Posted on 08/18/2006 4:13:50 PM PDT by Gucho
Iraqi and Coalition forces squelch violence in Ameriya, as part of Operation Together Forward
U.S. Army soldiers and Iraqi police officers search for illegal weapons in Baghdad during Operation Together Forward. (Department of Defense photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jonathan F. Doti)
By U.S. Army Sgt. Jeff Lowry
BAGHDAD, Aug. 18, 2006 — Iraqi and Coalition forces joined this week to squelch the violence in Ameriya, a key neighborhood in west Baghdad, as part of a city-wide operation known as Amaliya Ma’an ila Al-Amam or Operation Together Forward.
“The purpose was to eliminate terrorists and death squads in and around Ameriya,” said Iraqi army Brig. Gen. Abdul Jaleel in a press conference.
Jaleel is the commander of 1st Brigade, 6th Iraq Army Division. The unit took the lead in a recent sweep of the town with the U.S. 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division as support.
The Iraqi and Coalition forces searched about 6,000 houses and buildings in the Ameriya neighborhood, said Jaleel. The local citizens requested the market area be secured first.
“We re-opened shops that had been closed and a neighborhood gas station,” he said.
The 2nd Brigade Combat Team commander, Col. Robert Scurlock Jr., re-iterated Jaleel’s point, noting that people are returning to the streets.
“More than 50 percent of the shops have re-opened,” Jaleel said.
Jaleel and Scurlock see the market as a way to repair the neighborhood that was torn apart by violence.
“We want to get the stores open and get people back to a normal life,” said Scurlock.
He credited his fellow troops for helping to restore peace in Ameriya.
“It’s the dedication of Iraqi soldiers and their professionalism and sharing information with Coalition forces,” said Scurlock.
According to Scurlock, eight arrests were made and 128 weapons seized. “We’re making progress,” he said.
Jaleel and Scurlock felt that most of the sectarian violence was caused by people who do not live in Ameriya.
Iraqi and Coalition presence is enough to deter violence here, said Scurlock. He also said there has not been one death since Together Forward operations began in Ameriya.
During the press conference the duo took many questions asking whether Iraq was fighting a civil war.
“From my point of view as an Iraqi, we have never had a sectarian war or a civil war,” said Jaleel, who is a Shiite Muslim and whose wife is a Sunni Muslim.
Sunni and Shi’a Muslims might seem on divergent paths, but if Ameriya could be an example they might move forward together.
“With unity and security, there will be prosperity,” said Scurlock.
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2006 – A joint Afghan National Army and coalition patrol struck an improvised explosive device and was subsequently engaged by extremists with small-arms and rocket-propelled-grenade fire in the Waza Khwa district of Afghanistan’s Paktika province yesterday, military officials reported.
One Afghan soldier was killed, and one coalition vehicle was damaged in the attack.
The extremists fled the area in two trucks identified by coalition ground forces, and this information was relayed to coalition aircraft overhead. The fleeing trucks were traveling off-road in an attempt to avoid detection. Overhead aircraft observed 10 to 15 people and heavy weapons in the retreating vehicles. Those trucks were engaged and destroyed by coalition aircraft. Numerous secondary explosions were observed, indicating the presence of ammunition or explosives in the vehicles.
“Coalition forces are confident that the two trucks destroyed by coalition aircraft were the same two trucks fleeing the site of the attack on the joint coalition patrol,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Paul Fitzpatrick, Combined Joint Task Force 76 spokesman. “We are aware that local officials have stated that Afghan Border Police were attacked and killed by coalition aircraft, and we are investigating that report. At this time, coalition forces cannot confirm the identity or affiliation of the extremists who attacked our patrol and were subsequently destroyed by coalition aircraft. However, we will work closely with the Afghan government on this investigation.”
Six IED incidents have occurred in this area in a six-week period. IEDs are a serious threat to all Afghans and kill and injure more innocent civilians than coalition and Afghan security forces combined, officials said.
(From a Combined Forces Command Afghanistan news release.)
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American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2006 – U.S. soldiers in Iraq seized several large weapons caches and detained eight terrorist suspects in operations yesterday.
Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team seized a large weapons cache during a cordon-and-search operation in northern Baghdad shortly before 1 p.m. The weapons cache included 21 AK-47 assault rifles, 55 magazines of 7.62 mm ammunition, 2 PKC machine guns, a Russian sniper rifle, tens of thousands of rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, a fragmentary grenade, four jihadist propaganda magazines, and a martyrdom recruitment poster.
Earlier yesterday, soldiers from 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, detained six suspected terrorists north of Baghdad at about 3:30 a.m. The Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers conducted a search of several houses. The suspects are being held for questioning.
Elsewhere, soldiers from 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, assigned to Multinational Division Baghdad, detained two suspected terrorists and seized a massive weapons cache in a warehouse during a search of Nur and Ghazalyia yesterday in support of Operation Together Forward.
The weapons and munitions seized included 272 120 mm mortar rounds, 212 82 mm mortar rounds, 99 60 mm mortar rounds, 33,800 14.5 mm rounds, 5,000 7.62 rounds, 90 5.56 rounds, 165 19 mm rounds, 104 rocket-propelled grenades, 240 23 mm rockets, 200 60 mm primers, 22 107 mm rockets, nine 069B rockets, 11 RPG rounds, two landmines, a .30 caliber shape charge, a crater charge, 11 fragmentation grenades, a machine gun, two AK-47s, a PKC machine gun, an RPK machine gun, two 14 mm machine guns, 20 full AK-47 magazines, ammunition drums, various loose ammunition, 5,000 feet of detonation cord, three bayonets, five 82 mm tubes, four 60 mm tubes, three 60 mm mortar bipods, four 81 mm mortar bipods, two 60 mm mortar bases, an 81 mm base, two land mines, an 81 mm mortar base, an aiming circle, two aiming poles, 54 rocket motors, and various bomb-making materials.
The suspected terrorists were detained for questioning. All munitions and weapons were confiscated for destruction. Five hundred buildings were searched during the operation.
Operations have taken place in Doura, Shula, Ghazaliyah and Ameriyah from Aug. 7-16. During this time, Iraqi army, Iraqi police and coalition soldiers have cleared more than 23,000 buildings, 21 mosques, detained 54 suspected terrorists, seized 326 weapons, registered 341 weapons, found 10 weapons and munitions caches, and removed 900 tons of trash.
(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
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Aug 18, 2006
Fri Aug 18, 9:22 AM ET - Pakistanis walk past the house of Rashid Rauf in Bhawalpur. Pakistan has informed US-led coalition forces that an Al-Qaeda kingpin linked to an alleged plot to blow up airliners is based in eastern Afghanistan. (AFP/Arif Ali)
By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2006 – Combined U.S. and Iraqi operations in Baghdad have done much to reduce violence and bring stability to the area, but the ultimate solution depends on the Iraqi people’s willingness to reject violence and cooperate with Iraqi security forces, a U.S. military commander in the area said today.
“The security situation confronting the capital is a complex one, and the solution must be long-term,” Army Col. Michael Beech, commander of 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, said in a news conference from Iraq. “The Iraqi government, coalition forces and Iraqi security forces are dedicated to establishing peace in Baghdad.”
U.S. and Iraqi forces have been conducting combined missions in Baghdad as part of Operation Together Forward, an Iraqi-led campaign to reduce violence in the capital. The missions have been successful in the security arena, but also in terms of developing relationships between the Iraqi people and Iraqi security forces, Beech said.
“Along with providing essential services, our current plan makes provisions for long-term stability within this area,” he said. “To ensure the population (that) is living in these neighborhoods knows who's responsible for securing them, we have worked to establish habitual relationships between particular Iraqi security forces, U.S. forces with a particular neighborhood.”
Neighborhoods within Baghdad are being paired with a particular Iraqi police company and a U.S. military company, Beech said. “This is in an effort to establish true community-based policing and security and build trust and confidence in the national police and the people that they protect,” he said.
Attacks in the 4th Brigade’s area of operations have decreased over the past few months, and Iraqi forces are taking the lead in more missions, Beech said. Recent operations have focused specifically on the Dura neighborhood, in the eastern part of Baghdad’s Rashid district, where there were previously as many as 20 murders a day. the 6th National Police Brigade of the 2nd Division now secures that area, and coalition forces are working with local leaders to promote civic activity, he said.
“It's hard not to be optimistic,” he said. “I walk the streets of Dura every day, and what I see is every day there are additional shops open that weren't there before. I see the Dura market has increased traffic and people in the Dura market shopping every day. The feedback that I get from people on the streets is absolutely very promising.”
One indicator that the Iraqi people trust their security forces more is the increase in communication between the people and the Iraqi police, Beech said. The Iraqi brigade commander in his area has been receiving more and more phone calls from concerned citizens with tips, and imams of the local mosques are talking to him more, he said.
The Iraqi people’s cooperation with and trust in the Iraqi security forces is essential, as Operation Together Forward moves from a clearing operation to a holding operation focused on stability, Beech said. “This is a collaborative effort between U.S. forces and national police, and what we have to get is the support of the Iraqi people to trust their security forces,” he said.
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By Donna Miles - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2006 – Just short of 10 months into his job as the first senior enlisted adviser to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey said he’s making important inroads between servicemembers and their leaders but is still “working it hard” to build on them.
Since moving into the position Oct. 1, Gainey has spent more days on the road than at home, hopscotching the globe to meet with as many soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen as he can and reporting his findings directly to Marine Gen. Peter Pace.
“I am truly his eyes and ears,” Gainey said of his relationship with the chairman. And just as importantly, Gainey said, he sees himself as the voice of the servicemembers he meets with back to their own service senior enlisted advisers or, when necessary, Pace.
Since appointing Gainey as his personal adviser on enlisted force matters, Pace has given him free rein to do his job. “General Pace has the confidence in me to get out and do the right thing,” Gainey said. “He never questions where I go or when I go. I keep him informed. He never questions why because he knows I’m out checking or seeing, visiting our young men and women of the different services on his behalf.”
So far, Gainey has visited eight of the nine combatant commands and every service’s senior leader academy, and he regularly attends service school graduations to offer his insights.
Every visit is fast-paced as Gainey tries to squeeze in time with as many troops as possible to talk about things that matter to them -- not just those related to the mission, but also about education, health, welfare, morale and housing issues.
The only real free time he allows into his trips are early-morning runs he religiously makes no matter how overscheduled he might appear. On a recent trip to Alaska, for example, Gainey turned down what many would consider a golden opportunity to go fishing. “They pointed to a spot where you could see something like 400 fish,” he said. “But I told them I’d rather go see 400 troops. Show me 400 troops.”
When he meets with those troops, Gainey said he resists sticking to concrete schedules. He bristles at well-meaning gestures from staff members intent on keeping him on time. “When I’m talking to a servicemember, that’s the only person in the world to me,” he said. “I don’t want someone else tapping their watch and telling me that it’s time to go somewhere else.”
Gainey constantly assesses morale and command climate in units he visits. “I can tell within 20 seconds of entering a unit if the command climate is good or bad,” he said. “That’s how I judge morale.”
He talks with individual troops, but recognizes they’re likely to gloss over any problems they’re experiencing. “You look at a person and ask how their morale is and they might say, ‘Oh good, Sergeant Major. It’s wonderful. Kumbaya. Let’s eat eggs and go picnic,’” he said.
So Gainey goes to their comrades. “I talk to your buddy. I say, ‘How’s your buddy’s morale?’” he said. “And what they say is really the true picture.”
Overall, morale among the troops is good, he said. “And the reason is that they understand the mission, a lot more than I did when I was a private, because of the information flow from their leaders. The command climate in the places I am going now is unbelievable.”
Gainey reports his observations back to Pace every day, limiting them to a set of bullets that fill no more than a 2-by-1.5-inch window on his Blackberry personal digital assistant. “He likes bullets,” Gainey said of Pace. “Any more than that and I’m rambling.”
The two have developed a close working relationship and a strong sense of trust. “General Pace is my battle buddy, and I am his battle buddy,” Gainey said. “I wouldn’t say that … unless I thought it was really true.”
After 31 years in the Army, including 30 years as a noncommissioned officer and 12 years as a command sergeant major, Gainey said he’s never seen a higher-quality or smarter military force.
He recalled someone telling him he thought the Army is getting soft. “I agreed with him and said, ‘You’re right. The Army is getting soft,’” Gainey said. “It’s getting Microsoft.”
“Our young men and women are so much smarter -- and I take nothing away from myself or anyone else in my year group,” Gainey said. “They are so much smarter than we could ever be at the same level when we came in (to the military).”
“And do not think they are not as patriotic as we are,” he said, noting that it was patriotism, not educational benefits, that prompted him to enlist into the new all-volunteer force in 1974 under the Delayed Entry Program.
Today, educational benefits are a big draw for incoming recruits, he acknowledged. “But do you know something? They are just as patriotic as you and I could ever be,” he said. “And that’s what old guys like myself have got to understand. It’s a different generation. It’s the ‘now’ generation and it’s our future generation. We should be proud of them.”
The more exposure Gainey gets to the different services, the more convinced he becomes that the concept of a joint force is working. He said he was particularly struck by the jointness he observed during his recent trip to Alaska, a synergy he attributes to local leadership emphasis as well as geographic necessity.
Gainey said he’s gratified to see he’s having an influence in forging new relationships between services and commands. He sees himself as a “forcing factor” to help “bring the forces together and help them understand that we have one common cause.”
Together, the services can do that well, he said. “Separately, somebody is going to pay the price. And it’s not going to be us leaders. It’s going to be the young men and women who trust us to do the right thing.”
Gainey said he’s come to realize that despite their different cultures, the services have far more similarities than differences. He once laid out each service’s core values on a piece of paper and realized that the only real differences came down to wording. “There is no difference between the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Coast Guard and the Marines,” he said. “We train, equip and organize differently. But the bottom line is, we are all the same. And people have to realize that.”
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Gainey: Stryker Brigade Extension Offers Lessons to All Commanders
By Steven Donald Smith - American Forces Press Service
SIMI VALLEY, Calif., Aug. 18, 2006 – As during the Cold War, the spread of freedom remains America’s most valuable tool in combating the nation’s enemies, a senior Defense Department official said here yesterday.
A slab of the Berlin Wall now housed at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif. (Photo by Steven Donald Smith)
“The power of freedom brought down the Berlin Wall in 1989, and it brought millions to the voting booth in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Christopher “Ryan” Henry, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, said during a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library here.
President Reagan, like President George W. Bush, presided over an era when the stakes were high for U.S. national security, Henry said. “Nuclear armed global superpowers were locked in a tense standoff, and a major part of the world’s population was effectively imprisoned behind an iron curtain,” he said.
The Soviet Union may be a thing of the past, but the U.S. now faces an ever-more-nefarious and -elusive enemy in the form of terrorist networks and rogue states. “Today, America and our friends and allies face a broader array of potential adversaries than ever before,” he said.
He pointed to rogue states, such as Iran and North Korea, as posing a grave danger to the United States, but said transnational terror networks, like al Qaeda, offer the most pressing threat.
“The most concerning (problem) is something we refer to as ‘cultural totalitarianism’ -- the threat from terrorist extremists who are determined to destroy our very way of life,” he said, “even, if it’s achievable for them, the fall of Western civilization.”
This is a different type of adversary than the U.S. has ever faced before and, because of the availability of weapons of mass destruction, possibly the most dangerous, he said.
It is difficult to counter an enemy that targets innocent civilians while using their own civilian population as human shields, he said. “This adversary is ruthless and has no qualms about blowing up civilian airliners,” he said. “They would kill 3 million just as easily as they killed 3,000 five years ago on Sept. 11, 2001.”
Henry said these extremists are a patient bunch. “They view their struggle as an epic confrontation that spans millennia, not just years,” he said.
Terrorist networks are technologically savvy, using technology to communicate, recruit and transfer money, he said.
The threat may have changed since Reagan’s day, but several basic principles remain the same, such as the need for broad coalitions, national unity and a strong military, he said. “A military that is ready and capable for the task that the nation may give it,” he said. “Our brave men and women in uniform are the best in the world.”
Another principle that transcends eras is the need to adjust course when necessary, Henry said. When Reagan saw a shift in Soviet attitudes under Mikhail Gorbachev, he exploited the opportunity to gain leverage through new technology and diplomacy. President Bush and the Defense Department are doing the same by learning valuable lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan. “We are transforming the way we operate, the way we do business, and the way we work with others,” he said.
Henry concluded his remarks by returning to the principle of freedom, which he said is a privilege that must be vigilantly guarded.
“President Reagan said, ‘Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.’ We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream, it must fought for, it must be protected, and it must be handed on to them to do the same,” Henry said.
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American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2006 – The Army has authorized award of the Bronze Star Medal for Service to the living Canadian veterans of the 1st Special Services Force for their service to the U.S. Army during World War II.
The unit was known as “the Devil’s Brigade” during the war and was one of the first U.S. special operations forces units in the war. The unit included U.S. Army soldiers and soldiers of the 2nd Canadian Parachute Battalion and 2nd Canadian Special Service Battalion of the Special Operations Group.
From 1942 to 1944, about 2,500 soldiers served in the unit under U.S. Army command. Members from both nations were assigned interchangeably to the squad level and below. The Canadians wore U.S. Army uniforms and carried American weapons. The unit deployed to the Aleutian Islands in 1943 and then moved to Italy. The force participated in actions at the Anzio beachhead, the liberation of Rome and into southern France. The unit took so many casualties that officials disbanded it in January 1945.
The unit earned the name the Devil's Brigade during the Italian Campaign from words found written in the diary of a dead German officer: "The black devils are all around us every time we come into line and we never hear them."
The award of the Bronze Star Medal for Service is a conversion award of the Combat Infantryman Badge authorized for almost 1,200 Canadian veterans in 2005. Under Army policies, only Combat Infantryman Badges and Combat Medic Badges awarded during World War II may be converted to the Bronze Star Medal for Service. “This is an added award to these Canadian veterans,” said Shari Lawrence, a spokeswoman for the Army’s Human Resources Command.
Although approved for the unit as a whole, the almost 120 eligible veterans must submit verification documents showing their complete name, rank, service number and dates of service when they apply for the medal.
Force veterans are meeting in Helena, Mont., this week for their last reunion. “It’s only fitting we make this announcement this week,” Lawrence said. The unit trained in at Helena’s Fort William Henry Harrison before leaving for war.
Eligible veterans may send their request and copies of their verification documents to: U.S. Army Human Resources Command; 200 Stovall Street, ATTN: AHRC-PDO-PA; Alexandria, VA 22332-4000.
By Gerry J. Gilmore - American Forces Press Service
FORT BELVOIR, Va., Aug. 18, 2006 – There’s plenty of fuel available to fill the tanks of U.S. military vehicles and aircraft despite widely reported accounts of a commercial oil pipeline rupture in Alaska, a senior Defense Department logistician said here yesterday.
“We’re in good shape all the time. We have significant fuel reserves. If fuel became locally unavailable, … we could move fuel from elsewhere in the United States to cover DoD’s requirements,” John S. Bartenhagen Jr., Defense Energy Support Center deputy director for operations, said.
The center buys fuel for defense department needs. It is a component of the Defense Logistics Agency. Both organizations are located at Fort Belvoir.
Early market speculation that the BP pipeline leak near Prudhoe Bay would disrupt U.S. oil supplies and inflate prices was premature, Bartenhagen said. In fact, oil has decreased in price since news of the incident emerged about 10 days ago.
Nonetheless, DESC officials responded quickly upon hearing of the Prudhoe Bay incident, Bartenhagen said, and contacted vendors to ensure there’s a dependable supply of fuel and other petroleum products for U.S. military use.
Before the global war on terrorism, DoD bought about 110 million barrels -- 42 gallons make a barrel -- of fuel each year, Bartenhagen said. Today, DoD buys about 130 million barrels of fuel annually, he said.
Bartenhagen said he couldn’t envision circumstances when the United States’ military forces would be lacking fuel.
“We have never experienced a continuing shortage of fuel that resulted in DoD being unable to fulfill its fuel requirements,” he concluded.
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By Multi-National Corps – Iraq, Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory Aug 18, 2006
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iraqi forces conducted an early-morning operation on August 16 west of Baghdad, capturing an improvised explosive device, or IED cell leader as part of the ‘Together Forward’ security plan.
Iraqi army forces conducted an intelligence-focused, precision raid as coalition force advisers looked on in the Abu Ghuryab area of Baghdad and captured their primary target. This cell leader, active for the past several months, is believed to be responsible for the construction, emplacement, and detonation of IEDs.
Four other individuals also were detained during the raid.
This operation was conducted without incident; no Iraqi forces, coalition forces or civilians were injured.
By Spc. Rodney Foliente - 4th Inf. Div. PAO
Aug 18, 2006
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Local leaders, Iraqi Security Forces representatives and Multi-National Division Baghdad Soldiers conducted a meeting Sunday in Baghdad’s Ameriyah neighborhood as part of Operation Together Forward, an undertaking designed to increase stability and security throughout the city.
In the midst of a cordon and search and tandem civil affairs mission, the elected neighborhood representatives of Ameriyah plus religious leaders, representatives of the Iraqi army and police, Soldiers from Company A, 412th Civil Affairs Battalion, attached to MND-B, 8th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, and 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, attached to MND-B, shared refreshments and began discussions on how the gathered elements could work together to improve the safety and infrastructure of the neighborhood.
“You are the most powerful people of Ameriyah,” said Col. Robert Scurlock, commander, 2nd BCT, 1st AD. “We are here to help you. This needs to be an Iraqi solution, with the Iraqi army, Iraqi police and the Iraqi government.
“If there are items we can help you fix, we will,” continued Scurlock. “We need to establish a system that will last.”
He added that they needed to work together to stabilize the area and increase job opportunities, boost the economy and create an environment where the citizens feel safe. “We have to keep the terrorists out. We’d like you to help us devise the plan. We will provide the muscle to put it in place.”
The assembled local Iraqi leaders expressed their agreement and willingness to cooperate.
“You can consider us your right hand,” said the neighborhood advisory council leader through a translator. “We were chosen by the people. We are talking on behalf of the people. What benefits Ameriyah, benefits us. What hurts Ameriyah, hurts us.”
Some of the topics discussed were reopening the neighborhood’s bank, clearing the roads of trash, debris and barriers, providing other essential services to strengthen Ameriyah’s infrastructure and adjusting checkpoints and other security measures to keep terrorists out of the area. The NAC members also offered use of their government building as well as assistance in future operations.
“We exist to help our people,” said an imam through a translator. “We feel very happy and feel safer if we see American and Iraqi Forces in this area.”
Another imam described an incident where Iraqi unity proved more important than sectarian division. He explained that, earlier that day, there was a group of Shiite soldiers patrolling an area next to a mosque guarded by local Sunnis.
At first, he continued, both sides were nervous about being so close and “exposed” to each other. The guards, however, brought food and shared a meal with the soldiers; the Soldiers followed suit for the next meal.
By sharing food and companionship, both sides parted with a new sense of trust and confidence that they could work together, said the imam.
“The soldiers had very good feedback after leaving Ameriyah,” said an Iraqi army soldier as he nodded his agreement.
That and similar experiences during Operation Together Forward will potentially allow the overall populace of the Sunni neighborhood to trust the predominately Shiite soldiers in the area, said an imam.
Overall, the local citizens were compliant and understanding of the necessity of the searches and agreed that they welcome the sense of security that follows such efforts to root out terrorism.
“We appreciate your help in Ameriyah and the security you bring,” said one of the imams through a translator. “You have our continued cooperation.”
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
BAGHDAD – Col. Robert Scurlock, commander, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, attached to Multi-National Division – Baghdad, greets a local imam and member of Ameriyah’s neighborhood advisory council during a meeting of local leaders, members of the Iraqi Security Forces and MND-B Soldiers Sunday. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Rodney Foliente, 4th Inf. Div. PAO)
BAGHDAD – A Soldier from Multi-National Division – Baghdad, pulls security in Ameriyah during a meeting of local leaders, members of the Iraqi Security Forces and MND-B Soldiers Sunday. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Rodney Foliente, 4th Inf. Div. PAO)
By Maj. David Kurle, USAF - Special to American Forces Press Service
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, Aug. 18, 2006 – Six U.S. and coalition troops peer out from a remote position on a ridge top in Afghanistan. At sunset on the third day of their vigil, a large force of Taliban extremists carrying heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades surround and pin down the team.
By design, an Air Force joint tactical air controller is with the team. His job is to direct strike aircraft to targets on the ground. The situation on the ridgeline is desperate until an Air Force pilot flying an A-10 Thunderbolt II in the vicinity contacts him.
Helping the A-10 pilot find and target his attackers on the ground, the air controller stays in radio contact, except when forced to pick up his weapon and fire at the enemy closing in.
The A-10 and its pilot hammer at the enemy with bombs and the plane’s massive gun.
“Fifty minutes later the remaining enemy retreated and (the JTAC) and his team walked off that ridge to re-supply and fight again the next day,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Keith McBride, commander of the 81st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron deployed here.
McBride, an A-10 pilot, uses this real-life story to illustrate his point that the A-10 is saving lives in Afghanistan.
“There have been numerous occasions where our troops have been taking heavy fire and we show up, and either our presence ends the engagement or we employ against enemy positions and end the engagement,” said Air Force Col. Tony Johnson, the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group commander and an A-10 pilot.
Flying hours and the amount of bombs and bullets used by A-10 pilots here have increased all summer due to two offensives by ground forces against the enemy.
Operations Mountain Lion and Mountain Thrust flushed Taliban extremists out of where they normally hole-up, exposing them to U.S. and coalition forces on the ground, who called on A-10 pilots to provide close-air support.
“The increase in weapons deliveries is primarily because U.S. and coalition operations have carried the fight to the extremists,” Air Force Brig. Gen. Christopher Miller, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing commander, said. One of Miller’s jobs is to advise Combined Joint Task Force 76’s U.S. Army commander on the use of combat aircraft in Afghanistan.
“Where extremists have attacked the Afghan people and their infrastructure, we have helped defend them, and we have carried the fight to the enemy, to push them back and reduce their ability to carry out further attacks,” he said. “The whole A-10 team, from the airmen who launch them to the pilots who fly them, should be proud. They are saving the lives of Americans and many others they don’t even know. And in the big picture, they’re enabling the security Afghanistan needs to rebuild into a society where terrorists can’t flourish.”
The A-10’s ability to precisely hit targets also lends itself well to U.S. forces engaged in rebuilding Afghanistan, Johnson said. Preservation of infrastructure and limiting damage on the ground are crucial, since the country of Afghanistan is not the enemy.
“We’re also rebuilding a country,” he said. “I don’t know what other airplane would be better at this than the A-10.”
The A-10 originally was designed around its 30 mm gun, designated the GAU-8. The gun is more of a small artillery piece --firing huge bullets into target areas at a rate of 65 per second. The A-10 is the only Air Force aircraft designed specifically for close air support -- providing firepower for ground troops in fights with enemy forces.
If the gun isn’t enough, 11 stations underneath the plane hold up to 16,000 pounds of bombs, missiles and rockets.
“Our weapons effects make a decisive impact on the battle,” McBride said. “Ground forces rely on our rapid response and our pinpoint accuracy.”
The GAU-8, with its 8-foot, rifled barrels, delivers bullets at a blistering 3,000 feet per second. When pilots pull the trigger, they aim using the plane’s computer, which takes into account factors like speed, altitude, distance from the target, and angle of the plane’s nose. This combination of physics and software make the 30 mm gun on the A-10 extremely accurate.
“Just the large amount and type of weapons the A-10 can carry, combined with a long loiter time over our troops on the ground, makes up for the lack of organic, heavy weapons (carried by U.S. and coalition forces),” McBride said.
But it’s not just the A-10’s firepower that makes it an excellent choice for supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. The plane is designed rugged, much like the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan. To enable twists and turns through low valleys and high peaks, the wings stick straight out, allowing small, sharp turns. It’s heavily armored for the benefit of its pilots and is built to land and take off from the well-worn surface of Bagram’s runway.
The A-10 combines some of the best of today’s high-technology Air Force with a solid, low-tech foundation. The addition of a targeting and laser-designation pod was a huge boost to the plane’s capabilities but still no substitute for the pilot’s eyeballs.
“Most other aircraft rely heavily on (electronic) sensors to find and target the enemy,” said Capt. Rick Mitchell, an active-duty pilot deployed here from the Air Force Reserve’s 442nd Fighter Wing, at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. “In the A-10, it’s not unusual for a pilot to use binoculars.”
When Mitchell flies, his preparation for the mission is extensive and can take more time than the actual combat sortie.
Once in the air, pilots can fly to pre-planned targets or fly in holding patterns above potential battlefields, waiting to swoop down when ground forces encounter the enemy.
The Combined Air Operations Center, in an undisclosed Southwest Asia location, generates missions for Bagram’s A-10s. This high-tech command center runs air operations for both Afghanistan and Iraq.
“We work those guys pretty hard,” said British Royal Air Force Flight Lt. Matthew Adamson-Drage, a fighter controller who helps assign missions to the A-10s at the CAOC. “The A-10s are pretty much the backbone of (air operations in Afghanistan) because they’re flying all the time every day.”
To keep the A-10 in fighting form and meet this summer’s sweltering pace, the 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Group had to get creative to keep the aircraft ready for missions.
Airmen in the 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron, commanded by Maj. Tim Coger, work around the clock on two aircraft at a time in Bagram’s A-10 “phase hangar.” Every 400 flight-hours, an A-10 requires a thorough inspection of certain essential parts.
“We’re flying off 400 hours here faster than we do at home station,” Coger said. “The maintenance tempo is driven by the flying. Since the pilots are flying the jets more, it has caused us to do more maintenance.”
And they’re not just keeping aircraft flying. Maintainers also load the weapons A-10s need to support ground troops.
That’s where Master Sgt. Dennis Peterson, from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, comes in. He is the 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron’s chief weapons loader. “It’s been steady work ever since we touched down here,” he said. “Rarely a day goes by when (the A-10s) don’t come back empty. To see that airplane come back empty is the hallmark of being a weapons loader.”
The load teams at Bagram keep a running score of the bombs, rockets and bullets used by A-10s since arriving here in May by posting the tallies on a mural painted next to the group’s lounge to remind airmen about the gravity of their mission.
“Our maintenance troops have performed magnificently,” McBride said.
The sum of maintenance and flying efforts enables the A-10 to be an effective protector of U.S. and coalition ground forces on the front lines against extremists whose goal is to drag Afghanistan back to the Taliban’s repressive brutality and again let the country be used as a haven for terrorists.
“The A-10 is employing lethal firepower when it’s needed most by troops on the ground,” Mitchell said. “There’s nothing more rewarding to a close-air-support pilot than knowing the firepower you employed just saved the lives of guys on the ground.”
(Air Force Maj. David Kurle is assigned to the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing.)
An A-10 Thunderbolt II from the 81st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, takes on gas from a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 22nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron over Afghanistan. The 22nd is part of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, at Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan. This A-10 is deployed from the Air Force Reserve’s 442nd Fighter Wing, at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. (Photo by Airman 1st Class Lonnie Mast, USAF)
Air Force Staff Sgt. Shannon Hughes (left) hands Senior Airman Damon Johnson a tool as they work on an A-10 Thunderbolt II during its phase inspection at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, Aug. 5. Both airmen are deployed from the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. The 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Group at Bagram is “double-docking” A-10s going through phase inspection, working on the airplanes around the clock, to ensure consistent ability to meet the demand for the airframe in theater. (Photo by Maj. David Kurle, USAF)
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