Tuesday, July 31, 2007

3-1 Cavalry tests water at new well in Al Nijadat

Civil Affairs Soldiers attached to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team test water drawn from a new well in Al Nijadat, Iraq, July 25.

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3-1 Cavalry tests water at new well in Al Nijadat
Photos courtesy of 3-1 Cavalry
By Staff Sgt. Sean Riley, 3rd HBCT Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – On Wednesday, a team of Soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, along with Civil Affairs personnel, visited the town of Al Nijadat to inspect a recently installed fresh water well.

The well is the product of joint efforts by the 3-1 Cavalry Soldiers and local government officials. After meeting with the town council, the CA team learned fresh water was a major concern and need of Al Nijadat residents.

“We were delivering water by truck,” said 1st Lt. Jeffrey Ritter, 29, Waterloo, Iowa, the civil affairs liaison and staff officer for the 3rd Squadron. “The well is a near-to-long term solution; at least until the Sabbah Nissan pumping station is completed.”

The Sabbah Nissan pumping station, another 3rd HBCT project, is in the planning phase. The proposed $6.3 million irrigation pump station project is planned to bring water as far out as Al Nijadat, said Maj. Brad Domby, 38, Weiser, Idaho, the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team project manager.

According to Ritter, the major challenge for the installation was connecting the pump to a power source.

Local workers recently completed the installation of the well and connected it to the local power grid on Wednesday.

“We had to locate the well in a central location, to keep it available for the public,” Ritter said. “There are only two power lines in the city. They had to run cable from the lines to a generator, then to the pump.”

The generator is there to provide power when electricity from the town is unavailable.

“This way,” Ritter said, “they can get water any time they want.”

While others inspected the well, members of the team handed out backpacks, women’s and children’s shoes to local citizens.

The well was tested for water purity and is providing clean drinking water.

The 3-1 Cavalry is assigned to the 3rd HBCT, 3rd Infantry Division from Fort Benning, Ga. The 3rd HBCT has been deployed to Iraq since March 2007.

 

A Civil Affairs Soldier hands out shoes and backpacks to the citizens of Al Nijadat, Iraq, July 25. The CA Soldiers, along with Soldiers of the 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, stopped in the town to test a newly installed well and pump.

A 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment Soldier passes out backpacks to local kids as Civil Affairs Soldiers inspect and test a new well near the town of Al Nijadat, Iraq, July 25.

1-15 Inf. helps Iraqis during free heath clinic

1st Lt. Shawn M. Thompson, battalion physician assistant, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, checks an Iraqi boy’s breathing July 28, in Wahida.

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1-15 Inf. helps Iraqis during free heath clinic
Story and photos by Staff Sgt. Carlos J. Lazo,  3rd Inf. Div.

COMBAT OUTPOST CLEARY, Iraq – Using a school in the city of al Wahida, Soldiers from a Fort Bragg, N.C., Civil Affairs battalion attached to the 3rd Infantry Divsion set up a one-day clinic for Iocal residents July 28.

Known as a cooperative medical engagement, the operation requires Coalition and Iraqi forces to come together and provide medical treatment in prescribed areas, said Staff Sgt. Patrick R. Weston, special operations medical noncommissioned officer, Civil Affairs Team Alpha 712th, Company A, 97th Civil Affairs Battalion.

Physician assistants and unit medics out of COP Cleary diagnosed and provided medicine to those in need.

“It was open to anybody, anybody who came,” said Capt. Teri Gurrola, physician assistant, Company C, 203rd Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team.

Citizens of all ages showed up seeking treatment with various illnesses and injuries.

“We’re able to treat pretty much everything they bring us, with the exception of dentistry issues and minor surgeries,” said Weston, a native of Tacoma, Wash. Weston attributes the unit’s broad capabilities to comprehensive pre-deployment planning.

Iraqi police attended the CME to assist the Company C Soldiers with maintaining security. Interpreters helped bridge the language barrier by translating for the Iraqis and explaining the correct doses of medicine required. They also brought their families for medical care.

Local Iraqi medical personnel also participated in the cooperative medical engagement.

“We had a couple of nursing students who came out,” Weston said. “We arranged for those (personnel) to come out through the mayor of al Wahida.

“The people are very ready to come and be treated by Coalition Forces medical providers, and that’s great,” Weston said. “But at the same time we want them to believe that their own providers and government can take care of them as well.”

Medical personnel examined nearly 150 people during the engagement, and each physician treated 45-50 patients.

“Almost every person who left came over and literally touched me to thank me, and I knew that they appreciated us being there,” Gurrola said.

This is the fourth such operation the brigade has conducted, with an average of 150 to 200 people showing up each time to seek treatment, Weston said.

Along with the treatment and medicine, children in the community were provided with school supplies, toothbrushes and soccer balls.

 

1st Lt. Shawn M. Thompson, battalion physician assistant, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, checks an Iraqi man’s eyes at an Iraqi school in Wahida, July 28, after the man expressed difficulty with his vision.

Capt. Teri Gurrola, physician assistant, Company C, 203rd Brigade Support Battalion, checks a woman’s breathing at an Iraqi school in Wahida, July 28.

Monday, July 30, 2007

3rd HBCT officer, NCO married and deployed

Staff Sgt. Roy Bell, 27, Gaffney, S.C., noncommissioned officer in charge of operational movement for the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, currently assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, stands next to his wife, 1st Lt. Levone Bell, 26, Gaffney, S.C., executive officer for Company B, 203rd Brigade Support Battalion while visiting each other June 18, at Forward Operating Base Rustamiyah.

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3rd HBCT officer, NCO married and deployed
By Sgt. Natalie Rostek
3rd HBCT Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – Army regulations forbid romantic relationships between officers and enlisted personnel, but one couple is making it work.

First Lt. Lavone Bell and Staff Sgt. Roy Bell, both of Gaffney, S.C., share everything, including a deployment to Iraq.

Lavone Bell serves as executive officer for Company B, 203rd Brigade Support Battalion at FOB Hammer, while Roy Bell serves as noncommissioned officer in charge of operational movement for 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, currently assigned to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division at FOB Rustamiyah. Both units are part of 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team.

Lavone Bell said she and her husband were married in April 1999, before she ever joined the Army.  Army Regulations (600-20, 4-14) allow relationships between officers and enlisted personnel if the service members were married prior to enlistment or commissioning.

“He was already in the military when we met and got married,” Lavone Bell said. “I joined later.”

Lavone Bell decided to join the Army three years ago because it was something she had always wanted to pursue, Roy Bell said. She started the Reserve Officer Training Corps while Roy was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He said she finished up her training and was commissioned while he was deployed for a second time during OIF III.

“I am the only officer in the family,” Lavone Bell said. “My father told me, because of my personality, I was more cut out to lead as an officer.

The Bells both agree the marriage has not been difficult as far as their ranks are concerned.

“My friends joke sometimes but there really haven’t been any problems,” Roy Bell said.

He said the situation has more benefits than liabilities.

“I am more informed about things that are going on. I have better connections and it’s easier to network,” Roy Bell explained.

He said when he and his wife attend formal events he proudly wears his uniform, as does she.

While they serve at different forward operating bases, Bells said the separation is difficult but manageable.

“As far as the mission is concerned, it’s almost better that she isn’t here with me,” Roy Bell said. “We would be a distraction to each other. Back at home I always found myself trying to help her with her work, and I would sometimes let mine drop.”

Lavone Bell said the situation was challenging at first, because there was no travel between FOB Hammer and FOB Rustamiyah. Her unit now makes it a point to invite her on logistics convoys to visit her husband.

The couple also uses the telephone to communicate.

She said, at the time of deployment, the option was presented for them to deploy at separate times so at least one parent could be home with their daughter. She said she and her husband have a good family care plan and would rather not have their 7-year-old daughter, Kiara, jump between parents during their deployments. Their daughter is currently living with Lavone Bell’s mother in Gaffney.

Roy Bell had a different motive to deploy with his wife.

“I didn’t want to be that family member who receives a phone call, or letter, or visit from the military and I couldn’t do anything about it,” he said. “I wanted to make sure that if something were to happen, I would be close.”

The couple plans on taking their 18-day leave in October. They said they have no set plans, but would like to work their vacation around their daughter’s schedule.

“We want to plan our time around when she has off school and activites. She’s in gymnastics. Level five gymnastics,” the proud father boasted. “That’s like the all-stars.”

1-10 FA Soldiers learn through change

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery, currently attached to the 16th Military Police Brigade, Task Force 134, stand in formation at Camp Bucca, Iraq.

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1-10 FA Soldiers learn through change
By Sgt. Natalie Rostek, 3rd HBCT Public Affairs
Photos courtesy of 1-10 Field Artillery

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – They live miles away from the unit with which they had trained, worked, lived and deployed.

They work in a detention facility doing jobs they had not trained for or imagined they would be doing. But their spirits are high, and their appreciation for the experience is something they will take with them beyond Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Their mission is to guard detainees who are brought to the Camp Bucca detention facility. The tasks the Soldiers must accomplish on a daily basis include securing the detainees so they don’t escape, safeguarding them so they are not hurt within the compound, and ensuring Iraqi rule of law and due process can occur.

The 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery, attached to the 16th Military Police Brigade and Task Force 134, at Camp Bucca. The unit was detached from the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team at the start of the deployment.

“We arrived to (Camp) Buehring (Kuwait) around the 16th of March. On the 22nd we went to Taji for the counter-insurgency training where we learned our Bravo Battery was going to be stationed at Camp Bucca,” said Maj. Luis Rivera, of Puerto Rico, operations officer for the 1-10 FA. “Two days later, we learned our whole battalion was going.”

Sgt. Marlin White, of Anderson, Ind., a shift leader in Headquarters Battery, 1-10 FA, has been in military service for eight years and understands the constant changes the Army goes through at a moments notice.

“You have to be flexible. You have to be open-minded,” White said. “The Army has been and always will be changing. I tell my Soldiers, ‘Don’t take anything you hear and just run with it.’ Things change and change and change again.”

For many Soldiers who had recently arrived to the unit from advanced individual training, the sudden change caused them to quickly adapt to their new roles.

“My NCOs told me I have to adapt to the constant changes of the Army,” said Pfc. Lucero Hernandez, of Las Vegas, supply representative for 1-10 FA. “It was hard, but I know this is an experience I will never forget.”

The movement was sudden, and the 1-10 FA Soldiers had little idea of what exactly they would be doing. They would be working with a unit they had never worked with before, in a job that was completely new to most of the Soldiers.

“One thing I’ve noticed about artillery Soldiers from my 19 years of experience,” explained Lt. Col. Mark Sullivan, of Huntsville, Ala., commander of the 1-10 FA, “is we are very adaptive [and] we are able to reorganize in very effective and efficient ways. We understand the significance of what we are doing and with a little bit of training, we are able to adapt to the mission.”

Sullivan said, each individual task relates to the entire mission, which is to counteract the insurgency.

“We didn’t train with (Task Force 134) or previously work with them, so there were some growing pains at first. The MP Brigade Soldiers are experts on detainee operations,” Rivera said. “The 3rd HBCT have always done things differently. We are used to the lethal fight. That helps immensely in detainee operations.”

White said the current mission of the 1-10 FA is much different than his previous two deployments to the Middle East.

“We train on how to use non-lethal weapons,” he said. “We also have to learn the culture more in-depth.”

Rivera said the Soldiers all carry their issued M-9 pistols, and M-4 and M-16 rifles, but are also trained on non-lethal weapons, such as batons, tazers, and shotguns that fire bean bags.

“The non-lethal weapons cause enough pain to knock the detainee back but doesn’t permanently hurt them or kill them.”

Rivera said the 3rd HBCT leaders focus a great deal on the discipline of their Soldiers. This training is crucial to the unit’s mission because many of the detainees are in the facility for insurgent activity against Coalition Forces. Discipline allows the Soldiers working in the detention facility to put aside their personal feelings and concentrate on the mission at hand, Rivera said.

Cpl. Brandon Rhodes, of Kalamazoo, Mich., Battery A, 1-10 FA, said there are certain challenges he faces in his new job as a quick reaction force Soldier. Rhodes and his team are responsible for reinforcing the detention facility, which includes controlling riots, reacting to escapes, and controlling the movement of detainees. They must always be ready, because an incident requiring QRF to respond could break out at any given time.

“A huge challenge is learning to be patient,” he said. “In our job, there is a lot of waiting for something to happen. We aren’t watching the best people in the world, and we have to be patient with them as well.”

“If you can deal with this, you can deal with a lot of things in the world,” White added.

Hernandez said her job faces challenges as well. As a supply representative, she must supply the detainees with items such as clothing and personal hygiene products.

“If we don’t get the supplies they need, that could cause a riot within the compound,” she said.

White, who serves as a mediator between the detainees and the sergeant of the guard of the detention facility, said cultural differences are a large part of the difficulties between the Soldiers and detainees.

“We have to know how to react to their culture and we have to know what it all means. We also have to know how to follow their culture,” he said. “For example, when they pray, they don’t like to have any noise. If we make noise, that could cause problems in the compound.”

Rhodes sees the cultural interaction as more of a reward. He explained how constantly interacting with another culture allows him to understand the differences between people. He understands that doing things differently to get the same result does not make it wrong.

Hernandez, who is working toward a degree in criminal justice, said she thinks the experience she gains from the detention facility will prepare her for her goal of becoming a police officer. 

The stress of their unique mission does weigh heavily on the Soldiers of the 1-10 FA at Camp Bucca. Most of the Soldiers agree that it is, in fact, the experience of a lifetime. They are learning something new every day and contributing to the overall mission of the military.

“In the small picture, it’s just a job,” Rhodes said, “but in the big picture, it’s nice to know I’m contributing the security of my family and the nation.”

The 1-10 FA will be replaced at Camp Bucca and will rejoin the 3rd HBCT at FOB Hammer. Until then, they will remain a significant part of the 16th MP Brigade, TF 134, Sullivan said.

“We are recognized by the MPs as honorary MPs,” Sullivan said. “They recognize what we bring to them and they understand what we bring to the fight. We are constantly doing the right thing.”

 

A Soldier from the 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery, currently attached to the 16th Military Police Brigade, Task Force 134, trains on unarmed combat techniques at Camp Bucca, Iraq.

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery, currently attached to the 16th Military Police Brigade, Task Force 134, pose for a picture at Camp Bucca, Iraq.

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery, currently attached to the 16th Military Police Brigade, Task Force 134 are given a class by a 16th Military Police Brigade MP, at Camp Bucca, Iraq.

A Soldier from 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery, currently attached to the 16th Military Police Brigade, Task Force 134, trains in firing his weapon from the tower at Camp Bucca, Iraq.

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery, currently attached to the 16th Military Police Brigade, Task Force 134, relax in their tents at Camp Bucca. Soldiers were living in large tents but moved to smaller container housing units capable of housing two, four, or ten Soldiers.

Eye protection saves infantryman’s vision

Pfc. Douglas K. Phillips, 22, Los Angeles, Company A, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, shows the damage to his face and his eye protection from a small arms fire attack May 14, in Durai’ya, Iraq.

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Eye protection saves infantryman’s vision
Story by Sgt. Natalie Rostek, 3rd HBCT Public Affairs
Photos courtesy of 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment

COMBAT OUTPOST CLEARY, Iraq – Ballistic eye protection is the reason one Task Force Marne Soldier is able to see today.

Pfc. Douglas K. Phillips, Company A, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, received minor injuries when a bullet struck his rifle and face during a combat operation May 14 in Durai’ya.

Soldiers of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team live by the “Marne Standard,” the uniform standard Soldiers are required to wear during any given task or operation.

During combat patrols, and missions requiring the Soldier to leave the base, this standard includes the complete Army Combat Uniform, body armor complete with all attachments, helmet, and ballistic eye protection.

While conducting Operation Beach Yellow, a battalion-sized mission to disrupt enemy activity in the 1-15 Inf. Regt.’s area of operation, Phillips’ unit was conducting a cordon and search of buildings in the area.

According to Sgt. Rory Seppanen, Company A, 1-15 Inf. Regt., Phillips had his weapon at the “high ready.” He had the butt stock of his weapon to his cheek and was looking through the sight ready to fire when necessary.

As the unit came under small-arms fire, a bullet from the enemy pierced the lower receiver of Phillips’ weapon and struck him, causing shrapnel wounds and powder burns to his face.

The noticeable marks and damage to his protective goggles show the importance of eye protection.

Spc. Raquel Martinez, of El Campo, Texas, a medic in Headquarters Company, 1-15 Inf. Regt., said she sees a lot of injuries that would have been much worse had the Soldier not abided by the Marne Standard. She believes in the value of eye protection.

“You only have two eyes,” Martinez said. “It’s very hard to replace them.”

“Without eye protection, Pfc. Phillips would have received not only the wound to his cheek, but also to his eye,” Seppanen said. “This would have resulted in the loss of his right eye.”

Seppanen, of Lansing, Mich., said Phillips was unwilling to acknowledge his own injury and moved calmly about to help treat other wounded Soldiers and aid in the evacuation of his fellow squad members.

“His platoon sergeant pointed out the deep gash on his cheek exposing muscle and bone,” Seppanen said. “It was at this point he allowed himself to be moved to the casualty collection point and later evacuated.”

Because of his dedication to helping his fellow Soldiers while putting his own medical needs behind him, Phillips received the Army Commendation Medal with Combat “V” for valor.

“Pfc. Phillips distinguished himself through his actions that day,” Seppanen said.

Phillips, a native of Los Angeles, also received a Purple Heart, his first of two in a two-month time span. Phillips’ earned his second Purple Heart July 11 after Forward Operating Base Hammer came under rocket attack. During that attack, Phillips received shrapnel wounds and was evacuated to a hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, for further treatment.

1-15 Inf. conducts sheik meeting

Capt. Richard Thompson, Columbus, Ga., commander of Company B, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, sits down for a meeting with local sheiks from the Salman Pak area July 18, at the 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade National Police Headquarters.

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1-15 Inf. conducts sheik meeting
By Sgt. Natalie Rostek
3rd HBCT Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – A Task Force Marne officer met with several local sheiks July 18 to discuss quelling terrorism in the Salman Pak region.

Capt. Rich Thompson, commander, Company B, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment met the sheiks at the 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade National Police headquarters building.

This was the first meeting of its kind in the area.

The unit has encountered improvised explosive devices along main routes in the vicinity of Combat Outpost Cahill, where Company B resides. Thompson, a native of Columbus, Ga., coordinated the meeting to counter IED cells in the area.

“This was a great meeting disclosing a lot of useful information about our area,” Thompson said.

Company B, 1-15 Inf. Regt. is assigned to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, out of Fort Benning, Ga.

1-10 FA blasts the big guns

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment prepare to fire a round during a mission from Forward Operating Base Hammer, Iraq.

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1-10 FA blasts the big guns
Story by Sgt Natalie Rostek, 3rd HBCT, PAO
Photos courtesy of 1-10 FA, 3rd HBCT

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – The Soldiers say their job is fairly simple.  The effects, however, will leave a lasting impression on everything in their path.

The platoon-sized element from 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery working out of FOB Hammer is responsible for three main tasks, said Staff Sgt. Michael Clark of Greenville, N.C., an artilleryman for 1-10 FA. The unit’s duties include conducting counter-fire missions, terrain denial missions and fire for effect missions.

“We kill bad guys,” said Sgt. Ralph Harrison, of Columbus, Ga. “We conduct counter-fire operations which are, when we get mortared; we shoot back at the point of origin.”

Sgt. Christopher Shores, of Winston-Salem, N.C., an artilleryman for 1-10 FA, said terrain denial missions consist of firing at an area to deter insurgents from conducting enemy activity in that location.

“Fire for effect missions,” he said, “are missions where we are aiming at one specific target and we hit that target and destroy it.”

Harrison said his unit is responsible for destroying boats found along the Tigris River. The 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team suspects these boats are used to transport weapons and munitions from Iran into Baghdad. The residents told Coalition Forces they do not use the river.

To effectively complete a mission, Soldiers must take the proper steps in a short period of time. On any operation where a 155 mm round is fired from the M109 Paladin howitzer, the air and ground must be cleared of any friendly forces and unintended targets, Harrison said. When the area is cleared a call is made to the line crew on FOB Hammer.

When the Paladin crew receives the mission, they assume their positions. Information that the team needs for an accurate shot pops up on a screen inside the Paladin. The crew loads a 155 mm round into the tube, the gunner puts powder in to expel the round and verifies the deflection and quadrants. The chief reads the data and sets the gun on the target.

“The chief overlooks everything in the operation on the ground,” said Clark, who serves as the chief for his crew. “That’s pretty important. If anything goes wrong, it all comes back to me.”

Each crew spends anywhere from 12 to 24 hours on the line. They are always on their toes, prepared for any mission from the 3rd HBCT headquarters.

“The hardest part of this job is the elements,” Clark said. “The heat is the worst, but everything else is pretty easy.”

The job requires each crew to be stationary, but the product of their efforts can be seen through the camera of a patrolling unmanned aerial vehicle. Shores said he prefers the crew stay on FOB Hammer to get their job done.

“The best part about our job is we can destroy a target without actually having to be there,” he said.

The crew perform their work in the middle of a vast open area on FOB Hammer where there are no other Soldiers. Sometimes they are overlooked because they are such a small element, but Clark said 1-10 FA is a wanted and needed element of 3rd HBCT.

“They see us hit the target from the UAV, they hear the boom,” he said. “I think they are happy to have us around.”

 

A M109 Paladin howitzer belonging to the 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment fires during a mission at Forward Operating Base Hammer, Iraq.

Partners disrupting accelerant flow

Sgt. 1st Class Scott Darnell, 34, Greenwood, Ind., 3rd Platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment platoon sergeant, discusses traffic control point operations with a National Policemen during a break at a traffic control point along the Al Kut Highway southeast of Baghdad.

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Partners disrupting accelerant flow
Story by Maj. Joe Sowers, 3rd HBCT Public Affairs
Photo by 1-15th Infantry Soldiers

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – Soldiers of Company C, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment have new partners in their efforts to stop accelerant flow into Baghdad.

The 2nd Battalion Wassit Emergency Response Force is now working alongside its Coalition counterparts from the “Dragon Battalion” to establish traffic control points to disrupt the flow of bomb-making material along major thoroughfares southeast of Baghdad.

The 1-15th Inf. Regt., 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, deployed to Iraq in March 2007 and immediately established combat outposts among the communities southeast of Baghdad. As a part of the surge, the Soldiers of 1-15th Inf. Regt. assumed the mission of hindering the flow of insurgents and bomb-making material as they moved north. 

Capt. John Horning, commander, Company C, said when the 1-15th Inf. Regt. began conducting missions in early April, traffic control points along the Al Kut Highway were nothing more than “traffic observation” points. 

The 3rd platoon of Company C has joined with the ERF to along the Al Kut Highway, near Wahida.  The Al Kut highway is lined with businesses in many places and contains key commercial zones in the Fort Benning, Ga., soldiers’ area of operations.  The road has also seen the highest number of roadside bombs in the battalion’s area of operations.

The ERF, also known as the “Lions of Wassit,” bring experienced leaders and soldiers onto the Coalition team.  Horning said many of the Lions are former Iraqi army paratroopers. Soldiers of the unit maintain higher standards of discipline than many other ISF units and are very well trained, he said.

“They don’t lack motivation, and they don’t lack individual skills,” Horning said.  “They are …  fearless.”

Sgt. 1st Class Scott Darnell, 3rd platoon sergeant, Company C, concurs.

“They weren’t the regular soldiers under Saddam’s regime,” said Darnell. “The tactics they use are a little more advanced than what we see with the regular Iraqi Security Forces.”

Horning thinks the success of the Lions can easily be seen.

“The best evidence of their success is how quiet it has been along the Al Kut Highway in our area,” Horning said.  “All the EFPs (explosively formed penetrators) that we have seen have been outside of their area of operations.”

Besides hindering terrorist activity, the combined traffic control operations provide an opportunity for 1-15th Inf. Regt. Soldiers and ERF personnel to work together and learn from each other. The Company C initiative is focused on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of traffic control points conducted by the ERF.

Horning believes that while the ERF soldiers possess individual skills above their ISF peers, he also sees where the unit can improve as a whole. Horning said battalion-level planning and “conditions setting” would be areas in which he would like to see the Lions improve.

Even with some deficiencies, Horning said he thinks the ERF help his company greatly.

“Their ability to gather human intelligence is way beyond ours,” said Horning.  “We rely on technology and they bring the human element. They complete the puzzle.”

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Army cooks feed family of 300

Pfc. Emril Getscher, (left) 19, Harford County, Md., a cook in 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, serves mashed potatoes to Spc. Brendan Murphy, 24, Boston, a medic in 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, July 21, at Combat Outpost Cleary, Iraq.

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Army cooks feed family of 300
Story and Photos by Sgt. Natalie Rostek, 3rd HBCT Public Affairs

COMBAT OUTPOST CLEARY, Iraq – It has been said that an Army runs on its stomach.  Most Soldiers would agree with that statement.

Chow is one of the main ingredients in keeping Soldiers working to their fullest capacity. A good meal can mean the difference between accomplishing the mission and failure.

The Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment on COP Cleary rely on a team of three Soldiers and two noncommissioned officers to supply them with sustenance.

A typical day for cooks in the combat zone requires them to wake up at a not-so-typical hour to prepare breakfast. According to Pfc. Emril Getscher, a cook for 1-15 Inf. Regt., the food service team wakes up at 4 a.m. and is busy cooking half an hour later.

“Half of cooking is presentation,” said Getscher, of Hartford County, Md., “We try to make everything we do look good as well as taste good.”

After breakfast is served and the area is cleaned, the food service team usually has a few hours before they have to start the process over again for dinner. They end their day around 9 p.m. every night.

Because the team is short on personnel, non-food service Soldiers are tasked for “kitchen patrol.” Their duties include emptying the trash cans, cleaning the dining area, washing dishes, and any other small jobs that would normally pull the cooks away from their duties.

Each meal comes with a menu and instructions the cooks use. The menu has everything the cooks need to prepare and handle the food. Food and supplies come from Forward Operating Base Hammer, where 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team’s headquarters is located. Staff Sgt. Russell Slouffman, senior noncommissioned officer in charge of food service at COP Cleary, said Company F, 203rd Brigade Support Battalion, brings convoys of rations, supplies and supplements every few days.

According to Slouffman, of Miami, the dust is a battle every day. Food sanitation is a large part of a cook’s job, and harsh conditions in Iraq can make the job even harder. Slouffman leaves no room for excuses where conditions are concerned. He makes sanitation a daily part of his and his Soldiers’ duties.

Conditions also make transporting and storing food difficult.

“One of the biggest problems is not getting the food and supplies we ask for,” Slouffman said. “It’s not really a supply issue; it’s the conditions out here. For example, we can’t get ice cream out here because it would have to be transported on dry ice or in freezers. We just don’t have those capabilities.”

Slouffman said ice cream is one of the main requests of Soldiers from COP Cleary, especially in the summer, when temperatures can reach 120 degrees.

Of the meals they do receive at the outpost, both Slouffman and Getscher agree that steaks, hamburgers and hot dogs are Soldiers’ favorites.

“When we cook the hamburgers and hot dogs, everyone feels like they are at home,” Getscher said. “We have the grill going and we bring out chili and chips and it kind of brings us all back to the states.”

The job is difficult, and the hours are long, but all the cooks find enjoyment and fulfillment in what they do.

“Sure the hours are long and the work is hard, but we all love to cook,” Getscher said, “and when people say thank you, it makes it all worth it.”

“We are the No. 1 morale booster out here,” Slouffman said. “When Soldiers get excited to eat something we cooked, I get excited. It’s all about seeing the smiles on their faces when they come to chow.”

Monday, July 23, 2007

3-1 Cavalry honors fallen hero

Soldiers of the 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, salute the memorial honoring Sgt. Allen A. Greka, a team leader from Troop C, during a ceremony July 18, at Patrol Base Comanche. Greka was killed July 13.

Multi-National Division - Center
Media Release
HQ, MND-Center
Baghdad, Iraq

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

3-1 Cavalry honors fallen hero
Story and photos by Sgt. Natalie Rostek, 3rd HBCT Public Affairs

COMBAT OUTPOST CLEARY, Iraq – Soldiers of the 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, honored a fallen hero in a memorial service held July 18, at Patrol Base Comanche.

Sgt. Allen A. Greka, 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, was killed July 13 while on a dismounted patrol.

Friends described Greka, 29, as an all around funny guy who always had a smile on his face. He was an avid musician with a passion for the drums.

Although he was funny and high-spirited, he took his job as a leader seriously and did not wait for his promotion to a noncommissioned officer to take the lead in various missions, according 3-1 Cav. Soldiers.

Soldiers further explained he was also a great husband and father to his wife and two daughters, always talking about them when he wasn’t discussing the mission.

“He was the epitome of a leader and an incredible father and husband,” said Lt. Col. John Kolesheski, squadron commander, 3-1 Cav.

Greka was an extremely hard worker who excelled at his job as a cavalry Soldier and leader, said Capt. Darrel Melton, Troop C commander.  “He was – no, he is one of the best men I have ever served with in my 10 years in the Army,” Melton said. “If you ever wanted anything done, he could and would get it done to the highest of standards.”

Melton said Greka had many friends in the unit and cared deeply for any and every Soldier who served over, with, and under him regardless of who they were.
“In order to fully understand and appreciate our love for Sgt. Greka, let me start from the beginning,” said 1st Lt. Ross Pixler, Greka’s platoon leader.

Pixler told multiple stories of his encounters with Greka. They were mostly humorous accounts detailing numerous occasions when he would approach Greka at the most inopportune times.

“There is not one man in this platoon who could say he didn’t make them laugh at his expense,” Pixler told the audience. “I feel honored to have shared, in a small way, a portion of his life.”

The final comments from those who knew him best came from Spc. Randy Leverett, a Soldier who served under Greka.

“He was a friend who will be remembered,” Leverett said. “To Comanche Troop, Sgt. Greka will always be with us on missions until we go home.”

Greka, of Alpena, Mich., was assigned to the Georgia based 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team’s Troop C, 3-1 Cav. as a team leader. The 3rd HBCT is part of the 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Benning. Greka is survived by his mother and father, Patti and Steve Greka, his wife, Jennifer, and his daughters, Rose and Lilith.

 

The memorial stand at the service honoring Sgt. Allen A. Greka, Troop C, 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, July 18, at Patrol Base Comanche. Greka was killed July 13 while on a dismounted patrol.

Soldiers of 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, salute the memorial honoring Sgt. Allen A. Greka, a team leader from Troop C, during a ceremony July 18, at Patrol Base Comanche. Greka was killed July 13, when he stepped on an improvised explosive device during a dismounted patrol.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

New Iraqi police station opens in Wahida

Lt. Col. Ryan Kuhn, from Clarks, Neb., deputy commanding officer of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, speaks with Brig. Gen. Allawi, deputy district commander, before a ribbon cutting ceremony July 17, marking the opening of the new Iraqi police station, in Wahida, Iraq.

Multi-National Division - Center
Media Release
HQ, MND-Center
Baghdad, Iraq

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Iraqi police station opens in Wahida
Story and photos by Sgt. Natalie Rostek
3rd HBCT Public Affairs

COMBAT OUTPOST CLEARY, Iraq – The Wahida City Council opened a new police station July 17 in the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment’s area of operation.

When Lt. Col. Jack Marr, of Minneapolis, the 1-15 commander, Lt. Col. Ryan Kuhn, of Clarks, Neb., the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team’s deputy commanding officer, and Capt. Ravindra Wagh, of Waterford, Mich., commander of Company E, 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment, arrived to the new police station, they were greeted by a mob of excited Iraqi policemen and local leaders.

The visit began with a tour of the new facility followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony signifying the end of the project and the opening of a new Iraqi police station.

On paper, the project began in October 2006 with a request for a new police station, according to Wagh, with the 125th Inf. Regt., a Michigan National Guard unit, serving as the National Police Training Team. He headed the project from start to finish. The Iraqi police of Wahida received the title to an empty lot and the appropriate funds to get the project under way.

Wagh said the former Wahida Police Station, which was co-located with a mosque, did not have the resources fit for a unit whose main mission is providing security to Wahida.

“The old police station was right down the road from the new one,” Wagh said. “It had three rooms and the front of the building was a mosque. It wasn’t fit for jurisdiction in Wahida.”

After the ribbon cutting ceremony, members of the Wahida Police, along with leaders of the community and Coalition Forces, sat down for a conference to discuss the new station.

“It is very nice to have the new police station here (in Wahida,)” Mr. Jawad Khadum, chairman of the Wahida city council said through a translator. “I would like for you to all be equal, to work as one, to serve the community and enforce the law.”

He then saluted the policemen for a job well done on the project.

Lt. Col. Kareem, the station commander, also spoke at the conference. He thanked Coalition Forces for their efforts on the project.  He also reminded his policemen that they have a brand new station and encouraged them to maintain the station as it stands today.

According to Wagh, the project is a symbol the citizens of Wahida can see that proves the government is capable of listening to the requests of the community and spending the $3.5 million it took to fund the project on the community.

“This government has a commitment to security,” he said. “Many people believed the government was getting all this money and they would never see it. This project proves the government is spending the money on their communities.”

Wagh, who has been in Iraq since August 2006, said he was privileged to be able to see the new Wahida Police Station project from start to finish.

“The problem with many of these projects is that one unit is there for the beginning and then has to leave so another unit gets to the final outcome,” he said. “I am glad I was able to see the conception on paper all the way up to the building we see today.”

Although the new police station doesn’t necessarily increase the capability or the capacity of the Iraqi police, Marr believes it does a lot for the morale of the policemen. He said it also shows the Wahida citizens that progress is being made and normalcy is being restored.

“This project gives the good people of Wahida confidence in their police,” Marr said. “The project was Iraqi driven, which means we are coming along the way we have always wanted. We want to help the Iraqi people help themselves. The best solutions are the Iraqi solutions.”

The 1-15, 3rd HBCT, is part of the 3rd Infantry Division, stationed in Fort Benning, Ga. 

 

Brig. Gen. Allawi, deputy district commander, cuts the ribbon with Lt. Col. Jack Marr, from Minneapolis, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment commander, July 17, at a ceremony to open the new Wahida Police Station.

The morale leader for the Wahida Police leads a cheer as fellow Iraqi policemen respond July 17, at a ribbon cutting ceremony to open the new Iraqi police station in Wahida, Iraq.

Lt. Col. Kareem, station commander of the new Wahida Police Station, makes a speech to Iraqi Policemen and leaders and to leaders of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team July 17, at the newly opened station in Wahida, Iraq.

Brig. Gen. Allawi, deputy district commander, explains the significance of the symbols on a plaque before giving it as a gift to Capt. Ravindra Wagh, from Waterford, Mi., July 17, at the newly Wahida Police Station in Iraq. Wagh served as head of the project to build the station.

An Iraqi policeman salutes Lt. Col. Ryan Kuhn, from Clarks, Neb., deputy commanding officer of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, before receiving a gift for outstanding support, July 17, at the newly opened Wahida Police Station in Iraq.

3-1 Cavalry commander meets with sheiks

Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

3-1 Cavalry commander meets with sheiks
Story by Staff Sgt. Sean Riley
3rd HBCT Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq — Lt. Col. John Kolasheski, 40, Loudon, Tenn., commander of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team’s 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, along with civil affairs leaders, met with sheiks and tribal leaders from throughout the brigade’s area of operations at FOB Hammer Tuesday.

The main objective of the meeting was to discuss future and ongoing civil projects for the Mada’in Qada. Among the many project topics, the leaders talked about improving water, local schools, and garbage and sanitation needs. The sheiks expressed their concerns to Kolasheski, who agreed to facilitate the sheiks’ prioritization of the necessary projects.

During the meeting, the Kolasheski agreed to release nine detainees to the custody of the sheiks.

The 3-1 Cavalry is assigned to the 3rd HBCT, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Pentagon Cranks Up MRAP Production

By JAMES W. CRAWLEY
Media General News Service

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon announced a rush order Wednesday for as many as 3,900 anti-mine vehicles to be built by year’s end.

The mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, known as MRAPs, are seen as the best hope of cutting casualties in Iraq from roadside bombs.

As many as 3,500 MRAPs could be in Iraq by January, said John Young, who heads the Pentagon’s MRAP task force. Several hundred are there now.

“Time is of the essence,“ he added.

The vehicles have a V-shaped underbelly of steel armor that deflects the blast from improvised explosive devices, which have caused about 60 percent of American fatalities in Iraq. It would replace the Humvees currently used.

The production surge—from dozens a month to 1,300 per month—will be fueled by $1.2 billion the military wants to shift to the MRAP budget. Several congressional leaders, briefed on the Pentagon plan, said they favored the transfer.

Several companies with current contracts to build MRAPs will likely benefit from the decision, including two South Carolina firms, Force Protection Inc. and Protected Vehicles Inc., both located in the Charleston area.

The Navy’s electronics command in Charleston, which outfits MRAPs with communications gear before shipment to Iraq, will have to increase its workload dramatically.

To speed up manufacturing, MRAP makers get top priority for armored steel, tires and other parts, Young said. Also, the Pentagon is giving some companies up-front cash to buy manufacturing equipment so more vehicles can be built. Testing and contract processing also is being streamlined.

“This is not ‘business as usual’ process,“ Young said.

E-mail James W. Crawley, national correspondent for Media General News Service, at .

New Iraqi Police station opens in Wahida

Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Iraqi Police station opens in Wahida
Sgt. Natalie Rostek
3rd HBCT Public Affairs

COMBAT OUTPOST CLEARY, Iraq — The Wahida City Council opened a new police station in Wahida July 17 in the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment’s area of operation.

When Lt. Col. Jack Marr, 39, Minneapolis, Minn, 1-15 Inf. commander, Lt. Col. Ryan Kuhn, 43, Clarks, Neb., 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team’s deputy commanding officer, and Capt. Ravindra Wagh, 36, Waterford, Mich., commander of Company E, 1st Battalion, 125 Inf. Regiment, arrived at the new police station, they were greeted by a mob of excited Iraqi Policemen and local leaders.

The visit began with a tour of the new facility followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony signifying the end of the project and the opening of a brand new Iraqi Police station.

On paper, the project began in October 2006 with a request for a new Iraqi Police station. According to Wagh, who headed the project from start to finish, the Iraqi Police of Wahida received the title to an empty lot and the appropriate funds to get the project underway.

Wagh said the former Wahida Police station, which was co-located with a mosque, did not have the resources fit for a unit whose main mission is providing security to Wahida.

“The old police station was right down the road from the new one,” Wagh said. “It had three rooms and the front of the building was a mosque. It wasn’t fit for jurisdiction in Wahida.”

After the ribbon cutting ceremony, members of the Wahida Police, along with leaders of the community and Coalition Forces, sat down for a conference to discuss the new station.

“It is very nice to have the new police station here (in Wahida,)” Mr. Jawad Khadum, chairman of the Wahida city council said through a translator. “I would like for you to all be equal, to work as one, to serve the community and enforce the law.” He then saluted the policemen for a job well done on the project.

Lt. Col. Kareem, the station commander, also spoke at the conference. He thanked the Coalition Forces for their efforts on the project.  He also reminded his policemen that they have a brand new station and encouraged them to maintain the station as it stands today.

According to Wagh, the project is a symbol the citizens of Wahida can see that proves the government is capable of listening to the requests of the community and spending the $3.5 million it took to fund the project on the community.

“This government has a commitment to security,” he said. “Many people believed the government was getting all this money and they would never see it. This project proves the government is spending the money on their communities.”

Wagh, who has been in Iraq since August 2006, said he was privileged to be able to see the new Iraqi Police station project from start to finish.

“The problem with many of these projects is that one unit is there for the beginning and then has to leave so another unit gets to the final outcome,” he said. “I am glad I was able to see the conception on paper all the way up to the building we see today.”

Although the new police station doesn’t necessarily increase the capability or the capacity of the Iraqi Police, Marr believes it does a lot for the morale of the policemen. He said it also shows the Wahida citizens that progress is being made and normalcy is being restored.

“This project gives the good people of Wahida confidence in their police,” Marr said. “The project was Iraqi driven, which means we are coming along the way we have always wanted. We want to help the Iraqi people help themselves. The best solutions are the Iraqi solutions.”

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

SMA Preston: Tours not be to extended beyond 15 months

Multi-National Division - Center
Media Release
HQ, MND-Center
Baghdad, Iraq

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SMA Preston: Tours not be to extended beyond 15 months
Story by Sgt. Natalie Rostek, 3rd HBCT
Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky, 2nd BCT

COMBAT OUTPOST CLEARY, Iraq – Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth Preston visited Task Force Marne Soldiers in their various areas of operation in Iraq July 16 and cleared up rumors that can sometimes affect morale.

Soldiers from Fort Drum, N.Y., Fort Richardson, Alaska, and Georgia-based troops from Hunter Army Airfield, Forts Stewart and Benning, were all included in his one-day tour of the area. 

Among the units Preston visited were 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team at Combat Outpost Cleary and the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team at Patrol Base Murray, both brigades are part of the 3rd Infantry Division.

Preston said he visits the small outposts like COP Cleary because it is important for him to have a feel for concerns that Soldiers and leaders might have. He said he doesn’t truly get a feel for what’s on their minds until he talks to Soldiers and leaders directly.

Preston’s speech began with a clarification of the deployment extension, increasing 12-month deployments to 15 months. He explained the deployment will not exceed 15 months, ending any rumors of an even longer extension.

Preston then opened the floor for questions and provided the opportunity for clarification of any rumors spreading throughout the unit. One Soldier brought up the pay issue on extended tours, and Preston explained each Soldier will be paid an extra $1,000 for every month past 12.

Preston also spoke on military school opportunities after the deployment. He also incorporated recruiting and retention into his motivating lecture.

He said he attributes the Army leadership to retention success. He attributes retention success to the experience and appreciation the Soldiers receive during the Global War on Terrorism.

“Soldiers are out there doing a real world mission,” Preston said. “You don’t really see the effects until you work on the ground. It’s the Soldiers here on the ground, interacting with the people, with the Iraqi army, the Iraqi police, and the National Police who will know if progress is being made. Soldiers believe in the mission they are doing and are being appreciated when they come home.”

Preston challenged every Soldier to spread the Army story when they return to the states. He is concerned that not everyone knows the truth and only believes the Army to be what they see on television.

On another subject, Preston spent addressed Transformation while visiting 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment at Patrol Base Murray.

Just as the infantrymen are building up Patrol Base Murray into a stronghold, Preston said the Army is currently adjusting itself to build itself up into a stronger fighting force.

Since 2004, starting with 3rd Infantry Division, the Army has been working to create more brigade combat teams.

In January 2004, Preston said, there were only 33 BCTs in the Army. Through shifting forces, retention and recruitment, the Army is currently fielding 40 BCTs of the desired 48.

Forty-two should be ready by the end of next year, he added.

Until the BCTs are ready though, Preston said Soldiers will continue to deploy for 15-months.

However, Preston said the deployment schedule will bring stability and predictability to the Army’s operation tempo.

“(Secretary of the Army) Gates announced active duty units deployed to the CENTCOM (Central Command)  area would not be deployed longer than 15 months and those units will have a minimum of 12 months dwell time back at home station,“ he said.

Although some situations, such as another attack somewhere in the world, could change this plan, Preston said there is no truth to the rumors that some units would be extended beyond 15 months to 18 months.

“The message I want to leave to you is the Secretary of Defense and our leadership have announced that Soldiers would not be deployed for longer than 15 months. And that is exactly what that means,“ he said.

In the meantime, to help ease the strain longer deployments might put on Soldiers, the Army is instituting programs to help Soldiers’ morale, such as increasing the length of time Soldiers receive for environmental and morale leave.