Kuwait: Tennessee Guard mother, daughter duo serving up smiles

By Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Regina Machine
Tennessee National Guard

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait (2/3/12) – Deploying with a family member can usually ease the stress of being away from home. For two service members, being deployed with a family member is a delightful recipe for a successful deployment.

 Army Spc. Theresa Stoner and Spc. Crystal Stoner, mother and daughter respectively, are food service specialists assigned to 230th Engineer Battalion, Tennessee National Guard, working together at the dining facility here.

The Stoners, however, are no strangers to deployment. Crystal’s father, an infantryman, had just returned from a yearlong tour in Iraq during the summer of 2010. They spent two weeks together before Crystal left for her six-month advanced individual training.

Crystal, who graduated Dec. 2010 and has dreams of being a personal chef one day, was in AIT when her mother informed her they would be deploying together to Kuwait.

“It was during one of those five minute phone conversations,” Crystal said, “and I said ‘Oh that’s cool.’”

Theresa had doubts initially about the both of them being deployed together.

“At first, I had to admit it scared me,” Theresa said, “but now I don’t know how I could do this without her. She keeps me balanced. I have this sense of family here.”

Crystal agreed about the importance of deploying with family. She recently volunteered to join her brother on his upcoming deployment next year.

“I am young and single with no dependents, and I know my brother,” Crystal said. “I want to be there for him.”

Theresa reflected on her daughter’s decision to deploy with her brother next year. “Deployments are always rough, and it helps to have a family member around and to have someone volunteer to go really takes the edge off.”

For Crystal, being deployed with her mom also comes with challenges.

“Because I am the child, sometimes people will say to me you have your mom here and give me a hard time when I go out to the movies,” Crystal said. “Once the movie is over, my friends ask me if I need to get back home to my mom.”

There is also an issue of not having enough time to spend with each other. They work different shifts, and at times, they only see each other long enough to say goodnight.

“Because I have a family member with me during this deployment, I want to make time for her,” Crystal said, “but there are time restraints because we work two different shifts, and I take online courses. We see each other one full day a week.”

Thoughts do drift to home often, and Theresa knows her husband can now truly understand what it is like to be at home and vice versa.

“I just appreciate all of the support,” Theresa said. “My husband is doing such a great job with the kids; it amazes me. I did not realize he could take on my responsibilities at home as well as he has. He understands me a little bit better, I think, because he has to do what I did all those years. He’s taken to the role of being the sole-caregiver, and I am proud of him.”

Kuwait: Minnesota Guard Soldier earns second Purple Heart

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stennis Strike Group Enters 7th Fleet Area of Operations

From John C. Stennis Strike Group Public Affairs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kuwait: Maryland Guard members get new mission

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The National Guard's contribution: 300,000-plus Iraq deployments

By Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. John Orrell
National Guard Bureau

ARLINGTON, Va. - On Dec. 18, 2011, when the final U.S. troops crossed the Iraqi border into Kuwait, the National Guard had deployed more than 250,000 Guard members in support of the war in Iraq.

 Already participating in combat operations in Afghanistan, the National Guard lived up to its motto of "Always Ready, Always There," and answered the call in January 2003 to send troops to Iraq for the beginning stages of what would later be known as Operation Iraqi Freedom.

 Serving side-by-side with their active duty counterparts until the last Guard member came home, the Army National Guard deployed 222,485 Citizen-Soldiers for a total number of 259,467 deployments.

 Providing air support missions throughout the world for Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn, the Air National Guard deployed 34,243 Citizen-Airmen, successfully completing 44,882 deployments.

 During those more than 300,000 deployments by the Army and Air National Guard, Guard members back in America answered the call and served on the home front - fulfilling the National Guard's domestic mission.

The former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff - retired Navy Adm. Mike Mullen - said more than once in 2010 and 2011, "We would not be anywhere close to where we are in terms of our execution of mission without the National Guard."

The Logistics of Leaving Iraq – Part Five: Last Convoys

This is the fifth and final post of our Leaving Iraq series, detailing the logistics involved in ending military operations in Iraq.

 Vehicles streamed by, neon blurs of yellow and red. Cars, vans, and 18-wheelers alike honked their “hellos” to the group of paratroopers walking along the dark edge of the highway. Their footfalls came quickly in an attempt to warm their feet, numbed from the cold, until they fell in cadence with the morning Call to Prayer blaring over loudspeakers.

It was barely 5 a.m. and these troopers were already on the streets, their mission to check the route for roadside bombs and ensure the security of the road for U.S. convoys passing through from Baghdad. This was the day Camp Victory was to transition to Iraqi control.

These were not infantry Soldiers, but a group of military police paratroopers who have grown familiar with the area they patrol every day.

The MPs assigned to Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, had been conducting daily missions in the area since moving to Camp Taji from Al-Asad Air Base in early October.

“We’re the only platoon that’s rolled out every day since we’ve been here,” said Pfc. Tyler Laflamme, an MP.

At Al-Asad, the MPs conducted and oversaw training exercises for local Iraqi Police. Now, their objective was to help ensure the safe passage of U.S. convoys as they travel south through Taji in preparation for the withdrawal of military forces to Kuwait.

“MPs do everything plus some,” said Sgt. Michael Drake, an MP.

During this morning’s patrol, Drake and his fellow MPs walked along for more than two hours while their armored vehicles made circuits around the area, shining floodlights into dark corners in search of possible roadside bombs. The paratroopers passed by multiple Iraqi army checkpoints during their journey; each tower was manned by one or two Iraqi soldiers, wrapped in thick clothes and huddled around small fires. The troopers waved hello, but ignored the inviting warmth and ventured further into the darkness.

As the sun began to peak over the tops of local buildings, each paratrooper took a knee and watched as dozens of U.S. military vehicles passed by, the 2/82 convoy they were there to protect. These vehicles also honked their horns in appreciation for the soldiers on the ground ensuring their safety.

Normally an infantry platoon would be sent out to conduct such a task, but Staff Sgt. Mark Garber said as paratroopers, conducting this type of mission is fundamental.

“This is a basic skill. Everyone should be able to do this,” said Garber.

However, he added that his MPs might actually have an advantage over other military specialties when it comes to ensuring the safety of a convoy.

“One of our main jobs as MPs is maneuver and mobility,” he added confidently. “Route security is our specialty.”

By Sgt. Kissta Feldner, 82nd Airborne for Army.mil.

Senior Officials Welcome Troops Home From Iraq

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md., Dec. 20, 2011 – President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, welcomed the final group of U.S. troops home from Iraq here today.

As the senior leaders looked on, Carter lauded Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, the last commander of U.S. Forces Iraq, and his troops for their performance of duty.

“Today is a historic day as we commemorate the return of the colors under which our armed forces fought so ably and proudly in Iraq and mark the end of the second longest war in U.S. history,” Carter said.

“Those of you who have arrived this morning bearing the flag of U.S. Forces Iraq represent all those who have served -- active duty, reserve, National Guard and civilians.”

Carter said the returning troops’ performance and sacrifices have earned them their nation’s gratitude.

“We, who greet you here at [Joint Base] Andrews, represent a grateful nation,” he said. “We welcome you. We’re proud of you. We’re in your debt. As the president has so eloquently said, ‘Your service belongs to the ages.’”

The deputy defense secretary acknowledged the thousands of service members who died or were wounded while serving in Iraq.

“To the families of the 4,500 troops who made the ultimate sacrifice, to the more than 30,000 troops that bear the wounds of this war and to their families, we lack the words to say what you feel on this day,” Carter said.

“Because try as we may, we can never fully know it,” he continued. “But we do know what your sacrifice means to us, to this nation, and to a world that still depends so much on America for its security.”

Carter praised U.S. forces for their flexibility in accomplishing the mission in Iraq.

“This was a war that asked American troops to be great warriors and also much more,” he said. “Trainers, development experts, road builders, and ultimately, partners in helping the Iraqi people build a better and more hopeful future.”

The chairman also welcomed home the troops, noting they were just in time for the holidays.

“Today, we bring home the colors to United States’ soil,” Dempsey said. “At the same time, we embrace many of our own back into the fold, just in time for the holidays.”

“This is a time to reflect on a generational journey,” he continued, “a journey of over 20 years that took us through two wars with Iraq to a new beginning in our relationship with Iraq.”

American forces’ accomplishments in Iraq have provided the Iraqi people an “unprecedented opportunity to live in peace and prosperity inside Iraq, within the region, for their children,” Dempsey said.

“Because of the courage and resilience of our military and our partners -- those in our own government, throughout the world and in Iraq -- 30 million Iraqis are free today,” the chairman said.

“It's a time to recall what we have achieved, what we learned and how we made a difference,” he added. “And it's a time to remember those who served and those we lost. We all have our memories.”

The deputy defense secretary said the returning troops are beginning “a new chapter of their lives.”

“Some will go to college on the post-9/11 GI Bill. Many others will seek to enter or re-enter the workforce,” Carter said.

“Last week at Fort Bragg, the president underscored our commitment to help our veterans successfully make this transition home. As he said, ‘After years of rebuilding Iraq, we want to enlist our veterans in the work of rebuilding America.’”

Carter reaffirmed the Defense Department’s commitment to ensuring veterans and their families are taken care of.

“On behalf of Secretary [of Defense Leon E.] Panetta, I want you to know that this department, in partnership with agencies across the federal government, will do everything in our power to make good on that promise,” he said.

“For nearly nine years, you answered America’s call,” Carter added. “It’s now America’s turn to answer yours.”

Austin: ‘It’s Great to be Back’ From Iraq

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2011 – A small but star-studded ceremony today at Joint Base Andrews, Md., marked the return of U.S. Forces Iraq’s last troops.

President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey and Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter joined family members of about 30 returning service members to welcome those final few troops -- including Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, the last commander of U.S. Forces-Iraq -- home.

Five days ago in Baghdad, Austin presided over the ceremony marking the end of the war in Iraq. Today, he said, “It is great to be back in the United States of America.”

Austin was part of the war in Iraq’s first wave nearly nine years ago, in March 2003, when as the 3rd Infantry Division’s assistant commander for maneuver he ordered lead elements over the Kuwaiti border into Iraq.

From September 2010 until today, he oversaw what he called “one of the most extraordinary feats in our military’s history:” the end of mission and return of U.S. troops and equipment from Iraq.

For several months, U.S. troops have worked tirelessly to reposition what were then 50,000 service members and 2 million pieces of equipment remaining in Iraq, Austin noted.

“Sunday, the last of our troops crossed the border from Iraq to Kuwait, with their equipment,” he said. “They did it in an orderly fashion, [and] they did it ahead of schedule.”

The military-led mission in Iraq has come to a successful conclusion, Austin said, and the safe return of USFI’s unit colors, “capably carried and passed on from commander to commander since 2003,” represents the commitment that “helped make this great day possible.”

“It is my privilege to represent them,” the general added. “I could not be more proud of our men and women in uniform, who are unquestionably the preeminent military force in the world.”

Austin credited Iraq veterans and their coalition partners with removing a brutal dictator, persevering through the darkest days of the insurgency, and providing the Iraqi people with opportunities for freedom “they have not seen in their lifetime.”

The general noted the team of State Department diplomats remaining in country to build on the United States’ strategic relationship with Iraq.

“Their professionalism and their spirit of teamwork were instrumental in making our interagency efforts so successful,” he added.

Austin thanked the families and friends of returning veterans for their love and support, and said the nation owes the families of the nearly 4,500 service members killed in Iraq “a debt of gratitude it can never repay.”

“Please know that we share in your loss, and that you will always be a part of our family,” he said.

Austin thanked the soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, civilians and coalition partners who served in Iraq for “a job extremely well done.”

“I am truly humbled by your service and your many, many sacrifices,” he added.

Austin saluted those wounded in the Iraq war, noting their fighting spirit “serves as a source of inspiration for us, and you will always have a place in our formation.”

Austin offered wishes for “a very joyous holiday season” to all Iraq war veterans and their loved ones.

“Please know that your sacrifices were instrumental in liberating an oppressed people, in providing them an opportunity to enjoy a better way of life,” he said. “You have set the conditions for democracy to take root in a region that is critically important to the United States of America … again, thank you for a job extremely well done.”

The Logistics of Leaving Iraq – Part Four: Reposturing Effort

This is the fourth post of our Leaving Iraq series, detailing the logistics involved in ending military operations in Iraq.

Two MI-17 Iraqi helicopters made their way over the city of Ramadi, and the Euphrates River to land at the helicopter-landing zone on Camp Ramadi in November.

Staff Brig. Gen. Hussein Mostof, the senior military advisor to the Receivership Secretariat and his team from the Government of Iraq’s Basing Committee had arrived to supervise the transition of Camp Ramadi from U.S. Forces to Iraqi Forces.

As they exited the aircraft, the group made its way to a small building where Brig. Gen. Hatim of the Habbaniya Location Command was waiting with Lt. Col. Steven Hart, the Reposture Assistance Team Officer In Charge with 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, going line by line over the list of equipment that would be left for the Iraqi Army when the camp was turned over after the completion of the paperwork.

“The reposture effort was a priority from day one of arriving in country,” said Hart. “The bottom line is that transferring bases, facilities, infrastructure and equipment to the Iraqi Security Forces translated into increased capability for them and represents an investment by the American people in the enduring strategic relationship between our two countries.”

Hatim and inspectors from his command conducted inventories on all equipment and buildings on the camp. He will be responsible for the custodianship and the security of the base.

Talking through an interpreter, Mostof thanked Hart, saying he had made the transition smooth so that the Government of Iraq can take over and make things better for Ramadi.

Within an hour of the signing over of Camp Ramadi, Iraqi Soldiers were poised to take over guard towers and security at the camp’s entry points.

Due to the contributions of U.S. military service members and Iraqi Soldiers, policemen and civilians over the last eight years, Ramadi has transformed from a hotbed of terrorist violence into a city mostly free of terrorist attacks. The city has a place in history as previous being one of the toughest cities in Iraq, but had an “Awakening” in 2006 when coalition forces and tribal leaders came together to fight Al-Qaida.

Because of the continued efforts in Ramadi to recruit and train Iraqi Soldiers and Policemen, American military Troops can now leave the city in the capable hands of the Iraqi Security Forces.

Sgt. 1st Class Carlos Navarro, the acting first sergeant for B Battery, 2-319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment “Black Falcons,” said his deployment in support of Operation New Dawn was a much better experience than his previous two deployments to Iraq, the first in 2003 as part of the initial invasion and again four years later during the Surge. The aluminum trailers Navarro and his Soldiers stayed in were better accommodations than his first two tours, and the security situation was much better.

Now, as they made final preparations to leave their current accommodations, there were more than 40 vehicles lined up waiting for the order to begin movement. They were the last of the almost 300 military vehicles to leave the camp. This would be the last movement out of Camp Ramadi for U.S. Forces.

The “Black Falcons” first destination of the two-day convoy was Contingency Operating Base Kalsu. Paratroopers cleaned out the vehicles of the day’s debris, ensured they were ready for the next leg of the trip and talked about what they were going to do when they got home.

“I am going to cook my own food and spend time with my wife and daughter,” said Sgt. Edwin Tyren, a 2-319th gunner.

After leaving Kalsu the next morning, the Troopers had a short stopover in Contingency Operating Base Adder to check their vehicles, stretch their legs and get something to eat. This would be their last meal in Iraq after more than six months. They had arrived earlier than expected, so they continued on to Kuwait that day.

After arriving at Camp Virginia, Kuwait, the 2-319th Paratroopers worked late into the night and early into the next morning, turning in ammunition and preparing the vehicles for turn-in later that day, and reflecting on what they accomplished.

“I am proud of what we have done here in Iraq,” Navarro said. “Completing the mission honors all who came before us.”

Written by Staff Sgt. Nancy Lugo for Army.mil.

Dempsey Thanks Kuwaiti Leaders for Help in Iraq

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT  – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff took time on a multicountry USO holiday tour last week to thank Kuwaiti officials for that nation’s critical help to U.S. Forces Iraq over the past eight years and now, as the mission is ending.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey met Dec. 14 with Emir Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber, Prime Minister Jaber al-Mubarak al-Hamad, U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait Matthew H. Tueller, and Dempsey’s counterpart Lt. Gen. Ahmed al-Khalid, Kuwait Armed Forces chief of staff.

Near the border Kuwait shares with Iraq, at a dwindling number of installations -- such as camps Arifjan and Virginia and the Khabari al Awazem border-crossing facility, called K Crossing – U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force troops have taken in hundreds of convoys and thousands of former U.S. Forces Iraq war fighters, collected and processed their vehicles, weapons and equipment, and helped send them home.

The chairman said he thanked “our Kuwaiti partners for helping us accomplish this [U.S. Forces Iraq] retrograde operation, which I’ve heard [Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta] describe as somewhat historic.”

Dempsey also asked Kuwait’s assistance as Iraq begins the hard task of adjusting to its new sovereignty.

“My time in Kuwait would suggest that our Kuwaiti partners are concerned about our work to establish a normal relationship with Iraq because there’s still some mistrust between the two countries that goes back certainly to 1990-1991, but historically far back beyond that,” the chairman said.

“I’m stopping in several of the countries on this trip to assure our other partners that our lack of physical presence in Iraq doesn’t mean we’re taking our eye off of them as a partner,” he added, “or that we’re going to stop trying to help [Iraq] develop responsibly.”

Establishing a U.S. Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq, as the United States has in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and a number of other countries, will facilitate U.S. military sales there, the chairman’s spokesman Marine Corps Col. Dave Lapan told American Forces Press Service.

“The idea,” he added, “is to pull Iraq into the type of normal relationships we have with Kuwait and other countries in the region.”

Dempsey also seeks to get back to a normal level of military engagement with Kuwait.

The nations have been close partners since the 1991 signing of a defense cooperative agreement, Dempsey said, but the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cut into routine U.S.-Kuwait military-to-military training, exercises and security cooperation.

Under provisions of the 1991 defense agreement, the chairman added, “we are taking some of the forces that were in Iraq and repositioning them in Kuwait for a period of time.”

The hope is, Lapan said, “that we will get to the point where the relationship with Iraq is similar to those we have with Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar -- all the countries in the region where we have strong military-to-military relations.”

Panetta Concludes Iraq Mission, Noting Service, Sacrifice

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

BAGHDAD  – Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta joined Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey and other U.S. and Iraq leaders in honoring eight years of service and sacrifice as they commemorated the end of the U.S. military mission in Iraq.

 “No words, no ceremony can provide full tribute to the sacrifices that have brought this day to pass,” the secretary said during a ceremony here.

Panetta paid tribute to the Iraqi government and military for their courage, leadership and loyalty to Iraq’s future. “Your dream of an independent and sovereign Iraq is now a reality,” he said.

He also praised the leadership of Ambassador James Jeffrey and Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander of U.S. Forces Iraq, who oversaw the drawdown that the secretary called “one of the most complex logistical undertakings in U.S. military history.”

“Your effort to make this day a reality is nothing short of miraculous,” he said.

But Panetta reserved his highest praise for more than 1 million U.S. military members who served in the war in Iraq since 2003. “Your nation is deeply indebted to you,” he said. “You have done everything your nation asked you to do and more. Your dedication, your commitment to this mission has been the driving force behind the remarkable progress we have seen here in Baghdad and across the country.”

The secretary recognized the nearly 4,500 service members who died and more than 30,000 who were wounded making this progress a reality.

He also acknowledged family members who have experienced the strain, sacrifice and heartbreak of watching their loved ones deploy into harm’s way time and time again.

The outcome being commemorated today was never certain, the secretary said. He recalled traveling to Iraq in 2006, one of the most challenging periods of the conflict, as part of President George H.W. Bush’s Iraq Study Group. Sectarian violence had spiraled out of control and Iraq was in turmoil.

Five years later, at great cost in both blood and treasure, “the mission of an Iraq that could govern and secure itself has become real,” the secretary said.

“The Iraqi army and police have been rebuilt. Violence levels are down, al-Qaida weakened, rule of law strengthened, educational opportunities expanded and economic growth expanding,” he said. “And this progress has been sustained even as we have withdrawn nearly 150,000 U.S. combat forces from the country.”

The cost has been high, in blood and treasure for the United States and for the Iraqi people, Panetta noted. “But because of the sacrifices made, these years of war have now yielded to a new era of opportunity,” for a free, independent and sovereign Iraq, he said.

Panetta emphasized that Iraq’s challenges aren’t over, but promised that the United States will continue to stand with Iraq as it navigates them. “Together with the Iraqi people, the United States welcomes the next stage in U.S.-Iraqi relations, one that will be rooted in mutual interest and mutual respect,” he said.

In addition to a significant diplomatic presence, the United States will continue to promote partnership between U.S. and Iraqi military forces, Panetta said. “We will continue to help Iraq address violent extremism and defend against external threats,” he said, helping protect “all that has been sacrificed and accomplished.”

“We will continue to have a robust and enduring military presence across the Middle East,” he said.

For Iraq, Panetta called today an opportunity for it to forge ahead on a path to security and prosperity.

“We undertake this transition today reminding Iraq that it has in the United States a committed friend and a committed partner,” he said. “We owe it to all the lives that have been sacrificed in this war not to fail.

“This is not the end,” he concluded. “This is truly the beginning.”

After the casing of the colors, Panetta met with about 100 service members deployed during the final days of Operation New Dawn to thank them for their service.

“It is because of you,” and those who served here during the past eight years, “that we are able to be here today to mark the end of this war,” he said.

Asked by a young service member if the United States will be able to assist the Iraqis in the future if they need it, Panetta expressed confidence that it will, in accordance with an agreement to be reached by the Americans and Iraqis.

“We may be ending the Iraq war, but we are not walking away from our responsibilities,” he said.

Panetta, Dempsey to Mark End of Iraq Mission

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

BAGHDAD, Dec. 15, 2011 – Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta arrived here today to join Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in ceremonies marking the end of the U.S. military mission in Iraq.

The secretary and chairman, along with Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander of U.S. Forces Iraq, and Ambassador James Jeffrey, will lead the U.S. delegation at the ceremony.

“This will be an historic moment where we basically enter a new chapter in Iraq in which we deal with them in a way that represents the kind of normal relationship we have with other countries” in the region, Panetta told reporters traveling here with him.

The secretary, who arrived here after visits to Djibouti in the Horn of Africa and Afghanistan, will join U.S. and Afghan officials in highlighting the successes made here and the service and sacrifice over the past eight years that has made it possible.

As they encase the U.S. Forces Iraq colors and officially bring the mission here to an end, Panetta said the United States will forge the next phase of a long-term relationship with Iraq.

The ceremony will signal that “this is not the end,” a senior defense official traveling with Panetta said. “We are changing the nature of our relationship with Iraq, but … [will send a signal of] our commitment to continuing this strategic partnership with them.”

The secretary is also scheduled to meet with about 80 of the 5,500 U.S. troops still in Iraq as the last days of the drawdown continue through Dec. 31 to thank them personally for their contributions.

This is down from 144,000 troops who were on the ground when President Barack Obama took office.

Panetta noted the Herculean effort that has transferred hundreds of bases and infrastructure to the Iraqis and removed thousands of troops and millions of pieces of equipment from Iraq.

“It was a tremendous effort,” he said, commending Austin and his team for “the great work they did in making this happen.”

Panetta will present awards to Austin and Jeffrey during ceremonies closed to media coverage.

Obama Praises U.S. Troops’ Efforts as Iraq Winds Down

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON  – When the last U.S. troops in Iraq case their colors and move to Kuwait, they can leave with their heads held high, secure in the knowledge they did what was right for America and peace in the region, President Barack Obama told service members at Fort Bragg, N.C., today.

Obama noted the end of the war in Iraq during his speech to thousands of service members -- many of whom served multiple tours in Iraq since 2003.

The most important lesson from the war in Iraq is about America’s national character, Obama said.

“For all of the challenges that our nation faces, you remind us that there's nothing we Americans can’t do when we stick together,” he said. “For all the disagreements that we face, you remind us there’s something bigger than our differences, something that makes us one nation and one people. Regardless of color, regardless of creed, regardless of what part of the country we come from, regardless of what backgrounds we come out of, you remind us we’re one nation.”

That fact is why the American military is the most respected institution in the country, the president said.

The young men and women at Fort Bragg represent more than 1.5 million Americans who have served in Iraq. More than 30,000 Americans have physical wounds from the conflict with tens of thousands afflicted by unseen wounds like traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress.

“Nearly 4,500 Americans made the ultimate sacrifice, including 202 fallen heroes from here at Fort Bragg -- 202,” Obama said. “So today we pause to say a prayer for all those families who've lost their loved ones, for they are part of our broader American family.”

This 9/11 generation has earned its place in history, the president said.

“Because of you, because you sacrificed so much for a people that you had never met, Iraqis have a chance to forge their own destiny,” he said. “That’s part of what makes us special as Americans. Unlike the old empires, we don’t make these sacrifices for territory or for resources; we do it because it’s right.

“There can be no fuller expression of America’s support for self-determination than our leaving Iraq to its people,” he added. “That says something about who we are.”

And U.S. service members in Afghanistan are taking on the Taliban and breaking the back of al-Qaida, the president said.

“Because of you, we’ve begun a transition to … the Afghans that will allow us to bring our troops home from there,” Obama said. “And around the globe, as we draw down in Iraq, we have gone after al-Qaida so that terrorists who threaten America will have no safe haven, and Osama bin Laden will never again walk the face of this Earth.”

Soon the last soldiers will leave Iraq, and the achievements of Americans who fought there will belong to history, the president said. He compared them to the men and women who fought for independence from Great Britain and who defeated fascism and communism. He also recalled the Civil War saying this generation, like the one that fought for union, has been “touched by fire.”

“All of you here today have lived through the fires of war,” Obama said. “You will be remembered for it. You will be honored for it, always. You have done something profound with your lives.”

Today’s service members enlisted during a time of war knowing that they’d be the ones who went into harm’s way, Obama said.

“When times were tough, you kept fighting. When there was no end in sight, you found light in the darkness,” the president said. “And years from now, your legacy will endure in the names of your fallen comrades etched on headstones at Arlington, and the quiet memorials across our country, in the whispered words of admiration as you march in parades, and in the freedom of our children and our grandchildren.”

And they will remember that they were touched by fire, and can be proud they answered the call, the president said.

“You served a cause greater than yourselves, you helped forge a just and lasting peace with Iraq and among all nations,” he said. “I could not be prouder of you, and America could not be prouder of you.”

The Logistics of Leaving Iraq: Part Two

This is the second post of our Leaving Iraq series, detailing the logistics involved in ending military operations in Iraq.

Another aspect of the installation transition process includes ensuring that the location meets U.S. Central Command and  United States Forces-Iraq (USF-I) environmental regulations. While Iraq itself has no environmental regulations, Donahue said, USF-I remains “very good stewards of the environment here. Our aim is to protect the natural environment as well as human health and safety,” he said.

Before a base is transitioned in Iraq, USF-I conducts several environmental site closure surveys. “Our goal here is to mitigate any of our environmental challenges and minimize any of the environmental impacts,” Donahue said.

The USF-I works to “mitigate,” not “remediate” environmental issues in Iraq, he added. Fuel spills, for example, are something they routinely mitigate.

“We do that through environmental response and cleanup teams,” Donahue said. The teams go out and assess a spill, or a lagoon, for instance “and determine what we need to do to restore these facilities in accordance with CENTCOM 200-2.”

The general was careful to point out that installations in Iraq are not being returned in accordance with U.S. environmental regulations. “That would be unrealistic and impractical, and extremely costly,” he said.

In Iraq, burn pits have been removed and replaced with incinerators. Hazardous waste treatment centers have been set up and cleanup actions, such as oil spills, have taken place at more than 600 sites in the last year.

“It’s down to how do we take care of lithium batteries or printer cartridges,” he said. “From small things to the big things, like incineration of trash — including medical waste or regulated waste.”

Transitioning land sometimes involves more than just accountability and environmental issues, Donahue said. Land deeds must be verified to ensure that no one has a claim on the land. In some cases, he said, there may be unexpected claims to land from outsiders.

“We get involved in real estate management to determine if there’s validity to that claim or not,” he said, noting that USF-I works with the government of Iraq to establish the validity of those claims.

It’s not just land that USF-I must transition. In July, there were a little more than 1 million pieces of U.S. government-owned property in country that had to be dealt with. That number was down from more than 2 million when Operation New Dawn began in September 2010.

All of USF-I’s vehicles, weapons, buildings, equipment and infrastructure on an installation must be accounted for and then either transferred to the Department of State, destroyed, sold, handed over to Iraq, sent back to the United States for reset or transferred to other theaters of operation.

According to Maj. Gen. Thomas J. Richardson, the USF-I, J-4, property in Iraq is categorized as either organizational property, theater-provided equipment or contractor-operated/government-owned.

Organizational property includes those things a unit brings with them from home. It’s clear how that leaves the country, he said: The unit takes it home with them.

It’s the theater-provided equipment, such as Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles and communications equipment, as well as the contractor-operated/government-owned equipment like fuel trucks, containerized housing units and generators, that must be dealt with.

How it all gets where it belongs, Richardson said, involves “a very methodical process that only the U.S. military could come up with.”

Theater-provided equipment, for example, goes into a database and a determination is then made regarding its disposition.

“That property, for instance a radio, might need to be reset,” Richardson said, meaning restoring an item to an as-new condition. “So it goes to Tobyhanna Army Depot for reset. Or something else that doesn’t need to be reset might go to Fort Hood. That disposition is given all the way down to the supply sergeant.”

A unit supply sergeant then does all the paperwork and takes it to the redistribution property assistance team, where it is taken off the sergeant’s property book and added to another set of books.

“There’s a shipping address and trucks to pick it up, and eventually it goes home,” Richardson said, adding most non-sensitive items will leave Iraq by contractor-provided surface transportation. Sensitive items, such as weapons, are taken southbound through Kuwait by military convoy. In July, he said, about 500 truckloads of equipment made their way to Kuwait. Urgent-need items bound for Afghanistan, like firefighting equipment, depart Iraq by air.

Air Force Capt. Chris L. Martagon runs the RPAT yard at Victory Base Complex near Baghdad International Airport.

He and his team of Soldiers and Airmen are responsible for gathering both equipment and vehicles that will be shipped out of country back to the United States, or moved to other missions in either Afghanistan or Iraq.

“(Business) is definitely picking up now because units are trying to get out of here. So, as they complete their mission, they are getting rid of all their stuff so they can redeploy and head back to the States,” Martagon said. “We are staying consistently busy.”

In July, there were hundreds of pieces of equipment in his yard, including about 101 MRAP vehicles that he is responsible for. Of those, about 40 were headed to Kuwait, and the rest were headed to other missions in Iraq.

When a piece of rolling stock, like an MRAP, comes to the yard, Air Force Staff Sgt. Lamar Harvey, the noncommissioned officer in charge of rolling stock, manages the in-processing inspection of the vehicle.

“We’re looking … to make sure they have the correct paperwork, and make sure these vehicles are free of trash, and make sure all the accountable items are there,” Harvey said. “We also verify the vehicle identification number, stock numbers, serial numbers and make sure it matches up with the paperwork so we know what we are accountable for.”

The RPAT yard also accepts non-rolling stock, including computers, communications equipment and even surplus enhanced-small arms protective inserts.

Across Iraq, there are about eight RPAT yards, with the one managed by Martagon being the busiest. Between October 2010 and July 2011, those eight RPAT yards together received and shipped more than 5,000 pieces of rolling stock. They also received and shipped more than 80,000 pieces of non-rolling stock.

Facility items on an installation — the air conditioners, containerized housing units, cooking supplies in dining facilities, tents, latrine facilities, shower facilities and generators, for instance — might all either be destroyed, turned in to the Defense Reutilization Management Office or given to the Iraqis as foreign excess personal property, but it all must be itemized.

“We account for everything,” Richardson said. “Every T-wall, every Hesco barrier is accounted for.”

When FOB Sykes was closed in the north, it was turned over to the Iraqis, Richardson said.

“There were about 7,000 pieces of property there,” he said. “We shipped roughly 500-600 items out of there to go to the State Department.” The transfer shipment included the firefighting equipment at FOB Sykes and a gymnasium. The rest, Richardson said, became FEPP.

A FEPP package, he said, could be almost 350 pages long, and itemizes things that will go to the Iraqis. Getting things on that list involves a business case analysis to determine what the item is worth, and what it would cost to ship it versus giving it away.

“We consider it a cost avoidance,” Richardson said. “Because if we have to send it all out, we have to pay for someone to … take it all apart.”

Stuff that’s been used in Iraq for seven years, for instance, may not be worth the cost of shipping it home. Other items might not have any value in the United States. Containerized housing units, used as sleeping quarters by Soldiers in Iraq, for example, run on 220-volt power.

“If I would send that back to the United States, what would we do with it?” asked Richardson. “We are a 110-volt society.” So the CHUs stay in Iraq, with a FEPP sticker indicating they will become the property of the Iraqis, if they want them.

“The challenge is to make sure we stay synchronized throughout this process,” Richardson said. “That takes a large amount of communications between all of the elements turning things and working each of the problems as they arise and in finding solutions to fix the problems.”

Richardson said USF-I has done the analysis needed to orchestrate the transition out of Iraq, and determined that it has what it needs to get the job done.

“We have enough trucks, we have enough time and processes to get everything out of here, and do it in an orderly fashion,” he said. “This is probably the first time in the American history that we have left a place like this and in this fashion.”

Come back tomorrow for Part Three.