World News @ Anderson Free Press

Date: 11.03.2009
Posted: 11.03.2009 02:38

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq – When a deployed unit begins to approach their end-of-tour date, many Soldiers begin to shift their focus from deployment to re-deployment. For those involved in the logistics, focus is everything.

BAGHDAD – The stresses of a long deployment can wear on Soldiers.

While there are a variety of activities, here on Camp Liberty, some Soldiers prefer to focus their down time in a more personal way.

By Cpl. Justin Martinez

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait - A storm rolled through Kuwait. But it didn't bring water to replenish and hydrate the earth. Mother Nature had nothing to do with the deadly metal downpour that demolished the local desert. The havoc that rained down came from the combined force of the major subordinate elements of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.

By Lance Cpl. Gregory Aalto

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Kandahar Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – With the increase in forces in southern Afghanistan, Kandahar Airfield has become the busiest single-runway airport in the world.

BAGHDAD, IRAQ -  Spc. Yessenia Morales, of High Point, N.C., and Spc. Felicia Sloan, of Lumberton, N.C., are two military police Soldiers that serve as mine resistant ambush protected vehicle drivers in security details for the command group of the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team.

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan -- Nothing ever goes by the book, but this is a classic example of airpower supporting ground forces – primarily the Afghanistan national army – with close air support and air-drop capabilities.

The day could be like any other day, but the calls came in – coalition forces, engaged with the enemy on the ground, were running low on ammunition and needed a re-supply.

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq,  – The commander of Multinational Forces Iraq said today he’s extremely pleased with the way Iraqi security forces have stepped to the plate following the June 30 withdrawal of American forces from the cities and towns of the country.

By Jim Garamone

JERUSALEM, The Holy City - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates discussed the Iranian nuclear problem and other defense issues with Israeli leaders on July 27, 2009. Gates met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak during a quick trip to Israel.

CAMP ATTERBURY, IN. – After decades of violence and war in Afghanistan, the battle for law, stability and structure to the economy remains a fighting factor in its independence. The U.S. government has remained dedicated to bolstering Afghanistan's economy.

New strategies are being implemented by the U.S. to take a different approach to handling the balance of economic stability of Afghanistan by adding civilians into the restorative equation.

By Lance Cpl. Daniel Flynn

CAMP DWYER, Helmand Province, Afghanistan -  What is needed to get through a combat deployment? Some might say the answer is perseverance, determination and motivation. Two Marines with Regimental Combat Team 3, deployed here from 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment based in Okinawa, Japan, have gone out of their way to help bring a little bit of motivation to their fellow Marines and Sailors.

By Spc. Michael Behlin

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – Just seven months ago, Joint Base Balad's Iraqi-owned container repair yard consisted of 45 workers and a quota to repair a minimum of 60 containers per month.

KABUL, Afghanistan – Insurgents attacked a mosque at a combat outpost in the Kamdesh District, injuring two Afghan national army soldiers, who were awaiting evening prayer, on July 26, 2009. The outpost was attacked with small arms fire, mortars, and a rocket-propelled grenade. The rounds impacted the outpost's mosque.

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan - The Afghan government, its citizens and Afghan national security forces throughout Nuristan province are taking full advantage of the skills, training and mentoring provided by Task Force Mountain Warrior service members to improve the security and quality of life for the people in the province.

KABUL, Afghanistan – A joint Afghan and international security force searched a compound last night in the remote reaches of Paktika province in an effort to disrupt Haqqani command and control, communications, and supply lines in the region.

The joint team searched the compound in the Deela District of Paktika, about 160 kilometers southwest of the city of Gardez, after intelligence indicated militant activity. A search was conducted without incident and five suspected militants were detained.

The Haqqani network conducts operations in conjunction with other Islamic militant groups with similar goals and interests. The network focuses operations against the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and Afghan national security forces, and seeks to expel international security forces from Afghanistan to maintain its influence in eastern provinces.

There were no Afghan, international security forces or civilian casualties during the incident.

MANAMA, Bahrain - The Combined Maritime Forces are warning mariners of an anticipated increase in piracy incidents when the southwest monsoon ends in the coming weeks, and are reiterating that merchant mariners must continue to take proactive action to help prevent piracy attacks.

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan - The Marines affectionately call the structure "Noah's Ark," for its similarities to the vessel built before flood waters covered the earth in biblical times.

In the rugged desert of southern Afghanistan sit hundreds of tents occupied by Marines for as far as the eye can see.

Rising above the dust and grit that blow across the Helmand plains, one object stands out majestically amongst Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan's sprawling tent city at the unit's base of operations at Camp Leatherneck.

This modern-day ark, built for Marines in less than three months by sailors of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5, looms over all other structures across the desert camp.

"In my 19 years in the Navy, I have never built a building this big," said Petty Officer 1st Class Thomas Damron, a supervisor for the construction of the 12,000 square-foot structure. "This is the largest wooden structure I've ever seen Seabees build."

Damron, a Port Hueneme, Calif., native, said the building is the largest building made by the Navy outside the U.S. since World War II and will be used for coordinating various aspects of MEB-Afghanistan's mission, which includes counterinsurgency operations and mentoring and training Afghan national security forces.

Construction of the massive building began two months before MEB-Afghanistan arrived in Helmand province. Damron said the Seabees are currently on schedule to meet their deadline for finishing the Ark, but only because of the sweat and perseverance that has come from the naval construction workers involved.

"We're all pushed to our limits," Damron said. "A construction job of this size takes an average of five months to complete. We're doing it in less than three."

The sailors each work an average of 12 hours every day at the least. By the time the sun rises, on average, the temperature is 85 degrees, said Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Amber Chambliss, hospital corpsman, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5. She said temperatures lately can reach 125 degrees by mid-day.

"This job they're doing can be extremely dangerous," Chambliss said, of working both inside and outside the building, which currently lacks air conditioning. "Dealing with the heat is a serious issue alone, not to add the possibility of falling off the roof."

The Miami native said individuals who work on the job site drink anywhere from two to three gallons of water daily. And it's necessary, she said, noting the fact that if one of the workers falls out, the job will become even harder to complete on time.

The day-to-day job hasn't been easy, Damron said. In order to reach their completion deadline, the Seabees work nearly non-stop, taking an hour-long break for lunch and 10-minute breaks every hour to rest. Reaching their completion time has required every one of those minutes saved, he said.

"This is one of the toughest jobs some of us have ever done because of the elements and working conditions," Damron said. "It's controlled chaos. We've been building this at more than two times the speed it would take on average to complete. Everyone is constantly doing different things, moving different directions, accomplishing one job, then moving toward the next."

"Look at them, you can se the exhaustion in their faces," said Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Garrison Hardisty, project supervisor. "And they're only halfway through the day. They're all pushed to the limit."

Hardisty said everyone is physically drained when they leave the job site in the evenings. The job has taken an obvious toll on Damron, who said he's lost more than 30 pounds since he arrived in Afghanistan. But, Hardisty said, they return each day and never give up.

And even though returning each day reminds them of the grueling tasks ahead, it also reminds them of how far they have come in such a short amount of time.

"Everyone's excited to see the end result," Damron said, enthusiastically. "We're all proud to have had a part in this building. It will be around for years to come."

Petty Officers 2nd Class Landon Church and John Nicholas, project lead electrician and utilities man respectively, said they were confident in the building becoming operational by its deadline. Church, a Byron, Mich., native, said he and his team of electricians have installed more than 10,000 feet of wiring throughout the building to support hundreds of computers. Nicholas, a Boise, Idaho, native, said the facility will also be climate-controlled, ready to accept those who will work there when it opens.

As the clock continues to count down, the Seabees remain resilient, motivated by purpose and commitment. But as one job nears an end, others add up by the week. After the brigade command center is complete, they will move on and continue to build the Regimental Combat Team 3 and Camp Leatherneck Garrison Combat Operations Center, also 12,000 square-feet each.

"As soon as this job is complete, we will carry on to the next," Damron explained. "There will be no rest for us."

KABUL, Afghanistan – An ongoing U.S. Central Command investigation team briefed interim findings after reviewing information on recent events in Farah province associated with alleged civilian casualties.

By Maj. Scott Cooley

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE Q-WEST, Iraq – Billy Blanks, creator of Tae Bo, and his assistant Melanie Neat, punched and kicked out a one-hour Tae Bo class for approximately 30 participants at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Center here April 26.

By Spc. Phillip Adam Turner

BAGHDAD, Iraq – In an effort to give a group of high school students a glimpse into the lives of Iraqis, a Dubuque, Iowa teacher assigned a service project to her students to apply 'real world problem solving solutions' that would benefit the people of the war torn country.

Brenda Foust, a world history teacher at Hemp Stead High School, and her students decided that a focus on education promoted the most, with the common belief that 'knowledge is power.'

By Sgt. Joshua Risner
TAJI, Iraq – Iraqi policemen at the Tarmiyah Police Station here, learned some useful techniques in first aid from Soldiers of the 591st Military Police Company, 93rd MP Battalion, 8th MP Brigade, May 16.

The training focused on controlling bleeding from an arm or leg, according to Pfc. Evan Mead, from Londonderry, N.H., a medic with 591st MP Co.

By Jared Sollars

FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, MOSUL, Iraq — The U.S. Army has begun out fitting units with a new intelligence gathering and distributing system as they prepare for deployment. The 3rd Heavy Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division is spearheading the charge in this new direction of intelligence.

ABOARD USS GETTYSBURG AT SEA - Ships from Combined Task Force 151 prevented a piracy attack in the Gulf of Aden, which resulted in the apprehension of more than a dozen suspected pirates aboard an alleged "mothership" on May 13.

The South Korean destroyer ROKS Munmu the Great and guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg responded to a distress call from the Egyptian-flagged motor vessel Amira, which reported being attacked about 75 nautical miles south of Mukalla, Yemen.

CAMP BARBER, Afghanistan – Sometimes it's the simple pleasures in life that can make a difference when deployed. Service members carrying out their duties in support of counterinsurgency operations aboard Camp Barber, Helmand province, Afghanistan, can now enjoy the fresh smell of coffee and a relaxing lounge to sip a "cup of Joe" at Holy Joe's Café, April 29, 2009.

Story by Spc. Kiyoshi Freeman

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – Volunteer income tax assistants received certificates of appreciation from Brig. Gen. Michael J. Lally, commanding general, 3d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), and Air Force Brig. Gen. Brian T. Bishop, commanding general, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, here April 29.

Volunteers at the tax center here helped service members and civilian contractors save approximately $1.7 million this tax season.

By Staff Sgt. David Hopkins

JALALABAD AIR FIELD, Afghanistan -- The Soldiers who man Combat Outpost Lowell near the Pakistan border see combat action almost daily. Army Pfc. Timothy Gustafson is one of these Soldiers and his story of his time at COP Lowell is about survival and brotherhood. However, he will tell you he's just like any other American Soldier, fighting for his country and the Afghan people.