Face of Defense: Airman Keeps Squadron Ready to Fight

By Air Force Staff Sgt. Alexander Martinez
U.S. Air Forces Central
SOUTHWESTERN AFGHANISTAN, April 9, 2013 – When 26th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters scramble for a casualty evacuation mission, the environment they are flying into is unpredictable.

Air Force Senior Airman Austin Stoker replenishes a .50-caliber machine gun after a training mission in Afghanistan, March 11, 2013. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Dennis J. Henry Jr.   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Whether the environment is hostile or not, they always prepare for the worst -- that's where Air Force Senior Airman Austin Stoker comes in. The munitions systems specialist ensures the crews have the resources to fight if they have to.

"You have to be able to go into a combat area where people are dying and pull them out, and you need firepower to do it," Stoker said. "Without it, there is no rescue and the crew isn't coming back."
Deployed from the California National Guard's 129th Rescue Wing, Moffett Federal Airfield, Calif., Stoker and the 26th ERQS aircrew, maintenance and support teams augment a highly visible and important medical evacuation mission in Regional Command Southwest.

Air Force pararescue members, combat rescue officers, crew chiefs and gunners scramble when they get word that a coalition service member is injured and needs lifesaving assistance.

Air Force Lt. Col. George Dona, 26th ERQS commander, said without all the parts of the mission working, "the crews can't fly, the helicopters won't work, and the guns won't shoot.”

“I need all of this to come together,” he added, “and I need it to come together on a moment's notice."
Dona said that so far, the support teams have delivered.

"They have more than just met the challenge -- they have far exceeded the expectations that I had for the squadron," he said.

Stoker's role in the mission is important in ensuring the crews can defend themselves with the ammunition he maintains and provides.

"Our mission is to provide munitions support, from the smallest rounds to grenades, [including .50-caliber machine guns] and countermeasure flares used to keep the aircraft from being shot out of the skies," the Stockton, Calif., native said.

Countermeasure flares help prevent projectiles from hitting the aircraft. Stoker said successful countermeasures sometimes are the only thing that ensures a crew makes it back from a rescue mission.
His daily duties include maintenance on ammunition systems, weapons compatibility checks, and inventory on stockpiles and expended rounds.

Stoker said maintaining an inventory is a large part of his job because the Air Force tracks 100 percent of its ammo.

"Every bullet is accounted for," he said. "If you shoot a bullet, you better have a reason."

After transitioning from active duty service to the Guard in 2011, Stoker said, he joined the 129th Rescue Wing with hopes to deploy more often.

Stoker said he has a strong respect for the rescue mission here, and for his coworkers.

"The pararescue mission is so dynamic," he said. "The lives that they save, the humanitarian missions that they do, and just being a part of it all makes me feel very good about my day-to-day service."

Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

They died April 6 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit in Zabul, Afghanistan with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device.  They were assigned to the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armor Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

Killed were:

Staff Sgt. Christopher M. Ward, 24, of Oak Ridge, Tenn.,

Spc. Wilbel A. Robles-Santa, 25, of Juncos, Puerto Rico, and

Spc. Deflin M. Santos Jr., 24, of San Jose, Calif.

For more information, media may contact the Fort Stewart public affairs office at 912-210-9375.

Face of Defense: Airman Brings Weapons Safety to Kabul

by Air Force Senior Master Sgt. George Thompson
386th Air Expeditionary Wing

4/5/2013 - SOUTHWEST ASIA, April 2, 2013 -- Safety is a cornerstone of almost everything the Air Force does, and when it comes to weapons safety, one unsafe act could be the difference between life and death.

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam Albrecht, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing weapons safety noncommissioned officer, recently returned from a forward deployment to Kabul, Afghanistan, where he provided a capability the Afghans were lacking for more than two years.

"They hadn't had a weapons safety person in about two years, and they were starting to try and get an explosive mission to up their capabilities," Albrecht said. "[U.S. Air Forces Central] made them a site plan, but because they didn't have a qualified weapons safety person, they did not know what all the wording meant."

In addition to clarifying the explosive site plan, Albrecht also set up programs and provided weapons safety training.

"I took a lot of our program management things like explosive safety training, how to run a program, even how to do annual inspections," he said. "It's all the things we are required to do, but I really simplified everything."

As the transition in Afghanistan continues, Albrecht did his part to ensure the path is safe.

"They are trying to set up an Afghan air force, and they are trying to give them a culture of safety which they don't currently have," he said.

Albrecht gave U.S. advisors weapons safety programs and training they can tailor to meet the specific needs of the Afghans for a functioning weapons safety program.

"I briefed their safety office on the risk and the rewards of safety, and I pretty much gave them a plug-and-play program, so they should be pretty set," he said.

Albrecht said he knows his forward deployment to will help the Afghans continue to take the lead for their security and safety.

"I briefed their chief of safety on everything and let him know he can call me any time if he needs help," he said. "I believe I was able to get the main points of safety home by telling them, 'This is what's in it for you, and this is how easy it is to be safe.'"

Combined Afghan, Coalition Force Arrests Facilitator

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, April 8, 2013 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan facilitator Juma Khan in the Ishkamish district of Afghanistan’s Takhar province today, military officials reported.

Khan used his home as a staging point for terrorists, offering a safe haven and weapons storage for fighters as they prepared for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, officials said. He also had a history of procuring and distributing weapons and ammunition to insurgents.

The security force also seized several grenades, an assault rifle with magazines, a pistol belt with magazines and ammunition, officials said.

During another operation today in the Ishkamish district, a combined force arrested a facilitator with ties to the Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

The facilitator owns a home suspected of being used exclusively for building and distributing IEDs. He also is believed to be heavily involved in generating funding for the insurgency.

In other news, the provincial response company in Wardak province, aided by coalition forces, detained known insurgent Juma Gul in the province’s Jalrez district April 6.

First Moody A-10s arrive at Bagram

by Staff Sgt. David Dobrydney
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

4/8/2013 - BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan  -- The first A-10 Thunderbolt II from Moody Air Force Base, Ga., arrived here March 31 amid cheers from maintenance personnel.

The A-10s are from the 23d Fighter Wing "Flying Tigers" based out of Moody Air Force Base, Ga.

"After nearly 7,400 miles, the squadron is so excited to be back at Bagram," said Lt. Col. David Haworth, 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron commander."It's a great feeling being a part of a wing so focused on delivering combat power. The 74th Fighter Squadron was born in combat and all the flyers, maintainers and support folks here from Moody are ready to write the next great chapter in Flying Tiger history."

The first aircraft to land was 'caught' by a crew of maintainers led by Staff Sgts. Rebecca Gaddy and Andres Araugo, 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chiefs.

Araujo said to be on the crew chosen to receive the aircraft piloted by the squadron commander is a privilege.

"It's a sense of pride, honestly, to be able to know that we can be here ready, standing by, receiving our jets," he said.

"It's the world famous 'Flying Tigers,'" Gaddy added. "They pick a good set of people who are quick on the draw."

Gaddy, Araujo and their fellow maintainers arrived a week prior to the aircraft in order to ensure a smooth transition.

"We did a lot of pre-staging for the aircraft... getting tools accounted for, [finding] places to put our fuel tanks, and of course establishing the turnover with our predecessors," Gaddy said.

Araujo said he's looking forward to carrying on the work done by their forebears, the "Bulldogs" of the 354th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, now heading home to Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.

"We'd like to carry that forward and not only continue to do what they've been doing, but excel and continue to raise the standards," he said.

While this is Gaddy's first deployment here, it is Araujo's second. He said that many of the other maintainers are also new to Bagram.

"We've got a lot of new guys coming in. I've been in that position before and am able now to play the other role and guide them and make sure they set their first impression the right way," he said.

"It's going to be some good, tough work, but this is our job."

'Compass Call'ing: Are you listening?

by Staff Sgt. David Dobrydney
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

4/8/2013 - BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFNS) -- Even high in the air, they have their ears close to the ground.

Linguists from the 41st Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron, are trained in the art of employing electronic attack for the purpose of denying, degrading and disrupting enemy communications from aboard the EC-130 Compass Call.

"We're a precision electronic attack platform," said Tech. Sgt. Dallas Allen, a cryptologic language analyst with the 41st EECS. "We can go out and ... stop (the enemy) from communicating with each other."

When on a mission, the Airmen of the Compass Call employ precision electronic attack capabilities in support of U.S. and coalition tactical air, surface and special operations forces.

"You really have to have a lot of confidence in yourself when it comes to identifying certain kinds of communications," Allen said. "Sometimes you'll be listening and think 'did I just hear him say that, or did I expect him to say that?'"

The linguists' confidence comes from the amount of practice they go through while at home station, Allen said.

"We have to spend hours in the listening lab studying our language," he said. "We go to simulations and that's where we're able to hone our skills. We listen to known communications so we can practice identifying them."

The linguist career field is relatively small and with the group of linguists who fly, even smaller. Allen said there are probably less than 1,000.

Given the size of the career field, the linguists have shorter deployments than other Airmen. However, their time spent at home is shorter as well, Allen said.

"It's a leapfrog effect," he said. "We're constantly out here."

The missions can last anywhere from two to 15 hours, based on the need of troops on the ground.

"Some nights we might not have anything, other nights we may be extremely busy," Allen said. "When we get feedback from (the ground troops) ... it makes you feel like we're really coming together as a group."

Afghan Forces ‘In This to Win It,’ Pentagon Spokesman Says

By Karen Parrish American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, April 5, 2013 – The transition strategy in Afghanistan remains on track and effective despite recent Taliban attacks such as the April 3 assault on the governor’s compound in western Afghanistan’s Farah province, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said here today. Responding to a question during a meeting with reporters, Little said U.S. and coalition military leaders “remain very confident in the growing capabilities of the Afghan national security forces.” Enemy attacks are a part of war, he said. “We know that we have to continue to pursue our campaign as a war effort,” he added. Afghan forces have taken on the fight and, regrettably, have suffered casualties, Little said, but they are “in this to win it.” “We believe progress in the war effort continues,” he added. “The fact remains that the Taliban have not been able to seize back territory that they once had -- and that’s just one indicator of the progress we’ve made in Afghanistan.”

Air Force Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of an airman who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Capt. James Michael Steel, 29, of Tampa, Fla., died April 3 in the crash of an F-16 near Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 77th Fighter Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.

For more information media may contact the Air Force 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office at 803-895-2019.

Combined Force in Helmand Arrests Taliban Leader

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, April 5, 2013 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a senior Taliban leader and detained another insurgent in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province today, military officials reported.

The leader is accused of commanding a cell of fighters responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He allegedly provides weapons for insurgents and is believed to be heavily involved in improvised explosive device operations, officials said.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- A combined force in Nangarhar province’s Khugyani district detained an insurgent during a search for a Taliban facilitator who provides logistical support to Taliban senior leaders throughout western Nangarhar. He allegedly has organized the purchase, transfer and delivery of weapons and has sold rockets used in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- In Khost province’s Sabari district, a combined force detained two insurgents during a search for a Haqqani network leader who controls fighters responsible for attacks on Afghan and coalition forces. He also is accused of facilitating the movement of weapons and significant amounts of money for insurgency operations.
Yesterday in Jowzjan province’s Shibirghan district, a combined force arrested a Taliban facilitator and detained several other insurgents. The facilitator allegedly has procured weapons for the insurgency, including IEDs, machine guns, sniper rifles, pistols, rocket-propelled grenades, fragmentary grenades, ammunition and magazines.

In other news, Afghan and coalition forces confirmed that Taliban facilitator Mullah Zakir Akhund was killed during an April 3 operation in Jowzjan’s Shibirghan district.

Akhund was responsible for providing financial aid to insurgents in several provinces, collecting taxes for the Taliban, overseeing a network of Taliban tax collectors and coordinating financial matters with other leaders. He also was involved in providing weapons for use against Afghan and coalition forces.

Dempsey Arrives in Afghanistan to Assess Progress

By Claudette Roulo American Forces Press Service BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, April 6, 2013 – Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey arrived here today for several meetings with coalition and Afghan leaders. The trip to Afghanistan follows on the heels of the U.S. Africa Command change of command the chairman attended yesterday, and Dempsey noted yesterday to reporters traveling with him that transitions are at the heart of both visits. Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford assumed command of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force about 60 days ago, the chairman said. He added that he plans to “review the campaign” with Dunford. “He had a good, full 30-day transition period with [Gen.] John Allen,” Dempsey said, but commanders want to get out and talk to their junior leaders to assess whether command intent is reaching them. “One of the things I’m going to ask [Dunford], is … what have you learned. If he tells me ‘Nothing,’ I’m going to say, ‘Maybe we got the wrong guy,’” Dempsey said. Dempsey will meet with senior military and civilian leaders, including Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander of U.S. Central Command; James B. Cunningham, U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan and Army Lt. Gen. Keith M. Huber, commander of Combined Joint Interagency Task Force 435. The chairman will also meet with his counterpart, Afghan Army Gen. Sher Mohammad Karimi. As the transition to an Afghan-secured Afghanistan progresses, several provinces have developed spontaneous anti-Taliban movements, a development the chairman said he finds encouraging. “If this becomes our program, it won’t work,” he said. The power of such movements lies in the fact that they are generated and led by Afghans, the chairman added. Taliban efforts at reconciliation with the Afghan government are a sign of progress, he said. A post-ISAF Afghanistan can’t be the Afghanistan of 1990, Dempsey added. There is more than one type of Taliban, Dempsey said, and while a small group may be unreconcilable, those that aren’t could become part of the political system. “Any conflict in history, when it is resolved, is resolved through some form of reconciliation,” the chairman said. “I support the effort to try … through the Afghans to encourage them to take reconciliation as an important line of effort.”

Afghan, Coalition Troops Arrest Taliban Facilitator

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release KABUL, Afghanistan, April 4, 2013 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban facilitator in the Dand district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province today, military officials reported. The facilitator is believed to have arranged transportation of weapons and improvised explosive devices throughout the province for use in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, officials said. He also allegedly has ordered executions and kidnappings of Afghan civilians working with government officials. Also today, a combined force in Wardak province’s Sayyidabad district detained several insurgents during a search for a Taliban leader who is believed to direct attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also is an expert in the construction and use of IEDs and has directed acquisition and distribution of weapons to insurgents. In Jowzjan province’s Shibirghan district yesterday, a combined force killed an insurgent during a search for a Taliban facilitator responsible for providing financial aid throughout multiple provinces, collecting taxes for the Taliban, overseeing a network of Taliban tax collectors and coordinating financial matters with other Taliban leaders. He also is involved in providing weapons for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

Combined Force Arrests Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan Leader

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, April 3, 2013 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader in the Burkah district of Afghanistan’s Baghlan province today, military officials reported.

The leader has allegedly led a cell of insurgent fighters in multiple attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, officials said. He also is accused of training insurgent fighters and serves a vital role in intelligence and improvised explosive device operations, they added.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- A combined force in Kandahar province’s Dand district detained two insurgents while searching for a Taliban facilitator believed to have arranged the transportation of weapons and IEDs throughout Kandahar for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also allegedly has ordered subordinates to commit executions and kidnappings against Afghan civilians working with government officials. The security force also seized a machine gun and a grenade.

-- In Helmand province’s Nad-e Ali district, a combined force detained several insurgents while searching for a senior Taliban leader who allegedly commands numerous cells of Taliban fighters. He and his subordinates are believed to have participated in numerous attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, and he also is believed to have plotted the assassination of Afghan government officials. The security force seized an assault rifle and two ammunition magazines.

-- A combined force detained a Taliban leader and several other insurgents in Logar province’s Pul-e Alam district. The leader is believed to be responsible for the movement and coordination of insurgent fighters throughout the province and for procuring and distributing weapons for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

Face of Defense: Airman Brings Weapons Safety to Kabul

By Air Force Senior Master Sgt. George Thompson
386th Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA, April 2, 2013 – Safety is a cornerstone of almost everything the Air Force does, and when it comes to weapons safety, one unsafe act could be the difference between life and death.

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam Albrecht inspects chaff and flare canisters at an undisclosed base in Southwest Asia, April 2, 2013. Albrecht recently returned from a forward deployment to Kabul, Afghanistan, where he provided weapons safety training to Afghan military members. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. George Thompson   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam Albrecht, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing weapons safety noncommissioned officer, recently returned from a forward deployment to Kabul, Afghanistan, where he provided a capability the Afghans were lacking for more than two years.

"They hadn't had a weapons safety person in about two years, and they were starting to try and get an explosive mission to up their capabilities," Albrecht said. "[U.S. Air Forces Central] made them a site plan, but because they didn't have a qualified weapons safety person, they did not know what all the wording meant."

In addition to clarifying the explosive site plan, Albrecht also set up programs and provided weapons safety training.

"I took a lot of our program management things like explosive safety training, how to run a program, even how to do annual inspections," he said. "It's all the things we are required to do, but I really simplified everything."

As the transition in Afghanistan continues, Albrecht did his part to ensure the path is safe.

"They are trying to set up an Afghan air force, and they are trying to give them a culture of safety which they don't currently have," he said.

Albrecht gave U.S. advisors weapons safety programs and training they can tailor to meet the specific needs of the Afghans for a functioning weapons safety program.

"I briefed their safety office on the risk and the rewards of safety, and I pretty much gave them a plug-and-play program, so they should be pretty set," he said.

Albrecht said he knows his forward deployment to will help the Afghans continue to take the lead for their security and safety.

"I briefed their chief of safety on everything and let him know he can call me any time if he needs help," he said. "I believe I was able to get the main points of safety home by telling them, ‘This is what's in it for you, and this is how easy it is to be safe.’"

Combined Force Detains Senior Taliban Leader

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, April 1, 2013 – An Afghan and coalition security force detained a senior Taliban leader and several other insurgents during an operation in the Pul-e-Alam district of Afghanistan’s Logar province yesterday, military officials reported.

The detained Taliban leader is accused of a wide range of insurgent operations in Logar province, officials said, including recruiting extremist fighters, managing the Taliban logistical network for the province and planning and coordinating attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

In other Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- During a search for a senior Taliban official, a combined force killed or detained several insurgents in the Panjwa'i district of Kandahar province. The sought-after Taliban official is accused of overseeing all Taliban operations in the district. His network is believed to be responsible for insurgent activities including the assassination of Afghan civilians, the facilitation of weapons and improvised explosive devices into the district, and of attacks on Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also seized IED-making materials, three rifles, a pistol, six rifle magazines, six pistol magazines and ammunition as a result of the operation.

-- In the Khugyani district of Nangarhar province, a combined force arrested a senior Taliban leader and one other insurgent. The arrested Taliban leader is believed to command a cell of insurgent fighters in the
Khugyani district. He and his fighters are accused of illegally procuring various types of weapons and using them in multiple attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also seized one AK-47 rifle and a pistol as a result of the operation.

-- A combined force detained an insurgent leader connected to both the Taliban and Haqqani networks and two other insurgents in the Gardez district of Paktiya province. The security force also seized IED components.

In March 30 Afghanistan operations:

-- The Kapisa Provincial Response Company, advised by coalition forces, arrested Najibullah Rahimi, the Tagab District Representative to the Kapisa Provincial Council. Najibullah is accused of financing a lethal-aid network and facilitating insurgent operations. The combined force also seized nine AK-47 rifles, five grenades, $50,000 in sequentially numbered $100 bills and numerous cell phones and computers.

-- A combined force arrested a Haqqani leader in the Sabari district of Khost province. The arrested insurgent leader is accused of obtaining IEDs and other weapons and distributing them to insurgent commanders. He also allegedly led a number of fighters in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- In the Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar province, a combined force arrested a Taliban leader and detained one other insurgent. The arrest Taliban leader is believed to be responsible for multiple insurgent operations including IED attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- A combined force detained several insurgents during a search for a senior Taliban leader in the Nad 'Ali district of Helmand province. The sought-after Taliban leader was allegedly plotting a campaign of attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in Helmand province. He and his subordinates are believed to have participated in a number of recent attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also seized a pistol, bomb-making materials and narcotics.

Face of Defense: Army Civil Engineer Serves in Afghanistan

By Karla Marshall
Army Corps of Engineers, Afghanistan Engineer District South

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, April 1, 2013 – Linda Murphy said her passion to use her expertise to help Afghans improve their quality of life caused her to trade in her designer pumps for some steel-toed boots.

Afghanistan-deployed U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civilian employee and civil engineer Linda Murphy, right, meets with Afghan Minister of Energy Ishmael Khan as part of her duties as the Afghanistan Engineer District-South Water and Infrastructure program manager. Courtesy photo   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Murphy is a civil engineer, and she serves here as chief of the Water and Infrastructure Project Management Branch with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineer District South. Murphy said she's always been driven.

“My best friend and I were always competing in math grades and science fairs,” she said. Those experiences, she said, taught her the value of working hard, living up to promises and commitments, and doing her best.

So following her dream, she said, was not scary or particularly difficult.
“I liked architecture but my best friend’s dad was a Purdue University engineering alumnus and he convinced many of us from our high school to go into engineering at Purdue,” Murphy said.

Pursuing engineering at Purdue was a logical choice for Murphy, who said she figured out in high school that she wanted to be self-sufficient. Murphy reasoned that attaining a science, technology, engineering and math degree would help ensure that her future was wide open and that she’d always be employed.

After earning her Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., Murphy began her career as an engineer with the USACE Louisville District in Louisville, Ky., in 1983.
Working her way up through the ranks at her home district, Murphy was chief of the Civil Project
Management and Programs Branch of the Louisville District when she deployed to Kandahar Airfield in January 2012.

“Now that I had gotten both my daughters off to college as fairly self-sufficient women, I decided to deploy to provide assistance to the women and men of the coalition forces and particularly to the women and men of Afghanistan,” she explained. “I knew that I could contribute to the mission and grow as a person at the same time.”

It's now one year later, and Murphy said she doesn’t regret that decision. She has opted to extend an additional nine months to manage one of the South District’s most challenging programs. She leads a team of project managers who oversee construction projects that directly contribute to the improvement of Afghanistan’s infrastructure.

Water and electricity availability, bridges and roads, university facilities and medical clinics all fall under her purview and leadership.

“I have never been one to back down from a challenge,” she said. “Working in Afghanistan has broadened my experiences, allowed me to do something outside my comfort zone and given me a greater appreciation for what I have back home.”

In addition to a successful career with the Corps of Engineers, four of Murphy’s best female friends are also engineers at the Louisville District. Having that core group of friends, Murphy said, has made her career a rewarding one.

“For young women, engineering probably doesn’t seem like a very glamorous career but if they are given opportunities to see engineers at work, ask questions, and are encouraged to enjoy math and science, more would probably show interest,” Murphy said. “I am grateful that my core group of friends shares a similar background with me. As women who are engineers, we look for opportunities to mentor younger women and share our careers with them.”

The important thing is to be passionate about what you want to do, Murphy said. For her, coming to Afghanistan has enabled her to continue her passion. She believes that she and her fellow women engineers deployed to Afghanistan all serve for a common purpose and goal which emulates the Corps of Engineers’ motto, Essayons, which means “Let Us Try.”

“We are daughters, sisters, aunts, nieces, mothers, and even grandmothers -- coming together here for one cause -- to make a contribution for a better future for not only the women of Afghanistan but for everyone here,” Murphy said. “And like our corps’ motto states, we will try. We will try our hardest.”

Army Casualty

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

Chief Warrant Officer Curtis S. Reagan, 43, of Summerville, S.C., died March 29 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, from a non-combat related illness.  He was assigned to the 603rd Aviation Support Battalion, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield, Ga. 

For more information please contact Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield public affairs office at 912-767-8666.

Official Explains New Homeland Defense/Civil Support Strategy

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 1, 2013 – The Defense Department incorporated hard lessons learned when it codified its new homeland defense and civil support strategy, said Todd M. Rosenblum, DOD’s top homeland defense official.

In an interview with American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon Channel, Rosenblum, the acting assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and Americas’ security affairs, said the new strategy is a recognition that the operating environment has changed.

“We face new threats, we have new vulnerabilities, we have new dependencies, most importantly we have a new way to do business,” Rosenblum said during a Pentagon interview. “We have to capture that and make sure the department is prepared and directed toward being more effective and efficient as we can be.”

The Defense Department is charged with defending the homeland from attack. U.S. Northern Command is further charged with working with state and local entities and other federal agencies to provide support in times of natural or man-made disasters. In the first instance, DOD has the lead. In the second, another federal agency -- such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency -- has the lead.

The strategy, released in February, looks at the lessons learned from past experiences -- from Hurricane Katrina through Hurricane Sandy.

They also looked at changes including the growth of communications networks, dependence on private-sector capabilities and “the rising expectations from the president and from the secretary, and certainly from the American people, that we will be prepared to provide support to civil authorities within a 24- to 48-hour window,” Rosenblum said.

This is an incredibly short period of time, he said, and it forces a change in the relationship between DOD and other agencies. The old paradigm was to have civil partners “pull assistance” from DOD, while now DOD will actually push assistance where it is needed.

“So we are postured to provide assistance as fast and rapidly as possible,” Rosenblum said.

The vast difference between the response to Katrina in 2005 and to Sandy in 2012 shows the effectiveness of the new strategy, he said.

“We were more efficient, timely and effective in our support to Hurricane Sandy,” Rosenblum said. “This is because we did integrated planning within DOD, with our federal partners, and with our state partners. We recognized the need to not wait to be called upon, but to pre-position our support capabilities knowing there’s going to be audibles and ad hoc requests.”

Planning is at the heart of the strategy, he said. Integrated planning -- with state and local officials, with other federal agencies and with non-governmental entities -- has increased visibility and prominence. The National Guard -- an organization that bridges state and federal efforts -- continues to play a crucial role. But, Rosenblum noted, the strategy recognizes that response to disasters requires an all-of-government approach.
Cyberattacks, he said, also could produce the type of man-made disaster that would require DOD assistance. The homeland defense mission codifies requirements to provide cyberdefense, he added.

“The threats to networks and critical infrastructure increase when we are engaged in operations overseas,” he said. “The physical effects of cyberattacks can impact our military operation capabilities and response capabilities.”

The fiscal environment impacts this -- and all other -- strategies.

“The sequester is real and effecting DOD through readiness, training,” Rosenblum said. “It is difficult for the department to plan and budget intelligently, when we don’t have budget certainty.”

Officials devised the strategy when the department had already committed to $487 billion in reductions over 10 years.

“Sequester has changed the calculus tremendously,” Rosenblum said. “But this strategy is not about buying new capabilities: It’s about our planning, our processes and our integration.”