American Forces Press Service
May 27, 2009 - Afghan and coalition forces killed five suspects and detained 10 during operations throughout Afghanistan today. Combined forces conducting operations in northern Khost province saw a vehicle turn abruptly toward a security element. Afghan forces used verbal commands and gestures in an attempt to stop the vehicle. When the driver continued approaching, Afghan forces fired warning shots, but the driver was undeterred.
After exhausting all nonlethal measures, Afghan and coalition forces engaged the vehicle, killing the driver who was the only occupant.
In a rural village southwest of Kabul, a combined force raided a compound to capture a Haqqani terror network commander responsible for coordinating bombing attacks in nearby Logar province.
When forces entered the targeted compound, Afghan troops called out for all noncombatants to come out. About 30 women and children complied and were moved to a safe area. In one building, forces encountered armed men who had barricaded themselves. Four militants were killed in the subsequent engagement. Five suspects were detained without further incident.
In Khost city, during a separate operation to disrupt militant operations in eastern Afghanistan, a combined force patrolled to a neighborhood to capture insurgents associated with al-Qaida. Afghan forces led the search of a building with the cooperation of the residents, detained five suspected militants without incident and removed two grenades found in the building.
(Compiled from U.S. Forces Afghanistan news releases.)
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tournament Showcases Fun, Unity in Baghdad District
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Alex LiceaSpecial to American Forces Press Service
May 27, 2009 - Cheers, music and fun filled Shaab stadium during a soccer tournament May 22 and 23 here in eastern Baghdad's Rusafa district. In a month-long effort, the London-based soccer organization FC Unity, in cooperation with U.S. and Iraqi officials, provided the people of Iraq a platform for development and education through a series of soccer programs.
As a sense of normalcy continues to fill the Iraqi capital, U.S. officials, along with their Iraqi partners, wanted to show that security is here to stay. FC Unity officials, along with Multinational Division Baghdad paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team, and Iraqi security forces, wanted to bring part of their culture to the Iraqi people as a gesture of partnership.
"It is a normality of life that we can all come out here and play, Americans and Iraqis together and also Iraqis of different backgrounds -- regardless of their religious, ethnic and social backgrounds -- can come together and play football," said Yamam Nabeel, chief executive of FC Unity.
"If people around the world can see how the U.S. military interacts with the Iraqi people, it shows a different picture to the world that the U.S. Army is here to help the Iraqis build a strong and viable society," he said. "We are here to bring smiles to the faces of the young people."
The tournament, which was open to the public, consisted of 32 community games and four games combining American soldiers and Iraqi security forces. Paratroopers handed out soccer jerseys and other equipment to children who participated in the event.
"We want to give the Iraqi people [their] culture back, and a big part of that culture is sports, and in Iraq, sports means soccer," Army Lt. Col. Michael Shinners said in a television interview. Shinners, of Arlington, Va., is deputy commander of the 3rd Brigade, which is deployed from Fort Bragg, N.C.
For American paratroopers participating in the event, playing soccer in a combat zone is something they could never have envisioned when they deployed to Baghdad late last year.
"This is a huge step in what we are doing here," said Army Spc. John MacMurray, an intelligence specialist assigned to the brigade's Headquarters and Headquarters Company. "This event has really helped us earn the trust of the Iraqi citizens."
During halftime, MacMurray took a break from the action and re-enlisted in the middle of the field for an additional four years of military service. The Minerva, Ohio, native said the experience of re-enlisting in front of so many people is something he always will treasure.
"We had a lot of fun this weekend, and we built great friendships with the American soldiers," an Iraqi National Police officer said. "That was the point of this weekend: to have fun and have a great time."
(Army Sgt. 1st Class Alex Licea serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 82nd Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team public affairs office.)
Air Force Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the death of two airmen who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died May 26 near Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device.
Killed were:
Lt. Col. Mark E. Stratton II, 39, of Houston. He was assigned to the Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Senior Airman Ashton L. M. Goodman, 21, of Indianapolis. She was assigned to the 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, N.C.
For further information on Stratton, please contact the Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs office at (703) 695-0640.
For further information on Goodman, please contact the Pope Air Force Base Public Affairs office at (910) 394-4183.
Killed were:
Lt. Col. Mark E. Stratton II, 39, of Houston. He was assigned to the Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Senior Airman Ashton L. M. Goodman, 21, of Indianapolis. She was assigned to the 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, N.C.
For further information on Stratton, please contact the Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs office at (703) 695-0640.
For further information on Goodman, please contact the Pope Air Force Base Public Affairs office at (910) 394-4183.
Navy Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Cmdr. Duane G. Wolfe, 54, of Port Hueneme, Calif., died May 25 from injuries suffered as a result of an improvised explosive device attack on his convoy southeast of Fallujah. Wolfe was assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Gulf Region Division in Iraq.
For further information, please contact Naval Base Ventura County public affairs at (805) 989-9234.
Cmdr. Duane G. Wolfe, 54, of Port Hueneme, Calif., died May 25 from injuries suffered as a result of an improvised explosive device attack on his convoy southeast of Fallujah. Wolfe was assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Gulf Region Division in Iraq.
For further information, please contact Naval Base Ventura County public affairs at (805) 989-9234.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Airmen Contribute to the Fight in Iraq, Kuwait
By Air Force Capt. Angelic Dolan
Special to American Forces Press Service
May 26, 2009 - The 586th Air Expeditionary Group is one of three Air Force groups organized to complete joint expeditionary taskings and is contributing significantly to operations in Iraq and Kuwait, the group's commander said. Col. Alan Metzler, 586th AEG commander, spoke with journalists and bloggers during a DODLive Blogger's roundtable May 20. Metzler is responsible for organizing, training and equipping more than 650 ground combat airmen across four geographically separated locations to fill U.S. Army requirements. The airmen conduct combat logistics, convoys, area security operations, detainee visitation, explosive detection and chapel ministry.
"When deployed, those forces -- those JET missions -- are under my operational and administrative control and they receive their tactical orders from Army commanders," Metzler said. "We deploy alongside soldiers, sailors, Marines and our coalition partners in unique missions that some people might not normally associate with the Air Force."
The 586th supports the Army-led task force at Camp Bucca, Iraq, that operates a theater internment facility. The TIF houses thousands of detainees who have been identified as security risks to Multinational Force Iraq, the government of Iraq and the Iraqi people.
"We support that mission by facilitating visits between family members and the detainees," said Metzler. "That's one of our two core missions that we perform there. We operate a first-class visitation center where we process over 1,800 detainee family members each week. Last year, we processed 132,000 visitors through our facility. Now, we're especially vigilant in our screening procedures to protect ourselves, but also to protect our task force counterparts and the detainees. We provide quality care and custody in a secure environment."
Airmen in the visitation section have a critical job, he explained.
"They have hundreds of daily contacts with visitors to Camp Bucca -- the family members of detainees who sometimes have a jaded outlook of us and our goals in Iraq," he said. "Through these thousands of contacts a week, we've learned one thing -- that our most important weapons in countering negative views and gaining their support for our strategic objectives in Iraq is our values as airmen and our values as Americans."
Communication, respect and human decency have become the most effective tools for the airmen working in the visitation section, he added.
"We treat everyone with dignity and respect. We have earned their respect as a result," Metzler explained. "Our contact, our care, compassion and communication -- and when I say communication, I mean our airmen are learning to speak Arabic and they interact with these family members every day. All of these elements have been a key element in changing their attitudes for all these family members. By doing so, we increase the safety and security of the TIF, which is one of our core missions, and we gain their support and reconcile this population in support of Iraq's future."
One other major mission the group's airmen perform is under the tactical control of the U.S. Army's 4th Sustainment Brigade, located at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. They are the only line-haul convoy mission in the Air Force, said Metzler.
"In basic terms, we're combat truckers, and we move cargo in and out of Iraq," he said. "We operate every day on the roads and forward operating bases of Iraq driving millions of miles a year in some very dangerous places. We go everywhere from bases in southern Iraq up to Baghdad and to northern and western provinces and bases in Mosul and Anbar."
Airmen and soldiers work side-by-side, driving trucks and moving cargo in and out of Iraq as a single team, Metzler said.
"It's an exciting mission for us because when they go out on the road, they're going to go out as a joint team with Army providing security, Air Force in command and control doing the cargo movement, and we'll have contracted support vehicles," he said.
It's an environment that requires incredible flexibility, incredible professionalism and incredible discipline, Metzler said.
"We'll have dozens of trucks on the road operating for days in Iraq, all commanded by an Air Force technical sergeant," he said. "These are great airmen that are highly trained and capable of handling themselves down range. We want disciplined, professional, combat-ready airmen and we're going to deliver mission excellence to our operational and tactical commanders."
The airmen of the 586th perfectly represent what Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said about the Air Force being "all in" when it comes to the continuing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Metzler said.
"There's been some discussions in the past and commentary about our commitment to the current fight and whether we're part of the ground fight," Metzler said. "I can assure you that the Air Force is fully engaged. We're contributing to the counterinsurgency effort here and there's no question that airmen are making a difference in this campaign in the air and on the ground."
(Air Force Capt. Angelic Dolan is assigned to 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs).
Special to American Forces Press Service
May 26, 2009 - The 586th Air Expeditionary Group is one of three Air Force groups organized to complete joint expeditionary taskings and is contributing significantly to operations in Iraq and Kuwait, the group's commander said. Col. Alan Metzler, 586th AEG commander, spoke with journalists and bloggers during a DODLive Blogger's roundtable May 20. Metzler is responsible for organizing, training and equipping more than 650 ground combat airmen across four geographically separated locations to fill U.S. Army requirements. The airmen conduct combat logistics, convoys, area security operations, detainee visitation, explosive detection and chapel ministry.
"When deployed, those forces -- those JET missions -- are under my operational and administrative control and they receive their tactical orders from Army commanders," Metzler said. "We deploy alongside soldiers, sailors, Marines and our coalition partners in unique missions that some people might not normally associate with the Air Force."
The 586th supports the Army-led task force at Camp Bucca, Iraq, that operates a theater internment facility. The TIF houses thousands of detainees who have been identified as security risks to Multinational Force Iraq, the government of Iraq and the Iraqi people.
"We support that mission by facilitating visits between family members and the detainees," said Metzler. "That's one of our two core missions that we perform there. We operate a first-class visitation center where we process over 1,800 detainee family members each week. Last year, we processed 132,000 visitors through our facility. Now, we're especially vigilant in our screening procedures to protect ourselves, but also to protect our task force counterparts and the detainees. We provide quality care and custody in a secure environment."
Airmen in the visitation section have a critical job, he explained.
"They have hundreds of daily contacts with visitors to Camp Bucca -- the family members of detainees who sometimes have a jaded outlook of us and our goals in Iraq," he said. "Through these thousands of contacts a week, we've learned one thing -- that our most important weapons in countering negative views and gaining their support for our strategic objectives in Iraq is our values as airmen and our values as Americans."
Communication, respect and human decency have become the most effective tools for the airmen working in the visitation section, he added.
"We treat everyone with dignity and respect. We have earned their respect as a result," Metzler explained. "Our contact, our care, compassion and communication -- and when I say communication, I mean our airmen are learning to speak Arabic and they interact with these family members every day. All of these elements have been a key element in changing their attitudes for all these family members. By doing so, we increase the safety and security of the TIF, which is one of our core missions, and we gain their support and reconcile this population in support of Iraq's future."
One other major mission the group's airmen perform is under the tactical control of the U.S. Army's 4th Sustainment Brigade, located at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. They are the only line-haul convoy mission in the Air Force, said Metzler.
"In basic terms, we're combat truckers, and we move cargo in and out of Iraq," he said. "We operate every day on the roads and forward operating bases of Iraq driving millions of miles a year in some very dangerous places. We go everywhere from bases in southern Iraq up to Baghdad and to northern and western provinces and bases in Mosul and Anbar."
Airmen and soldiers work side-by-side, driving trucks and moving cargo in and out of Iraq as a single team, Metzler said.
"It's an exciting mission for us because when they go out on the road, they're going to go out as a joint team with Army providing security, Air Force in command and control doing the cargo movement, and we'll have contracted support vehicles," he said.
It's an environment that requires incredible flexibility, incredible professionalism and incredible discipline, Metzler said.
"We'll have dozens of trucks on the road operating for days in Iraq, all commanded by an Air Force technical sergeant," he said. "These are great airmen that are highly trained and capable of handling themselves down range. We want disciplined, professional, combat-ready airmen and we're going to deliver mission excellence to our operational and tactical commanders."
The airmen of the 586th perfectly represent what Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said about the Air Force being "all in" when it comes to the continuing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Metzler said.
"There's been some discussions in the past and commentary about our commitment to the current fight and whether we're part of the ground fight," Metzler said. "I can assure you that the Air Force is fully engaged. We're contributing to the counterinsurgency effort here and there's no question that airmen are making a difference in this campaign in the air and on the ground."
(Air Force Capt. Angelic Dolan is assigned to 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs).
Iraqi Air Force Graduates Aircrew, Dedicates New Buildings
American Forces Press Service
May 26, 2009 - In developments this month, the Iraqi air force graduated its first intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircrew members and dedicated three new buildings that will increase its capabilities. The first class of Iraqi Air Force Squadron 87 King Air ISR aircrew members completed their year-long training, which culminated with a graduation ceremony at New Al Muthana Air Base May 17.
The Iraqi King Air program, headed up by U.S. Air Force and Navy aircrew instructors, has trained four Iraqi pilots, seven co-pilots and five mission sensor operators.
"We are about at the halfway point where we can call (the Iraqis) independent and autonomous," U.S. Air Force Col. John Rutkowski, 321st Air Expeditionary Advisory Group commander, said about Iraq's ISR capabilities. "They have five ISR platforms that (the Iraqis) have already used for pilgrimages, border patrols and to secure the voting stations during the January 31 Iraqi elections."
Rutkowski said he expects Squadron 87 to be fully operational in their ISR mission with another year of instruction from their U.S. counterparts.
"Hopefully in about a year they will have 10 crews that can fly ISR missions, which (will) give them the foundation to meet the needs of Iraq," said the colonel, who is deployed from Scott Air Force Base, Ill., and is a native of Wyandotte, Mich.
The task of teaching the Iraqis this new ISR capability has been a challenge but has also been very gratifying, an instructor with Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq.
"(The Iraqis) came in with great enthusiasm and an eagerness to learn to help defend their country," said U.S. Tech. Sgt. Darnell Gordon, who is deployed from Tinker AFB, Okla., and is a native of Chicago. "This has been the most challenging thing I have ever done in my Air Force career and by far the most rewarding, because we are helping build up a new air force from the ground up."
One graduate said that the graduation ceremony was a nice gesture, but his real pride comes from his duty to his country.
"You have to know that when I work I don't expect to be thanked for what I am doing because I feel that it is my duty to serve my country, but it is a nice thing to be thanked and to know that someone appreciates what you are doing," said Iraqi air force 2nd Lt. Hassanien, an MSO on the King Air platform.
Meanwhile at Camp Taji, Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq's Air Force Training Team handed over three new buildings May 13 to the Iraqi air force in traditional dedication ceremonies.
Among the new facilities were an avionics testing facility, a communications building and a munitions storage area.
U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Angel Olivares, CAFTT base support unit director, said the new facilities will greatly enhance the capabilities of the Iraqi air force.
"The projects were designed to provide the Iraqi air force here at Taji with the basic infrastructure to allow it to complete its flying and training missions," Olivares said.
The avionics testing facility is unique because the equipment inside is from Russia and uses more than six different electrical power supply variations. The facility was designed to allow the phase testing of all MI-17 and Huey electronic components.
"There are only two facilities of this type in the world – one in Russia and now one here in Taji, Iraq," said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Bonnie Trajanowski, CAFTT air advisor. "It will give the Iraqi air force the capability to test and make adjustments to all the avionics equipment, to include all the instruments, the auto pilot and radios on the Mi-17."
Trajanowski, a native of New Britain, Conn., who is deployed from Barksdale AFB, La., said the biggest challenge for her team has been receiving all the Russian equipment, translating the operating procedures into English for coalition advisors, then re-translating into Arabic for the Iraqi air force. She said it was a necessary step to ensure the success of the Iraqi aerial mission.
"With the shortage of parts and aircraft, we have to ensure that these helicopters are performing at the optimal level, and with this new facility we can now make sure that happens," she said.
The second facility dedicated to the Iraqis was the communications building, which also is one-of-a-kind for the Iraqi air force.
"It is designed to house all the communication needs for the entire base to include phone, Internet and radio, and will be utilized to service all repairs on those capabilities," said Olivares, who is deployed from NATO headquarters, Belgium, and is a native of El Paso, Texas.
The third facility the Iraqis took over was a new munitions maintenance and storage area, modeled after the munitions storage facilities used by the U.S. Air Force. The maintenance facility consists of three bays designed to conduct maintenance on rockets, chaff and flares and ammunition, and also has office space for the technicians.
"The significance of this munitions area is that we have increased the capabilities of the Iraqi air force by 400 percent," said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Otis T. Reed, munitions advisor to the Iraqi air force. "This building will now be used for weapons checkout and munitions inspections as well as munitions building."
(Compiled from Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq news releases).
May 26, 2009 - In developments this month, the Iraqi air force graduated its first intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircrew members and dedicated three new buildings that will increase its capabilities. The first class of Iraqi Air Force Squadron 87 King Air ISR aircrew members completed their year-long training, which culminated with a graduation ceremony at New Al Muthana Air Base May 17.
The Iraqi King Air program, headed up by U.S. Air Force and Navy aircrew instructors, has trained four Iraqi pilots, seven co-pilots and five mission sensor operators.
"We are about at the halfway point where we can call (the Iraqis) independent and autonomous," U.S. Air Force Col. John Rutkowski, 321st Air Expeditionary Advisory Group commander, said about Iraq's ISR capabilities. "They have five ISR platforms that (the Iraqis) have already used for pilgrimages, border patrols and to secure the voting stations during the January 31 Iraqi elections."
Rutkowski said he expects Squadron 87 to be fully operational in their ISR mission with another year of instruction from their U.S. counterparts.
"Hopefully in about a year they will have 10 crews that can fly ISR missions, which (will) give them the foundation to meet the needs of Iraq," said the colonel, who is deployed from Scott Air Force Base, Ill., and is a native of Wyandotte, Mich.
The task of teaching the Iraqis this new ISR capability has been a challenge but has also been very gratifying, an instructor with Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq.
"(The Iraqis) came in with great enthusiasm and an eagerness to learn to help defend their country," said U.S. Tech. Sgt. Darnell Gordon, who is deployed from Tinker AFB, Okla., and is a native of Chicago. "This has been the most challenging thing I have ever done in my Air Force career and by far the most rewarding, because we are helping build up a new air force from the ground up."
One graduate said that the graduation ceremony was a nice gesture, but his real pride comes from his duty to his country.
"You have to know that when I work I don't expect to be thanked for what I am doing because I feel that it is my duty to serve my country, but it is a nice thing to be thanked and to know that someone appreciates what you are doing," said Iraqi air force 2nd Lt. Hassanien, an MSO on the King Air platform.
Meanwhile at Camp Taji, Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq's Air Force Training Team handed over three new buildings May 13 to the Iraqi air force in traditional dedication ceremonies.
Among the new facilities were an avionics testing facility, a communications building and a munitions storage area.
U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Angel Olivares, CAFTT base support unit director, said the new facilities will greatly enhance the capabilities of the Iraqi air force.
"The projects were designed to provide the Iraqi air force here at Taji with the basic infrastructure to allow it to complete its flying and training missions," Olivares said.
The avionics testing facility is unique because the equipment inside is from Russia and uses more than six different electrical power supply variations. The facility was designed to allow the phase testing of all MI-17 and Huey electronic components.
"There are only two facilities of this type in the world – one in Russia and now one here in Taji, Iraq," said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Bonnie Trajanowski, CAFTT air advisor. "It will give the Iraqi air force the capability to test and make adjustments to all the avionics equipment, to include all the instruments, the auto pilot and radios on the Mi-17."
Trajanowski, a native of New Britain, Conn., who is deployed from Barksdale AFB, La., said the biggest challenge for her team has been receiving all the Russian equipment, translating the operating procedures into English for coalition advisors, then re-translating into Arabic for the Iraqi air force. She said it was a necessary step to ensure the success of the Iraqi aerial mission.
"With the shortage of parts and aircraft, we have to ensure that these helicopters are performing at the optimal level, and with this new facility we can now make sure that happens," she said.
The second facility dedicated to the Iraqis was the communications building, which also is one-of-a-kind for the Iraqi air force.
"It is designed to house all the communication needs for the entire base to include phone, Internet and radio, and will be utilized to service all repairs on those capabilities," said Olivares, who is deployed from NATO headquarters, Belgium, and is a native of El Paso, Texas.
The third facility the Iraqis took over was a new munitions maintenance and storage area, modeled after the munitions storage facilities used by the U.S. Air Force. The maintenance facility consists of three bays designed to conduct maintenance on rockets, chaff and flares and ammunition, and also has office space for the technicians.
"The significance of this munitions area is that we have increased the capabilities of the Iraqi air force by 400 percent," said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Otis T. Reed, munitions advisor to the Iraqi air force. "This building will now be used for weapons checkout and munitions inspections as well as munitions building."
(Compiled from Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq news releases).
U.S., Iraqi Forces Detain 4, Find Weapons in Central Iraq
American Forces Press Service
May 26, 2009 - Coalition and Iraqi forces detained four suspected insurgents and found weapons in recent operations in central Iraq, U.S. military officials reported. Iraqi and coalition forces yesterday detained a suspect in Baghdad's Mansour district after discovering an assortment of weapons in his home. The raid was initiated from a tip given to Iraqi forces by a local resident. The search turned up three artillery rounds, two rockets and a bag filled with metal ball bearings, all which may be used to build homemade bombs, military officials said.
Also in Baghdad, Iraqi forces arrested a man believed to be in charge of a suicide-bomber network operating in the area. The suspect reportedly recruits and trains women to be suicide bombers and was taken into custody after Iraq's Central Investigating Court issued a warrant for his arrest, officials said.
Just north of Baghdad May 17 in Diyala province, Iraqi and coalition forces detained two suspected insurgents. The men are believed responsible for kidnapping local residents and targeting security forces with roadside bombs and small-arms attacks, officials said.
May 26, 2009 - Coalition and Iraqi forces detained four suspected insurgents and found weapons in recent operations in central Iraq, U.S. military officials reported. Iraqi and coalition forces yesterday detained a suspect in Baghdad's Mansour district after discovering an assortment of weapons in his home. The raid was initiated from a tip given to Iraqi forces by a local resident. The search turned up three artillery rounds, two rockets and a bag filled with metal ball bearings, all which may be used to build homemade bombs, military officials said.
Also in Baghdad, Iraqi forces arrested a man believed to be in charge of a suicide-bomber network operating in the area. The suspect reportedly recruits and trains women to be suicide bombers and was taken into custody after Iraq's Central Investigating Court issued a warrant for his arrest, officials said.
Just north of Baghdad May 17 in Diyala province, Iraqi and coalition forces detained two suspected insurgents. The men are believed responsible for kidnapping local residents and targeting security forces with roadside bombs and small-arms attacks, officials said.
U.S., Afghan Forces Kill 84, Detain 14 in Combat Operations
American Forces Press Service
May 26, 2009 - Coalition and Afghan forces killed 84 militants and detained 14 more in recent operations throughout Afghanistan, U.S. military officials reported. Afghan and coalition forces killed 13 enemy fighters today in an ongoing operation in Logar province's Kharwar district. The joint forces were searching a compound when they spotted several groups of armed fighters closing in. An initial coalition airstrike killed four, and a follow-up airstrike killed nine more, military officials said.
In operations yesterday:
-- Afghan and coalition forces killed eight militants in Oruzgan province's Deh Rawood district after the men attacked the joint reconnaissance patrol with machinegun and large-caliber munitions fire. The joint force returned fire with small-arms and mortar fire, killing all eight insurgents. Three Afghan policemen and two coalition troops were wounded in the attack but are in stable condition at a coalition medical facility, officials said.
-- In Helmand province's Nadi Ali district and Lashkar Gah, Afghan and coalition forces killed three insurgents and detained six suspected Taliban. The operation was to capture a Taliban commander allegedly responsible for orchestrating bomb-making operations and for using violence to intimidate local residents to cooperate. One enemy fighter was killed in a building when coalition forces noticed he was wearing a suicide vest. Two more were killed after trying to shield themselves with a woman and child. Six others were detained without force. A woman and child were wounded by ricochet bullets during the incident but sustained non-life threatening injuries, officials said.
-- In Helmand province's Sangin district, Afghan and coalition forces found and destroyed a weapons and narcotics cache during a raid. The search resulted in 55 pounds of heroin, 10 pounds of ammonium nitrate liquid, 50 gallons of bomb-making materials and seven mortars, officials said.
In Khost province May 24, Afghan and coalition forces detained four suspected foreign fighters during a raid on several suspected al-Qaida facilities. The suspects are believed to be tied to the recruitment of Kuwaiti and Pakistani extremists, officials said.
In operations May 23:
-- Afghan army commandos and coalition forces concluded a four-day operation in Helmand province's Nadi Ali district, killing 60 enemy fighters. The joint forces evacuated innocent bystanders from the Loy Cherah Bazaar before cordoning off the area to destroy the weapons and narcotics that were found. Coalition airstrikes destroyed more than 16,000 kilograms of opium, 200 kilograms of processed heroin, 180 kilograms of hashish and 75,000 kilograms of poppy seeds. Also, bomb-making materials, including 27,000 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, 700 gallons of diesel fuel, six pressure plate triggers, and three explosive device battery systems, were destroyed. Weapons found and destroyed were 44 blocks of plastic explosives and 120 loaded ammunition vests, officials said.
-- In Ghazni province's Ghazni district, Afghan and coalition forces captured an alleged Taliban leader and two associates believed to be involved in weapons trafficking, officials said.
-- In Logar province's Baraki district, Afghan and coalition forces detained a suspected militant in an attempt to capture a Taliban leader responsible for a May 12 attack on two government buildings in Khost province. That attack resulted in 10 suicide bombers killing eight innocent civilians and allegedly wounding the deputy governor, officials said.
May 26, 2009 - Coalition and Afghan forces killed 84 militants and detained 14 more in recent operations throughout Afghanistan, U.S. military officials reported. Afghan and coalition forces killed 13 enemy fighters today in an ongoing operation in Logar province's Kharwar district. The joint forces were searching a compound when they spotted several groups of armed fighters closing in. An initial coalition airstrike killed four, and a follow-up airstrike killed nine more, military officials said.
In operations yesterday:
-- Afghan and coalition forces killed eight militants in Oruzgan province's Deh Rawood district after the men attacked the joint reconnaissance patrol with machinegun and large-caliber munitions fire. The joint force returned fire with small-arms and mortar fire, killing all eight insurgents. Three Afghan policemen and two coalition troops were wounded in the attack but are in stable condition at a coalition medical facility, officials said.
-- In Helmand province's Nadi Ali district and Lashkar Gah, Afghan and coalition forces killed three insurgents and detained six suspected Taliban. The operation was to capture a Taliban commander allegedly responsible for orchestrating bomb-making operations and for using violence to intimidate local residents to cooperate. One enemy fighter was killed in a building when coalition forces noticed he was wearing a suicide vest. Two more were killed after trying to shield themselves with a woman and child. Six others were detained without force. A woman and child were wounded by ricochet bullets during the incident but sustained non-life threatening injuries, officials said.
-- In Helmand province's Sangin district, Afghan and coalition forces found and destroyed a weapons and narcotics cache during a raid. The search resulted in 55 pounds of heroin, 10 pounds of ammonium nitrate liquid, 50 gallons of bomb-making materials and seven mortars, officials said.
In Khost province May 24, Afghan and coalition forces detained four suspected foreign fighters during a raid on several suspected al-Qaida facilities. The suspects are believed to be tied to the recruitment of Kuwaiti and Pakistani extremists, officials said.
In operations May 23:
-- Afghan army commandos and coalition forces concluded a four-day operation in Helmand province's Nadi Ali district, killing 60 enemy fighters. The joint forces evacuated innocent bystanders from the Loy Cherah Bazaar before cordoning off the area to destroy the weapons and narcotics that were found. Coalition airstrikes destroyed more than 16,000 kilograms of opium, 200 kilograms of processed heroin, 180 kilograms of hashish and 75,000 kilograms of poppy seeds. Also, bomb-making materials, including 27,000 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, 700 gallons of diesel fuel, six pressure plate triggers, and three explosive device battery systems, were destroyed. Weapons found and destroyed were 44 blocks of plastic explosives and 120 loaded ammunition vests, officials said.
-- In Ghazni province's Ghazni district, Afghan and coalition forces captured an alleged Taliban leader and two associates believed to be involved in weapons trafficking, officials said.
-- In Logar province's Baraki district, Afghan and coalition forces detained a suspected militant in an attempt to capture a Taliban leader responsible for a May 12 attack on two government buildings in Khost province. That attack resulted in 10 suicide bombers killing eight innocent civilians and allegedly wounding the deputy governor, officials said.
Gates Decries 'Fear-Mongering' in Guantanamo Debate
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
May 26, 2009 - 'Fear-mongering' is clouding the national debate about closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said yesterday. During an NBC-TV interview that aired Memorial Day, Gates spoke about the closing of the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, facility, the Taliban's presence in Afghanistan and relations with Iran. He also expressed confidence that Americans recognize the sacrifice of U.S. servicemembers.
Speaking about President Barack Obama's decision to close Guantanamo Bay, Gates underscored the issue of the fates of current detainees.
"One of the main points the president made was that he had no interest whatsoever in releasing publicly detainees who might come back to harm Americans," Gates said. "The real issue is, do you close Guantanamo and put them in a prison in the United States...or are you forced to keep Guantanamo open because all the other possibilities are closed off legislatively?"
Gates said that Guantanamo is "probably one of the finest prisons in the world today, but it has a taint. The name itself is a condemnation. What the president was saying is [Guantanamo] will be an advertisement for al-Qaida as long as it's open."
"We have many terrorists in U.S. prisons today. I mean, this started 20 years ago when I was at CIA, and we captured a Hezbollah terrorist who had been involved in killing an American sailor on an aircraft that had been taken hostage in Beirut. We brought him to the United States, put him on trial and put him in prison.
He said that fear-mongering has stirred an emotional debate about the merits of trying and potentially holding terrorism suspects on American soil, as the United States did during Gates' tenure at the CIA.
"The truth is, there's a lot of fear-mongering about this," he continued. "We've never had an escape from a Supermax prison, and that's where these guys will go -- and if not one of the existing ones, we'll create a new one."
About 240 detainees are currently held at Guantanamo. According to an unclassified fact sheet released today by the Pentagon, the Defense Intelligence Agency reported 14 percent of former Guantanamo detainees confirmed or suspected of reengaging in terrorist activities.
"Of the more than 530 Guantanamo detainees transferred from Department of Defense custody at Guantanamo Bay, 27 were confirmed and 47 were suspected of reengaging in terrorist activity," the fact sheet states. The report is based on information available as of mid-March.
Some former Guantanamo detainees, the report said, "are known to have reengaged in terrorist activity associated with the al-Qaida network, and have been arrested for reengaging in terrorist activities including facilitating the travel of terrorists into war zones, providing funds to al-Qaida, and supporting and associating with known terrorists."
On Afghanistan, Gates expressed doubt that Taliban leaders would be willing to reconcile with the government on Kabul's terms – at least until the momentum shifts in favor of Afghanistan.
"The end of all such wars involves some measure of reconciliation," he said. "We've seen it in Iraq. And so the real issue is, will these guys reconcile on the terms of the Afghan government, or are they dictating terms to the Afghan government?
"I think the view of most of us is that until the momentum of the battle turns against the Taliban, ... that the likelihood of any kind of reconciliation on the part of the leadership of the Taliban is very small," he said.
Asked about Obama's approach to Iran, Gates revealed little, saying only that it's common that presidents ask their military planners to have a range of contingencies available.
"All I would say is that, as a result of our dialogue with the president, we've refreshed our plans and all options are on the table," he said.
On the issue of troop support, Gates said in the Memorial Day interview that he believes Americans sincerely appreciate the sacrifices servicemembers make.
"Americans really appreciate our men and women in uniform," he said. "I think there is a total recognition in this country of the sacrifice these men and women in uniform make."
The Defense secretary said American support is on full display in ceremonies honoring the nation's fallen. He added that the personalized letters he sends to the surviving family members is the hardest part of his job.
"You really see it -- tragically, but also in a heartwarming way -- when our fallen heroes are brought home to be buried, and you've got whole towns turning out," he said. "It's extraordinary."
(American Forces Press Service reporter Gerry J. Gilmore contributed to this report).
American Forces Press Service
May 26, 2009 - 'Fear-mongering' is clouding the national debate about closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said yesterday. During an NBC-TV interview that aired Memorial Day, Gates spoke about the closing of the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, facility, the Taliban's presence in Afghanistan and relations with Iran. He also expressed confidence that Americans recognize the sacrifice of U.S. servicemembers.
Speaking about President Barack Obama's decision to close Guantanamo Bay, Gates underscored the issue of the fates of current detainees.
"One of the main points the president made was that he had no interest whatsoever in releasing publicly detainees who might come back to harm Americans," Gates said. "The real issue is, do you close Guantanamo and put them in a prison in the United States...or are you forced to keep Guantanamo open because all the other possibilities are closed off legislatively?"
Gates said that Guantanamo is "probably one of the finest prisons in the world today, but it has a taint. The name itself is a condemnation. What the president was saying is [Guantanamo] will be an advertisement for al-Qaida as long as it's open."
"We have many terrorists in U.S. prisons today. I mean, this started 20 years ago when I was at CIA, and we captured a Hezbollah terrorist who had been involved in killing an American sailor on an aircraft that had been taken hostage in Beirut. We brought him to the United States, put him on trial and put him in prison.
He said that fear-mongering has stirred an emotional debate about the merits of trying and potentially holding terrorism suspects on American soil, as the United States did during Gates' tenure at the CIA.
"The truth is, there's a lot of fear-mongering about this," he continued. "We've never had an escape from a Supermax prison, and that's where these guys will go -- and if not one of the existing ones, we'll create a new one."
About 240 detainees are currently held at Guantanamo. According to an unclassified fact sheet released today by the Pentagon, the Defense Intelligence Agency reported 14 percent of former Guantanamo detainees confirmed or suspected of reengaging in terrorist activities.
"Of the more than 530 Guantanamo detainees transferred from Department of Defense custody at Guantanamo Bay, 27 were confirmed and 47 were suspected of reengaging in terrorist activity," the fact sheet states. The report is based on information available as of mid-March.
Some former Guantanamo detainees, the report said, "are known to have reengaged in terrorist activity associated with the al-Qaida network, and have been arrested for reengaging in terrorist activities including facilitating the travel of terrorists into war zones, providing funds to al-Qaida, and supporting and associating with known terrorists."
On Afghanistan, Gates expressed doubt that Taliban leaders would be willing to reconcile with the government on Kabul's terms – at least until the momentum shifts in favor of Afghanistan.
"The end of all such wars involves some measure of reconciliation," he said. "We've seen it in Iraq. And so the real issue is, will these guys reconcile on the terms of the Afghan government, or are they dictating terms to the Afghan government?
"I think the view of most of us is that until the momentum of the battle turns against the Taliban, ... that the likelihood of any kind of reconciliation on the part of the leadership of the Taliban is very small," he said.
Asked about Obama's approach to Iran, Gates revealed little, saying only that it's common that presidents ask their military planners to have a range of contingencies available.
"All I would say is that, as a result of our dialogue with the president, we've refreshed our plans and all options are on the table," he said.
On the issue of troop support, Gates said in the Memorial Day interview that he believes Americans sincerely appreciate the sacrifices servicemembers make.
"Americans really appreciate our men and women in uniform," he said. "I think there is a total recognition in this country of the sacrifice these men and women in uniform make."
The Defense secretary said American support is on full display in ceremonies honoring the nation's fallen. He added that the personalized letters he sends to the surviving family members is the hardest part of his job.
"You really see it -- tragically, but also in a heartwarming way -- when our fallen heroes are brought home to be buried, and you've got whole towns turning out," he said. "It's extraordinary."
(American Forces Press Service reporter Gerry J. Gilmore contributed to this report).
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Army Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died May 21 near Baghdad, Iraq of wound sustained when their unit was attacked by enemy forces using improvise explosive devices while on dismounted patrol.
Killed were:
Major Jason E. George, 38, of Tehachapi, Calif. He was an Army Reservist assigned to the 252nd Combined Arms Battalion, Fayetteville, North Carolina.
First Lieutenant Leevi K. Barnard, 28, of Mount Airy, N.C. He was a National Guardsman assigned to the 252nd Combined Arms Battalion, Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Sgt. Paul F. Brooks, 34, of Joplin, Mo. He was a National Guardsman assigned to the 935th Aviation Support Battalion, Springfield, Missouri.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
For more information media may contact the N.C. National Guard public affairs office at (919)-664-6242 or after duty hours (919)-664-6531.
For more information media may contact the Mo. National Guard public affairs office at (573) 638-9846 or (888) 526-6664 x9846.
For more information regarding Major Jason E. George, media may contact LTC Maria Quon or MSG Keith O'Donnell at HRC-St. Louis, Mo. at (314) 592-0000 ext. 42007 or
Killed were:
Major Jason E. George, 38, of Tehachapi, Calif. He was an Army Reservist assigned to the 252nd Combined Arms Battalion, Fayetteville, North Carolina.
First Lieutenant Leevi K. Barnard, 28, of Mount Airy, N.C. He was a National Guardsman assigned to the 252nd Combined Arms Battalion, Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Sgt. Paul F. Brooks, 34, of Joplin, Mo. He was a National Guardsman assigned to the 935th Aviation Support Battalion, Springfield, Missouri.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
For more information media may contact the N.C. National Guard public affairs office at (919)-664-6242 or after duty hours (919)-664-6531.
For more information media may contact the Mo. National Guard public affairs office at (573) 638-9846 or (888) 526-6664 x9846.
For more information regarding Major Jason E. George, media may contact LTC Maria Quon or MSG Keith O'Donnell at HRC-St. Louis, Mo. at (314) 592-0000 ext. 42007 or
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Chief Warrant Officer (3) Brent S. Cole, 38, of Reedsville, W. Va., died May 22, when his helicopter went down in Tarin Kwot, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
For more information media may contact the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office at (910) 432-0661.
Chief Warrant Officer (3) Brent S. Cole, 38, of Reedsville, W. Va., died May 22, when his helicopter went down in Tarin Kwot, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
For more information media may contact the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office at (910) 432-0661.
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. 1st Class Brian Naseman, 36, of New Bremen, Ohio, died May 22 in Taji, Iraq of a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 108th Forward Support Company, attached to 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Sussex, Wisconsin.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
For more information media may contact the Wisconsin National Guard public affairs office at (608) 242-3050.
Sgt. 1st Class Brian Naseman, 36, of New Bremen, Ohio, died May 22 in Taji, Iraq of a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 108th Forward Support Company, attached to 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Sussex, Wisconsin.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
For more information media may contact the Wisconsin National Guard public affairs office at (608) 242-3050.
Top U.S. Military Officer Favors Guantanamo Closure
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
May 24, 2009 - The detainee facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, should be closed, the Pentagon's senior military officer said here today. "I have advocated for a long time now that it (Guantanamo) needs to be closed," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a wide-ranging interview with ABC's "This Week" television news program host George Stephanopoulos.
President Barack Obama has pledged to shut down Guantanamo by next January, Mullen noted. The U.S.-military-managed Guantanamo detention facility was opened shortly after the start of the war against terrorism. It currently houses about 240 detainees.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military is working to meet the president's deadline to close Guantanamo, Mullen said. The detention facility, he said, has served as a recruiting symbol for Islamic extremists to take up arms against the United States.
"So, I think that is at the heart of the concern for Guantanamo's continued existance, in which I spoke to a fews years ago for the need to close it," Mullen said.
Mullen acknowledged that closing Guantanamo poses a challenge, with regard to finding another place to hold some very dangerous people. Yet, he said, a number of terrorists are already being held in some high-security prisons in the United States.
"We're working hard now to figure out what the options are and what the best one would be," Mullen said, "and that really is a decision the president is going to have to make."
Mullen also fielded Stephanopoulos-posed questions on Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, gays in the military, and the performance of U.S. servicemembers.
It's clear that Iran intends to develop nuclear-weapons capability, said Mullen, pointing to Iran's recent successful ballistic-missile test.
Iran's strategic objective "is to achieve nuclear weapons, and that path continues," Mullen said. "Their leadership is committed to it."
If Iran were to have nuclear weapons, he said, it would be an "incredibly destabilizing" event in the Middle East region and for the world.
Meanwhile, the current U.S. policy of employing diplomatic dialogue with Iran to persuade it to jettison its nuclear weapons ambitions is the right path to take, Mullen said.
Turning to Iraq, Mullen said the recent increase in insurgent-committed violence there still remains much lower than that experienced at the height of fighting a few years ago.
And, the U.S. military is "still very much on track" in its plans to remove its forces from Iraq by the end of 2011, Mullen said. Today, there are more than 135,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.
Mullen said current plans call for a reduction to between 35,000 and 50,000 U.S. forces from Iraq by August 2010.
The situation in Iraq "is still fragile," Mullen said. But, he added, the Iraqi security forces are vastly improved.
Though al-Qaida in Iraq is still active, its capacity to commit violence in Iraq has been much diminished, Mullen said. Iraq's future, he said, will become much clearer over the next 12 to 18 months.
Switching to the topic of Afghanistan, Mullen said the current U.S. troop build up there would bolster efforts to "stem the tide" in reducing violence committed by resurgent Taliban extremists.
However, a military solution "is not enough" to achieve success in Afghanistan, Mullen said.
"We've got to have governance capability increased dramatically" in Afghanistan, Mullen explained, as well as economic development.
Turning to the discussion of changing federal law in order to allow homosexuals to serve openly in the U.S. military, Mullen said that if the law were changed, then the U.S. military would follow suit.
President Obama has said he wants to jettison the U.S. military's current rules governing homosexuals in uniform, that's called, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." That policy enables gays to serve in uniform, as long as they don't openly announce or demonstrate their sexual preference.
Mullen also said that his job regarding a change in the U.S. military's policy toward gays is to gauge its potential impact and provide his best advice to the president.
If the law is changed, Mullen continued, he would also need to develop an implementation plan.
"We follow the law, and if the law changes, we'll comply," Mullen said. "There is absolutely no question about that."
Mullen also said he is impressed with the president's thought processes and decisions regarding U.S. military policy in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"I find that to be a method that gives the military the kind of focus it needs for where we're going," Mullen said.
On this year's Memorial Day weekend, Mullen observed that today's U.S. servicemembers constitute "the best military I've ever been associated with in my 41 years of wearing the uniform."
Mullen cited the "tremendous resolve" demonstrated by America's servicemembers as they fight two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
America's men and women in uniform "have performed incredibly," Mullen said, noting that they deserve the support of their fellow citizens.
On Monday, this Memorial Day, Mullen said he'd like America "to remember those who've served and those that we've lost and their families."
Mullen also saluted the nation's support of its wounded warriors.
Communities across America "reach out to these young people," Mullen said, noting wounded warriors have "gone forward, sacrificed greatly," to protect their fellow citizens.
American Forces Press Service
May 24, 2009 - The detainee facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, should be closed, the Pentagon's senior military officer said here today. "I have advocated for a long time now that it (Guantanamo) needs to be closed," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a wide-ranging interview with ABC's "This Week" television news program host George Stephanopoulos.
President Barack Obama has pledged to shut down Guantanamo by next January, Mullen noted. The U.S.-military-managed Guantanamo detention facility was opened shortly after the start of the war against terrorism. It currently houses about 240 detainees.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military is working to meet the president's deadline to close Guantanamo, Mullen said. The detention facility, he said, has served as a recruiting symbol for Islamic extremists to take up arms against the United States.
"So, I think that is at the heart of the concern for Guantanamo's continued existance, in which I spoke to a fews years ago for the need to close it," Mullen said.
Mullen acknowledged that closing Guantanamo poses a challenge, with regard to finding another place to hold some very dangerous people. Yet, he said, a number of terrorists are already being held in some high-security prisons in the United States.
"We're working hard now to figure out what the options are and what the best one would be," Mullen said, "and that really is a decision the president is going to have to make."
Mullen also fielded Stephanopoulos-posed questions on Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, gays in the military, and the performance of U.S. servicemembers.
It's clear that Iran intends to develop nuclear-weapons capability, said Mullen, pointing to Iran's recent successful ballistic-missile test.
Iran's strategic objective "is to achieve nuclear weapons, and that path continues," Mullen said. "Their leadership is committed to it."
If Iran were to have nuclear weapons, he said, it would be an "incredibly destabilizing" event in the Middle East region and for the world.
Meanwhile, the current U.S. policy of employing diplomatic dialogue with Iran to persuade it to jettison its nuclear weapons ambitions is the right path to take, Mullen said.
Turning to Iraq, Mullen said the recent increase in insurgent-committed violence there still remains much lower than that experienced at the height of fighting a few years ago.
And, the U.S. military is "still very much on track" in its plans to remove its forces from Iraq by the end of 2011, Mullen said. Today, there are more than 135,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.
Mullen said current plans call for a reduction to between 35,000 and 50,000 U.S. forces from Iraq by August 2010.
The situation in Iraq "is still fragile," Mullen said. But, he added, the Iraqi security forces are vastly improved.
Though al-Qaida in Iraq is still active, its capacity to commit violence in Iraq has been much diminished, Mullen said. Iraq's future, he said, will become much clearer over the next 12 to 18 months.
Switching to the topic of Afghanistan, Mullen said the current U.S. troop build up there would bolster efforts to "stem the tide" in reducing violence committed by resurgent Taliban extremists.
However, a military solution "is not enough" to achieve success in Afghanistan, Mullen said.
"We've got to have governance capability increased dramatically" in Afghanistan, Mullen explained, as well as economic development.
Turning to the discussion of changing federal law in order to allow homosexuals to serve openly in the U.S. military, Mullen said that if the law were changed, then the U.S. military would follow suit.
President Obama has said he wants to jettison the U.S. military's current rules governing homosexuals in uniform, that's called, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." That policy enables gays to serve in uniform, as long as they don't openly announce or demonstrate their sexual preference.
Mullen also said that his job regarding a change in the U.S. military's policy toward gays is to gauge its potential impact and provide his best advice to the president.
If the law is changed, Mullen continued, he would also need to develop an implementation plan.
"We follow the law, and if the law changes, we'll comply," Mullen said. "There is absolutely no question about that."
Mullen also said he is impressed with the president's thought processes and decisions regarding U.S. military policy in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"I find that to be a method that gives the military the kind of focus it needs for where we're going," Mullen said.
On this year's Memorial Day weekend, Mullen observed that today's U.S. servicemembers constitute "the best military I've ever been associated with in my 41 years of wearing the uniform."
Mullen cited the "tremendous resolve" demonstrated by America's servicemembers as they fight two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
America's men and women in uniform "have performed incredibly," Mullen said, noting that they deserve the support of their fellow citizens.
On Monday, this Memorial Day, Mullen said he'd like America "to remember those who've served and those that we've lost and their families."
Mullen also saluted the nation's support of its wounded warriors.
Communities across America "reach out to these young people," Mullen said, noting wounded warriors have "gone forward, sacrificed greatly," to protect their fellow citizens.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Forces Detain Suspect, Net Weapons in Iraq
American Forces Press Service
May 22, 2009 - Coalition and Iraqi forces detained one suspect and seized a weapons cache during operations in Iraq this week. Iraqi and coalition forces detained a suspected criminal on a warrant in northwestern Baghdad's Kadhamiyah district on May 20. The suspect was wanted for allegedly promoting sectarian violence in the Hurriyah neighborhood, military officials said.
Troops took the suspect to a secure location for further questioning.
During a May 19 operation, combined forces discovered a large cache in the Aqur Quf area west of the Iraq capital. The stockpile contained rockets, mortars and other military equipment.
An explosive ordinance disposal team detonated a portion of the weapons and secured the remainder for further investigation, military officials said.
(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
May 22, 2009 - Coalition and Iraqi forces detained one suspect and seized a weapons cache during operations in Iraq this week. Iraqi and coalition forces detained a suspected criminal on a warrant in northwestern Baghdad's Kadhamiyah district on May 20. The suspect was wanted for allegedly promoting sectarian violence in the Hurriyah neighborhood, military officials said.
Troops took the suspect to a secure location for further questioning.
During a May 19 operation, combined forces discovered a large cache in the Aqur Quf area west of the Iraq capital. The stockpile contained rockets, mortars and other military equipment.
An explosive ordinance disposal team detonated a portion of the weapons and secured the remainder for further investigation, military officials said.
(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
U.S. Looks to New Ways of Applying Resources in Afghanistan-Pakistan Region
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
May 22, 2009 - The next 12 to 18 months are critical to the success of the new Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy, a senior military official said today. There will be new ways of applying resources in the region, said the official, who spoke on background and also addressed budget recommendations and the "Don't ask don't tell" policy.
The nomination of Army Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal to be the next NATO and U.S. commander in Afghanistan highlights the "whole of government" approach that must be taken for success in the area.
In the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, Defense Department officials are looking at different ways of basing troops in the region, the official said. The approach would be to create a cadre of experts in Afghanistan and rotate them in and out of the region.
For example, a person might spend a year in country, a year at home studying the situation in Afghanistan, and then return to the region for another tour. This would allow American servicemembers to cut the learning period when they first arrive in Afghanistan. The military cannot waste time in overcoming a learning curve in the region, the official said.
The same sort of rotation could be done with units, the official said.
Turning to the new defense budget recommendations, the official said the Quadrennial Defense Review and the Nuclear Posture Review may present a good opportunity to lock the defense strategy in place for the long-term.
He applauded Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' recommendations on the fiscal 2010 budget request. The secretary has made far-ranging decisions that will reshape the military. Taking care of people, balancing the military missions and acquisition and procurement reform are at the heart of these recommendations.
In the past, single cancellations -- such as those for the Army' Comanche helicopter and Crusader artillery system -- caused consternation in industry and on Capitol Hill. The Gates recommendations are more far-ranging than those, the official noted.
The official also discussed the so-called "Don't ask, don't tell" law that prohibits leaders from inquiring about servicemembers' sexual orientation in the absence of disallowed behavior, but allows action if a servicemember discloses homosexuality by words or action. President Barack Obama has made his strategic intent very clear, the official said, and at some point he will go to Congress and ask that the law be changed.
"When the law changes, the military will move out [and implement the changes]," the official said.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff have held discussions on the issue, the official said, and they are working through how to implement changes if a new law passes. Implementation must be done in a deliberate manner so there not be a firestorm over the issue, the official said.
The military has regulations and policies in place already to ensure people are treated well and fairly, the official said.
American Forces Press Service
May 22, 2009 - The next 12 to 18 months are critical to the success of the new Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy, a senior military official said today. There will be new ways of applying resources in the region, said the official, who spoke on background and also addressed budget recommendations and the "Don't ask don't tell" policy.
The nomination of Army Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal to be the next NATO and U.S. commander in Afghanistan highlights the "whole of government" approach that must be taken for success in the area.
In the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, Defense Department officials are looking at different ways of basing troops in the region, the official said. The approach would be to create a cadre of experts in Afghanistan and rotate them in and out of the region.
For example, a person might spend a year in country, a year at home studying the situation in Afghanistan, and then return to the region for another tour. This would allow American servicemembers to cut the learning period when they first arrive in Afghanistan. The military cannot waste time in overcoming a learning curve in the region, the official said.
The same sort of rotation could be done with units, the official said.
Turning to the new defense budget recommendations, the official said the Quadrennial Defense Review and the Nuclear Posture Review may present a good opportunity to lock the defense strategy in place for the long-term.
He applauded Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' recommendations on the fiscal 2010 budget request. The secretary has made far-ranging decisions that will reshape the military. Taking care of people, balancing the military missions and acquisition and procurement reform are at the heart of these recommendations.
In the past, single cancellations -- such as those for the Army' Comanche helicopter and Crusader artillery system -- caused consternation in industry and on Capitol Hill. The Gates recommendations are more far-ranging than those, the official noted.
The official also discussed the so-called "Don't ask, don't tell" law that prohibits leaders from inquiring about servicemembers' sexual orientation in the absence of disallowed behavior, but allows action if a servicemember discloses homosexuality by words or action. President Barack Obama has made his strategic intent very clear, the official said, and at some point he will go to Congress and ask that the law be changed.
"When the law changes, the military will move out [and implement the changes]," the official said.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff have held discussions on the issue, the official said, and they are working through how to implement changes if a new law passes. Implementation must be done in a deliberate manner so there not be a firestorm over the issue, the official said.
The military has regulations and policies in place already to ensure people are treated well and fairly, the official said.
Troops in Afghanistan Kill Dozens of Insurgents, Seize Weapons, Drugs
American Forces Press Service
May 22, 2009 - Coalition and Afghan troops have killed nearly 50 militants, detained three and seized drugs in ongoing operations in Afghanistan this week. In an update published today, military officials reported that Afghan commandos and coalition forces have killed 47 militants, including 13 in air strikes this morning, during ongoing operations in Helmand province.
The combined forces launched the joint operation in the city of Marjeh in the province's Nad Ali district on May 19 to disrupt activities in a key militant stronghold and narcotics hub. Over the past four days, troops have seized bomb-making materials, weapons and hundreds of thousands of pounds of narcotics, military officials said.
"This will have a significant financial and logistical impact on the insurgency in southern Afghanistan," said U.S. Forces Afghanistan spokesman Army Col. Greg Julian. "The commandos have done a phenomenal job and far exceeded the expectation for this operation."
Combined forces killed one person and detained three others in an operation in Helmand province today.
During a raid on a compound in Lashkar Gah, where intelligence indicated militants were located, troops encountered a man attempting to flee. Military officials said he ignored repeated warnings and maneuvered on troops, who killed him. Forces detained three suspects in the operation.
In a joint operation May 20, combined forces killed the top militant commander in the Andar district of Ghazni province, military officials said.
Abdul Baki, who was heavily armed with rifles and hand grenades, attacked the Afghan police with small-arms fire as they entered his residence. Baki wounded one coalition forces member before being killed.
"The [Afghan National Police's] termination of this commander will significantly decrease the ability of the militants in Ghazni to carry out their crimes against humanity," a coalition spokesman said.
Baki commanded a cell of 20 to 30 fighters responsible for attacks against coalition and Afghan forces and government officials. During the operation, troops discovered 50 voter registration cards Baki had stolen from villagers ahead of the upcoming August election, military officials said.
(Compiled from U.S. Forces Afghanistan news releases.)
May 22, 2009 - Coalition and Afghan troops have killed nearly 50 militants, detained three and seized drugs in ongoing operations in Afghanistan this week. In an update published today, military officials reported that Afghan commandos and coalition forces have killed 47 militants, including 13 in air strikes this morning, during ongoing operations in Helmand province.
The combined forces launched the joint operation in the city of Marjeh in the province's Nad Ali district on May 19 to disrupt activities in a key militant stronghold and narcotics hub. Over the past four days, troops have seized bomb-making materials, weapons and hundreds of thousands of pounds of narcotics, military officials said.
"This will have a significant financial and logistical impact on the insurgency in southern Afghanistan," said U.S. Forces Afghanistan spokesman Army Col. Greg Julian. "The commandos have done a phenomenal job and far exceeded the expectation for this operation."
Combined forces killed one person and detained three others in an operation in Helmand province today.
During a raid on a compound in Lashkar Gah, where intelligence indicated militants were located, troops encountered a man attempting to flee. Military officials said he ignored repeated warnings and maneuvered on troops, who killed him. Forces detained three suspects in the operation.
In a joint operation May 20, combined forces killed the top militant commander in the Andar district of Ghazni province, military officials said.
Abdul Baki, who was heavily armed with rifles and hand grenades, attacked the Afghan police with small-arms fire as they entered his residence. Baki wounded one coalition forces member before being killed.
"The [Afghan National Police's] termination of this commander will significantly decrease the ability of the militants in Ghazni to carry out their crimes against humanity," a coalition spokesman said.
Baki commanded a cell of 20 to 30 fighters responsible for attacks against coalition and Afghan forces and government officials. During the operation, troops discovered 50 voter registration cards Baki had stolen from villagers ahead of the upcoming August election, military officials said.
(Compiled from U.S. Forces Afghanistan news releases.)
Gates Accepts Award on Behalf of Servicemembers, Wounded Warriors
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
May 22, 2009 - In accepting the 2009 Intrepid Freedom Award here last night, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said it really belongs to the nation's servicemembers and wounded warriors. "These wounded warriors, and all of the men and women who step forward to wear America's uniform, are tonight's real honorees and heroes," Gates said after accepting the award from retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Brent Scowcroft. "Consider that nearly 800 have received Silver Stars or service crosses, along with five Medals of Honor – all of these posthumous – for valor in battle in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Our men and women in uniform are part of what is being called a new 'Greatest Generation,'" he added.
Gates related the stories of Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Chance Phelps, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Brady Gustafson and Army Spc. Zachary Boyd.
He said the HBO film "Taking Chance," based on the return of Phelps' remains to his hometown for burial profoundly influenced his decision to empower families to decide whether the dignified transfers of fallen servicemembers' remains at Dover Air Force Base, Del., should be open to the news media.
"The entire nation has thus been given the opportunity to pay respect and homage to our fallen heroes – if their families so wish," Gates said.
Phelps, 19, was a private first class conducting convoy escort as a member of the 1st Marine Division's 2nd Platoon, Battery L, 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, when he was injured April 9, 2004, outside Ramadi, Iraq. He refused to be evacuated and manned his gun to cover the evacuation of the rest of his convoy. He suffered a fatal head wound as he withdrew from the engagement. He was promoted to lance corporal posthumously.
Gustafson outlasted an estimated 100 Taliban fighters despite his badly wounded right leg, Gates said.
"With his right leg in shreds, Corporal Gustafson kept firing, and as a result, in his words, 'We didn't lose a single Marine,'" the secretary said. "He received the Navy Cross and a deserved place – along with the celebrities, politicians and CEOs – among Time magazine's 100 most influential people."
Adding a bit of humor, Gates turned the spotlight on Boyd's dedication and bravery under somewhat exposed conditions.
Boyd was sleeping at his post in eastern Afghanistan when it came under fire. He grabbed his rifle and, clad in his helmet, body armor and pink boxer shorts that said "I Love New York," took up a defensive position.
"Any soldier who goes into battle against the Taliban in pink boxers and flip flops has a special kind of courage," Gates said. "Just imagine seeing that – a guy in pink boxers and flip-flops has you in his crosshairs. What an incredible innovation in psychological warfare."
The appreciation for these heroes and the thousands more like them is evident across the country, but not always as evident as in the nation's airports, the secretary noted. In Dallas-Fort Worth, a man alerted waiting passengers that a planeload of troops was arriving after their tour in Afghanistan. Virtually everyone there "stampeded down the stairs to applaud" them, Gates said.
"This is the kind of thing one sees in cities and towns across the country," he added. "The appreciation is real. It is sincere, and it bridges any political divide.
"Our men and women in uniform – our heroes – deserve no less," he said.
Gates is in good company as the recipient of the Intrepid Defense of Freedom Award. It's also been presented to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and four U.S. presidents. The award was presented during the Intrepid's 18th Annual Salute to Freedom, held each year during New York's Fleet Week. The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum's board of trustees oversees a family of foundations that support servicemembers and their families, including Fisher House Foundation, the Intrepid Relief Fund and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.
American Forces Press Service
May 22, 2009 - In accepting the 2009 Intrepid Freedom Award here last night, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said it really belongs to the nation's servicemembers and wounded warriors. "These wounded warriors, and all of the men and women who step forward to wear America's uniform, are tonight's real honorees and heroes," Gates said after accepting the award from retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Brent Scowcroft. "Consider that nearly 800 have received Silver Stars or service crosses, along with five Medals of Honor – all of these posthumous – for valor in battle in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Our men and women in uniform are part of what is being called a new 'Greatest Generation,'" he added.
Gates related the stories of Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Chance Phelps, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Brady Gustafson and Army Spc. Zachary Boyd.
He said the HBO film "Taking Chance," based on the return of Phelps' remains to his hometown for burial profoundly influenced his decision to empower families to decide whether the dignified transfers of fallen servicemembers' remains at Dover Air Force Base, Del., should be open to the news media.
"The entire nation has thus been given the opportunity to pay respect and homage to our fallen heroes – if their families so wish," Gates said.
Phelps, 19, was a private first class conducting convoy escort as a member of the 1st Marine Division's 2nd Platoon, Battery L, 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, when he was injured April 9, 2004, outside Ramadi, Iraq. He refused to be evacuated and manned his gun to cover the evacuation of the rest of his convoy. He suffered a fatal head wound as he withdrew from the engagement. He was promoted to lance corporal posthumously.
Gustafson outlasted an estimated 100 Taliban fighters despite his badly wounded right leg, Gates said.
"With his right leg in shreds, Corporal Gustafson kept firing, and as a result, in his words, 'We didn't lose a single Marine,'" the secretary said. "He received the Navy Cross and a deserved place – along with the celebrities, politicians and CEOs – among Time magazine's 100 most influential people."
Adding a bit of humor, Gates turned the spotlight on Boyd's dedication and bravery under somewhat exposed conditions.
Boyd was sleeping at his post in eastern Afghanistan when it came under fire. He grabbed his rifle and, clad in his helmet, body armor and pink boxer shorts that said "I Love New York," took up a defensive position.
"Any soldier who goes into battle against the Taliban in pink boxers and flip flops has a special kind of courage," Gates said. "Just imagine seeing that – a guy in pink boxers and flip-flops has you in his crosshairs. What an incredible innovation in psychological warfare."
The appreciation for these heroes and the thousands more like them is evident across the country, but not always as evident as in the nation's airports, the secretary noted. In Dallas-Fort Worth, a man alerted waiting passengers that a planeload of troops was arriving after their tour in Afghanistan. Virtually everyone there "stampeded down the stairs to applaud" them, Gates said.
"This is the kind of thing one sees in cities and towns across the country," he added. "The appreciation is real. It is sincere, and it bridges any political divide.
"Our men and women in uniform – our heroes – deserve no less," he said.
Gates is in good company as the recipient of the Intrepid Defense of Freedom Award. It's also been presented to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and four U.S. presidents. The award was presented during the Intrepid's 18th Annual Salute to Freedom, held each year during New York's Fleet Week. The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum's board of trustees oversees a family of foundations that support servicemembers and their families, including Fisher House Foundation, the Intrepid Relief Fund and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.
Face of Defense: Soldier Furnishes Equipment to Front-line Troops
By Army Spc. Brandon SandefurSpecial to American Forces Press Service
May 22, 2009 - As a supply clerk, it's Army Spc. Francisco Rivera Gonzales' job to get essential equipment to the front-line troops when they need it most. The job is both important and enjoyable, Rivera said, because he knows he is helping his battle buddies in some of northeastern Afghanistan's most remote and rugged environments.
Although he is trained as a cavalry scout, Rivera is currently serving as a supply clerk for the 1st Infantry Division's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, at Forward Operating Base Fenty, Afghanistan. Even though he's not directly out on the line, he still plays an integral role in the brigade's combat mission.
"Even though I didn't get the chance to do my [job as a cavalry scout], I get to help other soldiers on the ground however I can so they can accomplish their mission," said the native of Utuado, Puerto Rico, who is on his first combat deployment to Afghanistan. "It could have been me out there with them, so I understand how important this supply job is."
Rivera is responsible for supplying more than 190 soldiers in addition to Marines, airmen, sailors and contracted civilians. Some of the supplies he orders include radios, radio batteries and weapon lights, giving soldiers in dangerous areas a tactical advantage over enemy fighters.
"It makes me feel good to know that I supplied guys that were fighting in the middle of the mountains with [their equipment]," he said. "I want to make a difference in the world however I can. I always wanted to be a soldier and wear a uniform."
Rivera is slated to return to his home base of Fort Hood, Texas, next month.
(Army Spc. Brandon Sandefur serves with the 1st Infantry Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team public affairs office.)
Centcom Commanders Gather in Bahrain to Discuss Regional Security
By Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathan SchaefferSpecial to American Forces Press Service
May 22, 2009 - Commanders from the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility gathered here to discuss regional security issues and approaches to these challenges for a three-day conference that ends today. The conference, hosted by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, brought together Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, Centcom commander; Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of Multinational Force Iraq; Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command; Lt. Gen. William G. Webster, commander of U.S. Army Central Command; and Lt. Gen. Gary North, commander of U.S. Air Forces Central, among others.
The commanders discussed various issues, including operations in Afghanistan and Iraq and counter-piracy efforts off the coast of Somalia.
"We face, in this region, a number of interrelated threats and challenges, from transnational to state-centric, to those who blur the lines between the two," Petraeus said. "At the transnational level, violent extremism is, needless to say, the most pressing challenge. Al-Qaida and its affiliates pose the greatest such threat to many states in the region."
The commanders also talked about the security architecture in place throughout the region and the need for cooperative, comprehensive approaches with regional partners.
"Such approaches involve significantly more than the application of just military or kinetic action," Petraeus said. "In fact, they must do far more if they are to address not just the symptoms of current challenges, but also their underlying causes. The lack of sustainable economic development in certain parts of this region, for example, is not just a social or humanitarian issue. It is a serious security concern as well."
Piracy, threats to the maritime environment and the need for continued cooperation with coalition and regional partners through maritime security operations also were among discussion topics.
"The complex threats that we face at sea require cooperative solutions," Gortney said. "We will continue to work with our partners in the region to respond to these challenges and help ensure peace and stability in the region. U.S. naval forces have operated in the region for six decades, and we'll be here for many more to come."
(Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathan Schaeffer serves with the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command public affairs office.)
Fort Bragg Paratroopers Train in Fictitious Iraqi Town
By Army Spc. Michael J. MacLeodSpecial to American Forces Press Service
May 22, 2009 - Early morning in the combat outpost was like that hour before sun up on a Louisiana frog pond, with rumbling, bullfrog snores and socks stinking like pond muck from days of bathing in boot dust and sweat. Carried on the morning dew, the smell of 40 grimy infantrymen racked out in a room too small for morning vapors best described as weaponized funk. Automatic-weapons fire through the night rasped like knuckles against sleep. There were mortars popping, calls down the hall for a patrol, for a gunner, for a medic.
The preceding day's mission had escaped the grip of these 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers here to provide backup for Iraqi police officers and soldiers as the town of Suliyah tried to open a new police station. A female suicide bomber had slipped past Iraqi security forces and detonated herself at the base of the inaugural podium.
Well, some 4,000 people took a notion that she did. It wasn't like she was really dead or even blown up. In fact, she was filling a cup at the water cooler.
Welcome to 1st Brigade Combat Team's rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center, where a day in "the box" is worth a month in Iraq, and notional events beget combat readiness.
"Just today, we've had four indirect-fire attacks, a suicide bomber, an improvised explosive device, and five separate incidents of direct fire, with one lasting a full hour," said Army Capt. James A. Horn, a quick, stocky Texan who commands C Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. "When you integrate both the combat actions with the utilities assessments, civil affairs, and partnerships with the local police and army, you really see everything that you're going to get into in Iraq, but in a much abbreviated timeline."
Suliyah was a town of some two dozen buildings nestled in Louisiana pines; its citizens and dignitaries are contract role players. Other soldiers from Fort Bragg, N.C., were brought in — with orders not to shave — to play Iraqi police soldiers. A busload of Arab-speaking interpreters was brought in to bridge the assumed language barrier.
The rifles, machine guns and mortars were real, but the bullets were blanks, and the rifles fired only lasers that killed only sensors that all parties, security forces and civilians, wore. The suicide bomber was from around these parts.
One might assume that in a notional world, there would be heroes in every Humvee, but in fact, nobody wanted to die. The weapons in the paratroopers' hands were the very ones they would be carrying into Iraq in a few short months, and even in play, the soldiers of Charlie Company were serious about their business.
The police station inauguration was postponed for a day, but insurgents countered. They executed the mayor in his own home.
Instead of backing down, the Iraqi role players and Americans pressed on. Security nets were wrapped around the town, intelligence was analyzed, and the bad characters were sought out.
The job was not a natural shift for paratroopers accustomed to kicking in doors, 3rd Platoon leader Army 2nd Lt. John J. Griffin said. With the new security agreement between the United States and Iraq, the rules have changed on what U.S. forces can and can't do. They are to advise and assist, and the days of operating independently of the Iraqis are past, he said.
"It's hard when you know someone is bad, and you're not allowed to go after them into a building," said the young, freckled, redheaded lieutenant. "All you can do is to watch them from outside and try to get your Iraqi counterparts to help build a portfolio on them so that they can arrest them," he said.
At times, the training was humbling for America's "shock troops," Griffin said. "There's still a lot for us to learn to transition from door kickers to a police, advisor role. We're realizing that we're going to have to step up our game," he said.
The new rules of engagement are meant to limit collateral damage to innocents on the battlefield, but the battlefield at times makes itself king.
"We were hit by a rocket-propelled grenade attack yesterday in Suliyah and took 17 casualties, which wiped out a lot of the security of our company here," Griffin said. Charlie Company was forced to bring in people from outside to help to secure the town.
"I talked to the gunners on the rooftop and asked them why they didn't fire at the room where the RPG came from," said Griffin, his freckles lost in a heat-flushed face, fatigues dark with sweat.
They told him they didn't have positive ID.
"Had we been going through this training last year, when our role was less of a police role, the first thing they would have done would have been to light up that room," he said. "We have a lot of young guys who don't yet know how to enforce [rules of engagement], who are afraid they are going to go to jail if they shoot a weapon in a town."
Even so, 3rd Platoon detained four suspected insurgents and found a weapons cache, all working through local Iraqi police on the front lines in and out of doors most of the day, and all without a single casualty to themselves or the Iraqis, Griffin said.
"The Iraqis designed all of the operations," he explained. "We were just there for backup."
However, as they prepared for the second attempt at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the tension in the partnership mounted. Iraqi troops refused to patrol with the Americans at night because they would not give them night-vision optics, and the Americans refused to allow the Iraqis to use flashlights, Horn said.
"Or they can't go on patrol because they don't have enough bullets or gas, or they have a flat tire. A lot of things are tied to their logistics. We've run into all these things here in six hours," he said.
The Denton, Texas, native said that the only thing JRTC could not mimic was the long duration of a tour in Iraq. "The opposition forces do everything they possibly can in a short amount of time," he said.
As contact with the enemy continued, casualties flowed into the aid station manned by Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Miguel A. Brizuela of Weed Army Medical Hospital at Fort Irwin, Calif., and his team of medics. Amid the stink and humidity, the El Salvador-born doctor was happy to be there.
"The training is very real," he said. "Some of the cards don't give you much to play with, but I have made an agreement with my medics that we would try to treat each as real as possible," he said.
Hot chow – the first in many days – brought in an RPG attack, "killing" and "wounding" many of the first to be served. The medics treated bomb victims, gunshot wounds, paratroopers wounded from mortars and RPGs, civilians and even enemy combatants.
Shortly before the rescheduled ceremony, the "Devil Brigade" commander himself, Army Col. Mark R. Stammer, arrived and met with the local commissioner, Iraqi police chief and an Iraqi general "outside of the wire" of the combat outpost. His lack of body armor and helmet are a declaration to the citizens of Suliyah that to day, the good guys will prevail.
The procession is a carnival sight. There are Arab dishdashas and suits, boonie caps and body armor, policeman blues and Army combat uniforms, and cold steel bristling against all agents. Yet the partnered leadership shares one brash goal – it seems brash even in this notional world – to stand up against the roadmen who haunt all ages and generations, who think nothing of stealing the dignity and humanity of their very neighbors in the name of some this or that.
They walk a block to the new police station, where chairs, a podium and a bright red ribbon are waiting. The citizens gather like iron filings to an anvil. Everyone wonders which one is strapped with the bomb today. The old Iraqi man on the wheelchair scooter? A widow among wives on the lawn?
The local commissioner, Raffi ibn Rashid Ghazi Hasani, is a dignified gentleman, tall with wispy black hair and graying stubble. He looks Iraqi, as many of the leading role players are. Even in this assumed role, there is a feeling that the passion in his speech is authentic.
"Today is a very sad day with the loss of our mayor, but also at the same time, this is a new day for us to look forward," the commissioner says. "Frankly, I know that among my neighbors, the citizens of Hamza Qadaa, there are many brave people who want to protect themselves and their country.
"It has been five years that we have shed our blood to bring about a democratic Iraq, and God willing, I am very optimistic that people will come forward to sign up to work in the army and police forces," he continues. "I have talked to the division commander of the Iraqi army, the main chiefs of the Hamza district, and Colonel Stammer, and we have come up with a plan to bring security and stability to the civilians, and God willing, it will spread out all over the Hamza."
The speech draws applause and appears to genuinely move many in the audience.
The police chief pledges to bring new police stations to other areas. When the ribbon is cut, he says, it will mark not only a new police station, but also a new era in the partnership to bring peace to Iraq.
And the ribbon is cut.
Two mortar rounds burst nearby, but miss their target. The so-called "OPFOR," or opposing forces of JRTC, have been unable to carry the day this time. The Iraqi police and army and the American paratroopers have learned from their mistakes. As with all military operations, the exact tactics are closely held. The soldiers of Charlie Company roll on and continue to do what they do in spite of the heat and spartan living conditions.
"Yesterday, the commissioner was not satisfied with security or the cooperation between Iraqi security forces and coalition forces," said Army Lt. Col. Trevor Bredenkamp, the battalion commander who was on the scene for the event both days. "He told the Iraqi 5th Division commander that we needed a better plan before conducting the ceremony. We worked with the Iraqis to ensure the police conducted better internal security today.
Unfortunately, yesterday could be seen as a victory for the insurgency," he continued, "but the opening was not our decision, but the commissioner's decision. They are taking the lead, and we will respect that. Today, we had better coordination and synchronization between the police, the Iraqi army, and the coalition forces. It was a success, but don't congratulate me. Congratulate the Iraqis."
(Army Spc. Michael J. MacLeod serves with the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team public affairs office.)
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