Mullen Discusses Surge Successes in Afghanistan

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Dec. 14, 2010 – Though the last of the U.S. surge troops only reached Afghanistan last month, they already are achieving successes, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Pakistani reporters here today.

The United States added 30,000 more servicemembers to the effort in Afghanistan, and NATO and other coalition nations added another 10,000.

The situation in Helmand province –- a hotbed of Taliban activity in Afghanistan -– has improved markedly, Mullen said.

“Often we talk of safe havens for the Taliban here in Pakistan,” he said. “But we also have rooted out the Taliban from safe havens in Afghanistan –- specifically western Kandahar, Panjwai, Zhari [and] Arghandab.”

These areas were long-time Taliban safe havens, and the security situation in these areas has changed dramatically in a year. “It’s taken a while to get all [the surge forces] in and all the inputs right,” the chairman said.

But security is only a part of the equation, he told reporters. The United States also has tripled the number of civilians working on governance and development projects.

It has taken time to put the resources in place, and the governance and development efforts won’t work unless the security situation turns, Mullen said. “It’s beginning,” he added. “I’m not saying it’s completely turned, because it hasn’t, but there’s been a significant reversal. It’s fragile, and it is not irreversible.”

A Pakistani operation against the Taliban in Pakistan’s North Waziristan area is needed to improve security in the region, the chairman said. “That’s where the al-Qaida leadership resides, [and] that’s where the Haqqani network is headquartered,” he explained. “The Haqqanis are leading the way in coming across the border and killing American and allied forces. That has got to cease.”

North Waziristan also is the center for terror groups working against Pakistan and killing Pakistani citizens. Pakistani Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ashfaq Kayani has weighed in on an operation in Waziristan, “saying not if, but when,” Mullen said.

The chairman also explained the two key dates for NATO operations in Afghanistan. The first is July 2011, when the process of transitioning security control to Afghan forces begins. Officials in Afghanistan explained that commanders will suggest district or provinces ready for the transition process in the spring. By July, “we expect some thinning or redistribution of troops,” the chairman said.

The July date does not mean that U.S., NATO and coalition troops will be leaving en masse, Mullen said.

“While we will have the beginnings of a drawdown by July, it does not mean that the United States or our allies will not have a considerable number of troops in Afghanistan after July,” he said.

The other date -– Dec. 31, 2014 -– allows the 48 coalition nations to focus on the transition goal. Afghan President Hamid Karzai first set that goal in his inauguration speech. In four years, the Afghan army and police should have the requisite manning and training to assume the lead in security nationally. The NATO nations and their coalition allies agreed to the December 2014 date during the alliance’s summit in Lisbon, Portugal, last month.

The United States is committed to defeating al-Qaida and other terror groups in Afghanistan, and to build the country, Mullen said.

“From the United States perspective, our strategic goal is to have a long-term stable strategic partnership with Afghanistan,” he said, “and make that trust that was there at one time return.”

A Byte Out of History: The Case of the Harvey's Casino Bomb

In the early morning hours of August 26, 1980—30 years ago—men wearing white jumpsuits and pretending to deliver an IBM copy machine rolled a bomb into Harvey’s Resort Hotel and Casino in Stateline, Nevada, near Lake Tahoe.

So began one of the most unusual cases in our history.

A note left with the bomb—titled STERN WARNING TO THE MANAGEMENT AND BOMB SQUAD—began ominously: “Do not move or tilt this bomb, because the mechanism controlling the detonators in it will set it off at a movement of less than .01 of the open end Ricter scale.”

 The Extortion Note

When authorities discovered the Harvey’s bomb, they also found a typewritten note, transcribed here exactly as it was written:

TO THE MANAGEMENT:

STERN WARNING TO THE MANAGEMENT AND BOMB SQUAD:

Do not move or tilt this bomb, because the mechanism controlling the detonators in it will set it off at a movement of less than .01 of the open end Ricter scale. Don’t try to flood or gas the bomb. There is a float switch and an atmospheric pressure switch set at 26.00-33.00. Both are attached to detonators. Do not try to take it apart. The flathead screws are also attached to triggers and as much as ¼ to ¾ of a turn will cause an explosion. In other words this bomb is so sensitive that the slightest movement either inside or outside will cause it to explode.

“Do not try to take it apart,” the note went on. “The flathead screws are also attached to triggers and as much as ¼ to ¾ of a turn will cause an explosion. …This bomb is so sensitive that the slightest movement either inside or outside will cause it to explode. This bomb can never be dismantled or disarmed without causing an explosion. Not even by the creator.” (Read the full text of the extortion note and see more pictures.)

An investigator examines the Harvey's bomb, which contained nearly 1,000 pounds of dynamite and a variety of triggering mechanisms that made it virtually undefeatable.

An investigator examines the Harvey's bomb, which contained nearly 1,000 pounds of dynamite and a variety of triggering mechanisms that made it virtually undefeatable.

The “creator,” we later discovered, was 59-year-old John Birges, Sr.—who wanted $3 million in cash in return for supplying directions to disconnect two of the bomb’s three automatic timers so it could be moved to a remote area before exploding.

The device—two steel boxes stacked one atop the other—contained nearly 1,000 pounds of dynamite. Inside the resort, Birges made sure the bomb was exactly level, then armed it using at least eight triggering mechanisms.

“We had never seen anything quite like it,” said retired Special Agent Chris Ronay, an explosives examiner who was called to the scene along with other experts.

After being discovered, the bomb was photographed, dusted for fingerprints, X-rayed, and studied. Finally, more than 30 hours later, a plan was agreed upon: if the two boxes could be severed using a shaped charge of C4 explosive, it might disconnect the detonator wiring from the dynamite.

Harvey’s and other nearby casinos in Lake Tahoe were evacuated, and on the afternoon of August 27, the shaped charge was remotely detonated.

The plan was the best one available at the time, but it didn’t work. The bomb exploded, creating a five-story crater in the hotel. “Looking up from ground level,” Ronay said, “you could see TV sets swinging on electric cords and toilets hanging on by pipes. Debris was everywhere.” Fortunately, because of the evacuation, no one was killed or injured.

To this day, the Harvey’s bomb remains one of the most unique improvised explosives devices (IEDs) the Bureau has ever come across.

“Today’s IEDs use more advanced electronics,” said Special Agent Thomas Mohnal, an examiner in our Explosives Unit, based at the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia. “Our techniques and tools for dealing with these devices are also more advanced,” Mohnal added, “but you still probably couldn’t build a bomb much tougher to defeat than Harvey’s.”

Birges, Sr., said to be an inveterate gambler who had lost a substantial amount of money at Harvey’s, was caught (with the help of an alert clerk at a nearby hotel who had written down the license plate of the bomb delivery van) and convicted—he never did get the ransom money. His two sons, charged as accomplices, were given suspended sentences because they cooperated with authorities. Birges died in jail in 1996.

Today, a mockup of the Harvey’s bomb—built for Birges’ trial—with all its booby traps and fusing mechanisms, is used for training purposes by our Laboratory Division.

Gates, Israeli Defense Minister Discuss Iran, Regional Security

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2010 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak met this morning at the Pentagon to continue discussions on a range of bilateral and regional security issues, including the Iranian threat, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters today.

The meeting, the defense leaders’ sixth this year, “touched on everything from the recent wildfires in Israel to ongoing peace process efforts to the challenges posed by Iran,” Morrell reported.

Gates last hosted Barak at the Pentagon in April, in talks that also focused heavily on Iran. Appearing at a joint media availability after that meeting, Gates expressed satisfaction with the level of planning by the Defense Department and other elements of the U.S. government to counter threats from Iran. Barak also endorsed diplomatic efforts and sanctions to steer Iran from its nuclear ambitions.

Following today’s visit with Gates, Barak also met with Vice President Joe Biden and National Security Council official Dennis Ross.

Mullen Meets With Pakistanis to Align Interests, Goals

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Dec. 14, 2010 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is in Pakistan today on his 21st visit to a key ally in the war against extremists in Central Asia.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen will meet with Pakistani Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter, and other U.S. and Pakistani leaders.

“We will update each other and where we stand on certain issues,” Mullen said, adding that he wants the Pakistani military’s take on what is happening in the region. In addition to his 21 trips here, Mullen also has met often with Pakistani leaders in Washington and elsewhere.

One significant challenge is simply defining mutual interests and objectives, the chairman said on the plane trip here. “The best way I know how to do that is an individual meeting,” he said.

Mullen said he will not brief Kayani on the White House’s Afghanistan-Pakistan review, because it is not done yet. The two military leaders will discuss the continuing problem of militants along the Afghan-Pakistani border and the problems associated with Afghan Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan, the chairman said.

The stolen classified materials published on the WikiLeaks website may complicate the situation, Mullen acknowledged, but he said he is comfortable his relationship with military leaders in Pakistan can handle any awkward issues. They will discuss hard issues, and his relationship will allow that, he said.

Mullen said he hopes to get a read-out of the Pakistani floods that devastated the country over the summer. He and Kayani surveyed the damage in an extensive helicopter tour the last time the chairman was in Pakistan, and the Pakistani military was heavily involved in flood relief.

The floods affected millions of people throughout some of the most populated areas of the nation. Whole villages were destroyed, and large areas were submerged. The Pakistani army had to take personnel, helicopters and vehicles from its military efforts along the border to help in the humanitarian disaster.

Dealing with the Taliban sanctuaries is a priority, Mullen said, noting that the Pakistani chief of staff has met with Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, on the issue.

“It gets back to this alignment or misalignment of interests,” the chairman said. “The [Pakistani military] is under attack from these extremist organizations. This is a country we continue to try to build trust with, have a relationship with and get our interests aligned so we’re both clearly headed in the same direction.”

Mullen said he believes in reconciliation in Pakistan and Afghanistan with people who see the error of their ways and wish to affiliate with the government. “That should be encouraged, but I also fundamentally believe there are irreconcilables,” Mullen said.

The engagement with Pakistan doesn’t begin and end with the chairman. Officers and noncommissioned officers in both countries have trained and worked together since relations were re-established in 2002. American trainers have worked with the Frontier Scouts, and Pakistani commanders down to company level now are familiar, at least, with Americans, he said.

Many Pakistani officers have taken professional military education courses in the United States, and U.S. officers have attended the Pakistani version of the War College. All this means that people are building trust at a personal level with a key ally, Mullen said.

The chairman stressed that Americans have not been involved in any combat operations with the Pakistan military. The United States is impatient to see the Taliban sanctuaries eliminated, he added, but U.S. leaders must exercise “strategic patience” with the Pakistanis to build the trust necessary to forge a good alliance.

Famous Military Mom Works to Boost Family Support

By Elaine Wilson

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14, 2010 – The wife of the nation’s vice president walked into a crowded gym at a dusty Army base in the Iraqi desert and was greeted like a rock star.

Soldiers were crowded onto bleachers -- a sea of camouflage uniforms – and let out a thunderous cheer and applause at the sight of Dr. Jill Biden, who glided in with her signature warm smile. She was dressed to the nines in a chic dress and heels, seemingly unaffected by the rocky terrain and egg-boiling July temperatures.

The soldiers quickly formed a huge, snaking line to meet her, each with a camera or smart phone in hand. Biden warmly greeted each soldier with a few words and a motherly hug, and posed for photo after photo with anyone who asked.

“I’m a military mom,” she told them, referring to her son, Army Capt. Beau Biden of the Delaware Army National Guard. “I feel like you are my extended family.”

The Bidens had arrived early that morning to celebrate Fourth of July with troops serving in Iraq. But when the vice president headed off on business -- he was meeting with senior Iraqi leaders about the security transition there -- his wife chose to stay behind to take care of some business of her own: meeting with as many troops as possible.

She also wanted to walk across the same rocky terrain, high heels and all, that her son had walked in his combat boots during his deployment a year before.

Biden stopped by dining halls and work places, attended barbecues and crawled into a stifling hot Stryker combat vehicle during a tour. Everywhere she went, she not only thanked troops for their service, but also asked them about their challenges and the challenges their families were facing back home -- all part of her ongoing quest to boost awareness of and support to military families.

It’s a cause she said is shared by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, as well as by the vice president.

“We’re really focused –- Michelle and I, and Barack and Joe -- we’re all focused on helping to make life better for military families,” Biden told American Forces Press Service. “I think that people know that. … They know that we’re on their side and we have their backs.”

Since her husband took office nearly two years ago, Biden has been tireless in her work to bring light to the challenges military families face. With the first lady at her side, she has filmed public service announcements and online messages, has hosted several nonprofit military-support organizations -- including Delaware Boots on the Ground -- at the White House for listening sessions and working groups, and encourages Americans to offer a helping hand at every turn.

Biden’s highly publicized quest has attained her star-like status among servicemembers and their families, as evidenced by her reception in Iraq. Her public mission, however, is driven by a “very personal” desire to help, she said.

Biden credits her soldier son as the inspiration behind her work to boost military family support. She met many families through him after he joined the service in 2003, and then others on the campaign trail with her husband.

“When I would travel and would hear their stories, it just really strengthened my commitment,” she said. “I felt we really needed to get the message out to Americans.”

Her son’s deployment to Iraq in the fall of 2008 only strengthened her commitment more, Biden said. His service in a combat zone drove home for Biden the fears and anxieties military families face, and gave her an affinity for the loved ones left behind.

“When I go to deployments or homecoming ceremonies, I think that I’m drawn to other mothers and they’re drawn to me, because we have this common experience and common bond of having a child who’s in the service,” Biden said. “I know what they’re going through, I know what it feels like, I know what it’s like to have a child in the war zone, and I think really, words don’t even need to be spoken.

“I just feel like putting my arms around them and they feel like putting their arms around me,” she continued. “It’s unspoken; it’s just a bond.”

Biden leaned on many of these families, as well as her community, for support throughout the deployment. People who knew that her son was deployed would “come up and say, ‘I’m praying for your son,’” she said. “That meant a lot.”

Still, she added, she had a tough time facing the holidays without him.

“It was tough to get through,” she said. “I know what that feels like to have dinner and be thinking constantly of your son and daughter who’s not there at the table, or that Christmas. … Just coming down Christmas morning.”

To brighten his holiday, Biden shipped her son’s stocking to him in Iraq. “Of course, I cried when I sent it to him, but then I cried when he gave it back to me, because it was dirty and … I knew where it had been.

“I didn’t expect it, but it was very emotional,” she said with a slight break in her voice.

With the holidays again at hand, Biden is grateful to have her son at home this year, but is keenly aware that other military families aren’t so lucky. To help, she often invites military members and their families into her home around the holidays. Most recently, Biden invited about 50 Washington-area children, including 25 from National Guard families, into her home at the U.S. Naval Observatory for a holiday party that included letter writing to deployed and wounded troops.

Biden spoke to the children in her living room, in the shadow of a 12-foot, red-trimmed Christmas tree, before the day’s festivities began. She proudly singled out a family photo -- one of dozens scattered on nearly every surface of her home -- for the children: a picture of her soldier son with his own son in his arms. It was taken when he returned home after a year in Iraq, she told them.

Biden asked the children if they had a family member deployed. Nearly all of the Guard children either knew of someone who was deployed or someone who had just returned.

After she spoke, the children scattered, some off to decorate cookies and others ornaments, but Biden stayed behind to make a holiday card for a deployed troop with a small group of children. She sat on the floor next to them and carefully adorned the front with red ornament-shaped stickers and a hand-drawn holiday tree.

“Thank you for your service to our country,” she wrote inside the card. “Come home safely.”

Biden takes that message of gratitude everywhere she travels -– whether to the deserts of Iraq or to a stateside gathering of spouses. But, even more important to her is her message of support.

In her travels, she never fails to ask a servicemember or family member how she can help. When she asks about their challenges, she said, education and health care issues most commonly top the list.

Education issues, in particular, are near and dear to her heart. Biden is a 30-year educator with a doctorate in educational leadership. And as an English professor at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria, Va., Biden is believed to be the first wife of a vice president to hold a paying job while her husband was in office.

Transfer issues usually figure prominently on the list of military families’ education concerns, Biden said.

“The kids move from school to school to school, and we’re trying to make it easier to get the records transferred,” she said, “so if they’ve taken English in one school, it will count for credit in another school. We’re trying to make that pathway a lot easier.”

Health care is another pressing area of concern, Biden said. The Obama administration is working to boost health care services not only for the physical wounds of war, but for the emotional ones as well. It’s not easy to transition to life back home after the 24/7 vigilance of war, she said, particularly for members of the Guard and reserves.

“One minute you’re in a war zone, … and a week later you’re back at your job -- whether it’s in a store selling something or whether you’re a mechanic, or working in a bank -- trying to take those two worlds and put them together,” she said. “It’s difficult to transition, I think, no matter how strong you are.

“We’re trying to help with all of that,” she added.

Biden also often hears from spouses who are frustrated by their inability to find employment. Frequent moves can create job instability for military spouses, particularly for those without portable careers, such as child care, teaching or nursing.

Biden said she was glad to personally assist a military spouse recently through a mentoring program she participates in at her job for women over 30. She helped an Army wife from Fort Belvoir, Va., look for available scholarships.

“She’s moved so many times, taken so many courses –- she’s trying to get her degree, and she’s trying to find a way to pay for it,” Biden said.

Military family life is tough, Biden said, particularly in light of this decade of war. She feels military families are weathering the difficulties with grace, but must “be strong, stay strong,” she said.

Biden said she hopes the work she’s doing can make an impact, and that she will continue, with the first lady at her side, to create awareness.

“We’re trying to make things better,” she said, “whether it’s health care, education, whatever it happens to be, whatever their needs are, we’re trying to address those and make life better.”

Last month, Biden and the first lady pointed out some of the progress that’s been made on behalf of military families at the Women’s Conference 2010 in Long Beach, Calif. The president has strengthened support programs and counseling services and increased funds for housing, child care and career development, the first lady said.

“He’s extended the Family and Medical Leave Act to more military families and caregivers, and we’re working with states to streamline requirements so that spouses don`t have to reapply for professional credentials and take new tests every time they move," she said.

But this isn’t a quest that leaders can take on alone, Biden told American Forces Press Service. She stressed the need for all Americans to reach out to military families, whether in their communities, churches or schools -- a call to action the first lady and Biden repeat at every opportunity.

Many individuals and nonprofit organizations already have taken on the cause, and have made inroads in offering support ranging from wounded warrior care to veteran employment. Biden had a few helpful hints for others who are unsure of how they can help.

“I always tell men and women to look at their strengths,” she said.

Talented organizers can arrange to have care packages shipped, for example, and people in the food industry can arrange to have food shipped to deployed troops over the holidays, Biden suggested. And on a more everyday level, “If you’re traveling and you’re in an airport and you see … servicemen and women, buy them a cup of coffee and just say thank you.”

Biden also steers people to the United We Serve website, where people can gain a wealth of ideas by seeing what service projects and volunteer work others have done.

Biden’s affinity for military families and her role as a military mom have earned her credibility in the historically close-knit military community.

Sheila Casey, wife of Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr., attended Biden’s holiday party for children. As she watched the Bidens mingle, she praised the administration’s efforts on behalf of military families.

“They can reach audiences we can’t reach,” she said, “and help the military as a whole.”

Biden said she hopes to make that type of big-picture impact, but is doing so, in many cases, one family at a time. She encourages the servicemembers and families she meets to call or e-mail her and promises to respond. While in Iraq, Biden urged a group of Guard soldiers to drop her a line if they have an issues they’d like to bring up, or just to let her know that they’re home safe.

It’s the least she can do for the military men and women so selflessly serving, she said, and for their loved ones back home who feel the same caring and concern she has for her soldier son.

Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of six soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

They died Dec. 12 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device.

Killed were:

Cpl. Sean M. Collins, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii.

Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., 23, of Conway, N.C.

Spc. Patrick D. Deans, 22 of Orlando, Fla.

Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr., 21, of San Diego, Calif.

Spc. Derek T. Simonetta, 21, of Redwood City, Calif.

Spc. Jorge E. Villacis, 24, of Sunrise, Fla.

They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

For more information, media may contact the Fort Campbell public affairs office at 270-798-3025.

Iraqi Security Forces Enable Progress, General Says

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

BAGHDAD, Dec. 13, 2010 – Iraqi security forces are enabling progress in the country, a senior U.S. military officer in Iraq said here today.

Army Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, deputy commander for operations at U.S. Forces Iraq, noted that things have changed in 2010.

“In 2009, we had somewhere over 100,000 U.S. forces working shoulder to shoulder to maintain security with the Iraqi security forces,” Cone said. “Since the U.S. forces started the drawdown, the Iraqi forces have [the security lead].”

This year saw a 20 percent reduction in violence from 2009, the general said. The year saw the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom – the U.S. combat operation – and the beginning of Operation New Dawn, the current “advise and assist” operation. About 48,000 American servicemembers remain in Iraq, with the majority involved in training Iraqi forces as the Iraqis themselves are responsible for security.

“This role of advise, train and assist is legitimate,” Cone said. “It is really rare, and only in cases of self-defense, that U.S. forces are directly involved in combat operations.”

U.S. forces do provide enablers for the Iraqi forces, and American units provide logistics and maintenance, surveillance support, some communications and intelligence support. But even in these areas, Cone said, the Americans are teaching the Iraqis how to develop and sustain the capabilities.

“On a day-to-day basis, it is the Iraqis who maintain the level of security we see today,” he said.

The general said today’s average of 15 attacks per day across Iraq is comparable to pre-Iraqi Freedom days. “Where the Iraqis are making some headway in the recent months is in their actions to pursue counterterrorism,” he said, noting that the Iraqis are stopping attacks before they are launched.

Intelligence reports indicated that terrorist groups wanted to launch as many as 15 car-bomb attacks on Dec. 4, Cone said. Iraqi security forces did some major raids prior to that day and “rolled up a bunch of folks, and what you saw was only three such attacks,” he added.

“That’s still bad -- they still killed people and it is tragic,” he said. “But the Iraqis proved they are capable now of really diminishing these attacks in an impressive way.”

Al-Qaida in Iraq has been remarkably resilient over time, Cone said. “Any time we do not maintain pressure against them, you will find their capability regenerates,” he said.

Recent al-Qaida attacks have been effective, he acknowledged, but less so than in the past. In addition to having to weather attacks, the group is plagued with financial woes and struggling to get foreign fighters in, Cone said. And they are unable to recruit among Iraqis, he added.

“The number of foreign fighters coming in is less than 10 a month,” he said, “but the Iraqis have made some inroads in addressing this flow.”

What remains of al-Qaida in Iraq is a loosely coupled network that has sufficient communications to conduct lethal attacks, the general said, “but nowhere near what we’ve seen in the past.”

With all American forces scheduled to be out of Iraq by the end of next year, Cone said, the legacy of American forces for Iraqi security forces is the idea of civilian control of the military.

“Over the next year, they are very much focused on learning as much as they can from us,” he said. “That is very positive, because they have a large sense of urgency in understanding all of the professional skills that U.S. forces have here.

“Where we are today in Iraq has been paid for in blood and in the riches of the American taxpayer,” Cone continued. “Being at the level of violence we are today is an accomplishment that the U.S. and Iraqi forces share.”

Afghan, Coalition Forces Stop Insurgent Attack in Afghanistan

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2010 – Afghan and coalition forces yesterday disrupted a Taliban plot to carry out suicide bombings in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, military officials reported.

Troops were searching for a Taliban leader and suicide-bomb facilitator in the province’s Kajaki district. Insurgents opened fire as the troops approached, and Afghan and coalition forces eventually killed numerous armed insurgents. Several of the dead insurgents’ bodies were completely shaved and possessed poems. Officials said those characteristics among Taliban operatives indicate they were planning a suicide attack.

Also yesterday in Afghanistan:

-- Officials from NATO’s International Security Assistance Force confirmed the identity of a Taliban leader captured Dec. 10 in Khost province. The Taliban leader is reportedly responsible for coordinating attacks on Afghan and coalition troops throughout the province.

-- Security forces captured several suspected insurgents in Kandahar and Helmand province. Troops were targeting members of a Kandahar bombing network with alleged ties to a car bombing last month that took the lives of six American soldiers. Several suspects were taken into custody by separate coalition elements in Kandahar and Helmand provinces without incident.

-- Afghan and coalition forces in Wardak province’s Cah-e Wardak district detained a Taliban leader without incident. The Taliban is allegedly connected to several attacks on security forces in the area.

In operations Dec. 11:

-- More than 40 insurgents were killed in the past 24 hours by Afghan and coalition troops throughout southern and eastern Afghanistan.

More than 25 insurgents were killed in Kunar province when troops under fire called for close-air support. Another operation in Kunar resulted in numerous insurgents being killed and several detained. In Helmand province, troops monitored as several insurgents attempted to plant roadside bombs. The incident was reported, and aviation support killed all of the insurgents involved.

-- Afghan and coalition forces killed two armed insurgents, including a Taliban leader, in Wardak province’s Sayyidabad district. He was responsible for weapons trafficking and conducting attacks against security forces. Troops targeted and approached his location, based on tips from local residents. He and an associate were armed and threatened the troops. Both were killed immediately.

-- Afghan and coalition forces killed one insurgent and detained 10 in an operation in Nangarhar province. Troops were searching for a man they believe leads a large group of fighters in the province’s Sherzad district. Troops approached his believed location and were confronted by an armed insurgent. They killed him immediately. Troops also confiscated bomb-making materials.

-- In Kunduz province, security forces killed an armed insurgent and detained five others. Troops were searching for a terrorist leader with connections to trafficking foreign fighters from Uzbekistan and suicide bombers from Pakistan. Troops surrounded the targeted location. An armed insurgent confronted the force, and was killed immediately. Five others were detained for further questioning.

-- Afghan and coalition forces in Khost province detained a senior Haqqani terrorist network leader connected to numerous attacks in the province. Tips from local residents led troops to the insurgent’s location. Troops detained the leader without incident.

-- Security forces detained a Taliban bomb facilitator in Zabul province’s Shah Joy district. Troops also detained two other suspected insurgents and found a weapons stockpile. The stockpile included numerous assault rifles with ammunition and bomb-making materials.

-- Troops in Helmand province detained two men at a vehicle checkpoint who were traveling with large quantities of opium and refined morphine and an assault rifle.

Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Spc. Ethan L. Goncalo, 21, of Fall Rivers, Mass., died Dec. 11 in Kabul, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident.  He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry Regiment, Worcester, Mass.

For more information, the media may contact the Massachusetts National Guard public affairs office at 508-233-6562.

Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Staff Sgt. Stacy A. Green, 34, of Alexander City, Ala., died Dec. 10 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the 2nd Marine Division public affairs office at 910-449-9925 or http://www.marines.mil/unit/2ndmardiv/Pages/Media/default.aspx.

Mullen Arrives in Baghdad for Consultations, Troop Visits

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

BAGHDAD, Dec. 13, 2010 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff arrived here today to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and senior American civilian and military officials.

Because weather closed in on Baghdad International Airport, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen had to travel to his meeting with Maliki on a road that once was too dangerous for transit.

Maliki is forming an Iraqi government after almost eight months of political maneuvering. The deadline for the formation of the government is Dec. 25. American officials have stressed their desire that the government be broadly based.

The chairman also will visit with American troops involved in the advise-and-assist effort in Iraq. Almost 50,000 U.S. servicemembers are training the Iraqi military and police as part of Operation New Dawn. The Iraqi security forces are in the lead for security in the nation.

Mullen brought a USO troupe with him. Robin Williams, Lewis Black, Lance Armstrong, Kix Brooks, Kathleen Madigan and Bob Dipiero are visiting troops in and around Baghdad today.

Face of Defense: Soldier Finds Niche in Nuristan

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Paula Taylor

Task Force Bastogne

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2010 – Since arriving here several months ago to serve with Task Force Bastogne, Army Pfc. Raymond Cecil -- a cannon crewmember with Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, has made a positive impression on his leaders.

“He’s an extremely motivated, competent and confident soldier,” said Army 1st Sgt. Jeremy Barton, Cecil’s senior enlisted advisor for Battery A. “He is very respectful and is always in the thick of things. He is always learning and training, and is excelling at his job. I am proud of Cecil and would love to have more soldiers with his attitude, initiative and ability to learn and retain information.”

To some, it’s not surprising to hear the Tennessee native -- a 1st Brigade Combat Team soldier with the 101st Airborne Division -- is doing so well. He’s the fourth generation in his family to join the military and deploy to war.

“When Cecil was in the third grade, his father was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and was in and out of hospitals for treatment,” explained Barton, a Clarksville, Tenn., native. Cecil, 21, has known since he was a boy he wanted to join the military. His father’s debilitating disease only slowed him down a little.

“It got a little crazy,” he said. “It seemed like we spent almost every night in the [emergency room] or hospital. He has almost kicked the bucket on us a few times. It's not a fun thing to have happen to someone in your family -- no disease is ever fun on a family.”

When Cecil was 12 and a few years after he learned his father had MS, the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, changed his world. In response to those attacks, Cecil’s father, who was a regional manager for Waste Management, was asked to assist in the Pentagon clean-up efforts in the attack’s wake. On his last day on the assignment, he fell from the back of a trash container, landed on a concrete road barrier and broke his back. The injury resulted in many painful surgeries, and combined with his MS, made him unable to go back to work.

It was only a matter of time before Cecil decided to drop out of high school and start working full time to help in supporting his family. After working for three years in various jobs, he decided it was time to join the military.

“Before I joined the Army, I was a jack-of-all-trades, I guess you would say,” Cecil recounted. “I did construction and home maintenance, detailed cars, worked as a janitor. There isn't much good out there for someone who doesn't have a diploma.”

At 19, he met with an Army recruiter. He enlisted in the Army on Feb. 13, 2009, and left for the Army Preparatory School at Fort Jackson, S.C., June 1.

After obtaining his GED diploma at Fort Jackson, Cecil shipped out to Fort Sill, Okla., where he completed basic training, followed by advanced individual training to be a cannon crewmember.

“A cannon crewmember wasn't my first choice,” Cecil said, “but it was that or the infantry when I went to [the Military Entrance Processing Station]. It's an OK job, I guess. It’s better than scrubbing floors.”

Just days after completing his initial training, Cecil arrived at his first duty assignment with Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment at Fort Campbell, Ky. A little more than a year later, he was sent to the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La., in January, to prepare for war with his fellow Bastogne Bulldogs.

“My dad was very supportive, and happy I was getting out of my crowd and dead-end jobs,” Cecil recalled. “My mother and sister cried and went crazy, almost. They didn't like it at all for about a week or two, but they came around. My parents are both very proud of me. My dad doesn’t worry too much, or at least that he lets on. My mom cries every time she watches the news, but she still knows I can handle whatever the Taliban throws at me.”

He proved that May 26.

“There was a complex attack on our [forward operating base],” Cecil said. “Me and my section fought in an intense battle for a couple of hours. After that, you always feel good about yourself -- that you made it out of something like that alive. It really builds trust in yourself, your fellow soldiers and your leadership. I knew then I had the best chain of leadership in the Army, because they had properly prepared me and the others for just that situation.”

On this deployment, Cecil is responsible for manning an M198 howitzer as the assistant gunner. He is also a gunner on the 120 mm mortar. His job, he said, is to defend his base and shoot the cannons to suppress the enemy when soldiers are under attack on the battlefield.

Although Cecil realizes his mission here and the importance of it all, he still finds time to think about his dreams, goals and of his future.

“Some of my dreams might sound crazy, but I plan on doing every single one of them, because the minimum is never good enough,” Cecil said. “I will climb Mount Everest one day, and when I get home, I plan on doing my first marathon.”

His platoon leader, Army Capt. William Mayville, a Fayetteville, N.C., native, has no doubt Cecil will do great things and is proud to have him on his team.

“Cecil is a go-to guy,” he said. “I think he feels satisfaction from the fact he is looked up to by his peers and his superiors look to him to get things done. It is the constant search for that feeling that is what drives him to be the best at whatever it is he is doing, and once that is complete, move on to the next level.

“He strives to be the best in every discipline of his profession,” Mayville continued. “He is head and shoulders above his peers in terms of performance. He’s an absolute asset to his section and platoon. I wish there were more soldiers like him.”

Air Force selects potential base for Royal Saudi Air Force F-15 Training Unit

WASHINGTON – The Air Force announced today Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, as its preferred alternative to potentially host a Royal Saudi Air Force F-15SA maintenance and flying training unit in the United States.

Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz validated Mountain Home AFB as the most suitable location for the proposed contingent of 12 F-15SA aircraft after a request by the Saudis to locate the potential mission at the base. 

 “Saudi Arabia is a valuable long-term U.S. partner in the Gulf.  Facilitating the modernization of Royal Saudi Air Force aircraft, as well as providing enhanced aircrew and maintenance training, would build partner capacity and contribute to stability in the region,” said Heidi Grant, deputy under secretary of the Air Force for international affairs.  “Our thorough analysis has led us to select Mountain Home AFB as the preferred alternative to potentially host our Saudi partners and to build both their capacity and interoperability with the U.S. Air Force.” 

Air Force officials determined that Mountain Home AFB is the preferred alternative for the RSAF training mission primarily due to its co-location with F-15E units, its suitable weather and desert environment, and its availability of airspace and infrastructure to support an F-15SA training squadron.  The initial commitment proposed by the RSAF is a five-year presence at the base from 2014 through 2019.  A commitment beyond this five-year period is possible.

Potential basing is contingent upon an environmental impact analysis process as required by the National Environmental Policy Act, and officials are discussing this potential basing decision with the local community, including the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes.

The proposed training squadron would receive its first four aircraft in early to mid-2014, with the remaining eight aircraft delivered by the end of 2014.  The aircraft would facilitate primary aircrew and flight instructor training as well as maintenance training. 

The squadron would eventually grow to an estimated 150 to 250 RSAF personnel, including approximately 50 aircrew and 100 to 200 maintenance personnel.  The number of unaccompanied versus accompanied personnel and permanent party versus temporary students has yet to be determined.

The U.S. Air Force will conduct an initial site survey in December and initiate an environmental impact analysis process in early 2011, which will provide opportunities for public comment, in preparation for the possible basing arrangement.

Afghan, Coalition Forces Kill Insurgents, Find Weapons

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2010 – Afghan and coalition forces today killed several insurgents, found weapons and confiscated drugs during operations in Afghanistan, military officials reported.

Insurgents attacked an Afghan-coalition foot patrol in Kunar province’s Sar Kani district. Coalition air support came to the troops’ aid, killing several members of the insurgent force.

Also today in Afghanistan, security forces detained several suspected insurgents and found seven stockpiles of weapons and drugs. Clearing operations in Kunduz, Kandahar, Khost and Helmand provinces netted more than 2,000 rounds of small-arms ammunition, 50 various rockets and mortar rounds, 12 hand grenades, eight Afghan National Army uniforms, four assault rifles, four rocket-propelled grenades and bomb-making materials.

Afghan and coalition forces also discovered a stockpile of medical supplies, including more than 1,000 pain pills, 48 intravenous fluid kits, 26 bottles of antibiotics and other medical supplies.

In operations yesterday:

-- Afghan and coalition forces killed several insurgents, including a Taliban leader, in Wardak province’s Chak-e Wardak district. Ismail Khan was active in weapons trafficking and sponsoring attacks on security forces throughout the province. Tips from local residents led Afghan and coalition forces to Khan’s location. As troops approached the compound, insurgents opened fire. Troops returned fire, killing several armed insurgents.

-- Two separate operations in southern Afghanistan resulted in 12 suspected insurgents captured. The operation in Helmand province netted 10 suspects with ties to a Taliban shadow governor in the province’s Gereshk district. The Kandahar operation resulted in two detainees allegedly connected to a Taliban network responsible for coordinating attacks in the region. The 12 insurgents were detained without incident.

-- In Khost province’s Sabari district, Afghan and coalition forces captured three insurgents, including a Haqqani network leader. Troops approached and searched the compound without incident.

Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation New Dawn.

Pfc. David D. Finch, 24, of Bath Springs, Tenn., died Dec. 8 in Wasit province, Iraq, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire.  He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas.

For more information, the media may contact the III Corps and Fort Hood public affairs office at 254-287-9993.

Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.  They died Dec. 8 in Balkh province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an insurgent attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device.

Killed were:

Sgt. James A. Ayube, II, 25, of Salem, Mass.

Spc. Kelly J. Mixon, 23, of Yulee, Fla.

The soldiers were assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany.

For more information, media may contact the U.S. Army Europe public affairs office at 011-49-6221-57-5812 or 011-49-6221-57-6315.

Insurgent Attack Kills Two Afghan Civilians

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9, 2010 – Officials from NATO’s International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan today confirmed that two Afghan civilians were killed during an insurgent attack on a coalition base in Kunar province, military officials reported.

Afghan and coalition forces transported local residents wounded in the attack to a nearby ISAF medical facility.

In operations yesterday:

-- A coalition airstrike in Badgis province, targeting a senior Taliban leader, killed several insurgents. The Taliban leader is believed responsible for coordinating numerous attacks on ISAF and Afghan troops in the province. Tips from local residents led troops to his location. Once troops had confirmation that insurgent activity was going on there, they called in the airstrike.

-- Afghan and coalition forces in Helmand province’s Nad’Ali district killed three insurgents and detained 20 others. Two separate security elements were patrolling the area. Both were attacked by insurgents. The first resulted in one killed and 20 detainees. The second patrol killed two insurgents.

-- Security operations throughout southern Afghanistan resulted in the capture of several suspected Taliban members. Afghan and coalition forces detained one suspect in Zabul province allegedly connected to numerous bombings in southern Afghanistan. Security forces captured several others in Kandahar with alleged ties to weapons smuggling and bombing cells.

-- Operations in southern Afghanistan also resulted in the seizure of several weapons caches. Afghan and coalition troops found more than 1,000 rounds of small arms ammunition, four hand grenades, four rocket-propelled grenades, two artillery rounds and numerous bombing-making materials.

In operations Dec. 7, security forces killed several insurgents who attempted to ambush an ISAF-Afghan patrol in Kapisa province’s Tagab district. Troops took fire from several enemy fighting positions along the road the troops were patrolling. Troops called in an airstrike after several hours of fighting. Several insurgents survived the airstrike, but were killed by the security force.

Also on Dec. 7, Afghan and coalition troops killed two insurgents in Helmand province’s Kajaki district, while targeting a senior Taliban leader. Troops arrived at the leader’s alleged location. Security forces were confronted by a man who threatened to detonate a bomb. He and another insurgent were killed after demonstrating hostile intent toward the troops. More than 210 pounds of opium and various weapons were found.