By Army Spc. Curtis Riffle
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 20, 2008 - Serving in the Army can be a long, difficult road. For many, the best way to survive is to embrace friends and coworkers along the way, and soldiers often consider their comrades as brothers and sisters. But two Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers are brothers in the literal sense. Army Capt. Lionel Macklin and Army Sgt. Donnell Macklin were happily reunited here Nov. 7 to commemorate the sergeant's commitment to remain a part of the Army team.
Sgt. Macklin serves as a forward signal support noncommissioned officer with the 25th Infantry Division's Company B, 52nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, based out of Hawaii. His older brother serves as a platoon leader with the 4th Infantry Division's Company A, 3rd Battalion, 4th Aviation Squadron, Combat Aviation Brigade, based out of Fort Hood, Texas.
The two are natives of Ozark, Ala., and are intimately aware of the bonds that bring "brothers in arms" together. They were able to take advantage of the opportunity for the captain to administer the re-enlistment oath to his younger brother.
"For me, it was an obvious choice as to who was going to swear me in," Sgt.Macklin said. "I haven't seen my brother in four years, and for this opportunity to present itself, there was no other way I would have it done."
Capt. Macklin said he shares his brother's pride and enthusiasm, and that he was honored not only to attend his brother's life-making decision, but also to conduct the ceremony.
"This is a great honor for me, for our family [and] for him to let me do his re-enlistment," he said.
Both brothers will continue to serve in their respective units for the duration of the deployment, and both said they hope to visit home during their block leaves to share their experiences with the rest of their family.
(Army Spc. Curtis Riffle serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 25th Infantry Division's Company B, 52nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.)
Showing posts with label hawaii. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hawaii. Show all posts
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Chairman Discusses Risk Assessments
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 20, 2008 - The United States will continue to face military risks even when the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan end, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, in an interview while on a six-day trip to California, Hawaii and Australia, shared the philosophy he applies to assessing military risks.
First, he said, he constantly assesses the readiness of troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. "It impacts overall readiness, equipment readiness and people," he noted.
Second, the admiral said, he speaks with the service chiefs about readiness. He said that Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James T. Conway "have expressed concerns – which I share – about full-spectrum training and that we need to broaden the capabilities for which we are training right now."
Finally, Mullen said, he stays in constant contact with the combatant commanders to solicit their views about the missions they must carry out around the world and the resources they will need. The missions range from military-to-military engagement to training, right up to carrying out war plans should the situation call for it, the admiral said.
The chairman said his assessment of risk "is made in terms of what we're ready for and tied to that is the probability of what's the likely occurrence," he said. For example, he said, the likelihood that the United States would field a ground force in some other areas right now is "pretty slim." This doesn't mean the U.S. military couldn't do it, he emphasized, but simply means it is not likely.
Another aspect of the chairman's assessment process centers on consequences and mitigating them. Assessing readiness is not just about Army brigade combat teams, Marine battalions and other mainstream military capabilities, the admiral said.
"Because we've got 80 percent of our Special Forces in Central Command, there's a lot of Special Forces work that they've been doing for years in other parts of the world that just isn't getting done. That builds risk over time, and we have to assess that."
Even when major operations in Iraq and Afghanistan finish, the Middle East and Central Asia will remain an unstable part of the world, Mullen said. Further, "if I were to magically wave a wand and get everybody back from Iraq and Afghanistan," he added, "it's still going to take a while to reset. It will take some time to reset the Army and a shorter time to reset the Marine Corps."
Resetting doesn't mean just mean replacing equipment and enhancing training, the chairman explained. It also means giving soldiers and Marines well-earned rest.
Contributions from allies and other U.S. government agencies also play a significant part in assessing and mitigating risks, Mullen said.
Noting that dealing with risks facing the nation involves more than bringing the military's capabilities to bear, Mullen said he fully agrees with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' emphasis on the importance of "soft power" -- diplomacy, humanitarian aid and economic and political efforts.
"No one can do it alone any more, especially us," he said. We've got to do it together."
Blog and article sponsored by the Criminal Justice Newsletter.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 20, 2008 - The United States will continue to face military risks even when the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan end, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, in an interview while on a six-day trip to California, Hawaii and Australia, shared the philosophy he applies to assessing military risks.
First, he said, he constantly assesses the readiness of troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. "It impacts overall readiness, equipment readiness and people," he noted.
Second, the admiral said, he speaks with the service chiefs about readiness. He said that Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James T. Conway "have expressed concerns – which I share – about full-spectrum training and that we need to broaden the capabilities for which we are training right now."
Finally, Mullen said, he stays in constant contact with the combatant commanders to solicit their views about the missions they must carry out around the world and the resources they will need. The missions range from military-to-military engagement to training, right up to carrying out war plans should the situation call for it, the admiral said.
The chairman said his assessment of risk "is made in terms of what we're ready for and tied to that is the probability of what's the likely occurrence," he said. For example, he said, the likelihood that the United States would field a ground force in some other areas right now is "pretty slim." This doesn't mean the U.S. military couldn't do it, he emphasized, but simply means it is not likely.
Another aspect of the chairman's assessment process centers on consequences and mitigating them. Assessing readiness is not just about Army brigade combat teams, Marine battalions and other mainstream military capabilities, the admiral said.
"Because we've got 80 percent of our Special Forces in Central Command, there's a lot of Special Forces work that they've been doing for years in other parts of the world that just isn't getting done. That builds risk over time, and we have to assess that."
Even when major operations in Iraq and Afghanistan finish, the Middle East and Central Asia will remain an unstable part of the world, Mullen said. Further, "if I were to magically wave a wand and get everybody back from Iraq and Afghanistan," he added, "it's still going to take a while to reset. It will take some time to reset the Army and a shorter time to reset the Marine Corps."
Resetting doesn't mean just mean replacing equipment and enhancing training, the chairman explained. It also means giving soldiers and Marines well-earned rest.
Contributions from allies and other U.S. government agencies also play a significant part in assessing and mitigating risks, Mullen said.
Noting that dealing with risks facing the nation involves more than bringing the military's capabilities to bear, Mullen said he fully agrees with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' emphasis on the importance of "soft power" -- diplomacy, humanitarian aid and economic and political efforts.
"No one can do it alone any more, especially us," he said. We've got to do it together."
Blog and article sponsored by the Criminal Justice Newsletter.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
National Guard Brigades Alerted For Iraq, Afghanistan Deployments
By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 19, 2007 - The Defense Department today announced the alert of seven National Guard brigades as replacement forces for Operation Iraqi Freedom, and one National Guard brigade as replacement forces for Operation Enduring Freedom. The announcement for Operation Iraqi Freedom involves Army National Guard brigades totaling about 18,000 troops. Two of the brigades will replace two active-duty brigades currently on the ground and will conduct full-spectrum combat operations, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. Four of the brigades will have a security force mission, he said, and one brigade will have a detention operations mission.
The two brigades that will conduct combat operations are the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, North Carolina National Guard, and the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, Pennsylvania National Guard.
The security force brigades are:
-- 56th Brigade Combat Team, 36th Infantry Division, Texas National Guard;
-- 29th Brigade Combat Team, Hawaii National Guard;
-- 81st Brigade Combat Team, Washington National Guard; and
-- 45th Fires Brigade, Oklahoma National Guard.
The brigade that will conduct detention operations is the 50th Brigade Combat Team, New Jersey National Guard.
The first of these brigades will not deploy until summer, and many won't deploy until late 2008 or 2009, Whitman said. The units are being alerted well in advance of their mobilization to ensure they have adequate time for training and that employers and families have plenty of notice, he said.
Whitman noted that many of these units knew they were coming up in the rotation and will "continue their training now with a clear focus that they're headed to Iraq."
In the case of the brigades that will take over the security force mission, they will be replacing about 160 smaller units that are currently conducting it, Whitman said. This will simplify the command and control for that mission and improve efficiency, he said. He also noted that the overall level of effort in the country will remain the same, as all units being alerted today are replacement forces.
The unit being alerted for deployment to Afghanistan is the 33rd Brigade Combat Team of the Illinois National Guard. This unit is scheduled to replace the 27th Infantry Brigade of the New York Army National Guard, which will deploy in early 2008 and conduct the Afghan training mission, Whitman said. The advance team for the 33rd BCT will deploy in the summer, with the rest of the unit arriving much later next year, he said.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 19, 2007 - The Defense Department today announced the alert of seven National Guard brigades as replacement forces for Operation Iraqi Freedom, and one National Guard brigade as replacement forces for Operation Enduring Freedom. The announcement for Operation Iraqi Freedom involves Army National Guard brigades totaling about 18,000 troops. Two of the brigades will replace two active-duty brigades currently on the ground and will conduct full-spectrum combat operations, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. Four of the brigades will have a security force mission, he said, and one brigade will have a detention operations mission.
The two brigades that will conduct combat operations are the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, North Carolina National Guard, and the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, Pennsylvania National Guard.
The security force brigades are:
-- 56th Brigade Combat Team, 36th Infantry Division, Texas National Guard;
-- 29th Brigade Combat Team, Hawaii National Guard;
-- 81st Brigade Combat Team, Washington National Guard; and
-- 45th Fires Brigade, Oklahoma National Guard.
The brigade that will conduct detention operations is the 50th Brigade Combat Team, New Jersey National Guard.
The first of these brigades will not deploy until summer, and many won't deploy until late 2008 or 2009, Whitman said. The units are being alerted well in advance of their mobilization to ensure they have adequate time for training and that employers and families have plenty of notice, he said.
Whitman noted that many of these units knew they were coming up in the rotation and will "continue their training now with a clear focus that they're headed to Iraq."
In the case of the brigades that will take over the security force mission, they will be replacing about 160 smaller units that are currently conducting it, Whitman said. This will simplify the command and control for that mission and improve efficiency, he said. He also noted that the overall level of effort in the country will remain the same, as all units being alerted today are replacement forces.
The unit being alerted for deployment to Afghanistan is the 33rd Brigade Combat Team of the Illinois National Guard. This unit is scheduled to replace the 27th Infantry Brigade of the New York Army National Guard, which will deploy in early 2008 and conduct the Afghan training mission, Whitman said. The advance team for the 33rd BCT will deploy in the summer, with the rest of the unit arriving much later next year, he said.
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