'Red Bulls' have helping hand in building of all-girls school in Afghanistan

By Army Spc. James Wilton

Task Force Red Bulls

PANJSHIR PROVINCE, Afghanistan (5/6/11) – Members of the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team attended the grand opening ceremony of the Baba Ali Girls School in Dara District, Afghanistan, May 1.

The school can host more than 150 Afghan female students and is a part of a three-school complex which includes a boy’s school.

The Dara Community Development Council, a group of Afghans who address the needs of their community, proposed the school to their local government, but there was no money to fund the project.

Hearing this, the PRT decided to take on the endeavour.

“I am very excited and happy that the Panjshir PRT opened the Baba Ali Girls School in this remote district of the Panjshir valley,” said Abdul Matin Mubashe, a math and sciences teacher for the Baba Ali School, through an interpreter. “The young girls of the Dara District now have a place to study and learn.”

The PRT contracted a local village contractor, the Raz Tanha Construction, Road Building and Production Company, to build the 8-classroom school.

“We have an Afghan-first or Panjshir-first policy, if we can find someone capable of doing a project within that community, then we use them to do the work,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Joseph Blevins, the Panjshir PRT commander. “The communities really tie in with the PRTs.

“Our ability to get out and get around and talk to people, and the effectiveness of the government officials really allow us to get a lot more done in Panjshir.”

Keeping the money from projects like this in the community helps to rebuild and reinforce the infrastructure.

Education is also an important part of that rebuilding and reconstruction effort; it helps increase the knowledge and abilities of the future leaders and builders of Afghanistan, according to the province’s education director.

   

“Education is important to the children of Afghanistan, because they are the future builders of Afghanistan,” said Abdul Makim, the Panjshir Province education director, through an interpreter. “That is why I am trying to support the children of Panjshir Province to study and for education. Then they can help to improve the country and our future.”

He said the effort is most needed when it comes to educating the females of Afghanistan, as they are often overlooked.

“Education isn’t just important for Afghan society. It is important everywhere around the world, especially here in this very fundamentally religious society,” said Makim. “Female education is one thing that was heavily impacted especially during the war years, therefore, rebuilding female capacity here in Afghanistan is one of our big pushes.”

Makim said the PRT’s and Afghan government’s efforts are making great strides in the fight to rebuild this devastated country, and they go beyond just the construction of schools.

“We are also helping our teachers to learn and grow and become better teachers, through continued education and classes to help them educate our students in modern subjects,” said Makim. “These programs and others, both here and outside the country, will make them more knowledgeable and better teachers for the children of Afghanistan.”

Improving education of teachers as well as students, both male and female, puts Afghanistan on the right track toward a positive future, said Abdul Rahman Kabiri, the Panjshir deputy governor.

“Schools like this are the first step in the right direction for the people of Afghanistan, and the solution to a problem which is in the education system of Afghanistan,” said Kabiri.

“Projects like this school are very important because the children are the foundation of a society, and in America we say the children are our future,” said Blevins. “So as long as Americans are welcome in Afghanistan and Panjshir as friends and guests, we will work with you shoulder-by-shoulder, hand-in-hand to do projects like this.”

In an uncertain future, hope is what drives a people, and the people of Panjshir have one hope and one request for their children.

“I make this request and hope for the children of Afghanistan, that they will study more and harder so they can improve their country because they are the future builders of Afghanistan and offer a new generation for the community,” said Makim.

Missouri Guard Agribusiness Development Team treats scalded Afghan child

By Army Capt. Marie Orlando

Missouri National Guard

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan (5/5/11) – Missouri National Guard Agribusiness Development Team IV Soldiers and Airmen conducting foot patrols have to be prepared to react to unexpected situations each time they go out, and on a recent mission to the Surkh Rod District Agriculture Extension Compound, members of the team encountered one of those circumstances.

While conducting a foot patrol from the Surkh Rod District Agriculture Extension Compound the security force platoon leader noticed a woman hurrying along with an injured infant in her arms.

The child’s legs and buttocks were bright red and blistered and the woman was obviously distressed.

The ADT security force platoon leader, 1st Lt. Miciah Pyatt, quickly decided to have the ADT medic assess the child and provide aid if the woman agreed to the care.

He had the unit interpreter approach the woman and ask what had happened as the interpreter explained that the Team had a medic which could take a look at the child.

The woman said she was trying to get to a medical clinic for emergency care for her baby, which had been burned when she accidently spilled hot chai on the infant.

Pyatt had the patrol return to the office of the Surkh Rod agriculture extension agent, where a desk was quickly cleared and towels were placed under the child so Spc. Thomas Lohmann, a medic, could assess and treat the baby boy, who had second degree burns on his backside from the waist down, along both legs and on both feet.

In the meantime, the woman was apprehensive about entering the office and having her child examined in a room filled with men.

She was reassured by the interpreter telling her, “I am your brother. We are your family here. It is o.k. to be in here with us. We will watch over you and take care of your baby.”

The members of the ADT and others on the mission all responded quickly.

Sgt. 1st Class Dean Travis, of Raymore, Mo., returned to the vehicles to gather the medical aid bag requested by Lohmann.

Staff Sgt. Nancy Lee, a military policeman with Rule of Law Field Force-Afghanistan, also on the mission with the ADT, joined the small group in the office to reassure the woman and her young daughter.

She assisted in calming the baby and served as extra helping hands to Lohmann.

The young girl was visibly agitated and Staff Sgt. Eli Colson, produced treats from his vest and sent others out for more.

Locals joined the agriculture extension agent in his office to do their best to help the young mother and her family.

Lohmann said he was nervous because it was a burned infant, but it was quickly obvious to him they were second degree burns.

“I knew there wasn’t a lot I could do but I wanted normal saline to wash and cool the area down as well as stopping the burn process,” he said. “I couldn’t do anything for the pain. I flushed it with normal saline, applied triple antibiotic on both legs and feet where the skin was removed.

“There were two large blisters on both buttocks filled with liquid. I told the woman, through the interpreter, to not break the blisters, since they serve to protect the area. I wrapped the burns in gauze and told her she needed to see a doctor.”

“I really wish I could have done more for the pain,” said Lohmann. “I was glad it was only second degree; it was like a bad sunburn with the top layer removed but not any deeper.”

The woman was concerned about her husband’s reaction when he learned of the accident, and she thanked the team for helping her and her son.

The interpreter said the actions of the team will be remembered by the villagers.

“The story of how a military team stopped their mission and took the time to help a young mother and her baby will be passed from house to house and everyone will know the good thing they did for the young mother,” he said.

Upon their return to Forward Operating Base Finley-Shields, Col. Mike Fortune, commander of the ADT, awarded both Lohmann and Lee the Army Achievement Medal for their professional response to treat the burned child.

Military, Afghan Leaders Mark Orphanage Opening

By Karen Parrish

American Forces Press Service

SHARAN, Afghanistan, April 26, 2011 – “Safe haven” took on new meaning yesterday as hundreds of Afghans gathered to open an orphanage here in Paktika province’s capital.

The U.S. military contributed funding and construction oversight for the orphanage, which includes three classrooms and will house and educate up to 100 orphan boys.

Speaking through an interpreter, Paktika Gov. Mohibullah Samim said the U.S. engineers involved in the project contributed not only funding, but also expertise, through the orphanage’s construction.

During his keynote speech, the governor spoke to the boys who will live in the orphanage.

“Today you are a student, [and] tomorrow you will serve Afghanistan,” he said.

Afghanistan has experienced great improvement over the last 10 years, Samim said, noting that the boys at the Sharan orphanage and millions of other children across Afghanistan now have the opportunity to go to school.

“A hundred thousand students are going to university or private colleges in Afghanistan right now,” Samim said. “More than 350 people from Paktika are among them.”

The governor said Afghanistan’s progress also is visible in the number of now-paved roads and the ability of the nation’s army and police forces to work with and protect the people.

“The young generation should not be hopeless,” he said. “We are moving Afghanistan from backward to forward, and the people from adversity to fortune.”

The orphanage is a Commander's Emergency Relief Program project managed by the Oregon Army National Guard's 1249th Engineer Battalion, known as Task Force Gridley, part of the 101st Airborne Division-centered Combined Joint Task Force 101, responsible for the 14 provinces of Regional Command East. The battalion’s higher headquarters is the Texas Army National Guard's 176th Engineer Brigade, deployed as Task Force Hammer.

Both engineer organizations work alongside Task Force Currahee, which is responsible for Paktika province and is built around the division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team.

Army Lt. Col. Kevin Dial, commander of the 1249th Engineers, told the crowd the orphanage opening was an accomplishment for the governor of Paktika, the village’s residents and the entire Sharana district.

“Their hard work and commitment to improving the future for local children is inspiring,” Dial said. “Thank you for allowing us to be partners in this facility and a small part of your success.”

Army Lt. Col. Jim Cline, 176th Engineer Brigade’s officer responsible for design, surveying and civil-military operations, also addressed the audience. He said the orphanage represents a landmark commitment from the Afghan government to the people of Paktika.

“The children who live and learn here, in a safe environment, will look forward to a secure future for them and Afghanistan,” Cline said. “It is our hope and prayer that the children served by this orphanage will grow to be leaders of the future.”

After the ceremony, Cline told American Forces Press Service that since his brigade arrived in September, the orphanage has progressed from foundation to completion.

Projects that include an education component, such as the orphanage, are in line with the U.S. and NATO “long-game” strategy for Afghanistan, Cline said. That strategy, he explained, involves solving illiteracy and breaking the country’s cycle of poverty.

A local contractor did the orphanage construction work, Cline said, and the $380,000 project serves as an example of the sustainable projects U.S. forces seek to emphasize here. It’s a basic, wood-heated structure that includes a kitchen, electrical power and plumbing.

“You try to match the construction to what people are used to,” Cline said. “The technology has to be sustainable by the people who build it.” Funding for CERP projects is scaling back, he added, but a number of other short-term, quick-benefit, low-cost efforts are under way.

Army Capt. Bryan Babcock, civil affairs team chief for Task Force Gridley, said the orphanage’s size made it a focal point for the engineers’ efforts in Paktika.

“We kind of run the whole spectrum, but most of our [projects] tend to be a little smaller -- things that can get done in 45 days or less,” Babcock said. The task force tries to hire all local labor for projects, he added, which keeps costs down and provides economic benefits in the communities.

A vocational small-business-management and agricultural college is one ongoing project the task force supports to build a sustainable economic base in the province, Babcock noted.

“A lot of these business graduates are going to get first crack at a whole series of smaller projects,” he said. “These are projects that are very small in scope, typically very simple –- a small dam, 10 meters across. It’s a great way for someone to polish their technique.”

Cline summed up the significance of the orphanage opening in the overall push for progress in Paktika.

“It had all the elements: local buy-in, support of the political leadership, sustained by multiple [U.S. military] units coming through. … It’s what right looks like,” he said.

Face of Defense: Infantryman Doubles as Outpost Mayor

By Army Staff Sgt. John Zumer

Task Force Duke

GHAZNI PROVINCE, Afghanistan, April 4, 2011 – He’s never had to take a platform to the voters, deal with critical media coverage or balance the books at City Hall. But as mayor of Combat Outpost Deh Yak here, Army Staff Sgt. Wesley Shealey has more in common with his civilian counterparts than most people know.

Both work to ensure the safety and health of their communities, provide recreational opportunities and facilitate orderly traffic flow. The big difference is that Shealey governs in eastern Afghanistan.

Shealey, a 1st Infantry Division infantryman assigned to the Fort Knox, Ky.-based Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, Task Force Duke, is serving a one-year deployment here that began in January.

Less than a week into his tour, the Jacksonville, Fla., native was designated by his superiors to be the combat outpost’s mayor, largely because he had the initiative and personality needed to interact not only with the local people, but also with soldiers seeking answers to numerous problems.

He’s balancing his new mayoral duties alongside his regular job as the noncommissioned officer in charge of the company’s operations intelligence team.

“I’m still only getting one paycheck,” he joked.

The mayor’s duties are a full-time job in their own right. Having days off like a civilian mayor is a luxury Shealey hasn’t enjoyed yet, largely due to the upkeep of the plumbing and electrical systems on which his constituents depend.

“The [combat outpost] mayor is a jack of all trades, with one of the most important positions on any installation,” said Army 1st Sgt. Michael Berry of the 2nd Battalion’s Company C and a native of Columbia, S.C.

Berry and Army Capt. Michael Carrion of Bell Buckle, Tenn., Company C’s commander, receive a daily report from Shealey summarizing concerns such as the need to maintain adequate fuel resources to keep tactical operations running seamlessly.

“You can’t survive without it,” Berry said of Shealey’s role.

As for his other mayoral duties, name the civilian equivalent and odds are good that Shealey is doing it.

Waste water and fresh water concerns? He purifies and regularly tests the nonpotable water his soldiers use for hygiene, and he stages bottled water across the outpost for drinking.

Fire prevention? He maintains fire-control measures and equipment near the outpost’s many fuel points, which have pumps that require his new generator-mechanic skills.

Shealey even dabbles in police-type work, ensuring local workers are properly escorted around the outpost and that trucks making deliveries follow traffic regulations. He also supervises the morale, welfare and recreation center, acquires new fitness equipment and assists with other morale issues.

For soldiers deployed to such a distant, isolated location, those other issues often come down to receiving letters and packages from home. The mayor helps to sort the mail and puts the word out when it arrives, but he’s not a miracle worker when it comes to the post office.

“Mail is a little slow, with some letters taking a month to get here,” he said. “It’s one of the biggest issues.”

Shealey has a full-time assistant: Army Spc. Victor Garcia, a Company C infantryman from Denver who knew Shealey long before the present deployment.

“He was one of the first mentors I had at Fort Knox,” Garcia said.

Effectively governing Combat Outpost Deh Yak and developing young soldiers into leaders are Shealey’s main professional tasks, but a planned retirement from the Army also is on the horizon, along with a possible return to his civilian career as a paramedic, a position he held during a break in military service from 1999 to 2003.

His wife, Alisha, is a nurse, and they have three sons who range in age from 5 to 9. Though they undoubtedly look forward to Shealey switching to the hats he wears as husband and father, the chance to make a positive contribution for his community and its residents here is important to him, he said.

Clinton Urges Aid to Libya, Pressure on Gadhafi

By Karen Parrish

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 29, 2011 – The international community must work toward three goals in Libya, America’s senior diplomat said today: delivering humanitarian assistance, pressuring and isolating Moammar Gadhafi’s regime, and supporting Libyans’ efforts for political change.

Speaking at the International Conference on Libya in London, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the United States has been proud to stand with its NATO, Arab and European partners in protecting Libya’s people.

“We have prevented a potential massacre, established a no-fly zone, stopped an advancing army, added more partners to this coalition, and transferred command of the military effort to NATO,” she said.

Today’s conference in London marks a turning point, Clinton said. While military actions will continue under NATO command, she explained, international attention must focus on humanitarian assistance and political transition in Libya.

Clinton said coalition military actions will continue until Gadhafi ceases attacks on civilians, pulls his troops back from places they have forcibly entered and allows key services and humanitarian assistance to reach all Libyans.

The coalition military campaign has made it possible for more help to get through, Clinton said.

“For example, a convoy organized by the World Food Program was able to reach Benghazi this weekend with 18 tons of supplies, including food and blankets,” she noted. “But a great deal more aid is needed and we have to work quickly and cooperatively to assess and respond.”

Long-term progress in Libya will not be accomplished through military means, the secretary said. Quoting President Barack Obama from his speech last night, Clinton said, “We must continue to pursue the broader goal of a Libya that belongs not to a dictator, but to the Libyan people.”

The nations of the coalition cannot impose their will on the Libyan people, Clinton said, but must support their right to determine their own future.

“And we have to speak with one voice in support of a transition that leads to that time,” she added.

“All of us have to continue the pressure on and deepen the isolation of the Gadhafi regime,” Clinton said. “This includes … political and diplomatic pressure that makes clear to Gadhafi he must go, that sends a strong message of accountability, and that sharpens the choice for those around him.”

The United States agrees with the Arab League that Gadhafi has lost the legitimacy to lead, she said, and with the African Union on the need for a democratic transition process.

“And we support U.N. Special Envoy [Abdul Ilah] Khatib’s planned travel to Libya following this conference to assess conditions and report to the international community,” she added.

Libya is part of a greater change taking place in the region and around the world, Clinton said.

“Under different governments, under different circumstances, people are expressing the same basic aspirations –- a voice in their government, an end to corruption, freedom from violence and fear, the chance to live in dignity, and to make the most of their God-given talents,” she said. Such goals are not easily reached, she acknowledged, but she added they are worth working for.

“And I’m very proud that this coalition has come to this place at this time to try to pursue those goals,” she concluded.

Libyan Regime Forces Feel Effects of Coalition Attacks

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 28, 2011 – Moammar Gadhafi’s forces are feeling the effects of the coalition attacking command and control centers and logistics hubs, as evidenced by the progress the Libyan opposition has made, the director of the Joint Staff said during a Pentagon briefing today.

Coalition aircraft – now including Air Force A-10 Warthogs and AC-130s – have attacked regime forces threatening civilians. They also have hit command and control centers, ammunition supply points, missile sites and radars.

On March 25, regime forces were outside Ajdabiyah and the city was contested, Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney said. Today, opposition forces have control of Ajdabiyah and have pushed west to within 80 miles of Surt -- a strategic port on the Mediterranean.

Coalition officials believe Gadhafi’s troops are digging in and placing tanks and armored vehicles in and around the city, he said. Farther west, regime forces are digging in around Zintan, and fighting continues in Misrata.

Most of the targets hit in the last 24 hours were targets of opportunity, Gortney said. The coalition hit forces still attacking civilians and also the command and control nodes of the 32nd Brigade -- a loyal regime strike force allegedly commanded by one of Gadhafi’s sons and still attacking civilians.

The coalition flew 178 sorties over the past 24 hours with the majority being strike-related. The number of sorties continues to grow, “but the labor share [between U.S. and partner nations] is definitely evening out,” Gortney said.

Pilots from Belgium and Qatar have been flying missions, and 12 fighters from the United Arab Emirates will be joining the fight shortly, the admiral said. “U.S. military participation in this operation is … changing to one of support,” he said.

The USS Providence, a submarine that participated in the Tomahawk strikes against Libya, has finished its mission and will continue its patrol.

While the United States is still flying strike missions, “we are providing 80 percent of all air refueling, almost 75 percent of aerial surveillance hours and 100 percent of electronic warfare missions,” Gortney said.

NATO will assume command of the mission in the next few days. “The specifics are still being worked out,” he said. “The maritime embargo [transfer of command] was fairly easy and straight forward. They started taking on the no-fly mission … on Saturday morning, and we’ll see them taking the total mission, including the civilian protection mission, in the coming days.”

U.S. Africa Command chief Army Gen. Carter F. Ham is commanding now and will shift the command to Canadian Forces Lt. Gen. Charles Bouchard. None of the commanders involved are anticipating any problems with that, Gortney noted.

“One of the benefits of transitioning to NATO is we’ve been working with NATO for many years, and we understand the command structure,” he said. “We exercise together, we operate in Afghanistan together, and that’s why we have tremendous confidence that we’re not going to drop the ball.”

Gortney said they haven’t received a single confirmed report of civilian casualties caused by the coalition. “We will continue to be just as precise as we can in keeping up the pressure on regime forces while protecting innocent civilians,” he said.

Coalition Operation Protects Libyan People, Gates Says

By Terri Moon Cronk

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 27, 2011 – Coalition efforts are hampering Moammar Gadhafi's forces from continuing attacks on innocent civilians and rebel forces in Libya, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during interviews on television talk shows that aired today.

"We prevented the large-scale slaughter that was beginning to take place," Gates said. "We made a lot of progress on the humanitarian side, and [Gadhafi's] ability to move armor toward [several cities] has pretty well been eliminated. He has ground forces at his beck and call, but they're under a lot of pressure."

The goal for the U.S. military was to establish a mission in Libya that could be accomplished in a limited period of time and then be sustained, he said.

"I think the military mission has gone quite well,” he said. “There was never any doubt in my mind that we could quickly establish a no fly-zone and suppress [Gadhafi's] air defenses."

Gates said it's uncertain what will determine the ultimate outcome in Libya, particularly as international pressure continues and if Gadhafi’s supporters see no future staying with him, Gates said.

"We can see elements of his military turning, saying 'This is a no-win proposition,' and the family is splitting," the secretary said, adding that some former Gadhafi supporters have joined the opposition.

Defense officials "are already [planning] in terms of beginning to draw down resources," Gates said. "That might not start in the next day or two, but I certainly expect in the near future."

Gates said the Defense Department will start diminishing the level of engagement and the level of resources the U.S. military has involved, at some point. However, as long as the no-fly zone exists and the Defense Department has "unique capabilities to bring to bear" -- such as intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and some tanking ability -- Gates said the U.S. will "continue to have presence."

He also noted that other U.S. troops are nearby in Europe and in the Mediterranean to provide support if they are needed, he said.

How long the overall mission in Libya might last, he said on "Face the Nation," is uncertain. "I don't think anybody knows the answer to that."

Though Libya is not a direct threat to the U.S., Gates said Ghadafi’s assault on his own people might have created a perilous situation, given the unrest taking place in neighboring Arab nations.

"With revolutions on both the east and west of Libya, in Egypt and Tunisia, [it could have been] a significant destabilizing event, that Libya put at risk potentially," Gates pointed out. "The revolutions in both Tunisia and Egypt were a consideration we took into account."

When in Russia last week, Gates said he "pushed back" at comments made by President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladamir Putin about the number of civilian casualties in Libya, after the U.S. and coalition forces established the no-fly zone.

"We have trouble coming up with proof of any civilian casualties that we have been responsible for," Gates pointed out. "But we do have a lot of intelligence reports of Gadhafi taking the bodies of people he's already killed and putting them at the sites where they've been attacked."

"We've been extremely careful," Gates said, "not just with our pilots, but the pilots of other coalition air forces," to avoid such casualties on the ground.

Coalition Continues to Defend Libyan Civilians

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 24, 2011 – Coalition forces continue to enforce the no-fly zone over Libya, striking air defense capabilities and regime forces that threaten Libyan civilians, Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney said here today.

The director of the Joint Staff said during a Pentagon news conference that the coalition enforcing the United Nations resolution continues to grow in size and capabilities.

“Today there are nine other contributing nations, to include Qatar, and thousands of coalition military personnel involved in this effort,” Gortney said. “They’re deployed across Europe and on the Mediterranean, at bases ashore and on any of one of the 38 ships at sea.”

The coalition continues to strike Moammar Gadhafi’s integrated air defense capabilities, command-and-control facilities, logistics nodes and ammunition supplies, Gortney said.

“When and where regime forces threaten the lives of their own citizens, they will be attacked,” he said. “When and where regime forces fly combat aircraft or fire at coalition aircraft, they will be attacked. And when and where regime forces attempt to break the embargo, they will be stopped.”

Gortney said the coalition message to regime forces is simple: “stop fighting, stop killing your own people, stop obeying the orders of Colonel Gadhafi.”

If they continue to attack their own people, the coalition will continue to hit them, he said.

In the 24 hours that ended at noon Eastern Standard Time, coalition ships and submarines launched another 14 Tomahawk cruise missiles at targets ashore, the admiral said. The coalition flew a total of 130 sorties, 49 of which were designed to hit a designated target. “Of those total sorties, roughly half were flown by pilots from partner nations,” Gortney said.

Partner nations flew roughly 75 percent of combat air patrol missions. “On Sunday, that figure was less than 10 percent,” Gortney said.

More than 350 aircraft are involved in either enforcing the no-fly zone or protecting the civilian populace. Only slightly more than half belong to the United States, he said.

The United States will hand Operation Odyssey Dawn over to a coalition command structure as early as this weekend, Gortney said.

The coalition flew a total of 130 sorties yesterday. Sorties are not just warplanes carrying ordnance. They encompass the range of missions including air-to-air refuelers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, airborne warning and control aircraft, combat air patrol aircraft and strike aircraft.

This makes for a busy airspace over the Gulf of Sidra, and just de-conflicting the airspace requires finesse. “That's why we have a coalition air component commander, to write that air tasking order,” Gortney said.

The air tasking order lays out the type of missions needed, where they fly, the flow of aircraft to and from the airspace and to make sure “that they don't bump,” he said.

Donilon Lays Out U.S. Strategy on Libya

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 11, 2011 – National Security Advisor Tom Donilon laid out the administration’s strategy on Libya during a conference call from the White House yesterday.

Underlying the strategy is a point that President Barack Obama has made clear, that Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi “has lost legitimacy to lead, he’s lost the confidence of his people and should leave,” Donilon said.

Libya’s ruler is isolated, the national security advisor said, and the strategy is aimed at seeing Gadhafi depart.

“First, we did work to ensure that the international community spoke with one voice on this, the United States, the Europeans, the U.N., the Arab League, African Union and others deliver a clear message,” Donilon said.

The large number of nations condemning Gadhafi demonstrates his isolation, he said.

The United States led with strong sanctions against Libya, Donilon said, including freezing more than $32 billion of the Gadhafi regime’s assets.

“We’ve coordinated additional sanctions with our European partners and they have enhanced those sanctions just in the last day or so,” he said.

The president also made it clear that the world will hold members of the Gadhafi regime accountable before the International Criminal Court, Donilon said.

“And we are going to be expanding these designations along the way, including using our intelligence assets to monitor Libyan activities,” he said.

Gadhafi’s minions who are executing his plans “need to think very carefully about this,” Donilon said. “They need to think about what they’re doing to their fellow citizens and they need to think about what the consequences are.

“Walking away now versus participating,” he continued, “is the difference between the international community pursuing them to justice, and all the way, and a different future.”

U.S. officials are in direct contact with anti-Gadhafi regime officials through a variety of channels, Donilon said.

“We’re coordinating directly with them to provide assistance and determine the best ways we can support their aspirations and understand their leadership structures and their intentions,” he said. “We want to hear from them about the situation on the ground, what their plans are, what their recommendations are.”

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton intends to meet with opposition representatives next week, Donilon said, and the United States is prepared to send diplomats to the rebel stronghold of Benghazi.

“This will be helpful to our understanding of the situation on the ground, allow us to facilitate humanitarian assistance,” he said.

Meanwhile, Donilon said, the United States is providing humanitarian assistance to the Libyan people and those leaving Libya.

The United States also is pursuing a range of military options, Donilon said, in conjunction with allies. NATO is increasing the number of ships in the central Mediterranean. NATO defense ministers also agreed to move ahead with detailed operational planning on two projects: humanitarian relief and more active enforcement of the arms embargo.

NATO defense ministers also are continuing plans for the full range of possibilities including a no-fly zone, the national security advisor said.

“These plans will be presented next week at NATO,” he said.

Earlier this week NATO agreed to put AWACs up over the Mediterranean around the clock to expand surveillance and coordination.

The NATO defense ministers stressed that any action had to have a sound legal basis and regional support.

“It’s not just regional rhetorical support,” Donilon said. “We’re going to be seeking actual support by those nations -- the Arab League, the [Gulf Cooperative Council] and the African nations -- to participate in any of these efforts as they go forward.”

The United States will also work in the closest way possible with the European Union to address the situation, the national security advisor said.

“Beyond this, we’re exploring additional sanctions by the United Nations Security Council resolution that will permit more active steps,” he said. “As we develop scenarios, as we develop planning in response to the situation on the ground, if we need additional United Nations Security Council authorities we will go get that.”

The situation in Libya is fluid and won’t be resolved overnight, Donilon said.

“But I think looking at our efforts here … we’ve acted quite swiftly and steadily to ramp up our efforts” concerning Libya,” he said.

Forces Conduct Humanitarian Operations in Iraq

American Forces Press Service

Feb. 25, 2007 – U.S. troops conducted a medical support operation at a school and Polish soldiers handed out humanitarian supplies in two separate operations over the past three days in Iraq. U.S. soldiers of the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, and the 210th Brigade Support Battalion, both part of the, 10th Mountain Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, conducted a medical support operation at the Ahmed Suhel School in Al Taraq, Iraq, Feb. 22.

Although the school offered a comfortable atmosphere, terrorists tried to disrupt the day's activities with small arms fire and a rocket-propelled grenade attack. But the medical support operation continued and Iraqis still received care.

Local residents nationals were seen from everything from coughs to burns, but some cases could not be treated with basic medical care. Seventy-five received treatment. No one was injured during the terrorist attack.

"If we shut this down, then the terrorist would have won," said Capt. Shane Finn, the commander of Company C, 4-31st and native of Clinton, N.Y. "All they are trying to do is stop the operation - and they are not going to do that."

In a separate operation, Polish soldiers from Headquarters Battalion in Ad Diwaniya handed out gifts they had collected for humanitarian aid for the poorest people in Al Qadisiyah province, Feb. 23.

"The soldiers have initiated this assistance. They provided hygiene products and cleaning agents. We brought a lot of this stuff from Poland with us, and we bought more here with our own money," said Polish Maj. Miroslaw Marcinuk.

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