Posted on 08/11/2006 4:00:18 PM PDT by Gucho
By COMBINED FORCES COMMAND – AFGHANISTAN, COALITION PRESS INFORMATION CENTER - KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
Aug 11, 2006
Kabul , Afghanistan – Afghan and Coalition forces killed three al Qaeda members and detained three additional associates during a raid today in Khowst Province near the village of Ya’Qubi.
The purpose of this operation was to capture an al Qaeda facilitator considered a significant threat to Afghan and Coalition forces. Credible intelligence linked the targeted terrorist to remote-controlled improvised explosive device and vehicle-borne improvise explosive device attacks in Khowst Province.
Upon arrival, the assault force received small arms fire from the targeted building. The ground force returned fire, killing the three terrorists. The other three were detained on site without incident.
Numerous AK-47 assault rifles with armor-piercing ammunition, along with a weapons cache of grenades and other ordnance was found in a building on the target location. The weapons cache was moved outside the compound and destroyed.
No Afghan or Coalition forces were injured during this operation.
TGIF.
A big BUMP to this thread Gucho.
By Spc. Carina M. Garcia - 345th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Aug 11, 2006
KABUL, Afghanistan – The U.S. Central Command’s top enlisted leader visited Afghanistan from Aug. 5 to 8 and praised the country for its progress in rebuilding and reconstructing, and developing its armed forces over the past five years.
Just a month away from the fifth anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Curtis L. Brownhill toured bases in Afghanistan and talked to deployed troops while here.
Brownhill is a principal advisor to Gen. John Abizaid, CENTCOM commander, on all matters concerning joint and combined integration, utilization and sustainment for more than 230,000 U.S. and Coalition forces serving in 27 countries.
“I’ve been coming in and out of Afghanistan for nearly the last five years,” said Brownhill. “I can remember, how we as a coalition, had to go in and oust the Taliban and get al-Qaeda on the run. If you just look at the general condition of Afghanistan , I see more and more openness on the streets. I also see prosperity and vendors, shops and merchants.”
Nearly five years ago, he said, Afghanistan was unstable with Taliban as the ruling form of government that gave free reign to al Qaeda. Though Coalition troops still find themselves in skirmishes with Taliban and other extremists, the majority of service members are involved in rebuilding reconstruction efforts.
“I am seeing more greenery and agriculture right now at this time of year that I have ever in the five years that I’ve come to the country,” Brownhill said. “That means that projects like wells, irrigation and infrastructure are effective.”
During his trip, Brownhill emphasized the importance of building up the Afghan National Army. The ANA works in tandem with U.S. and NATO forces to help plan and execute operations.
“For an army that is really only four years old, and fighting an enemy at the same time, those are indications that progress really is being made and that the contribution of many countries has helped Afghanistan get to this point,” Brownhill said.
Brownhill spent two days of his travels with Sgt. Maj. Roshan Safi, the first sergeant major of the ANA. Brownhill said he saw firsthand how villagers accepted Roshan as a representative of the changes that have taken place the past five years.
“I watched carefully as the sergeant major of the army in his full uniform was walking down the street and there was a gathering wherever he went,” said Brownhill. “People of all ages wanted to talk to him and shake his hand. That’s an indication of respect by those people for the ANA.”
Brownhill said when you spend time with somebody like Sgt. Maj. Roshan who fought in the mountains, who fought for a piece of land, who fought the Taliban face-to-face right there and then, to see the progress through his eyes is an incredible experience.
Iraqi army soldiers with the 7th Iraqi Army Division along with U.S. Marines and Army soldiers attached to the 1st Armored Division search for weapons caches in a building at the Al Anbar University in Ramadi, Iraq, Aug. 2, 2006. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock)
Friday, August 11, 2006
Afghanistan: New Supreme Court Could Mark Genuine Departure
Aug 11, 2006
Fri Aug 11, 5:35 AM ET - US soldiers in Afghanistan. Three Al-Qaeda militants were killed in eastern Afghanistan in a joint raid by Afghan forces and the US-led coalition. (AFP/File/Shah Marai)
Friday, 11 August 2006
Story and photo by Sgt. Trevor Snyder - 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
BAGHDAD — Iraqi and Coalition forces are systematically combing through businesses and homes in the southern Baghdad neighborhood of Al-Doura as part of a continuing operation to stem the tide of violence plaguing the capital’s 6 million residents, U.S. and Iraqi commanders said Thursday.
Iraqi security forces and Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division have been conducting Operation Together Forward, a combined Iraqi –U.S. operation focused on areas of the city at risk for violence, said Col. Michael Beech, commander of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
Beech said more than 5,000 Soldiers have been conducting focused operations in mahalas, or city districts, of the Al-Doura area. He said every home and business within the targeted mahalas is being searched.
“The purpose of our operations is to significantly and radically reduce the amount of murders, kidnappings, assassinations and sectarian violence,” Beech said.
Brig. Gen. Obd al-Karim, commander of the 6th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi National Police Division, said the operation has both military and political components.
“As for the political part, we went out of our way to actually meet with the imams and religious leaders. We also met with the district advisory council of the Rasheed district. Our main goals are to re-establish security in this (Al-Doura) area. The second goal is to provide essential services to the residents. The third goal is to stop migration of residents and bring back those who have been forced out of their homes,” al-Karim said.
Al-Karim listed weapons, explosives and stolen vehicles seized in the operation thus far and said 38 suspected insurgents, including three foreign fighters, have been detained. He said an improvised explosive device facility was also discovered.
The Iraqi commander said he has spoken with residents of the neighborhood throughout the operation.
“Most are comfortable and actually very glad of the operations and security we are providing in the area,” he said.
Beech said the Al-Doura sweep is only a part of the operation to quell the violence in the city.
“What we’re doing here in (Al) Doura is one small piece of a much larger and broader operation that’s going on across Baghdad,” Beech said.
Vehicles will give Afghan National Police more mobility to track down insurgents.
The Afghan National Police received a shipment of 36 motorcycles in Kandahar, Afghanistan, Aug. 8, 2006, in an effort to better equip police forces in the Regional Command South. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Mayra Kennedy)
By Army Sgt. Mayra Kennedy - 345th Mobile Public Affairs Detachmen
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Aug. 11, 2006 — The Afghan National Police in Regional Command South received 36 new motorcycles here Aug. 8 to support local authorities.
Regional Command South police commander, Gen. Esmatullah Dawlatzai, accepted the motorcycles, knowing the new equipment will improve the efficiency of the police in the south.
“The motorcycles will help us follow insurgents and Taliban, and it will be good for our men to do their job,” said Esmatullah, who is planning to implement motorcycle training to the police academy in the future. “I want a strong police so they can be able to fight the enemy.”
Esmatullah worked with Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan for the needed motorcycles. CSTC-A is the Coalition command responsible for assisting the government of Afghanistan in manning, training and equipping the security forces.
Army Lt. Col. Donald Carr, deputy chief of resources for CSTC-A’s Police Reform Directorate, led the effort to supply and transport the motorcycles and completed the mission in three days.
“These motorcycles will enhance the ANP’s mobility and will allow them to react to threats and better conduct their job,” said Carr, from Gloversville, N.Y. “We are supplying the ANP with better equipment and helping them with the logistics aspect of their operations.”
With approximately 62,000 police under his southern command, Esmatullah is working on a budget to better the police force at the district level. He plans to distribute some motorcycles to the Tarin Kowt District of Uruzgan Province for use by police who are currently licensed.
The plan is to supply the ANP with more motorcycles, vehicles, ammunition and weapons.
“We thank the international community for helping us with equipment and educating our police force,” said Esmatullah.
By Norris Jones - Special to American Forces Press Service
BAGHDAD, Aug. 11, 2006 – Bettering the lives of Iraqi youngsters is what Peter Debski says is the best part of his job.
He’s been involved in overseeing millions of dollars of reconstruction work in and around Baghdad over the past 10 months, including new water and sewer networks, electrical distribution projects, police and fire stations, and primary health care centers. But, he said, “renovating two youth centers and four schools was, most definitely, the most personally rewarding.”
“Seeing the joy on the children’s faces, knowing we’re bringing a little normalcy to their lives, made it all worthwhile,” he added.
Debski is a project engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Central District. He said he’ll always remember the March 25 celebration to mark the re-opening of Al Huriya Youth Center.
“The United States stands with Iraqis as they attempt to improve their community. The various sporting activities that Iraqi children will engage in here offer several useful and timely lessons,” he said. “This center will provide activities for youth of all sects and ethnic groups and teach them the benefit of teamwork. The sports that will be played here encourage children to compete but within an established system of rules. Finally, sports will allow us to succeed or fail, not based on who we are or where we come from, but rather on our merits as individuals.”
That $442,000 project, financed by the 10th Mountain Division’s Commander’s Emergency Response Program, included upgrading plumbing and electrical systems, installing air conditioners, repairing and replacing floors, and plastering and painting both interior and exterior walls. In addition, a new basketball and volleyball court was built.
About 1,500 young people are involved in various sporting activities, including wrestling, boxing, soccer, weightlifting, basketball, volleyball and judo, at the center on a daily basis. “The youth center project was selected because the community itself identified it as a top priority. They know how important it is to their community,” Debski said. “It’s a legacy we’re leaving behind as Al Huriya families will use that youth center for years to come.”
Debski said he’s grateful to be part of the Corps of Engineers’ mission in Iraq and for the opportunity to work alongside some incredible Iraqis. “I’m in awe of the courage our Iraqi project engineers demonstrate every day reporting to work and getting the job done,” he said. “They’re professional, highly educated, care about their work, and know they’re making a difference. I admire each and every one of them.”
Debski is leaving Iraq this month and will be heading to Jordan to work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers there. He and his wife, Teresa, have two children, Julia and Matt.
“This has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a great experience,” Debski said. “I’ve worked for contractors on construction projects in Antarctica, Pacific islands and Europe, but nothing compares to what we’re doing here.”
(Norris Jones is assigned to the Gulf Region Central District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.)
Related Sites:
August 11, 2006
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. A long-awaited homecoming at Fort Campbell in Kentucky.
Nearly 450 soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division returned from Iraq today. And more flights into Fort Campbell are expected soon.
The new arrivals bring the total number who have returned since early July to about one-thousand.
A spokeswoman says most of the nearly 20-thousand soldiers in the division should be back from Iraq by the end of November.
Fort Campbell has had 166 soldiers die in the Iraq war. More than 150 of those were from the 101st Airborne.
Vickie Kane and her husband traveled from Arkansas to greet their son, Specialist Adam Kane. They were joined by their three other children and daughter-in-law.
The family drove in a van and a truck that had painted on the side in bold red, white and blue letters: "We Love You Adam" and "We Love 101st Airborne."
Associated Press
By MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ, COMBINED PRESS
Aug 11, 2006
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces captured a wanted terrorist leader and detained six suspects during coordinated raids in Bayji Aug. 11.
The targeted individual is reported to be a new senior al-Qaida in Iraq leader in the Bayji terrorist network and a current standing member of the Bayji Mujahidin Shura Council. He is additionally reported to be supplying terrorists to al-Qaida in Baghdad to target innocent Iraqis.
The ground forces quickly secured the target areas and apprehended the individuals without incident.
This operation was part of ongoing efforts that have successfully captured several other terrorist leaders in Bayji in the last 30 days. Coalition forces will use information gathered from this raid to continue building a clear picture of the terrorist network in the region, and how best to capture or eliminate them.
By Multi-National Corps – Iraq, Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
Aug 11, 2006
TIKRIT, Iraq – An Iraqi man being held hostage by unknown kidnappers was freed after Task Force Band of Brothers Soldiers found him blindfolded and bound in the back of a vehicle near Baqubah Thursday morning.
The rescue occurred after the vehicle was spotted by a 101st Combat Aviation Brigade helicopter that was patrolling the area. The pilot noticed a suspicious gathering of people around the vehicle and reported the sighting.
A ground patrol attached to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division was sent to the area to investigate and found the man who claimed to have been kidnapped in Baqubah on Aug. 2.
The Soldiers treated the man for his injuries and provided him a cell phone to call his family before taking him to a nearby coalition base.
This is the second hostage rescue by Iraqi and Task Force Band of Brothers Soldiers in the past two weeks. On July 30, Iraqi and U.S. Soldiers raiding a suspected terrorist weapons cache near Muqdadiyah freed another Iraqi man the day before he was to be “judged” by his kidnappers.
Kidnapping, whether for ransom, terror or propaganda use, continues to be a tactic of terrorists and criminals throughout Iraq. Teamwork between coalition forces and increasingly capable Iraqi security forces, with the help of local residents, is aimed at identifying and capturing these individuals.
Tip lines have been established in the Provincial Joint Communication Centers in Iraq’s northern provinces to allow residents to anonymously provide information about terrorist activity.
By Frank Whitman - Special to Stars and Stripes Pacific edition
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ruben M. Vazquez, of the 36th Medical Group at Guam’s Andersen Air Force Base, was presented the Bronze Star on Thursday for his performance during a recent deployment to Iraq.
From November to May, Vazquez, as a member of a 12-member Army team advising the Iraqi forces, was the adviser to the Iraqi army’s 2nd Division medical commander.
The Iraqi medical commander “stood up 12 battalion aid stations while I was there,” Vazquez said. “I was able to teach them how to run a full health-care system for the Iraqi military. We did a lot of convoys throughout Mosul, which is … pretty dangerous. I was typically a driver.”
The convoys had just three Humvees at a time “so they were small operations but we moved quite a bit,” he said. Vazquez was the only coalition medical provider “in an austere environment with scarce resources,” according to the award narrative.
While Vazquez was in Mosul, the 36th Medical Group collected and sent more than 80 boxes of clothing, school supplies and toys for Iraqi children. “A lot of the Iraqi kids were running around barefoot,” he said. “I only sent one e-mail and we got loads and loads of boxes. The med group was outstanding.”
Col. Michael Boera, the 36th Wing commander, presented the award, noting the significance of an Air Force medic being “recognized in the field by warriors.
“But this is reflective of what he has done throughout his career, day in and day out, year after year,” Boera said.
After the ceremony, Vazquez said another challenge was learning to trust the Iraqi soldiers on whom his life depended.
“We actually were in an Iraqi compound with Iraqi security,” he said. “A lot of these were conscripts who couldn’t read or write and had just come out of rural areas to join the military. We really didn’t know what their background was or what their loyalty was. These were the people who were standing the gate for us and protecting us.
“So the bond we developed with them was … I can’t even describe what trust means. We were putting our lives into their hands. We’d see all the bad things that were happening with insurgents and we didn’t know who was who. But we had to develop some kind of trust with them and it came down to the fact that we had to sit down and talk and drink tea and look the other person in the eye.”
Vazquez’s wife, Jennifer, and daughters, Alivia, 4, and Natalia, 2, also attended the ceremony.
“He kept me in the dark a little bit about what was going on, which I think I appreciate,” said Jennifer. “But I knew that whatever he was doing, he would do with the utmost care and that he would come home safely.”
Stars and Stripes - Pacific edition
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Three U.S. Navy ships carrying more than 5,300 sailors pulled into Perth, Australia, on Thursday for some Oz-style rest and relaxation.
Crews from the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier, the USS Cowpens cruiser and the USS Russell destroyer planned to hit the beach and see local sites, according to a Kitty Hawk news release.
The carrier had just completed practicing joint war-time fighting scenarios with the Royal Australian Navy in the Western Pacific Ocean, the release stated. The exercise began June 8. This is the Kitty Hawk’s third port visit after Otaru, Japan and Singapore.
USS Juneau sailor found dead was culinary specialist Navy officials on Wednesday released new details about a sailor who was found dead in his off-base apartment Monday outside Sasebo Naval Base, Japan.
The sailor, whom the Navy would not identify, was a 34-year-old petty officer 2nd class culinary specialist aboard the USS Juneau, according to the Navy statement.
The death is being investigated by Japanese authorities, assisted by the Naval Criminal Investigation Service, the statement said.
The sailor was found dead in his apartment after failing to return to work Monday, according to a news release issued that day by Commander, Task Force 76. The sailor’s remains are in Navy custody, Wednesday’s statement said.
By By Master Sgt. Orville F. Desjarlais Jr. - 455th Air Expeditionary Wing
Aug 11, 2006
FORWARD OPERATING BASE TARIN KOWT, Afghanistan — When a suicide bomber slammed and ignited his missile-laden vehicle into the Humvee in front of Staff Sgt. Eric Mathiasen, the Air Force medic exploded into action.
He said he did not think about his wife or two children, or that there was unexploded ordnance lying about. He just grabbed his medical bag and sprinted toward the blast area.
"While I was running to the wounded guy, I just hoped I could help him," Mathiasen said. "I just hoped I wouldn't screw anything up."
He had questioned his abilities before this deployment to Afghanistan because he did not have much experience treating trauma patients. At his home base at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Mathiasen is an aeromedical services craftsman.
Although Mathiasen said he likes his job at Edwards, with two wars raging, he always felt he could do more. Twice before he volunteered to deploy, once outside his career field as a third-country national monitor. Although he returned from those deployments satisfied, he always felt there was something more.
Then, on the Air Force Personnel Center Web site, he saw a volunteer opportunity with the Provincial Reconstruction Team. He signed up.
"The Air Force doesn't normally deploy its people for a year, and I wanted to say that I've deployed for a year," said the native of Tehachapi, Calif. "I thought I needed to prove something to myself, I guess."
As a medic with a PRT, he also was excited about working "outside the wire."
When he volunteered, his wife supported his decision, despite the obvious danger.
"She knew how important this was for me," he said.
After weeks of training, he arrived here in April and knew he had found what he had been looking for -- a chance to see what he was made of.
Handwritten quotes on a white board in the PRT main office confirmed it.
One said: "Danger gleams like sunshine to a brave man's eye," Euripides, 412 B.C.
Another said: "God has fixed the time of death. I do not concern myself with that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me -- that is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave," Stonewall Jackson, 1862.
One only has to walk outside to know there is an uncertain environment beyond the confines of the base. Army helicopters -- some heavily armed, lethal gun ships and some medevac birds whose job is to save lives -- constantly thump the air around this remote outpost. On the Fourth of July, airfield residents witnessed their own fireworks display when Operation Mountain Thrust brought the battle to the extremists in the foothills not far from here.
These PRT members do not drive thin-skinned vehicles. Instead, they deal with the threat by convoying everywhere in Humvees in order to do their mission of providing better security, economic stability and good governance in this region. They do this by convoying to schools, government offices and police stations.
Although he had been with the team for a month, at the time he still felt he was waiting for something. That is, until the vehicle-borne IED exploded May 1.
Mathiasen was riding in a Humvee in the middle of the convoy when a suicide bomber in a car crashed into the vehicle directly ahead of him, detonating a cache of missile heads. The explosion ripped all the limbs from the extremist, but it didn't kill anybody in the Humvee.
As trained, Mathiasen jumped out of his vehicle to help provide security, but when he heard screams of "Medic!" "Medic!" he grabbed his medical bag and ran toward the blast area.
He avoided the unexploded ordnance that littered the road.
After determining that the soldier in the damaged Humvee had not sustained life-threatening wounds, Mathiasen turned his attention to a young child injured by the blast.
The medic cut the clothes from the boy and couldn't feel a pulse. All his wounds were internal. Because the boy didn't have a pulse, Mathiasen couldn't insert a much-needed IV.
If the little boy didn't receive immediate medical attention he certainly would die right there. An Afghan ambulance took the child to a nearby Afghan hospital.
Meanwhile, Mathiasen returned to treating his teammate.
"He was quite apprehensive about his condition and his brush with death, so I didn't want to do any more to him than needed to be done," Mathiasen later wrote in a report. "I flushed his eyes to clear them of debris, and poured some water over his hands that suffered second-degree burns. He declined pain medication, so I worked to keep him calm and provide security at the same time."
The soldier eventually made it to a military hospital for treatment. Mathiasen later learned that doctors tried to revive the boy by hand-massaging his heart, but to no avail.
After that dreadful incident, the medic felt he had bonded even more deeply with the team. He felt the team trusted him more, probably because he now trusted himself. He proved to himself that he could perform his job under the most stressful life-and-death conditions.
And, now that he feels he is part of the team, he feels the paternal need to protect them, like they protect him.
"I know these guys. They have kids and wives and mothers and fathers waiting for them at home," he said. "If I can, in some small part, contribute in their making it back home, then that's why I'm here."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
