Posted on 05/15/2006 3:59:57 PM PDT by Gucho
By Steven Donald Smith - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 15, 2006 – Placing U.S. National Guard troops along the U.S.-Mexican border will bolster the nation's security, the president's national security adviser said yesterday.
"This is not about militarizing the border. The president is looking to do everything he can to secure the border," Stephen Hadley said on CBS's "Face the Nation."
It has been reported that about 10,000 National Guard troops will be placed along the southern border to support U.S. Border Patrol agents in stopping the flow of illegal immigrants. President Bush is scheduled to make a nationally televised speech tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern Time regarding the illegal immigration issue.
The U.S.-Mexican border stretches 2,000 miles and includes the U.S. states of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, and the Mexican states of Baja California Norte, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas.
Hadley said the American people want a secure border and the president is listening to their concerns as he consults with members of Congress and state governors.
"He's listening to and getting a lot of good advice," Hadley said. "He's had good consultations with the Congress. He will be talking to the governors. He's looking at a number of ideas, and a number of folks have suggested greater use of the National Guard."
Some National Guard troops have already been used in support functions along the border, he said. "They have been used in support functions to help the border patrol. Things like intelligence, training and that sort of thing," he said. "And I think that's the kind of thing people have in mind."
When asked if the additional National Guard troops will be armed and used in a law enforcement fashion, Hadley reiterated that their job function is still being examined. "Again, there are a number of ideas out there," he said. "The president is taking a look at them."
But Hadley stressed that safeguarding the border is the job of the Border Patrol and that National Guard troops would most likely continue to function in a support manner. "It's the support function we're talking about," he said. "It's something we are doing as both we and our neighbors try and cooperatively strengthen our borders."
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Story by Cpl. Antonio Rosas
AL QA’IM, Iraq (May 15, 2006) -- A 28-year-old Iraqi woman has told Marines and sailors in region of western Al Anbar Province that all she wants is to be able to walk again.
The woman from Karabilah, Iraq, is missing both of her legs.
But the Marines of the 3rd Civil Affairs Group – a U.S. military unit responsible for assisting Iraqi communities with rebuilding local government infrastructure, commerce and economies – are doing something about it.
They’re jumpstarting the lengthy process of finding aid for the woman, who lost both of her legs during combat operations conducted by Coalition Forces against insurgents last year in her hometown near the Iraq-Syria border.
The civil affairs group is working with Iraqi doctors at provincial-level medical facilities where resources for rehabilitation programs or further care are limited. Ultimately, the woman will need a referral to a higher level of care near the nation’s capital at Baghdad for treatment, according to CAG officials.
Marines and sailors from the shock trauma platoon, forward resuscitative surgical suite aboard this U.S. military camp conducted a medical evaluation of the woman for an updated prognosis of her condition.
They also evaluated two Iraqi children, a seven-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl, with genetic diseases. The families sought the help of the Marines because they did not know who to turn to for help.
“Once we establish what’s wrong physically, we can engage with the Iraqi health system and government agencies to see if we can get help,” said Lt. Col. Larry L. White, the civil military operations center director for the Al Qa’im region.
While the civil affairs group in the Al Qa’im region spend most of their days assisting local towns with rebuilding local commerce and government, providing humanitarian aid is not new to the Marines, who receive requests for help from locals on a regular basis, according to the Marines here.
Though the Marines can’t always provide immediate assistance on their own, they can lead people in the right direction to get the aid they need.
“We’re out there with the people at the civil military operations center and that’s where people go for help,” said White.
The patients, whom are of no relation to each other, sought the aid of the Marines several days ago. The Marines helping the woman are currently stationed in the city of Husaybah in the Al Qa’im region of western Al Anbar Province.
“They just came into the center and asked for help,” said White, 39, who has spearheaded the project by arranging transportation for the families from Husaybah to a U.S. military camp at Al Qa’im. “This is a humanitarian gesture and we are doing what we can to help them.”
Amal communicated through an interpreter that she hoped the Marines were going to fix everything and make everything good.
“The woman is seeing that some progress is being made by coming to this place,” said the interpreter. “She is a good woman who has hope.”
Although she lost so much as a result of collateral damage from the fighting, Amal confided that the problem began with the insurgents who came to her home and threatened her family.
Though the woman said she appreciates any help Coalition Forces can provide, she lost more than just her legs last year.
“My sister, my daughter and my mother died during the fighting,” she said. “Terrorists came to my house in Karabilah and said, ‘You’re with us or we will kill you.’”
Caught in the middle of the fighting between Americans and insurgents, Amal watched her family members die.
“She could be hateful, bitter and angry, but instead she’s reaching out to the people that hurt her,” said Navy Capt. Don Elshire, shock trauma platoon, forward resuscitative surgical suite officer-in-charge. “She has a big space in her heart for forgiveness, otherwise she wouldn’t be here today.”
The woman communicated through an interpreter that she was confident that someone from America would help her.
“I just want to be able to walk again,” said Amal. “I’ve seen the Americans help others.”
Although the process of acquiring financial and medical aid is quite a lengthy process, according to White, a St. Paul, Minn. native, the Iraqis are not discouraged as they don’t have many options to choose from in this remote corner of Iraq where medical facilities are scarce. The only options in this region of Iraq are a string of clinics where care is limited to less severe cases.
With medical facilities unable to provide a higher level of care, the families often have to travel a long distance to receive adequate care, according to White.
That’s not to say that the civil affairs Marines are not working around the clock to establish satisfactory medical facilities where Iraqis won’t have to travel to cities such as Ramadi or Fallujah for care.
For Iraqis near the Syrian border, high-level health care means a referral to a larger health facility hundreds of miles away.
“It’s time-consuming and right now the ability to make the system work is frustrating,” said White. “We are trying to build the legitimacy of their health system so they can handle these cases. We need to get the Iraqi system up to speed.”
On track to rebuilding that system, the Marines have a number of projects in the works that will address health care, such as construction of several satellite clinics by the end of the month.
A trip to a hospital in another city means hours on Iraq’s dangerous roads, and may take several days, said one of the patient’s family members through an interpreter.
“Anything we can do to help the Iraqi doctors do better, we will do,” said Elshire. “The Iraqis have the doctor’s to do the work, they just don’t have the resources.”
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May 15, 2006
Hawija, Iraq -- The dining facility at Forward Operating Base McHenry represents a true rarity among Army bases in Iraq; on the serving line, enduring the intense heat of the kitchen, and cleaning up the facility are actual Soldiers.
FOB McHenry is a small infantry base in a forward part of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division’s area of operation.
At most of the dining facilities on larger bases, military personnel are strictly there for supervision. Civilian contracted employees make up the bulk of the servers and cooks.
The cooks at FOB McHenry, on the other hand, don’t have civilians to assist in serving, preparation of the food, or cleaning. They do it all themselves.
"The big difference is that we’re actually doing our job," said Sgt. Dale A. Gaura, a shift leader at the FOB McHenry dining facility and Bossier City, La., native. "It’s hot and its hard work, but my guys wouldn’t have it any other way."
The long day for these Soldiers begins at 4 a.m. when they arrive at the DFAC and begin cleaning. There aren’t enough resources for a midnight chow, so an alternative food is prepared and left out for Soldiers not able to eat evening chow.
Unfortunately, this leaves a big mess for the cooks to clean up before they can begin preparing breakfast.
"Every day we come in here and clean for about an hour and a half before we can start getting ready to serve breakfast," Gaura reflected. "Then we usually have two people start cooking while the rest of us stock the fridges and condiments."
Iraq is hot. But, it’s even hotter inside the kitchen at the DFAC, even while cooking breakfast before the sun comes up.
"The heat of the kitchen can be challenging," said Spc. Jonathan Hill, a cook and Fairfield, Ill., native. "It might be 80 outside, but it’ll be 120 or 130 in here. Before the sun comes up, it might be up to 110 degrees in the kitchen."
The cooks spend all day in and around the kitchen. Because they are a self-sufficient dining facility, they do everything necessary to keep Soldiers fed.
That includes, preparing the food, serving the food, unloading supplies, cleaning the facility, taking out the trash, and more.
The day doesn’t end for the cooks until 7:45 p.m. when the facility is cleaned after evening chow and the extra food is set out for the night.
Hill, who took cooking classes in high school and college before becoming a military cook, said he prefers the intense schedule though.
"Time goes by faster," he commented. "Coming in here and getting your hands on a pot, you’re just constantly busy. I’d rather be here cooking for Soldiers than at another base just checking IDs or supervising."
Hill said he and his fellow Soldiers put their cooking experience to use. The variety of spices that come with the food is limited, so they make their own spices.
Spc. Michael A. Lockett prepares a stir fry meal for fellow Soldiers at FOB McHenry dining facility. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Michael Pfaff)
"We mix our own spices a lot of times," Hill said with a grin. "We pride ourselves on making everything taste good."
Despite the fact that the cooks here can’t choose what food they serve, they are always listening to what Soldiers like and dislike.
"I get satisfaction from Soldiers if they like a product," Hill said. "The problem is we don’t control what food we get. We try to request stuff, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to get it."
FOB McHenry is home to a large number of Iraqi Army troops going through training, so the cooks here feed on average 800 to 1000 people a meal, many of them are Iraqis.
"We know they don’t eat pork," Gaura pointed out. "So, some of our guys learned how to explain in Arabic what the food we are serving is."
Hill said that he loves cooking because he feels like the infantrymen, MPs, medics, and all the Soldiers going outside the wire on a daily basis deserve a hot meal.
"Hot chow is like a morale booster," he said. "If Soldiers had to eat [meals ready to eat] all the time, their morale might go down."
Hot meals, like a warm shower or a comfortable bed to sleep in, are something Soldiers deployed to Iraq cherish. The cooks at FOB McHenry endure excessive heat in the kitchens and long days, but relish in the fact that they are able to give their fellow Soldiers that little boost for their morale.
Editor's note: Soldiers in this story are from Bossier City, La., and Fairfield, Ill.
Story and photos by Spc. Michael Pfaff - 133rd MPAD
Monday, May 15, 2006
An Afghan security personnel stands with a weapon on the roof of Kabul stadium during the celebration of the first Olympic Day in Kabul, Afghanistan May 15, 2006. Afghanistan marked the first ever Olympic day on Monday. Olympic Day is a sporting event in Afghanistan that will last for 5 days and where soccer matches will be played. (REUTERS/Ahmad Masood)
After decades of neglect and disrepair, the renovated fire station will now serve 750,000 Al-Amarah residents.
Embedded water storage tank is now a viable water source for fire trucks at the recently renovated Al-Musharra Fire Station in the Al-Amarah Province. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo)
By Lisa J. Anderson - Gulf Region Southern District - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
ALI AIR BASE, Iraq, May 15, 2006 — After more than 50 years of neglect and disrepair, the Al-Musharra Fire Station in the Al-Amarah Province is now a fully-functioning, integral part of the community.
Located near the Tigris River, the structure was weakened by the high ground water table. Crumbling walls and floors, a polluted water storage tank and decayed roof tiles were just a few of the reconstruction problems.
New joists and wall supports, roof tiles and floor tiles were installed to bring vitality back to the building. New electrical, water, sewage and air conditioning systems were installed and a sleeping quarters, kitchen area and general use room were built to accommodate the nine fireman stationed there. The station now provides vital fire detection and deterrence to over 750,000 Al-Amarah residents.
The Al-Musharra Fire Station has been restored to a fully-functioning support facility for Al-Amarah residents. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo)
The renovation began on Nov. 28, 2004, and was completed recently at a cost of $110,000. The project was funded by the Iraqi Relief and Reconstruction Fund and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
15 May 2006
By Journalist 2nd Class (SW) Jason Thompson - USS Enterprise (CVN 65) Public Affairs
MEDITERRANEAN SEA– The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) hosted a special delegation of Moroccan dignitaries, high-ranking military officers and reporters to the ship Friday, May 12.
Moroccan speaker of parliament, Abdulwahed Radi, was among the visitors to tour the massive ship, observe flight operations and experience daily life at sea.
The distinguished visitors also met with the Commander of the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group Rear Adm. Ray Spicer and toured Big E's navigation bridge, flight deck control tower, hangar bay and foc'sle.
Capt. Larry Rice, Commanding Officer of Enterprise, said the visit was part of U.S. efforts to strengthen enduring and emerging partnerships in the Mediterranean Sea.
"Hosting the Moroccans was a fantastic way for the U.S. to demonstrate our resolve in growing and furthering the relationships between us and our coalition allies and partners," said Rice.
Enterprise is currently conducting a scheduled six-month deployment along with Commander, Carrier Strike Group 12 in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
U.S. Air Force
Lt. Col. Paul Doan
U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. (Dr.) Paul Doan, chief of aerospace medicine for the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group in Southwest Asia, evaluates Roberto Leal. Doan is a former war refugee from Vietnam. He is deployed from Barksdale Air Force Base, La. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Strang)
By Tech. Sgt. Veronica Aceveda - 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA, May 15, 2006 — He was only 6 years old when he saw a dead soldier lying in the street holding a rifle up in the air. He couldn’t tell whether the man was American or Vietnamese because the body was burned.
“During the Tet Offensive of 1968, our house was damaged from explosives,” said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Paul Doan of the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group. “We had to move to the central highlands, where the Viet Cong and the Vietnamese army had been battling for days, leaving many to die on the streets.”
Doan’s father, a pilot and navigator, had stayed behind in Saigon to continue with the fight. He was a colonel and a director of air operations in the South Vietnamese air force.
In 1975, when Doan was in his early teens, he, his brothers and grandmother were part of a mass evacuation to the United States for people who were associated with the military.
Again, his father stayed behind as long as he could, until tanks rolled into the presidential palace. Doan said his father escaped on the last Marine helicopter out of Saigon.
“I was saddened by the loss of the country, for the loss of the freedom of those left behind and for the sacrifices made by both the U.S. and Vietnamese soldiers,” Doan said.
Due to the separate departures, the Doan family members were separated for a few months. The family was encamped with others at Camp Pendleton, Calif., staying in large tents with about 50 other people. The father’s journey took him to the opposite coast at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
Soon after the Doan family reunited in Florida, they moved to Sanford, Fla., where they were sponsored by a church group.
“After seeing my parents having to start all over again in their mid-40s from scratch, I knew I wanted to succeed and pursue a medical career that involved relief of suffering and promotion of peace,” Doan said.
His father first worked at a gas station, selling fish bait to tourists. Because he had interacted with U.S. military advisors on a daily basis, his English skills enabled him to find a job teaching English as a second language at a local community college.
Four of the five brothers, including Doan, worked at a McDonald's restaurant and mowed lawns on the weekends. Everyone contributed their paychecks to support the family of seven, all the while enduring prejudice stemming from the U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
“The perception at the time was that the Vietnamese didn’t care, but they did -- same as the Iraqi people now,” Doan said.
Although he was just a young teenager, Doan said he could tell the difference between communism and democracy.
“Democracy promotes freedom through the people, and communism promotes a society controlled by the government,” he said.
“I believe in the mission of the Air Force -- defending the U.S. and promoting freedom around the world,” said Doan. “I also felt a gratitude to the U.S. armed forces, especially the U.S. Air Force, for supporting South Vietnam’s efforts in defending their fledging democracy.”
After graduating from Duke University, Doan attended medical school through an Air Force program.
“I could’ve gotten a scholarship for other medical schools, but for my gratitude to the Air Force, I wanted to help alleviate any pain and suffering for the armed forces members,” said Doan, who has served in the military for 17 years.
He is the chief of aerospace medicine at a deployed location and fills the same duties at his home station of Barksdale Air Force Base, La.
From family physician to flight surgeon, Doan’s ambition and accolades have paved the way for many Vietnamese-Americans. He was the first Vietnamese-American to attend Duke University after the Vietnam War. He was the first of his nationality to be an Air Force medical officer at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md. Last year, he was selected as the Yale University Johnson and Johnson International Health Physician Scholar. This honor took Doan back to Vietnam, more than 30 years after he was evacuated.
“When I left Saigon, I told myself I’d be back,” he said. “So when I landed at the same airport I had left from, a flood of emotion came over me as I realized I did make it back. I had an emotional tie with the past, and I was able to let that go.”
Doan’s wife and young son accompanied him on the one-month trip, where he taught Vietnamese medical staff on topics including advanced treatment of heart diseases. He also visited his hometown.
“I barely recognized anything except my school,” said the colonel, whose home had been converted into office space.
He had an opportunity to reconnect with some aunts and uncles. Although three decades had passed, he said, the family bond was still there.
“Overall, it made me feel very grateful to be an American," Doan said. "(Vietnam’s) economy has prospered, but you can tell the people are still reluctant to express themselves.”
“It’s what we’re fighting for now,” he said. “We’re fighting for a cause -- expanding freedom and security for us, our children and for those we liberate. Those are worthy causes to fight for.”
Last year, Doan volunteered to serve at Balad Air Base, Iraq. Operating out of tents, he and other physicians performed various procedures from treating limb injuries to neurosurgery. He was also involved in a major research study that will be used to prevent wound infection during medical transport.
Doan said he plans to continue using his training to provide care to the Air Force’s aviators, so they can keep taking the fight to the enemy.
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 15, 2006 – Afghan civilians were injured by rockets today in Bermel, Afghanistan, and Afghan and coalition forces detained seven terrorists during a combined operation yesterday, military officials reported.
The civilians were injured when two rockets were fired at a coalition forward operating base in the town of Bermel in Paktika province. An Afghan woman and child near the forward operating base suffered shrapnel wounds and are being treated by coalition forces.
"The extremists, who targeted coalition forces and wounded these innocent civilians, committed an atrocious act. Rockets are indiscriminate killers used by the enemy who care nothing for the Afghan people," said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Benjamin Freakley, commander of Combined Joint Task Force 76. "We want the Afghans injured in the attack to know that Afghan National Army and coalition forces will stop at nothing to bring the individuals responsible for this brutal attack to justice."
The Afghan-coalition operation yesterday, which resulted in the apprehension of seven terrorist facilitators, was conducted in the Khowst region near the village of Sawazak Kala. The purpose was to detain individuals suspected of terrorist and anti-Afghanistan activities, officials said.
The individuals detained are associated with and actively support the Haqqani, or "HQ," network by providing roadside bomb training, officials said. Additionally, they are suspected of roadside bomb construction and emplacement as well as being participants during attacks on coalition and Afghan forces.
Four compounds and 13 structures were entered during the operation. Only men of military age were questioned. The only items removed from the locations were suspicious effects directly related to the seven detainees. These items will be used in further investigations.
The targets of the operation, two key roadside bomb manufacturers, were among the seven detained.
(Compiled from Combined Forces Command Afghanistan news releases.)
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WASHINGTON, May 15, 2006 – Coalition forces killed more than 40 terrorists and detained 13 suspected terrorists in various raids May 13 and yesterday throughout Iraq, military officials in Iraq reported.
Coalition forces conducted a coordinated ground and air attack against an enemy safe haven in Yusifiyah yesterday, killing more than 25 terrorists, detaining four, and destroying three safe houses and a vehicle loaded with weapons and ammunition.
Upon initiating the attack in the afternoon, coalition troops immediately killed two terrorists in response to hostile activity from a suspected safe house and an associated vehicle. Once the threat was suppressed by an air strike on both the car - resulting in secondary explosions - and the structure, ground troops searched the targeted areas. The troops found two dead terrorists, detained four suspects and provided medical treatment to three injured civilians.
One adult female and one teenage female were treated for wounds and medically evacuated with their uninjured maternal escort via helicopter to the 10th Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad. Additionally, one girl was treated on-site for a superficial wound to the head. She required no further medical care and remained with her mother.
The terrorists fired at the departing helicopters, including the transport carrying the injured civilians. The ground forces called in close-air support to suppress the threat, and several sorties of fixed and rotary wing aircraft attacked enemy positions and killed about 20 terrorists.
During the fighting, terrorists in a truck tried to penetrate the security perimeter and were engaged by the ground troops. The three enemies who occupied the vehicle were killed. One was wearing a suicide vest and detonated it after he was shot by the ground troops, injuring no one and killing himself.
Elsewhere, coalition forces conducted a series of raids May 13 and yesterday near Latifiyah, killing known terrorist Abu Mustafa and 15 other suspected al Qaeda associates and detaining eight suspects. Abu Mustafa was wanted for his involvement in the shooting down of an AH-64 helicopter earlier this year.
In the evening on May 13, coalition forces initiated four associated raids. The initial raid resulted in the killing of Abu Mustafa and an unknown affiliate, who were located near Latifiyah, a village about 25 kilometers southeast of Baghdad.
Intelligence officials identified several other areas connected to Abu Mustafa's cell members. Coalition troops assaulted three of those sites, located about six kilometers north of where Abu Mustafa had been killed the day before. Upon arrival at the first site, coalition forces engaged more than 15 al Qaeda terrorists who were attempting to establish defensive positions or escape. Coalition forces confirmed 14 suspected terrorists were killed and also discovered Abu Mustafa's body, which had been moved to this new site.
Coalition troops also found several women and children inside the house. Two women and two children were inadvertently wounded by shrapnel. The troops immediately treated the injured. One of the women and one child required no further treatment. After initial treatment for a wound to her abdomen, the second woman, who is pregnant, was medically evacuated to the 10th Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad for additional medical care. The other child, 20 months old, was also evacuated to the hospital with her uninjured mother. All evacuated to the hospital are in stable condition.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)
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By Andrew Tilghman - Stars and Stripes Mideast edition
Thursday, May 16, 2006
BAGHDAD — Spc. Kristen King cranks up her Louisiana drawl every morning at 10 a.m. in a cramped and foam-padded trailer in Baghdad’s relatively safe and quite Green Zone.
“It’s going to be a hot one in Basra today with a high of 107, so ya’ll make sure you drink plenty of water,” the 21-year-old reservist tells thousands of radio listeners as she cues up a daily set of country music tunes ranging from Willie Nelson to Toby Keith.
King, a journalism major from Louisiana State University, hosts the most popular English-language radio show each day in Iraq, the midday country music block broadcast on “Freedom Radio” on 107.7 FM.
The station, owned and run by the U.S. Department of Defense, is heard throughout Iraq and Kuwait. It is just one of the two options for U.S. troops in Iraq, where the only other non-Arabic radio station is the analogous British Forces Broadcasting Service.
Threaded with Associated Press news reports and snippets of military-style public service announcements, the radio station is run by Armed Forces Network and broadcasts live 18 hours a day with active-duty soldiers serving as disc jockeys.
In place of commercials, the station often tips off listeners to weekly activities such as a yoga class at Camp Taji, a chess tournament at Camp Liberty, or a belly-dancing class in the Green Zone.
The midday country music station’s popularity underscores some aspects of U.S. military culture, where many troops hail from the southern and western states.
“It reminds them of home,” said Master Sgt. Andy Starr, the station manager and a reservist and an engineer for Bell Helicopter back home in Fort Worth, Texas.
“And there’s a lot more patriotic music coming out of the country music world, so that’s part of it.”
Some songs with profanity or war-related subject matter are plucked from the playlist, such as Outkast’s Bombs Over Baghdad.
“These guys are seeing this stuff every day — bombs going off. They come in from patrol and try to relax in their hooch, the last thing they want to be reminded of is what they are going to see at work tomorrow,” said Sgt. 1st Class Gail Anderson, a reservist who has worked in commercial radio across the country.
“We’re not trying to censor anything; we’re just trying to improve their quality of life,” she said.
Anderson and others who run the station are part of the 206th Broadcast Operations Detachment based in Seagoville, Texas.
While primarily intended for the roughly 133,000 troops who are mostly young males, the station’s audience also includes contractors and U.S. State Department workers, along with a “shadow” audience of Iraqis. Those non-military listeners tend to be older and make the evening classic rock show and the 1980s “flashback” show on Sunday’s a popular one, Anderson said.
Despite the diverse audience, King says she feels like she is playing for the typical young soldiers.
“I kind of picture these greasy guys out there working on the trucks and listening to the music. You know, guys in the mechanic shops, and guys out there working on the planes,” she said.
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By Lisa Burgess - Stars and Stripes Mideast edition
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
ARLINGTON, Va. — What happens when a three-pound red-tailed hawk smashes head-on into a C-17A transport flying 300 miles an hour?
“It was the equivalent of a small rocket hitting the plane,” said Capt. Andreas Ix, the pilot during an ill-fated training flight where this actually happened. “It literally punched a hole in the front of the airplane.”
The bird hit the plane during a routine low-level training flight from the Air Force’s C-17 “schoolhouse,” or training base, at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., on March 10, 2005.
The strike caused the aircraft’s nose cone to separate and broke off essential sensors that feed data to the aircraft’s flight control and instrumentation computers.
It seems impossible that a mere bird can cause so much damage to such a big aircraft.
But “bird strikes,” as such incidents are called, can shatter windows, tear important pieces of metal off of airframes, and otherwise cause major damage.
But until the incident with Ix’s C-17, never before had a bird managed to tear the eight-foot diameter nose cone off one of the high-tech transports.
Ix’s efforts to keep the C-17 flying long enough to get back to Altus Air Force Base, Okla., then land it and its six-man crew safely earned him the Air Force’s Koren Kolligian Jr. individual safety trophy at the Pentagon on Friday.
More important for future C-17 aircrews, the actions Ix and his fellow crewmen took that day to keep the aircraft flying are now part of the Air Force’s emergency procedure checklists for the transport.
The checklist means that instead of winging a solution to a growing emergency, the way Ix did, “the next folks who deal with this will hopefully have a lot of answers in front of them,” Ix said.
When the bird hit the nose, the C-17 was only 300 feet above the ground.
“There was a tremendously loud bang, like a sledgehammer hitting a car hood,” Ix said. “I knew it was a bird.”
Outside the plane, debris from the nose cone was streaming over the cockpit’s windows. The speed of the plane was worsening the damage, tearing off electronics the original crash had exposed.
“My gut reaction was, ‘This is not good,’” Ix said.
The immediate problem was height: if the confused computers had forced the plane into a dive at that altitude, “we were two to three seconds away from the ground,” he said.
Ix immediately forced the C-17 into a climb.
“Fortunately, the aircraft was responding at that point,” he said.
Then he headed back to Altus.
It took about 40 tense minutes after the bird first hit the C-17 to reach the airfield, where Ix landed the C-17 without incident.
How did the Air Force know what kind of bird caused the problem?
“I heard there were some feathers left,” Ix said, which were analyzed by the Air Force’s safety office as part of the accident investigation.
Thinking about the hawk’s violent and messy end doesn’t bother Ix.
“I don’t have a lot of good feelings for him,” Ix said.
“It was a game of chicken — and I won.”
COMMENTARY
By U.S. Army Gen. George W. Casey - Multinational Force-Iraq Commanding General
BAGHDAD, May 15, 2006 — The keys to stability in Iraq lie in unity, security and prosperity. Iraqis are making steady progress toward these goals. The formation of a unity government that upholds the voice and resolve of all Iraqi people will set the stage for efforts to diminish the violence and improve security, as well as enhance economic and cultural well-being.
Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Nouri Al-Maliki is guiding the Iraqi effort to form an effective national unity government and create the positive political environment for long-term security and prosperity. He proposed four pillars of government that will contribute to a more stable and prosperous Iraq: promote reconciliation, secure key cities, create confidence in security institutions, and rid Iraq of unauthorized military groups. A growing number of Iraqi leaders and citizens support these sound pillars of progress and are encouraged by the building momentum toward a representative and responsive government that meets the needs of all Iraqis.
Iraqi Security Forces, supported by coalition partners, are working to implement these pillars. Border security continues to improve and efforts to protect key cities are intensifying. With the tips and support of Iraqi citizens, ISF are taking action against armed gangs, unlawful militia, and terrorist supporters.
The vast majority of Iraqis continue to oppose terrorists and insurgents, choosing instead to restore the rule of law and legitimate political dialogue.
Iraqis are hopeful about their future. They have emerged from the yoke of a brutal dictatorship and are determined to realize their full potential as a unified and prosperous nation, secure from the threats of terrorism. Their courage and commitment to overcome years of neglect and oppression is undeniable, evidenced in the broad voter turnout in national elections, investment in agriculture and business ventures, support to Iraqi Security Forces, and expanding involvement in local government.
Political and economic efforts are beginning to bear fruit for all Iraqis. While challenges lay ahead, Multinational Force-Iraq and our partners in the Iraqi government remain steadfastly committed to the democratic principles of unity, security and prosperity for all Iraqis.
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