http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/prt/ en-us Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:04:31 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2114525/posts FORT BRAGG, N.C., Oct. 24, 2008 – Humvees rolled along a gravel road cut through the center of the small village made up of nondescript, cinder block buildings, stones crunching under their large tires. Army Sgt. Arnulfo Gomez, an infantryman with the Illinois National Guard’s B Company, 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment, pulls security duty outside a building as other team members play Afghan tribal leaders during a training scenario at Fort Bragg, N.C., Oct. 9, 2008. Gomez and his unit are a part of a provincial reconstruction team scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan’s Khowst province. U.S. Army photo... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2114525/posts#comment Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:04:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2020521/posts CAMP STRIKER — Operation Marne Piledriver kicked off in earnest April 15 with an Iraqi Army-led air assault and clearing operations in the Mahmudiyah area, about 26 kilometers south of Baghdad.Although the IA has led air assaults in the past, this particular mission showcased its abilities. “This … showed that Iraqis are securing the area, ridding it of the last bastion of [al-Qaeda in Iraq] and simultaneously injected projects, both US- and Iraqi-funded, such as clean water, agricultural and other business opportunities and [aimed] to grow the trust in Iraqi Security Forces,” said Col. Dominic Caraccilo, commander of 3rd Brigade... Multi-National Force - Iraq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2020521/posts#comment Sat, 24 May 2008 00:57:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2019413/posts FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan, May 21, 2008 – Every day, provincial reconstruction teams roll out of bases in Afghanistan with mixed bags of services and skill sets, bound by the necessity of their mission. Army Sgt. Al Walkowiak, a tanker from West Pittstown, Pa., smiles as he hands out a bag of candy to children in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province. Walkowiak is part of a provincial reconstruction team charged with working with the Afghan government to improve the quality of life for Afghan citizens. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Paul David Ondik, 82nd Airborne Division  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2019413/posts#comment Wed, 21 May 2008 23:22:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2013804/posts FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON — A Military Transition Team stationed at FOB Falcon, about eight kilometers south of Baghdad, plays a rigorous and important role in rebuilding the capacity of Iraq. The MiTT helps the Iraqi Army to operate in an optimal manner, said Sgt. Chad Highland, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). Soldiers from the MiTT, assigned to 1-33rd Cav. Regt., teaches a five-day Iraqi basic training course using U.S. Army knowledge converted into something Iraqi Army Soldiers can execute. “It’s basically a course to teach basic... Multi-National Force - Iraq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2013804/posts#comment Fri, 9 May 2008 23:38:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2012203/posts CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER — Members of the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division, Australian Army and Italian Provincial Reconstruction Team of Dhi Qar Province teamed up to train members of the Iraqi Army, Iraqi Police and 4th Military Academy on international law and human rights recently. A group of 18 Iraqi servicemembers attended a 10-day course to learn basic principles of the Law of Armed Conflict, human rights, police ethics, and their legal obligations and responsibilities while conducting operations. “The course was focused on training legal advisors and operators for the Iraqi Security Forces,” said Capt.... Multi-National Force - Iraq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2012203/posts#comment Tue, 6 May 2008 23:18:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2011696/posts FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER — More than 1500 Iraqi farmers attended the Mada’in Agricultural Technology Exposition in al-Wahida, Iraq, recently. The expo resulted from efforts by the embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team, attached to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, to revitalize farming and agribusiness. The 3rd HBCT ePRT leaders emphasized agricultural initiatives in the qada to provide long-term economic stability in the primarily agrarian district east of Baghdad. Fifty-eight percent of the Mada’in citizens are farmers, and another 15 percent are in farm-related businesses, said Col. Bud Jameson, from Sherwood, Ark., ePRT deputy team leader. During the expo, Baghdad PRT... Multi-National Force - Iraq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2011696/posts#comment Tue, 6 May 2008 00:26:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2008928/posts Going to work these days for Martin Miller means carpooling in an armored Humvee. He's also adjusting to life thousands of miles from his Kansas home - living in an 18-foot-by-10-foot room in a dusty city nearly 150 miles north of Baghdad. Not that Miller minds. The Hutchinson resident has gotten used to the way of life. It's all part of his new duty to bring a war-torn Iraq into the 21st century. "I'm part of something that is making a difference," Miller said Monday during his short visit to Kansas. "There's a little bit of progress going on, and... The Hutchinson News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2008928/posts#comment Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:05:30 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2006027/posts WASHINGTON, April 23, 2008 – U.S. led economic-development programs for Iraq’s Wasit province are based largely on providing local farmers with the tools and knowledge needed to build profitable and sustainable agribusinesses, an official said in a teleconference with online journalists and “bloggers” yesterday. Wasit’s provincial council estimates that agricultural production accounts for about 30 percent of the province’s economy, and the major industry there is agricultural processing, said Mark Wilt, the U.S. Agency for International Development economic representative for the Wasit provincial reconstruction team. Iraq’s agricultural provinces suffered when farmers lost heavy subsidies they received under Saddam Hussein’s regime,... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2006027/posts#comment Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:44:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2006003/posts FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA — The Wasit Provincial Reconstruction Team leader and 214th Fires Brigade commander briefed the Wasit Provincial Council last week on reconstruction efforts in the province. More than $38 million dollars have been spent on those efforts in Wasit province since Jan. 1, 2007 by Coalition forces and the PRT. “We have done a lot as a team, and it has been a team effort,” said Col. Peter Baker, the 214th FB commander, “but there is more to do so that essential services are available to all. “We are working on developing processes and systems to put... Multi-National Force - Iraq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2006003/posts#comment Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:16:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1995312/posts My work here in Kirkuk, Iraq is falling into a normal routine that I, and probably everyone else who is aware of my current U.S. State Department Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) employment, would not have thought possible. The normal Iraqi work week is Sunday through Thursday. On those days, I travel to the KGB (Kirkuk Government Building) to work with local Iraqis. Friday and Saturday, I stay back at the PRT office to work with all of the PRT staff. The PRT staff is divided into several smaller sections focusing on infrastructure, rule of law, education, economics, agriculture, governance and... The Hutchinson News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1995312/posts#comment Wed, 2 Apr 2008 03:35:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1991567/posts 3/25/2008 - BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AFPN) -- When Airmen of the 819th RED HORSE Squadron here were faced with a $400,000 challenge in March, they used ingenuity to save the Air Force hundreds of thousands of dollars. A water-well drilling rig was shipped from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., in September 2007, but a series of incidents prevented the rig to arrive as scheduled and it was damaged. After reaching a port in Pakistan, the rig was loaded onto a flatbed trailer to be hauled to Bagram Air Base, but en route the driver got the 34-ton piece of... Air Force Link http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1991567/posts#comment Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:19:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1980460/posts FORWARD OPERATING BASE JALALABAD, Afghanistan, March 4, 2008 – Task Force Pacemaker engineers expanded housing for the Jalalabad Provincial Reconstruction Team recently. Soldiers from 1st Platoon, 76th Engineer Company, Fort Knox, Ky., build a Southeast Asia-style hut in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Task Force Pacemaker provides quality of life and force protection facilities for coalition forces in Regional Command East. U.S. Army photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. First Platoon, 76th Engineer Company, from Fort Knox, Ky., led by Army 1st Lt. Scott Williams and Sgt. 1st Class Patricia Thompson, built two new B-huts and a Southeast Asia-style hut and... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1980460/posts#comment Wed, 5 Mar 2008 00:47:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1979889/posts FOB KALSU — Sixteen prominent Sayifiyah landowners gathered with members of the Baghdad-7 embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team (ePRT) at Patrol Base Whitehouse in Sayifiyah, Feb. 28, for a farmers’ union meeting. As security returns to the region, Coalition forces are focusing on restoring the agriculturally-based economy in Sayifiyah. Efforts include reviving the poultry and beekeeping industries, increasing the productivity of vegetable farms and creating new industries like fish farming and chicken processing plants. All of these efforts were discussed at the meeting, the union’s third gathering. "We're here to restore the area to the farming community it once was," said... Multi-National Force - Iraq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1979889/posts#comment Tue, 4 Mar 2008 00:37:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1943108/posts Paul O'Friel has simple advice for his Iraq Provincial Reconstruction Team: "Eat the goat, drink the tea," he says. It's O'Friel's way of instilling in his team members the importance of engaging with the local leaders and people in an area of Iraq pulverized not by IEDs, but by poverty and thirst. "There are some villages here that look like they came out of the Middle Ages," O'Friel told me in a phone interview from Iraq yesterday morning. As head of the PRT in Al Muthanna province, O'Friel is in charge of bringing this forgotten realm of a broken country... Townhall.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1943108/posts#comment Sat, 22 Dec 2007 05:39:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1932771/posts KAPISA PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Hundreds of community members and several civic leaders attended two ribbon-cutting ceremonies Nov. 27 in Kohistan II, recognizing the completion of months of work and cooperation between the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Kapisa Gov. Kwaia Kholam and Army Capt. Jordan Berry, Bagram PRT Kapisa Civil Affairs team leader, presided over the ceremonies officially opening the Dihat Dasht Girls School and the Jamalagha Basic Health Clinic. According to Berry, the Dihat Dasht Girls School is an eight-classroom facility that will accommodate approximately 160 students. The $150,000 facility includes four faculty offices,... Combined Joint Task Force 82 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1932771/posts#comment Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:38:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1932513/posts WASHINGTON, Nov. 29, 2007 – The Baghdad 5 embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team, attached to the 1st “Ironhorse” Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, is closely coordinating with the Inma Agribusiness Program to work with Iraqi farmers in the region here. A local sheik meets with Edgar Ariza-Nino (center) and Robert Dose (right), Inma Agribusiness Program coordinators, during a tour of the market in Taji, Iraq, Nov. 27, 2007. The Inma program was established to stimulate and support agricultural business expansion and help the region become self-sustaining. Photo by Tech. Sgt. William Greer, USAF  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1932513/posts#comment Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:07:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1877854/posts WASHINGTON, Aug. 7, 2007 – Joint Defense and State Department provincial reconstruction teams in Iraq are guiding Iraqis through the intricacies of forming local governments and generating economic development, a U.S. State Department official said. “The basic goal of these teams is to expand out into the provinces,” U.S. Embassy spokesman Philip Reeker told online journalists and “bloggers” Aug. 3 from Baghdad. “Iraq is not a small country, and it has no tradition, really, of local or diffused leadership or governance. It’s been very centralized.” Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship quashed local governments in the country’s 18 regions, Reeker said. The... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1877854/posts#comment Wed, 8 Aug 2007 00:07:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1782272/posts BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, Feb. 9, 2007 – When local contractor Asil Khan first thought of building a bridge over the Gogamanda River, he was knee-deep in it, evading the Soviet army on a trip to Pakistan to procure weapons for the Mujahadeen. Gov. Jabar Taqwa of Afghanistan’s Parwan province prepares to cut the ribbon on the newly constructed Gogamanda Bridge. The new bridge and road will provide a new link to Kabul for more than 6,000 Afghan families. Photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher, USAF  '(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. More than 15 years later, that... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1782272/posts#comment Fri, 9 Feb 2007 23:47:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1766188/posts WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2007 – President Bush’s new strategy for Iraq includes expanding the number of provincial reconstruction teams from 10 to at least 18 in order to better support political and economic progress, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said during a news conference today. Rice joined Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in discussing some of the measures President Bush outlined in last night’s address to the nation about the new way forward in Iraq. The plan includes 20,000 more U.S. troops on the ground, increased responsibility for the Iraqi government and Iraqi security forces, and more diplomatic and... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1766188/posts#comment Fri, 12 Jan 2007 00:14:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1734347/posts 11/7/2006 - PANJSHIR PROVINCE, Afghanistan (AFPN) -- Twenty-four members of the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team, the 405th Civil Affairs Battalion and Task Force Tiger made the four-hour trek to the northernmost district here to assist the province's most impoverished population. A cooperative Medical Civic Action Program, or MEDCAP, was coordinated at the invitation of Panjshir Director of Health Dr. Ghellani Saadat, and held at the Paryan District's Basic Health Clinic Oct. 28. Afghan National Police assisted the team's security element ensuring a smooth and incident-free mission. "This was our fourth medical mission to Paryan since June," said Air Force Reserve... Air Force Links http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1734347/posts#comment Wed, 8 Nov 2006 00:26:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1713145/posts Maj. Lawendowski, from the Alaskan National Guard, assembles a swing set for Iraqi children living in an impoverished neighborhood in Al Hillah, Iraq. Official DoD photo. See the video HILLAH -- At times, progress in Iraq is difficult to measure and often completely intangible…but often, the Iraqi people and their Coalition partners produce amazing and obvious results.Thanks to the Babil Provincial Reconstruction Team and their hard-working Iraqi counterparts, great things are happening in this history-steeped province, and residents are taking notice.Along a five-mile stretch of long-vacant property in Hillah, a city of 600,000, months of the teams efforts are... Multi-National Forces-Iraq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1713145/posts#comment Wed, 4 Oct 2006 00:23:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1680184/posts 8/7/2006 - FORWARD OPERATING BASE TARIN KOWT, Afghanistan (AFPN) -- When a suicide bomber slammed and ignited his missile-laden vehicle into the Humvee in front of Staff Sgt. Eric Mathiasen, the Air Force medic exploded into action. He did not think about his wife or two children, or that there was unexploded ordnance lying about. He just grabbed his medical bag and sprinted toward the blast area. "While I was running to the wounded guy, I just hoped I could help him," Sergeant Mathiasen said. "I just hoped I wouldn't screw anything up." He had questioned his abilities before this... Air Force Links http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1680184/posts#comment Wed, 9 Aug 2006 00:57:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1670160/posts 7/21/2006 - BAGRAM, Afghanistan -- Soldiers and Airmen from the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team traveled to Nyazi Geranshakh in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan on July 19 to replace eight tents at its local school that were burned down earlier this week by arsonists. Team members were equipped with replacement tents as well as backpacks and other supplies to better the lives of the people of Afghanistan. "This is a really great mission," said 1st Lt. William Warner, the security forces detachment commander and a native of Glastonberry, Conn. Warner was one of many servicemembers who passed out supplies donated... Air Force Links http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1670160/posts#comment Fri, 21 Jul 2006 23:33:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1621521/posts FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan, April 25, 2006 – U.S. military officials from the Mehtar Lam Provincial Reconstruction Team met with Ussama Osman, the eastern region head of office for the U.N. World Food Program, on April 20 to discuss cooperative efforts on projects between the two organizations. "It was a very successful meeting to develop opportunities for the PRT and WFP to work together," said PRT commander Army Lt. Col. Anthony Feagin. "Everyone committed to meeting again to share information on current and future planned projects." PRTs work in concert with the Afghan government and are responsible for assessing... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1621521/posts#comment Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:55:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1610565/posts BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, April 6, 2006 – Provincial reconstruction team commanders from around the country converged here last week to share ideas on how to improve stability and security in Afghanistan. PRTs extend the visibility and reach of the Afghan government, shape the environment for reconstruction, and provide a visible international presence that deters terrorist and criminal activities, especially in remote areas. Afghanistan has 23 provincial reconstruction teams: 14 in the south and east, the areas in which the coalition has primary security responsibilities, and nine in the north and west, where NATO's International Security Assistance Force carries out... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1610565/posts#comment Thu, 6 Apr 2006 23:47:14 GMT