Every Day Hero

Lance Corporal Matthew Farmer (right), with a United States Marine, carries out a vehicle check at Camp Bastion
[Picture: MOD]

US Marines honour UK soldier for work at Camp Bastion

A History and Honour news article

28 May 09

A British soldier has been honoured by the United States Marine Corps for his work in sorting, searching and clearing Camp Bastion's entry control point of nearly 200 vehicles per day.

As Entry Control Point Commander at the UK's biggest base in Helmand province, Lance Corporal Matthew Farmer is responsible for all vehicles which pass through the joint Camp Bastion and new US Marine Corps Camp Leatherneck complex every day.

More than 10,000 troops from the US Marine Corps have been moving into Helmand province over the last few months establishing Camp Leatherneck as their headquarters.

Lance Corporal Matthew Farmer has been presented with the US Marine Corps Meritorious Mast after he showed his endurance and volunteerism by taking on the arduous task.

He was singled out by the Americans as the perfect example of displaying superior initiative, exceptional performance and a strong work ethic during his deployment in Afghanistan.

Commanding Officer of the US Marine Corps Brigade Headquarters Group, Lieutenant Colonel Chris Naler, said:

"We felt it was appropriate that Lance Corporal Farmer was recognised for his performance in facilitating the through-put of all our supplies and critical vehicles into Camp Bastion and Leatherneck in order to support the US Marine Corps in getting mission-ready."

LCpl Farmer, who has served in the Army for seven years and is on his fourth operational tour, said:

"I'm honoured to receive this award from Lieutenant Colonel Naler. I was shocked when he presented it to me, it was a complete surprise, but of course I'm very pleased."

He continued:

Lance Corporal Farmer's citation for the United States Marine Corps Meritorious Mast
[Picture: MOD]

"The US Marine Corps is building Camp Leatherneck at the moment to facilitate the surge of over 10,000 Marines that are coming into Helmand province. That means bringing in a lot of trucks and vehicles to build and maintain a very big camp. We have to search them all.

"It's great working with the US Marines, we all get along very well with them. They have a good sense of humour."

The Meritorious Mast award is derived from the pre-twentieth century US Navy tradition of gathering the crew around the main mast of the ship to deliver punishment and rewards.

In the modern US Marine Corps it is a written recognition of work exceptionally well performed and is of greater value than a Letter of Appreciation or a Certificate of Commendation.

Camp Bastion Chief of Staff, Wing Commander John Bleeker RAF, said:

"If you are awarded a Meritorious Mast in the US Marine Corps it significantly adds to your chances of promotion. They don't give these out lightly. It is an impressive achievement for Lance Corporal Farmer."

LCpl Farmer's citation added that his 'exceptional attention to detail and strong work ethic significantly contributed to the safe and effective processing of thousands of vehicles', concluding that his 'efforts and faithful service reflect great credit upon [himself] and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom'.[source UK MoD where you'll find all sorts of great news about MY Brits.]

Thank YOU for your service Lance Corporal Farmer.

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Wednesday Hero

USS George H.W. Bush


Sailors assigned to the Air Department of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) are silhouetted against the setting sun at the conclusion of flight operations. George H.W. is underway in the Atlantic Ocean conducting flight deck certifications.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

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Memorial Day tribute to our fallen: Honoring New Yorkers who gave their lives

Monday, May 25th 2009, 4:00 AM

Onward marches the Big Parade, forever into the somber beyond. A column of the young and the brave. Of the dutiful.

When Duty whispers low, Thou must,

The youth replies, I can!

- Emerson

Pictured (below) this Memorial Day are 23 men from New York State whose line-of-duty deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan were recorded since last Memorial Day.

Called by duty, gone to war.

Gone to flowers every one.

On this day, we pause to mourn them - and all those who did not come home from the battlefields.

The dead of this war.

The dead of the last war.

The dead of all wars past.

To honor their sacrifices. To humbly offer them our gratitude and our prayers. To assure their loved ones that we, the living, do not forget.

Cannot forget. Must not forget.

From the ashes of tyranny and sectarian strife they helped lift Iraq to a place of hope, finding its way slowly but certainly toward self-governance.

The focus of the fight moves to Afghanistan where they have battled and will battle and will overcome the horrors of terrorism.

But for the gallant likes of those pictured here, those who did not hesitate to answer duty's call, those horrors might well already have come again to American soil, as they did one lovely late summer morning nearly eight years ago.

It is a war that may go on beyond our own lifetimes, and for lifetimes yet to come. The measure of the success of our mission will be taken not today and not tomorrow.

It will be taken by the children.

Your children. Our children.

And their children.

And those whose loved ones are listed here today.

Loved ones who now march in the Big Parade.

Loved ones who now live on eternally, in the aching hearts left behind.

Here on another Memorial Day, in fields of flowers, we salute and celebrate our unforgotten.

They who donned the uniform and wore it dutifully while they lived.

They who will surely wear it proudly for all the rest of time.

Forevermore.

As the Big Parade marches on, into the beyond.

I couldn't figure out how to post the pictures, so go HERE to NY Daily News and take a look at the faces, remember the names, of some of America's finest. And give thanks.

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Music and Me: If you're reading this

Kory and Cooper (picture courtesy of BlackFive)

Eddie

Patrick


Joseph

Nichola

Just a few of MY heroes, "standing up for the innocent and the weak...."

Always Remembered and Honoured.

*More Memorial Day posts over at Assoluta Tranquillita*

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My Memorial Day Prayer

My Memorial Day Prayer

Father God,

Look down on the Stone Towers dotting our land.

Help them speak to us once and forever, again.

Imbue us with an entombed heroic patriot’s heart.

Give us the strength to give liberty a new start,

Help us find a way to invigorate new generations

Which truly do not know the glory of our nation.

Give voice to the enormity of their sacrifice.

Allow us to fully appreciate the sacrificed lives.

The freedom they bought for many survives.

Show us the truth in waving Stars and Stripes.

Please remind us that those colors never ran

While raised by our valiant warriors’ hands.

Strengthen our resolve to survive tough times too.

Bestow on us the wisdom to lean on You.

Let us not be deaf to the Stone Towers’ words.

Those souls are exalted and our spiritual swords.

In Your Son’s Name let us all remember

Those who served…now serve…and will serve.

Amen.

Michael D. Mullins, 5/22/09

(Michael D. "Moon" Mullins, author of "Vietnam in Verse, poetry for beer drinkers." "ViV" won the Gold Medal for poetry, 2007, from the Military Writers Society of America. The book is available on line from amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, books-a-million.com and iUniverse.com.
It is available as an audio-book from the author. Please contact me at this e-mail address; mullins.m.1@comcast.net or via land mail at POB 456 Windfall, In. 46076.
Vietnam Veteran, Delta 3/7, 199th Light Infantry, '68-'69.
Vice President of the Military Writers Society of America)

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Just a Veteran

From my friend Dean:

Friday, May 22, 2009

Just A Veteran

I am a veteran. There are many like me. We are not the government's veterans, we are your veterans. Some of us gave all, but all gave some and we have known hardship, service, fear, and brotherhood in ways that most people can't even imagine. We have seen our brothers killed and maimed, and sometimes become disfigured along the way. We have taken lives for our country, and returned to our lives as your neighbors, fathers, and native sons. Our courage is undeniable, yet it remains a trait we keep in silent humility, sharing only with a fellow veteran, if at all.

We don't ask for much but there are two things we will ask if you love this country as much as those of us who have sacrificed so much, many who have given their last full measure.

Pray for those of us who remain and never, ever forget those who rest now in cemeteries all over this beautiful land and on foreign soil, and those who remain in battlefields known but to God.

We are the thousands who fought for you, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, loved ones who answered the call to protect and defend this greatest nation on God's green earth.

For all those currently serving in harms way;

Soldiers Prayer Psalm 91...

If you read nothing else today, please go and read the rest here.

Thank you, Dean. You know that you, and ALL veterans - those who gave - have a special place in my heart.

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Arlington

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Memorial Day at Arlington: Flags In

Airman Jacob Proffer, a member of the Air Force Honor Guard, pauses to salute a grave after placing a miniature flag at its base during the “Flags In” tribute at Arlington National Cemetery, May 21, 2009. “When I do this, it makes me take a lot more pride every time I put on my uniform, seeing the measure of sacrifice so many have made,” he said. DoD photo by Donna Miles

Arlington ‘Flags In’ Tribute Begins Memorial Day Commemoration

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 22, 2009 – More than 3,000 servicemembers officially kicked off the Memorial Day commemoration last evening as they placed more than 250,000 miniature flags at every grave at Arlington National Cemetery.

The tradition, known as “Flags In,” dates back to 1948, when soldiers of 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as “The Old Guard,” began the annual Memorial Day tribute.

This year marked the sixth year company-size elements of sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen joined about 3,000 soldiers in placing a U.S. flag at the base of the gravestone and columbarium niche of every servicemember buried or inurned at Arlington.

Yesterday afternoon, the troops fanned out across the cemetery’s hills and valleys, carrying rucksacks bulging with bundles of flags. They approached each headstone, centering a miniature flag exactly one boot length from the base before sinking it into the ground.

“I can’t say how lucky I feel to have the opportunity to do this,” said Army Sgt. Daniel Sonntag, a member of the Old Guard’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Battalion.

“Not many people get to do something like this,” said Sonntag, who deployed to Iraq with the 1st Infantry Division in September 2006 and has friends buried at Arlington. “This is something small we can do to honor those who have fallen before us. … It’s a way to recognize how important each one of these men and women here really was.”

Airman 1st Class Rion Ehrman, a member of the Air Force Honor Guard who routinely participates in funeral details at the cemetery, said he felt humbled to participate in the Flags In tribute to honor the fallen. “It’s a real honor to be putting the flag they died for right in front of them, especially on Memorial Day,” he said.

“It’s just beautiful,” Ehrman said as he paused to look out over the sea of flags fluttering in the wind. “I just love Arlington, and I think it’s the best job in the world, to be here every day.”

Arms laden with flags, Navy Seaman Christopher Crespo knelt down at one gravestone after another, eyeing the flags to ensure they were properly aligned. “We’re honoring the people who have served before us,” he said. “What we are doing symbolizes that we haven’t forgotten them.”

At the same time, he said, it will send that message to all who will visit the cemetery during the Memorial Day weekend. “Everyone who sees this will know that we have not forgotten, and that we still care,” he said.

Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Carson Zumalt turned the Flags In tribute into a family affair, with his wife, Candice, sons, Aiden and Connor, and sister, Amber Lane, joining in the effort.

Zumalt called participating in Flags In “a powerful reminder of the sacrifices that have been made for our freedoms” and the ultimate cost that many, including some of his brothers in arms, have paid. “We all know what we’re up against when we join the service and deploy,” he said. “This is a way to tell them, ‘Thank you for your service.’”

Airman Jacob Proffer, a member of the Air Force Honor Guard, paused to salute a grave after placing a miniature flag at its base. “When I do this, it makes me take a lot more pride every time I put on my uniform, seeing the measure of sacrifice so many have made,” he said. “I hope that when people come here and see this, they will understand the price of our freedoms.”

Nowhere at Arlington did that sacrifice feel quite as poignant as in Section 60, lined by the graves of many casualties of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[Read the rest here: source]

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Admiral Mullens' Memorial Day Message

Chairman Notes Fallen Airman’s Sacrifice in Memorial Day Message American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 22, 2009 – In his annual Memorial Day message to servicemembers worldwide, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff evoked the sacrifice of an airman who died in Afghanistan last month. Here is Navy Adm. Mike Mullen’s message: “On Memorial Day, and every day, we honor Americans who volunteer to serve a cause greater than themselves – Americans just like Phillip Myers. “Growing up in Hopewell, Virginia, Phillip was, some say, just ‘like any other teenager.’ He went to school, loved cars and music, and for a few years after high school, he held a job near home. Phillip joined the Air Force in 1999 as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician because, as he once half-joked, “it paid more.” But everyone around him knew differently – he was merely following his dreams. “Spending all ten years of his service overseas, including tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, his father said Phillip always looked out for the people serving under him, and that ‘if he thought a job was too dangerous, he’d get out and check it himself.’ He had previously received both the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for valor, but Phillip wasn’t motivated by accolades. He knew he was just looking out for his people, and trying to get the job done. “On April 4th, 2009, near Helmand Province in Afghanistan, Technical Sergeant Phillip Myers died doing what he loved to do – protecting the lives of others – while disarming an improvised explosive device. “It was nearly 65 years ago when Ernie Pyle, the famous wartime reporter, captured a similar spirit of seemingly ordinary young men, extraordinarily fighting and dying on the beaches of Normandy: they were ‘fighting for each other.’ We are reminded that the story of Phillip Myers is a special but timeless one – the story of Americans simply doing what they love, on behalf of those they care for most. “Memorial Day is about families and friends, bound by service, commitment, and sacrifice. As you gather this holiday weekend with those you love, please remember Phillip’s family, his wife, daughter, and son, and thousands of other families of the fallen, just like them – for whom this day will be forever sacred. “On behalf of the more than two million soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coastguardsmen, and their families, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and I wish you a very enjoyable and safe Memorial Day.” Sincerely, M.G. MULLEN Admiral, U.S. Navy (source)

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Wednesday Hero

Sgt. Christian E. Bueno-Galdos
25 years old from Paterson, New Jersey
3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade
May 11, 2009


On Mother’s Day, Eugenia Gardos made a tabletop shrine to her recently deceased mother — surrounding her photograph with silk roses, a small white rosary cross, two votive candles and a prayer card of Senor de los Milagros, the patron saint of Peru.

The next day, May 11, she added her son's picture to the shrine for the dead.

Sgt. Gardos was killed along with five fellow servicemen; Army Spc. Jacob D. Barton, Army Maj. Matthew P. Houseal, Navy Cmdr. Charles K. Springle and Army Pfc. Michael E. Yates Jr. in the attack on Camp Liberty.

"The first time he left for Iraq, when they would read the lists of the dead on the news, we used to hold our breath, praying he wasn't on it," his mother said. "I don't understand how he could have died this way. I just don't understand it."

Sgt. Galdos had emigrated with his family from Mollendo, Peru, as a child and had been a U.S. citizen since high school. His mother, two older brothers and older sister recalled how he used to hand out candy to children in Iraq the same way he always did in Paterson — never making a trip to the corner bodega without a group of neighborhood children tailing behind, knowing he would buy them candy or a soda.

"We were all here at home," Carlos Bueno, Sgt. Galdos's father, said. "I was getting ready to go to bed when I heard screaming downstairs. I ran downstairs and everyone had thrown themselves to the floor, thrashing around, screaming."

Bueno said he does not feel bitterness toward the man accused in the shootings, whom he described as "mentally ill."

"We want people to know we're proud of our son's Army, but if my son had died in war we would be able to handle that," he said. "But not to die in this manner."

All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

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Always Remembered and Honoured

Profiles on the other fallen heroes at Camp Liberty :

Maj. Matthew P. Houseal

Spc. Jacob D. Barton

Pfc. Michael E. Yates Jr

Cmdr. Charles K. Springle

Please go to Assoluta Tranquillita here, and read about these fine heroes.

Let us NEVER FORGET.

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Rolling Thunder 'Saluting our Troops'

Rolling Thunder Plans ‘Saluting Our Troops’ Program

American Forces Press Service

NESHANIK STATION, N.J., May 18, 2009 – Mike Corrado, the Marine recording artist whose 2005 hit song “On My Watch Tonight” was featured on ABC’s “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” and has become an anthem for servicemembers worldwide, is one of the headliners in Rolling Thunder’s “Saluting the Troops” program in Washington, D.C., May 23.

Vietnam Memorial Founder and veterans’ activist Jan Scruggs also will be a featured speaker at the event, which will be held from noon to 5 p.m. at the reflecting pool at the base of the Lincoln Memorial.

In addition to Corrado, musical guests include national recording artist Spike Ivory and U.S. Army veteran and country music singer and songwriter Ted Painter.

The keynote speaker for this year’s program is Patrick Campbell, the chief legislative counsel for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Campbell also is a sergeant and combat medic in the District of Columbia National Guard who served in Iraq with the 256th Infantry Brigade. Campbell’s blog has been noted by the MSNBC television network, and he has made many network media appearances. He also has testified before the Senate and House veterans affairs committees on mental health, education benefits and appropriation issues.

Incorporated in 1995, Rolling Thunder is a nonprofit organization with more than 90 chartered chapters throughout the United States. Officials said 40 to 45 percent of the men and women in the group are nonveterans, with the balance being veterans from all wars and peacetime. Although many of its members ride motorcycles, they added, owning or riding a motorcycle is not a condition for membership; all that’s necessary is having the time and willingness to be an advocate for troops, veterans, and the nation’s prisoners of war and servicemembers missing in action.

Rolling Thunder

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Every Day Hero

An Air Force combat controller received the Air Force's second highest award for valor on March 10 for saving his 10-man team from being overrun twice in a 6.5-hour battle in Afghanistan.

Staff Sgt. Zachary J. Rhyner received the Air Force Cross for his actions on April 6, 2008, in the Shok Valley. Although shot in the left leg, he called in airstrikes, fired his M-4 rifle at the enemy and helped move other wounded people down a cliff. At the time of the incident, Rhyner was a senior airman who had completed training less than a year earlier.

Rhyner was part of a 130-man combined assault force whose mission was to enter Shok Valley and capture a high-value target who was funding the insurgency. Shok Valley is located below 60-foot cliffs. The mission objective was at the top of the mountains surrounding the valley.

“This was the first time U.S. special operations forces entered the territory,” said Capt. Stewart Parker, the detachment commander at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, at the time.

“Initial infiltration began that day with snow on the ground, jagged rocks, a fast-moving river and a cliff,” said Rhyner. “There was a 5-foot wall you had to pull yourself up. The ridgeline trail was out of control.”

The U.S. and Afghan troops expected to encounter fire from about 70 insurgents.

“We were caught off guard as 200 enemy fighters approached,” said Staff Sgt. Rob Gutierrez, a combat controller with the second team in the fight. “Within 10 minutes, we were ambushed with heavy fire from 50 meters. The teams were split by a river 100 to 200 meters apart, north to south.”

“I have never seen a situation this bad,” said Parker, who was monitoring the situation back at the base.

Rhyner was shot within the first 15 minutes, according to an account from the Air Force Special Operations Command. The team came under fire from all directions from snipers, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.

"I was pulling security when I got shot in the leg," he said. "The rounds hit my left thigh and went through my leg and hit another guy in the foot."

"There was nowhere to go. I grabbed the wounded guys, but we were trapped by the enemy," Rhyner said. "I was calling in airstrikes and firing, while moving the wounded down (the cliff)."

Sergeant Gutierrez said he could see insurgent fire coming from the buildings on the hilltops above them and was trying to get across the river to meet up with Rhyner.

"Zach and I were in constant radio contact," he said. "I could hear the ammunition, sniper fire and rocket-propelled grenades with multiple blasts. We tried to push to the north to collocate with Zach's team, but every time we pushed up river, it put us in an open line of fire."

"My team ran across the freezing river. The water came off the mountains, and we were 100 to 200 feet beneath the enemy, like fish in a barrel," Sergeant Gutierrez said.

As the enemy surrounded them, Rhyner, who was being treated for his injuries, directed multiple rockets and gun runs from AH-64 Apache helicopters against enemy positions. Rhyner had been calling in airstrikes for three hours while he was injured; however, he still felt responsible for the others who had been hurt.

With disregard for his own life, he tried to get the injured to safety, still in the open line of fire. “I left injured personnel in a house and I had to get over there," Rhyner said. "I was frustrated being wounded. I tried to get the bombs there fast and talk to the pilots who didn't see what I saw on the ground."

Rhyner called in a total of 4,570 rounds of cannon fire, nine Hellfire missiles, 162 rockets, 12 500-pound bombs and one 2,000-pound bomb, constantly engaging the enemy with his M-4 rifle to deter their advance.

Toward the end of the fighting, 40 insurgents were killed and 100 wounded.

Sergeant Rhyner was directly credited with the entire team's survival due to his skill and poise under intense fire.

"If it wasn't for Zach, I wouldn't be here," Sergeant Gutierrez said.

Excerpts taken from article by Capt. Laura Ropelis, Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs, Dec. 25, 2008 [here]

Thank you for your service, SSgt. Rhyner

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B*N*S*N1

Training, Humanitarian Assistance Fuse During Continuing Promise

By Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class William Selby
Special to American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2009 – Less than halfway into a four-month deployment to bring medical care and humanitarian assistance to the people of the Caribbean and Central and South America, personnel involved in Operation Continuing Promise 2009 already have treated more than 25,000 patients from three countries, the officer in charge said.

“Our primary mission is to go out and train and gain valuable experience, going out and doing humanitarian, civic-assistance missions,” Navy Capt. Robert Lineberry, mission commander for Continuing Promise 2009, said during a “DoD Live” bloggers roundtable May 11.

“We constantly talk about the numbers, but it’s not about the numbers,” he said. “It’s really about providing accessible and quality health care to the folks that are really in need.”

Continuing Promise is an annual humanitarian and civic assistance operation supported by U.S. and international military medical personnel, U.S. government agencies, regional health ministries, nongovernmental organizations and U.S. academic institutions. It is coordinated by U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and the U.S. 4th Fleet. In addition to providing medical care, and promoting goodwill and partnerships, the mission provides valuable emergency training for the personnel involved.

The operation is being run from the USNS Comfort, one of two Military Sealift Command hospital ships capable of rapid response during emergencies. The ship provided support in New York City following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and in the Gulf Coast region in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.

Continuing Promise began when the Comfort departed Norfolk, Va., on April 1, with visits planned to Antigua, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Panama. Each visit is scheduled to last 10 to 12 days.

The medical, dental and veterinary crew of the Comfort includes about 650 medical professionals from the Navy, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard and U.S. Public Health Service, nongovernmental organizations, and other international partners. Canada, Chile, El Salvador, France, the Netherlands and Nicaragua will also provide medical professionals for the mission at some point during the deployment to participate in the training.

“We will rotate through quite a few Navy Reserve [personnel, and] quite a few humanitarian organizations, and probably when it’s all said and done after the four months, we’ll probably have trained up over 1,400 individuals,” Lineberry said.

The crew for Continuing Promise also includes a construction battalion of Seabees tasked with rebuilding and restoring hospitals and other buildings, Lineberry added.

The Seabees already have fully restored a condemned hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and are currently working on a mental hospital in Antigua and Barbuda, he said.

“The Seabees are very rounded. They can do anything you can ask them to do,” Lineberry said.

This is the fourth humanitarian-focused U.S. naval deployment to the region in the past three years designed to promote partnerships and goodwill. Building on lessons learned from the past mission, the Comfort is making fewer stops, but for longer durations during Continuing Promise 2009.

“Our goal is to just to go out and just do good things, and we’re doing that,” Lineberry said.

(Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class William Selby serves in the Defense Media Activity’s emerging media directorate.) [source]

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B*N*S*N2

Forces Thwart Attack on Forward Operating Bases in Afghanistan

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2009 – Enemy fighters fired rockets at two forward operating bases in southeastern Afghanistan overnight, and combined Afghan and coalition forces killed or captured several insurgents in various operations, military officials reported.
The complex attack on forward operating bases Rushmore and Sharana in Paktika province began shortly after midnight and ended when coalition forces responded to the assault.

Coalition aircrews, airborne at the time of the strikes, identified the rocket-launch site and called for fire to suppress the attack. Six insurgents fled the site and were killed when forces used counter-battery and overhead aircraft fires to engage them. Two people not involved in the attack were killed and four others were injured during the battle.

In Khost province, a number of civilians reportedly were injured when a homemade bomb detonated outside Forward Operating Base Salerno. Military officials said they’re trying to determine the details of the overnight attack.

In other news, Afghan and coalition forces detained a suspected insurgent overnight in eastern Afghanistan during a mission to disrupt Haqqani terrorist network operations in Paktia province. The detainee is believed to be tied to the Haqqani and Uzbekistan-based Islamic Jihadist Union terrorist groups.

Elsewhere, Afghan army commandos, assisted by coalition special operations forces, killed five militants and wounded six others yesterday after an Afghan supply convoy was attacked in the Shindand district of Herat province. Armed militants attacked with small arms, heavy machine gun and rocket-propelled grenade fire. The convoy fired back with small arms and requested additional support.

As the Afghan-led support element moved to assist the convoy, another group of armed militants attacked from fields and from compounds in the village on the opposite riverbank. The team returned fire and requested air support, but no bombs were dropped because of the large number of civilians being held by militants within the village.

Forces moved villagers away from the ongoing firefight and offered medical attention, but village elders reported no civilians had been hurt. They also pointed out the locations from which militants were fighting.

Acting on the information, the combined element moved to clear the compounds while the commando-led team moved to provide additional assistance to the convoy and engage the armed militants while the convoy maneuvered away from the firefight.

Five militants were killed, and six were wounded. Medics treated the wounded enemy combatants, who were transferred to a local hospital.

The Afghan supply convoy continued and was struck by two roadside bombs a short distance down the road. One vehicle was destroyed, but there were no casualties. The combined forces cleared and secured the village, consolidated with the other teams and returned to base.

(Compiled from U.S. Forces Afghanistan news releases.) [source]

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B*N*S*N3

Guardsman saves two lives in a moment’s notice

By 2nd Lt. Angela K. Fry
Louisiana National Guard

Louisiana National Guard engineer, Pfc. Jeremy Easley, rescued two people May 13 after their glider crashed in Franklinton, La.
download hi-res photo

MONROE, La. (5/14/09) – As a Louisiana National Guard engineer, Pfc. Jeremy Easley is trained as a general construction equipment operator. But his training as a Soldier prepared this Franklinton, La., resident for the life-threatening events he faced May 13.

As Easley was working in the maintenance shop for the Franklinton Country Club, the sounds of a motorized glider taking off in the distance were apparent. The Guardsman witnessed the glider rise, take an immediate nose-dive, then crash to the ground in an explosion.

“All I thought was … react,” explained Easley, a member of the 843rd Engineer Company, 205th Engineer Battalion. “My military training immediately kicked in.”

Easley said that he called 911 and then ran to the small airport located across from the golf course to offer assistance. As he approached the glider, he saw its two passengers tangled in the wires and straps of the aircraft.

Despite the men’s yells of agony, Easley worked around protruding bones to untangle them from the mess of wires. At that point, the 20-year-old noticed fuel pouring onto the men and their wounds and dragged them to safety before the glider could potentially explode.

After both men had been dragged from the aircraft, Easley said that he attempted to shut off its engine before it could ignite the fuel and harm everyone in the general vicinity. Unable to disengage the engine, he ripped out the aircraft’s electrical system.

“I did what I had to do,” said Easley. “This is why I joined the Louisiana National Guard: to protect my country, my state and the people … no matter what occurs.”...

Read more about this humble hero, here.

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B*N*S*N4

Homecoming Parade for 42 Commando Royal Marines

11 May 09

To mark the end of a seven-month tour in southern Afghanistan, 600 Royal Marines from 42 Commando marched through Plymouth city centre on Thursday 7 May 2009 in front of an audience of hundreds and the city's mayor.

Since September 2008 42 Commando, employed as the Regional Battle Group (South), has deployed to every corner of the desert and green zones of Kandahar, Oruzgan and Helmand provinces, taking the fight to the Taliban, primarily using Chinook helicopters to drop directly into the heart of the insurgency.

It has planned for and conducted no less than 19 full Commando Group (550 men) helicopter assault operations, and a number of smaller Company Group (about 150 men) deployments.

These operations were all aimed at disrupting the enemy's will and physical capacity to fight, degrading his stocks of weapons and equipment, and engaging with the local civilian population in areas not previously visited by ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) forces to establish their needs and improve regional security.

Fundamental to this was a hitherto unseen level of domestic support for the unit's Royal Marines from all corners of the UK, but none more so than the South West, which many of the unit have made their home.

The assembled unit marched with their colours unfurled with a guard of Royal Marines with bayonets fixed, as is the unit's privilege, through the centre of what it regards as its hometown.

Commanding Officer of 42 Commando, Lt Colonel Charlie Stickland, said:

"Our efforts have been supported in a truly exemplary fashion by both the rear party team back in Bickleigh and the local Plymouth community, and it has been humbling to know we enjoy such attention

"The group of families and friends, who I know have been tracking us with care and some trepidation, have been receiving regular updates separately, although one can never be in touch too much.

"We recover secure in the knowledge that we have applied ourselves fully to the rigours of the tour, embraced the challenge and could have done little more during our tenure as the Regional Battle Group (South). A period of post-operational tour leave beckons after a short period of decompression."

Since returning home to the UK two weeks ago, the unit has been on leave but reformed for the march to express its immense gratitude to the area's communities for such outstanding support during their tour of southern Afghanistan.[source - go look at the pictures]

Thank you all, and WELCOME HOME!!!

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Wednesday Hero

Spc. Robert Hamilton


Spc. Robert Hamilton, from Corpus Christi, Texas, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, prepares to bandage the thumb of an Iraqi boy in Ula Market in Sadr City, April 19. The boy cut his thumb while preparing meat at a local butcher shop.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

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Every Day Hero

Army Sgt. 1st Class Angela Amundson, left, discusses correct wording for awards with one of her soldiers at Contingency Operating Base Basra, Iraq, May 6, 2009. The mother of two will spend Mother’s Day helping other deployed mothers observe the day. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Debralee P. Crankshaw


Army Sgt. 1st Class Angela Amundson, right, reviews paperwork with one of her soldiers at Contingency Operating Base Basra, Iraq, May 6, 2009. The mother of two will spend Mother’s Day helping other deployed mothers observe the day. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Debralee P. Crankshaw

Face of Defense: Mother Sacrifices Tradition for Country

By Army Sgt. Debralee P. Crankshaw
Special to American Forces Press Service

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq, May 7, 2009 – While deployed mothers will miss out on their traditional Mother’s Day celebrations May 10, some are making the best of the situation.

“This is not forever. This is a temporary stomping ground in your overall life,” said Army Sgt. 1st Class Angela Amundson, actions and awards noncommissioned officer in charge for 34th Infantry Brigade.

The Hastings, Minn., native is spending a year away from her 14-year-old stepson, Alex, and her 7-year-old daughter, BriAnna. But for her, Mother’s Day is about more than just her children. Every year, the Amundsons have a tradition for Mother’s Day.

“What I like to do is get all the mothers together and we all go to brunch on Mother’s Day with all our children and my husband’s sister, my sister – anybody we can get to go,” she said. The family started this tradition because they were going to multiple houses for a short time, Amundson explained.

“We’re all family, whether we’re blood or not,” she said. “So I said, ‘Let’s all get together.’ That way, you don’t have to go five different places, kind of like Thanksgiving or Christmas. It’s much nicer and easier to have everyone together.”

This Mother’s Day, while Amundson’s family is having brunch, the deployed soldier will acknowledge other mothers here.

“I want to make sure to recognize other mothers this Mother’s Day,” she said. “Being a mother isn’t about yourself – it’s about everybody else.”...

Read more here.

Thank you for your service, Sgt Amundson.

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Every Day Hero Bonus

Army Staff Sgt. Melodie A. Hunt, left, and her sister, Army Pfc. Mallorie A. Hunt share a moment during their lunch time. The Hunt sisters are deployed to Baghdad. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Jasmine N. Walthall


Face of Defense: Sisters Serve Together in Baghdad


By Army Pfc. Jasmine N. Walthall
Special to American Forces Press Service


CAMP STRIKER, Iraq, May 5, 2009 - Some soldiers turn to friends within their unit for the support they need during a deployment. Others are lucky enough to have a family member serving with them.


Army Staff Sgt. Melodie A. Hunt and Army Pfc. Mallorie A. Hunt, Lumberton N.C. natives, are sisters who are currently deployed to Baghdad. Although they serve in different units, they said, they still find time to get together.


Melodie Hunt is a member of the 449th Theater Aviation Brigade, an Army National Guard unit out of Morrisville, N.C. She is deployed as the air movement request noncommissioned officer in charge, with duties that include manifesting flights for soldiers. She also is the brigade's retention NCO.


Mallorie Hunt is a truck driver for Alpha Company, 47th Forward Support Battalion, out of Baumholder, Germany. When her unit moved here in early fall, it was a pleasant surprise for the sisters.


"We were still in the states when we found out that Mallorie would be at the same place as me," Melodie Hunt said. "It was pleasing to know that I would have someone there for me, and it made our parents more comfortable [with] us being together for my sister's first deployment."


Melodie Hunt, who is on her second deployment in her eight-year military career, works as a police officer for the Lumberton Police Department when at home.


The Hunt sisters are 12 years apart, and they said they have this deployment to thank for strengthening their relationship.


"It was good to be able to spend what time together that we could," Melodie Hunt said. "We work out together, and sometimes eat meals, which is more than we had when she was in Germany."


Her sister agreed. "The older we have become, the closer we have gotten," Mallorie Hunt said. "Sharing this deployment has helped that."


(Army Pfc. Jasmine N. Walthall serves with Task Force 449.)

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B*N*S*N1

On the Ground: Forces Train Iraqis to Manage Radio Waves, Information Security

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 4, 2009 – U.S. forces in Iraq increasingly are focused on training Iraqis to be self-sufficient, and most recently that training has brought Iraqis closer to managing their communications frequencies, information security and automotive maintenance.

Fourteen students drawn from Iraq’s ministries of Communications, Defense and Interior and from the Communications and Media Commission graduated from a course on electromagnetic spectrum management taught by members of the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency's Joint Spectrum Center based in Annapolis, Md. The spectrum provides a finite number of frequencies to enable communications and technologies such as radar and weapons systems.

Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq’s communications directorate conducted the course for select Iraqi frequency managers who learned how to use, operate, manage, and maintain client-server hardware and software associated with Spectrum XXI, a spectrum-management software application the coalition gave to the Iraqi government.

U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Gregory Brundidge, co-chair of the Security Agreement Joint Committee on Spectrum Management, presented the students with their course certificates of completion. He reminded them that good stewardship and cooperation between Iraqi ministries was an important part of their new roles as frequency managers.

"Frequencies have to be managed, and you have to coordinate, and that takes teamwork,"...

Despite what you read in the msm, these kind of projects are a daily event. You can read more of this B*N*S*N here

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B*N*S*N2

Afghan, Coalition Forces Kill 19 Militants

American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON, May 4, 2009 – Afghan commandos, advised by coalition forces, killed 19 militants during overnight operations in Helgal Valley in the Shakail Shatel district of Afghanistan’s Kunar province, May 1-2.

The Afghan-led force was conducting a combat reconnaissance patrol about 150 miles east of Kabul in an area known to harbor militants when they were attacked by several armed enemy fighters with small-arms fire from a wooded area.

The combined force positively identified the enemy’s position and, after ensuring there were no noncombatants in the area, returned fire on the militants and called for close-air support, killing seven fighters.

The remaining enemy fighters attempted to reposition themselves on a ridge line, but the commandos maintained positive identification of their location. The force engaged the militants again with close-air support, killing 12 of them.

“This engagement was another blow to militant operations in eastern Afghanistan,” a coalition spokesman said. “Due to the expertise of these elite forces the insurgents are quickly losing their ability to operate in the region.”

No Afghan or coalition casualties were reported. [source]

In another operation in Kunar province’s Marawara district, Afghan forces and a small supporting element of coalition forces captured a suspected Taliban commander in an operation in May 2. The suspect is believed to be responsible for helping bring improvised explosive devices into the area.

Forces did not fire any shots during the operation, protecting eight adults and six children.

(Compiled from U.S. Forces Afghanistan news releases.)

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B*N*S*N3

Troops in Iraq Capture Suspects, Weapons


American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON, May 7, 2009 – Coalition and Iraqi forces swept up weapons and insurgents during three days of operations in Iraq this week, military officials said.


During operations May 5 in southern Iraq’s Maysan province, Iraqi forces found a weapons cache containing more than 300 munitions and various military equipment. Troops discovered the contraband inside a house in the city of Amarah.


The Iraqi security units are partnered with the 1st Cavalry Division’s 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, in Maysan in efforts to rid the region of illegal weapons and criminal activity.


In the Mansour and Abu Ghraib districts of northwestern Baghdad on May 4, coalition and Iraqi forces detained two suspects. Troops suspect one of the men of planning attacks against coalition and Iraqi forces as a member of al-Qaida in Iraq. The other is suspected of training and equipping insurgent operations involving grenades. The suspects have been turned over to Iraqi authorities for further questioning, military officials said.


During a joint operation in the Mansour district May 3, coalition and Iraqi forces discovered an RKG-3 armor-piercing grenade while conducting a reconnaissance mission in the area. An explosive ordinance disposal team called to the site disposed of the weapon.

(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.) [source]

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B*N*S*N4

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers resident engineer design team in Irbil, Iraq, incorporated preconstruction input from emergency room doctors into the construction plan for a $12.6 million facility that will serve as the area’s primary access point for treating emergency patients. U.S. Army graphic

Doctors Provide Design Input for Hospital in Iraq\

By Mike Scheck
Special to American Forces Press Service

IRBIL, Iraq, May 7, 2009 – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division used a partnership with emergency room doctors in designing a new hospital here.

The Irbil resident engineer design team incorporated preconstruction input from the doctors into the construction plan for the $12.6 million, state-of-the-art medical facility.

“Many of our projects in the area involve end-user input, and this process has been extremely productive and a rewarding experience to me,” said Gary York, Irbil resident engineer. “This cooperative process also builds trust and a lasting relationship with the ministry from the inception phase through the handover of a project.”

The new hospital will be the area’s primary access point for treating emergency patients. There is only one existing facility, and its dilapidated condition has caused major disruptions in service and represents a threat to public health, local health officials said.

The four-story, 165-bed hospital is scheduled to open in April 2010, just 450 days from the beginning of construction. It will have nine operating rooms, a comprehensive medical laboratory, and X-ray, CT scan and MRI capabilities. The hospital’s burn unit will have the capacity to care for many of the more than 45 burn patients who are treated in Irbil hospital emergency rooms monthly.

Although it’s common for hospitals in the United States, the Irbil hospital is the first in the area to have a helicopter pad on its roof. The hospital also is equipped with its own electrical generating unit, and the water for the hospital will be supplied by an on-site well.

One factor credited with the rapid pace of construction is the use of Ytong thermo-stone blocks. Unlike the usual cinder blocks used in most construction projects in Iraq, Ytong blocks are larger, lighter and easier to cut and mold into various shapes. A powdered variation of the blocks is used as mortar.

Construction workers don’t have to deal with the backbreaking job of lugging heavy cinder blocks into the higher elevations of the site, thus cutting down on fatigue and injuries to workers, the on-site safety manager noted.

The U.S. Economic Support Fund is funding construction and all medical equipment for the facility. The current facility takes up three acres of a six-acre site, allowing room for future expansion. This project, which is being constructed by the Turkish-owned Tigris Co., is the first U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hospital project for in Irbil.

(Mike Scheck works at the Gulf Region North district for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division.) [source]

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B*N*S*N bonus

05/03/2009 - U.S. Army 1st Lt. Ryan Chase, with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 8th Cavalry Division, carries a box of school supplies to the opening ceremony of the Al Rafudi School in the city of Abu Ghraib, Iraq, May 3, 2009. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Robert Whelan, U.S. Navy/Released)

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Brothers At War movie in New York

The award-winning documentary "Brothers at War" gives audiences a rare view into life on the frontlines of war.

The movie opens in New York City this weekend, at a series of screenings co-sponsored by Sony at the AMC Loews Village 7. Sony is also inviting New York City police officers, firefighters, and service men and women to attend the weekend screenings.

"Brothers at War," released by Samuel Goldwyn Films, follows Rademacher as he journeys to Iraq to embed with American combat units in an effort to better understand the mission of his two brothers, Capt. Isaac Rademacher, a decorated West Point graduate serving his third tour, and Sgt. Joe Rademacher, a Ranger, combat vet, and army sniper in the 82nd Airborne.

The movie, which has received standing ovations and praise from military families across the country, also offers a close-up glimpse of war's personal impact on the American family, from a brother's point of view.

Given unprecedented access to U.S. and Iraqi combat units, Rademacher takes the audience on reconnaissance patrols on the Syrian border, into sniper "hide sites" in the Sunni Triangle, and through raging machine gun battles with the Iraqi Army.

"Brothers at War" has already opened in more than 41 cities this year, with a number of special screenings on military bases. The movie is produced by Norman S. Powell ("24") and Jake Rademacher, and executive produced by Gary Sinise and David Scantling. It will open at additional locations in coming weeks, including Los Angeles, White Plains, N.Y. and Springfield, Ill., near the Rademacher family home in Decatur, Ill.

For more information on show times and theater locations of "Brothers at War" visit http://www.brothersatwar.com/.

You can see a trailer for Brothers At War at brothersatwarmovie.com.[brat note: A must see!]

FOX & FRIENDS Easter Sunday special on BROTHERS at WAR

H/T FSM

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Wednesday Hero

1st Lt. Michael A. Cerrone
24 years old from Clarksville, Tennessee
2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division
November 12, 2006


Cerrone's men said in written statements of remembrance that he put their safety and welfare first. He lead from the front and all of the paratroopers would "unquestionably" follow him into battle.

His platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Ronald H. Berryhill, said Cerrone was more than a leader, but a friend and "little brother."

He remembers the first day Cerrone got to the unit. At the time, he was shy and quiet. But after a few months, he became more outspoken.

"I am truly blessed to have known him and to serve under his leadership," Berryhill wrote. "He will never be forgotten. I will carry him with me always and I will always watch over his platoon. We will make him proud of his boys."

Sgt. Cerrone was killed when a suicide bomber detonated the bomb he had strapped to himself in Samarra, Iraq. Also killed in the attack was Specialist Harry "Buck" Winkler. You can read more at BLACKFIVE.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

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Every Day Hero

Major John Clagnaz, the son of European immigrants and a first generation American, is known for leading from the front. His decisive actions and leadership throughout his tour in Iraq resulted in his receipt of a Bronze Star.

On June 18, 2006, “he led a Combat Camera team on a patrol with the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team in Mosul that resulted in the seizure of a substantial enemy weapons cache,” according to the narrative that accompanied his Bronze Star Medal.

He recalls a mission with Bravo Company, 2-6 Infantry in the suburbs of Ramadi on August 16, 2006, when the patrol came under intense sniper fire while dismounted and performing random vehicle searches.

“One U.S. Soldier was hit by enemy sniper fire in his back while returning to his vehicle,” said Clagnaz. A few feet away one of his videographers documented the scene with members of the patrol dragging the injured soldier out of the line of fire and treating him. Once the Soldier was stabilized, he was moved to a Bradley Fighting Vehicle for medical evacuation. “Suddenly, the patrol came under heavy fire from the enemy position across an open field approximately 100-150 meters away,” Clagnaz described. “Members of the patrol returned fire.”

Now two men short – one soldier wounded and another administering first aid –his combat camera team stepped up to fill the vacancies as the convoy raced across the field to capture the enemy combatants firing at the patrol.

Not new to combat, Clagnaz led a total of 74 Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen at 17 Forward Operating Bases across Iraq, accomplishing documentation of 923 coalition missions.

Clagnaz joined the U.S. Army right after high school. He had his first combat tour during the invasion of Panama. During his second combat tour in August 1990, immediately after Iraq invaded Kuwait, he deployed as an Apache helicopter turbine engine mechanic.

“My unit fired the ‘first shots’ of the Allied Offensive, destroying two Iraqi early warning/ ground control intercept radar sites,” explained Clagnaz. “This opened a radar-black corridor to Baghdad and marked the beginning of Operation Desert Storm.” He later returned to the States, received an Air Force ROTC scholarship and earned his commission in 1998.

Fast forwarding to his most recent deployment, Clagnaz downplayed his acts of heroism and noted that it was really his team who deserves the recognition. In the midst of fighting, they documented imagery of key events including the aftermath following the termination of Al-Qaeda terrorist leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the search and recovery of two kidnapped U.S. Soldiers, and the Regime Crimes Liaison Office’s Iraqi High Tribunal investigative hearings. This documentation and the installation of two satellite terminals improved imagery transmission by 75 percent and created a robust network architecture that expanded the military’s situational awareness in the region...[source]

Thank you for your service, Major.

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B*N*S*N1

Army Secretary Pete Geren meets with Elizabeth Harris, left, and Abby Smith, children of wounded soldiers, April 29, 2009, during a visit to the Warrior Family Support Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, in observance of the Month of the Military Child. Geren applauded the contributions made by the children in supporting the recovery of their parents.

Month of the Military Child Has Deeper Meaning for Wounded Warrior Families

By Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Clifton
Special to American Forces Press Service

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, April 30, 2009 – The road to recovery for a wounded soldier can be long and difficult, but with the help of Army medicine and the love of military spouses and children, that road is shorter and smoother.

For some soldiers who use the Warrior Family Support Center here, their sons and daughters have played an instrumental role in their recovery as wounded veterans.

Soldiers and their families use the center at no cost to them while they receive care at Brooke Army Medical Center here. Through peer and community support and recreational activities, the center provides a high-quality setting for the whole family as they return to normal life.

Reestablishing family responsibilities is critical to the recovery of many soldiers. At least 1.7 million American children have at least one parent serving in the military with an estimated 900,000 of those with parents who have deployed multiple times overseas.

On April 29, Army Secretary Pete Geren expressed his personal appreciation to a group of children of wounded warriors at the center.

"The Army is asking a lot of you all and I hope that we are doing everything we can to help you and your parents," Geren said.

Abby Smith, 10, the daughter of Spc. Jourdan Smith, an infantryman who served with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division of Fort Lewis, Wa., knows first-hand the hardships family members can face supporting their wounded warriors.

"When I first got injured, she didn't want to look at me, and I used to have to make fun of my injuries to try to cheer her up," said Smith, recalling how he told his daughter the wounds on his leg looked like train tracks. "She had a hard time dealing with my situation at first, but now she helps me more than I can believe.

"It was like she went from 8 to 18 in just two years." (read more here)

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B*N*S*N2

Soldiers Bring Light to Afghan Marketplace

By Army Sgt. Matthew C. Moeller
Special to American Forces Press Service

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan, April 28, 2009 – A busy marketplace is a common sight in the city of Nangalam during the day, but as night falls, the lack of electricity turns the bustling Konar province commercial center into a ghost town.

“By 6 p.m. all the shops would close and people would head back home, that way they wouldn’t be frightened by the [anti-Afghanistan forces], or injured when they were walking down a dark street,” said Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert Campos of the 416th Civil Affairs Battalion, based in San Diego, Calif.

In order to increase security and commerce, Campos and his team of fellow 416th soldiers from the recently began the installation of 25 solar lights in the city’s marketplace.

According to Campos, the team started with two solar lights on April 20 in order to gauge the citizens’ reactions. They responded so positively to the project that within a week, 20 lights were installed by local contractors, with five more to arrive soon.

“[Many] thought the idea of lights at night to be something that was only imaginable in their lifetime,” said Campos.

With the shops open and security improved, the flourishing city that has seen its population double in recent years is expected to grow even more.

“We’re looking at possibly 10 to 15 percent increase in shops opening, and up to 35 percent more commerce and economic growth within the next year,” said Campos. “The lights are working.”

The Civil Affairs team already has plans to expand on the project, with 25 additional solar lights to be installed around the city’s outlying areas. By next year the team also hopes to finish its largest project, two micro-hydro power plants that will provide electricity to every home in Nangalam, and its nearby villages.

(Army Sgt. Matthew C. Moeller is assigned to the 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.(source)

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B*N*S*N3

The newly renovated Iskandariyah Vocational Technical Center in Iraq’s Babil province is expected to train and house 4,000 students in a variety of occupational specialties. U.S. Army photo by Alicia Embrey

Renovated Center Increases Job Training in Iraqi Province

By Alicia Embrey
Special to American Forces Press Service

BABIL PROVINCE, Iraq, April 30, 2009 – Community leaders, media and coalition representatives gathered for a grand opening to showcase the newly renovated $5.4 million Iskandariyah Vocational Technology Center here April 22.

Reyad Hassan, executive general manager of Iraq’s Labor Ministry, officiated with the assistance of newly elected Babil provincial leaders.

The Iskandariyah Votech and Industrial Complex, 25 miles south of Baghdad, once was the industrial jewel of north Babil province. But during April 2003, its automotive, industrial and munitions facilities were ransacked and torched by looters, leaving behind burned-out shells of what had been home to 25,000 employees.

To help to revitalize that area, Iraqi officials, the provincial reconstruction team and U.S. forces combined their efforts.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers oversaw the Votech’s upgrade, using Iraqi contractors. The three-phase project included renovating seven dorms, a classroom building, an auditorium and a mechanical shop. The Iraqi crew of 200 local workers finished the project three months ahead of schedule. Of those workers, 50 were recent graduates of the center.

When the Votech renovations began in 2007, the school was offering a limited curriculum for an enrollment of 30 students. This year, the center is expected to train and house 4,000 students in a variety of occupational specialties, including hair dressing, sewing, administration and other clerical work, computer and automotive maintenance, masonry, electrical work, carpentry and welding.

“The renovation project became a reality because of the partnership between city and provincial government leaders, coalition forces, the Babil PRT, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Iraqi construction crews, along with unwavering support from the local community,” said Army Col. Jack Drolet, district commander of USACE’s Gulf Region South district. “The young men and women who come to this vocational center will learn skills, laying a foundation for future prosperity. We’re honored to be part of this effort.”..


Read more here.

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B*N*S*N4

Service members crowd the stage April 27, 2009, at Bagram Air Field, to catch a photo of Toby Keith during his concert in Afghanistan. This was Keith’s seventh tour with the United Service Organizations. U.S. Army photo by Capt. Michael Greenberger

Toby Keith Entertains Troops in Afghanistan

By Army Capt. Michael Greenberger
American Forces Press Service

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan, April 28, 2009 – Country singer and troop supporter Toby Keith finished up a 15-show tour in Afghanistan yesterday as he drew near the end of his seventh tour with the United Service Organizations.
Keith spent five days criss-crossing the war-torn country visiting bases large and small in a whirlwind of handshakes, autographs, photo-ops and of course – country music shows.

Whether it’s hundreds of Marines at Camp Bastion or a crowd of thousands at Kandahar Air Field, countless hours of preparation and manpower go into making each show special.

“It’s a three-pronged attack,” said Rachel Tischler, USO vice president of entertainment operations. “The crews get to work setting everything up for the larger shows as most of the band goes to see people at the larger bases. While they are doing that, [Toby] and a few others visit the more remote locations.”

Keith’s tour visited Forward Operating Bases Tillman and Boris, near the Pakistan border, in addition to the larger bases, like FOBs Sharana and Salerno.

“It was important to Toby and the crew to visit as many of the smaller, remote locations as possible,” said Tischler. “Never mind getting entertainers – some of them don’t have running water!”

Keith, was taught early on to respect the military and those who serve in it.

“My father was a soldier. He taught his kids to respect veterans,” said Keith. “It’s that respect and the thank-you that we have a military that’s in place and ready to defend our nation; our freedom.” ...

Read more here

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