Iraq: Guard members saving money in drawdown

By Army Spc. Anthony Zane
362nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

As the Iraq War draws down, remember the courage and the sacrifices from the top Second Gulf War books where Iraq War veterans tell you their story.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq (11/15/11) – As the number of U.S. troops exiting Iraq increases, so has the amount of equipment that has been used to support their efforts here.

As efforts continue with the drawdown of Operation New Dawn, massive amounts of materials and equipment have been consolidated, separated, and redistributed through the Material Redistribution Team yard on Contingency Operating Base Adder.

"We are in the last phases of our cleanup of the MRT yard," said Army 1st Lt. Matthew D. Roskam, material redistribution team officer-in-charge, 1729th Field Support Maintenance Company, Maryland Army National Guard.

"Basically, everybody's excess [materials] that's built up over the past eight to 10 years here in Iraq, that's on nobody's property books, nobody owns it, comes here," said Roskam. "We recover it, sort it out by different demilitarization classes, which says if it's serviceable, unserviceable or repairable."

Materials brought to the yard are unloaded onto the ground and then separated by hand.

"We were non-stop for about three weeks straight," said Army Staff Sgt. George E. Adams, noncommissioned officer in charge of safety and the MRT yard, 1729th FSMC. "Every tenant on the COB was bringing stuff in. We had companies that were bringing anywhere between four and 15 flatbeds," said Adams.

For a time, support from other units to help move the containers was scarce.

"At one point we had a couple of the units supporting us with about eight or nine trucks," said Adams.

Then it got to the point that the MRT yard had one truck to move everything in the yard and it was running back and forth all night long, with Citizen-Soldiers working around the clock, just to meet the demand, said Adams.

"But we have some dedicated personnel who are hard-working and a great team," said Adams.

After the excess materials are sorted at the MRT yard, they are shipped to a warehouse in Kuwait.

"From there it either gets sent out to where it needs to be repaired, or it gets destroyed, recovered, and then redistributed to other areas of operation, like Afghanistan," said Roskam.

Whether destroying, repairing, or reusing the materials that process through the MRT yard, the end result is money saved.

"Anything that comes through this yard is essentially a gain back to the Army," said Roskam. "It's lost items that now have been recovered and it's saving money by not having to re-buy them, and that's saving tax dollars."

Even with the increased volume, fewer trucks, and shifts around the clock, Citizen-Soldiers have kept a positive attitude throughout.

"Motivation's been high because we're all working toward the same goal," said Roskam. "We're all going home."

Budget Woes Top List of Concerns in Afghanistan

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan, July 30, 2011 – Budget cuts -- not operational issues -- are the main concern of soldiers and Marines assigned here.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is holding troop talks throughout the country and is being peppered with questions about the U.S. debt crisis and the future of military benefits.

Mullen thanked service members in Kandahar and here for their sacrifices. At both talks he stressed the effects of change and being ready for unexpected change. He also stressed the need for leadership at all levels.

Then he threw the floor open for questions. In both places, soldiers and Marines expressed concern about the debt negotiations. “The discussion really centers on providing by law an increase in the debt ceiling so the United States can pay its bills,” the chairman said. “And the bills really run the full spectrum. I really don’t know the answer to the question to how, if we default, how that will work out.”

The U.S. Treasury delivers service members’ pay checks, and sends them to veterans and Social Security recipients. “That’s something that the government leadership will have to figure out,” he said. “I honestly hope we don’t get there. But I don’t expect it will affect -- certainly in the short term -- operations here and operations around the world.”

Assuming a solution to the debt crisis is reached, the chairman discussed what the defense budget will look like. He said there is increasing pressure overall on the federal budget to reduce the deficit. This has to be addressed, he said.

“I’ve said for a long time, I believe that the single biggest threat to national security is this growing debt,” he said. “The more that grows the more likelihood that the defense budget will get smaller.”

This is a problem because no one knows what could confront the United States in the future. “We have some significant national security requirements to meet now, and the best I can tell, they are not going to go away,” Mullen said. “As that budget pressure builds … we’re going to have to make decisions on what we’re going to do and what we’re not going to do.”

Still, the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are on the top of the Defense Department’s priority list. All the defense leaders, he said, “are very focused on getting you what you need here in the fight. I don’t see any circumstances where that won’t be at the top of the list.”

Shutdown Could Affect Young Troops Most, Gates Says

By John D. Banusiewicz

American Forces Press Service

BAGHDAD, April 7, 2011 – While emphasizing that service members eventually will receive the pay they would earn during a government shutdown, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates acknowledged here today that if the government shuts down for a week starting tomorrow, their mid-month paychecks would include only the pay they earned for the first week of the month.

During a visit with U.S. Division Center soldiers at Camp Liberty, the first question posed to the secretary concerned the possibility of a government shutdown and the effect it would have on service members’ pay.

“Over time, they won’t lose anything,” the secretary told reporters after the visit. “But you all know as well as I do that a lot of these young troops live pretty much paycheck to paycheck, and when I start to think about the inconvenience that it’s going to cause these kids and a lot of their families, even half a paycheck delayed can be a problem for them.

“So I hope they work this whole thing out,” he added.

Shouts of “Hooah!” rang out among the 175 soldiers gathered for the secretary’s visit when Gates began his answer to a question about the possible shutdown by saying, “First of all, let me say you will be paid.”

Gates joked that as a historian, it always has occurred to him that “a smart thing for government is always to pay the guys with the guns first.” But he then explained how the shutdown would affect the soldiers’ pay.

“Based on some stuff I read this morning, if the government shutdown starts on the 8th and goes for a week, you’d get half a check,” he said. “If it goes from the 15th to the 30th, you wouldn’t get a paycheck on the 30th, but you would be back-paid for all of it [when the government resumes operations].”

Service members are paid on the first and the 15th day of each month.

Gates told the soldiers he knows that could present a tough situation for them.

“Frankly, I remember when I was your age, I did a lot of living from paycheck to paycheck,” he said, “and so I hope this thing doesn’t happen, because I know it’ll be an inconvenience for a lot of troops.”

Budget Workshop Helps Basra Move Forward

By A. Al Bahrani
Special to American Forces Press Service

June 20, 2008 - The provincial reconstruction team for Iraq's Basra province, along with the Gulf Region South district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the United Nations Development Program concluded a two-day budget execution support workshop June 18 at the international airport here. The event provided a clear understanding of how the international community can support the provincial governor's office and technical directorates for the design and implementation of projects for the rest of the year, said Army Maj. Daniel George, a PRT engineer assigned from Gulf Region South's Basra Area Office.

Almost 60 Iraqi government officials representing the governor's office and eight technical directorates were given information to help them move the province forward.

The workshop's aim was to enable the provincial director general to get projects on line more quickly and efficiently and to build the capacity and technical skills of the technical directorate's staff, George explained.

"This was a positive workshop -- the local government was willing to discuss their strengths and weakness among each other, [using] us as facilitators, and the DGs developed a way ahead," he added.

"This was a great workshop following from the Istanbul recommendations," Rave Aulakh, a USAID representative, said. "We were able to identify the exact needs of the governor's office and the technical directorates in terms of training and equipment and were able to discuss solutions to their problems."

Majeed Aziz, a representative of Iraq's Communication Ministry, agreed. "This workshop is the first of its kind for Iraqi government departments," he said, "and it enables us [as government officials] to more efficiently design and implement our projects."

Galli al-Hussein, chief of the Basra Provincial Reconstruction Development Council, said the workshop marks a big step forward. "This joint workshop was very useful for Al Basra governor's office and the technical directorates, and it will have a very good economic impact on not only the Basra province, but all of Iraq's provinces," Hussein said.

(A. Al Bahrani is a public affairs specialist with the Gulf Region South district, Gulf Region Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Iraq.)

Mullen Says Budget Will Fund Force of Future

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

May 20, 2008 - While the United States fields the best military in the world today, that power "is not assured tomorrow," the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee today. The president's fiscal 2009 defense budget request is important for the long-range strength of the U.S. armed forces, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said.

Ensuring the strength of tomorrow's armed forces is why the budget request raises readiness funding by $5.7 billion. "That's why it calls for more than $180 billion for strategic modernization," he said. The budget also calls for a $700 million increase for research and development to $11.5 billion.

The request calls for completing the stand-up of U.S. Africa Command, growing the Army and Marine Corps, and improving U.S. cybersecurity and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, Mullen said.

"I'm convinced this budget reveals balance in our vision for the future: a realization that, while we must continue to develop irregular warfare skills needed to effectively wage irregular warfare both today and tomorrow, we must also prepare for, build for and train for a broad spectrum of warfighting capabilities," he said.

The chairman stressed that the Iraq war is America's No. 1 strategic priority. "We cannot afford, the world cannot afford, to have an Iraq unable to govern, defend or sustain itself in effect and in practice as a failed state," he said. "[If] we get it wrong there, we place an unacceptable risk on our national interests throughout the Middle East.

"We get it wrong there and Iran's growing and negative influence, Hezbollah's growing extremism or al-Qaida's ability to reconstitute itself only intensify and imperil the region that much more," he continued. "That's why we've worked so hard to improve our counterinsurgency skills and to adapt when necessary to changing conditions. We've attained far too much experience in this type of warfare to ignore the lessons learned or the practicalities of application elsewhere."

Counterinsurgency operations are more than simple small-arms firefights. Precision air strikes, cyberwarfare against extremists, and diplomatic efforts are all part of these operations, Mullen said.

The Iraqi government is becoming more confident, and Iraqi security forces are becoming more capable. "We saw that in Basra recently," Mullen said. "We're seeing it today in Sadr City. And Iraqi security forces are leading in many areas in our current fight in Mosul. I'm encouraged, but we are far from done."

In Afghanistan, the United States is working with NATO allies to ensure similar progress.

"Fresh violence in the south, a burgeoning poppy trade and increasingly unstable and ungoverned border with Pakistan all tear at the very fragile seams of security," Mullen said.

Programs Assist Iraqi Engineers

By Sgt. 1st Class Stacy Niles, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service

March 26, 2008 - As the government of Iraq works to build capacity, increasing the number of engineers is essential to design, contract, construct and maintain the country's infrastructure. Roberto Bran, the Wasit Provincial Reconstruction Team's engineer development-program manager, said engineers are vital to executing projects.

"None of this will occur if there is no one to plan and design the infrastructure," Bran said.

Wasit's need for engineers comes with an increase in the provincial government's budget. While the increase allows the provincial government to expand the number of new projects, it may put a strain on the limited number of engineers. The province currently has close to 1,500 registered engineers. of which 200-300 are women.

To address the potential shortage, the PRT, in coordination with the Wasit Resident Engineer Office, the Salvadoran Cuscatlan Battalion 10, the 214th Fires Brigade, and private- and public-sector Iraqi engineers, developed a program to improve the quality of current projects and boost the number of qualified engineers in the province.

The program's aim is strengthening the Engineering College of Wasit University and bolstering the Wasit Engineers Union.

Brand said the focus is on professional development programs targeting mid-career professionals and taught by the faculty of the Engineering College.

Six courses have been taught to date, and 36 more are planned, Bran said. Topics range from solid-waste management, to hydraulic structures to structural analysis and design. The courses accommodate 20 students and are open to Iraqi government and private-sector engineers.

The PRT is funding four laboratories and classrooms at the Wasit Engineering College at a cost of about $2.5 million. The laboratories will accommodate 25 students, while the classrooms will hold 60 students, Bran said. The new construction will feature a computer lab, a survey lab, a soil lab and an asphalt lab.

For students, a major concern is unemployment. The students say it is hard to find jobs because most jobs require experience -- something they don't have.

Toward that end, an internship program is planned for the engineering college. The program will offer paid and unpaid opportunities with contractors implementing Commander's Emergency Response Program and Economic Support Fund construction projects. Students also will work on Civil Military Cooperation and the Army Corps of Engineers' Gulf Region South.

Also planned is an exchange program with academic and professional institutions abroad to establish long-term relationships between the engineering college and academic institutions in the United States.

Dr. Mansoor Manas, dean of the engineering college, wants his students to be able to exchange ideas, receive training and gain knowledge.

"I want them to be able to communicate with everyone especially with English," Manas said. "It is important that they always be encouraged."

Manas said he wants to expand the college library to include current engineering textbooks, professional development magazines and an Internet center. "I want it to be easy for them," he said.

(Army Sgt. 1st Class Stacy Niles is assigned to the Public Affairs Office of 214th Fires Brigade.)

Reduced Violence, Economic Progress Mark Fardh al-Qanoon Anniversary

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 19, 2008 - Coalition troops and Iraqi security forces marked the one-year anniversary of Operation Fardh al-Qanoon over the weekend in an environment of reduced violence and forward momentum on both the political and economic fronts, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman told Baghdad reporters. During a Feb. 17 news conference, Navy Rear Adm. Gregory J. Smith noted solid progress since Fardh al-Qanoon kicked off in early 2007 to improve security protections and services for the Iraqi people while offering them hope for the future. As part of the operation, coalition forces surged five reinforcing combat brigades into the Baghdad area as Iraqi security forces conducted a surge of their own.

Since Fardh al-Qanoon began, terrorist attacks are down more than 60 percent, from an average of 205 a day to 82 attacks a day in January. "And recently, we have experienced some days where the total number of attacks across the country dropped below 40, the lowest levels seen since 2004," Smith said.

In Baghdad, the improvement has been particularly impressive, he said. In February 2007, the city's residents were experiencing 28 terrorist attacks a day, a number that peaked at 46 in June. Last month, attacks were down to 11 a day, a drop by 60 percent over the year and 76 percent from peak levels, Smith reported.

In addition, coalition and Iraqi forces are uncovering more weapons caches and making more headway in disrupting terrorist operations, he said.

Smith was quick to note that terrorists have not given up their violent attacks, but emphasized that as violence subsides, other progress is able to take place. "The improving security situation is helping to create an environment for progress," he said.
Smith pointed to last week's passage of three important laws by the Iraqi parliament as a sign of that progress on the political front. The three laws -- an amnesty law, a provincial powers law and the Iraqi calendar year 2008 budget -- will serve as landmark legislation in laying groundwork for continued progress, he said.

On the economic front, the Baghdad Chamber of Commerce, supported by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, hosted the Baghdad business expo and conference last week, Smith noted. Exhibitors from Iraq's banks, hotels, trade unions, business associations and state-owned enterprises came together to showcase their offerings, drawing more than 8,000 participants.

"The event was organized by Iraqis for Iraqis and was designed to promote commerce and cooperation across the country," Smith said. "It made for quite a scene, one which we hope will be repeated many times across Iraq in the months ahead.

"The economic development, spurred on by improved security, is beginning to open doors to a brighter future," he continued, "and the coalition is proud to be a partner."

Chairman Discusses Priorities, Provides Progress Assessment

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 15, 2008 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff spoke about his priorities during a roundtable discussion with military analysts in the Pentagon today. Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen spoke about the short-term and long-term challenges facing the military.

From the start of his term in office, Mullen has made developing a Middle East military strategy a priority. He said the strategic look at the region is broader than just Iraq and Afghanistan; it includes Sunni-Shiia problems, Palestinian-Israeli relations, and the problems presented by Syria, Lebanon and Iran.

"In Iraq, security is clearly better," Mullen said. "I don't just read about it -- I've been there a couple times."

The chairman emphasized that in the long run, security alone isn't going to provide the sort of winning combination needed.

"It's got to be more than that," he said. "The surge continues to provide a window of opportunity there for the other areas that must be developed – economically and well as politically."

He said he is encouraged by the Iraqi parliament passing a bundle of laws concerning a fiscal 2008 budget, provincial elections and amnesty. "All that said, we've still got a long way to go (in Iraq)," he said. "It's fragile."

In Afghanistan, Mullen characterized progress as mixed.

"The insurgency is growing," he said, noting that the president's decision to send 3,200 Marines to the country beginning in March is an indication of the U.S. government's concern.

He said the NATO countries need to meet their commitments in Afghanistan, and that he supports Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' efforts in that regard.

Mullen said he had a good visit with his Pakistani counterpart, Gen. Asfaq Kiyani, last week.

"What is clear to me is the sacrifices that the Pakistani army has made in fighting this war, and I very much appreciate their sacrifices and the relationship we have and we need to continue to nurture," Mullen said.

He said the Pakistanis now understand the danger from Islamic extremists and are working to establish a counterinsurgency effort in the country's federally administered tribal areas.

The chairman stressed that the military is only part of the solution in the war on terror.

"Part of the long, enduring conflict that we are in is going to be tied to winning the ideological war," he said. "I'm a big believer in engagement, (a) big believer in relationships."

Mullen also said he is "concerned about the toll of repeated deployments on the servicemembers and their families," he said, noting that many soldiers and Marines have served several combat tours of duty. "Both service chiefs are consistently concerned, as I am, about the brittleness of their families."

The military is at a delicate balance between the mission and the health of the force, the admiral said.

"I'm anxious to get out of 15-month deployments as soon as I can and get it down to 12 months," he said. "Fifteen months is too long. Part of it for me was I was in the military during Vietnam, when we did one-year tours and that was a long time."

Despite the challenges they tackle every day, Mullen said, the nation's servicemembers continue to perform well, though they could use a break.

"In meeting with the troops on the ground ... they are incredibly good, they are very proud of what they are accomplishing, they are resilient, yet at the same time they are tired, particularly those on the second half of that very, very long deployment," he said.

The chairman said the United States is taking greater risks in other parts of the world to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Part of my responsibility is to look around the world and see what we will be doing in the future," he said. He said the military needs to make sure it continues working on developing new capabilities, not just on being well-versed in current capacities.

Looking to the future, the chairman said, he worries about what happens after operations in Iraq and Afghanistan finish, noting that the ends of other wars led to drastic military downsizing, making it difficult to meet the next challenge that inevitably has arisen.

"What I worry about is any kind of peace dividend after Iraq and Afghanistan – whenever that might be," he said. "We've done that several times; it has always proven faulty. We've dug ourselves into a hole, and we've had to dig ourselves out."

General Calls Training Critical in IED Fight

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 14, 2008 - Technology is critical to countering roadside and car bombs and to attacking terrorist networks that emplace them, but a big part of the solution boils down to good, old-fashioned training, the new director of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization said. Army Lt. Gen. Thomas F. Metz has built a 36-year career training soldiers, most recently as deputy commander and chief of staff for the Army's Training and Doctrine Command, at Fort Monroe, Va. Since taking the reins of the joint organization tasked with tackling the IED threat, Metz has focused heavily on the training element he said brings together the other aspects of the counter-IED equation.

"The strength of my background is training soldiers, and I think we can make great headway here," Metz told Pentagon reporters during a roundtable interview yesterday.

Metz pointed to the proposed $591.3 million budget for fiscal 2009 dedicated to training the force for the IED fight. This funding, split between JIEDDO's base budget and supplemental funding, will go toward enhancing counter-IED training and building on initiatives already under way.

That training is critical at all levels -- from junior-grade troops who learn how to identify and thwart IEDs during their operations to their leaders who piece together intelligence to identify the terror networks that fund, build and emplace them, Metz said.

"It's one thing to train individual soldiers to use a device, and we are certainly getting about doing that, but it is the collective training of the leader pulling together so that the total is greater than the sum of the parts," he said. "And that's what the enhancing the collective training does."

Metz said he's committed to improving the way troops train to fight IEDS, from developing more realistic training environments for troops preparing to deploy to enhancing in-theater training. "A very real training environment is key," he said.

He praised the counter-IED training troops receive at the Udairi Range in Kuwait before moving north into Iraq and said JIEDDO is funding similar training efforts being established in Afghanistan. But Metz said he wants to boost pre-deployment training, too, so troops arrive in theater with the best counter-IED training possible already under their belts.

Toward that end, JIEDDO invested about $150 million last year in the Joint Center of Excellence, with headquarters at the National Training Center, at Fort Irwin, Calif., to support counter-IED training. The center operates through service-specific training centers at Fort Irwin; Twentynine Palms, Calif.; Indian Head, Md.; and Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, to train servicemembers in counter-IED tactics and equipment currently found in the combat theaters and in conditions mirroring those in Iraq and Afghanistan.

To help bring realism to that training, Metz said, JIEDDO is turning to the amusement and gaming industry to come up with ways to replicate an IED attack. It helped fund the installation of a cellular phone system at the National Training Center so troops there could train against an "enemy" using cell phones to launch IED attacks.

JIEDDO also built a replica of an Iraqi home at the NTC, where troops can fine-tune their search techniques so they're better able to identify IED makers and factories during patrols.

"We want to train soldiers in search techniques -- not just walk in and look, (but in) the high-level search techniques that a very skilled investigator would do if they walked into an apartment in Pentagon City," he said. "So we go through the academic and thinking part of that instruction, and then we have the practical environment for them to train in those skills to search."

Metz said he wants to ensure troops know exactly what to look for during patrols. "If someone has been making a homemade explosive, they have been working with acid, and most likely their hands are going to be stained. And nitric acid comes in black two-liter bottles," he said. "So if you're searching, and you find the owner of the home has got stained hands and in the backyard garbage can are black bottles of nitric acid, you probably have a bomb-maker."

JIEDDO wants to extend more training, not just to troops who run patrols and traverse roadways, but also to their battalion- and brigade-level commanders focused on identifying and taking down IED networks, Metz said.

"At the staff level, it goes back to this understanding (and) using the tools and capturing the data that help you put together that network and understand the parts and know when to attack," he said.

He noted that although the rules of engagement authorize troops to attack when they find someone planting an IED, they may in some cases choose to alert other friendly forces to the threat, then wait and watch. By following the person who emplaced the bomb with persistent reconnaissance and surveillance, troops might be able to put together more pieces of the network.

Other key JIEDDO training initiatives include:

-- Electronic warfare training to prepare deploying forces for electromagnetic spectrum operations in the theater;

-- A senior mentor program that provides retired, senior general officers to mentor trainers and units in counter-IED operations before deployment;

-- Enhanced home-station training support, including more force-on-force collective training at combat training centers and service centers of excellence;

-- Tactical training support, offered through a joint expeditionary team that advises and mentors units from platoon to division level on aspects of the counter-IED fight;

-- International and interagency engagement, including efforts to promote sharing and interoperability among coalition partners in Iraq and Afghanistan; and

-- Coalition and partner training, with 18 nations receiving IED defeat training in Europe and in combat theaters before serving in U.S.-led coalitions.

Metz said these training initiatives will go a long way toward strengthening the fight against IEDs. "Training will make a huge difference," he said.

Key Legislation Helps Iraq Move Toward Self-governance

By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 14, 2008 - The Iraqi government's passage of three bills, including a 2008 budget, marks a historic turning point toward peace, stability and self-governance in the country, U.S. and Iraqi officials said. A provincial powers law represents "an important step toward framing the balance the Iraqi people seek between central government authority and the strengthening of local governments," said a joint statement issued yesterday by Multinational Force Iraq and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The statement called the law a "historic compromise."

The statement, by the top military and diplomatic officials in Iraq, also praised the council for a general amnesty law that addresses the scope of eligibility for amnesty for Iraqis in Iraqi detention facilities. The law will "further encourage reconciliation and respect for the rule of law," the joint statement said.

"There is still much important work ahead for the people of Iraq and their government," the statement continued. "There is also still more to learn about how this legislation will be implemented. Nevertheless, these legislative actions reflect a significant commitment to address important issues and find political bases on which to move forward."

Iraq's Council of Representatives passed a $48 billion budget for 2008 -- a 17 percent increase over the 2007 budget -- that allocates significant increases in funding for security, investments and construction to distribute throughout the country. It also increases the allocation to the Kurdistan regional government from $1.6 billion to $2.7 billion.

The budget is "a significant milestone" in Iraq's transition toward using its own resources to provide for security, economic reconstruction and essential services, according to a White House briefing paper.

The provincial powers law in the legislative package sets in place a framework for Iraq to hold provincial elections by Oct. 1. Under the law, the Council of Representatives has 90 days to pass election laws. Early provincial elections are expected to appeal to Sunni Arabs and others who boycotted the 2005 elections, officials said. The law also delineates the authority of Iraq's central government in Baghdad to its 15 provinces -- a move White House officials called "groundbreaking" in the Middle East region.

Passage of the three bills showed that Iraq's major political parties could work together and make compromises. "We have proven today that Iraqis are just one bloc," Parliament Speaker Mahmoud Mashhadani said following the votes, according to the White House paper.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the legislation shows that political progress made on the local level is affecting Iraq's national government. "We thought that it would be the national level downward. In some ways, it's been the local level upward that has put pressure on the Iraqi national leaders to be responsive."

Additional Pentagon Budget Request Reflects Petraeus' Recommendations

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

Sept. 26, 2007 - The additional budget request for the war on terror that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will present to Congress today reflects troop-level recommendations made by the senior U.S. commander in Iraq, a Pentagon spokesman said today. Gates will present a $42.3 billion addition to the 2008 global war on terror supplemental request when he testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee today, Geoff Morrell, Pentagon press secretary, told reporters. This brings the overall request to just under $190 billion, after a $5.3 billion procurement request for armored vehicles was added to the $141.7 billion original request.

The initial request made in February did not take into account the U.S. troop surge into Iraq, Morrell said, so this addition was expected. This request reflects the recommendation of Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, to draw down U.S. forces in Iraq to 15 brigades by the end of July 2008 if conditions on the ground improve, Morrell said.

"You can rest assured that this number reflects the fact that the services believe they're going to need additional dollars to continue at the pace we're now going at coming into the new year," Morrell said.

Morrell declined to comment on how the distribution of the money would break down, but said that a large portion of the money will definitely go toward construction and deployment of mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, which are in high demand in Iraq.

The Defense Department is still working to ramp up production of the vehicles, known as MRAPs, to the point where they can begin sea-lifting them to the theater as well as air-lifting them, Morrell said. Many challenges involved in speeding the production, he said, but it remains a high priority for the department.

"We are driving this and driving it hard, and the ultimate indicator of this is, are we getting them to theater as production is ramping up, and everything I've seen thus far suggests that we are still on the pace we hope to be," he said.

Morrell also answered questions about security contractors in Iraq. Based on initial information about how contractors operate in Iraq, which Gates asked for in light of a recent incident involving State Department security contractors, the secretary has dispatched a small team from the Pentagon to Iraq to delve deeper into some questions he had, Morrell said.

"From our perspective, he is satisfied with what he's heard from them and others that we have the right policies, procedures and legal authorities in place to sort of deal with the contractors who are working for us," Morrell said of Gates. "That said, he does have some concern about accountability and oversight."

To help address those concerns, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England yesterday sent a memorandum to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and combatant commanders outlining what their authorities are to hold contractors accountable. "We're just trying to make it clear to them that there are the existing authorities to sort of do this job that people are concerned about," Morrell said.

Bush to Ask for $42 Billion for War Operations

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Sept. 26, 2007 - President Bush will ask Congress for another $42 billion to fund operations in the war on terror in fiscal 2008, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told the Senate Appropriations Committee today. Gates; Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte; Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Defense Department Comptroller Tina W. Jonas testified before the committee. The request brings the total supplement for fiscal 2008 to $190 billion, Gates said.

"I urge the Congress to approve the complete global war on terror request as quickly as possible and without excessive and counterproductive restrictions," the secretary said. "That will help the department manage its expenses and people more effectively and minimize costly reprogramming actions."

The department had asked for $141.7 billion for war on terror operations in February. The request for fiscal 2008, which begins Oct. 1, was a straight-line projection of ongoing war costs. At the time, Gates told Congress that the number would need to be adjusted as more information became available and the picture on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan became clearer.

That request included $70.6 billion for operations, $37.6 billion to repair or replace equipment, $15.2 billion for force protection, and $4.7 billion to train and equip Afghan and Iraqi security forces.

At the end of July, the department asked for another $5.3 billion to buy 1,520 mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles. These vehicles, known as MRAPs, offer better protection from improvised explosive devices and car bombs, the leading killers of Americans in Iraq. This brought the total request to $147 billion.

The $42 billion request the president will submit includes $6 billion to support Army and Marine combat formations in Iraq through fiscal 2008. This includes surge forces in the country and the president's announced intention to redeploy five Army brigade combat teams by next summer, Gates said.

The request also includes $14 billion for force protection, including another $11 billion to field 7,000 more MRAP vehicles. If approved, this would bring the request to 15,000 vehicles. "This also includes funding to better defeat enemy snipers and to modify Army combat vehicles to improve survivability," Gates said.

The request adds $9 billion for reconstitution of equipment. This is vital to ensure the armed forces have the equipment and technology needed for future operations, Gates said.

Another $5 billion will go for training and equipment to accelerate the deployment readiness of Army units. Also, $1 billion will go to support National Guard pre-deployment training.

In addition, the president will ask for $1 billion to improve U.S. facilities in Southwest Asia and consolidate bases in Iraq.

Finally, the request seeks another $1 billion to train and equip Iraqi security forces, Gates said.

The defense secretary also threw his support behind the State Department portion of the request. "As you know, the challenges we face in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere are fundamentally political, economic and cultural in nature and are not going to be overcome by military means alone," Gates told the senators. "It will be very difficult for our troops and their commanders to succeed without the key non-military programs and initiatives included in the request for the State Department."

During the hearing, anti-war groups interrupted the testimony on numerous occasions. The committee chairman finally had to clear the hearing room.

"I know that Iraq and other difficult choices America faces in the war on terror will continue to be a source of friction within the Congress, between the Congress and the president, and in the wider public debate," Gates said. "Considering this, I would like to close with a word about something I know we can all agree on -- the honor, courage and great sense of duty we have witnessed in our troops since Sept. 11.

"Under some of the most trying conditions, they have done far more than what was asked of them and far more than what was expected," the secretary continued. "Like all of you, I am both humbled and inspired by my trips to Walter Reed (Army Medical Center) and to the frontlines in Iraq and Afghanistan. And, like all of you, I always keep our troops – their safety and their mission – foremost in my mind every day."

President Calls on Congress to Pass Supplemental Bill

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

May 24, 2007 – This summer will be a critical time for the U.S. strategy in Iraq, President Bush said today as he called on members of Congress from both parties to pass the Defense Department's 2007 emergency supplemental funding request. The Defense Department would receive about $98.6 billion to continue operations in Iraq and Afghanistan through September following a compromise on the supplemental request. Both houses of Congress are set to vote on the measure today.

"By voting for this bill, members of both parties can show our troops and the Iraqis and the enemy that our country will support our servicemen and women in harm's way," Bush said during a White House Rose Garden news conference.

Congress has agreed on a $120 billion supplemental request, which could be delivered to the White House as soon as tomorrow, Hill staffers said. On May 1, Bush vetoed a previous supplemental bill that included language mandating the president begin redeploying troops from Iraq within a year. The new bill contains some domestic spending unrelated to the war effort, but less than what previous versions had included.

Since the veto, White House and congressional leaders have worked together to craft a bill the president would sign.

"We removed the arbitrary timetables on (military) withdrawal and the restrictions on commanders that some in Congress had supported," Bush said.

Instead of timetables, the legislation calls on the Iraqi government to make progress on security and reconciliation benchmarks. If the government does not meet these benchmarks, the bill calls on the United States to withhold reconstruction money.

Bush said the benchmarks are going to be tough to make. He said the Iraqis are establishing a government as they are "under relentless attack from extremists and radicals that are trying to bring down the young democracy."

The benchmarks will provide the Iraqi government and the American people with a clear roadmap on the way forward, the president said.

This summer is going to be a critical time for the new strategy, he stressed. "The last of five reinforcement brigades we are sending to Iraq is scheduled to arrive in Baghdad by mid-June," Bush said. "As these reinforcements carry out their missions, the enemies of a free Iraq -- including al Qaeda and illegal militias -- will continue to bomb and murder in an attempt to stop us.

"We expect heavy fighting in the weeks and months ahead," he continued. "We can expect more American and Iraqi casualties. We must provide our troops with the funds and resources they need to prevail."

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Gates: Department Will Shield Troops from Funding Shortfall

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

May 3, 2007 – The Defense Department will take "every action necessary for as long as possible," to ensure that troops fighting in Iraq are not affected by the delay in approval of its supplemental war funding, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said yesterday. The longer the supplemental funding goes unapproved, the greater the financial disruptions on the Army, but most of those will be absorbed as monies are transferred from accounts for U.S. construction, training, hiring and travel and funneled to supporting the war, Gates told Pentagon reporters.

President Bush on May 1 vetoed an emergency war-funding bill that included timelines for withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.

The $124 billion bill, passed by Congress last week, would have funded the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also included domestic spending measures and called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq beginning by October, with the goal of getting all combat forces out of Iraq by March 2008.

Bush called the bill unacceptable because it mandates artificial timelines for troop withdrawal, which he said would embolden the enemy and discourage the Iraqi people.

Gates responded to questions by reporters on the impact of a delay in approving supplemental funding after a briefing announcing a newly created oversight committee for wounded warrior care in the military.

He said that preset timelines for troop withdrawal would be a mistake. Insurgents would simply wait for U.S. troops to withdraw while bolstering their forces in anticipation, Gates said.

"If you pick a certain date and say the troops are coming out on a certain date, everybody basically just gets to sit back and say, 'OK, we got 90 or 100 days that we've got to wait,'" Gates said.

"All that al Qaeda and Jaysh al-Mahdi and all the rest have to do is say, 'You know, We've got X days until these guys are gone. So husband your resources. All we have to do is make the run for the money in a specific period of time,'" Gates said. "As long as there's some uncertainty about that, it seems to me that they don't have that luxury."

Gates conceded, though, that the debate over a troop withdrawal is "useful in terms of letting the Iraqis fully understand the impatience here at home and the importance of their getting on with their domestic reconciliation and the importance of the political reconciliation to the success of the enterprise in Iraq."

The president requested a $93.4 billion emergency supplemental measure in February to cover the cost of operations in the war on terror for the remainder of fiscal 2007. This was in addition to the $70 billion Congress previously had provided. The supplemental budget provides $39.3 billion to sustain warfighting operations, including supplies, support and maintenance, according to documents released by the Defense Department.

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Bush Promises to Veto War Spending Bill

By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service

March 23, 2007 – President Bush promised to veto an emergency supplemental war spending bill passed by the House of Representatives today because it sets a date for the return of combat forces from Iraq and includes spending unrelated to the war. The Defense Department's emergency fiscal 2007 supplemental request includes $93.4 billion to help fund U.S. forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the global war on terror. The House bill requires that U.S. combat troops be out of Iraq by Aug. 31, 2008, and includes some domestic spending measures.

The Bush administration repeatedly has rejected establishing a deadline for troop withdrawals, insisting that such decisions must be based on conditions in the war zone.

"The purpose of war spending bill I requested was to provide troops with vital funding," he said, adding that the House bill only delays the delivery of resources for troops stationed in Iraq.

"A narrow majority has decided to take this course just as (Army) Genral (David H.) Petraeus and his troops are carrying out a new strategy to help Iraqis secure their capital city," he said.

The president said the military needs the emergency funds right away, as the effort in Iraq shows signs of progress.

"The secretary of defense has warned that if Congress doesn't approve funding for troops ... by April 15, our men and women in uniform will face significant disruptions, and so will their families," he said.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates yesterday told reporters at the Pentagon that the Army will be forced to consider curtailing and suspending home-station training of Reserve and National Guard forces, and reduce funding for the repair of buildings and equipment if supplemental funding was not passed by Congress.

"I expect Congress to do its duty and fund our troops," Bush said, "and so do the American people."

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Gates: Delayed Funding Will Hurt Army

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

March 22, 2007 – A delay in approving the Defense Department's fiscal 2007 supplemental budget request will seriously damage the Army's readiness, possibly resulting in delayed training for units headed to Iraq and reduced funding for building and equipment repairs, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.

If the supplemental funding is not passed by April 15, the Army will be forced to consider curtailing and suspending home-station training for Reserve and National Guard units, and slowing the training of units slated to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan, Gates told reporters at the Pentagon. The Army also would have to consider cutting funding for the upgrade and renovation of barracks and other facilities, and stopping the repair of equipment necessary to support troop deployment training, he said.

"This kind of disruption to key programs will have a genuinely adverse affect on the readiness of the Army and quality of life for soldiers and their families," Gates said.

The fiscal 2007 emergency supplemental request includes $93.4 billion to help fund U.S. forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the campaign against terrorism around the globe.

If the supplemental funding is delayed past May 15, the Army will face even more tough choices, Gates said. Leaders will have to consider reducing repair work at Army depots and delaying or curtailing the deployment of brigade combat teams to their training rotations, which will cause additional units in theater to have their tours extended because other units are not ready to take their place, he said.

Also, he said, the Army might have to delay the formation of new brigade combat teams, implement a civilian hiring freeze, stop the execution of new contracts and service orders, or hold or cancel the orders of repair parts to non-deployed units.

Gates noted that the Army faced similar budget problems in 2006. Any disruptions to deployments would most likely affect units that are part of the regular rotation, and not those already scheduled to be part of the five-brigade surge to Baghdad, he said.

With the supplemental measure, the fiscal 2008 global war on terror request, and the fiscal 2008 defense budget request, the Army will receive a little more than $46 billion for new equipment and reset, a substantial increase in its budget, Gates noted. He pointed out that he also has approved an increase in end strength for the Army and changed the deployment and mobilization policy for the reserve components.

"It seems to me that with all these measures, as we proceed with them, the stress on the Army will be alleviated, even while we're carrying out the kinds of deployments that we have, but it's going to take a little time," he said. "What's important is for the soldiers and Marines out there, the ground forces, to know that help is on the way."

The Army and the rest of the U.S. military have significant commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan, Gates acknowledged, but the U.S. is still ready to respond to any other potential conflicts. Another major conflict would delay the achievement of goals in Iraq and Afghanistan, but wouldn't prevent success, he said.

"Our ability to defend the United States, despite the heavy commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan, remains very strong, and every adversary should be aware of that," he said.

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Bush Urges Congress to Pass Emergency War Spending Bill Without Strings

By Steven Donald Smith
American Forces Press Service

March 17, 2007 – It is vital Congress pass an emergency war spending bill as soon as possible and without strings attached, President Bush said during his weekly radio address today. "In times of war, Congress has no greater obligation than funding our warfighters," Bush said. "The purpose of this legislation should be to give our troops on the front lines the resources, funds and equipment they need to fight our enemies.

Bush submitted a defense budget request Feb. 5 that includes a $93.4 billion emergency supplemental measure to cover the cost of operations in the war on terror for fiscal 2007. Congress subsequently added several additional spending measures to the bill. Bush said some members of Congress are using the bill as an opportunity to micromanage military commanders and force a precipitous withdrawal from Iraq, while spending billions on domestic projects that have nothing to do with the war on terror.

U.S. troops "urgently" need the emergency funds as they step up the new security strategy in Iraq, he said. The new strategy, under the leadership of Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, is still in its early stages, yet signs of progress are already being seen, Bush said.

"Iraqi and American troops have rounded up more than 700 people affiliated with Shia extremists," he said. "They've also launched aggressive operations against Sunni extremists. And they've uncovered large caches of weapons that could have been used to kill our troops."

Bush said the bill Congress is now considering would undermine Petraeus and the troops under his command just as these critical security operations are getting under way. The bill would impose restrictive conditions on the use of war funds and require the withdrawal of U.S. forces by the end of this year if these conditions are not met, he said.

"These restrictions would handcuff our generals in the field by denying them the flexibility they need to adjust their operations to the changing situation on the ground," Bush said. "And these restrictions would substitute the mandates of Congress for the considered judgment of our military commanders."

The consequences of imposing an artificial timetable would be disastrous, he added.
Bush said Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said it best when he told Congress setting a fixed date to withdraw would "essentially tell [the enemy] how long they would have to wait until we're gone."

The scale and scope of insurgent attacks would increase and intensify if U.S. troops were forced to step back from Baghdad before it is more secure, he said. This could in turn cause more violence to spill out across the entire country, and possibly the entire region, he said. "The enemy would emerge from the chaos emboldened with new safe havens, new recruits, new resources, and an even greater determination to harm America," he said.

Another damaging aspect of the bill would be funding cuts for the Iraqi security forces if Iraqi leaders do not meet rigid conditions, Bush said. "Members of Congress have often said that the Iraqis must step forward and take more responsibility for their own security," he said. "Yet members of Congress can't have it both ways: They can't say that the Iraqis must do more and then take away the funds that will help them do so."

The additional domestic spending components of the bill include, $74 million for peanut storage, $48 million for the Farm Service Agency and $35 million for NASA, Bush said. "These programs do not belong in an emergency war spending bill," he said.

The president said he would veto a bill that contains such measures. "Many in Congress say they support the troops, and I believe them," he said. "Now they have a chance to show that support in deed, as well as in word."

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Bush Discusses Emergency Funding For War

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

March 6, 2007 – There are no shortcuts in Iraq, President Bush told members of the American Legion here today. During remarks, Bush said he is urging Congress to approve the defense budget request he submitted Feb. 5, which includes a $93.4 billion emergency supplemental measure to cover the cost of operations in the war on terror for fiscal 2007.

"Here in Washington ... the most pivotal question is whether the United States Congress will stand behind General (David) Petraeus (commander of Multinational Force Iraq) and our troops as they work to secure Baghdad," Bush said. "General Petraeus has my confidence, and he also has the confidence of the United States Senate."

According to documents released by the Defense Department, the supplemental request will provide $39.3 billion to sustain warfighting operations, including supplies, support and maintenance.

Congress has "a responsibility to fund our warfighters," Bush said. "I ask the Congress to approve the funds we requested and our troops are counting on without strings and without delay."

The president also said that supporting U.S. military veterans has been another high priority in his administration.

"This year I've asked Congress for more than $86 billion for veterans services, and if Congress approves my request, this would amount to a 77 percent increase of the budget since I took office," Bush said. "It would be the highest level of support for our veterans in American history."

Since 2001, over 1 million veterans have taken advantage of the Veteran's Affairs health care system, Bush said.

"The 2008 budget proposal will increase the VA health care budget by 83 percent since I took office," he said. "The Department of Defense's health care budget has grown from 19 billion to 38 billion.

"That's an important commitment, ... and I look forward to working with Congress to say to our veterans, 'We care about you,'" he said. "Money is one thing; delivery of services is another."

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