Afghantribes find common ground with humanitarian aid drop

Kuchi tribesmen gather June 8 at the Daymardad District Center to speak with Ali Khashe, deputy governor for Wardak Province, Afghanistan. Photo by Sgt. Rob Frazier

By Sgt. Rob Frazier
5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment Journalist

WARDAK PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Every summer, the Kuchi tribe migrates through the Daymardad District, allowing their animals to graze in open pastures belonging to the Hazara tribe. This has frequently sparked violent territorial disputes. After hearing of the conflict, U.S. forces at Forward Operating Base Airborne approached Wardak Province Governor Mohammad Halim Fidai about a peaceful way to resolve fighting between the two tribes. "The mission was inspired from the age-old conflict between the Kuchi nomads and the Hazara," said Maj. Joe Asher, deputy civil affairs officer for 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI). "Three weeks ago we went to Daymardad, and it was a very positive step for us. The Kuchi elders said they would not migrate if they were given food, water and vaccination supplies for their animals."Once learning of a possible solution, Soldiers from 4th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery Regiment, delivered the first installment of humanitarian aid to the Daymardad people."We hope this demonstrates that we're saying, 'Hey, we're taking the steps to alleviate your problems,'" Asher said. "Although this is funded by us, it's important for the Kuchi and Hazara to know this is enacted by the Afghan government."The first installment included sacks of beans, sugar, flour, rice and boxes of cooking oil. Asher added that a second shipment of humanitarian aid would likely be made within the next week."We plan to follow this up with water, tents and veterinarian supplies," Asher added. "This way, the Kuchi won't have to move their livestock, because they will have what they need."Ali Khashe, deputy governor for Wardak Province, was on hand to greet Soldiers and meet with Kuchi tribesmen before handing out the food. Inside the district center, Khashe fielded questions from the elders regarding water and vaccination requests for their livestock.Khashe said he knows their issues cannot be solved all at once, but he hopes they understand leaders are working hard to meet their needs."The governor's office is trying to solve their problems," Khashe added. "It's our priority to convince the two tribes to live like brothers."According to Khashe, the humanitarian aid was a step in the right direction and another example of coalition efforts to help the Afghan people. "The district center and the people here all know the U.S. comes to help," Khashe said. "They are very happy, because everyone knows the U.S. forces came to help rebuild Afghanistan. We are very grateful for their assistance."Asher added that with U.S. assistance and cooperation from the Wardak government, the humanitarian aid will signal the start of a change for the Kuchi and Hazara tribes in the Daymardad region."Hopefully this will result in the first nonviolent summer between them in a long time."

Special thanks to the Fort Drum Blizzard

U.S. Soldiers to teach air assault to Iraqi Special Operation Forces

By Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Carr

Task Force Falcon PAO NCOIC
FORWARD OPERATING BASE GABE, Iraq – In the past, the U.S. military planned and executed air-assault missions for Iraqi forces. Now, Iraqi forces are taking the steps needed to plan and execute their own missions with assistance from U.S. Special Forces and 10th Combat Aviation Brigade crews and aircraft.The 10th Combat Aviation Brigade's 2nd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, partnered with U.S. Special Forces on June 1-2 to teach air-assault operations to Iraqi Special Operation Forces."In the past, it was U.S.-led operations with a few Iraqi forces," explained Lt. Col. Lee Shepherd, commander of 2nd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment. "Then it was a 50/50 mix of U.S. and Iraqi forces. Now, it's progressed to Iraqi forces in the lead and us providing some support."Recently, Shepherd and key members of his battalion, along with U.S. Special Forces Soldiers, sat down with an Iraqi Special Operations Force commander in the Diyala Province to explain the first steps of planning an air-assault mission."This was the 'shake hands' portion and to show what capabilities we can provide," Shepherd said. "We briefed them on 'Air Assault 101' – the basics. We said 'this is what you need to have and know in order to be successful in an air-assault.'"Although the briefing was basic, the ISOF commander said he and his Soldiers benefited from the training and expertise of the American Soldiers."They showed us the importance for ground troops to understand the coordination needed with aviation troops," explained Col. Abed Al Meer Kasem Muhammad, Diyala Province Iraqi Special Operations Force commander. "These are the basics, and we learned a lot from the briefing."Muhammad expressed his desire to gain the experience to allow his troops to perform air-assault missions on their own."I'm eager to get my soldiers to start the practical training. The sooner we learn these skills, the sooner we can rid this area of terrorism and the sooner we will have peace," Muhammad said.This isn't the first time Shepherd's battalion has worked with Iraqi forces. The two partnered in the past to perform many missions with the Pathfinder Company, another 10th CAB unit. Shepherd said they have seen an improvement in Iraqi forces' capabilities and the Iraqis are taking the lead in providing security."When we first arrived in country, we worked primarily with the U.S. forces on air-assault missions. Iraqi forces were on the mission but purely in a supporting role," Shepherd explained. "As the months passed, it became more of a partnership on the mission. “Now, each mission is becoming primarily Iraqi forces, with a small contingent of U.S. forces,” he continued. “As we conduct this training now, we are working so that in the coming months, missions can be Iraqi-planned and led with very little, if any, U.S. ground force involvement."As the U.S. military prepares to withdraw and the Iraqi government takes control of securing its own country, Shepherd believes that air assault is a viable tactic that the Iraqi forces can learn and use. He said it is a step in the right direction for Iraqi security."We are helping to build the capacity for an army to lead itself, sustain itself and protect itself," Shepherd explained. "We are training them to rapidly travel across the battle space and strike an insurgent cell or an extremist cell when they do not expect it, where they do not expect it. If we can train the Iraqi forces to do that on their own, they can police their own country, they can protect their own country. The violent extremists cannot hide, because they will be found and they will be defeated."

2nd Brigade Combat Team Soldiers conduct combined arms live-fire

I have had several people email asking what my Soldier has been up to lately. My answer is often "your guess is as good as mine" but today I can say:

Soldiers in 2nd Brigade Combat Team fire on the objective with an M-249 squad automatic weapon and an M-4 carbine assault rifle during combined arms live-fire exercises at Fort Drum. During May, 2nd BCT Soldiers conducted combined arms live-fire exercises and nonlethal situational training exercises in preparation for their rotation to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La., scheduled for July. Photo by Jennie Burrett

By Sgt. Jennie Burrett 2nd Brigade Combat Team PAO NCOIC

The sounds of mortars, artillery, M240-B machine gun, squad automatic weapon M-249 light machine gun and M-4 carbine assault rifle fire could be heard on Fort Drum during 2nd Brigade Combat Team’s combined arms live-fire exercise last month. During May, 2nd BCT conducted combined arms live-fire exercises and nonlethal situational training exercises in preparation for its rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La., scheduled for the month of July. “The logic of doing the combined arms live-fires is to train company commanders in the art of battle command, which is how they visualize, describe and direct what they are doing with their Soldiers in the units,” said Col. David Miller, 2nd BCT commander. “During the company combined arms live-fire exercises, this was done under conditions with live rounds, so Soldiers in units get comfortable with their weapon systems and do that safely and tactically.” Forty-seven Arabic-speaking role-players were brought in to give Soldiers the experience of working with a language and cultural barrier. Interpreters were embedded with each unit, just as they would be in Iraq or Afghanistan. In addition, a village was set up with role-players for the nonlethal situational lane to give the Soldiers interaction experience with local in a village. During that exercise, the company commander sat down with Iraqi village elders to discuss needs like security, water and electricity.“We ask a lot of Soldiers these days, not only the high end of the fight, but also how to engage with the population and conduct a host of things from humanitarian assistance to helping with governance, economic progress (and) infrastructure, and helping host nation governments and armies win over their population, which is largely what we are doing in both Afghanistan and Iraq,” Miller said. “So what we did was put all the company commanders through about a 72-hour exercise that allowed them to do all of that and tie both what they are doing on the lethal part with what they are doing in the nonlethal situation training exercises,” he added. The purpose of the live-fire exercise was to test troops in every aspect of being a Soldier, both mentally and physically. It also gave a chance for Soldiers to see what they need to improve. "I gained a lot of confidence in my senior leaders today. I already had confidence in my team leaders, but now that goes further," said Pfc. David L. Dexter, an infantryman with C Company, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment. "But I needed to learn how and when to do things on my own, and I learned that today. We did two blank fires and I depended on them, but the live-fire was on me."A majority of the 2nd BCT’s 3,600 Soldiers gained confidence and experience in their jobs throughout May during this training exercise.“This training is the brigade commander’s way of looking at his troops and companies within the brigade and judge the level of training that we have done this far,” said 1st Lt. Tim Smoke, A Troop, 1st Squadron, 89th Calvary Regiment executive officer. “What is great about this training is all enablers and the combat multipliers that have been given to us to make this exercise work. The experience of working and bringing everything together is what the Soldiers are getting out of this exercise.”

Special thanks to Ft. Drum Blizzard Online

Wednesday's Hero

Something a little different this week. Instead of profiling a service member, Wednesday Hero will be profiling a movie. Band Of Brothers. But it's just as much a profile of the men it was about as it is the movie itself. Band Of Brothers was a miniseries tha aired on HBO in 2001. It follows Maj. Richard Winters, Cpt. Lewis Nixon and the men of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, aka E-Company or Easy Company on their march to Germany. From their training to their battles at Normandy and Bastogne, their liberation of the Kaufering IV concentration camp to their taking of Hitler's Eagle Nest. A great cast and great writing make this one of the best war movies ever made. But it is graphic in visuals and language. And parts of it may be hard to watch, but it is worth it.

What the men of E-Company did will never be forgotten. They are the heroes that helped the cause of freedom.


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.

Support Battalion provides amenities to Afghan Schools

By Pfc. Chris Baker

Task Force Spartan PAO Broadcast Journalist

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHANK, Afghanistan – Afghan National Police from Pul-e-Alam supported by Soldiers of 710th Brigade Support Battalion, Task Force Spartan, delivered some 2,000 pounds of supplies June 2 to the Darwesh and Karzai Elementary Schools, near Pul-e-Alam .Notebooks, pens and soccer balls were handed out, along with many other items in an attempt to provide more amenities for Afghan students.

The most significant gift given during the day was work desks for the otherwise empty Darwesh Elementary."When we found this school, it had no furniture whatsoever. What we've done, using Commander's Emergency Relief Program funds, we've brought furniture for them in order for them to have a better learning experience," said Lt. Col. Eugene Shearer, 710th BSB commander."I've never been in school and tried to read and write while sitting on the floor. The desks will create a more organized classroom," said Capt. William Bennett, commander of A Company, 710th BSB.

Battalion leaders hope these basic supplies will help make the learning process easier for Afghan children, who are accustomed to having very little. As Afghan children ran around excitedly and asked Soldiers for pens, Bennett explained the progress his unit has made in Logar. "We've made great strides to build trust and relationships in this area. Today's a good day. We actually have furniture and supplies for the children who would otherwise be sitting on the ground," Bennett said. Bennett said one of the biggest requests from local leaders were the desks. With that request fulfilled, the battalion focus can shift towards other projects in the area, such as power, wells and building projects. According to Shearer, many more improvements are on the way."In our area of operations, we've planned projects for several schools, mosques and roads," he said. Shearer also mentioned the International Security Assistance Force's dedication to helping in Afghanistan."It's a long-term commitment. You can't get everything done right away. It takes time," he said.

Soldier receives Military Motherhood Award

Staff Sgt. Melissa Dion, a medic at Fort Drum, and her 9-year-old son, Ryan, are honored during the Operation Homefront Military Motherhood Award ceremony May 27 at the Pentagon. Photo by Lacey Justinger

By Lacey Justinger
Army News Service
WASHINGTON – "She did the bravest thing a mother could do when she drove away from our house, leaving her son and not knowing if she would see him again. Many people ask her how she could go off to war and leave her son behind ... she always replies the same. She joined the Army to serve and protect her country and if her country needs her ... she needs to do what is expected."Staff Sgt. Melissa Dion, a medic at Fort Drum, read these words when she linked onto the Operation Homefront web site to nominate her own mother for the Military Motherhood Award. With tears streaming down her cheeks, Dion realized her mother had already submitted her and that she had been voted by web site visitors to be a finalist. Dion said she had never looked at the situation the way her mother wrote it. She was just doing her job. "The military mothers who do what my daughter has done and go to war for their country and leave their Families behind are the most unselfish women I know," Carol Dion wrote in the essay about her daughter. With a slightly apologetic smile, Dion disagrees. "I just had to get on the plane and go," she said. "The Families back home – the spouses, parents, children – they go through more and have more to deal with more than Soldiers. Soldiers just do their job. I knew my son was taken care of. I knew my finances were taken care of. All I had to worry about was my job." So Dion deployed as a combat medic to Iraq twice – missing her son's first day of school, his first lost tooth, learning to swim and ride a bike, his birthdays and Christmases. Ryan admits that it was hard when his mom deployed, especially the first time when he was 4. But he said his grandparents explained his mom just had to go; it was her job. And, he said, the daily phone calls helped. Often during these daily calls, Dion would express concern to her Family about fellow Soldiers who were not receiving care packages, letters or phone calls. She would ask that her Family send gifts to be shared with others. It was her unselfishness that made Dion shine among the qualified finalists. Amy Palmer, chief executive officer of Operation Homefront, said the judges pick the winner based on actions in significant situations, above and beyond ordinary circumstances for deployed service members and Families. Palmer said it was apparent that Dion had faced unique challenges being a single mother and missing very significant milestones but was still more concerned about others' welfare rather than her own.In fact, Dion couldn't believe that she had actually won when she received the phone call. She said she almost fell over. She kept asking, Are you sure it's me? Do you have the right phone number? Are you talking to the right person? Operation Homefront's Military Motherhood Award is sponsored by Lockheed Martin and TriWest. Dion and her 9-year-old son, Ryan, were flown to Washington for a ceremony May 27 at the Pentagon, where Dion was awarded a trophy and a $5,000 check. During the ceremony, Dion continued gave most of the credit to Ryan for his patience. "He has been so helpful," Dion said. "My son has been by my side the whole time. He's a great supporter. You're looking at a future officer right there. He wants to be a doctor and deploy to serve his country.""I'm planning to be a Soldier, but my mom said I have to go to college first," Ryan said.Dion has served in the Army for 16 years and received the Meritorious Service Medal, but she said this is an experience that she and Ryan will never forget. The highlight of the trip was rolling down Constitution Avenue in a 1930 Model A Ford behind Medal of Honor winners in the Washington, D.C., Memorial Day Parade. "I wasn't looking for an award to be a mom and do what a Soldier does," Dion said. "But it's been an awesome, amazing experience. The Army is a wonderful place to be; I have loved my time in the Army."

Thursday Email

The people I work with know that these are my favorite kinds of emails so they keep them coming.

Look at the black patch under the U.S. Flag

The patch says 'Doing the work of '

The flags are France, Germany and Russia

This should be on the cover of Time, Newsweek etc

Why is it we never see pictures like these in the news?

Isn't it a shame that you never seem to see the good things our Service Members are doing? Well this might not be a major media outlet but I am happy to post pictures like these all day long.

Have a great Thursday

God Bless;

aam

Wednesday Hero

Pvt. William Long

23 years old from Conway, Arkansas

D Company, 2nd Battalion, 58th Infantry

June 1 2009

"My brother taught me valuable lessons and made me the man I am today," said Pfc. Triston Long, brother of Pvt. William Long. "My commander said, 'Make your brother one of us.' I will miss my brother with all that I am, and I serve in honor of him.

Pvt. William Long had just completed basic training and was set to ship out on June 8 to his first duty station in Korea when he and Private Second Class Quinton Ezeagwula were shot outside a Little Rock Arkansas Army-Navy Recruiting Center by Abdul Hakim Mujahid Muhammad. They were in Little Rock to speak with potential recruits about their experiences.

Pvt. Long's father, Daris Long, a former Marine, wrote a letter to give to him when he shipped out for South Korea. In the letter he wrote, "Your day only ends when you've done your duty. You and your brother... are both heroes for having the moral courage to stand up when your contry needs you most. You are in my hopes and thoughts and my prayers. Your are my son, you are my hero. I love you. Semper fidelis."

Along with his father and brother, Pvt. William Long is survived by his mother, Janet, who had served in the Navy herself.

All information was found on and copied from RedState, Sipsey Street Irregulars & Army Times with help from Kathi.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everday. Fot 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 Wenesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Fresh from my inbox

A Veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to The United States of America for an amount of "up to and including my life."

That is Honor and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it!!

AWESOME!!! Read below pic before making judgment on 'The Finger' gesture and you'll understand...

Leading the fight is Gunnery Sgt Michael Burghardt, known as 'Iron Mike' or just 'Gunny'. He is on his third tour in Iraq . He had become a legend in the bomb disposal world after winning the Bronze Star for disabling 64 IEDs and destroying 1,548 pieces of ordnance during his second tour.

Then, on September 19, he got blown up.

He had arrived at a chaotic scene after a bomb had killed four US soldiers.

He chose not to wear the bulky bomb protection suit.

'You can't react to any sniper fire and you get tunnel-vision,' he explains.

So, protected by just a helmet and standard-issue flak jacket, he began what bomb disposal officers term 'the longest walk', stepping gingerly into a 5 foot deep and 8 foot wide crater. The earth shifted slightly and he saw a Senao base station with a wire leading from it. He cut the wire and used his 7 inch knife to probe the ground. 'I found a piece of red detonating cord between my legs,' he says. 'That's when I knew I was screwed.' Realizing he had been sucked into a trap, Sgt Burghardt, 35, yelled at everyone to stay back.

At that moment, an insurgent, probably watching through binoculars, pressed a button on his mobile phone to detonate the secondary device below the sergeant's feet 'A chill went up the back of my neck and then the bomb exploded,' he recalls.

'As I was in the air I remember thinking, 'I don't believe they got me.' I was just ticked off they were able to do it. Then I was lying on the road, not able to feel anything from the waist down' His colleagues cut off his trousers to see how badly he was hurt. None could believe his legs were still there

'My dad's a Vietnam vet who's paralyzed from the waist down,' says Sgt Burghardt. 'I was lying there thinking I didn't want to be in a wheelchair next to my dad and for him to see me like that. They started to cut away my pants and I felt a real sharp pain and blood trickling down. Then I wiggled my toes and I thought, 'Good, I'm in business.'

As a stretcher was brought over, adrenaline and anger kicked in. 'I decided to walk to the helicopter. I wasn't going to let my team-mates see me being carried away on a stretcher.'

He stood and gave the insurgents who had blown him up a one-fingered salute.

'I flipped them one. It was like, 'OK, I lost that round but I'll be back next week.'

Copies of a photograph depicting his defiance, taken by Jeff Bundy for the Omaha World-Herald, adorn the walls of homes across America and that of Col John Gronski, the brigade commander in Ramadi, who has hailed the image as an exemplar of the warrior spirit.

Sgt Burghardt's injuries - burns and wounds to his legs and buttocks - kept him off duty for nearly a month and could have earned him a ticket home.

But, like his father - who was awarded a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts for being wounded in action in Vietnam - he stayed in Ramadi to engage in the battle against insurgents who are forever coming up with more ingenious ways of killing Americans..

Almost a month

OMG!!! It has been almost a month since I have had a spare moment to do anything even remotely considered blogging.
We have been so busy with baseball this year that it seems like the only time I am not at the ball park, I am at work. I am sick of dust and concession stand dinners but, the season is finally over and hopefully we will be able to skip All Stars this season although I will not know that for sure until tomorrow. We are also in the process of trying to buy a house and that is taking up a lot of time filling out papers and finding required documents etc. And my custom scrapbook business is taking off like fire right now with lots of baseball albums that need to be completed for others before I can even think about starting D~man's for this year. Enough with the excuses, lets see what I can tell all of you about the Cav World.

We are facing the big "D" word in a few short months and although I knew this would be coming I am still trying to wrap my mind and heart around the news that it will be sooner than we thought. Our Scout will be home sometime in August for a few weeks so we are all looking forward to that.
I was finally able to join the VFRG for the 1-89 and I have enjoyed reading all the information that is on there. Lately my phone conversations with Chris have been sitting in a lawn chair at the ball park and we spend alot of time saying "huh, what did you say?" because it is hard to hear over the cheering.
Chris has been having trouble with a shoulder injury and has had to do physical therapy the last few weeks so please remember him in your prayers.
I hope to get back to checking all of my favorite blogs and keeping this one more up to date now.
Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

God Bless,

Tami