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Baghdad, Iraq May 20, 2005Vol. 3, No. 20
Platelet donors saving lives at86th CSH Page 11
Services explain realignment,closure changes Page 2
Twin battle captains servingtogether in Iraq Page 15
Inside
2/14 digs for munitions, Page 9
WASHINGTON — Operation Matador is over, Marine officials in
Iraqannounced May 14.
The seven-day operation concentrated on cities near the Syrian
border.Pentagon officials said many foreign fighters allied with
terrorist master-mind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi slip across the porous
Syrian-Iraqi border.The operation concentrated on the Euphrates
River cities of Karabilah,Ramana and Ubaydi, a Marine statement
said.
Nine Marines assigned to Regimental Combat Team 2 died in the
oper-ation. Forty more were wounded. The statement said the joint
serviceteam’s Marines, Soldiers and Sailors “killed more than 125
terrorists,wounding many others and detaining 39 terrorists of
intelligence value.”
Coalition officials were concerned about the region even before
fight-ing in Fallujah in November. The area — part of Iraq’s Anbar
province— is laced with smuggling routes that go back generations.
Tribal loyal-ties extend on both sides of the border, and families
often control smug-gling “territory” and charge for services, said
Pentagon officials.
Marine officials said terrorists use the area as a staging
ground forattacks against Iraqi and Coalition targets in Ramadi,
Fallujah, Baghdadand Mosul.
The operation began May 7, and Marines killed about 70
terrorists inthe first 24-hour period. “Operation Matador confirmed
existing intelli-gence assessments focused on this region north of
the Euphrates River,including knowledge of numerous cave complexes
in the nearby escarp-ment,” the Marine statement said.
The Marines will continue to monitor the area, officials said.
Servicemembers discovered numerous weapons caches containing
machineguns, mortar rounds and rocket materials in towns along the
Syrian bor-der. “Six vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices and
material usedfor making other improvised explosive devices were
also found,” thestatement said.
“Regimental Combat Team 2 started and ended this operation
asplanned, accomplished its mission and secured all objectives,”
said Maj.Gen. Richard A. Huck, 2nd Marine Division commander,
quoted in thestatement. “Coalition and Iraqi security forces will
return again to thisarea in the future.”
In the northern part of Iraq, Soldiers of 1st Brigade, 25th
InfantryDivision’s Stryker Brigade Combat Team seized a large
weapons cacheMay 12. Soldiers found the weapons during a
cordon-and-search opera-tion southwest of Qayyarah. The cache
included 16 rocket-propelledgrenade rounds, a mortar round, one
case of fuses, two bags of charges,one pound of C4 explosives and a
case of ammunition. (Compiled fromMulti-National Force - Iraq news
releases.)
By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press Service
A Black Hawk crew chief, or gunner, keeps a constant lookout for
any hostile action from theIraqi landscape below as the helicopter
flies near the billowing smoke from an oil well that hadbeen set
afire by terrorists. Helicopter travel is an expedient means of
transportation for serv-ice members in Operation Iraqi Freedom. A
gunner on each side of a Black Hawk remains readyto return fire to
help ensure the crew and passengers’ safety throughout the
flight.
Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Birthisel
‘Matador’ends, Marinesmonitor area
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WASHINGTON — The services have used thebase realignment and
closure process to realignactive duty and reserve forces to better
face thethreats of the 21st century, Pentagon officials saidMay
13.
Each service worked closely with the otherservices and new joint
cross-service groups tomake sure the process produced a basing
struc-ture that will support the forces needed today.
On the active duty side, the Army has used theprocess to place
brigade combat teams and torelocate units returning from being
based over-
seas. The service also has used the process toimprove joint
training and basing. For example,the 7th Special Forces Group at
Fort Bragg, N.C.,will move to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
Armyofficials said this move will improve joint train-ing and joint
operations.
The Army BRAC recommendations call forthree brigade combat teams
to return from over-seas and move to Fort Bliss, Texas. Support
unitswill return from overseas duty and be based atFort Bragg; Fort
Carson, Colo.; Fort Knox, Ky.;and Fort Riley, Kan. The plan also
calls for abrigade to return from Korea to Fort Carson.
On the reserve component side, the Army willclose 176 Army
Reserve centers nationwide andbuild 125 new “multicomponent” armed
forces
reserve centers. “We’re proposing to close someof our smaller
211 Army National Guard facili-ties and relocate their tenants and
units into thesenew 125 armed forces reserve centers,” said
Gen.Richard Cody, Army vice chief of staff, during aPentagon news
conference.
Cody said the changes will help the Armytransform the Army
National Guard into brigadecombat teams like those in the active
component,and restructure the Army Reserve into the com-bat-support
and combat-service-support struc-ture that mirrors the active
component. Therestructuring fully embraces the Title 31
respon-sibilities that the governors and state adjutantgenerals
have for homeland security and home-land defense, Cody said.
Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, chief of theNational Guard Bureau,
said the changes shouldmake the Guard more responsive. “At the end
ofthe day, the Army National Guard will be a moreready, reliable
and accessible force, and we’ll beable to leverage the joint
capabilities of both theArmy and the Air National Guard so that
thegovernors can protect their citizenry here athome better than
they can now,” he said. Thechanges, he added, will allow the states
and terri-tories to “do a better job providing Army and AirGuard
units to the Army and Air Force, to thecombatant commanders
overseas.”
Blum clarified a statement attributed to him
CAMP VICTORY, BAGHDAD, Iraq — When it comes to ill-ness
prevention, children typically have parent-types looking aftertheir
well-being. Some of these parental figures keep giving thistype of
nurturing even as their children become adults.Unfortunately, most
troops deployed to Iraq don’t have the luxuryof having Mommy nearby
to kiss their boo-boos away, or helpthem through a stomachache, or
treat a bug bite. Luckily, troops inIraq do have people looking out
for their health — like guardiansin disguise. They are the
preventive medicine personnel who oper-ate from various detachments
and teams throughout the country.
“In a nutshell, our mission is to take care of U.S. and
Coalitionforces’ health by assessing health threats, recommending
appro-priate controls to lessen the threat and continuously
monitoring tosee if what we are doing is working,” said Lt. Col.
Steve Horosko,Force Health Protection Chief, Multi-National Corps –
Iraq sur-
geon’s office. “There are five, 12-15 person detachmentsor units
in Iraq that operate in various forward operatingbases. We have
about 100 or so FOBs and campsthroughout the country, and our
standard is that a PMteam visits each FOB or base camp once a
month.”Horosko said these teams normally consist of two or
threeenlisted Army PM specialists or Navy technicians, andpossibly
even an environmental science officer.
These teams have their work cut out for them and stayextremely
busy, said Horosko. One of the many tasksthey conduct is checking
both bottled and bulk potablewater. Horosko explained the water
used in dining facili-ties and in most cases in our showers is
potable water thathas been purified by water purification units
operated byKBR. However, some water, like that from faucets
inexisting hard-structured buildings, probably comes fromthe Iraqi
municipal water system, which isn’t potable byU.S. standards. The
PM teams also monitor waste man-agement, both solid and liquid, and
also air quality. Theymake sure when something is burned, it is not
harmful tothe troops. Additionally, the teams check dining
facilitiesto make sure standards are maintained.
“Most of the DFACs are run by KBR, and if a teamshould find
something wrong, KBR usually gets right onit, and they fix it very
quickly,” said Horosko. “Most of the DFACsin-country are maintained
at very high standards.”
Perhaps one of the biggest tasks PM detachments have is
pre-venting diseases such as leishmaniasis and malaria from
becominga problem by continuously monitoring the number of sand
fliesand mosquitoes in U.S. and Coalition areas, and taking steps
tocontrol them, Horosko said. KBR conducts most of the pest
con-trol activities in larger FOBs, but the PM detachments or
unitshave this responsibility in smaller FOBs where KBR does
notfunction.
“Most of the samples we get come from 2nd Brigade CombatTeam,
10th Mountain Division’s preventive medicine team locat-ed here at
Camp Victory,” said Spc. Kimberly A. Cupery, preven-tive medicine
specialist with the 12th Medical Det. Cupery and her
coworkers conduct preliminary testing on mosquitoes and
sandflies to determine their sex.
“First we determine the sex of the mosquito or sand fly,”
shesaid. “Males are of no medical importance because only
femalesbite and can carry disease. We actually don’t have the means
to testfor leishmaniasis and malaria in-theater, so we send samples
to theU.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive
Medicinein Maryland, or the Walter Reed Army Institute of
Research.
Although testing sand flies and mosquitoes for
disease-causingorganisms is not conducted in-country, the
preventive medicineunits collect a variety of insect samples for
different reasons.
“We collect sand fly and mosquito adults and mosquito larvae
todetermine how many of these biting insects are around, and also
to
Editor...................................Staff Sgt. Brett B.
McMillan
Assistant Editor....................................Sgt. Misha
King
Staff.......................................Staff Sgt. Timothy
B. Lawn
Staff..............................................Sgt. W.
Watson Martin
Staff............................................Pfc. Ferdinand
Thomas
MNF-I Commanding GeneralGen. George Casey
MNF-I PAOCol. Robert A. Potter
Command Information ChiefMaj. Patricia C. Anderson
Command Information NCOICMaster Sgt. Michele R. Hammonds
The Scimitar is an authorized publication for members of the
Department of Defense. Contents of this paper are not necessarily
the official viewsof or endorsed by the U.S. Government or
Department of Defense. The editorial content of this publication is
the responsibility of the PublicAffairs Office of the
Multi-National Force - Iraq. Stars and Stripes newspaper is not
affiliated with MNF-I and acts only as a distributing sourcefor the
Scimitar. Questions and comments should be directed to the editor
at [email protected].
Scimitar welcomes columns, commen-taries, articles and letters
from readers.
Send submissions to [email protected]
We reserve the right to editfor propriety, clarity and
space.
The Scimitar can also be viewed on theWeb at
http://www.mnf-iraq.com/coalition-news/publications.htm
ScimitarPage 2 May 20, 2005
[email protected]
[email protected]
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[email protected]
[email protected]
Preventive medicine: Guardians of troops’ healthStory and photos
by Sgt. Misha KingScimitar Assistant Editor
[email protected]
See PREVENTIVE, Page 4
Spc. Greg Helminski, a preventive medicine specialist with
the12th Med. Det. at Camp Victory, Iraq, treats a building’s
perime-ter with a pesticide-filled backpack sprayer, focusing on
wallsand trees, which are daytime resting sites for adult
mosquitoes.
[email protected]
By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press Service
Services explain realignment, closure changes
Capt. Ira Heimler, 12th Medical Detachment execu-tive officer,
checks a trap for mosquitoes, whichwill be screened and a
percentage sent away fortesting to determine if they are carrying
disease.
See BRAC, Page 5
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ScimitarMay 20, 2005 Page 3
ScimitScimitar Pulsear Pulse
“It is important to acknowledge wehave Armed Forces. What is
askedof us is more than what is asked ofthe average citizen.”
Army Col. Paul WoernerMulti-National Force – Iraq
“I think it is important to recognizethe people who are out
there fightingto keep America safe and free.”
Air Force 1st Lt. Rebecca GarciaStrategic Communications
“I think we need to honor the ArmedForces as an institution
because ofeverything they have meant to ourcountry since its birth
and through-out history.”
Air Force Lt. Col. Myron MajorsJoint Area Support Group
–Central
“I think a lot of people who are partof the Armed Forces make
great sac-rifices for our country, which trans-lates into a great
sacrifice for safetyand security for all of us.”
Patricia BergstresserDepartment of State
“It sheds more light on the brightersides of serving in the
military.”
Army Sgt. Andrew Hill1st Battalion, 58th Aviation
“It not only commemorates the serv-ice of military members
today, butinsinuates great service and sacri-fices of all Armed
Forces membersof the past.”
Army Maj. Richard MoonMulti-National Force – Iraq
“The liberties people enjoy are takenfor granted from time to
time.Armed Forces Day is set aside tolook back at the achievements
of themilitary.”
Jonathan ZenoArmy & Air Force Exchange Service
Why do you think it is important tohave Armed Forces Day?
PERSPECTIVES
FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARRIOR, Iraq— During a recent trip to
Task Force 1/148 FieldArtillery’s eastern area of operations (AO
ScorpionEast), I had the opportunity to visit the city of
Halabja.Halabja was the site of the single most deadly attackon the
Kurdish people during the Al Anfal campaignconducted by Saddam’s
army during the eight-yearIraq-Iran War. During Al Anfal an
estimated 50 to100,000 Kurdish people were murdered. Hundreds
ofthousands of others were forced to flee from theirhomelands to
the nearby mountains or neighboringcountries.
Halabja, a town of about 50,000 people at the timeof the attack,
sits at the base of a majestic mountainrange in northeastern Iraq
about nine miles from theIranian border. The mountain range rises
to heightsapproaching 10,000 feet and forms the border betweenIraq
and Iran, of which over 500 kilometers are withinAO Scorpion. The
town itself sits in a rich agricultural area,and other than the
architecture of the buildings, resemblesmany of the small farming
communities in Idaho, as do themountains in the distance. Today the
city is busy and bustling,but the effects and the aftermath of the
attack are evidenteverywhere.
The actual attack on Halabja occurred late in the afternoonon
March 16, 1988. In the initial phase of the attack,Saddam’s army
used only conventional bombs and artillery.The Iraqi officers knew
the Kurdish citizens would seek shel-ter in the basements and
caverns beneath their homes andbusinesses. After this initial
phase, while the local peoplewere still sheltered beneath ground
level, Saddam’s forcesunleashed the chemical weapons, which
included both air-dropped and artillery-delivered munitions.
Saddam’s officersknew full well the chemical gases were heavier
than air andonce released would settle to the lowest level, exactly
wherethe Kurdish people had sought shelter. The munitions
deliv-ered on that day were varied, but included the blister
agentmustard, as well as the nerve agents sarin, tubun and VX. In
afew short minutes, approximately 5,000 people perished —about 75
percent of them women and children, according tomany analysts.
Death came quickly, but not quickly enoughto prevent the agony and
pain these people suffered in theirlast moments. That pain and
agony is apparent in the picturesand paintings in the
HalabjaMonument, built as a testament tothe victims and the
survivors.
The attack had no strategic impor-tance in the war against Iran,
norwas it a result of collateral damage.Rather, it was part of a
large-scaledeliberate campaign against theKurdish inhabitants of
the region ini-tiated by Saddam’s regime. Al Anfal,which translated
from the Koranmeans “The Spoils of War” or“booty,” lasted nearly 10
years andended with the United States’ inva-sion in 1990 during
OperationDesert Storm after the liberation ofKuwait. The purpose of
the cam-paign was to kill the Kurds or forcethem from their homes
in NorthernIraq. The motive: ethnic cleansing ormore simply, in
this particular regionof Iraq — oil. The campaign wasdirected
primarily at males of “fight-
ing age.” Saddam’s intent was not only to take the oil-richlands
in northern Iraq, but to eliminate any future attempt bythe Kurds
to reclaim those lands. No evidence exits to suggestAl Anfal would
have ended if Desert Storm had not occurred.
The effects of the attack remain obvious today. Many peo-ple
show the horrible scars of the blister agents. The waterand the
food supplies show high levels of contaminants. Thepeople of
Halabja today suffer from respiratory diseases andcertain forms of
cancer at a rate that is four times as high asthe rates in
surrounding areas not involved in the attack.Young children
contract leukemia and lymphoma at alarming-ly high rates. Emotional
scars, though not visible to me onsuch a short visit, surely remain
as well.
The people built the Halabja Memorial Monument on theoutskirts
of the city to remind the world of the terrible eventsthat took
place there 17 years ago. The monument was com-pleted in 2001.
Halabja Hall contains graphic photos, paint-ings and sculptures
depicting the tragic events that occurredthat day. The names of all
of the people who perished thereare engraved on plates on the walls
in another hall calledHalabja Heart. Three other halls in the
monument house moreexhibits of the tragedy, as well as a 240-seat
auditoriumwhere visitors can watch video presentations about
Halabja’shistory and the attack itself. The victims of the
mass-murderare buried in a cemetery adjacent to the monument in
gravesmarked with identical white headstones.
I will never forget my visit toHalabja. It was a very emotional
expe-rience to say the least. We, not only ascitizens, but as
Soldiers too often takefor granted the freedoms and libertieswe
enjoy in the United States. After all,isn’t that why we are here —
to helpthe Iraqi people build a society and acountry based upon
liberty and justice?The effects and the aftermath of thisruthless
attack left the city and the peo-ple of Halabja permanently
scarred; theeffects and the aftermath are evidenteverywhere.
Although I saw despair, Isaw the hope of these amazing peopleas
well. I saw the tragedy and I saw thetriumph of their resiliency. I
saw theirtears, but more often, I saw their laugh-ter and their joy
of life. Let’s help thembuild a country that is based upon
therights and freedoms of the many, notthe tyrannical greed and
madness of thedictatorial few.
By Command Sgt. Maj. William GreenTask Force 1/148 Field
Artillery
Photos courtesy of Command Sgt. Maj. William GreenCommand Sgt.
Maj. William Green, Task Force 1/148 FieldArtillery, poses at the
Halabja cemetery, which is adjacent tothe memorial monument
commemorating the chemical attackby Saddam Hussein in March 1988 on
the citizens of Halabja.
Memorial visit highlights resultsof tyranny, hope of freedom
The Halabja Memorial Monument inHalabja, Iraq.
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ScimitarPage 4 May 20, 2005
check the effectiveness of our pesti-cides,” said Capt. Ira
Heimler, executiveofficer for 12th Medical Det. “We applylarvicides
to mosquito larva sites, suchas ponds and edges of lakes, to
helpkeep the mosquito numbers down,therefore reducing the threat of
disease.”
“By applying pesticides on areaswhere sand flies and mosquitoes
liketo rest during the day, like buildingwalls, around sand bags
and trees, wecan keep the numbers down wheretroops are,” added
Staff Sgt. CharlesOsborne, PM specialist, 12th MedicalDet.
“Treating for these pests withchemical pesticides,
encouragingtroops to use DEET skin repellent andtreat their
uniforms with permethrin,and modifying the pests’ habitat
helpsprotect our forces from biting mosqui-toes and sand
flies.”
And keeping these pests in control isimportant to everyone and
is importantto the overall mission.
“One of the most important things ismaking sure commanders know
whatthe health risks are,” Horosko said. “InDesert Storm, we didn’t
do such agood job of monitoring the environ-mental threats facing
our forces, butwe’re doing a much better job now.PM units have much
better equipment,and the PM mission is getting moresupport from
commanders than in thepast. Our PM specialists, environmen-tal
science officers and entomologistsare better trained and also have
a sig-nificant reach-back capability throughDoD labs in the
U.S.
“As a result, we are able to accom-plish so much more now than
we wereable to just 15 years ago. We’re con-stantly monitoring the
water, soil, air,conducting DFAC inspections, con-trolling
disease-causing insects andletting the commanders know what the
threat is and what to do about it. Wemake sure water, food,
where you live,and the air you breathe are good to go,and if it’s
not, we make recommenda-tions of what they need to do about
it.”
These checks and balances canmake a real difference in troops’
well-being and the overall mission success.Not to mention, parents
back homewould be happy to know their lovedones are being looked
after byguardians in disguise.
“When I get calls about troops con-cerned about their water or
breathingin some smoke and are coughing, Ican put the right team on
it. If there’sa problem with something beingdumped on the side of
the road some-where, I know whom to energize toget that problem
fixed. It’s good to beable to accomplish things and tomake things
happen — and it feelsreally good to be able to make a dif-ference
in the day-to-day existence ofour forces.”
FORWARD OPERATING BASE SUMMERALL, BAYJI, Iraq— “The Scorpion” is
what Capt. Hussein Ali Suleman, command-er of Company C, 201st
Battalion of the Iraqi Army calls himself— a nickname that
illustrates what he and Task Force DragoonCommander Lt. Col. Philip
Logan are using to defeat insurgentshere — precision strikes.
“The mark of a professional Soldier is precision strikes,”
Logansaid. “You eliminate the threat without endangering the lives
ofinnocent civilians around you.”
“That sums up [Hussein’s] vision for operations,” said Sgt.
1stClass Richard McGovern, Company A, 1st Battalion, 111thInfantry,
which is part of Task Force Dragoon. “A scorpion is asmall animal
that wields a lot of power. When it uses its power, itdoes so with
precision and effectiveness.”
That precision is borne out in the continuous,
intelligence-drivenoperations — patrols, raids, cordon and search
missions, observa-tion posts and traffic control points — which the
Soldiers of TaskForce Dragoon and C Co., 201st Bn., Iraqi Army,
execute. Thesemissions recently paid off in the defeat of wanted
Iraqi terroristNabil Badriyah Al Nasiri, who surrendered to the
201st Iraqi ArmyBattalion May 2, and the May 4 capture of 22
insurgents suspectedof launching rockets at Coalition forces
here.
“Intelligence drives maneuver” is a saying repeated at all
levelsof command, Logan said, and one that Task Force Dragoon
fol-lows.
“Sometimes you have to fight for intelligence,” Logan said.“You
have to conduct patrols, searches and raids aggressively. Youhave
to do that while fighting off [improvised explosive device]attacks
and indirect fire attacks.”
This “homegrown intel,” as Logan called it, was compiled
withintelligence from other sources and enabled Task Force
Dragoonand the Iraqi Soldiers to target and capture Badriyah’s
bodyguardsin a series of raids in Bayji. This denied Badriyah the
ability tomaneuver and led to his surrender, Logan said.
“Power is nothing without wisdom,” Hussein said. “If I use
mypower wisely, I will be able to do good things and draw good
mento our cause.”
“It goes back to shaping the battlefield that accounts for our
suc-cesses this week,” Logan said.
For the Soldiers, this means a high operations tempo.“We’ve got
Soldiers out 24 hours a day, doing mounted recon-
naissance, dismounted and mounted patrols, convoy logistic
patrolsfor vehicle parts and supplies, counter-IED ambushes and
counter-sniper ambushes,” said Logan. “It’s an enormous
undertaking.”
Unlike the precision strikes of Task Force Dragoon,
insurgentattacks do not discriminate. Iraqis are suffering the
brunt of IEDs’destructive power and collateral damage, he said.
“People are beginning to realize that anti-Iraqi forces are
killingIraqis,” Logan said.
Task Force Dragoon faced a different threat before the Iraqi
elec-tions, Logan said, consisting of roadside bombs, suicide car
bomb-ings, direct fire, indirect fire and “sustained, persistent
contact withthe enemy.” In the weeks leading up to the election,
Logan said, hewas “prepared for Bayji to become Stalingrad on the
Tigris.”
“In the days and weeks following the election, we saw a
markedchange in community leaders,” he said. “They realized there
is anew government, and that they wouldn’t have a voice if they
did-n’t participate.”
In addition to engaging the enemy, Task Force Dragoon and CCo.
are engaging the citizens of Iraq with civil affairs
operationsdesigned to help Iraqis get back on their feet, and
repair the area’sdamaged infrastructure.
Task Force Dragoon leaders also meet with area religious,
polit-ical, government, and tribal leaders regularly and listen to
theirneeds, and try to balance those needs with projects which will
helpIraqis get back on their feet.
But, Logan conceded, the fight goes on.“When you capture someone
like Nabil Badriyah, you’ve got
about five minutes to celebrate,” Logan said. “Then you’ve got
toget out there and start patrolling and fighting for
intelligenceagain.”
Precision strikes pay offBy Staff Sgt. Raymond Drumsta42nd
Infantry Division
Preventivefrom Page 2
FORWARD OPERATING BASE DANGER, Tikrit, Iraq— Pressure from Iraqi
Army and Task Force Liberty unitsoperating near Bayji led wanted
Iraqi terrorist Nabil BadriyahAl Nasiri to surrender, said Capt.
Hussein Ali Suleman,Company C commander with the 201st Iraqi Army
Battalion.
Badriyah, who is from Bayji, surrendered to the 201st IraqiArmy
Battalion in Tikrit May 2. He is suspected of being a ter-rorist
cell leader responsible for recent vehicle-borne impro-vised
explosive device attacks against Iraqi police, and otherterrorist
activities designed to undermine stability in andaround Bayji,
Tikrit and Samarra.
Badriyah reportedly admitted that he felt compelled to
givehimself up because of pressure from Iraqi Army and TaskForce
Liberty units.
Badriyah “found himself in a tight circle,” Husseinexplained,
because of the intense, intelligence-driven manhuntfor him by C
Co., 201st IA Bn. and Task Force Dragoon. TaskForce Dragoon is part
of Task Force Liberty’s 1st BrigadeCombat Team, operating in the
northern part of Salah Ad DinProvince since January.
“We’ve been hunting for him since we got here,” said Lt.Col.
Philip Logan, Task Force Dragoon commander. “It start-ed to turn
for us when we conducted a series of raids in Bayjiand picked up
some of his bodyguards.”
Task Force Dragoon and C Co., 201st IA Bn., had been“closing the
noose” on Badriyah, Logan said, and the arrest ofhis bodyguards and
breakup of area terrorist cells had“reduced his ability to
maneuver.”
Hussein likened the manhunt, which included a series ofraids on
Badriyah’s sanctuaries and arrest of his other associ-ates, as a
“stranglehold” on Badriyah.
“What led up to that [surrender] was very hard work byIraqi Army
and American Soldiers to put the pieces of the puz-zle together,”
Logan said. He added that Badriyah’s uncondi-tional surrender sends
a message that the Iraqi Army andCoalition forces do not negotiate
with terrorists.
Both Hussein and Logan said aggressive patrolling
andimplementing traffic control points by their units also playeda
part in Badriyah’s surrender.
Task Force Dragoon and C Co., 201st operate near Bayji
from FOB Summerall. TF Dragoon’s sector, which includesBayji, is
7,000 square kilometers, Logan said – larger than thestate of
Delaware, and the biggest sector in Task ForceLiberty’s area of
operations.
“We’re a motorized infantry task force made up primarilyof
Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers,” Logan said.
In addition to conducting missions, C Co., 201st IA Bn.,
isreceiving continuous training from TF Dragoon Soldiers.
“Tactically they’re operating at a platoon level,” Logansaid.
“They are able to work with my platoons on operationssuch as
traffic control points, dismounted and mountedpatrols, raids and
cordons and searches.”
Iraqi Soldiers will be conducting company-level operationsby
summer, Logan predicted.
“When they begin to work at company level, they’ll havetheir own
sector they’ll be responsible for,” he said.
“I believe my Soldiers to be brave and strong,” Husseinsaid.
“They are not afraid of dying. We are ready to take onany mission.”
Badriyah was transported to a Coalition forcesdetention facility.
Their hunt for other terrorists continues,Hussein added.
“Everywhere we go, we will capture terrorists,” he said.“When I
took command, I told my Soldiers, ‘If I don’t catchBadriyah, I am a
loser.’ This is my war. I will win.”
WANTED terrorist leadersurrenders to Iraqi ArmyStory and photo
by Staff Sgt. Raymond Drumsta42nd Infantry Division
A Soldier from B Co., 2nd Bn., 7th Inf., patrols thestreets of
Bayji. Task Force Dragoon units’ patrolsand operations led to Nabil
Badriyah’s surrender.
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ScimitarMay 20, 2005 Page 5
that seemed to suggest he agreed with the notion that
governorsshould challenge DoD’s right to close National Guard
bases. “AllI said was governors ought to be interested and involved
in whathappens to their guardsmen,” he said following the news
confer-ence. “The governors are the commanders of those
troops.”
Although the impact of the BRAC recommendations has
beenrelatively light for the Marine Corps, officials are calling it
a pos-itive step in terms of reducing excess infrastructure and
improvingoperational efficiencies.
One of the most significant changes involves centralizing
itsreserve elements and their associated management
functions.According to Maj. Nat Fahy, a spokesman for
HeadquartersMarine Corps, the recommendations call for
consolidating theMarine Forces Reserve headquarters and the Marine
CorpsReserve Support Command Element of Mobilization Commandin
Missouri to Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans.
In addition to centralizing management of reserve elements
andtheir associated management functions, this move will
enhancejoint-service interoperability, Fahy said.
Another recommendation involves consolidating
correctionalcapabilities at Naval Support Activity Northwest Annex
inChesapeake, Va., and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif.
In addition, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., will host
allinvestigative headquarters, Fahy said.
Navy officials said the BRAC process attempts to set the
infra-structure for the next 20 years. Navy officials said the BRAC
rec-ommendations go hand in hand with other major Navy
transfor-mation initiatives under way, including the Human
CapitalStrategy Plan, Sea Enterprise and Fleet Response Plan.
“A major part of this BRAC has been to [evaluate] excesses,
tryand look forward in years in terms of the programs that
we’lldeliver, the type of ships and submarines that we’ll have in
thefleet, and to try and match the infrastructure with a
considerationfor surge with that future naval force,” Adm. Bob
Willard, vicechief of naval operations, said May 13.
Willard stressed that across the range of Navy installations -
theports, the submarine bases, the industrial infrastructure -
militaryvalue was “foremost in our consideration, and trying to get
the sizeright of these installations relative to the fleet.”
Lt. Christine Ventresca, a Navy spokeswoman, said the
recom-mendations, once implemented within the Navy, will save
morethan $1.5 billion a year.
Officials said the recommendations will make the Air Forcemore
capable, efficient and effective while helping transform theAir
Force to better meet future threats.
According to Air Force spokeswoman Shirley Curry, closingand
realigning bases will consolidate aircraft and operations
intolarger squadrons, optimizing critical resources.
By 2011, all F-16 and A-10 squadrons will have 18 or 24
air-craft, and C-130 and KC-135 squadrons will have 12 or 16
air-craft, officials said.
The recommendations also help balance airpower within the
AirForce’s active duty, Air Force Reserve and Air National
Guardcomponents, strengthening the Air Force’s overall
warfightingcapability, she said.
The BRAC recommendations affect 115 installations and
facil-ities and involve closing 12. Officials said they end flying
opera-tions at 28 installations and reduce excess airfield
infrastructure by37 percent and excess building and facility
infrastructure by 79percent.
(Donna Miles of American Forces Press Service collaborated
onthis article.)
BRACfrom Page 2
BAGHDAD, Iraq — We have all heard the saying, “… teach aman to
fish and he’ll feed himself forever.”
Based upon its current reconstruction mission in Iraq, the
U.S.Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region Division, has updated
thataxiom to read, “… and if you train and enable an Iraqi engineer
tointern with your experienced staff, he or she can become a
promi-nent contributor to Iraq’s reconstruction.”
The Corps works in cooperation with theIraqi Ministry of
Municipalities and PublicWorks to build capacity to design,
supervise,and maintain Iraq’s infrastructure over thelong term. To
make this goal a reality, theGRD has entered into an agreement
whereinpromising MMPW engineers from across thecountry attend a
six-day training course inBaghdad to familiarize themselves with
corpsstandard construction practices. During thatinitial period, in
addition to formal classroominstruction, the interns also garner
hands-onexperience at construction sites in theInternational
Zone.
“The intern program is an important step inhelping Iraq and the
U.S. governments betterunderstand how we both manage
constructionand to identify the best business practices ofeach,”
said James Dalton, GRD Director ofBusiness Management.
The program trainees attend classesdesigned to prepare them for
the unique reconstruction programunderway in Iraq — a program
focused on rebuilding war-relateddamage, shoring up an
infrastructure ignored for over threedecades by the previous
regime, and ongoing attacks by a deter-mined insurgency. Applicants
require backgrounds in the disci-plines of electrical, civil,
mechanical, fire protection, and structur-
al engineering, as well as architecture, in order to qualify
forinternships with the program.
As part of their preparation, interns attend classes such as
“Whatis Construction Quality Management,” “Contractor andGovernment
Responsibilities,” “Theory of Project Planning,” and“Project
Construction,” to name a few.
Interns report to a corps field office immediately following
theirclassroom training. They team up with their corps sponsor
andbegin individual, on-the-job training by shadowing and
assisting
corps engineers and project managers. Oncethey complete the
internship program, theIraqi engineers return to their
respectiveMMPW positions.
The initial group of interns consisted of onefemale and seven
male engineers. Althoughthey did not wish to reveal their names due
tosecurity concerns, they were anxious to givetheir opinions of the
program.
“It means a lot to us. We are not used to tak-ing courses such
as this,” said one intern. “It’suseful to us. Some information was
new to usas well as some procedures.”
Another intern responded, “Although ourengineering methods are
basically the same,the [corps] quality management is much high-er
than ours.”
According to Dalton, the GRD expectsboth the United States and
Iraq to benefit fromthe six-month intern program well into
thefuture.
“As we award more contracts to Iraqi firms,the information
sharing facilitated by the MMPW Intern Programwill greatly assist
GRD in better administration of these contracts.And participants in
the program will experience valuable on-the-job training by
spending time at our district offices,” Dalton said.
The interns also speculated on what their participation in
thisprogram will mean to them in the future.
By Denise CalabriaU.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Army Corps of Engineers’ GulfRegion welcomes Iraqi interns
BAGHDAD, Iraq — “If you put yourself in the terrorists’shoes and
think of what they’d need and how to carry out a spe-cific task,
stopping them from doing those acts becomes easi-er,” said Maj.
John Michael Wells.
With that in mind, 256th Brigade Combat Team intelligencesection
Soldiers discuss the motivations behind terrorist acts ina meeting
known as “The Murder Board.”
“In some cases you have to think like a terrorist to
understandone,” said Wells, the intelligence officer of
Headquarters andHeadquarters Company, 256th BCT.
As service members throughout Operation Iraqi Freedomwitness the
dangers of daily operations in Iraq, the MurderBoards aim to help
them better understand and combat the anti-Coalition forces
attacking them.
Wells, a New Orleans native, said analysts meet weekly in anopen
forum, bringing their ideas to the table to explore what canbe done
to aid troops who encounter the enemy.
“Intel personnel don’t normally have to face a
[vehicle-borneimprovised explosive device] or go on a raid, so we
have to geta good picture or a story told from the reports,” said
Sgt.Andrew Hyde, HHC, 256th BCT. “We then try to figure out thenext
line of the story. Once we figure out what is going to hap-pen
next, we make recommendations to the commander onhow to combat the
enemy.”
The forum analyzes topics from fuel extortions, the
Iraqielection, emerging terrorist cells and various other issues
thatdirectly impact the 256th BCT area of operations, and the
over-all stability of Iraq.
“Sometimes a problem will arise when everyone’s divided,and
that’s where the job becomes a challenge, because you haveto argue
your point and find the grounds on which everyoneagrees to come to
a compromise,” Hyde said.
The Lafayette, La., native found when the Soldiers are in
dis-agreement, problems are then exposed. “It’s not a bad thingwhen
you don’t agree; that’s when gaps are identified in theunit’s
intelligence gathering. Soldiers can then fix the gaps inthe theory
and find the best way to present their findingsthrough the chain,”
he said.
The theory wrangling among intel Soldiers is also where theboard
gets its name. “The ideas you bring are being ‘murdered’because as
soon as the topic is up for discussion, Soldiers areshooting it
down with their own opinions,” Wells said. “As longas they can back
it up, anything is fair game.”
Intelligence analysts, by nature, like to argue, Wells said.“The
Murder Board” gives them an opportunity to argue theirideas while
making sure they have thought through the detailsand checked their
facts.
“You know going in that all your points will be challenged,so
you have to be prepared,” he said.
Spc. Joshua Schuttloffel, from Lennox, S.D., an
intelligenceanalyst with the 256th, said participating in this type
of meetingis a valuable asset to the brigade and important to build
uponSoldiers’ teamwork. “You’re encouraging thought amongst
allSoldiers from the top down,” he said. “They see the topic
andthen predict how and what the enemy may do.”
Although it can be challenging for them at times, intelSoldiers
of the 256th BCT are motivated and ready for the chal-lenges that
sway the daily affairs of the brigade.
“It’s exciting to know that your thoughts can influence thewhole
brigade, if you can run them through the gauntlet of yourfellow
analysts and they become part of the final assessment,”Hyde
said.
Whatever the outcome, Soldiers of the 256th intel sectionknow
their work will shape brigade operations and will hope-fully help
to better prepare Soldiers who go out every day onthe streets of
Baghdad.
“As long as we are here, we will continue to work hard tostay
one step ahead of the insurgents,” Wells said.
Murdering ideas tosave Soldiers’ livesBy Spc. Ricardo Branch3rd
Infantry Division Public Affairs
Command Sgt Maj. JorgeGutierrez addresses Iraqiengineers taking
part in theGRD Intern Program.
Courtesy photo
-
Rice visits Iraq, calls on government to movequicklyWASHINGTON —
Terrorists continued to attack innocent Iraqisas Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice paid a surprise visit to thecountry Sunday.
Attacks in Baghdad and Baqubah killed a num-ber of people,
according to news reports. Iraqi officials also foundat least 34
men killed execution style in Baghdad’s Sadr Cityneighborhood and
in the town of Latifiyah, south of the capital.
Rice met with Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jafaari andDeputy
Prime Minister Ahmed Chalabi. It was her first visit to Iraqsince
becoming secretary of state.
Associated Press quoted Rice as saying, “The insurgency is
veryviolent, but you defeat insurgencies not just militarily. You
defeatthem by having a political alternative that is strong. The
Iraqis ...are now going to have to intensify their efforts to
demonstrate thatin fact the political process is the answer for the
Iraqi people.”
Rice urged the Iraqi government leaders to move quickly asthey
write a constitution to set up a permanent government for
thenation. She said the Iraqi people are growing impatient
withdelays.
In Baghdad, Iraqi children led Task Force Baghdad Soldiers toa
weapons cache. The children led the troopers to three
rocket-pro-pelled grenades and 10 fuses. An explosives ordnance
disposalteam was called to the site and safely detonated the
munitions.
“The majority of Iraqis do not support the insurgency,” said
Lt.Col. Clifford Kent, a Task Force Baghdad spokesman. “MostIraqis
want to give the new Iraqi government a chance to work,and that’s
why they’re turning in these terrorists and theirweapons.”
In combat operations conducted May 14, Iraqi Soldiers
capturedseven terror suspects in eastern Baghdad. The Iraqi
Soldiers seizeda computer, small arms, a protective mask and cell
phone parts thatcould be used to remotely detonate bombs. All seven
suspectswere taken into custody for questioning.
In southern Baghdad, U.S. Soldiers conducted a series of
earlymorning raids Baghdad and captured three specifically
targetedterror suspects. The suspects are believed to have planned
and car-ried out a number of terrorist attacks in the area. The
Soldiers alsofound several AK-47 assault rifles, pistols and
cellular phones dur-ing the raid. The three suspects were taken
into custody for ques-tioning.
Later in the day, Task Force Baghdad Soldiers working in
south-
eastern Baghdad found another weapons cache containing
sevenartillery shells and a rocket-propelled grenade. In Mosul,
StrykerBrigade Combat Team Soldiers detained 21 suspected
terrorists.Soldiers detained 10 suspects in western Mosul, five in
southeast-ern Mosul and six near the town of Sinjar. (Compiled by
AmericanForces Press Service from Multi-National Force - Iraq
newsreleases and news reports.)
Airmen allowed to show service colors whiletravelingWASHINGTON —
A new Air Force policy gives Airmen thechoice to show their colors
when traveling to and from deploy-ment locations.
Airmen traveling to and from the U.S. Central Command AirForces’
area of responsibility have been, until recently, required towear
civilian clothing on flights in and out of the area.
Under a new policy, Airmen now have the option to wear
theirdesert combat uniform on those flights. The policy change
cameafter suggestions to both the chief of staff and chief master
ser-geant of the Air Force, said Senior Master Sgt. Dana Athnos,
theAir Force’s uniform board superintendent.
“This started with queries to Air Force senior [leaders] as
theytoured the AOR,” Athnos said. “This was about pride. Other
serv-ices were coming home in uniform and experiencing
tremendoussupport along the way from the American public. Our
Airmenwere in civilian clothes, and people didn’t readily recognize
themas Air Force personnel. They simply want the country to
knowthey are proud of their service, too.”
The new policy allows Airmen to wear their uniforms
whentraveling inside the United States to their port of departure,
so longas they fly aboard a U.S.-based airline. Airmen may also
wear theiruniforms when traveling to the AOR if they are flying on
a mili-tary or chartered commercial aircraft. The same rules apply
whenAirmen come home.
One concern for policy makers is that Airmen remember to
con-duct themselves as true Air Force professionals. Athnos
saidAirmen are reminded that their uniforms must always be clean
andserviceable; they must be in compliance with dress and
appear-ance instructions and always conduct themselves in a
mannerbefitting the Air Force.
ScimitarPage 6 May 20, 2005
NEWS IN BRIEF
Continued on next page
INTERNATIONAL ZONE, BAGHDAD, Iraq — Seniormilitary personnel and
civilian employees attended a culturalawareness class to teach them
about Iraqi society at thePresidential Palace May 14.
National Iraqi Assistance Center instructors sponsored andtaught
the class to gather support in their efforts to implementthe class
as required training for all new arrivals of Coalitionforces,
contract and civilian workers serving in Iraq.
“One of our goals is to get the senior leadership of
theCoalition to say that before anyone sets foot into the coun-try
that they go through some sort of cultural awarenesstraining so
they understand this society,” said Lt. Col.Richard D. Welch,
program manager and assistant chief ofstaff G5, 1st Cavalry
Division. He gave a class on culturetraining. Welch, an Ohio
native, and his eight instructors allof Iraqi descent, led
discussions on Iraqi culture, history,religion, women and children
issues, and dos and don’ts ofthe culture.
Mahdi (last name withheld for security), an instructor,spoke to
the group about dos and don’ts. The fifth year med-ical student
from Baghdad University said he originally start-ed teaching the
class to give back to his Iraqi people.
“It’s important for my people when they are treated in
thecorrect way with respect,” said Mahdi, who speaks
Arabic,English, French and Persian.
Linda Akroush, a translator with Multi-National Force -Iraq,
Ministry of Defense/Ministry of Interior, support officesat in on
the culture awareness class to learn more about theIraqi culture
and customs. Akroush, who has worked inBaghdad for two years,
planned to put the knowledge shereceived from the class to use the
next time she has thechance to interact with local Iraqis.
“By understanding their culture and being respectful toIraqis …
we can work together to show the Iraqi people wecare and are here
to help them and we will succeed,” she said.“That is why I am
here.”
Trying to understand the 5,000-year-old Iraqi culture in
aneffort to provide assistance to Iraqis can be a daunting task
toCoalition forces. Sometimes people from older countriesbecome
offended when Americans advise them on ways tolive, said Welch
addressing the class.
“We need to recognize there are many good things that havebeen
learned here and applied here over the last 5,000 years,”Welch
said. “By building relationships, we can share with thepeople the
good things of our culture and try to model the val-ues and the
things we think are important in our culture andsociety and help
every aspect of the Iraq culture and movetoward modernity.”
Eager to stay abreast with the Iraqi culture and customssince
her arrival to Baghdad three months ago, U.S. ArmyCol. Sylvia
Moran, MNF-I MOD/MOI, Middle East foreignarea officer, also took
part in the culture awareness class. Overthe course of her 29-year
military career Moran, who is anative of Illinois, has studied the
Arabic and Islamic cultures.
“I have not studied Iraq or Iraqi culture by actually
beinghere,” Moran said. “I only read about Iraq in books, andbooks
just can’t teach you what you need to know. I wantedto find out
more about Iraq.”
Moran knows she views the Iraq culture from anAmerican’s
perspective.
“Our approach with the Iraqi military is very American,but by
understanding an Iraqi approach it will help to haveclear
communications and training between the two of us,”she said.
Understanding the culture and customs is only part of it —Iraqi
people want to know the Coalition forces care, Welchsaid.
“People don’t care how much you know until they knowhow much you
care,” he said. Your words then and yourdialect with them are much
more than just noise.”
Coalition receives culturalawareness training
CAMP TIGERLAND, Iraq —Soldiers of the 256th Brigade CombatTeam
ensured farmers of the greaterBaghdad area will be able to
boosttheir agricultural developmentimmensely with farm equipment
toinclude an equipment sign-off event atthe Al Radwaniyah
Provincial CivilMilitary OperationsCenter May 2.
The 256th BCTsigned over 37 tractors,16 water pumps, and56
five-horsepowergenerators to theMinistry of Agricultureto pass down
to farmersin need of equipment.
The equipment, orig-inally purchased underthe old regime, lay
dor-mant in a Sadr Citywarehouse for the pastthree years. Upon
find-ing the equipment,
Soldiers transported it to a secure areafor repairs and eventual
distribution tothe farmers.
Present to receive the farmingequipment was Saub Hussien, a
repre-sentative of the Iraqi Ministry ofAgriculture, who said the
equipmentbeing signed over will be put to gooduse for the Iraqi
people.
“This is all part of Operation AmberWaves, which was initiated
during 1stCavalry Division’s time,” Basilica
said. “The 256th BCT is out here toassist the local farmers with
improvingtheir farming.”
“It’s really been a three-fold missionhowever, as we’ve already
givenseeds, fertilizer and now equipment,”he said. “This will help
promote andimprove the chances for Iraqis to feedthemselves.”
Approximately 100 local farmersand members of the United Farmers
ofIraq witnessed the transfer.
Amber Waves: Ensuring agricultural success
Thirty-seven tractors, 16 water pumps and 56, five-horsepower
generatorswere signed over to the Ministry of Agriculture May
2.
By Spc. Ricardo Branch3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs
Master Sgt. Michele R. HammondsCommand Information NCOIC
-
Some Airmen might want to wear their uniforms when travelingto a
deployed location but are afraid of drawing unnecessary atten-tion
to themselves.
Sergeant Athnos said U.S. airports have plenty of security,
andthat the Air Force has historically allowed or even required
Airmento be in uniform when aboard aircraft.
“Besides, if you were in civilian clothes, you would still
haveyour web gear and your mobility bags with you, and you are
stillhanging around the [United Services Organization],” she said.
“It’snot a secret that you are in the military.”
Also, part of the policy is a requirement that Airmen carry
achange of civilian clothes with them if they choose to wear a
uni-form, and a clean uniform if they choose to wear civilian
clothes.That kind of preparedness allows Airmen to adjust their
appear-ance should the situation demand it. (Staff Sgt. C. Todd
Lopez, AirForce Print News)
Radio connects families to front linesDALLAS — The Army &
Air Force Exchange Service recentlyintroduced its Patriot Family
Connection program to help connectdeployed military members with
their loved ones back home.
The new program offers family members, friends of deployed
service members and AAFES associates a chance to record
theirgreetings, words of support and thanks. Messages can be
record-ed 24 hours a day, free of charge, and are forwarded to
AmericanForces Network Radio, which is heard at locations
overseasincluding those in Operations Enduring and Iraqi
Freedom.
“Recording the messages is just one small element of a
largerAAFES Patriot Family marketing program that includes
numer-ous initiatives,” said Mike Westphal, senior vice president
ofAAFES’ Marketing Directorate. “It started with the PatriotFamily
Tree in December. Now, we have the Patriot FamilyConnection and ‘We
All Have a Hand in Securing Our Freedom’hand trace banners we’ll be
sending downrange. Soon we’ll besending dozens of banners downrange
for deployed troops to sign— then those banners will tour each
AAFES region.” The PatriotFamily Connection is one of several
initiatives AAFES is using tohelp bridge the distance between the
home front and the frontlines. This new program has already yielded
messages fromAmericans expressing their support for troops serving
down-range.
Doug Ford from Denton, N.C., called in his greeting, “I want
tosend all the best wishes to the troops. God bless y’all and
thanky’all for everything you do.” Another greeting, recorded by
Jean
Helen from Columbus, Ga., said, “I want to tell all the
troopseverywhere we’re with your families back here supporting
themwhile you’re overseas. We love all you guys. Thank you for
whatyou’re doing, and we appreciate your families and their
braverywhile they’re waiting on you.”
Anyone can record a message by calling 1-800-713-1302
andfollowing the prompts. For more information, log on
towww.AAFES.com and click on the Patriot Family link.
ScimitarMay 20, 2005 Page 7
Worship and Prayer Schedule for the International Zone
Sunday9:30 a.m. — Choir Rehearsal10 a.m. — Catholic Mass (3rd
BTC)10:30 a.m. — General ChristianNoon —
Episcopal/Lutheran/Anglican2 p.m. — Latter Day Saints4 p.m. —
Catholic Confession4:30 p.m. — Catholic Mass6 p.m. — Contemporary
Protestant
Monday-FridayNoon — Catholic Mass (Mon.-Thurs.)Noon — Catholic
Communion Service (Tues.)5:30 p.m. — Catholic Mass (Fri. at Camp
Steel Dragon)6 p.m. — Jewish Shabbat Services (Fri.)7:30 p.m. —
Prayer Service (Tue.)8 p.m. — Bible Study (Thurs. at Senior
Advisors Conf. Rm.)8:30 p.m. — Bible Study (Wed. at Ambassadors
Conf. Rm.)
Saturday11:30 a.m. — Catholic Mass (Camp Headhunter)12:30 p.m. —
Buddhist Worship4 p.m. — Catholic Confession4:30 p.m. — Catholic
Mass
Daily Islamic PrayerFor more information, call DSN
318-239-8659.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Surprise visit
U.S. Secretary of State (Dr.) Condoleezza Rice and Iraqi Prime
Minister Ibrahim al-Jafaari addressmembers of the press about the
improvements and new plans for deployed service members andthe
Iraqi people at the Iraqi Government building in the International
Zone of Baghdad, Iraq. Ricemade a surprise visit to service members
and civilians in Iraq Sunday. The one-day trip was Rice'sfirst
visit to Iraq as the nation’s top diplomat.
Photo by Pfc. Ferdinand Thomas
Al AsadAr RamadiBaghdad
Balad Camp TajiFallujahKirkukMosulQ-WestRidgewaySinjarTalil
ABTikrit Taji
93.3 FM107.3 FM
92.3 FMand 107.7 FM
107.3 FM102.5 FM105.1 FM 107.3 FM105.1 FM
93.3 FM107.1 FM107.9 FM107.3 FM
93.3 FM107.7 FM
Frequencies
Listen in May to win an EarRadio courtesyof
www.americasupportsyou.mil.
-
ScimitarPage 8 May 20, 2005
AR RAMADI, Iraq — A young Iraqi boy in the city herehas Cpl.
Michael L. Godfrey to thank for saving him from alife-threatening
illness.
The 21-year-old noncommissioned officer with 5th CivilAffairs
Group, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, spear-headed efforts to
have the toddler admitted into a local hospi-tal and treated for a
severe urinary tractinfection.
Godfrey was conducting a routine patrolthrough a neighborhood
when he discov-ered the ailing child.
“I was going through finding out thebasic needs of the people
living there andwhat might be done to improve their stan-dard of
living,” said the Mount Zion, Md.,native. “I gave a kid a Band-Aid
for a blis-ter he had on his hand, and soon I wasswarmed by other
kids wanting some.There wasn’t anything wrong with them,though,
they just wanted to have Band-Aids, too.”
A few minutes after he issued the adhesive bandage, anelderly
lady approached him carrying a young boy.
“She held him up to me so I could see him,” Godfrey said.“He had
an open wound that covered his whole penis. Therewas pus and blood
in places where it shouldn’t be. I’m nodoctor, but I could tell
right away he needed medical atten-tion.”
According to Godfrey, the boy looked as though he was ina lot of
pain.
“His body was limp, andhe looked spaced out,” hesaid. “It seemed
like he’dbeen hurting so longthat he was used to it.”
At the time,Godfrey couldn’t do
anything for the childexcept feel sorry for him.When Godfrey
returned
to his base, CampHurricane Point, he told
Maj. Benjamin B.Busch, Team 1 leader,
Detachment 3, 5thCAG, what he
saw.
Busch could tell the boy was in danger from what Godfreytold
him. He sent a corpsman to do an assessment on theboy’s health.
“The corpsman determined the infection was very severeand, if
left untreated, it could enter his kidneys and causethem to fail,”
said Busch, a College Park, Md., native.
The boy’s family couldn’t take him to the hospital fortreatment
because they didn’t have enough money, Godfreysaid.
“They are very poor and come from a poor neighborhood,”he said.
“They don’t even have enoughmoney for a taxi there.”
After learning the severity of the boy’scondition, Busch
coordinated a missionfor 5th CAG and Company W with theinfantry
battalion that would enable themto get the boy to the hospital and
receivemedical attention.
“There is something pure and neces-sary about the rescue of an
innocent childthat answers to our best intentions here,”Busch
said.
Their operation, however, wasn’t assimple as picking him up at
his house and making the shorttrip to the hospital.
The six Marines with 5th CAG created a diversion in aneffort to
keep local residents from intruding and to protectthe privacy of
the family, said Godfrey.
Marines with W Co. secured the neighborhood while theMarines
with 5th CAG split up into teams of two.
Sgt. Hector Martinez Jr., and Gunnery Sgt. Wayne B.McClam handed
out soccer balls, dolls, clothes and wrist-watches to children in
the street. Minutes after the gift givingbegan, the area was
bustling with smiling and laughing chil-dren.
Meanwhile, Busch, Godfrey and Ricky Wissam, theirtranslator,
went to the boy’s house and explained to his moth-er the reason for
their surprise visit.
“We told her we’re here to give her money to pay for a taxito
take the boy to the hospital,” Godfrey said. “We told her towait
for a while after we leave to do so, though. It won’t
looksuspicious that way.”
Prior to the mission,Busch arranged for adoctor at the
hospital to treat the boy when he arrived. Wissam wrote the
doctor’s name on a piece of paper and
gave it to the mother so she would know who to seek out.She was
also given enough money to pay for return visitswhile her son
undergoes treatment.
“It rejuvenates our connection to the Iraqi people
throughunbiased compassion, and I feel this kind of act is
essentialduring ongoing combat operations in this complicated
city,”Busch said. “Cpl. Godfrey built that connection today as
aMarine, as an American and as an individual.”
The Marine’s act of kindness brought a smile to the moth-er’s
face and tears to her eyes. Godfrey was also touched.
“I’ve never saved a life before,” he said. “It feels great.
Iguess God put us together for that reason. So he could live.”
Story and photos by Cpl. Tom Sloan2nd Marine Division Public
Affairs
“There is somethingpure and necessary
about the rescue of aninnocent child thatanswers to our best
intentions here.”
Maj. Benjamin Busch
Sgt. Hector Martinez Jr., noncommissioned officerwith 5th Civil
Affairs Group, 1st Battalion, 5th MarineRegiment, hands an Iraqi
boy a soccer ball on an ArRamadi street from the back of a
Humvee.
Cpl. Michael L. Godfrey (left), with 5th Civil Affairs Group,
1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, provides security at a house
here while Maj. Benjamin B. Busch (sec-ond from right), a 5th CAG
team leader and Ricky Wissam, a translator, speak to the mother of
an Iraqi boy who has a severe urinary tract infection. Godfrey,
ofMount Zion, Md., was conducting a routine CAG patrol through a
neighborhood when he discovered the ailing child. Marines with 5th
CAG coordinated for the boyto be taken to a local hospital to
receive medical aid for his illness. If left untreated, the
infection could have entered his kidneys and caused them to
fail.
Marine saves Iraqi boy from possible death
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ScimitarMay 20, 2005 Page 9
BAGHDAD, Iraq — “Life is a garden: dig it,” a Soldiersays,
quoting the movie “Joe Dirt” before he begins to moveearth with a
rusted shovel.
When not conducting raids or other combat operations,Soldiers
from 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 10thMountain Division,
treat the town of Abu Ghraib like a gianttreasure hunt as theyleave
no stone unturnedin the search forweapons caches.
First Lt. Joshua Betty,a platoon leader fromCollege Station,
Texas,said digging for poten-tial weapons is a dailyroutine for him
and hisSoldiers. Entire patrolsare often dedicated to searching
large areas for buried ammu-nition.
“We’re denying the enemy the ability to operate,” Bettysaid.
“It’s become a big part of our operations. It’s reallystarting to
pay off.”
The cache hunters aren’t alone combing a beach for
buriedtreasure, however. Soldiers from Company B, 27th Engineer
Battalion from Fort Bragg,N.C., assist 2/14 InfantrySoldiers
with mine detec-tors. The engineers scourfields, roads and yards
look-ing for the tone that indi-cates metal, said Pfc.Samuel L.
Goll, a Morris,Okla., native with the 27thEngineers.
“Whenever we get one,we work them like a horse,”said Staff Sgt.
Thomas E.Larkin, a Carthage, N.Y.,resident with 2/14 Infantry.
“They’re always outthere,” Betty said. “They doa really good
job. They findlots of stuff for us.”
The combination of dig-ging and detecting has paiddividends,
Betty said.Since mid-November, 2/14 Infantry has unearthed morethan
90 caches in the Abu Ghraib district. Many Soldierscan now spot a
potential cache by glancing at oddly col-ored grass or soft dirt
surrounded by hard earth. Keen eyesduring expeditions aid them all
over the town, includingbackyards and gardens. One time the
Soldiers found a
large cache buried in anIraqi’s front yard.
“We found like 60 mortarrounds,” Goll said.
Soldiers from 2/14 Infantryoften search the outsides ofIraqis’
houses, Betty said.Instead of barging in, however,they ask for
permission tosearch the grounds. The majori-ty of Iraqis are
receptive to theSoldiers’ search.
“They’re very inviting forthe most part,” Betty said.
Part of their willingness tohelp may reflect on Abu
Ghraibresidents’ desire to be rid ofinsurgent activity, Larkin
said.Sometimes Iraqis will evenlead 2/14 Infantry Soldiers
tocaches.
“They’re getting sick of it,too,” Larkin said. “They don’twant
it in their backyard.”
Several Soldiers said theyfeel they are improving the sit-uation
in Iraq by uncoveringcaches. They do admit, howev-er, that there
are far moremunitions yet to be discovered.
“We feel like we’re making adent, but this country has
thou-sands of weapons,” Larkinsaid. “We do our best to findevery
one.”
Goll said he feels frustratedwhen he returns from a
patrolwithout finding any munitions.
But Betty said he and otherSoldiers still go out every dayhoping
to take the insurgencydown one cache at a time.“Even if we found
one cache amonth, that’s one less piece ofordnance, one less
mortarround that can be used to shootat us.”
2/14 Infantry hunts for weapons in Abu GhraibStory and photos by
Spc. Matthew McLaughlin10th Mountain Division Public Affairs
Spc. Robert Fairfax, a Wilmington, N.C. native with the 27th
Engineer Bn., FortBragg, N.C., walks through a field of scrap metal
while on patrol. Soldiers from2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry
Regiment, 10th Mountain Division use Soldiers fromthe 27th
Engineers to search for caches and other weapons made of metal.
Soldiers from 2nd Bn., 14th Inf. Regt., 10th Mountain Division
prepare to roll overwhat remains of a car to search underneath it.
Insurgents often bury caches inareas they believe Soldiers will not
look.
Staff Sgt. Russell Odonnell, a native of Bradford,R.I., with 2nd
Bn., 14th Inf. Regt., inspects a bagof coins buried in a garden.
Soldiers use metaldetectors to find caches, which often turn
upsuprising results.
Sgt. Ruben Paredes, a Roosevelt, N.Y., residentwith 2nd Bn.,
14th Inf. Regt., digs after an engi-neer detects metal in Abu
Ghraib. Soldiers from2/14 Infantry often spend hours digging for
hid-den weapons.
“We’re denying theenemy the ability
to operate.”
1st Lt. Joshua Betty
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BAGHDAD, Iraq — Three Coalition ambassadors visitedthe city of
Fallujah Thursday to see new construction projectsunder way and
reparations.
Unal Cevikoz, Ambassador for the Republic of Turkey,Margriet
Struijf, Charge d’Affairs for the Kingdom of theNetherlands, and
Peter WaterWorth, Political Counselor forthe United Kingdom,
briefly gathered at the U.S. Embassy inBaghdad where they were
greeted by U.S. Political-MilitaryCounselor Ambassador, Ronald E.
Neumann, andAmbassador Bill Taylor, Director of Iraq
ReconstructionManagement Office.
The British, Turkish and Netherlands ambassadors went ona trip
to Fallujah, a city reduced to rubble during OperationPhantom Fury
last November, now coming alive with post-war reconstruction.
“The goal we laid out for the mission was for the
Coalitionpartners to see what they are spending their money on,”
saidCol. Thomas J. Sellars, United States Joint Forces Command.“We
wanted the Coalition ambassadors to see firsthand theprogress being
made and to capitalize on the synergy createdby Coalition
reconstruction efforts.”
At Camp Fallujah they were greeted by Marine Maj. Gen.
Stephen Johnson and his staff for an overview on
Fallujah’sprogress. Johnson is commanding general of II
MarineExpeditionary Force and of Multi-National Force – West.
“Fallujah is a model we hope other Iraqi cities follow,”Johnson
said.
Traveling from Camp Fallajuah to the Civil MilitaryOperations
Center, the delegates had the opportunity toglimpse the
resurrection of a city. Though evidence of thebattle of Fallujah
were everywhere, people had returned,shops were open and streets
bustled with life.
At the CMOC the ambassadors were greeted by Iraqiand Marine
security and reconstruction experts. The mis-sion of the CMOC is
governance, economics and recon-struction, said Marine Lt. Col. Jim
Haldeman, CMOCDirector. Halderman briefed the ambassadors on
progressin Fallujah.
“Groundwork has been laid for a $14 million hospital,”he said.
“More than 14 health care facilities have openedand are servicing
residents in the Fallujah area.”
In addition to health care facilities, Mohammad Hady, anIraqi
engineer from the ministry of municipalities andKamal Abdul Salam,
stressed the importance of reparationspayments. Emergency fund
compensation payouts for dam-age valued at 20 percent of individual
losses are being paidevery day.
“The children go to school safely. The people are veryhappy for
all our efforts,” Amal said.
The positive results of assistance funding were dis-cussed
during the briefing the ambassadors received. The
ScimitarPage 10 May 20, 2005
Story and photo by Staff Sgt. Timothy B. LawnScimitar Staff
CAMP TAQQADUM, Iraq — There are many necessarycomponents the
Army must apply to ensure proficient and suc-cessful force
protection. Observation posts are one such compo-nent, and at Camp
Taqqadum, they are controlled by a group ofSoldiers from the Texas
National Guard.
Camp Taqqadum is located approximately 45 miles west ofBaghdad
and serves as both a military base camp and an airstrip to
transport troops and supplies.
“We have responsibility for the entire perimeter’s
security,”said Capt. Wesley Bryan, commander, Headquarters
andHeadquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 112th ArmoredRegiment, from
Fort Worth, Texas. “If these observation postsweren’t here the
effects would be devastating. They are our firstline of
defense.”
The observation posts are essentially a string of points on
theperimeter of the camp positioned in a way so guards can
keepconstant watch over every inch of the perimeter, said 1st
Lt.Chester Harbert, support platoon leader, HHC, 2nd Bn.,
112thArmored Regt..
“We run on a shift rotation with at least two people in eachpost
to provide security and scan for any intelligence informa-tion they
might be able to gather … and call in any suspiciousactivity,”
Harbert said.
The observation posts are critical in the coordination
betweenquick reactionary forces, external patrols and internal
securityof the camp, Bryan said.
Soldiers in the observation posts also let the patrols
outsidethe perimeter know what is going on. They have a better
viewof the surrounding area and can see anything happening thatmay
interfere with the operations of the base or a patrol,Harbert
said.
“On a daily basis, the Soldiers at the posts have to deal
withissues like sheep herders getting too close to the fence line
andlocal nationals trying to cross the wire. Sometimes they
dealwith calling in indirect fire to the surrounding area,”
Harbertsaid. “They call in the fire so the counter-battery can
triangulateits origin and respond.”
“Their job is to provide an early warning,” Bryan said. “Ifthe
Soldiers see anything suspicious, they call it in to our tacti-cal
operations center, which in turn allows us to coordinate
themovements of other platoons inside the base to wherever they
need to go to address the situation.”As one observation post is
reporting what they are see-
ing, the TOC will call another observation post, Bryansaid. If
the second observation post is seeing the samething as the first,
the TOC knows something is going onout there and will make
adjustments to what forces aresent where.
“The intelligence sent up by the observation postseffects how we
maneuver our platoons,” Bryan said.“Intelligence and security have
equal roles in the obser-vation posts, because we take what they
see and build thebig picture of what is going on out there.
“Without the observation posts out there on the frontline
providing the intelligence reports to the tactical oper-ations
center, we would basically be sending our Soldiersout into the
darkness when they go on convoys orpatrols,” Bryan said.
Soldiers running the observation posts are very dedi-cated to
their jobs, Bryan said. It takes a lot of self-disci-pline to sit
up there for hours on end, seven days a week,365 days a year, and
keep a close watch on anything thatmight happen. “They are
extremely disciplined, hard-working and do an outstanding job.
“The mental drain is tough on the Soldiers, and I reallyhave to
commend them because it is difficult to stay strictlyfocused for as
many hours as they have to,” Bryan said. “Thereisn’t a lot to see
out there, but the Soldiers have to maintaintheir mental focus
because all it takes is one of the enemy get-ting inside the wire
with the wrong type of equipment to createhavoc on a base like Camp
Taqqadum.
“We do various things to help keep the morale up,” he said.“We
have a Morale, Welfare and Recreation tent, but a lot ofthe
Soldiers like to go work out at the gym because we put a lotof
emphasis on physical training.”
The Soldiers are here for 12 months, and there is no reasonwhy
they shouldn’t be in the best shape of their life when theygo back,
he said. The observation post Soldiers’ shifts are set upso when
they come off of duty they have time to work out, andthere are also
some intramural sports, cookouts and movienights put together by
the battalion so the Soldiers can relax ontheir down time.
“Ours is a 12-month tour, and these Soldiers will spend thevast
majority of their time manning the observation posts, sowe try to
switch them out to give them something different,”Harbert said. “It
is very crucial to have every asset available
when focusing on the strength of the force behind the
observa-tion posts.”
“We have recently received enough augmentees to where wecan
switch the Soldiers out and give them different tasks otherthan
manning the observation posts. This acts as sort of a breakfrom the
strain of the job,” Harbert said. “The Soldiers aredoing a fine
job, and they can’t be praised enough.”
“The Soldiers up there are still human, they are like all of
us,they have good days and they have bad days,” Bryan said. “Alot
of their emotions come from news they might have gottenfrom back
home while talking to their family the day before.
“Sometimes they may come to work upset, but as a wholethey are
very motivated,” Bryan continued. “They know whatthey are doing
here is important, and that is part of our job asleadership to
communicate to them how important their job isand how it ties into
the big picture.
“If they aren’t there, who is going to provide that early
warn-ing? We have sensors that we use, but they can go down,”Bryan
said. “These guys are the human element that we haveout there on
the front line, telling us what is going on. Theyunderstand this,
and that’s why when it is time to go to workthey put everything
else aside and go do it.”
Texas Soldiers provide first line of defense in IraqStory and
photo by Pfc. Matthew CliftonMulti-National Corps - Iraq Public
Affairs
Ambassadors visit Fallujah, tour reconstruction sites
Soldiers from Headquarters and HeadquartersCompany, 2nd
Battalion, 112th Armored Regiment, FortWorth, Texas, look out from
an observation post over asaltwater lake bordering Spring Lake
LogisticalSupport Area, Camp Taqqadum, Iraq.
Ambassador Bill Taylor, Director of IraqReconstruction
Management Office, left, discussesthe trip to Fallujah with Kingdom
of the NetherlandsCharge d’Affairs, Margriet Struijf, Republic of
TurkeyAmbassador, Unal Cevikoz, and United KingdomPolitical
Counselor, and Peter WaterWorth at theU.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
See FALLUJAH, Page 11
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ScimitarMay 20, 2005 Page 11
INTERNATIONAL ZONE, BAGHDAD, Iraq — Inside asmall annex behind
the 86th Combat Support Hospital, labo-ratory staff makes history
and saves lives daily. The CSH isthe first – and only – hospital in
a combat zone to extractlife-saving platelets from donors’
blood.
The blood donor lab uses apheresis (ay-fur-EE-sis), a tech-nique
to separate one component from a donor’s blood andreturn the
remainder to the patient. The CSH needs platelets,which form
clots.
“Platelets stop the patient from bleeding,” said Maj.Donald
Robinson, a trauma surgeon at the CSH. Platelets arealso needed for
chemotherapy patients.
Sgt. Vernon Malaer, noncommissioned officer in charge ofthe
blood donor lab, explained, “In trauma patients, the sur-geon will
close up the big holes, but the little holes continu-ally bleed
without platelets.”
Unlike other components or whole blood, platelets cannotbe
refrigerated or frozen, so the CSH’s supply must be pro-duced
locally, Malaer said. Although the hospital may con-duct a whole
blood drive during an emergency, most wholeblood used in Iraq is
shipped from the states, he said.
After a whole blood donation, a donor cannot give bloodor
components for 56 days, but after platelet donation, onecan give
either platelets or whole blood again in as few asfour days,
although CSH personnel recommend waiting twoweeks. Only about 10
percent of a donor’s platelets areextracted with apheresis, and the
body quickly replenishesthem in a healthy individual.
During apheresis, a donor’s whole blood is extracted into a
machine. During each 10 to 15 minute cycle, the blood ismixed
with an anti-coagulant, run through a centrifuge toseparate
components, and then the blood, minus the platelets,flows back into
the same arm. First-time donors go through amaximum of seven
cycles, which are gradually increased forrepeat donors. However, a
donor is connected to the machinefor no longer than 120
minutes.
“There is no blood type in platelets, so it doesn’t matterwho
the donor and recipient are,” said Malaer, “except forchildren ages
10 and younger.”
“Our goal of a platelet draw is to extract the equivalentamount
of platelets as in six units of whole blood, or ‘a six-pack.’” said
Malaer. Aside from the lack of waste, anotherbenefit for the
“six-pack” recipient is that he or she is onlyexposed to illness or
infection from a single donor, not six.
Because platelets cannot be refrigerated, the biggest prob-lem
for recipients is a bacteria infection. The chance of con-tracting
HIV from a platelet transfusion is less than one inone million,
Malaer said, but because all parts of the machinethat contact the
blood are disposable and replaced for eachpatient, there is
absolutely no risk of infectious disease forthe donor.
The main concern, due to the short shelf life of platelets,
isnot to draw platelets that won’t be used within five days.
“Less than one percent of the platelets we’ve drawn
haveexpired,” said Malaer. “Unfortunately, they are getting
used,”he added wryly.
However, not everyone can be a platelet donor. Malaerestimated
that half of all military personnel cannot donatewhole blood or
platelets because of the “mad cow” deferralfor those who lived in
Europe for more than six monthsbetween 1980 and 1996. However,
during emergencies, thepathologist or attending physician can waive
that deferral. A
body piercing or tattoo within the last yearalso creates a
deferral.
Side effects from donating are rare; themost common is a
tingling around the lips,usually caused by a calcium
deficiencycombined with the anti-coagulant. Theeffect is temporary
and remedied by chew-ing on calcium-based antacid tablets,
butMalaer observed many patients like theeffect, and that smokers
usually light upimmediately after donating (against hisadvice) to
enhance the “buzz.”
Malaer, a native of Gonzales, Texas, esti-mated that donors are
equally split betweenembassy staff, civilians and the
hospitalstaff. Almost all donors become repeatdonors. Initially
most donors worked at theCSH, but now Malaer prefers to keep themin
reserve, so if there is an emergency, hewill have a ready supply of
donors.
Sgt. 1st Class Steve Pinette, assigned tothe Multi-National
Force - Iraq commandgroup, made his first platelet donation onMay
11. “From visiting patients at the hos-pital with Command Sgt.
Major (Jeffrey)
Mellinger, I know [platelet donation] is very important,”
hesaid.
Maj. Christine Edwards, who works at the CSH, donatesregularly
and is somewhat of a legend due to her highplatelet count. “We are
all here to make a difference insome way; I get a real high knowing
that I can give some-thing to someone that will save their life,”
she said.
“Most of the time I don’t know who the gift is going to;once I
had the opportunity to run my own platelets up tothe operating room
in an emergency. I didn’t realize theplatelets were mine until I
was handing them over to theOR staff — the patient made it. The
gift to that patient waslife, the cost to me was nothing but a few
hours of my timeand a needle stick — it is definitely worth
it.”
Prospective donors can walk in to the lab, but Malaersuggested
they contact him ahead of time to ensure that adonor bed will be
available. He can be reached via e-mailat [email protected]
or through the hospital’s labat DSN 239-7621.
86th CSH saves lives with platelet donationsBy Maj. Patricia C.
AndersonCommand Information Officer
Photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Dave AhlschwedeSgt. Vernon
Malaer, donor center noncommissioned officer incharge with the 86th
Combat Support Hospital, collects platelets,Jan. 30. Over 500
Soldiers with the 86th CSH are deployed toBaghdad, Iraq. The 86th
CSH is the first unit in combat to collectplatelets from Soldiers
using a technique called apheresis.
same scenes of battle-damaged store-fronts and streets now have
bustlingmarkets, fruit stands and even dressshops.
The Ambassadors were impressedabout learning the election
results forFallujah, a predominantly Sunni city.It’s estimated that
40 percent of eligiblepeople voted.
“The city is in the process of electing apermanent city
council,” Halderman said.
At the end of the CMOC presenta-
tion the ambassadors and Marinesshook hands and
congratulationswere offered on a job well done.They proceeded back
to CampFallujah for a brief visit at an IraqiArmy training
camp.
East Fallujah Iraqi Army camp ismanaged by the Iraqi 7th
Brigade.Johnson told the ambassadors thecamp provides medical
support, andfood and is a forward operating basefor operations in
Fallujah.
The ambassadors received greet-ings and a brief from the Iraqi
Armystaff on troop strength, training andmorale. “They are doing a
great
job,” said Johnson.Afterwards, the Coalition ambassa-
dors returned to Baghdad. WaterWorthsummed up his experiences of
the trip.
“No one could fail to be impressedwith the professional
commitmentthat General Johnson and his pas-sionate CMOC team have
brought tothe reconstruction of Fallujah,” saidWaterWorth. “But
even more impres-sive was their dedication to puttingIraqis first
and to building MNF-Irelations with the local people. Thewarmth
shown to ‘Hondo’ by hisIraqi counterparts spoke volumes forwhat
they have achieved already.”
“You want to do what with my blood?” I askedincredulously after
the first time someone at ablood bank in Virginia explained
apheresis to me. Evenafter a detailed explanation and seeing the
disposable kitused to make the apheresis machine sterile for each
user, Icouldn’t shake the heebie-jeebies of having my blood
runthrough a machine that had processed someone else’sblood. So
each time donor center personnel asked if I’dconsider, I told them,
thanks, but no thanks, I’ll continueto donate whole blood.
But here in Iraq that isn’t an option, and when I thinkabout the
lives of fellow service members who could besaved through my
donations – service members, who,unlike me, were getting shot at,
exposed to roadsidebombs and worse on a regular basis. Suddenly my
case ofthe heebie-jeebies seemed extremely trivial and selfish.
So this past week I finally made my way down to theblood bank at
the 86th Combat Support Hospital anddonated a bag of platelets.
Sgt. Vernon Malaer, the non-commissioned officer in charge of the
blood bank, wasextremely patient in answering my questions and
soothingmy fears. He propped me up in a hospital bed with plentyof
pillows and hooked me up with a portable DVD playerand DVD of my
choosing to help me pass the time. Theprocedure went so smoothly
that I even caught myself nod-ding off during the return phase of a
couple of the cycles,and before I knew it, Malaer turned off the
machine and letme know I was done. He also told me I had a good
plateletcount and cycle time, so I make a good donor.
I have no idea who received my platelets or how he orshe is
doing. Maybe it was a Marine wounded inOperation Matador, a Soldier
injured by an improvisedexplosive device or an Iraqi child battling
leukemia. I justknow I’ll be back to donate again and I feel really
sillyfor waiting so long to donate in the first place.
Major’s experiencesas first-time plateletdonor in combat labBy
Maj. Patricia C. AndersonCommand Information Officer
Fallujahfrom Page 10
PREVENTPREVENTITIT
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ScimitarPage 12 May 20, 2005
THINEEYAH, Iraq — Armed withschool supplies and multivitamins,
3rdInfantry Division Soldiers sponsored amedical civil affairs
project at Al NassirSchool in Thineeyah, Iraq recently.
The team from 2nd Battalion, 156thInfantry Regiment, 256th
BrigadeCombat Team, provided basic medicalassistance to children
and adults as partof the ongoing effort by Multi-NationalForces to
help rebuild Iraq.
Once the patients were seen by thephysician or physician
assistant, theyreceived various gifts or a care packagecontaining
toys for the children and den-tal hygiene products and
toiletries.School supplies and treats were freelygiven out to the
delight of young Iraqichildren; additionally, several pairs of
shoes were given along with apparel. If a patient had a
diagnosis that was
beyond the scope of the physicians, thefamilies were educated
via the inter-preters on the importance of the abnor-mality and
stressed the importance ofseeking an Iraqi physician.
“Multivitamins and medicines weredispensed to combat epilepsy,
congenital
abnormalities, and movement disorders inthe elderly and
post-traumatic palsies.The predominant health problems diag-nosed
included dermatological, gastroin-testinal and upper respiratory
ailments,”said Lt. Col. Joseph Dore, the 256th BCTsurgeon.
Once the MEDCAP in Thineeyah con-cluded, the team traveled to a
remote
nomadic settlement where thedoctors treated several patientswith
the principal of “tailgatemedicine” ranging from commoncold
ailments to redressing thebandages of a broken arm.
The remainder of care pack-ages, clothing and school
suppliesfrom Al Nassir School were hand-ed out.
Once care was complete at thesettlement, the team was onceagain
on the move to a new fami-ly of nomads herding sheep. Thefamily was
very healthy and onlyrequired basic medical attention.
Task Force Baghdad medics bring care to remote villageStory and
photo by Sgt. Thomas Benoit256th Brigade Combat Team Public
Affairs
Spc. April Clark, C Co., 199th ForwardSupport Battalion, 256th
Brigade CombatTeam, checks the vitals of a patientbefore the
physician arrives during amedical civil affairs project held at
AlNassir school in Thineeyah, Iraq.
FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq —Traditionally, the title
“doctor” is bestowed on those whohave earned an advanced degree,
whether it is medical orphilosophy; either way, the term is used as
a measure ofrespect.
In much the same way, medics in the military are affection-ately
known as “doc” because of the respect they are shownby their fellow
troops. Medics assigned to Company C,703rd Forward Support
Battalion are no different.
Capt. Matt Farishon,