SGT Keith A. Coe
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. Keith A. Coe, 30, of Auburndale, Fla., died April 27 in Khalis, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an explosive device. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
Related:
Bomb kills base Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier in Iraq - The News Tribune
Soldier’s ‘unmistakable laugh’ to be missed - The News Tribune
Joint Force Clears Chubiernot At Dawn
Story by Pfc. Adrian Muehe
DIYALA, Iraq – The small village of Chubiernot, Iraq, northwest of the city of Baqubah, was dead calm in the early hours of the morning. Just after 5 a.m., the sun came up, breathing life back in to the community with the sounds of animals waking up to greet the morning light. The lone bridge connecting the village to the outside world was desolate, as the residents of the town were still resting comfortably in their beds, but not for long.
Just after the first rays of sunlight dispersed the darkness, Stryker vehicles, police trucks and Iraqi Army High Mobility Multi-Wheeled Vehicles arrived at this quaint scene. Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, along with IA Soldiers from 1st Brigade, 18th IA Division and Iraqi Police from the 9th Emergency Reaction Force choked off the village's only access point as they searched for weapons caches and people of interest on April 28.
"We had several different sources tell us that this area was an AQI [Al Qaeda in Iraq] support area," said Capt. Joel Ellison, commander of HHC, 5/20 Inf. "We had a few locations and a list of names from ISF [Iraqi Security Forces} sources."
Combat Video Game Huge Hit With Deployed Soldiers
Story by Pfc. Adrian Muehe
DIYALA, Iraq – A Soldier in digital camouflage with body armor and an M-4 rifle equipped with an M-203 grenade launcher sneaks quietly down to the end of an alleyway. He peeks out to observe the urban environment, and spots an enemy combatant in a window. He pulls back, readies his M-203, aims around the corner and flawlessly sends a grenade through the window, destroying the enemy. As he prepares to venture out into the road to observe further, he falls down, mortally wounded after being stabbed in the back from an unseen enemy with a knife.
This is a common scene every day in Iraq, not on the streets, but on the TV screens of U.S. Soldiers across the country playing "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2." This video game has been a hit with deployed Soldiers since it came out last fall.
"When it first came out there wasn't a TV here that didn't have it on," said Spc. Matt VanWagoner, a riflemen for 4th Platoon, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, and an avid Call of Duty player.
"It's a way of getting everyone together," said 2nd Lt. Blake Bugaj, 3rd platoon leader, 334th Signal Company, Task Force 296, 3 SBCT, 2nd ID who has organized Call of Duty tournaments on Forward Operating Base Warhorse. "It allows people to let their hair down, have fun, and forget about the stressors of everyday life."
Battle for Kandahar - Michael Yon
Yon's latest dispatch, Battle for Kandahar.
The counteroffensive has begun. More accurately, it might be called a counter-counteroffensive. Close to a decade ago, we beat the Taliban and al Qaeda here. The Taliban regrew and waged an increasingly successful counteroffensive. And so our ninth year at war is the year of our counter-counteroffensive.The most remarkable feature of our counter-counteroffensive likely will be the Battle for Kandahar, or BfK. Kandahar was the birthplace of the Taliban and Kandahar City is the provincial capital. The Taliban is succesfully wresting Kandahar back into their control. The BfK is likely our last effort to halt and reverse Taliban influence from spreading. The winner in the BfK will be set to eventually take most or all of the chips off the table, and so BfK is crucial to the outcome of the war.
Much of the BfK will take place not in Kandahar, or even Afghanistan, but in the mediasphere, and likey will affect U.S. elections this year. The implications are vast.
This is a political war on nearly every level. Though this will almost certainly be our most deadly year so far, violence is often a minor aspect of the struggle, while in some places combat is—by far—the most prevalent feature. Insofar as combat, our plans do not include serious fighting within Kandahar City, though soon after publication of this dispatch fighting will erupt in nearby areas. BfK is more of a process for both sides than a set battle. The Taliban are succeeding in their process to take Kandahar, and we wish to reverse that process.
A Different Perspective
The Afghanistan war, through the eyes of a soldier's wife - The Christian Science Monitor
When you think of the war in Afghanistan, what images come to mind? Taliban fighters? Burqa-clad women? Poppy fields? Debating politicians? War protesters?The most recent image that comes to my mind is my toddler son blowing kisses to the governor of Shah Wali Kot District.
That affectionate ending to a recent video chat with my husband, a US soldier deployed in Kandahar Province, may seem to be an ironically pleasant way to think about a long and painful war.
But amid the US troop surge there, and with so much at stake, isn't it also odd to view the war only through the violence-soaked lens of the media?
Recent Stryker Stories
DVIDS released a number of Stryker-related stories recently, which we've linked to by brigade below.
3/2 SBCT
- Apache Blanket covers Iraqi palm groves
- Cleaning up the streets in Baqubah
- Attack Company helps Iraqi police take charge
- Taking the final steps toward home
- Stryker Brigade Combat Dental Team, At Your Service
4/2 SBCT
- 4-2 SBCT takes another step forward
- 4-9 Infantry Soldiers answer the call
- A partnership with 'man's best friend'
5/2 SBCT
SSG Christopher D. Worrell
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Christopher D. Worrell, 35, of Virginia Beach, Va., died April 22 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 702nd Combat Support Battalion, 4th Stryker Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
Related:
Stryker soldier dies in Iraq of noncombat-related injuries - FOB Tacoma
Soldier from Virginia Beach dies in Iraq in non-combat related incident - The Virginian-Pilot
Yon No Longer Embedded With 5/2 SBCT
I haven't been following the controversy surrounding Michael Yon's departure from the 5/2 SBCT very closely, but it does mean we lose some coverage of the brigade.
‘Smears’ Turn Milbloggers on Their Frontline Hero | Danger Room | Wired.com
To military bloggers and conservative hawks, Michael Yon was a super hero — a fearless Green-Beret-turned-citizen-journalist who spent years on the frontlines of Iraq and Afghanistan when most big media outlets kept their reporters at home. But now, those same military bloggers are turning their sights on Yon, after he began savaging America’s top general in Afghanistan and warning that the American war effort is all but doomed.There was a time when Yon lauded U.S. commanders, and military bloggers celebrated Yon. Now Yon, reporting solo from Afghanistan, tells Danger Room that he’s the victim of a “smear campaign” orchestrated by Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s closest advisers. And milbloggers are reluctantly telling their former star to knock it off. “He has called his own competence into question,” writes Jim Hanson at the popular Blackfive.net blog.
Photo: Amazing Image of Stryker Vehicle in Afghanistan
Seasons Can't Change Growing in New Greenhouses
Story by Pvt. Zach Zuber
DIYALA, Iraq — Growing and selling crops is a vital part of the agrarian culture in Diyala province, Iraq. What was once one of the most fertile regions in the Middle East is now a difficult place for farmers to cultivate their land.
As a significantly lower amount of rainfall descends on the farmlands of Iraq, Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, are providing an innovative solution to nurture plant growth year round. With the construction of almost 40 new greenhouses in the Wajihiya district of Diyala province, the Highlanders are hoping to not only mitigate the effects of the drought but infuse life in the agriculture sector.
"The biggest challenge that these farmers face is the water shortage, and these greenhouses can solve that problem," said Capt. Samuel McDowell, the lead officer on the project for 2/3 Inf. "Almost 80 percent of the people in this area are farmers, and half of them are unemployed due to the current conditions."
Task Force Frontline Features Field Feed at its Finest
Story by Pfc. Adrian Muehe
DIYALA, Iraq – The U.S. Army will feed a Soldier wherever he or she may go, this could be in a Dining Facility capable of feeding thousands, or from a Meal Ready to Eat for one. At Kirkush Military Training Base, Iraq, the 50 Soldiers and 20 contracted civilians assisting the Iraqi army there get there food from three Army cooks, doing what they can to ensure Soldiers have a hot meal.
Sgt. Anthony Harrington, from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 296th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, leads a team of Army cooks who are making sure U.S. Forces at KMTB are well fed.
"We are the frontline support of food services," said Sgt. Harrington, who works with his crew of Spc. Scott Suther, of Dayton, Ohio, and Spc. Michael Banks, of Fort Worth, Texas.
Since there is no Dining Facility, the Soldiers and Civilians stationed at KMTB dine at picnic tables under an awning, while Sgt. Harrington and his crew dish up their food from a kitchen trailer.
"We usually see 45 to 60 people a night, but we have the resources to feed up to 75 people each meal," said Harrington.
4-9 relaxes as 49 re-enlist
Story by Spc. Luisito Brooks
JOINT SECURITY STATION NASIR WA SALAM, Iraq – It's not every day Soldiers in a deployed environment, or any environment for that matter, get to take a whole day off to enjoy athletic recreation and team building.
The "Manchu's", Soldiers of the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, celebrated "Manchu Day", a day filled with spirited competition, concluding with a mass re-enlistment of 49 Soldiers, April 9.
"We wanted to have a special day not only for the Manchu Soldiers who wanted to re-enlist but also for the battalion," said Sgt. Maj. Lee Baleme, the operations sergeant major for 4th Bn., 9th Inf. Reg. "The purpose of Manchu Day is to build esprit de corps among the Soldiers," he said, adding that even with as many of the Soldiers as possible having the day off, the unit still maintained force protection, a quick response force and security on the base.
Organizing an event of this scale took a lot of planning in order to ensure its smooth success.
"Manchu Day has been in planning for about three months," said Baleme, a San Diego native. "We just started putting ideas together, and before we knew it everyone was on board."
Building a footbridge for safe passage
Story by Spc. Luisito Brooks
ABU GHRAIB, Iraq – Traveling to school should be a fun and safe experience for children; but in this neighborhood, the journey to a good education means crossing a treacherous road.
Capt. Talgin Cannon, a member of the joint project management office from 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, travelled to the area to discuss a project to rebuild a footbridge with a local construction company manager April 6.
The footbridge was destroyed by an improvised explosive device about two years ago, he said, explaining that rebuilding the footbridge would allow safe traveling for the locals in the neighborhood trying to cross the busy road.
"The most important thing is the safety of the children here," said Cannon. "The bridge will help get these kids to school safely without getting hit by a speeding car."
According to several sources, including local Iraqi police and District Area Council members, at least five children have been killed while trying to cross the busy road this year alone.
"For these kids it's like playing a game of leap frog with their lives every day to go to school and then return home," said Cannon, an Elkin, N.C., native.
Torchia Reflects on Month With Strykers
Journalist in war faces troubling questions - Associated Press
All around, men roared and rifles thudded. Sprawled in the earth in an open field, an American soldier to the left handed me a wounded man's ammunition belt. Even as Taliban bullets whipped overhead, I thought about professional codes of conduct. Carry the belt? Or not?I was a journalist, not a soldier. My job was to observe without bias, not take part. Yet surely it was a time for instincts rather than circumspection; a time for decisions geared to survival.
In four weeks of reporting on the war in Afghanistan as a journalist embedded with the U.S. military, I found many such troubling questions about my role and about why I was there in the first place.
Memorial for Spc. James L. Miller
5-2 Stryker brigade mourns 35th loss | Stryker Brigade - The News Tribune
Excitement continues to build on Joint Base Lewis-McChord for the return of a Stryker combat brigade this summer after a yearlong deployment to Afghanistan.But that anticipation was overshadowed by sadness Wednesday as the base mourned the loss of another soldier assigned to the hard-hit 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.
Mourners gathered in a Fort Lewis chapel to remember Spc. James L. Miller, the 35th member of the 4,000-strong brigade reported killed since it deployed in July.
Related:
'He never hesitated to go out on a mission' - KOMO 4 News
Fuller Tours Expanding Stryker Repair Facility in Qatar
Story by Dustin Senger
CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar – U.S. Army Col. Lawrence Fuller was in Qatar, April 14, touring the only Stryker battle damage repair facility in the Middle East. Fuller completed a two-day tour of Army Materiel Command warehouses at Camp As Sayliyah, a week ahead of taking command of 402nd Army Field Support Brigade at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.
Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 401st AFSB – a 402nd AFSB subordinate unit – manage AMC facilities in Qatar. In early March, the 1-401st AFSB started receiving Stryker equipment from a forward repair area in Iraq, amid a drawdown of U.S. forces.
General Dynamics Land Systems contractors met with Fuller to explain expanding Stryker repair and retrofit capabilities in Qatar. A shift in theater equipment is introducing several more repair options: wheels and tires; full-up power packs; remote weapons stations; and vehicle electronics. A second warehouse has been claimed for additional storage space.
U.S. Central Command war fighters depend on Strykers to tear through terrain with more than 20 tons of armor, mechanical parts, weaponry systems and life-saving equipment. The light-armored, wheeled vehicles are capable of traversing paved streets and soft off-road regions, while providing protection from enemy fire and roadside explosions.
Strykers with extensive battle damage are repaired at Camp As Sayliyah. GDLS welders and mechanics mend and patch warped and penetrated hulls. Retrofit kits are applied to bring vehicles to current configurations. A series of inspections and road tests ensure vehicles appear and function like those fresh out of production.
More than 200 battle-damaged Strykers have been repaired in Qatar since 2005.
(via Digital Video & Imagery Distribution System)
1/14 Cav. delivers unexpected surprise
Story by Spc. Ry Norris
DIYALA, Iraq – Eager faces peeked through the windows as the students tried to catch a glimpse of the Tibij Iraqi police and Soldiers with 2nd Platoon, Troop C, 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.
Tibij Iraqi Police and U.S. Troop C, 1/14 Cav. visited students at two schools bearing gifts of school supplies in Diyala province, April 7; the Andleab school, in the Albulatif village, and the Abn Baitars school, in the Jamaylia village.
School faculty had no prior knowledge, nor the purpose, of the visit. "It's an unexpected surprise," said Vice Principal Raad Mahmouad of Abn Baitars. "Anything that will help us is very much appreciated."
This is the second time Abn Baitars have received donations.
3rd Stryker Brigade holds Soldier and NCO of the Quarter competition
Story by Pfc. Adrian Muehe
DIYALA, Iraq – The best of the best from the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division gathered at Forward Operating Base Warhorse, Iraq, to compete against each other for the title of the Best Soldier or the Best Non-Commissioned Officer of the Quarter, April 10.
Emerging victorious after a series of skill tests and going before a board of brigade leaders were Spc. Bret Engle, of Phoenix, Ariz., and a dismounted cavalry scout with Troop A, 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 3 SBCT, 2nd ID who won Soldier of the Quarter, and Sgt. Eric Moline, a native of Spring Creek, Nev., and a section chief for Battery A, 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3 SBCT, 2nd ID, who won the title of NCO of the Quarter.
"It feels really good to get here after coming all this way," said Engle.
The freshly crowned Soldier of the Quarter has been doing his part to help run tripartite checkpoints and conduct tripartite operations at FOB Cobra. After his time in the Army he plans on going to law school and venturing into politics.
Training a Friendly Force of Iraqi Police
Story by Pvt. Zach Zuber
DIYALA, Iraq – A series of shops spanning multiple blocks in Jalula, Iraq, are visited by thousands of patrons each day looking for items ranging from fresh fish to new clothing styles. In a bustling environment like this one it is easy for situations to arise that would be easily handled with the help of the local police.
Through a new training program operating out of Forward Operating Base Cobra, Iraq, Soldiers from the 66th Military Police Company are encouraging Iraqi police from the surrounding area to have a stronger presence throughout these communities. The 66th MPs, attached to the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, are fostering the desire IPs have to get out and mingle with the population to create a better relationship with the people they protect.
"The underlying premise of the class is to get these guys out there and be the main independent security force at the community level," said 1st Lt. Alicia Mienko, 3rd platoon leader, 66th MP Company. "The Iraqi army has done a great job of securing Iraq, now it's time for the police to take over and transition from combat operations to stability operations."
New Mental Health Program to Support Division Soldiers
Story by Pvt. Zach Zuber
DIYALA, Iraq – A new initiative to preemptively identify and ease mental health issues for Soldiers during deployment is being implemented throughout Task Force Marne beginning in April.
The Primary Care Behavioral Health Initiative utilizes medics and initial medical care providers to screen for potential mental health issues. It was created by Maj. Keith M. Lemmon, surgeon for 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.
The program was designed to establish more trusting relationships between Soldiers, creating a comfortable outlet to speak of any mental or emotional issue they face while deployed. These new methods are designed to empower the young medics and physician's assistants who already develop a close connection to the Soldiers. Educating caregivers about subtle indicators of a personality change may draw attention to a small problem a Soldier may be dealing with prior to the situation becoming a crisis.
Battlefield Medicine
FOB Tacoma - Reflecting on six months of war - The News Tribune
Capt. Jason Sapp's worst moment in Afghanistan? The afternoon of Aug. 25, when he first learned a roadside bomb had detonated underneath a vehicle carrying soldiers returning from a humanitarian medical mission,.The soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord's 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment were responding to a cholera outbreak in the Shah Wali Kot district of southern Afghanistan. The bomb exploded on their way back to battalion's headquarters, killing four people.
"The deployment was tough at times," said Sapp, a Madigan Army Medical Center doctor who deployed as the 1-17 Infantry's battalion surgeon. "You see people you work with, people you take care of get killed or get injured. (The Aug. 25 attack) was the worst, though."
New Yon Dispatch
(Yon revealed that he will be leaving his embed with the 5/2 SBCT shortly, much earlier than anticipated.)
Michael Yon's latest dispatch, Under Cover of the Night.
During a mission there is no “pause” button. It’s on until it’s over. Recently, Charlie Company 1-17th Infantry conducted a mission that included visiting villages in the Shah Wali Kot district of northern Kandahar Province.The main threats in this area are bombs and mines. Many vehicles have “mine rollers” on the front that are designed to detonate the bomb before it gets under the vehicle. The bombs often are big enough to completely obliterate any tank or armored vehicle ever built. During the mission, a mine roller on a Stryker broke, causing Charlie Company to overnight in the desert.
After finding a suitable RON (rest overnight) location, the task was security and making a plan for the night. With a full moon rising the Taliban could easily slip silently through the folds and creases of the land and strike. The Taliban likely already knew our strength. Tracks from the heavy Strykers would show our direction of travel, as would villagers along the way. Of course, if the enemy followed the tracks they would eventually lead to a hail of devastating fire. Most of the enemies are too smart for such mistakes. More likely, the enemy would try to anticipate our next move and get bombs in front of our most probable routes. They had all night. Our people up that game by pushing out snipers and observers who might be watching the Taliban—even from miles away—ready to kill them on our routes. Winning and losing deadly little skirmishes depends heavily on expertise, and luck. We and the enemy have great advantages and disadvantages.
Related: Michael Yon Facebook Page
Engineer Company Conducts Squad Training
By Spc. Alicia Torbush, 20th Public Affairs Detachment
FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska- Shots rang out as the 73rd Engineer Company conducted military operations on urban terrain training at the Pvt. Joseph P. Martinez Combined Arms Collective Training Facility March 25.
The routine training was conducted to refresh Soldiers on how to properly clear a building and also provided Soldiers who were new to the unit an opportunity to establish teamwork.
Over the last few months, the 73rd Engineers received a lot of new leaders, and the training gives them the opportunity to establish teamwork within their squads and fire teams, explained 1st Sgt. Derrick Brown, 73rd Eng.
The Soldiers arrived at the urban terrain training site on Strykers, quickly dismounted and stacked against the building. They used simulated explosives to open the doors and cleared rooms as directed by team leaders. The squads took enemy prisoners of war played by other Soldiers posing as opposing forces. Some Soldiers remained in the Strykers to maintain communication with the OH-58 Kiowa, a single-engine, armed reconnaissance helicopter, from the 6th Squadron, 17th Calvary Regiment that provided air support for the mission.
The mock-urban facility is used for training such as this because it allows leaders to set up varying situations to prepare their Soldiers for actual combat situations.
“[It] is an awesome facility because you have the multiple buildings set up like [it would be] in a real wartime situation,” said Brown. “It basically lets us prepare for different scenarios of what we would be up against in a real combat situation.”
Photos: View images and video
Technology Connects Deployed Family
Teacher uses Skype for parent-teacher conference - KING 5 News
LACEY, WA. -- Carrie Livengood uses a globe to explain to her nine year old daughter Alison where her father is deployed. Afghanistan.It makes it challenging for Capt. Eric Livengood to attend Alison's parent-teacher conference at Chambers Prairie School in Lacey, But Alison's third grade teacher, Tom Jones, is testing an idea. How about using Skype to bring families together? Skype is a way to talk to people over the Internet for free using a web cam and microphone.
Update: Injured Stryker Soldier
Visalia soldier injured in Afghanistan coming back to U.S. on Friday| Visalia Times-Delta
For Rowdy and Vickie Kyle of Visalia, Friday can't come soon enough.That's when their son, Army Staff Sgt. Kenneth Mitchell of Visalia is scheduled to arrive at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He was seriously injured Saturday by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan and has recovered in a German hospital.
"Our main concern [is] him being there by himself, and us not being able to be there," said Rowdy Kyle, who plans to be in Washington when Mitchell arrives.
Mitchell will also be reunited with his fianc馥, 2-month-old daughter and mother, Vickie Kyle.
Video: Arrowhead Best Squad Competition
Package about Soldiers in the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division competing in a best squad competition. Produced by Sgt. 1st Class J.D Phippen.
Spin Boldak Report: The Ancient Trade Route
Task Force Stryker's Governance, Reconstruction,and Development Fusion Cell's latest report: Spin Boldak - The Ancient Trade Route (Kandahar Province) with a Foreword by General McChrystal.
On Point: 3/2 SBCT Newsletter
"On Point" is a monthly newsletter produced by the 3/2 SBCT, which is currently deployed to Iraq. Read the April edition here: On Point.
FOB Cobra dedicates Dining Facility to fallen Soldier
Story by Pfc. Adrian Muehe
DIYALA, Iraq – The Dining Facility at Forward Operating Base Cobra, Iraq, re-opened its doors after a month of reconstruction at a dedication ceremony on April 3.
The facility was renamed The Private First Class Erin L. McLyman Dining Facility in honor of McLyman who was killed during a mortar attack at FOB Cobra on March 13.
The renovated Dining Facility is part of an expansion of FOB Cobra to make living conditions here better for Soldiers.
"To say that we inherited a neglected outpost would be an understatement," said Lt. Col. Joseph Davidson, commander of 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. "For many of the Soldiers here, nothing was more important than the arrival of contracted cooks and a renovated Dining Facility."
Behind the Lens: Combat Camera Afghanistan
Story by Staff Sgt. Christine Jones
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Seconds can feel like hours . . . pulse racing, heart pounding, hands shaking uncontrollably, as all around lives are changed forever in the blink of an eye.
But in that blink, time doesn't stop. Life is still happening around you and it is your mission to photograph every part of what is happening in that moment. Even after an explosion.
As Combat Camera, that is the job. As a member of the 4th Combat Camera Squadron it's my mission.
Images and video by 4th Combat Camera have been viewable worldwide in publications and media outlets since our arrival here in October. As the end of the deployment nears the eight Airmen, who volunteered with me, to deploy to Afghanistan and capture a critical time in history reflected on their experiences. This is what the person behind the camera goes through to 'get the shot.'
The team was attached to 5/2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team from Fort Lewis, Wash., and they lived together with Soldiers at forward operating bases and combat outposts throughout southern Afghanistan for the deployment.
Building a Firefighting Team in Southern Afghanistan
Story by Sgt. Justin Graff
FORWARD OPERATING BASE SPIN BOLDAK, Afghanistan -- Ready. Aim. Fire. Afghan national police have been receiving training on security tactics in southern Afghanistan for some time now with programs like the Legion Academy in Maiwand District and the Shah Wali Kot Police Academy. But now their skills are expanding to encompass another vital role in security for the people of southern Afghanistan.
April 1 marked the first ever graduation of the 5th Stryker Brigade's Firefighting Academy, located near the Pakistan border on FOB Spin Boldak. On that day 10 ANP stood proud with the knowledge and skills to protect their people from not only the insurgent threat but also dangerous scenarios such as blazing fires, extreme car accidents and severely injured casualties. The students attended eight days of training where they learned how to operate a fire truck and high-pressure hose, as well as how to maintain the truck and its equipment. Training also included first aid, vehicle extrication, all while maintaining security of the site.
"They really hit the ground the running and took the training seriously," said Staff Sgt. Mark Covington, from Gibson, N.C., assigned to the 402nd Brigade Support Battalion, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. "I was very impressed with their ability to learn quickly, and grasp the concepts of the training instead of just going through the motions."
FOB Caldwell becomes Kirkush Military Training Base
Story by Pfc. Adrian Muehe
DIYALA, Iraq – As part of the Responsible Drawdown, U.S. Forces signed over command of Forward Operating Base Caldwell to the Iraqi Forces and renamed it Kirkush Military Training Base on April 2.
Responsible for this turnover was 1st Squadron, 14th Calvary Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. FOB Caldwell is the first base handed over by 3 SBCT, 2nd ID.
"This is a monumental moment where we're executing our reduction of forces and helping ourselves get one step closer to having U.S. Forces out of Iraq," said Lt. Col. Joseph Davidson, commander of 1/14 Cav.
Soldiers from 1/14 Cav. that have called FOB Caldwell home have been preparing the base for the handover over the past few months. After a majority of the personnel had left the base, those remaining had to cook their own meals and wash their own clothes. They stayed behind to ensure the facilities would be in pristine condition for the turnover.
'Henkes Lane' Rededicated in Mosul
Story by Spc. Naveed Ali Shah
CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE MAREZ, Iraq – A handful of Soldiers from the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) and the 3rd Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, gathered, March 21, on top of a hill overlooking the city of Mosul, Iraq, to rededicate a street on Contingency Operating Base Marez in honor of one of their fallen comrades.
Service members often refer to each other as brothers-in-arms, but for one Soldier attending the quiet, informal ceremony, it was not just a figure of speech.
Maj. Linda Bass, the human resources chief for the 13th ESC and a Bessemer, Ala., native, was there to pay tribute to her brother, Sgt. 1st Class Richard Henkes. He died of wounds received during combat operations in Mosul in September 2006, when his Stryker vehicle struck an improvised explosive device.
When Bass first arrived in Iraq roughly a year ago, she visited Mosul and saw the street signs. When she left on leave, she was able to take one sign home to their father in Silverton, Ore., who put it up on a tree next to the lane leading to the family home.
Strykers Earn Praise Despite Critics
(I think we missed this one when it was originally published last week.)
Strykers fight enemies abroad, skeptics at home - The News Tribune
The 31/2-week Marjah campaign, launched in early February and billed as the largest offensive of the eight-year-old Afghanistan war thus far, was a key test for the Strykers – the 21-ton infantry carriers that were born at Fort Lewis, came of age in Iraq and only since last summer have seen heavy fighting in Afghanistan.“It would have been difficult to impossible to do the mission we did in Marjah without the Strykers,” said Lt. Col. Burton Shields.
He commands the brigade’s 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment and led about 400 soldiers during the operation. They secured the area and restricted enemy movement so thousands of Marines could lay siege to Taliban strongholds.
Shields praised the vehicles’ network capabilities and the way they move his men across long distances on short notice. He also noted the versatility of the Stryker’s multiple designs; nine of the 10 variants were used at Marjah.
New Yon Dispatch
Village Boys, a new dispatch from Michael Yon.
Back in December, C-Co 1-17th Infantry battalion had been in about the worst place in Afghanistan. There is stiff competition for the position of actual worst place, and I am sure there are many contenders that remain unknown, but the Arghandab was one of them. The battalion had lost more than twenty soldiers, and C-co alone had lost 12 with more wounded. In December 2009, C-Co was moved north into Shah Wali Kot and has been running missions here for more than three months. I’ve only been at Shaw Wali Kot for a week.Charlie Company headed on a mission to visit villages that had seen no formal western guests for at least the past five years, according Company Commander Max Hanlin. The soldiers drove to an area maybe two kilometers from the first village, parked, and walked in. The surrounding desert was so dry that only the hardy and small plants survived—often with thorns, and probably foul-tasting (and poisonous). How else can a plant expect to survive when the favorite Afghan meat is mutton, and foraging isn’t easy for the lambs? There was the occasional brown lizard or grasshopper, but on the whole it’s simply rocky desert. The place is barren but not entirely lifeless.
Charlie Company was heading into the Baghtu Valley. The general area is said to be among the most religiously conservative in Afghanistan, meaning soldiers were unlikely to stumble across any undiscovered steeples, stupas or synagogues.
Some Charlie Company soldiers are multi-tour combat veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq. Captain Max Hanlin, the Charlie Company Commander, is on his sixth combat tour. Captain Hanlin explained how Dutch convoys had been hit near the Baghtu Valley and how fights had raged. Captain Hanlin said the four villages we were to visit are a black hole. We know where they are, their names, and little more.
Base Preparing for Redeployments
FOB Tacoma - ｻ Madigan prepares for returning Strykers
Three Joint Base Lewis-McChord Stryker brigades are returning home from war this year, and Madigan Army Medical Center will temporarily expand its behavioral-health staff and implement new screening programs to deal with the mental-health issues of deployment.Hospital staff will be paying particular attention to 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, which has lost 35 soldiers and seen frequent combat since it deployed to southern Afghanistan last July.
Piggybacking off post-deployment programs already in place, Madigan officials will collect additional behavioral-health information and screen them again shortly after they return home.
EPRT Program Creates 'buzz'
Story by Spc. Luisito Brooks
TARMIYAH, Iraq – A blossoming new program organized by embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team-North is creating a buzz and giving some area women a much sweeter outlook.
The "buzz" is teaching Iraqi widows and divorcees the ins and outs of beekeeping in order to help them put food on the table while they help put honey on the tables of others.
Twenty-five Iraqi women graduated from the beekeeper training program, March 27.
"These women are the heads of the household, many [because of] the sectarian conflict," said Mary-Denise Tabar, the public diplomacy and women's affairs advisor for ePRT-North. "The program aims to train local rural women on the theoretical and practical applications of basic beekeeping."
ePRT-North embeds with 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, and receives its security from the brigade's subordinate battalions. This allows them to work safely on projects in areas north of Baghdad, including Tarmiyah and the city of Taji, including the bee course.
Taught in four-hour sessions over a period of six days, the course covered the proper care of bees and techniques to harvest their honey.
"The women were chosen by the non-government organization, Fafedian Foundation, who knows the community and the women who need it most," explained Tabar.
Interest in the beekeeping course proved to be extremely high, explained Tim Lowery, an agricultural specialist with the ePRT. They received more applications than there were available seats, so the team is already planning more for courses.
Upon completion of the training, each woman received her own active and healthy beehive containing thousands of the bees, along with all the necessary equipment to operate it.
In total, the entire beekeeping training program including the 25 beehives for the graduates, tools and supplies cost approximately $23,450, said Tabar.
Each beehive houses anywhere between 10,000 and 30,000 bees that on average can produce about 15 to 20 kilograms of honey a year. Bees also provide a valuable resource for local farmers, helping to pollinate their crops.
"For most of these women, this is how they earn income for their households," said Tabar. "They can sell a kilo of honey anywhere from $20 to $50."
During the graduation ceremony, family and friends looked on as the new beekeepers were called forward to receive their certificates and beehives. They showed their support of each other with rounds of applause.
The honey has yielded an additional benefit, bringing together these women who are dealing with great adversity, and with the new skill, the added bonus of reducing the stigma that they are a burden on their families and society.
One graduate was so overwhelmed that she was brought to tears during the ceremony.
"A woman told me that she was so thankful for everything and can remember having bees as a child," said Lowery, "She said that she will raise the bees like they were her own children."
(via Digital Video & Imagery Distribution System)
Go Say Thanks to Scott Fontaine
FOB Tacoma - Moving on The News Tribune Blogs, Tacoma, WA
After 3 1/2 years at The News Tribune (including the last year and a half on the military beat) I'll be leaving the paper next week. My wife and I both received jobs in Washington, D.C., so I'm in the midst of packing up our home in University Place ahead of the big move. My last day at the paper is April 9.
Best of luck, Scott!
New Yon Dispatch
Michael Yon has a new dispatchRED HORSE, with some amazing photos.
A thirty-second walk from my bunk, these Strykers were parked waiting for a mission. While RED HORSE works on the lighted rig, the orange glow in the background is from parachute illumination near the Afghan Police at Dala Dam. A couple weeks ago, the Afghan National Police got attacked there. The enemy fired at the police and baited the ANP to chase. When the ANP raced off, their truck was hit with a bomb, killing two ANP. And so each night, our guys have been firing nightlights for the ANP.
Video: Key Leader Engagement
B-roll of 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, 4th Squadron conducting a Key Leader Engagement training exercise in preparation for an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. Produced by Ronald Miller.
Video: Cpt. Hughes Mark in History
Package about Commanding General of the Army Materiel Command, Gen. Ann Dunwoody, visiting the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team and inspiring Soldiers like Capt. Aiesha Hughes as she takes command for the first time. Produced by Pfc. Mitchell Fosman.
Soldiers downrange learn about life, career-progressing opportunity
Story by Pfc. Kimberly Hackbarth
JOINT SECURITY STATION NASIR WA SALAM, Iraq – Once a Soldier deploys downrange, his military career is not put on a hiatus until he returns back to the States.
Opportunities to advance military careers find their way to Soldiers regardless of the situation.
Airborne liaison officer and recruiter, Sgt. 1st Class Paul Pahl, toured around 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division's operational environment and arrived at 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment headquarters March 18 to educate Soldiers from every company in the battalion on the benefits and requirements of becoming a U.S. Army Ranger.
1-38 Infantrymen Trade Bullets for Barbie Backpacks
Story by Sgt. Bryce Dubee
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – With their Strykers parked outside, 1st Lt. Matt Sawdy led 1st platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, into the building, his men setting up a security perimeter along the way.
Inside the courtyard, the lieutenant met with his Iraqi army counterpart, discussed plans for the day's mission, then took a knee, placing his M4 carbine at his side and picking up a bright pink Barbie backpack.
Soldiers from the platoon conducted a series of humanitarian assistance drops March 25, delivering roughly 2,400 backpacks full of school supplies to children at schools in their operational environment.
As Sawdy and his men took their positions to begin distributing the supplies, teachers from the school led their eager students into the courtyard.
