Kuwait: Rhode Island Army Guard chaplain, former Marine provides chaplain services to Marine aviation unit

By Marine 2nd Lt. Joshua Larson

24th Marine Expeditionary Unit

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait - Army Capt. David Harvey, a chaplain with the Rhode Island Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment, is connected to the “Devil Dogs” of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit in more ways than one.

 Currently deployed to Kuwait, Harvey recently volunteered to support Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261 (Reinforced), the aviation squadron for the 24th MEU when they came ashore to train for several weeks.

 The relationship began when Harvey, whose office is located at the far north end of the airfield at Camp Buehring, began providing chaplain support to the 1204th Aviation Supply Battalion, located at the opposite end of the flight line.

“As I was making my rounds between the two, I began noticing these strange creatures in tan flight suits…along with strange aircraft – (AH-1) Cobras and (MV-22) Ospreys,” said Harvey. “I said to myself, ‘there’s Marines here.’”

However, he wasn’t pulled toward the Marines of the 24th MEU because of their tan flight suits or “strange” aircraft – his connection is much stronger than that.

Harvey began his military career in 1989 – as a Marine recruit at Parris Island, S.C.. His enlisted path took him through the ranks as an armorer to Quantico Marine Corps Base’s Officer Candidate School where he was commissioned as a Marine artillery officer in 1994 and deployed as a forward observer. He deployed again in 1998 as a platoon commander, attached to Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment.

Coincidentally, the reconnaissance platoon commander with BLT 3/1 in 1998 was a young Capt. Frank Donovan, now Col. Frank Donovan, commanding officer of the 24th MEU.

 Sometime around 2004, Harvey said, he began entertaining the idea of becoming a chaplain. He had a history of involvement with teaching and mentoring throughout his life, including leading religious functions as a Marine aboard ship.

“Putting that all together, combined with the military, which I had been in since I was 17, the chaplaincy was a natural progression,” he said.

 Throughout this progression, several individuals helped him make the decision. Although most of these people were other chaplains in the Navy or Army, an unusual number of them were former Marines.

 Harvey’s decision to become a chaplain also required him to change services, though many expected him to go to the Navy since the Navy provides chaplain services to all Marines. 

“You spent 18 years in the Marine Corps, why the sudden change?’” said Harvey.

 He said this was something he wrestled with but decided he didn’t want to let his affiliation with the Marine Corps be the deciding factor.

“Once you strip off the rank, the uniform and get to the heart of it, everyone’s the same on the inside,” he said. “As a chaplain, it doesn’t matter to me whether someone is Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, whether they’re a PFC, lance corporal, colonel… they’re coming to see me as a wounded person, not as a battalion commander.”

Harvey was always checking on the 24th MEU Marines – stopping by, lending an encouraging word or just to say hello, even sometimes in the middle of the night during a shift change on the flight line.

“A chaplain’s priority of work is his own unit, then other military units,” said Harvey. “I’m not assigned as a Marine chaplain by any stretch of the imagination, and I’m not trying to take over for the MEU chaplain. But, when the Marines find out you’ve got the club ring, got the tattoos, you can establish a rapport with them right away.”

The 24th MEU is in the middle of a scheduled deployment, currently supporting the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility along with maritime security operations with the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.

South Carolina Army National Guard troops train for embassy evacuation missions

By Sgt. 1st Class Raymond Drumsta

Camp Buehring

CAMP BUEHRING, KUWAIT (6/18/12) -- Though they performed unit-level tasks in the exercises, the companies' ultimate success was due to the most basic Soldier skills of all -- leadership and discipline.

Faced with role players shouting criminal accusations and other insults, the troops of the South Carolina Army National Guard’s 4th Battalion, 118th Infantry Regiment maintained their game faces during separate exercises at Range recently. Dubbed Operation Desert Defense, the exercises were designed to test the troops' ability to air-assault into an area, move to the embassy, defend it and set up conditions to evacuate it.

"Our Soldiers never overreacted," said Army Lt. Col. Frederick Pasley, commander of 4th Bn. "They used good use-of-force techniques and had good restraint."

In addition to manning the embassy defenses for about 24 hours, the companies coordinated the medical evacuation of simulated wounded and a re-supply by helicopter, as well as their movement back to Camp Buehring by the 1118th Forward Support Company, said Capt. Michelle Roberts, operations officer with the battalion.

"There were a lot of moving pieces," Roberts said.

Like Company A two days before, Company C air-assaulted to an area near Range 5 around 5:30 a.m., linked up with Soldiers who were acting as embassy personnel and moved tactically to the buildings, enclosed by tall sand berms, which served as embassy compounds for the exercise.

Slogging across the soft desert sand, the troops encountered a group of their fellow 4th Battalion Soldiers -- decked out in civilian clothing and head scarves -- playing the part of host-nation civilians for the scenario. Though they cheered the troops, the role players became too friendly, enthusiastically crowding around the Soldiers and blocking their route to the embassies.

The troops then moved in and set up their defenses. For the Soldiers, this meant lying prone behind their weapons on the sand berms.

Then the sun climbed higher, the temperature rose above 115 degrees and the exercise began in earnest as the role players formed mobs, continually pounded on the wire-mesh representing embassy gates and shouted demands for food, water and medicine. The role players also tossed small stones into the embassy grounds and tried unsuccessfully to infiltrate the defenses.

“This is the kind of real-world situation which could inhibit the mission,” said Army Capt. Gene Hindman, Company C commander, from Charleston, S.C.

"It makes the leaders at every level have to react and make decisions," he said of the scenario. This includes the team leaders and "anybody who has 'leader' in their title," he added.

The role players' mission was to elicit an emotional response from the troops, but the troops' job is to react as Soldiers, Hindman explained. Though the role players performed their mission well, the Soldiers kept their composure, he said.

The mob left and returned several times throughout the morning, eventually accusing the Soldiers of making illegal arrests and committing a homicide. Despite the shouts and clanging sound of the role players pounding on the gates, the Soldiers calmly and quietly manned their posts, and seemed to speak only to pass their tactical observations onto their team and squad leaders.

Planning, preparation and rehearsals at the unit level, especially the evacuation part of the mission, ensured the exercises' success, said Pasley. The units briefed the Soldiers about the possibility of a hostile crowd, and the standards on the use of force were "embedded into every soldier," he stressed.

"It requires a lot of discipline from (the Soldiers) and their leaders to make sure we don't get sucked into a situation," Hindman said.

Sgt. 1st Class Eric Gallman, a Company C platoon sergeant who was acting as platoon leader for the exercise, said the troops "showed great restraint when being provoked by the role players."

"As infantrymen, it's natural for us to aggressive," said Gallman, of Spartanburg, S.C. "This was a passive situation. This was a training challenge."

A unit's composure under pressure depends on how well the Soldiers know each other, including how each Soldier reacts to different stresses, Hindman said. Continuing exercises like this are a valuable part of building that cohesion, he added.

"It's kind of like building muscle," he said. "If you lift the same weight, you never get stronger. It's only by pushing yourself that you get stronger."

The battalion went to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., in October 2011, and his platoon has been building the muscles of cohesion since they came together under new leadership there, Gallman said. The training at NTC was a heavy lift that set them up for success, and the lessons learned there defined everybody's role, he added.

Company C's noncommissioned officers "did a phenomenal job" during Operation Desert Defense, Hindman said. Along with understanding and adhering to the mission intent and end state, the noncommissioned officers took care of the troops, ensuring they kept their cool despite the role players and desert heat, he stressed.

"It was black flag, 120 degrees," Hindman said, referring to the heat category at times during the exercise. "We had no heat casualties."

They're blessed with good leaders, Gallman said.

"They make good things happen," he said. "It's the team leaders and squad leaders who ensure success."

Kuwait: Kentucky Army National Guard Soldiers train to recover air resupply drops

By Army 1st Lt. Gregory Slater & Spc. Matthew Magreta

1204th Aviation Support Battalion

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait (6/14/12) – At times, using convoys to resupply troops in the field isn’t feasible. But, those troops are able to continue to operate, however, thanks to the abilities of Army and Air Force airdrops. Food, clothing, barrels of fuel, construction materials and ammunition have all found their way to those in the field because of this aerial support.

Soldiers with the Kentucky Army National Guard’s 1204th Aviation Support Battalion recently received training to contribute to those efforts.

Soldiers from 1204th ASB participated in Joint Precision Air Drop System recovery training. The Soldiers received hands-on training in preparing the system for an air drop mission and recovering of sensitive equipment. These Soldiers were then tasked to train other Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment that would augment the unit’s recovery team.

Those Soldiers then took part in a multi-unit training exercise testing JPAS operations. The event took place recently on the north side of Camp Buehring and consisted of approximately 60 troops from the 29th Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Sqdrn., 7th Cav. and the Air Force.

Although JPADS are commonly used in Afghanistan, this was the first time that Kuwait-based units had coordinated as a combined arms team to demonstrate their ability to resupply ground combat units.

"Mission success was contingent upon the positive relationships between U.S. units and our Kuwaiti partners to ensure that airspace was available and clear during the operation," said Army Lt. Col. Todd Coulson, deputy chief of staff for operations, Task Force 3.1.

The operation was previously delayed due to administrative issues, but last month the exercise was conducted flawlessly with JPADS performing as it was designed.

Air Force personnel dropped four bundles totaling 5,000 pounds from a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. Flying in at almost 10,000 feet, two pilots and a full crew guided the drops using a Global Positioning System, meteorology data kit and a mission planner laptop. Each bundle varied in size and weight, but each one resembled a giant cube with netting holding the cargo in place.

The bundles consisted of food, water and other supplies, “which would simulate a realistic resupply drop to ground combat personnel located anywhere," said Coulson.

Soldiers from the 1204th ASB and 1st Sqdrn., 7th Cav. were responsible for transportation, security, recovery and safety of the bundles as they immediately touched down in the 360-degree perimeter.

"Before the drop, we do a reconnaissance and a visual sweep of the drop zone to ensure the area is clear of debris, camels and Bedouin camps," said Army Capt. Michael Kiser, with Troop A, 1st Sqdrn., 7th Cav.

According to Staff Sgt. David Davis of the 1204th ASB, With a one-minute response time to each bundle, it took the recovery team less than 30 minutes to collect the equipment, parachute, and sensitive items and load them for transport to a more secure location where a unit can then conduct resupply operations, said Army Staff Sgt. David Davis, with the 1204th ASB.

Used in combat operations in Afghanistan, one of the main benefits of JPADS is to increase the availability of cargo that can be delivered to troops on the ground. JPADS allows those units to be quickly and regularly resupplied by air where ground transport often is not practical.

"I have worked with JPADS for seven years as an infantryman on the ground and experienced the benefits firsthand," said Coulson. "The recovery might be difficult in four feet of snow in the Afghan mountains making the precision of the delivery invaluable for those Soldiers who may have to conduct recovery in a hostile environment."

Cargo weighing as much 60,000 pounds of weight can be delivered using the system, but no matter the amount of cargo a successful resupply mission often comes down to a few basic elements.

"Pray for good weather, talk to the pilots constantly, and over-communicate with one another throughout the planning. That is the secret of a successful operation," said Coulson.

Face of Defense: Guard Couple Deploys Together

By Army Spc. Bradley Wancour
13th Public Affairs Detachment

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait, March 5, 2012 – For military marriages, deployment normally means a yearlong separation. But that’s not the case for two Kansas Army National Guard soldiers.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Brian Dale, a Black Hawk helicopter maintenance platoon sergeant with Company D, 1st Battalion, 108th Aviation Regiment, and Army Staff Sgt. Danielle Burke, a human resource specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1-108th Aviation, are deployed here together.

“We get to see each other every day, which is the main benefit,” Dale said. Burke said having her husband nearby allows her to unwind after a difficult day.

The Topeka, Kan., natives were married about nine months ago, and their unit has been in theater for more than four months. The couple already has experienced some of the advantages of being deployed together.

“He’s my support system, so it’s good to have him here so I can talk to him if I get frustrated at work or if I just had a bad day,” Burke said. But being deployed together does present some challenges.

“We’re always in uniform, so we have to maintain our professionalism all the time, which means we can’t even do simple things like hold hands,” Burke said. And the deployed environment makes spending quality time together difficult, she added.

“We know we have it better than most married soldiers,” Dale said, “so I feel bad saying there are disadvantages, because at least we get to see each other.”

But the workload in a deployed environment doesn’t allow for as much time together as the couple would like, Dale said. “We still have our mission, so our hours may not be the same,” he explained. “It can be hard knowing she is so close but the job won’t allow us to see each other.”

Still, Burke and Dale said, they accept these small challenges willingly, knowing that a traditional military couple usually has to deal with the challenges of spending a year apart.

Kuwait: Kansas Army National Guard couple deploys together

By Army Spc. Bradley Wancour
13th Public Affairs Detachment

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait (3/1/12) – For military marriages, deployment normally means a year-long separation. This is not the case for two members of the http Kansas Army National Guard -- Army Sgt. 1st Class Brian Dale, a Black Hawk helicopter maintenance platoon sergeant, D Company, 1st Battalion, 108th Aviation Regiment, and Army Staff Sgt. Danielle Burke, a human resource specialist, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1-108th Aviation.

“We get to see each other every day, which is the main benefit,” said Dale.

Burke agreed and went on to explain how having her husband nearby allowed her to unwind after a difficult day.

The Topeka, Kansas, natives have been married for roughly nine months, said Burke.

Soon after they were married, the unit deployed, and has been in theater for more than four months. Burke and Dale have already experienced some of the advantages of being deployed together.

“He’s my support system, so it’s good to have him here so I can talk to him if I get frustrated at work or if I just had a bad day,” Burke stated.

While they are hesitant to admit it, there are certain challenges to being in a deployed environment with one’s spouse that many people may not realize, Dale explained.

“We’re always in uniform, so we have to maintain our professionalism all the time, which means we can’t even do simple things like hold hands,” Burke said.

While they do get to see each other in a professional setting, the deployed environment makes spending quality time together difficult, Burke stated.

“We know we have it better than most married soldiers,” said Dale. “So I feel bad saying there are disadvantages because at least we get to see each other.”

Other difficulties arise from the workload each spouse has to shoulder while in a deployed environment, Dale stated.

“We still have our mission, so our hours may not be the same,” said Dale. “It can be hard knowing she is so close but the job won’t allow us to see each other.”

Both Burke and Dale understand the difficulties and accept them, just like the traditional military couple deals with the challenges of spending a year apart. Overall, they are optimistic about their deployment and are happy to be able to spend time with each other.

Third Army is dedicated to shaping the future by supporting families deployed together.

Minnesota Guard members train while they wait

By Matthew J. Wilson
Missouri National Guard

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait (1/11/12) - Soldiers in the Mankato, Minn., -based 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Regiment are on reserve as a mobile reaction force - but they're not sitting around like the repairman while waiting for the call.

After having a slower pace over the Christmas week, Citizen-Soldiers have focused on the brigade's upcoming Expert Infantry Badge testing that Soldiers can earn if they have the infantry MOS. Drivers training on 4,000 pound and 10,000 pound forklifts and two and a half ton light medium tactical vehicles is also scheduled to make sure the battalions have additional Soldiers who are able to support its logistical needs.

2-135 Infantry Soldiers are also taking advantage of the Army's increased emphasis on using online training. Seventy-six noncommissioned officers completed the distance learning common core portion of the Advanced Leadership Course and 19 officers completed the online portions of their Captain's Career Course.

"Besides the Soldiers who are working on their required courses they have to enroll in through their units, around 400 Soldiers self-registered for the Soldier self-development modules required to attend NCO schools," added Sgt. 1st Class Dennis Becker of Pemberton, Minn. Becker enrolls Soldiers in the courses as part of the battalion training section.

The amount of time spent on completing these courses varies.

As one example, Soldiers on the battalion Facebook page listed the amount of time spent on their courses as ranging from 10 to 30 hours, based on Internet speed and computer skills.

Kuwait: Maryland Guard members get new mission

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait (1/10/12) -The 29th Combat Aviation Brigade, known as Task Force Normandy, had a new mission here only days after the end of the war in Iraq.

On Dec. 18, the last remaining American Soldiers departed Iraq, bringing the almost nine-year conflict to a close. Col. David W. Carey, Task Force Normandy commander, led the last combat aviation brigade in Iraq and was aboard the final helicopter to cross the border into Kuwait.

"It was a surreal feeling," said Carey. "Some of my Soldiers were in elementary school when the war started in 2003, and now we we're making history together as we end this mission and transition to our next one."

The brigade's new mission, working under U.S. Army Central Command, is to combine training and partnership-building activities with other countries in the region to develop and maintain security and stability.

Many of the brigade's Army National Guard Soldiers are accustomed to a variety of domestic and international missions, which take advantage of both their civilian skills and military specialties.

As part of the Maryland National Guard, members of the brigade's Headquarters and Headquarters Co. have conducted peacetime partnership-building missions in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Estonia under the auspices of the National Guard's State Partnership Program.

In addition, National Guard Soldiers are trained to respond to emergencies, such as natural disasters in the U.S., while continually preparing for combat missions.

The Pentagon mobilized the 29th Combat Aviation Brigade in August 2011.

The brigade is comprised of units from approximately 25 states and territories. It controls more than 200 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.

The brigade is expected to complete its new mission in Kuwait this summer.

Kuwait: Army Guard Soldier uses military training, civilian skills to save woman

By Army National Guard Spc. Mathew Schlueter
Minnesota National Guard

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait (11/30/11) – Convoy Escort Team “Able Ten” from Able Troop, 1st Squadron, 94th Cavalry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division “Red Bulls” responded to a head on collision of two Iraqi civilian vehicles while on a long haul convoy from Khabari Crossing, Iraq to Camp Adder, Iraq, Oct. 15.

“An Iraqi police officer was waving us down for assistance,” said Army Sgt. Douglas Olsen, truck commander for 1st Squadron, 94th Cavalry. “When we found out there were injuries we quickly called up our medical truck to provide assistance,”

Olsen said he was the first Soldier in the convoy to notice the accident.

The medical truck was then notified by the CET commander to provide aid to the Iraqi civilians.

“I hope the one thing that can be taken from this is that we are here [the Middle East] to help and will go out of our way to help those in need,” said Spc. Arden Morales, a CET combat medic.

Upon arriving, medical truck personnel witnessed one male lying on the side of the road, two women sitting next to each other a few yards away from the accident and three teenagers just a little further away from the women.

“I paused for a moment, but then my training quickly kicked in,” Morales said.

Her training from the Minnesota National Guard as a combat medic was instrumental, but this isn’t the first time Morales has dealt with vehicle accidents. She has worked as an emergency medical technician outside of the military.

Unfortunately, the man that was lying on the side of the road was dead upon arrival. However, she was able to provide care for those seriously wounded in the collision.

“Both women had lacerations to their heads and several broken bones,” she said.

Knowing the women had lost an exceptional amount of blood, Morales was able to provide immediate attention to the more severe of the two women which saved the woman’s life.

Army Staff Sgt. Jason Montana, the 1-94 CAV CET commander from said, “Spec. Morales handled the situation beautifully. She took charge getting the Iraqi police to set-up aid and liter teams and maintained her calm during a stressful situation.”

After Morales rendered aid to all the Iraqi civilians, she assisted the Iraqi Police in loading the injured to transport to the local hospital.

“She went above and beyond to save a woman’s life and provided excellent care to the injured individuals,” he said. “I wish I had more Soldiers just like her.”