Daily Afghan-Iraq Update/10-29
After receiving the message, Medina leaps into action. "Fire mission," Medina yells to the other artillerymen who live in the rooms adjacent to his quarters. But, there's no need for Medina's shouting because his teammates have already sprung into action. Word has spread throughout the FOB to all the members of his unit, who are collectively known as the misfits. They drop what they're doing. Phones hang up, video games are paused, and computers turn off as the artillerymen ready themselves for their mission. The artillerymen have to be ready to go at any time. "We rotate," said Medina. "Each team has a 24 hour shift, during which we're always on standby." Having donned their gear, the Soldiers hasten toward the gun line knowing that time is of paramount concern. "It's a rush," said Medina. "Once we get the call, we're ready to fire in about 5 minutes.""There's an uneasy tension as you run down to the gun line," said 1st Lt. Regan Tatford, fire direction officer and plt leader. "The uncertainty of not knowing what the mission is for, really gets your adrenaline pumping." Pfc. James Billasano, an artilleryman, agrees with his teammates and explained why the initial moments of a fire mission are so frantic. "We drop whatever we're doing, because when we get the call, it's game time; someone really needs us--lives can be at stake." Using the M198 155 mm howitzer, Billasano said they're able to keep forward maneuvering units from getting ambushed at night with illumination rounds as well as fire support when patrols come into heavy contact. Oftentimes, the enemy is unaware of the artillery until it's too late for them, and just in time for the forward Soldiers. "It takes about 8 guys and everyone has to be in sync for everything to go smoothly," said Billasano. "We trust each other's skills."According to Medina, the misfits are able to provide support up to 18 miles away, helping give the forward elements greater freedom to accomplish their missions.
"I'm proud of these guys and what we do," said Tatford. "We've fired several times toward COP Nagil when the COP was being directly attacked and helped neutralized the enemy there. I'm proud to be here. I feel like we're making a difference," said Medina.
Photo by Sgt. Matthew Friberg
Afghan commandos of the joint security force make a final sweep of the op just outside the village of Kuz Janjay, Wardak prov., Oct. 16.
Navy Culinary Specialist 1st Class Mark Shipley prepares a meal for TF Protector Service members at the Street Fighter Café, located on Bagram Air field.
(Photo by Army Pfc. Garett Hernandez)
However, for one Navy Service member, the only submarine he'll see will be the submarine sandwich he prepares at the dining facility he helps operate. Navy Culinary Specialist 1st Class Mark Shipley is part of a joint culinary team serving TF Protector Service members who eat at the Camp Harrison dining facility, known as the “Street Fighter Café.”
Shipley is the only cook on a team of Sailors and Soldiers who has ever cooked for Military Service members aboard a sub marine. On average, Shipley served meals to between 120 and 200 Sailors a day depending on the submarine. In the Street Fighter Café, he supervises day-to-day ops, and ensures meals are prepared for up to 800 Service members a day.
“I miss my guys. I miss getting underway. I miss hearing the dive alarm,” said Shipley when asked about what he misses most from his previous assignments aboard submarines. To Shipley, the coming Afghanistan winter and the snow and cold temperatures it will bring is quite the norm. He carries the distinctive title of “Blue Nose,” a title bestowed upon Sailors who have conducted ops while in the Arctic Circle. A Sailor is designated as a “Blue Nose” after he has braved the Arctic cold in a ceremony conducted aboard the submarine. “You guys are awesome. You guys love every meal that comes out of here,” said Shipley about TF Protector Service members who eat meals cooked at the dining facility. Many would agree, as the meal headcount of the Street Fighter Café continues to increase steadily since Sept. One thing which doesn’t change whether aboard a submarine in the Arctic Circle or in a dining facility surrounded by former Soviet land mines, the joint Service member’s favorite meal: Surf and Turf.KABUL, Oct. 23, 2009 – A combined Afghan and ISAF killed enemy fighters and wounded another yesterday after forcefully entering and searching a series of compounds in Wardak prov. The compounds were known to be used by a Taliban cmdr and his group believed to be responsible for several attacks in the area.
The combined force initially searched a building in the province’s Chaki Wardak district without incident. But, after observing enemy activity in a nearby compound, the force pursued those suspected militants. The militants fired on the combined force as it approached, and the force returned fire, killing a militant armed with an assault rifle, a pistol, fragmentation grenades and communications gear. Hostile fire continued, and the combined force killed another militant and wounded another. A search of enemy positions yielded multiple assault rifles and grenades.
In a separate Wardak prov. op., a combined force detained several suspected militants after searching buildings in the Saydabad district known to be used by a senior Taliban cmdr, believed associated with Taliban and Haqqani terrorist leaders in the area. In Helmand prov., a combined force killed several enemy militants and detained half a dozen others today after taking hostile fire when approaching a compound known to be used by senior Taliban cmdrs, responsible for several attacks and other militant activities in the area.
Soldiers of the 1st Bn, 5th Cav Regt, 1st BCT, 1st Cav Regt, were able to see first-hand the fruits of cooperation between Iraqi leaders, as the new school was dedicated, Oct. 20. Soldiers took the reins of the school project after the 56th Stryker BCT redeployed, to make sure all contracted work was completed. Lt. Col. Scott Jackson, the regt's cmdr, toured the school with about 2 dozen guests, mostly local civic and tribal leaders.
According to Jackson, the 2-story building, with white paint and purple trim, is a vast improvement. The new girls’ school replaces several older facilities that were so crowded the teachers were forced to hold classes in split shifts. The new school has more classrooms, indoor bathrooms, and an inner courtyard surrounded by an outer wall for security. "It will serve up to 300 more students," said Jackson. "It's a great feeling. It's a good use of resources."
As the guests sipped tea and ate chocolates, Jackson made remarks about the importance of investing in children for Iraq's future. Jackson said the new school, built by local contractors and laborers, would help maintain security and stability in the Tarmiyah area. "Education is a vital part of defeating an insurgency," Jackson said. "An educated youth helps stabilize the population."
As a way to celebrate the new school's opening, American Soldiers distributed backpacks to the students in each classroom. "It's a great looking school, and it's cool to give out school supplies to help them kick off a new school," said 1st Lt. Jeffery Wollenman, a fire support officer. "Before this school, there wasn't a female secondary school, so it's kind of a big deal."
Baghdad – The USACE compound on Camp Victory was officially designated Camp Wolfe, Oct. 22, in honor of Navy Cmdr. Duane Wolfe. Wolfe was the officer-in-charge of the Al-Anbar Area Office, killed when an IED struck the vehicle he was riding in on May 25, outside of Fallujah. Also killed in the ensuing explosion were Terry Barnich, dep. dir. of U.S. State Dept’s Iraqi Transition and Assistance Office, and Dr. Maged Hussin, dir. of the Office of Water Resources, Public Works and the Environment at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
The designation ceremony was hosted by the USACE Gulf Region Div., and broadcast live via the internet to Wolfe’s family and friends in Los Osos, CA. Maj. Gen. Michael Eyre, comm. gen. of the USACE Gulf Region Div., told the guests at the ceremony that Cmdr. Wolfe was “a force for stability, hope and trust among the Iraqi people. His death was a tremendous loss not only for Gulf Region Div., but also for the people he was so determined to assist.”
Col. Dan Anninos, cmdr of the Gulf Region District, said that the designation is a lasting tribute to Cmdr. Wolfe’s commitment and accomplishments. Anninos told the guests that, “Camp Wolfe is an enduring camp, charged to execute our reconstruction mission that Cmdr. Wolfe was such integral part…He was a father, a husband, a son and a sailor, who loved life and loved those around him. I recognize that this may be of little comfort to his wife Cindi and many others, but please know we'll never forget, as evidence of today’s ceremony, and that our grateful nation will also never forget, as we honor those that have given their lives for our freedom.”
Cindi Wolfe, who was able to participate in the ceremony via the Internet, told the guests that “much like so many of you here today, Cmdr. Wolfe was a builder of both roads and freedom; an engineer of bridges and peace; a man of faith and honor. It was my great good fortune to have spent the past 34 years building a warm home and a loving family with this fine man.”
Congresswoman Lois Capps from Wolfe’s home district, in an address on the floor of Congress soon after the incident, said, “Words can’t describe the loss felt throughout the South and Central Coasts by Cmdr. Wolfe’s death. By those who knew him best, he's remembered as a dedicated husband and father with a clever wit, strong sense of work ethic and kindness toward those in need.”
The mood of the event was best summed up in a poem written by Sarah Eilts, the daughter of Ted Eilts, the former Chief of Engineering for the Gulf Region District, and read by Maj. Gen. Eyre at the ceremony.
You set off to serve your country;
you didn’t know the cost,
but now that you have left us,
we all know what we have lost.
We’ve lost a brave man,
who in protecting us did pass.
We’ve lost a good man,
but his memory will last.
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MNF-I
Staff Sgt. Dean Hills, an infantryman with 1st Bn, 8th Cav Regt, 2nd BCT, 1st Cav Div, calling on his previous experience as a designated marksman, made the ghillie suit to teach Iraqi snipers how to blend into their environment, during a class here, Oct. 19.
Ghillie suits are often handmade by snipers to help them blend into their surroundings. The suits are usually made using old camouflage uniforms, which are then covered in netting, frayed burlap, jagged cloth and other materials to imitate a more natural look. Plants are also collected from the area where the sniper will be performing his mission and attached to the suit in order to more accurately match the area. "It's my first time seeing one," said Sgt. Kaseem Abass, an IA sniper. "It's a pretty good idea. I'm going to make one of my own."
This was the first time that Hills has had the chance to train with an IA sniper, and he hopes he'll pass this knowledge on to future IA snipers. "The initial training the IA snipers get isn't as comprehensive as what we can offer, so they really benefit from additional training events," Hills explained. "If I can give them a little extra training, it helps."
"It's something I've always loved, ever since my dad gave me my first rifle," Hills said. He later joined the Army and worked in various scout units. He also worked with a few special ops units that helped him learn more about marksmanship and camouflage. "I've always been intrigued with the idea of being a sniper," he said. Hills hopes to attend the sniper school at Fort Benning, Ga., when he returns to the U.S.
During the rest of his deployment in Iraq, Hills plans to continue working with Abass, helping him improve his skills as a sniper. "We've worked with these guys so long," he said about the IA Soldiers, "we start to get a little close to them. They're always willing to help us. This is something I can do for them."
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2009 – Iraqi police and soldiers, working with U.S. advisors, arrested 7 terrorism suspects in Iraq over the last 2 days, military officials reported.
In eastern Mosul yesterday, Iraqi soldiers arrested 3 suspects while searching for ISI extortion-network leaders. The soldiers were continuing a series of searches focused on extortion-network leaders in Mosul who are believed to have close ties with AQI, and are suspected of extorting profits from construction contractors, and using the money to fund bombing attacks against civilians and ISF.
Evidence at the scene linked the suspects with the wanted extortion-network leader, officials said.
