World News @ Anderson Free Press
By Donna Miles
By Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
By Capt. Thomas Cieslak
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - The Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of Task Force Protector have a new place to unwind thanks to Soldiers from the 447th Military Police Company.
To compliment the newly established Camp Sabalu-Harrison USO, a new deck was built for Service members to enjoy.
Sgt. Jeremiah Forbes, the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Specialist for the 447th Military Police Company, worked for two and a half days to complete the deck.
KABUL, Afghanistan - The Turkish armed forces donated more than $3 million (U.S.) in weapons and equipment to the Afghan National Army during a ceremony at Camp Dogan yesterday.
The donation included mortars, machine guns, sewing machines, boots and travel bags.
Lt. Gen. Baz Muhammed Javhari, ANA deputy minister for logistics affairs, thanked the Turkish Armed Forces for the donation and expressed his desire for the friendship between the two nations to continue.
By Maj. Paul Greenberg
CAP DRAA TRAINING AREA, Morocco — U.S. service members taking part in African Lion 2010 wrapped up their training, June 9, in a final combined arms exercise with the Royal Moroccan army.
KABUL, Afghanistan – The U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division assumed command of ISAF’s Regional Command-East during a transfer of authority ceremony at Bagram Airfield today.
The ceremony marked the official transition from Combined Joint Task Force-82 to Combined Joint Task Force-101, with the new unit assuming responsibility for ISAF operations 14 eastern provinces in Afghanistan.
KABUL- ISAF has confirmed a Haqqani network commander, Fazil Subhan, known to facilitate foreign fighters, was killed along with multiple insurgents by Afghan and international forces in a two-day offensive in Khost province last week.
The Haqqani fighters were in fortified fighting positions in an area known for ambush attacks against international troops, southwest of Kowte Kheyl in the Shamul district.
The Afghan-international force also discovered and destroyed a building used to store ammunition, heavy weapons and explosive materials.
By Pfc. Michael Sword
AFGHANISTAN - Soldiers from 2nd Platoon, Troop C, 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, and their Afghan National Army and police counterparts visited the remote village of Kwajangur for the first time June 6.
The visit to the village, the largest and easternmost in the district, was intended to assess the area’s needs and talk with the village elder about a proposed road-improvement project. However, shortly after landing, the mission objective changed.
By 2nd Lt. Katherine Roling
AFGHANISTAN - The girls were among 60 other female students who were displaying signs of suffering from a possible aerial irritant. The other students, whose conditions were not as severe, were treated by the Ghazni Provincial Hospital.
“These two girls were in the worst condition out of the 60 who were affected,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Kari Miller, the 655th Forward Surgical Team chief nurse from Buhl, Idaho.
KABUL, Afghanistan – A one-week workshop entitled “Women and Journalism in Afghanistan” was held in Herat province last week.
Fifteen female Afghan reporters attended the course taught by Italian lecturers from the University of Cattolica in Milan. The workshop was held to further hone the journalists’ storytelling and technical skills, and culminated with a trip to downtown Herat where the reporters produced real stories featuring aspects of everyday life in downtown Herat city to include interviews with prominent Afghan women.
By Sgt. Shantelle Campbell
TIKRIT, Iraq – Even though the National Safety Council has designated June for National Safety Month, the Army recognizes safety year-around.
As the hot summer sun heats the desert, leaders in the “Dragon Brigade” believe that keeping Soldiers safe is the top priority.
Staff Sergeant Fernando Guerrero, a medic in the personal security detachment platoon, with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division is one such leader.
By Spc. Luisito Brooks
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – A clump of dirt. A bag of pills tucked away in a rolled-up sock. An apple.
Any of these items could make an already long deployment even longer for Soldiers preparing to redeploy from Iraq.
Before any unit can pack up their equipment and head home, they first need the stamp of approval from a customs inspector signifying there are no harmful materials or contraband travelling with them.
QUY NHON, Vietnam -- Pacific Partnership 2010 departed Vietnam June 12 after 13 days of working alongside the people of Binh Dinh Province to deliver a variety of humanitarian and civic assistance programs ashore and onboard USNS Mercy.
By 1st Lt. Jeremy Aho
Representatives from the United States Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction visited Dhi Qar to inspect the U.S. funded Dhi Qar Water Treatment Plant in Ash Shatrah 20 May.
The SIGIR representatives met with key Provincial leaders at the Mittica Training Center prior to the inspection to discuss the water treatment plant and its impact on the population of Dhi Qar.
By Staff Sgt. Constance Quintin
KABUL, Afghanistan - Kevin LaCross and his son Dillon will be celebrating Fathers Day together like most fathers and sons. Only this year it will be in Afghanistan.
Both are Soldiers with the Vermont Army National Guard and deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
By Petty Officer 1st Class Elizabeth Burke
KABUL, Afghanistan - The 438th Air Expeditionary Wing, Combined Air Power Transition Force mentors the Afghan National Army Air Corps in all aspects of aviation, logistics and maintenance. Recently there was a little twist and the Afghans were teaching the Americans.
BEIJING, China - Lt. Governor Skillman and the Indiana agriculture, jobs and investment delegation is headed home after a successful trade mission to China.
This morning, Lt. Governor Skillman and select members of the delegation concluded their official business with a meeting with the Chinese Minister of Agriculture. After the meeting, all delegates departed Beijing to Newark, NJ, where they will make a connecting flight back to Indianapolis. The delegation is scheduled to arrive at Indianapolis International Airport shortly after 10:00 p.m. today.
KABUL, Afghanistan - Seventy-one Afghan National Police officers graduated from training at Camp Leatherneck in Helmand province Wednesday, June 2.
The officers completed an eight-week police skills training course at the Joint Security Academy Shoraback. The course consisted of five weeks of Ministry of Interior mandated training and three weeks of "core plus" training, which includes enhanced shooting, patrolling and combat skills.
By Lance Cpl. Khoa Pelczar
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – In the blazing Afghanistan heat, Marine mechanics can be found turning wrenches, fixing the vehicles that help keep Marines alive.
Marines with Maintenance Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 15 (Forward), 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward), keep tactical vehicles up and running at the Intermediate Maintenance Activities lot and repair those that are damaged during operations in Afghanistan.
BEIJING, China - After a day of rest and travel from Hangzhou to Beijing, the Hoosier delegation began an aggressive agenda in the Chinese capitol city by visiting potential business partners. Lt. Governor Skillman also met with Assistant Minister of Commerce Wang Chao.
The delegation split into industry groups to meet Chinese agriculture leaders and tour state of the art facilities.
By Sgt. Mark Fayloga
FORWARD OPERATING BASE GERONIMO, Helmand province, Afghanistan — The phrase, "every Marine a rifleman" is so overused it's gone from motto to cliché, but if Cpl. Eric Ramirez has his way, a new battle cry will emerge — every Marine an infantryman.
Ramirez is no stranger to the life of a grunt. His boots have seen more than 600 dismounted patrols in Iraq, but for his current deployment, his third in just as many years, the 21-year-old infantryman wanted something different.
By Sgt. Melissa Shaw
BAGHDAD - Over the low, crackly hum of an overworked air conditioner, Sgt. First Class Gerald Collier, patiently answers questions presented by the customer standing in the middle of the placard office on Forward Operating Base Prosperity, Baghdad.
Everyone who comes in his office wants to know the same thing: how long does it take to renew a vehicle placard; how do I get one in the first place?
By Spc. Karen Kozub
CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait--The responsible draw-down of U.S. forces in Iraq takes a combined effort across the branches of the military. The 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team was handed an important piece of the puzzle for the withdrawal.
Their mission is to facilitate the movement and security of Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected MAXX Pro vehicles from Iraq and into the surge in Afghanistan, where the vehicles are needed for continued operations.
By Staff Sgt. Sarah Brown
KABUL - A series of 25 Afghan National Police checkpoints, known as the Ring of Steel, create a new layer of perimeter security around central Kabul.
Designed to cover Kabul's points of entry, by both foot and vehicle traffic, the Ring of Steel is considered to be a low-cost, high-payoff project for the Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan, which helped fund and equip the checkpoints. Although leaders say the security plan for Kabul is still relatively immature, vast improvements have been made in recent months.
By Gunnery Sgt. William Price
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – "Nobody can touch the Marines and sailors that we have today! They are the best-trained, most-educated, best fighting force the world has ever known."
