Wednesday, April 30, 2008

1-35 Armor Regt. Leaders Meet Jisr Diyala Nahia Council Members

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – The commander of 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment, introduced himself and key members of his staff to leaders of the Jisr Diyala Nahia Council April 28.

Lt. Col. Ricardo Morales, from El Paso, Texas, stressed the need to maintain positive momentum and continue working closely with the council as the 1-35th Armor Regt. takes responsibility for operations in Jisr Diyala.

The meeting took place as part of a planned transition between 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment to 1-35th Armor Regt.

The 1-35th Armor Regt. is assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armor Division, which will take responsibility of the Mada’in Qada from the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team.
The Jisr Diyala Nahia Council – comprised of local and Iraqi Security Force leaders and local business managers – has enjoyed a good working relationship with 3-1st Cav. Regt. for the past 14 months, said 1st Lt. Kellan Blithe, from Paso Robles, Calif., fire support officer for 1-35th Armor Regt.

“Members of the Jisr Diyala Nahia Council expressed a desire to see city ordinances enforced, as opposed to early times when they were unwilling to or perhaps frightened to enforce them,” Blithe said. “It’s exciting to see council leaders take the initiative to better the community.”

The 3-1st Cav. Regt. is assigned to the 3rd HBCT, 3rd Infantry Division, from Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March 2007.

Arafia Canal Oens Wth Ribbon Cutting

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – A ribbon-cutting ceremony April 28 marked the re-opening of the Arafia Canal in Arafia, Iraq, which provides irrigation water to approximately 300 area families.

Members of the Jisr Diyala Nahia Council, Sons of Iraq and 3rd Brigade, 1st National Police Division, along with leaders of 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment leaders and 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment, took part in the event.

The upgrades include a new concrete lining and three functioning water pumps.

“The Iraqi people contracted all the workers and did all the labor,” said 1st Lt. Jeff Ritter, from Waterloo, Iowa, military operations officer for 3-1st Cav. Regt. civil military operations officer. “We just supplied the funding and influence to make it happen.”

Ritter said the canal opening resulted from cooperation between the Jisr Diyala Nahia Council, the local community council and Coalition forces.

Ritter said continued partnership during the 3-1st Cav. Regt. and 1-35th Armor Regt. transition will allow the nahia leadership to maintain confidence in their Coalition force counterparts.

The 3-1st Cav. Regt. is assigned to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, from Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March 2007.

The 1-35th Armor Regt., 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armor Division, from Baumholder, Germany, is currently replacing the 3-1st Cav. Regt. east of Baghdad.

EPRT facilitates Mada’in Ag Expo

More than 1500 Iraqi farmers attended the Mada’in Agricultural Technology Exposition in al-Wahida, Iraq, April 26 - 27.

The expo resulted from efforts by the embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team, attached to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, to revitalize farming and agribusiness.

The 3rd HBCT ePRT leaders emphasized agricultural initiatives in the qada to provide long-term economic stability in the primarily agrarian district east of Baghdad.

Fifty-eight percent of the Mada’in citizens are farmers, and another 15 percent are in farm-related businesses, said Col. Bud Jameson, from Sherwood, Ark., ePRT deputy team leader.

During the expo, Baghdad PRT members, Iraqi Agriculture Center representatives and successful farmers demonstrated technology beneficial to farming.

Since the Mada’in Qada is an arid region, leaders also promoted different techniques to improve field irrigations.

“There has been a lot of wasted water because they have been ‘flood’ irrigating their fields like they did in the old days,” Jameson said. “This doesn’t work because some of the land is not even and the water runs down into the low ground. Seed in the high ground does not get irrigated.”

During the expo, farmers filled out ePRT questionnaires to facilitate farmers associations in their communities.

“It used to be farmers associated by village,” Jameson said. “But the problem with that is one guy might be into fish farming and another into wheat.  While they both need water, their priorities are totally different.”

Jameson said many farming communities lack diversification.

“If a wheat farmer is having a bad year or wheat prices are down, they have to have another way to support their family,” he said.

Jameson said the expo was aimed at revitalizing agriculture in the qada, reinstituting faith in the government and returning a sense of normalcy to the local population, but he hopes it will provide even more over time.

“There is also a reconciliation aspect to the expo,” he said. “People have talked to their local leaders and said they didn’t feel safe going out in public and doing things as a family. Now that security has improved, we are hoping they see this as something they can do as a family. We want them to see that peace has arrived.”

The 3rd HBCT, 3rd Infantry Division, is from Fort Benning, Ga., and deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2007. The brigade is one of the most deployed brigades in the Army.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Refurbished School Opens In Salman Pak

Refurbished school opens in Salman Pak
By Maj. Joe Sowers, 3rd HBCT, 3rd Inf. Div. PAO

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – The only secondary school for girls in the Salman Pak area opened its doors with a ribbon-cutting ceremony April 24.

Leaders of the Salman Pak Council, the Iraqi Army, the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment and 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, gathered in Salman Pak for the ceremony, which marked the completion of a $200,000 project initiated Feb. 28.

Members of the Salman Pak Council brought the decrepit school to the attention of 1-15th Inf. Regt. leadership in January. The school was in disrepair and local leaders’ desire to improve educational facilities matched the goals of the battalion leadership.

“We were looking for a big school to refurbish to make an impact,” said Capt. Matt Givens, from Columbus, Ga., the civil-military operations officer for 1-15th Inf. Regt. “It was the only female secondary school in the area. Before the refurbishment, the school was pretty much falling down. It had no electricity and students couldn’t use the restrooms.”

Givens said the project completely overhauled the building. Iraqi contractors repaired structural damage, erected a security wall, rewired electrical outlets, replastered the outside and repainted the inside. 

Two of the most significant improvements were connecting the restrooms to a septic tank and the construction of a concrete courtyard.

“Unpaved courtyards get quite muddy when it rains,” said Givens, who has facilitated 13 different school refurbishment projects during his unit’s 14-month deployment. “School administrators commonly ask for concrete courtyards for assemblies and recreation.”

Givens said these projects make a difference in the community.

“People view it as you’re helping take care of their children and it helps to build trust within the community,” he said. “They are excited when they see you helping their children.”

The 1-15th Inf. Regt. is assigned to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, from Fort Benning, Ga. and has been deployed to Iraq since March 2007. The 2-6th Inf. Regt. is assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division from Baumholder, Germany, and will soon replace the 3rd HBCT in the Mada’in Qada.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Assassin Troop Receives Certificate of Appreciation

Command Sgt. Maj. James M. Pearson, from Philadelphia, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, talks to Soldiers of Troop A, 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, April 24 at Patrol Base Assassin, Iraq. “Those who served in the Army after Sept. 11 may go down in history as the greatest generation ever,” Pearson said. “You may be the greatest generation ever.”

Salman Pak’s Ministry of Irrigation On Schedule

By Sgt. 1st Class Scott Maynard, 3rd HBCT, 3rd Inf. Div. PAO

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – Salman Pak’s Ministry of Irrigation is on schedule with piping projects to restore drinking water for residents of Salman Pak and Dura’iya.

The projects, funded by the Government of Iraq, are focused on replacing water lines damaged over recent years.

The GoI is increasing efforts to rebuild and restore basic services in the region, said Capt. Matthew Givens, projects planner for the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment.

“Every project completed in Salman Pak and the surrounding regions are made possible by increased security,” he said.

Givens, a native of Columbus, Ga., said projects like this one will eventually provide clean drinking water for the entire region.

“It is only one example of renewed interest by the Government of Iraq in services provided for the local people, here,” he said.

Salman Pak is home to the ancient Arch of Ctesiphon, the largest man-made free standing arch in the world, which was built in 400 A.D.

The 1-15th Inf. Regt. is assigned to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, from Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March 2007

Friday, April 25, 2008

3rd HBCT Celebrates The U.S. Army Reserve’s 100th Birthday

Col. Wayne W. Grigsby, Jr., from Prince George’s County, Md., commander of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, cuts a cake celebrating the U.S. Army Reserve’s 100th anniversary with reservists currently attached to the 3rd HBCT, at the Hammer Dining Facility, April 23.

Grigsby praised the reservists and their contributions to the 3rd HBCT’s success in the Mada’in Qada. “For the last 100 years, the U.S. Army Reserve has been an important part of our organization,” he said. “In the last five years, it has become a vital part of our mission.

All of you have been an invaluable part of our team and our mission … We cannot thank you enough for your service and your patriotism.”

Leaders Meet at FOB Hammer to Discuss Security

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – Leaders from the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team met with the 3rd Brigade, 1st National Police Division; the 35th Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division; Iraqi Police and civic leaders from the Mada’in Qada at FOB Hammer to discuss ways to improve the security of the qada.

In the month prior to the meeting, Soldiers from the 3rd HBCT and Iraqi Security Forces seized several large caches and detained numerous criminals
. “We have worked very hard to maintain the security gains we made here,” said Col. Wayne W. Grigsby, Jr., from Prince George’s County, Md., commander of the 3rd HBCT, addressing his ISF partners. “You are able to get better information than we ever could, and that has made a huge difference in tracking down these extremists.”

Grigsby discussed the transition between the 3rd HBCT and the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armor Division, from Smith Barracks, Germany. The 3rd HBCT will transfer authority over to the 2nd BCT in May.

“We have worked very hard to ensure a smooth transition,” Grigsby said. “I am confident that all of the great leaders in this room will give the incoming unit the same support we received during our stay here in the Mada’in Qada.”

Grigsby emphasized that, during the 3rd HBCT’s time in the area, he always encouraged his Iraqi partners to determine what was best for the qada.
“The Coalition force solution is not the solution,” he said to his fellow leaders.

“Your solutions are what are important. I have always tried to support your decisions to help make this area better. So far, we have been very successful because of your guidance and insight.”

The 3rd HBCT, 3rd Infantry Division, from Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March 2007.

Coalition Forces Aid Fish Farms, Hatcheries

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – Members of the U.S. Agency for International Development are developing a plan to provide equipment and supplies to fish farms and hatcheries in the Mada’in Qada.

According to Michael Torreano, USAID representative to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team’s embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team, USAID will hold a meeting with leaders of the 3rd HBCT to discuss the community stability project. The project will provide items such as fish, feed and equipment to these businesses.

Torreano, from Iron Mountain, Mich., and Lt. Col. Todd Ratliff, from Holland, Ohio, commander of the 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, visited a fish hatchery in the town of Gorzia to assess the owners’ needs.

The hatchery is fairly small with a number of growing ponds nearby. The building had two spawning tanks and equipment for handling the eggs and tiny spawn, he said. The primary type of fish in the hatchery is carp.

The owners of the hatchery said their biggest need is carp pituitary hormone.

Torreano explained the hormones increase fertility of the female resulting in the production of more eggs therefore increasing chances to spawn.

At the hatcheries, fish are bred then the eggs are taken out to hatch, Torreano said. When the eggs hatch they are taken to a pond to grow into fingerlings.
Fish farmers buy the fingerlings and, after they grow into adult carp, are sold at markets.

“In this area fish farming is not a thriving industry,” Torreano said. “Fish are in high demand and they also help the health of the locals as a good source of protein.”

Torreano said fish farming and hatcheries are also economically viable. The work can be done with existing technology, and related businesses like feed mills and delivery companies can profit from thriving farms.

The 3rd HBCT, 3rd Infantry Division, from Fort Benning, Ga., has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March 2007.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Soldiers Receive Awards At COP Cashe

Col. Wayne W. Grigsby, Jr., from Prince George’s County, Md., commander of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, awards Capt. Troy Thomas, from Litchfield, Minn., commander of Troop A, 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, a Bronze Star Medal for his service during Operation Iraqi Freedom, at Combat Outpost Cashe, Iraq, April

3rd HBCT Honors Troop B, 3-1st Cav. Regt

Col. Wayne W. Grigsby, Jr., from Prince George’s County, Md., commander of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, praises the Soldiers of Troop B, 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, for their performance during the unit’s current deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, at Combat Outpost Salie, April 22. “You have done everything we have asked of you in a professional manner,” said Grigsby. Troop B, currently attached to the 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery, was awarded a framed certificate of appreciation by Grigsby after he spoke with them.

IA Commander Visits FOB Hammer

An Iraqi Army commander visited here April 22 to thank the commander of 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team for his support in bringing peace to the Mada’in Qada.

Maj. Gen. Qassim, commander of the 9th IA Division (Mech) expressed his gratitude to Col. Wayne W. Grigsby, a native of Prince George’s County, Md., for the Hammer Brigade’s hard work.

“I thank you and your brigade for all the support and efforts you brought with you to the Mada’in,” Qassim said.
Grigsby said neither group could have achieved security alone. “Our Soldiers did this together.”

Grigsby invited Qassim to attend the 3rd HBCT’s transfer of authority ceremony, as the brigade is nearing the end of its tour.
“I would like to formally thank you and your division at the ceremony for all the hard work, our strong relationship and allowing us to support you here in the Mada’in,” Grigsby said.

Qassim accepted the invitation, expressing his desire to welcome the incoming commander and build a new relationship with him.
The 3rd HBCT, 3rd Infantry Division, from Fort Benning, Ga., has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March 2007.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

3rd HBCT Soldiers Remember Fallen Comrade

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – Soldiers and leaders of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team gathered to remember their fallen comrade in a memorial service held April 16 at FOB Hammer.

Staff Sgt. Jeffery L. Hartley was born in Eagle Lake, Texas, Feb. 17, 1983. He was killed while on patrol east of Baghdad April 8 when a road side bomb struck his vehicle.

The 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery command security detachment platoon sergeant was leading his platoon back to Combat Outpost Salie following a memorial service at FOB Rustimaya.

“Everywhere I went, he went,” said Lt. Col. Mark Sullivan, commander of the 1-10 FA. “Staff Sergeant Hartley was out front leading with unwavering commitment to protecting those that he served.”

There were three 1-10 FA Soldiers in the vehicle the night of the attack. Sullivan said Hartley’s actions before the convoy rolled out of the gate saved the lives of two other Soldiers.

“Only through the grace of God and Staff Sergeant Hartley’s actions, will we be able to take them home,” Sullivan said. “I am forever in his family’s debt for the sacrifice he has made on our behalf.”

Hartley served three deployments with the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment before joining the 1-10 FA and deploying twice more in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the “Rock Support” battalion.

“He simply was one of the finest leaders I have ever known,” said Capt. Drew Staples, commander of Headquarters Battery. “He combined a sense of mission with a human touch that will be hard-pressed to ever be duplicated.”

In his speech, Staples spoke of a few fond memories he had of the fallen noncommissioned officer.

“It’s hard to limit this to only a few memories, as I have many great ones of Staff Sergeant Hartley,” he told the crowd. “Everything about this young man was special and I feel very lucky to have been able to share this time on Earth with him.”

Two of Hartley’s closest friends introduced him to those who may not have known him well, and remembered him with those who did.

“Some saw him as a goofball, which he was at times,” said Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Wing, “but when it was time for business you knew you could count on him to accomplish any task. He was a no-nonsense professional, focused and mission oriented.”

“As a friend, Staff Sergeant Hartley was definitely one person I knew I could rely and depend on,” said Sgt. Brian Loza. “If there was ever a time or place that either one of us had to be there for one another, there was never any doubt in either of our minds that we would be there for each other.”

At the service, Sullivan had final words for the NCO he considered a “confidant.”

“You can stand down, son,” he said. “Your mission is complete. Rest in peace.”

Hartley is survived by his father, David; mother, Carol; brother, David; and sister, Lisa Ann Willever.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

3rd HBCT Leaders Award Units And Soldiers

Spc. Benjamin Hamel, from Bangor, Maine, Troop C, 3-1st Cav. Regt., is awarded an Army Commendation Medal by Col. Wayne W. Grigsby, Jr., from Prince George’s County, Md., commander of the 3rd HBCT, April 15 at Combat Outpost Cashe, Iraq. Hamel is responsible for leading fellow Soldiers while digging up weapons during the excavation of a cache found April 14 in Tameem.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Sons of Iraq lead Coalition Forces To Weapons Cache

By Spc. Ben Hutto, 3rd HBCT, 3rd Inf. Div. PAO

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – Sons of Iraq led Soldiers from Troop C, 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, and Policemen with 3rd Brigade, 1st National Police Division to a large weapons cache in Tameem, a town east of Baghdad, April 14.

The cache was buried approximately 500 meters from the NP headquarters in Tameem.

“The cache had been in the ground a long time,” said 1st Lt. Andrew Ellison, from Coleman, Ala., a squad leader in Troop C. “EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) Soldiers estimated that the munitions had been buried for over a year based on their condition.”

The cache contained 389 82 mm mortar rounds, 96 125 mm tank rounds, 172 57 mm anti-aircraft rounds, 38 60 mm mortar rounds, 30 130 mm artillery rounds, 17 122 mm mortar rounds, 15 100 mm rockets, seven 155 artillery rounds, five 100 kg aircraft bombs and four 120 mm mortar rounds.

“When we first found it, we weren’t expecting it to be that large,” Ellison said. “We started digging and we started finding mortars at three feet deep. We actually hit the water table before we found the bottom of the cache. When we finished digging we had a hole about seven feet deep.”

Ellison said the SoI and NP were key parts of the operation.

“The sheikh in charge of the Sons of Iraq actually brought a front-end loader to help us dig up the cache,” Ellison said. “It was a big help. Of course, if it wasn’t for his informant, we would have never known about the cache. The Policemen provided security while they brought a truck so we could transport the cache back to (Combat Outpost Cashe).

After we had finished transporting the cache, they stood guard over it the whole night. They were extremely helpful.”
Soldiers of Troop C, Ellison said, are happy to remove the threat of munitions to harm citizens or Coalition forces.

“Even though many of the munitions were badly degraded, they could have still been used to make IEDs (improvised explosive devices),” he said. “We are extremely happy to help interdict these accelerants here.”

The 3-1st Cav. Regt. is assigned to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, from Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March 2007. The 789th Ordnance Company (EOD) is from Ft. Benning, Ga., and is currently assigned to the 3rd HBCT.