Posted on 05/12/2006 4:00:10 PM PDT by Gucho
By Donna Miles - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 11, 2006 – President Bush singled out graduating family members of a fallen Marine today during a commencement address in Biloxi, Miss., then met with families of troops killed in the war on terror to thank them for their sacrifice.
Traveling to Mississippi for graduation ceremonies at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, which was pummeled during Hurricane Katrina, Bush took time to praise the mother and brother of Marine Sgt. Donnie Leo F. Levens.
Levens, 25, of Long Beach, Miss., was among eight Marines and two airmen killed Feb. 17, when two CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters crashed in northern Djibouti. "His Marine unit was fighting terrorists near the Horn of Africa," the president said during his address today at the Gulf Coast Coliseum.
Today, Margaret and Matt Levens carried pictures of the fallen Marine as they accepted their diplomas, the president noted.
"Margaret says Donnie's courage inspired her to complete her studies," he told about 150 graduating students and their guests. "She said, 'I've never been a quitter. Donnie was never a quitter either. He had a job to do, and he did it well. I am graduating for him today.'"
"America honors the service of Donnie Levens," Bush said. "And we honor the strength and sacrifice of our military families."
During his address, Bush praised the strong military community in Biloxi and recognized students who earned their degree while serving the United States in uniform.
He also praised the resilience of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College's students and faculty who reopened the school just 17 days after Hurricane Katrina left the college and region devastated.
Bush issued a challenge to all the 2006 graduating class, urging them to become part of one of the world's largest rebuilding efforts. "It's going to take time for that vision to be realized, and it will demand the skill and knowledge and character of all of you," he said. "But you can leave this college with confidence in your future and with certainty that you're not going to work alone."
After the address, Bush met with families of fallen troops in an event closed to the media.
By Donna Miles - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 11, 2006 – The decision to delay deployment of one Army brigade from Germany to Iraq does not mean officials have decided to draw down troops in Iraq, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said yesterday.
Concluding that putting an Army brigade's deployment to Iraq on hold makes a statement about Iraq's stability or a troop drawdown ahead is like "taking one tulip and deciding it's spring," the secretary said on a radio talk show.
It's premature to draw sweeping conclusions from the decision to keep the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, in Schweinfurt, Germany, until further notice, Rumsfeld told Brian Kilmeade and Andrew Napolitano on Fox News Radio's "Brian and the Judge Show."
The Pentagon announced the decision, which affects about 3,500 active-duty soldiers, May 8. "This is a very narrow decision to hold one brigade from deploying and to give the commanders on the ground additional time to continue their assessments," DoD spokesman Bryan Whitman told Pentagon reporters the day of the announcement.
"What's happened is that (Army) General (George) Casey, (commander of Multinational Force Iraq), recommended and the president and I approved a delay in the movement of that particular unit into Iraq, at the request of General Casey," Rumsfeld said. "Now, might it go in later? Sure. Might it not? That's possible."
The United States has 133,000 troops in Iraq and a goal to reduce that number, the secretary said. But "the fact that some unit may not be going in does not necessarily mean that the number of total troops will be going down," he said.
Rumsfeld noted that the U.S. presence in Iraq extends beyond combat brigades. He pointed to a full range of combat support and combat service support troops, including those embedded with Iraqi security forces, providing infrastructure protection, advising ministries and carrying out other critical but non-combat roles.
It's too soon to tell how Prime Minister-Designate Jawad al-Maliki's appointment of a Cabinet committed to a unity government will affect the U.S. military role in Iraq, the secretary said.
Once ministers are in place, Casey and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad will begin discussions about issues that will affect decisions about U.S. forces there, he said.
They'll talk about how quickly the United States can transfer responsibility to Iraqi security forces and how the Iraqi government can put together a budget to pay for this security. "And then we'll work out a comfortable arrangement between our two countries so that we can transfer responsibility over time as they're capable and as conditions on the ground permit to the Iraqis," Rumsfeld said.
Rumsfeld expressed concern about Iran's impact on progress taking place in Iraq. "We're concerned about the fact that we're finding Iranian equipment that's being used to kill Americans and Iraqis in Iraq," he said. Although it's not absolutely clear that the Iranian government sent this equipment to Iraq, "it's very clear that Iranian equipment is being found there," he said.
In closing the interview, Rumsfeld praised the American people for support to the people who serve in the military. He specifically cited the Defense Department's "America Supports You" Web site.
"It lists a whole host of things that the wonderfully generous and compassionate American people are doing for the troops and for the troops' family," the secretary said. "You can go to the Web site and find things that schools are doing, corporations, clubs, churches, all kinds of activities that people are doing to let the troops and their families know how much we appreciate their superb work for our country."
Related Article:
In addition to training for deployment contingencies, the unit has set up a web site to enable soldiers to stay in touch with their families at home.
U.S. soldiers assigned to C Company, 1st Battalion, 294th Infantry Regiment, practice carrying an injured soldier on a litter as part of their stress-fire exercise, designed to simulate the physical and mental strains of battle. (U.S. Army photo)
By U.S. Army Spc. Stephen Proctor - U.S. Army, Pacific
FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii, May 11, 2006 — U.S. soldiers assigned to the Guam Army National Guard’s newly formed C Company, 1st Battalion, 294th Infantry Regiment spent a tough week training tirelessly for their upcoming deployment to Africa in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
It was a challenging week for the troops, from joint operations exercises and stress firing to convoy operations and more.
“The biggest threat in theater comes in convoys,” said Capt. Kristen Graham, the engineer team chief in charge of the convoy exercise.
“The soldiers reacted to sniper attacks and improvised explosive device attacks, as well as reorganization skills afterwards,” she added.
Stress firing is a technique in which soldiers’ bodies are pushed to the limit, and then they fire their weapons to get an idea of the physical and mental strain of battle.
“We ran an obstacle course, donned our gas masks, did a low crawl and a high crawl, did a litter carry, then fired our weapons,” said Spc. Bradley Carney, a military police soldier with C Company.
“I’ve been mobilized twice before,” he added “but this one had much better training.”
The 196th Infantry Brigade conducted the exercise, but they had assistance from the Marine Corps, which provided two helicopters, and the Coast Guard, which provided a jet for airlift operations.
“The Marine Corps and Coast Guard support has been invaluable throughout the mobilization,” said Col. Jeffrey Jarkowsky, the 196th Infantry Brigade commander.
Ready to Go
After a weeklong mission rehearsal exercise at Schofield Barracks, the soldiers feel ready for their mission.
“This training has us ready for anything,” said 1st Sgt. Gene Guzeman, “We’re ready to take care of our country, our freedom, and Guam.”
Sgt. Lucas Holmes, an MP with C Company, who has been on deployments before added, “the training was much more realistic than before.”
For one soldier, this deployment will be a culminating event in his military service.
“I feel very good about our preparation and our mission,” said Master Sgt. Mark Ishmael, the company’s senior administration noncommissioned officer, “It will make me complete as far as my leadership abilities.”
Keeping in touch
Going on deployment usually requires soldiers to spend several months away from their families. But the information management officer has worked hard to make sure soldiers have an easy time staying in touch with their families back at home.
“We set up a website where families and soldiers can post back and forth,” said Chief Warrant Officer Noel Camaganacan, the information managment officer, “Spouses at home are happy, and it keeps up morale of the soldiers.”
Orders have been issued, training is completed, and lines to home have been opened wide. These soldiers are ready to take this mission head on.
“‘Preba hao’ means ‘prove yourself’ in Guam,” said Staff Sgt. Carmelita Perez, an administration noncommissioned officer. “We’re excited to go, and ready to prove ourselves.”
Iraqi police recruits wait at a police station in Fallujah, Iraq, May 6, 2006, for transportation to Baghdad to begin their training. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Adaecus G. Brooks)
Friday 12th May, 2006
A man walks inside the Ikhtearodin castle in Herat, the capital of Herat Province, northwestern Afghanistan, Tuesday, May 9, 2006. The Ilkhtearodin castle was built in 835 A.C by Ikhtearodin, Herat's lider at that time, to defend the city from possible attacks. Herat has been a settlement for over 2,500 years and has been fought over by successive rulers from Alexander the Great in 330 B.C. to Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1749. In the 7th century the city was captured by Muslims. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Friday May 12, 2006
A suspected Taliban prisoner is searched, handcuffed and processed by members of 1st Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry after a raid on a compound in Northern Kandahar, southern Afghanistan, on May 10. The Canadian forces arrested 10 suspected Taliban during the raid and handed them over to Afghan authorities. (AFP/File/John D McHugh)
The two-week class was the sixth in an ongoing series of training sessions in which U.S. soldiers work with their host-nation counterparts.
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class John Johnson (left), Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, shakes hands with Djiboutian soldiers at a military-to-military training graduation ceremony, May 4, 2006. Johnson taught border security operations during the training. (Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa photo)
By U.S. Army Sgt. Sam Smith - Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa
ARTA, Djibouti, May 12, 2006 —The military of this small nation took another important step in securing its borders May 4 when soldiers from the Djiboutian Rapid Action Force graduated from border security class in a ceremony held by the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.
The two-week class was the sixth in an ongoing series of training sessions in which U.S. soldiers assigned to B Company, 249th Infantry Regiment (Light) from the Guam Army National Guard work with their host-nation counterparts. Small-unit infantry tactics, weapons marksmanship, personnel searches and checkpoint operations made up the focus of the training for the 28 Djiboutian soldiers.
U.S. Navy Capt. Tim Moon (right), Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, prepares to return the salute of a Djiboutian soldier during a military-to-military training graduation ceremony, May 4, 2006. (Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa photo)
“(This training) helps them function outside when they’re doing border patrols,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Shaun Quintanilla, an infantryman in B Company and a primary instructor for the course. “These patrols give Djiboutian civilians the feeling their soldiers care about them and their families.”
Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa is made up of U.S. joint forces, the U.S. Department of State and more than two dozen coalition forces from around the globe. The group conducts operations and training to assist host nations establish a secure environment and enable regional stability.
The Rapid Action Force will have to apply their training this summer as they take on a border patrol mission. In September, the task force will train another class in border security.
“(This training) is helping Djiboutians build capacity, so they have the ability to protect their own borders…stop the transnational threat and control the flow of people and material in and out of their country,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Tim Moon, graduation keynote speaker from Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.
May 12, 2006
BALAD, Iraq -- Imagine if you had the right degree, the right job, the wife, the car and a condo in San Diego minutes away from the beach. Would you, in your early thirties, give all of that up to enlist in the Army as an infantryman and serve your country for the next three years?
Spc. Joshua Stern, dismount squad automatic weapon gunner, 2nd Platoon, Company B, 1-8 Combined Arms Battalion, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Band of Brothers, wanted to contribute to the Global War on Terrorism and decided to give up the life in the fast lane to come to Iraq to serve his country.
Stern took a military leave of absence with HSBC Bank where he worked as a financial analyst and enlisted July 2005. His wife Lorenda wasn’t thrilled at the idea of Stern wanting to go to war, but it was something Stern felt compelled to do, even at the risk of their marriage.
"Even though my family and friends supported the war, I felt that nobody really understood what people sacrificed to come over here," Stern said.
Stern went through basic training at Fort Benning, Ga., and had to adjust quickly to the Army way of life.
"I was not as mentally prepared for basic training as I should have been," Stern said. "(It took some time) getting used to having someone tell me what to do every moment of the day. It was a hard adjustment from living alone for the last 10 years. I did not really care for basic training too much."
Stern’s older brother is retired Army Lt. Col. Jack Stern. The elder Stern never pressured his brother to join the Army. In fact, Stern did not tell his older brother he enlisted until he signed the paperwork. The only help Stern received from his older brother was information on what units would be deploying to Iraq soon and that is how Stern found his way to Fort Carson, Colo.
He arrived in Iraq in late February 2006. Stern and his teammates are stationed on Forward Operating Base Paliwoda and their primary area of responsibility is the city of Balad, Iraq. Being an infantry Soldier in a mechanized platoon means being on call 24-hours a day and ready to go at a moments notice. They go out on patrol at varying times of the day as to not set a pattern for the enemy to follow. When out on patrol, his squad, nicknamed the "Violators," looks for insurgents planting improvised explosive devices.
Other times it provides security around some of the reconstruction efforts like the new water purification systems in the eastern region of Balad, said Sgt. 1st Class John Guidry, platoon sergeant, 2nd Platoon, Co. B, 1-8 CAB. Working together with the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi police to provide security for these projects is seen as a good gesture toward the Iraqi people.
The experience of patrolling the streets and riverbanks of Iraq has not been exactly what the San Diego native expected.
"I expected the worst when I came out here, expecting to get into firefights every day," Stern said.
He feels more like a cop out on patrol, where the mere sight of his platoon’s presence is a bigger deterrence to the insurgents.
"You don’t know who the enemy is, sometimes you feel like a target just waiting to make contact," Stern said. "I have not fired my weapon outside of the FOB yet."
If no patrol is scheduled for the day, Stern then gets up around 9 a.m. and has breakfast before working out. The regimen of getting up to do physical training is one thing Stern likes about his new life in the Army.
"I like being made to go and do physical training every morning, I am in the best shape of my life," Stern said.
The facilities at FOB Paliwoda are night and day compared to its fancier neighbor Logistical Support Area Anaconda. There are no 24-hour swimming pools or surround sound movie theaters on FOB Paliwoda. While three meals a day are served at FOB Paliwoda the food takes some time getting used to. Stern thought that Army cooks had gone the way of the buffalo but they actually cook here, even if it is to deep fry everything, Stern deadpans. All joking aside, he is grateful to have them here because it means he does not have to eat Meals, Ready to Eat three times a day.
There a six phones available to Soldiers on FOB Paliwoda but Stern tends to communicate back home mostly through e-mail. He never tells his wife what happens outside of the wire and tries to be as generic as possible in describing his day.
"It helps that she is in law school which keeps her busy and does not give her a lot of time to worry," Stern said.
Stern met his wife in Korea while visiting his older brother Jack who was stationed there. She was a linguist in the Army working for his brother at the time. It took her a long time to understand her husband’s reasons for wanting to come into the military and his desires to go to Iraq. They eventually worked through their differences and Stern hopes to start a family when he returns from this deployment.
By the time Stern came to his unit at Fort Carson he missed out on the experience of going to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif. It was there his unit got first-hand experience surviving the hot weather that Stern finds himself currently experiencing in Iraq.
Having to deal with the high temperatures, the plague of bugs and mosquitoes plus carry an average of 70 pounds of gear is one of the more difficult challenges of being in Iraq, Stern said.
With the remainder of his free time Stern likes to read or watch a DVD with one of his roommates: Sgt. James Craig, 3rd Squad team leader, 2nd Platoon, Co. B, 1-8th CAB. Craig has been pleased with the way Stern has come into the platoon and been able to fit right in even though he is new to the Army.
"He is 30 years old, he has already had a career, so he knows the whole business of professionalism," Craig said. "He is serious about life, he is married and his maturity level is up a lot higher than some of the other privates that we get straight from basic. He has done really well, better than most."
By Pfc. Paul J. Harris - 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office
May 12, 2006
TIKRIT, Iraq -- Iraqi Police killed two terrorists when the two men attacked a police patrol in Tal Afar May 11.
Task Force Band of Brothers Soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division arrived on scene to assist the police and conducted a search of the building the terrorists were using.
The Soldiers uncovered a false wall that led to a tunnel system and another hidden door that opened into a room used as clandestine sleeping quarters.
The "Ready First" Soldiers discovered a variety of weapons and munitions scattered about the tunnel and underground room. A Katusha rocket, 10 rifle grenades, four mortar rounds, three IEDs and two mortar tubes were seized.
An explosive ordnance disposal team conducted a controlled detonation of the weapons and munitions, destroying the house and tunnel system to prevent terrorists from using them again.
Three police officers were wounded in the initial attack and transported to the Tal Afar hospital.
By MULTI-NATIONAL DIVISION - NORTH 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION (AIR ASSAULT) TIKRIT, IRAQ (FOB SPEICHER)
May 12, 2006
MUKHISA, Iraq -- Locating an area for a new Iraqi police station is one more step toward the security and safety of the people of Iraq.
The initial phase of Operation Barak was to establish an area where an Iraqi Police station could be developed and show the people of Diyala Province that violence will not be tolerated.
Elements of the 1-68 Combined Arms Battalion "Silver Lions" rolled into an area that had not been patrolled by coalition forces in over a year.
Maj. John Digiambattista, the executive officer for the 1-68 CAB, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Band of Brothers and Colorado Springs, Colo., native explained, "They have had some rival violence with some of the other neighboring towns and by putting an IA presence here they will be able to provide them with security and also verify the reports we have had of the various types of terrorist activities and sectarian violence in this area."
Command Sgt. Maj. Jerry Rimpley, the unit’s top noncommissioned officer and Arnold, Neb., native said, "The initial phase of the operation was to scout an area out where we could fortify it for an Iraqi police station."
"This is more of a sphere of influence engagement with Iraqi army moving in, and then the Iraqi police," said Rimpley.
"The objective is to identify a piece of ground that can be secured and transition that base of operations to the Iraqi army and eventually to the Iraqi police," said Digiambattista. "What that does is establish a source of legitimate governance and security for the people here."
With a new Iraqi police presence in this area of Diyala Province, the citizens of this area can feel safer about their daily living.
Story and Photos By: Staff Sgt. Mark Wojciechowski - 133rd MPAD
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
Two 4th Infantry Division 1-68 Armor "Silver Lions" unravel wire across the top of a wall as part of fortification of the proposed Iraqi police station in Mukhisa, Iraq. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Mark Wojciechowski, 133 MPAD)
Command Sgt. Maj. Jerry Rimpley interacts with Mukhisa locals in front of the proposed new Iraqi police station. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Mark Wojciechowski, 133 MPAD)
Pfc. Andrea Moore of 4th Infantry Division's HHC 1-68 Armor "Silver Lions," pulls security from the turrett of a Humvee during Operation Barak outside of Mukhisa, Iraq in Diyala, province. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Mark Wojciechowski, 133 MPAD)
Soldiers of the 4th Infantry Divisions 1-68 Armor "Silver Lions," pull security outside of a school in Mukhisa, Iraq. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Mark Wojciechowski, 133 MPAD)
May 12, 2006
BAQUBAH, Iraq -- If you can remember high school wood shop class you probably have fond memories of some old guy in suspenders missing a thumb making you build a tree house that no sensible bird would ever go in. Welcome to something 180 degrees different.
The carpenter and paint shop on Forward Operating Base Warhorse can build Soldiers anything their heart’s desire -- as long as they supply the wood. From a custom-made bed to shelves to a whole entertainment center, Sgt. Tim White, NCOIC of the carpenter and paint shop, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 64th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Band of Brothers, and his crew are more than happy to build it.
The shop focuses on constructing smaller projects that Kellogg, Brown and Root can not perform due to contractual reasons.
Recently the shop built 14 foot bridges to place along the rain ditches. When it rains there are no drainage systems like in the U.S. The water run-off from the road collects in the ditches forming a medieval-like moat around buildings. Without the foot bridges Soldiers would be wading through knee-deep water trying to get to work or the dining facility.
Another such project, simple in design yet yielded big results, was placing plexi-glass windows in the guard towers along the perimeter of the FOB. The plexi-glass helps shield Soldiers from the rain, wind and dust making the towers a little more habitable.
The thanks we got from Soldiers for doing that job was more than enough retribution for the work we put into it, White said.
Keeping Soldiers well organized and improving their quality of life has always been the goal at the shop.
"It feels good to help people keep things in order so they are not scurrying around looking for stuff," said Pvt. David Frank, project supervisor, Company A, 64th BSB.
The carpenter and paint shop is a do it yourself place where Soldiers can stop by at their convenience to use any of the shop’s tools to construct personal projects.
White asks the Soldiers to use their wood because he has a limited supply. Wood has to be trucked in from Kuwait or Logistical Support Area Anaconda. Due to the length of the journey the wood has to travel, supply gaps can occur in his re-supply inventory. However, with scrap wood a Soldier can use as much as they desire. White, Franks or any of the local national workers will be on-hand for assistance.
"As long as you bring a picture (of your design) there is no doubt in my mind we can build it," White said.
If a Soldier does not have the time to wait at the carpenter and paint shop they can go to the mayor’s cell and fill out a work order, said Capt. Michael Olson, commander, HHC, 64th BSB.
The mayor’s cell is responsible for the quality of life on FOB Warhorse and is the main liaison between tenant units and KBR. The cell will place the order with the carpenter and paint shop and make sure there is a quick turn around. A bed or shelves for a Soldiers’ containerized housing unit can be made in 15 minutes by the workers at the shop. The shop has 10 local Iraqi workers to help build and paint projects.
"I am impressed with their quality of work. They do a great job, a fast job," Olson said.
In addition to working at the shop the local nationals also maintain grounds of the garden memorial for Soldiers who have died in Operation Iraqi Freedom who were headquartered at FOB Warhorse.
Keeping the work quality high and the shop staffed is a tough challenge for Olson. Since the quality of work the local nationals provide is of a premium grade they are often recruited from the carpenter and paint shop to provide contract work for other companies.
Olson does not want to imagine the staffing nightmare that would occur if there was no carpenter and paint shop.
Without the carpenter and paint shop it would draw Soldiers away from their original jobs and take time away from the mission, said Olson.
Whether it is building bed posts or bridges, White and his team are always willing to go the extra mile for Soldiers’ comfort.
"If there is anything that we can do for the Soldier to make their time here more enjoyable we are more than glad to do it," White said.
By Pfc. Paul J. Harris - 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office
May 12, 2006
BALAD, Iraq -- The Army dining facility at Forward Operating Base Paliwoda is a wall of sounds that would make Phil Specter proud. You have American Forces Network playing sports and news on the two big screen TV’s in the front corners of the room.
Soldiers are coming and going with sounds of laughter because someone told a funny "your mom" joke at one of the dining tables. In the background are the sounds of clanging metal pots and pans slightly drowning out the lone Army cook chopping away at a cucumber.
Wait, Army cook? Yes there are Army cooks that actually cook for Soldiers in Iraq. Kellogg, Brown and Root provide most of the culinary staff for the dining facilities across Iraq. Most of the Army cooks have been tasked out to other units performing various jobs like gunners on logistics patrols or pulling force protection on different FOBs. There are a select few that still cook, an example being FOB Paliwoda.
The dining facility on FOB Paliwoda feeds about 750 Soldiers per meal, according to Staff Sgt. Solangie Bandon, dining facility manager, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Special Troops Battalion, attached to 1-8 Combined Arms Battalion, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Band of Brothers. The food is brought up from Kuwait through Logistical Support Area Anaconda before reaching FOB Paliwoda.
On LSA Anaconda there are four DFACs that serve a wide variety of foods from fish to Mongolian stir fry. On FOB Paliwoda there is only one DFAC and is limited to the types of items it can serve due to it being classed as a field DFAC. LSA Anaconda’s DFACs are considered garrison DFACs and have a broader range of items they can prepare.
"We cannot cook any raw food," said Bandon. "All of our food must arrive pre-cooked."
Even with limited items available for ordering, Bandon and her team make sure Soldiers have three nutritious cooked meals available seven days a week. A recent meal on Sunday consisted of T-bone steak, fried scallops and corn-on-the-cob.
"We do not serve Meals, Ready to Eat," Bandon said.
The day starts early for the cooks, around 5:30 a.m. and ends late with self service ending at midnight. Staffing an operation that is almost 24-hours is a constant challenge, especially when Soldiers are not available because of mid-tour leave, said Bandon. Most of the cooks work all day, seven days a week with little time off.
Though the hours are long, Spc. Kenneth Jamerson, cook, HHC, 3rd STB, attached to 1-8 CAB, is happier about the conditions of this deployment compared to the last time he was deployed to Iraq in 2003 with the Iron Brigade.
"We have a place to sleep, a place to shower and you can go to the latrine instead of going in the woods," said Jamerson. "It is not as hectic as last time. Last time we were cooking in full battle rattle."
The thought of cooking in full gear in 120 degree heat is something Sgt. Jason Miller, cook, Forward Support Company, 1-8 CAB, does not want to remember. He was deployed with the Iron Brigade to Iraq in 2003 and this is his second time cooking at FOB Paliwoda.
If it is 120 degrees outside, it feels like it is 100 degrees warmer inside the kitchen especially when you have all the burners going at once, Miller said.
Soldiers are instructed to drink plenty of fluids and take necessary breaks when the heat inside the kitchen gets to extreme levels. Additional air conditioning units have been ordered to combat the heat problem inside the kitchen but the cooks are used to dealing with adverse conditions.
"You suck it up and drive on," Miller said.
By Pfc. Paul J. Harris - 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office
ADDITIONAL PHOTO:
Spc. Al-Lorenzo Williams, native of Ridgeville S.C., cook, seasons a fresh batch of French fries in preparation for an evening meal on Forward Operating Base Paliwoda near Balad, Iraq. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Paul J. Harris, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office)
Stars and Stripes Pacific edition
Friday, May 12, 2006
Fifteen months after delivering tons of food and water to tsunami-ravaged Indonesia, the USS Abraham Lincoln passed the island nation on its way through the Pacific last week.
U.S. Ambassador B. Lynn Pascoe and several Indonesian leaders flew aboard for a visit, according to the ship’s public affairs office.
Pascoe thanked the sailors who served during the January 2005 tsunami relief effort.
“It was everybody being involved, from people flying the helicopters to people filling water bottles to people on shore carrying sacks of rice,” he said. “It was just an incredible operation from the very first.”
The ship, and its strike group, was in Singapore for a port visit and bilateral training last week and before that, stopped in Thailand. The strike group is deployed to the region for six months to support maritime security, Navy officials said.
The Everett, Wash.-based aircraft carrier has been on a routine deployment to the region since February.
Aviation ordnancemen attach cargo pendants to the underside of an MH-60 Knighthawk during a vertical replenishment between the Abraham Lincoln and the Naval Fleet Auxilliary Force Ammunition Ship USNS Kiska. (James R. Evans / Courtesy of U.S. Navy)
Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit sailors discuss diving techniques with a Singaporean EOD chief warrant officer outside of a WWII-era British hyperbaric chamber. (Jeremie Yoder / Courtesy of U.S. Navy)
By Donna Miles - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 12, 2006 – President Bush today assured former and currently serving secretaries of defense and state that the United States is committed to success in Iraq.
The president met with the secretaries at the White House to discuss Iraq and the broader Middle East.
"They've got good people on the ground," Bush told reporters he assured the former secretaries, as well as Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. "We've got brave troops that are working every day to help this country succeed and at the same time, deny safe haven to al Qaeda."
Bush noted progress in Iraq since his last meeting with the former secretaries, in January. "Since we last met, a unity government is now in the process of becoming formed," he told reporters.
This government represents the people of Iraq, Bush said, adding that he has "great hopes" for it. "We've got a Shiia as the prime minister-designee, a Sunni as the speaker (and) a Kurd as the president -- all of whom have dedicated themselves to a country moving forward that meets the hopes and aspirations of the Iraqi people," he said.
Today the former secretaries discussed the challenges ahead, focusing heavily on militias that take the law into their own hands, the president said. "And it's going to be up to the (Iraqi) government to step up and take care of that militia so that the Iraqi people are confident in the security of their country," he said. "It's important to have a secure Iraq in order for people to go about their daily lives. And we understand that."
Bush thanked the secretaries for sharing their thoughts and suggestions about the way forward in Iraq. "I think it's very useful for those of us who are helping to plot the strategies and the tactics to help secure this country to hear from you," he said.
It's time to focus not on differences, but on shared views and goals, Bush said. "We've had our disagreements in this country about whether or not we should be there in the first place," he said. "Now the fundamental question is, 'How do we achieve our objectives?'"
That objective, the president said, is "a democracy which can defend itself (and) sustain itself, a country which is an ally in the war on terror, and a country which serves as a powerful example for others who desire to be free."
"I'm optimistic about our successes," Bush said. "I know this: The only way we will not succeed is if we lose our nerve, we don't have faith in our values, and that we're constantly changing tactics on the ground to achieve our objectives."
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