Combined Force in Kandahar Province Arrests Taliban Leader

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2013 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader and two other insurgents in the Dand district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The leader has operational control over insurgents responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also facilitates the movement of weapons in Kandahar City and is involved in the construction of improvised explosive devices.

Also today, a combined force in Helmand province’s Marjah district arrested an insurgent during a search for a senior Taliban leader who is in charge of at least seven groups of Taliban insurgents responsible for attacks on Afghan and coalition forces. He is involved in all stages of operations, including procuring weapons and ammunition, planning attacks and executing those plans. He and his insurgent fighters also kidnap Afghan national security force members. The combined force also seized a rifle and ammunition.

In Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- An Afghan quick-reaction police force killed three insurgents and wounded two others in Ghazni province’s Andar district after two local policemen asked for help. The quick-reaction force found the policemen surrounded and receiving small-arms fire from 10 insurgents. This marked the second instance in less than 48 hours in which multiple Afghan elements, working through the district operation control center, combined efforts to defeat Taliban attacks against Afghan local police positions, officials said.

-- A combined force in Jowzjan province’s Faizabad district detained a Taliban leader who is responsible for IED attacks in Jowzjan and Balkh provinces. He obtained weapons and ammunition for a network of Taliban fighters for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, collected illegal taxes from local civilians to fund insurgency operations, and provided intelligence on coalition force movement to senior Taliban leadership. The security force also arrested another insurgent.

-- In Baghlan province’s Burkah district, a combined force arrested a senior insurgent leader with ties to the Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan who is in charge of a group of fighters responsible for a wide range of insurgent activities. He and his cell have murdered Afghans, kidnapped civilians for ransom, conducted robberies against local businesses and collected illegal taxes to fund insurgent operations. He also facilitates the movement of weapons and suicide vests. The security force also arrested another insurgent and seized an assault rifle, five rocket-propelled grenades, seven RPG propellants, two fragmentary grenades, ammunition, six magazines and IED-making materials.

-- Also in Baghlan’s Burkah district, a combined force arrested an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader who is a known IED expert and has directed suicide-bomber attacks.

-- A combined force in Helmand province’s Nahr-e Saraj district arrested two insurgents during a search for a senior Taliban leader who oversees insurgent cells responsible for attacks on Afghan and coalition forces. He and his subordinates are heavily involved in IED operations. He also directs the movement of weapons and connects with other insurgent leaders to report intelligence and receive guidance for his network’s activities.

-- In Kandahar province’s Arghandab district, a combined force killed a Taliban leader and another insurgent and detained two insurgents. The Taliban leader was in charge of fighters responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also was involved in the obtaining of weapons and equipment for his insurgent group and directed night patrols to harass the local populace. The security force seized IED-making materials, an assault rifle, a pistol and four magazines.

-- A combined force in Wardak province’s Sayyidabad district arrested two insurgents during a search for a senior Taliban leader who controls about 70 insurgent fighters responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also oversees local weapons trafficking and reports on insurgent operations to higher-ranking Taliban officials

In May 11 operations:

-- A combined force in Paktia province’s Zurmat district arrested a Haqqani network leader who controls an insurgent cell responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and is involved in IED operations throughout the province. The security force also arrested another insurgent and seized a submachine gun, ammunition and IED-making materials.

-- In Helmand province’s Marjah district, a combined force arrested a senior Taliban leader who is in charge of an insurgent cell responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also coordinates IED and suicide-bomber attacks and obtains weapons for insurgents. The security force also arrested two other insurgents.

In May 10 operations:

-- Afghan commandos, advised by coalition forces, detained 28 insurgents in Logar province’s Muhhamed Agha district during an operation designed to disrupt insurgent activity in the area.

-- In Zabul province’s Shah Joy and Gelan districts, Afghan Provincial Response Company Zabul, enabled by coalition forces, seized and destroyed 350 pounds of ingredients for homemade explosives and other IED components.

-- Responding to an attack on local police, an Afghan quick-reaction force killed 10 insurgents in Ghazni province’s Qara Bagh district. The security force recovered three motorcycles, two assault rifles and a rocket-propelled grenade.

Carter Praises Progress on Afghan Transition

By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

KABUL, Afghanistan, May 12, 2013 – Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter met with senior U.S. and Afghan officials here today to praise them for their efforts on the transition to Afghan-led security, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., commander of the International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces Afghanistan, join with U.S. and Afghan security forces in a weekly memorial service to honor fallen troops in Kabul, Afghanistan, May 12, 2013. The names of both U.S. and Afghan forces were read aloud. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Carter spoke with Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, the Afghan minister of defense, and Ghulam Mujtaba Patang, the Afghan minister of the interior, at their respective ministries.

Carter congratulated the ministers on the progress made by Afghan forces as they move toward taking the lead for security throughout Afghanistan, Little said.

The deputy secretary and the ministers “pledged to continue to work together on a number of important issues, including the sustained development of the Afghan national security forces, human capital development and a range of issues related to security transition,” he added.

The deputy secretary also praised both officials for their “dedication to improving the professionalism and capabilities of the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police,” Little said.

In the morning, Carter met with Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., commander of the International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces Afghanistan, and other senior ISAF officials.

During that meeting the deputy secretary commended them for their efforts and reiterated the U.S. commitment to a secure and sovereign Afghanistan, Little said.

Following his meeting with Dunford, Carter joined about 300 military and civilian personnel outside the ISAF headquarters building for a weekly memorial service honoring fallen coalition and Afghan personnel.

The deputy secretary is on the third leg of a weeklong overseas trip, and his meetings in Afghanistan are intended to underline U.S. support for the ongoing development of the Afghan security forces.

Warrior Games 2013: Wounded Academy grad uses Games to help recovery

by Randy Roughton
Air Force News Service

5/10/2013 - COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AFNS) -- About three years after a bullet in his head in Iraq dramatically changed the course of his life, Capt. Wes Glisson can put his sentences together again as he continues his recovery from traumatic brain injury. He's able to remember just about everything about his life except for the shooting, which he's perfectly happy to never recall.

Rehabilitation after he was shot in February 2010 came slow for Glisson. After he awoke in his hospital bed at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda with his wife and fellow Air Force Academy graduate, Maj. Amy Glisson, at his side, he had to learn to talk and walk all over again.

Seeing the Academy mascot logo and not being able to conjure the word "falcon" was especially frustrating.

"I could see what I was looking at, but getting the words to come out of my mouth just would not work," Glisson said. "If somebody had a cup, I could look at it, but I couldn't understand what to do with it. If somebody asked me questions, I don't even know if I said yes or no.

"When I was in Tampa, the doctor would put up a picture of the Air Force falcon, and every day, he'd ask me, 'What is this?' I couldn't make out the word. I would get so mad at myself, somebody who went to the Academy and not able to remember that word."

At first, Glisson did not want to try out for the Games because he didn't think the way he was wounded measured up to wounded warriors who were injured in combat or by improvised explosive devices. But as he heard about others who were sick and some injured in non-duty related accidents, it finally made sense for him to attend the team's selection camp about a month before the competition.

But it still took some convincing from Tony Jasso, Wounded Warrior Program care manager, to get him to try out for a spot on the Air Force Warrior Games team, and even more coaxing to talk him into staying after he arrived for selection camp to train in cycling and as an alternate in several track and field events. Glisson was finally convinced after he talked with Dr. James Bales, head coach of the Air Force Warrior Games team who will ride with Glisson on his tandem bike.

"Dr. Bales is also an Academy grad," Glisson said. "He told me he understood what happened with me and that he'd love to ride with me. So I said, 'OK, I'm in.' It was really windy and cold on our first day, but after we did our first lap, it got a little better. He told me not to worry, that we'dl get a better bike, and it will work out."

As he's looking forward to the Games, Glisson is looking forward more to watching his teammates compete as he is for his own events.

"I am really excited, not just for me, but just watching the Games, with all of these people I've been here at the camp with," he said. "I really want to watch these people. Everyone has been so down to earth and has their own story of why they're here. This is the part of the Warrior Games that made me decide to do this. I'm missing that family aspect from the Air Force. As a civil engineer, you have a big team, and you're always together in whatever you're doing. I haven't had that for four years. It makes me feel like I'm back at home with my Air Force family again.

"And I really hope we win."

Beale to pay final respects to fallen Airman

by Master Sgt. Michelle Duchesne
940th Force Support Squadron

5/9/2013 - BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Beale Air Force Base will bring home another fallen hero May 11.

Staff Sgt. Richard Dickson, Rancho Cordova, Calif., was one of four Airmen who perished when their MC-12 aircraft went down in Afghanistan, April 27.

Just a year ago, Airmen lined the streets at Beale to render final respects to Army Specialist Chase Marta. It's a procession all hoped would never have to be repeated.

This time last year, the 940th Wing Force Support Squadron had two members deployed to the Dover Port Mortuary, Del.,  the place where all fallen warriors are brought before returning home.

Sustainment Flight Airmen are charged with preparing fallen warriors for their final journey. Part of that  training at the port mortuary involves treating the fallen warriors with the utmost respect from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave. It takes diligence and precision to ensure absolutely every detail is perfect, with the ultimate goal to get the fallen warrior home as soon as possible to waiting family members.

It's about honor, dignity, respect for the fallen and their families.

Well-trained military members at the Port Mortuary, perhaps even a reservist from Beale, have readied Dickson for his final journey home. And as he leaves Dover, everyone will line the tarmac there to send him off with a salute.

Taking care of our fallen and the escorts who come to take them back home is the hardest, but most fulfilling and special job for members of the sustainment flight.

And as the white plane lands at Beale tomorrow, the streets will once again be lined with hundreds of Airmen, waiting to render their salute in a final show of respect.

The nation owes Dickson and his family a debt of gratitude for his ultimate sacrifice.

Carter in Afghanistan for Meetings With Officials

By Claudette Roulo American Forces Press Service KABUL, Afghanistan, May 11, 2013 – Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter arrived here today for meetings with senior U.S. and Afghan officials. According to a senior U.S. defense official, among those Carter will be meeting with is Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., commander of the International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces Afghanistan. Dunford is slated to provide Carter with an on-the-ground assessment of the current status of the U.S. military drawdown in Afghanistan.

Face of Defense: National Guard Father, Son Deploy Together

By Army Staff Sgt. Kristen Duus
1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WALTON, Afghanistan, May 9, 2013 – When most soldiers deploy, they have to say goodbye to all the loved ones they leave behind. Two soldiers from 115th Military Police Battalion, a Maryland National Guard unit, each had one less goodbye to say.

Army 1st Lt. Lester Parks Jr., left, and his father, Army Sgt. 1st Class Lester Parks Sr., pose together at Forward Operating Base Walton, in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. The father and son are deployed with the Maryland National Guard’s 115th Military Police Battalion. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Kenith Walker   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Lester Parks Sr. and his son, Army 1st Lt. Lester Parks Jr., deployed here together with the battalion, which is attached to 1st Armored Division’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team.

Sergeant Parks is the battalion logistics noncommissioned officer in charge, while his son is the military intelligence officer in charge.
The younger Parks was an enlisted soldier before he earned his commission, and for a time, they served together in the same battalion as staff sergeants.

“We were the same rank, same name, same battalion, so it was always kind of confusing,” Lieutenant Parks said.

When the younger Parks became an officer, his father rendered his first salute.

“I was proud of him,” Sergeant Parks said. “He’s exceeded my expectations.”

Although the pair is deployed together, they get to spend time together only briefly each week.

“It’s hard, because we’re both so busy and we work in different buildings,” the lieutenant said. “We try to have dinner every once in a while, or stop by just to say ‘hi.’”

But as little time as they get to spend together here, they see more of each other than they do at home, where they usually manage to meet only during drill weekends or family get-togethers. Sergeant Parks lives in Newark, Md., while his son lives in Leesburg, Va., nearly four hours away.

This is the second deployment for both, but their first together. Being deployed together brings comfort, Sergeant Parks said, knowing his son is not deployed on his own.

“Most people have to deal with being away from their families,” Lieutenant Parks said. “For us, it kind of merges. We are dealing with that family dynamic here. To me, he’s one of the guys.”

Brave Defender trains Kandahar-bound Airmen

by Samuel King Jr.
Team Eglin Public Affairs

5/9/2013 -  EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla.  -- As a security forces Airman, you've just arrived for your deployment to the Joint Defense Operations Center at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan. The Airman you replaced left early so there's no transition period. You've only been at your desk for five minutes when an alarm sounds and bombs are incoming. You have a responsibility, a job to do... what's the first step?

Fifteen deployers bound for Kandahar exercised this and similar scenarios here, May 4 and 5. The Afghanistan-specific training was facilitated by the 96th Ground Combat Squadron. It is a new and separate element to the standard 17-day Brave Defender training all security forces Airmen go through prior to each deployment. This is only the third KAF class offered so far.

"Although the security forces career field hasn't officially transitioned to mission-specific JDOC training, Brave Defender recognized the need, leaned forward and developed a much-needed course," said Maj. James Habeck, the Brave Defender commander. "We built this at no extra cost to the Air Force, and it's now officially recognized by the Air Force Security Forces Center as a requirement to attend prior to working in the KAF JDOC."

Senior Master Sgt. Michael Young, a recent JDOC battle captain came to Brave Defender to help with the four-day training.

"This training helps the Airmen familiarize themselves with the NATO construct, JDOC language, specific checklists and interaction with other countries," said Young. "It is vital to make the deployment transition as seamless as possible. The mission is complex and with this training we can prepare them on the many specific scenarios they are likely to encounter. We're honing their core competencies and abilities to exercise command and control."

The course consists of two days of indoctrination briefings and training and two days of exercise scenarios. Afterward, the group joins up with their Brave Defender class for the standard training.

"(When I found out) I was going to the JDOC, I was a little nervous and did not know what to expect. Now after this training I feel confident about my job," said Staff Sgt. Amy Zieber, 139th Security Forces Squadron. "They put us under pressure and saw how we did, which helped me so much. I got an idea of what my job overseas would be like and where my strong suits are and also what I need to work on."

The JDOC course introduces the deployers to area and crash maps, local standard operating procedures, joint, coalition and host nation relationships and challenges. The exercises provide high tempo command and control training using current intelligence for the location and create an environment mimicking the Airman's operations center surroundings.

"I had no idea on what the (JDOC) job entailed and what it was all about," said Senior Airman Torrey Erbes, from the 460th Security Forces Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base, Colo. "Just from the modified training course we received, I feel more prepared to head down range and work in JDOC, rather than if I had just the typical regional training course I've received in the past. This course was without question beneficial."

Staff Monkeys: A Stockbroker's Journey Through the Global War on Terror.

Lieutenant Colonel Peter Clark, USA “was born in Massachusetts, moved to Florida at the age of 10 and grew up in Clearwater. He graduated from the University of Alabama in 1985. While at Alabama Peter was all Southeastern Conference in track, received a degree in marketing and a commission in the Army.  From 1985 to 1997 he served the country in various locations both in the states as well as overseas. He left the military in 1997 to begin working as a stockbroker for Smith Barney in Salinas California. In 2005, Peter was recalled to the military and has since served in East Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. He currently calls Tampa, Florida home, residing there with his wife Gabriela.”  Lieutenant Colonel Peter Clark is the author of Staff Monkeys: A Stockbroker's Journey Through the Global War on Terror.

More information about Lieutenant Colonel Peter Clark

Combined Force Arrests Haqqani Facilitator in Logar Province

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, May 9, 2013 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Haqqani network attack facilitator and another insurgent in the Pul-e Alam district of Afghanistan’s Logar province today, military officials reported.

The facilitator is responsible for procuring and distributing weapons, improvised explosive device-making components and other military equipment to insurgents. He also coordinates logistics for insurgent training in the area, and was planning a high-profile attack involving vehicle-borne IEDs and suicide bombers, officials said.

The security force also seized a pistol, two magazines, ammunition and IED materials.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- Also in Logar’s Pul-e Alam district, a combined force arrested an insurgent during a search for a Haqqani network leader who is responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and oversees the acquisition and distribution of money, weapons and military equipment.

-- Afghan commandos, advised by coalition forces, killed three insurgents and detained four others in Nangarhar province’s Khogyani district during an operation designed to degrade insurgent activity in the area.

In other news, a combined force in Helmand province’s Garm Ser district wounded an insurgent yesterday during a search for a Taliban IED expert responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also trains subordinate Taliban fighters on the construction, emplacement and employment of IEDs, and serves as an intelligence operative, relaying local operational information to senior Taliban leadership.

Programs Transform Wounded Warriors Into Elite Athletes

By Elaine Sanchez
Brooke Army Medical Center

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, May 9, 2013 – Staff Sgt. Michael Lage may be loyal to his Army green, but he’s hoping to add some gold to his uniform next week when he vies for medals in cycling and shooting at the 2013 Warrior Games.

Army Staff Sgt. Michael Lage readies for a 15-mile ride on Fort Sam Houston, Texas, in preparation for the 2013 Warrior Games. This is his first year in the competition and he is scheduled to compete in cycling and shooting. U.S. Army photo by Robert Shields   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

It’s a quest he never imagined taking on six years ago when he first arrived at Brooke Army Medical Center here -- the sole survivor of a blast in Baghdad that killed four others. The explosion took Lage’s left hand, part of his nose and ears, and caused third-degree burns to nearly half his body.

Still, the avid athlete never lost his competitive edge or determination to excel. Last month, Lage not only breezed through a 300-mile ride with the Ride2Recovery cycling tour, he also qualified to compete in the elite Warrior Games for the first time.

This weekend, the soldier will join more than 200 other wounded service members in Colorado Springs, Colo., where they’ll prove their prowess in sports such as archery, cycling, shooting, wheelchair basketball, swimming, track and field and sitting volleyball.

“I’m ready for the competition and looking forward to winning two gold medals.” he said.

Lage is one of the many service members who has transformed from wounded warrior into elite athlete -- a journey that, for many, begins here at Brooke Army Medical Center. From the moment they arrive until the day they depart, the focus is on fostering abilities and discovering new potential, said Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Donald Gajewski, an orthopedic surgeon and director of the Center for the Intrepid, the medical center’s state-of-the-art rehabilitation center.

The Army takes a four-phase approach to physical rehabilitation, Gajewski explained. Early on, providers focus on “protective healing,” which involves caring for wounds as they build mobility and strength.

Patients then move on to pre-prosthetic training at the Center for the Intrepid, where they concentrate on strengthening, balance and cardiovascular training. They also begin community reintegration together, which may involve a dinner or attending a sporting event downtown, he added.

Wounded warriors greatly benefit from working together as a group, Gajewski noted. “The ability to rehabilitate all of these heroes in one place is invaluable, not only from a motivational standpoint, but also from a sharing of best practices standpoint,” he said.

Warriors then receive and adjust to their new prostheses, while learning how to take on everyday tasks. They practice picking up objects from the floor, and stepping off and on stairs, curbs, ramps and uneven terrain. They also work on mastering a new gait.

The final phase involves the “fun stuff,” Gajewski said, such as recreational sports and activities, drivers training, vocational evaluation and training, and if needed, military-specific drills.

“There has been much research that shows adaptive sports plays a huge role in the recovery of our patients,” he said. Patients who participate in sports, he added, have been shown to have less narcotic medication dependence, less depression, higher quality of life scores, smoother community reintegration, and improved cardiovascular fitness and psychological well-being.

For the Center for the Intrepid staff, the sky is the limit in this phase. They tailor their programs to service members’ goals, which may include everything from skydiving and scuba diving to sled hockey and cycling.
For some wounded warriors, the goal is to simply regain the ability to first walk, then run. Center for the Intrepid prosthetists go to every length to make this happen, Gajewski said, citing the Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis, or IDEO, as just one example.

Center for the Intrepid prosthetist Ryan Blanck designed this device for service members who had suffered lower-leg injuries and were unable to comfortably walk, let alone run. The carbon-fiber device -- which comprises a cuff, carbon-fiber rod and footplate -- delivered nearly instantaneous results. Now, most troops who wheel or limp into his office, walk out a short time later, with a normal gait and pain-free.

Another prosthetist, Bob Kuenzi, created a one-of-a-kind prosthesis for a patient who, despite a devastating injury, was desperate to run again.

Army Spc. Eduard Lychik was clearing bombs in Afghanistan when the vehicle he riding in was hit with a recoilless rifle, taking out his entire left leg. While many above-the-knee amputees are able to return to sports and activities, Lychik’s challenges were compounded by a hip disarticulation, which involves an amputation at the hip joint.

Unwilling to give up, Kuenzi created a new prosthesis -- basically just a hip fitting, pylon and running blade -- that was an immediate success. Within days, Lychik was moving around a track, and soon was running an 8-minute mile. He recently took on, and succeeded at, a seemingly impossible goal: the 12-mile, 28-obstacle Austin Mudder. Since then, he’s run two half marathons and the Austin marathon, which he finished in 4:28.
“Having a patient with a hip disarticulation like Ed, doing the things that he’s doing, is so rare,” Gajewski said.

Brooke Army Medical Center has a comprehensive physical therapy program and the most cutting-edge equipment on hand, but Gajewski attributes success stories like Lychik’s to one key factor: people.
“Most important are a motivated staff, peer support from fellow service members and a motivated patient,” he said. “The last is of the ultimate importance because without a motivated patient, none of the other things matter.

“And we are blessed to have a highly motivated patient population,” he added.

Gajewski will follow the Warrior Games next week and root for the six BAMC warriors participating, including Lage, as they vie for gold. But no matter the outcome, in his mind, he said, they’ve already won.

DOD Cooperates With Congress on Benghazi Probes

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 8, 2013 – The Defense Department has cooperated fully with Congress and the State Department on the investigation into the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that led to the death of four U.S. citizens, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said here today.

A number of panels on Capitol Hill are examining the incident, which occurred September 11, 2012.
DOD officials provided a full accounting of military actions, “before, during and after” the attack. “The fact remains -- as we have repeatedly indicated -- that United States forces could not have arrived in time to mount a rescue of those Americans killed or injured that night,” Little said.

The attacks killed U.S. Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens, information officer Sean Smith, and former Navy SEALs Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty.

The U.S. military responded quickly to notifications of the attack on the Benghazi consulate, the spokesman said.

Little specifically addressed what military personnel in the Libyan capital of Tripoli were doing during the attack. Special operations personnel, he said, were in Libya in general support of embassy security and to aid the movement of embassy personnel.

Little reiterated that two service members did go from Tripoli to Benghazi that evening. These personnel were members of a quick reaction force quickly put together.

“We also had four personnel who continued a mission in Tripoli to support the relocation of American embassy personnel to that location,” Little said. “This is against a backdrop of uncertainty and concerns of threats to diplomatic installations throughout the region.”

The four personnel stayed in the area to relocate American embassy personnel from various embassy facilities to a U.S. embassy annex in Tripoli, Little said.

These four personnel attempted to travel to Benghazi. “The team leader of this four-man unit, called Special Operations Command—Africa to tell them that the movement of personnel to the annex was complete,” Little said. “He then reported his intention to move his team to Benghazi aboard a Libyan C-130.”

But by this time, the mission in Benghazi had shifted to evacuation. The higher command directed the team leader “to continue providing support to the embassy in Tripoli,” Little said.

“We continue to believe there was nothing this team could have done to assist during the second attack in Benghazi,” he added.

The four-man team remained in Tripoli and played a key role in receiving, treating and moving the wounded from Benghazi.

Warrior Games 2013: Retired Airman struggles with PTSD while in training

by Randy Roughton
Air Force News Service

5/8/2013 - COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AFNS) -- Second-year Warrior Games athlete George Stiltner recognized the look on retired Staff Sgt. Larry Franklin's face at the Air Force team's selection camp at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Stiltner had the same demeanor during his first year training for the Games. Now, he recognized a fellow former Airman struggling just as he was.

For more than three years, Franklin's struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder made coping with people, even family members, difficult. He was shot in the back of his head while on his third tour supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom on a quick response force mission at Kandahar Province, Afghanistan on March 21, 2007.

Because of a recent divorce, Franklin chose to return to duty in Kandahar after he recovered physically from his injury at Landstuhl Regional Medical Hospital in Germany instead of going home.

"It turned out not to be a good idea in the long run, but I convinced the doctors I could return to duty, and I returned to Kandahar for the remainder of my deployment," Franklin said.

When Franklin returned to his duty station at Joint Base Elmendorf -- Richardson, Alaska, he began to realize the symptoms were worse than he thought. He suffered frequent dizziness, massive headaches and coordination problems. So he decided to move back to Kentucky for a recruiting job and be near his family. But soon the crowds of high school students that were an important part of his job left him depressed and exhausted.

"The main concept of my job was to be a people person," he said. "But I'd go to high schools and just shut down. The kids would overwhelm me. I didn't have any crazy outbursts, but once I would leave, I'd take it home, and it really started to wear me down. That was definitely my worst time period.

"I tried to let my family be my best medicine, but I couldn't even be around them. They felt they didn't really understand what was going on with me, and I wasn't communicating with them what was going on."

But a fellow Warrior Games athlete saw almost instantly what Franklin was experiencing when he arrived at the Air Force team's selection camp to try out for swimming and wheelchair basketball. Even though Franklin didn't believe he was ready to confide in anyone at that point, Stiltner reached out to him, and they talked for about an hour in their first conversation.

"I think when a group gets together like this, you can kind of tell by a person's demeanor and how they carry themselves what they've got going on, especially if they have some of the same experiences you have," Stiltner said. "I just explained to him that when I came here, I felt like I didn't belong, and I believe that's the way he was feeling at the time. You don't really feel like you belong anywhere at the time. I told him how the Warrior Games helped me last year realize we each have our own demons. When you realize what some of those demons are, you can pick and choose to tackle one or a few at a time, and some of them will take care of themselves.

"You can see the physical difference in him now, compared to the first camp. I think he feels good about himself again."

Franklin, while still quite soft-spoken, also sees improvement in himself. Other than occupational therapy, counseling for his post-traumatic stress disorder and preventative medication, he considers himself basically independent. He is also interested in helping fellow wounded warriors who might experience the self-doubt he felt before he met a friend at his first Warrior Games selection camp.

"I think a lot of our wounded warrior community are isolated from the military because they've moved back home," he said. "Maybe they feel they don't want to be around the military because it's going to bring up something they don't want to deal with. All I can say to them is I was there. I felt the same way when I was in their shoes. In four months, it may not have fixed everything, but it's the relationships that have made a difference. You can't be here and not find someone or have someone reach out to you who you can relate to and will listen to your story."

Combined Force Arrests Taliban Leader in Kandahar Province

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, May 8, 2013 – An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader and three other insurgents during an operation in the Panjwa’i district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The arrested insurgent leader has coordinated and carried out attacks against tribal elders in the region, as well as against Afghan and coalition forces.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- A combined force arrested a Taliban leader in the Marjeh district of Helmand province. The leader planned, directed and took part in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also procures and distributes weapons to insurgent cells in the local area and advises senior insurgent leaders on long-term strategic goals. The security force also seized one AK-47 rifle, three magazines and 250 rounds of ammunition.

-- A combined force arrested three insurgents during a search for a high-ranking Haqqani leader in Paktika province’s Ziruk district. The sought-after Haqqani leader directs attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and has led attacks on government facilities throughout Afghanistan, including in Khost and Kabul provinces. The security force also seized ammunition during the operation.

In Afghanistan operations yesterday, Provincial Response Company Logar, enabled by coalition forces, detained four insurgents and discovered a cache of weapons and explosives-making materials while conducting a cordon-and-search operation in Logar province’s Pul-e district. The cache, which was destroyed on location, included 15 Chinese 107 mm rockets, one 82 mm recoilless rifle round and two 50-kilogram [110-pound] bags of fertilizer.

Warrior Games 2013: Games makes injured man feel like Airman again

by Randy Roughton
Air Force News Service

5/7/2013 - COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AFNS) -- Surrounded by his Air Force Warrior Games teammates as he trains to represent his service in archery, rifle shooting and sitting volleyball, Tech. Sgt. Alex Gaud-Torres feels like an Airman again.

Since his childhood in Puerto Rico, Gaud-Torres wanted to join the U.S. Air Force, a dream he realized when he enlisted after college in 1995.  He arrived at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., after space and missile maintenance training on his 21st birthday. But after he was injured by a car bomb while manning a checkpoint in Iraq in 2005, Gaud-Torres' feelings changed. He didn't feel he deserved to be an Airman anymore.

"A fire has always burned within me to be an American Airman, but when you get injured, you start feeling down on yourself because you're not the same person you were," he said. "That's how you measure yourself.

"I used to be in the Honor Guard. I used to be able to stand up for hours on end with a rifle or holding a casket, and I was a maintainer on 18-hour shifts in the frozen tundra fixing security systems or electronic equipment. I used to be able to do long-distance running and run forever. But I was thinking I didn't deserve to be an Airman anymore. I'm not the person they need to represent the Air Force that I love so much."

In 2005, then Staff Sgt. Gaud-Torres deployed from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., to Joint Base Balad as a third country national escort to assist the Army with inspecting personnel and vehicles and staffing checkpoints. Earlier in his deployment, he was attacked by a group of Iraqi civilians, but was rescued by a U.S. Soldier. Then, in mid-April, he was among a group inspecting dump trucks for false compartments and weapons off base when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated. The attack left him with two fractured vertebrae, a bruised sternum and severe nerve damage on the right side of his body.

"All I remember was this rush of air on the back of my neck and then opening up my eyes and looking at the sky," he said. "To this day, whenever I feel air on the back of my neck, it sends a chill down my spine."

When the geospatial intelligence analyst went home a few weeks later, he began feeling pain in his right arm and shoulder, so much so that he was unable to render a salute to a lieutenant when he left his office building one afternoon. His arm wouldn't move.

Surgeons found that two of his vertebrae were damaged, with a mass of recalciumification. They inserted a titanium plate, and he had to regain his fine motor skills. His wife Alex helped in the months after his surgery by having him help her with her scrapbooking.

"I had my supplies out on the table, and I was aware of the problems he was having holding on to things, so I asked him if he wanted to sit and help me," she said. "One day, I pulled out some pictures he emailed me from Iraq and asked if he wanted to tell his story of what he went through. He didn't share his pain or any of his experiences. To this day, I don't think I know everything."

Gaud-Torres' motor skills returned long before he confronted the emotional damage left by the attack, although his wife and their daughters Alexis, Alexandria and Alexia, were well aware something wasn't right.

"What you are to your kids is you are a superhero, but they want to protect you, too," Gaud-Torres said. "Unbeknowndest to me, I was molding them. If we went to a place where there were kids running around like a birthday party, or a kid with a balloon, they'd find a way to stop it or get rid of the balloon. You don't notice, but kids learn so fast. They're like sponges. I was transferring to them what I thought should happen. People shouldn't be behind me. There shouldn't be loud noises. The next thing I know, I was training them."

When Gaud-Torres finally self-identified himself with PTSD through resiliency training in 2012, he insisted on counseling for not only himself, but for him and his wife and separate counseling for their daughters.

When his Wounded Warrior Program care manager told him about the Warrior Games, Gaud-Torres and his wife instantly knew it would be good for him.

"When I'm shooting, my coach says to empty everything that's in my mind, to concentrate, aim and pull in the right direction, breathe and release," Gaud-Torres said. "When I'm doing that, there's nothing else in my head. It's like I'm back before everything happened, before I even deployed. It's so peaceful when I'm out there on the line. You don't anticipate the shot. You just let it happen. It's just me and the target and perfect peace and harmony."

However, his individual events are almost incidental. What is most important is the feeling that he is an Airman again and has his Air Force family back, especially with his fellow wounded warriors.

"It's the Airman concept," Gaud-Torres said. "Not only is it on the battlefield that we need it, but also on the battlefield that's in your mind. We're fighting a battle, and we need to be there for each other.

"When you're in the (area of responsibility), and something happens, you take care of each other, and you expect that. But these are my boys, my Airmen. This is what wingmanship really is. Even outside of the uniform, they still have blue in them."

Combined Force Arrests Taliban Leader in Helmand Province

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, May 7, 2013 – An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader and three other insurgents during an operation in the Lashkar Gah district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province today, military officials reported.

The arrested leader oversees a group of insurgent fighters responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also regularly provides operational updates to senior Taliban leadership and distributes weapons to other insurgent cells in the local area.

Also today, combined forces confirmed the death of Khialuddin, an insurgent leader with ties to the Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, during a May 5 operation in the Baghlan-e Jadid district of Baghlan province. Khialuddin -- also known as Shahbudin or Karwan -- directed improvised explosive device operations targeting senior government officials and Afghan and coalition forces throughout Baghlan province. He also worked with Taliban senior leaders to disseminate information to low-level insurgent fighters and facilitated money and weapons to insurgent groups.

In Afghanistan operations yesterday:
-- A combined force killed one insurgent during a search for a Taliban leader in the Shirin Tagab district of Faryab province. The sought-after insurgent leader leads a cell of 15 insurgents responsible for attacks on Afghan and coalition forces. He also arranges the purchase of weapons for Taliban operations and coordinates training for new insurgents. He and his fighters are also responsible for multiple IED attacks in the area.

-- Afghan National Army Special Forces and Afghan National Police, enabled by coalition forces, detained an IED-maker and discovered a weapons cache in Katu village in the Shinkai district of Zabul province. The cache contained three tactical vests, two rifles, IED-making materials and an unknown quantity of ammonium nitrate.

-- A combined force wounded one insurgent during a search for a Haqqani leader in the Musa Khel district of Khost province. The sought-after insurgent leader is responsible for weapons facilitation and also plans attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also has coordinated the movement of IEDs, mortar rounds and other weapons throughout the Musa Khel district.

-- An Afghan police member apprehended a suicide bomber after an attempted attack on another police member in his home in the Sar Howzah district of Paktika province. Reportedly, the suspect entered the home, attempted to shoot the occupants with an AK-47 rifle that misfired, and then attempted to detonate his suicide vest.

In May 5 operations:
-- A combined force seized a large quantity of narcotics at a vehicle search checkpoint in the western Dashte area of Helmand province. The combined force discovered 450 kilograms of wet opium and 6 kilograms of pure heroin with an estimated street value of $200,000. The security force also seized some small-arms weapons. All of the narcotics were destroyed.

-- Provincial Response Company Wardak, enabled by coalition forces, seized a cache containing 1,200 pounds of homemade explosives in the Nerkh district of Wardak province.

Army Casualties

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

They died May 4, in Maiwand, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when their vehicle was attacked by an enemy improvised explosive device.  The soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36thInfantry, 1stBrigade Combat Team, 1stArmored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas. 

Killed were:

1stLt. Brandon J. Landrum, 26, of Lawton, Okla.,

Staff Sgt. Francis G. Phillips IV, 28, of Meridian, N.Y.,

Spc. Kevin Cardoza, 19, of Mercedes, Texas,

Spc. Thomas P. Murach, 22, of Meridian, Idaho, and

Spc. Brandon J. Prescott, 24, of Bend, Ore.

For more information please contact the Fort Bliss public affairs office at 915-472-0287.

Combined Force Kills Insurgent During Search Operation

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, May 6, 2013 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force in the Nahrin district of Afghanistan’s Baghlan province killed an insurgent today during a search for the district’s ranking Taliban leader, military officials reported.

The Taliban leader and his cell of insurgent fighters have conducted a campaign of assassinations in the district, collected illegal taxes from local civilians, and participated in multiple attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

He also is instrumental in training and familiarizing new fighters in the area and has a history of coordinating suicide attacks with local Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan terrorist groups.

As the security force approached the leader’s suspected location, an insurgent maneuvered against the Afghan and coalition troops and was killed when he posed a lethal threat. The security force also seized a light machine gun and ammunition in the operation.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

--A combined force in Nangarhar province’s Khugyani district arrested a senior Taliban leader who has planned and directed assassinations against government officials, conducted attacks targeting Afghan and coalition forces and facilitated the movement of money, weapons and insurgent fighters throughout the area. The security force also arrested another insurgent.

-- In Kandahar province’s Maiwand district, a combined force arrested a Taliban facilitator who is responsible for providing weapons and fighters to local insurgent groups and has a history of distributing roadside bombs, grenades, machine guns, ammunition and other military supplies for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also arrested another insurgent and seized 2 pounds of opium.

-- A combined force in Helmand province’s Nawah-ye Barakzai district arrested a Taliban facilitator who has a history of distributing roadside bombs to insurgent cells throughout the province and has participated in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also arrested four other insurgents.
In operations yesterday:

-- In Baghlan province’s Baghlan-e Jadid district, a combined force killed an insurgent during a search for an insurgent leader with ties to the Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. The leader directs improvised explosive device operations targeting senior government officials and Afghan and coalition forces and works directly with Taliban senior leadership to disseminate information to low-level fighters. He also is vital in facilitating money and weapons for insurgent groups in the area.

-- In the same district, Provincial Response Company Baghlan, enabled by coalition forces, killed six insurgents when it responded to an attack on another Afghan unit. The joint force engaged several insurgents armed with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades shortly after being dispatched by the provincial chief of police.

-- Provincial Response Company Farah, enabled by coalition forces, detained six insurgents and seized a cache of weapons, drugs and ammunition while conducting a high-risk arrest in Farah province’s Pusht E Rod District. The cache consisted of four RPG rockets, two pressure plates, 110 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, 11 pounds of opium and a pound of hashish.

-- A combined force in Kandahar province’s Dand district killed Qudrat, a Taliban leader, and arrested four other insurgents. Qudrat was in charge of a cell of Taliban fighters responsible for IED operations throughout the province. He also facilitated the movement of weapons in the area and provided operational reports to senior Taliban leaders in the area. The security force also seized a pistol and an ammunition magazine.

-- In Baghlan province’s Burkah district, a combined force arrested four insurgents during a search for a senior insurgent leader with ties to both the Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan who has operational control over fighters responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He is vital in facilitating the movement of weapons, particularly rocket-propelled grenades, to insurgent fighters in the area. He and his group also collect illegal taxes from the local populace to fund terrorist activity. The security force also seized three rifles, magazines and ammunition.

-- A combined force in Helmand province’s Nahr-e Saraj district arrested a Taliban leader who is responsible for coordinating and executing attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also procures and distributes weapons and IED components to his subordinate fighters and other insurgent groups. The security force also addressed three other insurgents.

-- In the same district, Afghan local police and soldiers and coalition forces killed more than 18 insurgents after being attacked at police checkpoints. The district police chief provided a quick-reaction force to one checkpoint, and the district operations coordination center tasked Afghan commandos to support the fight at another. Coalition forces provided indirect fire in support of the quick-reaction force.

In May 4 operations:

-- In Baghlan province’s Burkah district, a combined force arrested a senior insurgent leader with ties to both the Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. The leader has operational control over fighters responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He is vital in facilitating the movement of weapons, particularly rocket-propelled grenades, to insurgent fighters in the area. He and his group also collect illegal taxes from the local populace to fund terrorist activity.

-- A combined force in Jowzjan province’s Qush Tepah district killed three insurgents and wounded another during a search for a senior Taliban leader who directs all Taliban operations in the district and coordinates with insurgent networks in Jowzjan and Sar-e Pul districts. He is responsible for the facilitation, planning and coordination of attacks on Afghan and coalition forces in the region. Officials said he is planning an attack on an Afghan checkpoint, plotting to kill the guards and take their weapons. He also relays instructions from senior Taliban leaders to more than 100 fighters. The insurgents were seen planting a rocket.

-- Afghan local police and coalition forces detained three insurgents after finding them in the possession of about 45 pounds of IED-making materials and three pressure plate training devices in Zabul province’s Shah Joy district.

-- In Nangarhar province’s Charparhar district, Afghan commandos, advised by coalition forces, detained 14 insurgents during a clearing operation conducted to disrupt a known Taliban attack staging area.
-- Afghan local police, advised by coalition forces, detained an IED operative during a patrol in Logar province’s Baraki Barak district and turned him over to Afghan National Police.

-- A combined force in Helmand province’s Marjah district arrested a Taliban leader who has operational control over fighters responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He is also key in procuring and distributing weapons and IED components. The security force also arrested two other insurgents.

-- In Khost province’s Gurbuz district, a combined force arrested a Haqqani network facilitator who is responsible for trafficking weapons. The security force also seized three assault rifles, a pistol, 10 magazines and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition.

In May 3 operations:

-- A combined force in Nangarhar province’s Khugyani district arrested a high-profile Taliban attack facilitator who provides logistical support to senior Taliban leaders. He organizes the purchase, transfer and delivery of weapons to support the Taliban insurgency, and has sold rockets used in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- Afghan commandos in Nangarhar province’s Chaparhar district arrested a mid-level Taliban leader who is involved in the narcotics trade and is responsible for attacks against coalition forces and Afghan government officials.