety and readiness of his special forces team, which is trained and equipped to take on life or death missions in a multitude of tactical environments, such as onboard ships, underwater, and in urban areas, minefields and battlefields.

As if this was not enough, Bond decided to take on the additional responsibility of training Afghan security forces so they can properly dispose of explosives after the U.S. military leaves Afghanistan.

“Our direct task is to defeat the [improvised explosive device] threat,” he said. “But it became clear to me that if we intended to leave responsibly, we needed to do partnerships. One of my major initiatives is to partner any time we could with the Afghans.”

To facilitate collaborative efforts with the Afghan National Army, Bond needed the support of a top-level Afghan leader. This led him to Capt. Islamudin Behaddu, who is tasked to lead Afghanistan’s EOD unit.

“The first thing I did is foster a relationship with Captain Behaddu,” Bond said. “As the appointed team leader, he had not gone through the training himself. But he completed the training … and graduated. He earned the respect of his EOD team by completing the same training they did.”

Bond also worked to form partnerships with EOD teams from other International Security Assistance Forces, such as Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Netherlands and Latvia. However, these ISAF countries focus more on removing the IED threats that are littered across Afghanistan due to many years of war.

“It just made sense to me to establish partnerships,” he said.

The CJTF Paladin EOD unit, based out of Camp Shaheen, southwest of the city of Mazar-e Sharif, includes six teams with three EOD technicians. It serves as the only IED/EOD school for Afghan National Security Forces in the country.

“We have trained and validated four Afghan National Army EOD teams that can now go out on their own,” Bond said. “Before they were rag-tag groups, but now they have come back with dozens of success stories.”

Bond’s six-month tour in Afghanistan comes to an end in mid-January, and the former midshipman with a bachelor’s degree in oceanography is set to return to his EOD Mobile Unit 1 at San Diego’s Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. He said he’s proud that his unit of 20 sailors, which also includes two support personnel, has maintained their safety and that of the northern region of Afghanistan.

He’s equally proud that he can leave the war-torn country knowing that trained Afghan EOD teams will use the knowledge and skills he taught them to protect their population long after he is gone.

“Their EOD teams have exceeded all our expectations,” Bond said.” It’s unbelievable what they can do now on their own. Once we are gone, they can handle it by themselves.”

Combined Force Captures Taliban Facilitator

2012-01-28T20:04:00.001-08:00

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON – A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban facilitator and detained several suspected insurgents during an operation in the Lashkar Gah district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province today, military officials reported.

The facilitator distributed weapons and explosives to insurgent fighters and coordinated roadside bomb attacks against Afghan forces throughout the area, officials said.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- A combined force in the Jalrayz district of Wardak province captured a Taliban facilitator who distributed homemade explosives and weapons to insurgent fighters throughout the Maidan Shahr district.

-- In the Khost district of Khost province, a combined force confiscated weapons and ammunition and detained several suspects while searching for a Haqqani leader. The leader constructs roadside bombs and distributes weapons to insurgents in the Bak and Terayzai districts.

-- In the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province, an Afghan-led and coalition-supported force captured a Taliban facilitator and detained a suspected insurgent. The leader conducted direct-fire attacks in the Nahr-e Saraj district and distributed ammunition and bomb-making materials to insurgent fighters throughout Helmand province.

-- Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force, condemned a suicide car bomb attack in Helmand’s Lashkar Gah district that reportedly killed four innocent civilians and injured at least 30 others.

"On behalf of the entire ISAF coalition of 50 nations, I extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims of today’s attack,” Allen said.

"ISAF will continue to work alongside our Afghan National Security Force partners to pressure the insurgency to end these acts of terror, and to support the development of an increased security environment to promote peace in Afghanistan,” he said. “This is what the Afghan people want and deserve."

In operations yesterday:

-- In the Chahar Darah district of Kunduz province, an Afghan-led and coalition-supported security force detained several suspects and seized a prepared suicide improvised explosive device vest and about 4.4 pounds of homemade explosives during a search for insurgent suicide bombers. The targets were suspected of planning attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout the Chahar Darah district.

-- A combined patrol discovered about 440 pounds of marijuana seeds in the Panjwa‘i district of Kandahar province.

Accomplishments in Afghanistan Set Stage for 2012 Progress

2012-01-27T16:49:00.001-08:00

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON – Almost a month into 2012 -- a year both Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, the top commander in Afghanistan, called pivotal to operations there -- International Security Assistance Force officials said last year’s accomplishments have set the stage for continued success.

“This year offers an opportunity to turn a corner,” Brig. Gen. Carsten Jacobson of the German army, spokesman for the NATO-led ISAF coalition, told reporters during a Jan. 24 news conference in the Afghan capital of Kabul.

“I hope that when we will look back at 2012,” he said, “we will continue to see the incredible progress for the people of this nation on their path to a well-deserved peace.”

Panetta, during his pre-holiday visit to Afghanistan last month, told deployed troops he believes the effort has reached a turning point and emphasized the importance of what happens there this year.

“We’re moving in the right direction,” Panetta said during a visit to Forward Operating Base Sharana in remote but strategically important Paktika province. “And we’re winning this very tough conflict in Afghanistan.”

Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, NATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe and commander of U.S. European Command, said in his blog earlier this month he believes that progress will continue by focusing on the “keys to security.”

One of these keys, he said, is a unity of effort, with a goal of achieving a sense of “in together, out together” among ISAF’s 50 troop-contributing nations.

“In the military sphere, that means we have to pull together smoothly on the oars as we all downsize the number of coalition troops over the coming year,” Stavridis said.

He said he was encouraged by the long-term commitment exhibited by 100 nations and international organizations represented at the Bonn Conference on Afghanistan in December.

Stavridis also noted continued progress during 2011 in two other key areas: the transition to an Afghan security lead, and continued pressure on the insurgents.

Jacobson reported during this week’s news conference that this trajectory is continuing.

Already, “2012 is off to a very rough start for the insurgency,” he said. He noted that it follows another “tough year” during 2011, with the insurgents losing key ground and resources and failing to accomplish their stated goals in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, their leadership “continues to hide across the border in Pakistan,” losing much of their ability to command and control their troops, Jacobson said.

Insurgent forces in Afghanistan continue to use improvised explosive devices to launch indiscriminate attacks, he said, despite orders from Mohammed Omar, the Taliban’s spiritual leader, to quit harming civilians.

While acknowledging that they still have the ability to launch high-visibility attacks, Jacobson said “these acts of desperation should not fool anyone.”

“I believe the insurgency is starting to understand that they cannot continue their terrorist acts of the past against the Afghan people, and the only clear solution is reintegration into a peaceful Afghan society,” he said.

Jacobson lauded solid gains during 2011 that are laying the foundation for this momentum to continue.

He cited positive trends in terms of offensive operations against insurgents, as well as improvements in capacity development within the Afghan national security forces.

“Our goals were to increase Afghan lead of security responsibilities, target key insurgent leaders, retain and expand secure areas and help [Afghan forces] earn the support of the people through improved security capacity and capability,” he told reporters.

Jacobson cited areas of focus for the year ahead to build on and expand these gains.

In the east, for example, ISAF and Afghan national security forces “will continue to apply maximum pressure,” he said, to eliminate the Haqqani and other insurgent networks and disrupt their logistical capabilities through the winter and into spring.

This effort supports the vision Allen set for 2012.

During Panetta’s visit to Kabul in December, Allen told reporters he sees this year as a time to consolidate gains already made in Afghanistan’s north, south and west and to extend them eastward. This, he said, will include “significant counterinsurgency operations” to continue this year in the Regional Command East area, with the goal of pushing the security zone east of Kabul.

Jacobson said this week that progress also will continue in other areas ranging from education to infrastructure to counternarcotics.

Afghanistan had 175,000 teachers in 2011, up from 20,000 in 2012, he reported. Eight million Afghan children were enrolled in school, compared to fewer than 1 million in 2002. Afghanistan now has more than 6,200 miles of paved roads, with more than 80 percent of the population using them.

Local security development is progressing, too, Jacobson reported. The Afghan National Army now is almost 180,000 strong, and the Afghan National Police now has nearly 144,000 men and women in uniform, serving local communities.

As they grow in number, Afghan national security forces are assuming greater security responsibility. More than 50 percent of Afghanistan is slated to be under Afghan security control by this spring, Jacobson said, “and we have every expectation that this will increase to 66 percent in the very near future.”

Man Pleads Guilty to Shooting Military Buildings in Northern Virginia

2012-01-27T16:47:00.000-08:00

Defense, Government Jointly Recommend Sentence of 25 Years in Prison

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Yonathan Melaku, 23, of Alexandria, Va., pleaded guilty today to damaging property and firearms violations involving five separate shootings at military installations in northern Virginia between October and November 2010 and attempting to injure veterans’ memorials at Arlington National Cemetery.

Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee.

Melaku pleaded guilty to a three-count information that included injuring property of the United States, use of a firearm during a crime of violence and attempted injury to veterans’ memorials on U.S. property. The defense and government jointly recommended in the plea agreement a sentence of 25 years in prison. He will be formally sentenced on April 27, 2012.

“Yonathan Melaku pled guilty to carrying out a calculated, destructive campaign to instill terror throughout our community,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “The video he filmed during one drive-by shooting is a chilling portrayal of his intent and the escalating danger he posed. Thanks to the FBI and their law enforcement partners, we were able to apprehend Mr. Melaku, develop the evidence that linked him to the shootings, and secure this conviction today.”

“The partnerships and resources shared on the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force are essential to the safety of our national capital region,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge McJunkin. “I want to thank our law enforcement partners at Prince William County Police, Virginia State Police, Fairfax and Arlington Police, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Park Police, Pentagon Force Protection Agency, the Military District of Washington, and the U.S. Marine Corps for their steadfast efforts throughout this investigation.”

According to the statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, Melaku admitted that he carried out a series of five shootings from Oct. 17, 2010, through Nov. 2, 2010, at the following locations: the National Museum of the Marine Corps (twice), the Pentagon, a Marine Corps recruiting sub-station in Chantilly, Va., and a U.S. Coast Guard recruiting office in Woodbridge, Va. Each shooting took place late at night or early in the morning and involved multiple 9mm rounds fired at each building. The cost for repairs at the facilities exceeded $100,000.

Melaku admitted today that during the second shooting at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, he set up a video camera within the interior of his vehicle to record the shooting incident. The video shows Melaku repeatedly firing a handgun out the passenger-side window, and he narrates the incident on the video and states, among other things: “That’s my target. That’s the military building. It’s going to be attacked,” and at the conclusion of multiple shots exclaiming, “Allahu Akbar,” repeatedly.

In his statement of facts, Melaku stated that he attempted to flee law enforcement after being spotted on the property of Ft. Myer in Arlington, Va., at approximately 1:30 a.m. on June 17, 2011. During the pursuit, he dropped a backpack that contained numerous spent 9mm shell casings; four bags containing ammonium nitrate, and a spiral notebook with numerous Arabic statements referencing the Taliban, al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, “The Path to Jihad,” as well as a list of several other individuals associated with foreign terrorist organizations.

Melaku admitted that, at the time of his apprehension, he was attempting to enter the area of Arlington National Cemetery containing graves of deceased Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, intending to desecrate and injure the grave markers by spray-painting the markers with Arabic statements and by leaving the ammonium nitrate he was carrying at the sites of the grave markers.

On June 17, 2011, during a search of his residence, FBI search teams found Melaku had stored within the bedroom closet of his residence a typed list titled “Timer” that included nine items that Melaku admitted are consistent with what would be required to construct the firing mechanism for an explosive device. Four of those items had been crossed through.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, including the police departments of Arlington County, Fairfax County, and Prince William County; the Pentagon Force Protection Agency; the Virginia State Police; the Naval Criminal Investigative Service; the Coast Guard Investigative Service; the U.S. Park Police; U.S. Marine Corps Base Quantico; and the Military District of Washington Provost Marshal Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Grooms, Neil Hammerstrom, and Lynn Haaland of the National Security and International Crime Unit are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

Eugene Man Sentenced for Lookout Point Trespass

2012-01-27T13:29:00.001-08:00

EUGENE, OR—United States Magistrate Judge Thomas Coffin sentenced Wiley Roy Nelson, 21, of Eugene to two years of probation and 60 hours of community service after accepting his guilty plea to entering a restricted area at Lookout Point Dam southeast of Eugene on March 2, 2011. Nelson faced a maximum possible sentence of six months in prison.

The incident at Lookout Point attracted national media attention when security cameras recorded a man wearing a camouflaged jacket climbing over razor wire in the middle of the night with a camera. The surveillance video showed the man taking pictures along the top of the dam. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers offered a $1,000 reward through its Corps Watch program to anyone who could identify the intruder.

“Our dams are critical assets to our local communities, and we respond decisively to any attempt to compromise their security,” said Erik Petersen, operations project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Willamette Valley Projects, which operates Lookout Point Dam. “In this case, our security systems detected the intruder and our Corps Watch property protection program helped identify and bring him to justice.”

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Oregon State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William “Bud” Fitzgerald.

Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Use of a Weapon of Mass Destruction in Plot to Attack Armed Forces Recruiting Center

2012-01-27T11:28:00.000-08:00

BALTIMORE—Antonio Martinez, aka Muhammad Hussain, 22, of Baltimore, a U.S. citizen, pleaded guilty today to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction against federal property in connection with a scheme to attack an armed forces recruiting station in Catonsville, Md. Martinez was arrested on Dec. 8, 2010, after he attempted to detonate what he believed to be explosives at the armed forces recruiting station.

The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the FBI.

“We are catching dangerous suspects before they strike, and we are investigating them in a way that maximizes the liberty and security of law-abiding citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Rosenstein. “That is what the American people expect of the Justice Department, and that is what we aim to deliver.”

“This is an example of another successful prosecution that resulted from outstanding partnerships between the Muslim community and law enforcement,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge McFeely. “As the threat from homegrown violent extremists remains high, the FBI and our police partners rely on a two way flow of information with the Muslim community at large. Together we are working to stop those that have perverted the Islamic faith into something it is not.”

According to his plea agreement, on Oct. 22, 2010, Martinez raised the subject of attacking military targets with an FBI confidential source (CS). During the recorded conversations that followed between Martinez, the CS and later, an FBI undercover agent, Martinez identified his target—an armed forces recruiting station in Catonsville—and spoke about his anger toward America, his belief that Muslims were being unjustly targeted and killed by the American military and his desire to commit jihad to send a message that American soldiers would be killed unless the country stopped its “war” against Islam.

Martinez attempted to recruit a number of people to join in the operation, including an individual whom he said had the ability to obtain weapons. All of them declined, and one of them expressly attempted to dissuade Martinez from committing jihad. Thereafter, Martinez agreed to meet the source’s “Afghani brother,” an undercover FBI agent (UC), whom the CS represented would be interested in assisting in the operation.

According to the statement of facts, both prior to, and during the course of the investigation, Martinez articulated his militant beliefs in postings on his public Facebook page and in two Facebook chats with the CS.

According to the plea agreement, Martinez first met the UC on Nov. 16, 2010, and advised the UC that he wanted jihadist activities to be his “profession.” Throughout the course of the investigation, Martinez repeatedly expressed his desire to go forward with the attack. Martinez admitted that on Dec. 8, 2010, he met the CS to drive to a public parking lot near the recruiting center. On the way, Martinez had the CS tape him on a camcorder and a statement that he would continue to fight against the oppressors until those who waged war with Islam stopped their actions. Martinez subsequently attempted to detonate an explosive device at the armed forces recruiting station. Martinez admitted that the bomb was intended to kill military service members who worked in the building. As set forth in court documents, agents investigating Martinez ensured that the bomb was inert and no danger was presented to the public.

If the court accepts the plea, Martinez will be sentenced to 25 years in prison, which the government and the defendant have agreed is the appropriate disposition of the case. U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz has scheduled sentencing for April 6, 2012, at 9:00 a.m.

U.S. Attorney Rosenstein praised the FBI and the members of its multi-agency Joint Terrorism Task Force for their work in this investigation. U.S. Attorney Rosenstein and Special Agent in Charge McFeely expressed their appreciation to the Baltimore City Police Department, Baltimore County Police Department, Maryland State Police, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Air Force Recruitment Command, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Army 902d Military Intelligence Group, and the U.S. Marshals Service for their assistance in the investigation.

U.S. Attorney Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Manuelian, who is prosecuting the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Harvey E. Eisenberg, Chief of the National Security Section, who is supervising the case. U.S. Attorney Rosenstein also thanked the Justice Department’s National Security Division for its support.

Combined Force Captures Taliban Leader

2012-01-26T22:21:00.000-08:00

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2012 – An Afghan-led and coalition-supported security force captured a Taliban leader during an operation in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province today, military officials reported.

The leader coordinated roadside bomb and ambush attacks against Afghan forces along Route 1 in Helmand province, officials said.

The security force also seized 15 pounds of opium and detained an additional suspected insurgent.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- A combined patrol seized about 500 pounds of marijuana and about 45 pounds of marijuana seeds in the Panjwai district of Kandahar province.

-- In the Zharay district of Kandahar province, a combined force seized 300 pounds of marijuana and detained several suspects while searching for a Taliban facilitator who plans attacks against coalition forces and moves weapons and ammunition throughout Kandahar.

-- A combined force captured a Taliban leader and detained another suspect in the Sayyidabad district of Wardak province. The leader planned assassinations and direct-fire attacks against Afghan government officials.

In Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- A coalition airstrike killed an insurgent after he attacked coalition forces with small-arms fire in the Alishing district of Laghman province.

-- Coalition forces arrested six people found with Afghan army uniforms and weapons in the Alingar district of Laghman province.

-- Coalition troops detained three people suspected of being bomb makers in the Terezaki district of Khost province.

-- Afghan police detained a man who had two assault rifles and ammunition in the Zurmat district of Paktia province.

-- Coalition troops detained a man for having bomb-making materials Khost’s Khost district.

-- Afghan border police detained a man as a person of interest in Paktia’s Jaji district.

-- A combined patrol found about 550 pounds of hashish and multiple 82 mm mortar rounds in Kandahar’s Panjwai district.

-- A combined patrol found and destroyed about 1,000 pounds of hashish in Kandahar’s Zharay district.

-- A combined force found and destroyed about 660 pounds of hashish in Helmand’s Musa Qalah district.

In other Afghanistan news, Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, International Security Assistance Force commander, joined Afghan President Hamid Karzai in condemning a recent insurgent rocket attack on a home in the Allasai district of Kapisa province that killed a woman and a child and injured seven other people.

"Continued deliberate attacks on the people of Afghanistan that result in the brutal murder of defenseless women and children clearly show that this heartless insurgency has no moral compass whatsoever," Allen said. "I join President Karzai in extending my deepest sympathies to the families of those who were killed, and in praying for the fastest recovery of those who were injured in this needless tragedy.”

Allen added that Taliban leader Mohammed Omar's “deafening silence and inaction in stopping these ongoing attacks against innocent Afghan civilians shows that his foot soldiers are now giving the orders while he and his inner circle reside in comfort, allowing the killing of their own brothers and sisters.”

Officials: Medical Concern for Somalia Hostage Prompted Rescue

2012-01-26T22:18:00.000-08:00

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON – While President Barack Obama delivered the State of the Union address last night, a joint special operations forces team was finishing up a dramatic rescue of two hostages -- one of whom was seriously ill -- from an armed encampment in Somalia.

“A convergence of factors contributed to the decision to undertake the operation last night,” Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters here today.

Among those factors was a window of opportunity for mission success, he said, and information that one of the captured humanitarian workers, Jessica Buchanan of the United States, had a serious medical condition that could threaten her life.

“That added a sense of urgency to the need to move ahead,” Little said, “and that along with other considerations led to the decision to go with the operation yesterday.”

Details of what happened on the scene still are being determined, he said, adding that nine criminal suspects were killed during the rescue.

“They were heavily armed and had explosives at the site,” Little said.

Buchanan and Poul Thisted of Denmark worked for the Danish Demining Group, a nonprofit humanitarian organization for which the two were teaching local Somalis how to remove land mines from their environment. They were kidnapped at gunpoint Oct. 25 near Galcayo, Somalia, and were being held for ransom, according to a U.S. Africa Command statement. When the U.S. Justice Department requested help from the Defense Department, the statement added, Army Gen. Carter F. Ham, Africom’s commander, was directed to plan and conduct the rescue operation.

Whenever an American is taken hostage overseas, the FBI becomes involved in the investigation, said Navy Capt. John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman.

“There was close coordination with the FBI throughout [the operation],” Kirby added. “It was very much an interagency effort.”

The president authorized the operation Jan. 23, and the military commanders decided to move ahead with it yesterday, Kirby said. “We made the proper notifications that needed to be made in the region,” he added.

The joint special operations assault team landed near Cadaado in north-central Somalia on Jan. 23 in the early evening Washington time, Kirby said, but “the operation was not over until a number of hours later, when the hostages were secured and our service members were safely out of harm’s way.”

The president, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and other national security officials monitored the operation’s progress from the White House before leaving to attend the president’s State of the Union address. As the president spoke during the Capitol Hill event, Kirby said, “we knew at that point that shots had been fired [and] that casualties had been taken among the kidnappers, but more importantly, we knew that the two hostages were safe.”

Little said there have been consultations between the U.S. and Danish governments and that “some of those consultations occurred prior to the operation.”

During the rescue, the assault team made its way to the outdoor encampment and confirmed that Buchanan and Thisted were there, guarded by nine captors. After securing the location, the team found Buchanan and Thisted unharmed.

Details about Buchanan’s medical condition have not been released. “We believe it was pre-existing when she was taken hostage, and also have reason to believe that it was getting worse while she was in captivity,” Kirby said.

U.S. military doctors and nurses are treating Buchanan and Thisted at a medical facility in the region, he added, and their repatriation has yet to be worked out.

"Last night's mission, boldly conducted by some of our nation's most courageous, competent and committed special operations forces, exemplifies United States Africa Command's mission to protect Americans and American interests in Africa," Ham said in a statement.

"I am extraordinarily proud of the joint-service team that planned, rehearsed and successfully concluded this operation. Thanks to them, a fellow American and her Danish co-worker are safe and will soon be home with their families,” he added.

“We should remember that Mrs. Buchanan and Mr. Thisted were working to protect the people of Somalia when they were violently kidnapped,” the general said. “It is my hope that all those who work in Somalia for the betterment of the Somali people can be free from the dangers of violent criminals."

Army Casualty

2012-01-26T18:18:00.001-08:00

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

1st Lt. David A. Johnson, 24, of Horicon, Wis., died Jan. 25, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered after encountering an improvised explosive device while conducting a dismounted patrol.

Johnson was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

For more information media may contact Joint Base Lewis-McChord public affairs office at 253-967-0152 or 253-967-0148.

Jamshid Muhtorov Indicted by Federal Grand Jury in Denver

2012-01-26T18:16:00.001-08:00

DENVER—Late yesterday a federal grand jury in Denver returned a one-count indictment charging Jamshid Muhtorov with one count of providing material support of a designated foreign terrorist organization and attempt to do the same. If convicted, Muhtorov faces not less than 15 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.

Today’s indictment formalizes the charges which were originally filed last Saturday evening. The defendant is in federal custody and is being transported to Colorado by the U.S. Marshals. Once he arrives in Colorado, he will make an initial court appearance. No date has yet been set for that appearance.

The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, including their federal, state and local partners. Muhtorov is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Holloway.

Marine Casualty

2012-01-25T20:07:00.000-08:00

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

Capt. Joshua C. Pairsh, 29, of Equality, Ill., died Jan. 22 in the United States of a non-combat related illness. He was assigned to 4th Civil Affairs Group, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Washington, D.C.

For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the Marine Forces Reserve public affairs office at 504-697-8309.

Face of Defense: Deployed Marine Applies Junior ROTC Lessons

2012-01-25T15:14:00.000-08:00

By Marine Corps Cpl. Katherine M. Solano
2nd Marine Logistics Group

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WHITEHOUSE, Afghanistan, Jan. 25, 2012 – With a budding interest in joining the military beginning at a young age, Marine Corps Sgt. Xuchill Laput, a regional site manager with the 2nd Marine Logistics Group’s 9th Engineer Support Battalion, never really considered another option.

While he originally enlisted to be a combat engineer, over the years, Laput said, he has come to appreciate the importance of being a bulk fuel Marine. Every mission requires fuel, he explained, and it is up to the bulk fuel platoon to keep that mission fulfilled.

Laput said one man in particular solidified his interest in the military: his high school Junior ROTC instructor, Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Mark Williams. While attending Lincoln High School in Stockton, Calif., Laput said, he stayed involved with the Junior ROTC program and gleaned much from it. To this day, he added, he continues to return to visit his mentor.

“I grew up without a strong male figure,” Laput said. “[Williams] was that figure for me in a lot of ways. He didn’t tell me what to do, but he gave me advice on how to do the right thing, even in hard situations.”

It is this lesson, he said, that he has carried forward the most in his Marine Corps career, both in general and as a bulk fuel specialist. Everyone, not just Marines, should wake up in the morning with a goal to do the right thing throughout the day, added, and that’s the attitude he carries over into his daily routine as a fuel farm manager.

Laput said he and his Marines wake up early every day and go through an extensive checklist of all of the equipment. The procedures include walking every inch of the fuel lines, looking for leaks and tears, checking valves, cleaning filters and ensuring log books are up to date. These procedures do not necessarily need to be done every day, he said, but the habit of doing them every morning solidifies his belief in doing the right thing.

“I can’t expect my Marines to do the checks and keep the farm up if I don’t get up early and do it with them,” Laput said.

His dedication has led his command to give him more responsibility. Laput now manages four fuel farms in the area. He said he intends to implement the same routine to keep military specifications and environmental regulations up to code at the other three sites.

“The Marine Corps has taught me to make do with what you have,” he said. “Our officer in charge takes care of us, so I’m going to take care of all the Marines [at each site]. In turn, they will take care of the fuel farms.”

Special Operations Forces Rescue Hostages in Somalia

2012-01-25T15:11:00.000-08:00

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2012 – Special operations forces rescued an American woman and Danish man who had been held captive in Somalia for three months, President Barack Obama announced early this morning.

Both are well and are in a secure location, and there were no American casualties in the operation.

Jessica Buchanan and Poul Thisted were working as part of a Danish demining group when Somali criminals kidnapped them near Galcayo, Somalia, on Oct. 25, according to a statement from Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta. Galcayo is near the border with Ethiopia. There was no word where the two were held.

“This successful hostage rescue, undertaken in a hostile environment, is a testament to the superb skills of courageous service members who risked their lives to save others,” Panetta said in the statement. “I applaud their efforts, and I am pleased that Ms. Buchanan and Mr. Thisted were not harmed during the operation.”

The president said he had spoken with Buchanan’s father and told him that all Americans are thankful that his daughter is safe and will soon be home.

“The United States will not tolerate the abduction of our people, and will spare no effort to secure the safety of our citizens and to bring their captors to justice,” Obama said in his statement. “This is yet another message to the world that the United States of America will stand strongly against any threats to our people.”

Panetta stressed the rescue was a team effort and required close coordination between the Defense Department and the FBI. “They are heroes and continue to inspire all of us by their bravery and service to our nation,” Panetta wrote.

The Danish Demining Group trains local people to defuse and render safe landmines and other ordnance left in the wake of war. In addition to Somalia, the group is working in Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Liberia, South Sudan and Uganda.

At the beginning of the president’s State of the Union address last night, TV cameras caught Obama shaking Panetta’s hand and saying “Good job.” No one knew then what he was talking about.

During his address, Obama lauded service members’ commitment and ability to work together. The rescue operation is another example of that.

“As commander in chief, I could not be prouder of the troops who carried out this mission, and the dedicated professionals who supported their efforts,” the president said in his statement.

Combined Force Kills Insurgents in Afghanistan

2012-01-25T13:47:00.000-08:00

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2012 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed several insurgents during a search for a Taliban leader in the Kot district of Afghanistan’s Faryab province today, military officials reported.

The sought-after leader is an explosives expert and suicide-attack network facilitator who targets senior Afghan government officials throughout the Almar district, officials said.

During the operation, two insurgents exited a building and fired at the security force, officials said. Several remaining insurgents barricaded themselves inside the building and also opened fire. The security force returned fire, killing the insurgents.

The security force confiscated several assault rifles, eight grenades, four chest racks, a machine gun and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.

No civilians were injured during the operation.

In Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- Afghan and coalition forces killed three insurgents in the Tagab district of Kapisa province.

-- Coalition forces killed an insurgent in the Tagab district of Kapisa province.

-- Afghan police detained five people suspected of poisoning water sources in the Sabari district of Khost province.

-- Afghan police and soldiers detained a man who had a shotgun, a pistol and ammunition in the Sharan district of Paktika province.

In Jan. 23 operations:

-- An Afghan-led and coalition-supported force detained two suspects and seized weapons and weapons parts during a search for a weapons dealer and facilitator in the Tarin Kwot district of Uruzgan province.

-- In the Dand district of Kandahar province, a combined force detained one suspect and seized two drug caches totalling about 22,000 pounds of hashish.

Statement by Secretary Panetta on Hostage Rescue Operation in Somalia

2012-01-25T13:44:00.001-08:00

Last night U.S. Special Operations Forces conducted, by order of the President of the United States, a successful mission in Somalia to rescue two individuals taken hostage on October 25, 2011. Ms. Jessica Buchanan, an American citizen employed by the Danish Demining Group, and her Danish colleague, Mr. Poul Thisted, were kidnapped at gunpoint by criminal suspects near Galcayo, Somalia.

Ms. Buchanan and Mr. Thisted have been transported to a safe location where we will evaluate their health and make arrangements for them to return home.

This successful hostage rescue, undertaken in a hostile environment, is a testament to the superb skills of courageous service members who risked their lives to save others. I applaud their efforts, and I am pleased that Ms. Buchanan and Mr. Thisted were not harmed during the operation. This mission demonstrates our military's commitment to the safety of our fellow citizens wherever they may be around the world.

I am grateful to report that there was no loss of life or injuries to our personnel.

I express my deepest gratitude to all the military and civilian men and women who supported this operation. This was a team effort and required close coordination, especially between the Department of Defense and our colleagues in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. They are heroes and continue to inspire all of us by their bravery and service to our nation.

Marine Casualty

2012-01-24T21:05:00.001-08:00

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

Cpl. Christopher G. Singer, 23, of Temecula, Calif., died Jan. 21 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

For additional information news media representatives may contact the 1st Marine Division public affairs office at 760-725-8766.

Combined Forces Kill 5 Insurgents, Detain 8 Suspects

2012-01-24T21:03:00.001-08:00

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 24, 2012 – Afghan and coalition forces killed five insurgents and detained eight suspects during operations in eastern Afghanistan yesterday, military officials reported.

A coalition airstrike killed five insurgents in the Tagab district of Afghanistan’s Kapisa province.

Afghan police detained four suspects in Laghman province’s Methar Lam district after a firefight.

Afghan police detained four people wanted for questioning in the Sabari district of Khost province.

Officials Stand Behind U.S. Report on Pakistan Incident

2012-01-23T16:30:00.000-08:00

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2012 – U.S. officials stand by their assertion that the Nov. 26 attack that resulted in the deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers was in self-defense, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. John Kirby said here today.

The Pakistani military issued a news release on the findings of its own investigation of the incident, and the Pakistani statement “that it was an unprovoked attack by American forces is simply false,” Kirby said.

The Pakistani assertion directly contradicts the conclusions that U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Stephen A. Clark released Dec. 22 in his investigation report.

Clark said U.S. forces acted in self-defense and responded with appropriate force after being fired upon. “We stand 100-percent behind the findings of the investigation that General Clark did,” Kirby said.

Clark said the incident was a result of inadequate coordination between U.S. and Pakistani military officers operating through the border coordination center. This includes relying on incorrect mapping information shared with the Pakistani liaison officer, which resulted in a misunderstanding about the true location of Pakistani military units. Clark’s investigation also concluded that there were other gaps in information about the locations and activities of units on both sides of the border.

U.S. officials invited the Pakistani military to be part of the Clark investigation, but they refused, Kirby noted.

“We said then, and we say again today, that we desired Pakistani participation in the investigation,” Kirby said. “We believed it certainly would have been more thorough if they had participated, but they decided not to.”

The lack of Pakistani officials in the Clark investigation does not change the U.S. belief in the validity of the findings of the investigation, the captain said.

The United States wants to get past the incident and build a good cooperative relationship with the Pakistani military, Kirby said. “We still believe that coordination and communication with the Pakistani military -- particularly across that border -- remains vital to our success in Afghanistan,” he added.

Pakistan has closed supply lines into Afghanistan that run through the country. “We would like to see the gates reopened. It makes supplying our troops and coalition partners easier,” Kirby said. “But this is a decision that only Pakistani officials can make, and we respect that.”

The relationship between the United States and Pakistan “is in a tough place” right now, Kirby acknowledged, adding that the two nations must work together to move beyond the current difficulties.

U.S. officials have expressed “deepest regrets” to the families of those killed in the incident.

Colorado Man Arrested for Providing Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization

2012-01-23T16:26:00.000-08:00

DENVER—Jamshid Muhtorov, aka Abumumin Turkistony, aka Abu Mumin, 35, of Aurora, Colorado, was arrested Saturday afternoon at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport by members of the FBI’s Denver and Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Forces on a charge of providing and attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Department of Justice announced today. The arrest took place without incident. Muhtorov made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Chicago this morning.

Muhtorov’s arrest is the result of a long-term investigation conducted by the FBI’s Denver Joint Terrorism Task Force. The Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force provided investigative support.

The defendant is a refugee from Uzbekistan. According to the criminal complaint, which was obtained in Denver and initially filed under seal, Muhtorov indicated that he planned to travel overseas where he intended to fight on behalf of the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU), a designated foreign terrorist organization.

The IJU, a Pakistan-based extremist group, adheres to an anti-western ideology, opposes secular rule in Uzbekistan and seeks to replace the current regime with a government based on Islamic law. In addition to conducting suicide attacks in Uzbekistan, the IJU has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks against coalition forces in Afghanistan.

Muhtorov allegedly has sworn allegiance to the IJU, stating he was ready for any task, even with the risk of dying. The alleged activities of Muhtorov highlight the continued interest of extremists residing in the United States to join and support overseas terrorists.

The government does not allege that Muhtorov was plotting attacks against any targets inside the United States.

The defendant is charged by criminal complaint with one count of providing and attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, specifically provision and attempted provision of personnel to the IJU. If convicted, Muhtorov faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in cities across the country. The investigation was also aided by the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

Muhtorov is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Holloway.

The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Combined Patrols Find Drugs in Afghanistan

2012-01-23T11:40:00.000-08:00

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2012 – Combined Afghan and coalition forces found two large drug caches in Afghanistan yesterday, military officials reported.

A combined patrol in the Panjwai district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province found about 660 pounds of marijuana, and a combined force in the Dand district of Kandahar province discovered about a ton of hashish.

In Jan. 21 Afghanistan operations:

-- A combined force killed Farid, a Taliban judge, and two other insurgents and seized rocket-propelled grenades, assault rifles, grenades and chest racks in the Sayyidabad district of Wardak province. Farid was responsible for ambushes and for roadside-bomb and direct-fire attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and for mistreating the local populace and facilitating a kidnapping operation.

-- A combined force captured a Taliban facilitator and detained several suspects in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province. The facilitator operated a bomb-making cell and planted explosives throughout the Maiwand and Zharay districts. He was responsible for multiple attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- In the Sangin district of Helmand province, a combined force captured a Taliban facilitator, detained several suspects and seized about 200 pounds of opium. The facilitator distributed explosives to insurgent fighters in Helmand and Kandahar provinces.

-- A combined force captured a Haqqani network leader and detained another suspect in the Khost district of Khost province. The leader conducted roadside-bomb and direct-fire attacks against Afghan forces.

In Jan. 19 operations:

-- A combined force detained several suspects and seized about 880 pounds of opium, 220 pounds of heroin and 4,400 pounds of acetic anhydride in the Now Zad district of Helmand province. The cache included bomb-making materials, including 132 pounds of explosive chemicals, numerous pressure plates and main charges. The security force also confiscated anti-personnel mines, mortar rounds, weapons and ammunition.

In other news from Afghanistan, an Article 32 hearing for Army Spc. Ryan Offutt came to a close yesterday at Kandahar Airfield when the investigating officer recommended all but one of the charges be forwarded to a court-martial. An Article 32 hearing is similar to a grand jury in the U.S. civilian judicial system.

Offutt is charged in connection with the Oct. 3, 2011, death of Army Pvt. Danny Chen, an infantryman assigned to the 25th Infantry Division’s Company C, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team. Chen was found in a guard tower with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The investigating officer at Offutt’s hearing recommended forwarding all charges to court-martial, except for a charge of manslaughter. The commander of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team now will consider those recommendations in determining whether to forward the charges to the Regional Command South commander for final disposition.

Offutt was charged under the Uniform Code of Military Justice with two specifications of violation of a lawful general regulation, four specifications of maltreatment, one specification of manslaughter, three specifications of assault consummated by battery, one specification of negligent homicide and one specification of reckless endangerment.

Offutt, a 32-year-old native of Greenville, Pa., is an infantryman assigned to Company C and is one of eight soldiers facing charges in connection with Chen's death. The Article 32 hearings for the seven other soldiers are scheduled to take place by Feb. 20.

Face of Defense: Detroit Native Draws on Experience

2012-01-23T11:38:00.000-08:00

By Marine Corps Cpl. Meredith Brown
2nd Marine Logistics Group

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan, Jan. 23, 2012 – Nicholas Marchioni enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2000 as an infantryman. Like many others, he completed his four-year contract and headed back home to start a new chapter in his life.

But just a few short months after he returned to his hometown of Detroit, Marchioni once again was called to serve.

“I was recalled, so I just re-enlisted and became an engineer,” he explained.

Now, seven years later, Marchioni is a Marine Corps sergeant on his sixth deployment. He in Afghanistan for the second time, serving as a squad leader for the 2nd Marine Logistics Group’s 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company, 9th Engineer Support Battalion.

Second platoon operates as the security platoon for 9th ESB, tasked with conducting route and site reconnaissance missions in addition to providing security for other combat engineers on the ground.

“Because our job is [so wide-ranging], you become the jack of all trades, master of none,” Marchioni said with a laugh. “It seems like most of the time, I go back to my roots and teach people about machine guns and rifles and a lot of other things, because I learned how to be an [infantryman] first.”

Spending time with his Marines and passing on his knowledge and life experiences is something the 30-year-old noncommissioned officer often does, even after the work for the day is complete.

Before the unit deployed to Afghanistan, Marchioni organized barbecues for the company every weekend outside of their barracks in Okinawa. “It’s how I live,” he said. “Second platoon is my close-knit family, and first squad is like my kids.”

The special bond Marchioni shares with each of his Marines is evident from the moment you see them interacting.

“Most of [the Marines] have seen me go through some rough times, but I always seem to be having a good time,” he said. “It’s being able to get through all the craziness of normal life and still put a smile on your face, go to work and get done what you have to get done. Always keep driving forward.”

For Marchioni, being there for his Marines and believing in them when they need him is key to being a successful leader.

“A lot of Marines know I’ll do whatever I can for them and believe in them. If they are going to fail, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “I just want them to put forth whatever they can, give them the benefit of the doubt as much as I can. A lot of times, doubt is the only thing keeping the Marine from doing it. I mean we all got here somehow, trying to be the best.”

His understanding and patience don’t go unnoticed. Many of the Marines in the platoon look up to Marchioni as a leader.

“He is more like a father figure,” said Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Andrew Nelson, a gunner and squad member. “With the kind of personality he has, before he chews you out, he’ll talk to you about what you did wrong, instead of making you feel stupid. It’s just the way he is, and it just works.”

Marchioni said he plans to get out of the Marine Corps and move back to Michigan to spend time with his 7-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son when his current four-year contract expires.

Defense Officials Offer Condolences for French Casualties

2012-01-21T19:23:00.000-08:00

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON – U.S. defense officials expressed condolences to the families of four French soldiers -- members of the International Security Assistance Force -- killed today in eastern Afghanistan’s Kapisa province.

An ISAF report said the service members were killed by an Afghan soldier and that the suspected shooter was apprehended. Several French soldiers were wounded in the attack.

"I would like to express my deepest sympathies to the families of the four brave, French soldiers killed in today's attack in Kapisa province,” Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen said in a statement from Kabul. “Today we mourn with France.”

The wounded soldiers and their families “are in my most fervent prayers for healing and recovery,” the ISAF commander said.

ISAF is committed to continuing to work with the government of Afghanistan “to resolve this very serious issue of individuals targeting our forces,” Allen said. “We will pursue a full and complete investigation and will work closely with France on the outcome.”

Navy Capt. John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters this morning that such incidents coming from Afghanistan forces are called “green on blue” incidents.

“We believe that [such incidents] do appear to be increasing in frequency in recent months. What we can’t discern is a cause for that right now,” Kirby said.

“We’re certainly concerned about these incidents and ISAF officials are taking a look at it, but we also don’t believe that this is an endemic or systemic problem,” he added.

The great majority of partnered operations, and frankly most of our operations, are partnered now,” Kirby said. They “are done successfully, smoothly, efficiently and with good success.”

Kirby offered the Defense Department’s “thoughts and prayers” to the families of the French soldiers who were killed.

“France is a great ally, great friend, and we mourn as they do for their lost soldiers,” Kirby said.

He added, “Our thought and prayers also go out to the families of all those who are killed and wounded, but in particular today for those in the French military.”

In his statement from Kabul, Allen joined Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai in acknowledging France’s assistance to the Afghan people over the years.

“I am forever grateful to these soldiers of France for their exceptional courage, dedication to duty, character and service to their homeland,” Allen added. “They will always be remembered."

From Mons, Belgium, U.S. Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, supreme allied commander Europe, also offered condolences to the French families, as well as to the American families of six U.S. service members who died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistanyesterday.

The cause of the crash in Helmand province is under investigation, according to an ISAF release, but initial reporting indicates there was no enemy activity in the area at the time of the crash.

Stavridis said, “Our thoughts and prayers, likewise, go out to their families.”

Combined Force Kills Taliban Leader

2012-01-21T19:20:00.000-08:00

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON – A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed a Taliban leader and two of his associates during an operation in the Achin district of Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province yesterday, military officials reported.

The leader, Khetab Gul, was responsible for a recent suicide car bomb attack in Nangarhar, officials said. He also constructed roadside bombs, planned attacks and distributed bomb-making materials to insurgents throughout the province.

During the operation, several armed insurgents barricaded themselves inside a building and fired at the security force, officials said. The force returned fire, killing Gul and two other insurgents.

The security force also confiscated firearms during the operation.

In other Afghanistan news yesterday:

-- A combined force captured a Taliban leader, detained several suspects, and seized 150 pounds of hashish in the Zharay district of Kandahar province. The leader distributed weapons, planted roadside bombs and led direct-fire attacks against Afghan forces.

-- A combined force captured two Taliban leaders in the Nad ’Ali district of Helmand province. One leader manufactured explosives for use in attacks against Afghan forces throughout the Marjah and Nad’ Ali districts, and the other distributed funds to insurgent groups.

-- A combined force captured a Haqqani network leader, detained several suspects, and seized multiple chest racks and weapons in the Sabari district of Khost province. The leader planned roadside bomb attacks and procured weapons for insurgents in Khost.

-- In the Khost district of Khost province, an Afghan-led and coalition-supported force detained several suspects while searching for a Haqqani network member who distributes supplies to insurgents and conducts attacks against Afghan forces using rockets and machine guns.

-- A combined force killed one insurgent, detained two others and seized several weapons while searching for a Taliban leader in the Zurmat district of Paktiya province. The leader directs ambush and roadside bomb attacks throughout the district.

In Afghanistan news:

-- Six International Security Assistance Force service members died following a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan. The cause of the crash is under investigation. Initial reporting indicates there was no enemy activity in the area at the time of the crash. It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities and more information will be released.

-- Afghan soldiers detained a man for possession of a small weapons cache in the Dehyak district of Ghazni province.

-- Coalition forces detained a man for questioning after indirect shots were fired around Camp Clark in Khost province.

-- Afghan soldiers detained a man found with a weapons cache in the Sar Rowzah district of Paktika province. The detainee was transported to a nearby base for questioning.

-- Coalition forces detained four suspects matching the description of a senior Haqqani network commander in the Baraki Barak district of Logar province. The detainees were transported to a nearby base for questioning.

Marine Casualties

2012-01-21T19:17:00.000-08:00

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of six Marines who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Killed were:

Capt. Daniel B. Bartle, 27, of Ferndale, Wash.

Capt. Nathan R. McHone, 29, of Crystal Lake, Ill.
MSgt. Travis W. Riddick, 40, of Centerville, Iowa.
Cpl. Jesse W. Stites, 23, of North Beach, Md.
Cpl. Kevin J. Reinhard, 25, of Colonia, N.J.
Cpl. Joseph D. Logan, 22, of Willis, Texas.

These Marines died January 19 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. They were assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 363, Marine Aircraft Group 24, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

For additional background information on these Marines, news media representatives may contact the Marine Corps Base Hawaiipublic affairs office at 808-257-8870.

Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Export Military Antennae to Singapore and Hong Kong

2012-01-20T14:33:00.001-08:00

WASHINGTON – Rudolf L. Cheung, 57, a resident of Massachusetts, pleaded guilty today in federal court in the District of Columbia to conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act in connection with the unlawful export of 55 military antennae from the United States to Singapore and Hong Kong.

The plea was announced by Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; John Morton, Director of the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); Mark Giuliano, Executive Assistant Director of the FBI’s National Security Branch; and Eric L. Hirschhorn, Under Secretary for Industry and Security at the Commerce Department.

Cheung serves as the head of the Research & Development Department at a private company that manufactures antennae. Over the past 17 years, he has designed or supervised the development of a full library of antennae made by the firm, many of which have military applications and are used by defense contractors. Some of Cheung’s inventions are used in the U.S. space program.

According to court documents filed in the case, in June 2006, a company in Singapore sent an inquiry to the firm that employs Cheung seeking a quotation for two types of antennae that are classified by the U.S. government as defense articles and may not be exported without a license or approval from the State Department. After receiving the query, the export compliance officer at Cheung’s firm advised the firm in Singapore that neither antenna could be exported unless they filled out a U.S. government form attesting that the goods would not be transferred. The firm in Singapore refused, and the order was stopped.

After learning that the export compliance officer at his company had blocked the export, Cheung admitted that he discussed with an individual outside his company (co-conspirator C) a plan to bypass the export controls at his company and arrange for the antennae to be exported to Singapore through co-conspirator C. Under the plan, co-conspirator C, who operated his own company in Massachusetts, would purchase these goods from Cheung’s company and then export them on his own to the firm in Singapore, with Cheung’s knowledge.

Subsequently, co-conspirator C contacted the firm in Singapore and offered to broker the deal with Cheung’s company. Co-conspirator C then negotiated the purchase of the antennae with employees of the firm in Singapore and, later, with another company called Corezing International in Singapore. Between July and September 2007, co-conspirator C purchased 55 military antennae from Cheung’s company, which he then exported to Corezing addresses in both Singapore and Hong Kong.

According to court documents, Cheung was aware that the purchases by Co-conspirator C were intended for export from the United States and that these exports had previously been blocked by his export compliance manager. Yet Cheung took no action to stop the sale of these antennae from his company or their subsequent export from the United States, even though he knew a license was required for such exports. Cheung neither sought nor obtained any license from the State Department to export these items outside the United States.

At sentencing, Cheung faces a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and a 3-year term of supervised release.

Corezing, based in Singapore, has been charged in a separate indictment in the District of Columbia in connection with the export of these particular military antennae to Singapore and Hong Kong. Corezing and its principals have also been charged, and the United States is seeking their extradition, in connection with the export of 6,000 radio frequency modules from the United States to Iran via Singapore, some of which were later found in improvised explosive devices in Iraq.

This investigation was jointly conducted by ICE agents in Boston and Los Angeles; FBI agents in Minneapolis; and Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security agents in Chicago and Boston. Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls.

The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Asuncion and John W. Borchert of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia; and Trial Attorneys Jonathan C. Poling and Richard S. Scott of the Counterespionage Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

Maryland National Guard information unit continues to deploy

2012-01-20T14:11:00.000-08:00

By Army National Guard Maj. Kristine Henry
Maryland National Guard

BALTIMORE - Soldiers from the Maryland Army National Guard 110th Information Operations Battalion are currently deployed to Afghanistan and Djibouti in support of the Global War on Terror.

Small teams are deployed to the two countries while other teams are in various stages of training to prepare for deployment. The battalion is unique to the Army National Guard in that it does not deploy as an entire entity. Small teams are sent to augment larger commands already in place. The first team deployed in December 2010 and rotations are scheduled to continue for the next few years.

Army Sgt. Maj. Kevin Dickey, 110th IO operations sergeant major, explained the on-going, relevant mission of the unit.

"Information operations is gaining traction throughout the military and is being used successfully on the battlefield," he said. "It is being deployed successfully. Combatant commanders are using IO as a force multiplier, to shape the battlefield."

The battalion was officially stood-up in Maryland in 2009. When not deploying, personnel participate in federal exercises, such as Terminal Fury supporting Pacific Command, and state homeland security activities, such as Vigilant Guard in 2010.

The battalion ran its first internal staff exercises in August 2011, followed by a smaller study on the importance of meeting with key leaders within a country. These exercises are scenario based and often involve authentic language and dress.

Led by Army Lt. Col. Richard Amott, 110th IO commander, and Army Command Sgt. Maj. Kimberly Mendez, 110th IO command sergeant major, the unit is federally organized under the 56th Theater Information Operations Group from Washington State. Within the state of Maryland, as of Nov. 1, 2011, the battalion has been reorganized from under the 29th Combat Aviation Brigade in Edgewood, Md. to the 58th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade in Towson, Md.

Afghan, ISAF Officials Detail Corruption Fight

2012-01-20T14:08:00.001-08:00

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON – The battle against corruption in Afghanistan is as crucial to the nation’s future as the fight against the insurgency, two leaders at the forefront of that struggle said today.

Army Brig. Gen. H.R. McMaster commands the International Security Assistance Force’s counter-corruption task force. He and Afghan foreign ministry spokesman Janan Mosazai briefed reporters at the Pentagon from Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul on the political, economic, judicial and law enforcement effort to curb corruption in that nation’s young government.

Mosazai, a past candidate for the Afghan parliament, said his country’s current struggle is best understood in the context of its recent history. From 2001 to now, Afghanistan has experienced an “earth-and-sky” change, he said.

“Afghanistan was a severely isolated country, where the people lived at the mercy of a brutal regime supported by international terrorists,” Mosazai said. In contrast, he added, the nation now has a democratic constitution, a robust free press, more than 11,000 miles of paved roads and 8 million children in school, more than a third of whom are girls. In 2001, fewer than a million Afghan children went to school, and all of them were boys.

“We have seen an exponential expansion of … health services,” Mosazai said. “Today about 80 percent of the Afghan population up and down the country has access to at least basic health services.”

In 2001, an Afghan citizen would have traveled up to two days to make a phone call to a relative or a friend outside Afghanistan, while today more than 12 million Afghans own cell phones, and at least 1 million are online, the spokesman noted.

Afghanistan has emerged from “the dark isolation that it lived under back in the 1990s during the civil war and the Taliban regime,” he said.

“Today we have close to 70 missions in the four corners of the world - embassies, consulates and permanent missions - maintaining and advancing our relations with the region and with the international community,” Mosazai noted.

Afghanistan’s people are determined to preserve their nation’s gains, and they seek regional and international partnership and assistance in their quest for peace and long-term stability and security, he said.

In December, the Afghanistan international conference in Bonn, Germany, drew representatives from more than 100 nations and organizations. That conference, Mosazai said, resulted in “a strong political commitment to support and [assist] Afghanistan” through the 2014 security transition period, “and then for the decade … of transformation in Afghanistan, all the way to 2025.”

During four conferences scheduled for the next six months, he added, Afghan leaders hope to resolve regional issues and flesh out international commitments “so that we get enough time in Afghanistan to develop our domestic revenue sources - our natural wealth, our mines, our agriculture industry - and revive Afghanistan's place, Afghanistan's role as the region's land bridge and hub.”

Afghan leaders seek “a reciprocal commitment between Afghanistan and the international community, where we on the Afghan side continue to implement the reforms that we know are necessary,” Mosazai said.

McMaster said battling corruption is “a critical effort in this really critical phase in Afghanistan's long struggle for peace and justice.”

McMaster noted ISAF forces and their civilian counterparts have taken steps – reforming contract processes, screening people and companies, and overseeing aid donations – to ensure the international community isn’t creating opportunities for corruption.

“We have [in the past] often delivered much-needed international assistance to Afghan institutions and to Afghanistan broadly without adequate oversight,” he added.

ISAF supports the Afghan-led effort to build a political system resistant to corruption, the general said.

The Afghan-ISAF goal, he added, is to “strengthen and harden” key Afghan institutions, especially those involving security, law enforcement and the courts, and so reduce the threat of corruption to the state.

McMaster’s task force also is working with Afghan law enforcement and intelligence organizations “to understand this overlapping problem of insurgency and terrorism, corruption, organized crime and the narcotics trade,” he said.

“We should acknowledge up front the biggest criminal organization in Afghanistan is the Taliban,” he said. “Not just because they commit mass murder of innocent people as their principal tactic in the war, but also because they fund their efforts in large measure through a broad range of illicit activity, especially the narcotics trade.”

People, money, narcotics and drug precursor chemicals flow through the networks that link the Taliban and criminal organizations to the broad problem of transnational organized crime, McMaster said.

That activity victimizes the Afghan people and weakens government institutions “through the corrosive effects of the money that comes in and those who are put into positions to facilitate, protect and profit from the narcotics trade,” the general said.

The U.S. departments of State and Justice work with the task force to understand the overall problem and support Afghan-led law enforcement and judicial action against corruption, he added.

Members of the Afghan government must generate the political will to take on the problems, McMaster said.

“What Afghan leaders often see is the power of these criminal networks,” he said. “They often see political risks associated with taking them on. But I think now, because we've worked on this problem together, we can also see the long-term cost of inaction against these networks.”

McMaster noted Afghan President Hamid Karzai said last week the nation must “lift impunity and protection” from key narcotics traffickers.

“And you've had the arrest of four key traffickers just in the last week, which is a very encouraging sign,” the general said.

McMaster said anti-corruption efforts in Afghanistan are achieving “quantifiable progress.”

“How that progress relates to the overall scale of the problem, … I can't tell you yet,” he said. “We're working on that as well.”

Face of Defense: Chaplain’s Assistant Steps Up

2012-01-20T14:05:00.000-08:00

By Marine Corps Cpl. Meredith Brown
2nd Marine Division

FORWARD OPERATING BASE GERONIMO, Afghanistan – A food service specialist by trade, Marine Corps Cpl. Alexander McDonald normally can be found behind the scenes in the chow hall, whipping together pastries at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif. But during his current deployment to Afghanistan’s Helmand province, he has taken on an entirely different role.

Far from the comfort of the kitchen, McDonald serves as a chaplain’s assistant for the 2nd Marine Division’s 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, a role normally designated for a Navy religious programs specialist.

Just a couple months before the battalion was slated to deploy, Chaplain (Lt.) Bryan Davenport, the chaplain for 3rd CEB, had his religious programs specialist cross-train to become a hospital corpsman, leaving him to deploy without security and assistance.

A religious programs specialist is responsible for providing security for the chaplain, assisting and facilitating all religious ministries and being an administrative expert, especially with travel for the chaplain.

McDonald, 21, and a native of Sacramento, Calif., knew he would not deploy within his military occupational specialty, considering that during his previous deployment to Helmand province he worked in the combat operations center. So when the chaplain’s assistant position became available, he seized the opportunity to learn something new.

McDonald explained that before the chaplain’s religious programs specialist left, he had the opportunity to learn his new job.

During the turnover, McDonald trained in personal security, learned the administrative aspects of the job and about different faiths, in addition to his overall responsibilities as the chaplain’s assistant.

He admitted it was a challenge, and that he was not exactly sure what to expect, because things were constantly changing.

“I was going outside of my [military occupational specialty],” said McDonald, who received his Pro Chef Level 1 certification in the Marine Corps from the Culinary Institute of America. “I was no longer able to use the skills I have been trained with, and was going into something totally unfamiliar.”

Only a month into his deployment, McDonald has had the opportunity to visit multiple forward operating and patrol bases throughout the province to help Davenport perform his ministry functions. He said it’s been a welcome change from his previous deployment.

During his trips outside Camp Leatherneck, McDonald often is heard joking around with the Marines about his job, ensuring they know where he came from and that his desserts are better than any that they or their wives make.

Getting to come out and see something totally new and interact with the Marines while getting to know them on a more personal level has been “awesome,” he said.

“I really enjoy being a cook,” McDonald said. “I like being creative and getting to teach other Marines. The main thing you take away from being a cook is teamwork, because that is what you need to get the job done. I’m always making sure Marines are fed, and now it is my job to make sure the chaplain is safe.”

The working relationship between the chaplain and his assistant is imperative to the overall mission of the Chaplain’s Corps, he noted. The two work together day and night to ensure the emotional, spiritual and mental needs of the Marines and sailors are met.

“Corporal McDonald is proactive -- mentally proactive. He’s engaged,” Davenport said. “I’m thinking of something, and he is already up to speed with me. It’s almost like I don’t even need to ask him.”

Insurgents Use Vehicle Bomb to Attack Kandahar Airfield

2012-01-20T12:11:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON – Insurgents detonated a vehicle-borne bomb outside an entry control point at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province yesterday, military officials reported.

The attack resulted in the deaths and injuries of a number of civilians, officials said. Currently, officials added, there are no confirmed reports of injuries to International Security Assistance Force troops or Afghan security forces.

ISAF and Afghan security forces are gathering more facts and will release more information as appropriate, officials said, noting that ISAF's immediate concerns are for those killed or injured and their families.

DOD Identifies Units for Upcoming Afghanistan Rotation

2012-01-20T12:08:00.001-08:00

The Department of Defense today identified three major units to deploy as part of the upcoming rotation of forces operating in Afghanistan. The scheduled rotation will begin in Spring 2012.

This announcement involves one division headquarters totaling approximately 1,000 personnel and two brigade combat teams totaling approximately 5,800 personnel.

Headquarters units:

• 3rd Infantry Division HQ, Fort Stewart, Ga.

Brigade Combat Teams:

• 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. (to deploy as a partial BCT).
• 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

DoD will continue to announce major deployments as they are approved. For information on the respective deployments contact 3rd Infantry Division HQ, public affairs office, 912-435-9876, and the 82d Airborne Division Rear Detachment, public affairs office, 910-432-0661.

Surviving Families, Victims of Cole Attack Seek Justice

2012-01-20T12:07:00.000-08:00

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON – Family members who lost loved ones during the USS Cole attack and two survivors urged yesterday that justice be served in the quest to ensure a fair trial for the accused mastermind of the attack.

The family members and survivors appeared grim-faced, and some choked with emotion as they spoke to reporters at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, following the second day of a pretrial hearing for Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri.

Nashiri is charged with several crimes, including a role in the Oct. 12, 2000, attack on the Cole as it was refueling in Aden Harbor, Yemen. Suicide bombers detonated an explosives-laden boat directly against the ship’s port side, killing 17 sailors and wounding 37 others.

Among the survivors was James Parlier, the ship’s command master chief petty officer, who worked directly for the Cole’s captain and traveled to Guantanamo Bay to watch the pretrial proceedings.

Parlier admitted yesterday that seeing Nashiri during his first visit to Guantanamo Bay since Joint Task Force Guantanamo was stood up “brings up a lot of raw emotion.”

“This is a long process, and it has been tough for all of us,” he said, noting that the attack affected not only the sailors killed and their families, but also their shipmates, who continue to suffer from physical injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder.

“Every person on that ship lost something,” agreed Ronald Francis, a retired sailor whose 19-year-old daughter, Seaman Lakeina Francis, died aboard the Cole. “Everyone is now affected by the outcome of the USS Cole bombing.”

Olivia Rux said her life hasn’t been the same since her husband, Petty Officer 2nd Class Kevin Rux, an electronic warfare specialist, “was murdered” during the attack. She shared with reporters the emptiness she feels and her personal struggle as one of the family members left behind “to figure out where I belong in this society that has been overlooked.”

Rux dismissed defense arguments during the pre-trial hearing that the military commission process is being rushed, denying Nashiri the opportunity to receive a fair trial.

She recalled the painful wait for news after the attack, not yet knowing if loved ones and shipmates were alive or dead, and the agony of having to bury their loved ones. “Where is the justice in that?” she asked.

Francis questioned, after hearing members of the defense team challenge the fairness of the military commission system, who’s thinking about those whose lives were cut short, or were left behind. “When the defense talks about justice, where is the justice [for the] sailors aboard that ship?” he said.

He said he wanted to “see the process and justice done – not only for my daughter, but for all the shipmates that were on that ship.”

Eleven years after the attack, Master Chief Petty Officer Paul Abney, who was sitting in the ship’s mess when the explosion occurred, said he traveled to Guantanamo Bay to seek closure. “I am here to witness justice and to see this process to take place,” he said.

He disputed the defense team’s arguments that military commissions aren’t legitimate court proceedings and insisted that alleged terrorists don’t deserve the right to be tried in the United States.

Abney also scoffed at the notion that Nashiri, as a defendant, is likely to have access to national secrets that even he isn’t entitled to because he has no need to know. “It doesn’t feel fair,” he said, “but that’s the process and the rules.”

He commended the efforts those conducting the commission are making to ensure that Nashiri receives a fair trial. “They are doing their job to be as fair and honest as possible, and we need to let the process go as it was set up at this place, in this time,” he said.

Parlier agreed that the legal process has been “more than fair, I believe, with Nashiri.” But he made no secret of what he hopes the outcome will be.

“I pray to God that we do prove that he worked with [deceased al-Qaida leader Osama] bin Laden and his cell, creating the nightmare for us that he did,” Parlier said. “And I pray that one day, as an older man, that I see him receive the justice that he deserves.”

Jesse Neito, whose son, Petty Officer 2nd Class Mark Neito, was killed in the attack, lamented that justice has been “slow, very slow.” He expressed hope that he “will be able to see and be alive when the outcome resolves itself.”

Rux was more direct. “I have nothing but time to wait until that detainee draws his last breath,” she said.

Kuwait: Minnesota Guard Soldier earns second Purple Heart

2012-01-19T20:38:00.000-08:00

By Army Spc. Mathew Schlueter
1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Red Bull Infantry Division

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait - Army Spc. Skeeter R. Tomczak joined an honored group of Soldiers by receiving his second Purple Heart on Dec. 31 from Army Lt. Col. Eddie Frizell, the commander of 1st Squadron, 94th Cavalry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, while stationed here.

“The colonel told me he never expected to be handing out this award; he expressed how proud he was,” said Tomczak.

Tomczak, an M2 gunner in the lead Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle, was honored for wounds he received from an improvised explosive device detonation during a route clearance mission from Victory Base Complex, Iraq, to Al Asad, Iraq, Oct. 5.

“An IED went off on the right side of us,” recalls Tomczak. “I dropped down into the vehicle to make sure everyone was ok.”

After Tomczak verified that his crew was ok, he jumped back up into the turret to engage the individuals who set off the IED.

“I was trying to find them through my thermal scope, but it wasn’t working,” said Tomczak.

Half of the scope was blown off during the IED explosion.

At that moment, Tomczak noticed a sharp pain in his elbow and dropped back down into the vehicle. After further inspection by his truck commander, Army Sgt. Cade Gornick, Tomczak had come to the realization that he had taken shrapnel in his arm from the blast.

Army Pvt. Jason Gates, sitting in the back of the MRAP, rendered aid to Tomczak’s arm, which temporarily stopped the bleeding until a medic was able to tend to Tomczak’s wounds.

“Gates patched up Tomczak and then jumped on the gun, so we could continue on the mission,” said Gornick.

Searching for IEDs is not out of the norm for Tomczak, as this is the second Purple Heart he has received.

The first Purple Heart was awarded to him on the brigade’s 22-month deployment to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom in Feburary 2007, after an IED exploded next to his Humvee while on a short haul convoy from LSA Anaconda, Iraq, to Forward Operating Base Spiker, Iraq.

“The first IED I went through was by far worse, because it was the first,” said Tomczak.

He continued on to say, “After going through an event like that, it changes you. I know there are Soldiers who have never gone through the experiences I have, and I am thankful for that.”

When asked about what he was most thankful for after his second IED, Tomczak simply replied, “I’m glad it happened to me and not somebody else.”

Although Tomczak is thankful most Soldiers have not experienced what he has, Gornick was working side-by-side with Tomczak in the same truck when both IEDs went off. Gornick was the driver of the Humvee during the last deployment and is now the truck commander of Tomczak’s MRAP during this deployment.

“We are the luckiest unlucky people you will ever meet,” Gornick exclaimed. “I knew the day they paired us up on this deployment, we were going to get blown up again.”

Despite everything they’ve been through, Gornick was still able to say with a smile on his face, “I am very proud of Tomczak.”

After taking a few moments to reflect on his ceremony, Tomczak said, “If you look back at the people who have two Purple Hearts, you can’t help but have the utmost respect for them, and to find myself now in that category, it’s a real honor.”

Through the SPP, the Florida National Guard is partnered with Guyana and the Regional Security System (RSS) – an international agreement for the defense and security of the eastern Caribbean region.

“We take our role in the State Partnership Program very seriously,” Adjutant General of Florida Maj. Gen. Emmett Titshaw Jr. said. “Our growing role of building partnership capacity in the Regional Security System and in Guyana is important to Florida and our Nation.

“The SPP is helping provide a stabilizing global presence,” Titshaw added. “Its effect on future international relationships is a worthwhile investment.”

The SPP supports U.S. national interests and security cooperation goals by engaging partner nations via military, socio-political and economic conduits at the local, state and national level.

The SPP emerged 20 years ago, and links state National Guards with the defense ministries of partner nations. Currently the SPP includes 63 military-to-military partnerships with other nations.

Afghanistan: South Dakota Army National Guard member fights fires

2012-01-19T20:35:00.000-08:00

By Navy Lt. j.g. Cheryl Collins
ISAF Regional Command North

CAMP MARMAL, Afghanistan – The call comes in. Army Sgt. Max Stoltenburg has five minutes to suit up as a firefighter and get to the scene. There is a hazmat spill near a construction zone. However, this is not a call coming from Sturgis, S.D. It’s here in Camp Marmal, Afghanistan. Stoltenburg and his fellow firefighters from the South Dakota Army National Guard’s 451st Engineering Detachment Firefighting Team are the fire protection force for U.S. assets at this NATO base in northern Afghanistan.

Camp Marmal is now home to Stoltenburg and six other Soldiers from the 451st EDFT who arrived in October as part of a yearlong deployment. This is the first time the Aberdeen, S.D., native has deployed to Afghanistan in his nine-year career in the National Guard.

Afghanistan is a far cry from putting out blazes in the Black Hills, but no matter where he serves, fighting fires is what Stoltenburg loves to do.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do as a kid. I know you hear that a lot. It’s more about wanting to protect your community that you live in and do something for them,” Stoltenburg said.

Before deploying to Afghanistan, Stoltenburg worked for Aberdeen Fire Rescue as a deputy fire marshal. It’s a job he started last April before deploying and will continue when he returns. Now his role is lead firefighter and assistant fire chief. He’s proving to be a valuable member of the 451st EDFT.

“His knowledge on the fire ground and pre-fire planning has been a huge help for us at Camp Marmal,” said Fire Chief Army Sgt. 1st Class Austin Hagen. “Most leadership skills come from experience on the fire ground. Knowing what to do in different situations and having the ability to think outside the box is the key to successful firefighting, both of which Sergeant Stoltenburg does well.”

The 451st firefighters not only provide fire protection for U.S. assets on base, they are vital to Camp Marmal’s German fire department. They stand by to assist in unlikely cases of structural fires, airfield accidents or mass casualty events.

Preparing to assist in fire safety at a moment’s notice is what Stoltenburg and his fellow firefighters train for, but imparting that knowledge to soldiers of the Afghan National Army is something new and rewarding for him.

“We’re teaching them about how to use their bunker gear or their protective equipment properly, how to use their air cylinders, how to use tools and how to get to aircraft,” he said. “It feels good that while we’re over here, we’re leaving our footprint on another fire department.”

The call is over once the team cleans up a small spill at the construction zone. It’s all in a day’s work in Afghanistan. Stoltenburg and his team get back in the truck and head back to their fire station, which is a large tent. It is home to Stoltenburg and his fellow South Dakotan firefighters who stand ready for the next call.

Stennis Strike Group Enters 7th Fleet Area of Operations

2012-01-19T20:04:00.000-08:00

From John C. Stennis Strike Group Public Affairs

USS JOHN C. STENNIS, At Sea (NNS) -- John C. Stennis Strike Group (JCSSG) entered the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations(AOO) Jan. 19 after nearly three months supporting Operations Enduring Freedom (OEF) and New Dawn (OND), as well as maritime security operations and anti-piracy efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet AOO.

While operating in the seas surrounding the Arabian Peninsula, JCSSG played a pivotal role in the drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq and provided aviation support to coalition ground troops in Afghanistan.

After conducting weeks of command and control support operations to coalition forces in OND, an E-2C Hawkeye from the "Golden Hawks" of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 112 embarked aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) flew the last Navy aviation mission over Iraq Dec. 18.

"Flying the last Navy air mission in Iraq was a historic achievement for all of us," said Capt. Dale Horan, commander of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 embarked aboard Stennis, the flag ship of the strike group.

"Everyone in this strike group played a part in making that happen and it's a part of history we will always share," Horan said.

In January, after transitioning from OND to supporting operations in Afghanistan, JCSSG forces thwarted an attempted pirate attack on a Bahamian-flagged cargo vessel, then freed a group of Iranian mariners held captive by the same crew of suspected pirates.

"This was a well-executed display of the mutli-mission capability of the carrier strike group and a testament to the professionalism of our Sailors," said Stennis' Command Master Chief Stanley Jewett.

In the 7th Fleet AOO, the strike group plans to conduct several readiness exercises with partner countries in the region as well as visits to Singapore and the Philippines before preparing to head back to the United States.

"The manner in which we've conducted ourselves and executed our mission is indicative of the character of our Sailors and the spirit of our country," said JCSSG commander, Rear Adm. Craig Faller. "While we have much to accomplish before returning home, and I'm confident that we will finish our deployment with the same level of professionalism and personal conduct we've displayed throughout."

The JCSSG consists of Stennis, the guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53), aircraft from CVW 9, and guided missile destroyers USS Pinckney (DDG 91), USS Kidd (DDG 100), USS Dewey (DDG 105), and USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) from Destroyer Squadron 21.

Marine Casualty

2012-01-19T19:14:00.000-08:00

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

Cpl. Phillip D. McGeath, 25, Glendale, Ariz.., died Jan. 18 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the 2nd Marine Division public affairs office at 910-450-6575.

Army Casualty

2012-01-19T19:13:00.000-08:00

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

Spc. Keith D. Benson, 27, of Brockton, Mass., died Jan. 18, in Paktika province, Afghanistan. The circumstances surrounding his death are currently under investigation. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade, Grafenwoehr, Germany.

For more information related to this release, media may contact the U.S. Army Europe Public Affairs office at 011-49-6221-57-6685.

Panetta: U.S. Presence in Gulf Unchanged by Iranian Threats

2012-01-18T16:36:00.000-08:00

By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2012 – The U.S. military has continually maintained a strong presence in the Middle East and will continue to do whatever is necessary to maintain peace there, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said today.

The Navy’s 5th Fleet and other military forces continue their presence in the area, Panetta said at a Pentagon news conference, but their training and preparations have not changed since Iran threatened last month to close the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping route.

“We obviously always continue to make preparations to be prepared for any contingency,” the secretary said. “But we are not taking any special steps, at this point, in order to deal with the situation. Why? Because, frankly, we are fully prepared to deal with that situation now."

Panetta said he continues to hope diplomacy will prevail between the two countries.

“We would hope that any differences that we have … would be peacefully resolved, and done through international laws and international rules,” he said. “We abide by those international laws and international rules; we would hope that Iran would do the same.”

Meanwhile, Panetta said, communication continues. “We have channels in which we deal with the Iranians,” he added, “and we continue to use those channels”

Pursuing diplomacy always is an option, Panetta said. “But in order for that to work, it takes two,” he added. “We’ve always made clear, in terms of any threats to the region, that we’re always prepared respond militarily if we have to.”

Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. John Kirby said at a Jan. 11 news conference that the presence of two U.S. carrier groups in the U.S. Central Command area of operations is just “prudent force posture requirements set by the combatant commander,” and is nothing out of the ordinary. The two carrier groups in the 5th Fleet region continue the nearly constant U.S. naval deployments to the region since World War II, Kirby noted.

“That presence changes all the time,” he said. “It fluctuates based on needs and requirements set by the combatant commander and approved by the Joint Staff and the secretary of defense.”

Panetta confirmed today that he and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak postponed upcoming joint military exercises planned in the area after Barak suggested they needed more planning. The joint exercises have occurred about a dozen times, Panetta said, and the postponement had nothing to do with tensions with Iran.

Georgia Guard troops train for historic Afghan mission

2012-01-18T15:44:00.000-08:00

By Army Capt. Marvin J. Baker
120th Infantry Brigade, Division West

FORT HOOD, Texas (1/17/12) - A Georgia Army National Guard unit will play a significant role in the expected reduction of United States forces in Afghanistan.

The 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade headquarters staff will have a three-fold mission: management of the Kabul Base Cluster, route security to and from camps, and civil affairs in the areas where coalition forces work and live.

Before they will deploy to Afghanistan, the Georgia Soldiers wrapped up nearly 30 days of post-mobilization training at Fort Hood earlier this month with Division West's 120th Infantry Brigade.

During the 648th MEB's culminating training event, to ensure the Guard Soldiers are adequately prepared to deploy, the 120th Infantry Brigade tested every staff section with events replicating those the Soldiers may face during their upcoming nine-month deployment.

"As we developed the plan to train the 648th MEB nearly a year ago, we talked to and looked at the functions of every staff section, considered the top 10 issues they may face, then made sure the 648th MEB commander's training objectives went into developing the final training exercise," said Army Col. Gary Brito, 120th Infantry Brigade commander.

The 648th MEB's robust staff includes judge advocate general, civil-military affairs, information operations and directorate of public works sections. The sections will work together to meet the unit's overall top three missions in Afghanistan.

"We have nearly 67 different military specialties and branches in this headquarters," said Army Col. Andy Hall, 648th MEB commander. "We have a large contracting section, attorneys and engineers we brought on our team that we will use to start and oversee the construction and improvements to living conditions at the nine camps in the Kabul Base Cluster."

While the unit will manage nearly a billion dollars in military construction and local government projects - also known as commander's emergency response program projects - in Afghanistan, the 648th MEB's primary mission is base infrastructure, maintenance and safety for its nearly 10,000 customers, Hall said.

Helping to meet this challenge are many Georgia Army National Guard Soldiers with relevant civilian- or military-acquired skills. Hall said one of his goals was to take advantage of the diversity in skill and thought while preparing the unit to deploy.

As the United States plans to reduce its military footprint in Afghanistan, the 648th MEB will face challenges that come with fulfilling base space requirements while also helping to responsibly hand over U.S.-controlled camps to Afghan forces. During the unit's deployment, the United States plans to withdraw some 30,000 service members from Afghanistan. As of last fall, nearly 100,000 service members were in Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense.

"We will tie in closely to the base-closure planning in Afghanistan," Hall said. "We may be asked to develop plans to help decide which camps may close and when and where those service members will live as they complete their tour of duty."

While the drawdown guides the 648th MEB mission toward closing bases, it also focuses the mission toward opening facilities for the people of Afghanistan. Soon after the Georgia Soldiers arrive in Afghanistan, they will take control of several CERP projects, starting with an orphanage and a school, from the Massachusetts Army National Guard's 26th MEB.

"One of the first things I will do when we arrive in Afghanistan is conduct a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the school built by the 26th MEB," Hall said.

The 26th MEB sent the deputy director of its engineering section from Afghanistan to Fort Hood to advise and mentor the 648th MEB's DPW section during the Georgia unit's week-long culminating training event.

"I came back to help train the DPW because the process for the base camps to request construction support can be complicated," said Army Maj. Ralph Pickett of the 26th MEB DPW section. "It is important that the camps function well, because some camps are also used to train the Afghan Forces service members so that they can assume the responsibility for securing the country after the coalition leaves."

To help train and validate Army National Guard and Army Reserve units for deployments, Division West regularly brings in trainers and subject matter experts from various locations. To build a full cadre of observer controller/trainers for each exercise, trainers may come from the 75th Training Division Mission Command, or units currently working in the relevant theater of operations, or from Division West's own pool of experts from its eight training brigades.

Last year, Division West trained nearly 9,000 Army and Air National Guard and Army Reserve members at Fort Hood. Later this year, the Texas Army National Guard's 136th MEB is scheduled to complete post-mobilization training at Fort Hood before the unit deploys to Afghanistan to replace the 648th MEB.

Combined Force Captures Taliban Leader

2012-01-18T14:29:00.000-08:00

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2012 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader during an operation in the Panjwai district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The leader conducted direct-fire and roadside-bomb attacks against Afghan forces throughout the Zhari district.

Multiple suspected insurgents also were detained during the operation.

In other Afghanistan news today:

-- An Afghan-led and coalition-supported force detained several suspects during a search for a Haqqani network leader in the Sabari district of Khost province. The leader procures weapons, ammunition and bomb-making materials. He also plants explosives throughout the Bak and Sabari districts.

-- A combined force seized firearms and detained three suspects while searching for a Haqqani network leader in the Nerkh district of Wardak province. The leader plans bomb attacks and coordinates insurgent fighters through the province.

-- In the Khugyani district of Nangarhar province, a combined force detained two suspects, seized weapons, ammunition, bomb-making materials and Afghan army uniforms while searching for a Taliban facilitator who coordinates attacks and distributes weapons to insurgent fighters throughout Nangarhar province.

In Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- In the Chorah district of Uruzgan province, a combined force detained two suspects while searching for a Taliban leader who builds bombs and procures weapons for insurgents.

Carl Vinson Conducts Second OEF Mission in 12 Months

2012-01-18T13:51:00.000-08:00

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Lori D. Bent, USS Carl Vinson Public Affairs

USS CARL VINSON, At Sea (NNS) -- Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 Sailors began conducting air missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Jan. 14.

To mark the beginning of their current U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR) operations, Carl Vinson and CVW-17 safely launched 58 scheduled combat sorties.

"We are doing our first sets of mission for troops on the ground," said Air Traffic Controller 2nd Class (AW) Kyle Pierce, Operations Department's, communications division air operations supervisor and departure controller. "We have to be on the top of our game to be there for the people who need us."

Carl Vinson and CVW-17 spent months performing work ups to train, man and equip the CSG prior to it deploying to the U.S. 5th Fleet AOR.

"Our main objective is safe departure and recovery of aircraft so they can successfully carry out their mission," said Cmdr. Brian Flick, Air Operations officer. "We are proud to be able to support OEF.

During Vinson's previous deployment to the AOR in 2011, the crew spent 95 days engaged in maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts, and flew 1,656 combat sorties in support of operations Enduring Freedom and New Dawn.

Carl Vinson and Carrier Strike Group 1 arrived on station in the Arabian Sea, Jan. 9, to relieve Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). Carl Vinson is deployed with guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) and guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97).

CVW-17 is comprised of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22, VFA-25, VFA-81, VFA-113; Electronic Attack Squadron 134, Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 125, Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 40 and Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 15.

Pretrial Proceedings Begin for Alleged USS Cole Mastermind

2012-01-18T13:48:00.000-08:00

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

FORT MEADE, Md., Jan. 17, 2012 – The commander of the U.S. detention facility at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, defended the new policy that allows government officials to monitor prisoners’ mail during the opening day of pretrial proceedings for the alleged mastermind in the USS Cole bombing.

Navy Rear Adm. David Woods, commander of Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay, testified today in response to a motion by the defense at the military commission hearing for Abd al-Rahim Hussein Muhammed al Nashiri. Army Col. James Pohl ruled during proceedings at Guantanamo Bay that Woods should explain the policy he instituted last month.

Woods, one of the highest-level officials to testify in a military tribunal, said the new policy balances his responsibilities to facilitate attorney-client communication while also ensuring security, safety, force protection and good order at the facility.

Woods told Navy Lt. Cmdr. Stephen C. Reyes of the defense team the new policy allows members of a team that reviews detainee privileges to conduct a “plain-view review” of written communications not marked as protected attorney-client information. The review, he said, is designed to ensure this correspondence does not include physical or “information contraband” such as maps of the detention facility.

Woods disputed the defense position that the policy violates client-attorney privilege, or that reviewers must read the material in full to make a determination. He also denied that the policy restricts access between detainees and their lawyers.

One of its benefits, he said, is authorizing guards to search the plastic bins reserved for legal paperwork and correspondence in detainee living spaces. Guards reportedly have found contraband stowed in these “legal bins” in the past.

Woods acknowledged that the policy depends on the professionalism of the privileged review team, as well as their contractual commitments, to ensure their review is conducted properly and ethically. He noted that reviewers, all civilian contractors, must sign a non-disclosure agreement that bars them from sharing this information, particularly with prosecuting attorneys associated with the case.

The prosecution called the defense’s request for Woods to appear before the court irrelevant to the case because Nashiri hasn’t been subject to mail searches.

However, officials said Pohl’s decision to call him likely was made because what happens in the Nashiri case – the first to go through a revised military commission system -- is likely to set the precedent for trials to follow. Army Col. John Head, deputy chief of staff for the convening authority, told reporters the defense’s request likely is intended to institute an across-the-board process that ensures all detainees receive equal treatment.

Pohl is expected to render a decision tomorrow, the second of two days of a pretrial hearing to consider 10 motions in the case.

Nashiri, 47, is charged with "perfidy," or treachery; murder in violation of the law of war; attempted murder in violation of the law of war; terrorism; conspiracy; intentionally causing serious bodily injury; attacking civilians; attacking civilian objects; and hazarding a vessel.

The charges arise out of an attempted attack on the USS The Sullivans in January 2000 and an attack on the USS Cole in October 2000, during which 17 U.S. sailors were killed and 37 more wounded. Nashiri also is accused of involvement in an attack on the MV Limburg, a French civilian oil tanker, in October 2002 in which one crewmember was killed and about 90,000 barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf of Aden. If convicted, Nashiri could be sentenced to death.

Nashiri did not enter a plea during his arraignment at Guantanamo Bay in November.

Although the defendant was in the room during today’s proceedings – albeit it out of camera view for remote viewers for most of the hearing – all the activity revolved around the prosecution and defense teams.

Pohl rejected two defense motions: one to allow Nashiri to be unrestrained during his meetings with his legal counsel, and one to establish an enclave – a protected network within the larger Defense Department computer network – in an effort to keep DOD from monitoring the defense counsel’s computers and electronic communications.

Pohl dismissed civilian defense counsel Richard Kammen’s argument that defense counsel should be able to meet with unrestrained detainees in locked-room meetings, as representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross are able to.

The current policy requires detainees to be shackled and in an unlocked room during meetings with their attorneys, enabling guards to enter the room and for attorneys to exit quickly in the event of a disturbance, the prosecution noted.

Anthony W. Mattivi, a member of the prosecution team representing the Justice Department, expressed concern that changing the current policy could put the guards at increased risk and said Woods should be the one to make any changes to the policy, not the court. “That’s not his call,” Mattivi said of Kammen. “It’s the commander’s.”

Pohl agreed, ruling to keep the current policy intact.

The judge, however, left the door open for a possible request by the defense for an enclave or other security remedy for its electronic communications in the future, while acknowledging that even material in enclaves is subject to monitoring.

Kammen compared the encryption system the defense now uses to protect sensitive materials to putting them in a locked drawer in an office, then handing the government the key to the drawer and leaving the office door open. “It’s the appearance of confidentiality without the substance,” he told the court.

Lockhart argued that an enclave isn’t necessary because encryption already ensures the maximum security possible for the documents. Pentagon computer security expert Adam Bennett, whom she called to the stand, said it’s virtually impossible for government officials to access encrypted information or open documents – including those used by the defense team – without the password and encryption software needed to access it.

Both the defense and prosecution, as well as the judge, recognized that all material on DOD networks is subject to routine, noncontent-related screening to prevent viruses and cyber attacks.

In other motions considered today, Pohl granted a motion supporting more public access to court proceedings. Currently the proceedings are broadcast from the court at Guantanamo Bay via closed circuit to just three locations in the United States. Two of those sites are here at Fort Meade in a theater and training-room facility. Another, at Norfolk Naval Base, Va., is reserved for families of USS Cole victims as well as crewmembers aboard the vessel during the attack.

Pohl also moved that unofficial transcripts of the proceedings, posted online while the official transcript remains classified, may be referred to by both legal teams during the trial.

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Kammen said the defense considered today “on balance, a very successful day,” while acknowledging that some of the motions made could ultimately delay the trial, possibly as far out as 2015.

Kammen called military commissions “at best, a second-class system of justice” and said they are designed to be secretive and provide expedient justice at the expense of transparency and fairness. He added that the defense team today fought for things it wouldn’t have had to in federal court, and accused the government of blurring the line between classified and embarrassing information.

Army Brig. Gen. Mark Martins, chief prosecutor for the Office of Military Commissions, disputed Kammen’s charges, noting that the prosecution team in the commissions operates much like prosecutors in federal courts. They play no part in handling defendant’s correspondence or defense attorney’s emails, don’t communicate with facility personnel about contacts with an accused legal materials and aren’t privy to those materials, he said.

Martins said proceedings like today’s are designed to ensure legal issues are resolved in a way “consistent with the fair, transparent and accountable administration of justice under the rule of law.”

Despite the manpower and expense associated with the commission proceedings, Martins said the United States has a responsibility to follow them through. “Not only must we continue to pursue the truth for the surviving family members of victims who have been rendered silent, but we must also pursue it because that is what justice requires,” he said. “A civilized and open society facing very real and modern security threats can demand no less.”

Face of Defense: Air Force NCO Maintains Vehicles

2012-01-18T11:56:00.000-08:00

By Air Force 1st Lt. Cammie Quinn
Paktia Provincial Reconstruction Team

PAKTIA PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Jan. 17, 2012 – Staff Sgt. Corrie Walden spent eight months of her first two years in the Air Force assigned to Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.

The other 16 months, Walden trained to deploy, deployed, or returned from a deployment in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

Currently, Walden is deployed to the provincial reconstruction team here, where she works as a vehicle maintainer. She is part of a two-person shop, supporting more than 70 service members and several mine-resistant, ambush-protected armored vehicles, as well as other equipment.

The maintenance shop is responsible for fixing most systems on the up-armored vehicles, Walden said.

"Any broken part on MRAPs not related to communication falls within vehicle maintenance's line of work," Walden said. "This includes everything from electrical systems to brakes and chassis."

The Bothell, Wash., native said her deployment in Paktia province is unique in her military experience.

"I find myself doing much more than turning wrenches here," Walden said. "I use Army systems to send maintenance reports and work orders, [and] attend daily meetings, all the while focusing on the primary task: repairing anything that comes up broken.

"All the different fields typically found in a vehicle maintenance shop back at home station are rolled up into one here."

Walden usually specializes in fire engine repair, but in this deployment, she works on armored vehicles.

"There are definite differences when working on MRAPs as compared to fire engines," she said. "Though the diesel engines and chassis are similar, subsystems unique to the MRAP, as well as the physical limitations the armor presents, are a challenge."

Not one to turn from difficulty, Walden said she relies on the training she received before the deployment.

"We had several months of hands-on training with the Army, allowing us to not only familiarize ourselves with the vehicles, but Army systems as well," she said.

Also qualified as a vehicle operator, Walden provides immediate support as team members conduct outside-the-wire missions.

"If something happens to a vehicle in the convoy, I'm there, on-scene, to repair it. It's less time on the ground in one place, ensuring the team is safer from an attack."

Convoys are a joint mission for the team, with drivers and security mainly provided by the team's security forces.

"Providing security would be impossible without support from the vehicle maintenance shop," said Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Demarco, the team’s security forces platoon leader. "They keep us safe and our vehicles in good running condition while we conduct our missions."

Walden said she'll return home from Afghanistan with a better understanding of her job, how the Army works, and of a different culture.

"I have worked with Iraqis before and have seen poverty, but it's on a completely different level here," she said. "It's tough to see, but it helps you appreciate what you have and what we all work for.”

Marine Casualties

2012-01-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two Marines who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died Jan. 15 conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

Killed were:

Cpl. Jon-Luke Bateman, 22, of Tulsa, Okla. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. For more information media may contact the 1st Marine Division public affairs office at 760- 725-8766.

Lance Cpl. Kenneth E. Cochran, 20, of Wilder, Idaho. He assigned to 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan. For more information media may contact III Marine Expeditionary Force public affairs office at 011-81-90-6861-4397.

This incident is under investigation.

Airstrike Kills 2 Insurgents in Afghanistan

2012-01-17T16:36:00.000-08:00

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2012 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force called in an airstrike that killed two insurgents in the Manduzai district of Afghanistan’s Khost province today, military officials reported.

The force was searching for a Haqqani network leader who operates an insurgent cell in the Nadir Shah Kot district and plans roadside-bomb attacks.

The security force observed some insurgents burying a 100-pound bomb near a road and called for the precision airstrike that killed the two insurgents. Three others were detained.

The security force also confiscated a rocket-propelled grenade, multiple firearms and bomb-making materials.

In other operations today:

-- A combined force seized bomb-making materials, weapons and ammunition and detained several suspects while searching for a Taliban facilitator in the Baghlan-e Jadid district of Baghlan province. The facilitator makes explosives, constructs roadside bombs and supplies bomb-making materials to insurgent groups.

-- A combined force captured a Haqqani network leader and two other suspects in the Nadir Shah Kot district of Khost province. The leader trained insurgent fighters and directed roadside-bomb attacks.

In operations yesterday:

-- A combined force killed an insurgent, detained several suspects and seized weapons while searching for a Taliban facilitator in the Kajaki district of Helmand province. The facilitator operates a network in the Musa Qalah district and distributes weapons and explosives to insurgents.

-- A combined force killed several insurgents and seized 880 pounds of opium, 1,562 pounds of drug-producing chemicals and miscellaneous equipment in Helmand’s Now Zad district.

-- Afghan and coalition forces killed seven insurgents and detained five suspects during several operations in eastern Afghanistan.

-- In the Panjwai district of Kandahar province, a combined patrol seized about 6,600 pounds of hashish.

In Jan. 15 operations:

-- A combined force detained several suspects and seized about 2,530 pounds of opium, several firearms and ammunition in the Washer district of Helmand province.

-- A combined patrol discovered a cache containing firearms, grenades, and about 850 rounds of ammunition in Helmand’s Nad-e Ali district.

-- In the Nawah district of Ghazni province, a combined force found several bombs containing a total of about 100 pounds of explosives.

In Jan. 14 operations:

-- In the Dand district of Kandahar province, a combined force detained two suspects during a search for a Taliban leader linked to a recent suicide-bomb attack against an Afghan police official.

In Jan. 13 operations:

-- A combined patrol found finished bombs and about 165 pounds of explosives in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province.

-- In the Jalalabad district of Nangarhar province, a combined patrol discovered about 5,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate, a banned fertilizer insurgents use to make explosives.

-- Afghan security forces detained the two top figures in a narcotics ring operating out of the Shinwar district of Nangahar province. The Afghan-led operation, supported by coalition forces, also resulted in detention of eight people allegedly linked to narcotics activities. The arrests follow Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s Jan. 9 order that the interior ministry take serious measures to bring drug dealers and narcotics networks to justice, citing the narcotics industry as a destabilizing factor that undermines the moral foundation of the state and contributes to an overall lack of security in Afghan society.

In Jan. 12 operations:

-- A combined force called in an airstrike that killed a Taliban leader and an associate in the Marah Warah district of Kunar province. The leader directed insurgent fighters who planned and led attacks against Afghan forces and led a June attack against a school-opening ceremony in the Daridam village.

Kabul Airport Shooting Probe Determines Gunman Acted Alone

2012-01-17T16:34:00.000-08:00

From a U.S. Air Force News Release

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2012 – The Air Force’s investigation into an April 27 shooting incident that left eight U.S. airmen and a civilian contractor dead at the Afghan air force headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan, determined that the gunman acted alone.

In addition to the U.S. personnel killed, two Afghans were shot and three other Afghans were injured in the attack. The attacker -- Col. Ahmed Gul of the Afghan air force -- was killed during the incident.

The Air Force Office of Special Investigations report concludes Gul acted alone and discusses factors that may have played a role in the attack, which took place in the Afghan Command and Control Center at North Kabul International Airport.

While the investigation did not determine a conclusive motive for the killing, the report says, the attack appeared to be premeditated, and witness statements indicated Gul may have had personal issues that may have been compounded by financial problems.

The OSI findings do not support media reports shortly after the incident that an argument may have occurred earlier that day between the shooter and the American service members or reports that the gunman disarmed and methodically killed the airmen.

Since the incident, several security initiatives have been implemented to improve the force-protection posture for the coalition advisers, International Security Assistance Force officials said.

Extra personnel have been assigned to the force-protection mission, and air advisors have received additional "active shooter" training, officials said, increasing the likelihood a shooter can be neutralized safely before attacking additional victims. Also, they added, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities have improved, command and control upgrades have been initiated, and several emergency response vehicles have been purchased.

Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez Indicted for Attempting to Assassinate the President of the United States

2012-01-17T15:42:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON—Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez, 21, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, was indicted by a federal grand jury today for attempting to assassinate the president of the United States. The indictment stems from the November 11, 2011 shooting near the White House.

The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.; James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and David Beach, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the U.S. Secret Service.

The federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned a 17-count indictment against Ortega-Hernandez, who has been in custody since his arrest November 16, 2011. In addition to the attempted assassination charge, Ortega-Hernandez was charged with assaulting federal officers with a deadly weapon, injuring property of the United States, and related firearms charges. The grand jury returned criminal charges against Ortega-Hernandez for violating District of Columbia law as well. Under federal sentencing guidelines, the charges carry a possible prison term of life imprisonment.

According to the government’s evidence, on November 11, 2011, at about 9 p.m., the defendant drove his Honda Accord westbound in the 1600 block of Constitution Avenue NW. He stopped the vehicle just past the entrance to the Ellipse, and fired several rounds at the White House. No one was injured. FBI investigators examined the building and located several confirmed bullet impact points on the south side of the building on or above the second story residence area. Several bullets and fragments also were collected in the area near the impact points.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director McJunkin, and Special Agent in Charge Beach expressed their appreciation to all those who diligently investigated this case from the FBI, the Secret Service, and the U.S. Park Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys George P. Varghese and John W. Borchert of the National Security Section of the United States Attorney’s Office.