news_rss_afp_world

By Donna Miles

By Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden

By Capt. Thomas Cieslak

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - The Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of Task Force Protector have a new place to unwind thanks to Soldiers from the 447th Military Police Company.

To compliment the newly established Camp Sabalu-Harrison USO, a new deck was built for Service members to enjoy.

Sgt. Jeremiah Forbes, the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Specialist for the 447th Military Police Company, worked for two and a half days to complete the deck.

Forbes operates a roofing and siding company when he is not deployed. A carpenter by trade, he had his wife mail his specialized tools so he could begin building comforts for his fellow Soldiers. Forbes’ wife continues to support his efforts by sending him saw blades and drill bits.

Forbes not only built the deck on the USO tent but has also built sheds, tables, desks and benches, all located around Camp Sabalu-Harrison for the benefit of Task Force Protector’s Service members.

At first, Forbes started making smaller items out of scrap wood. Finding that his carpentry skills helped him pass the time, Forbes continued increasing the scope of his projects.

Forbes is currently working on a deck for the Camp Sabalu-Harrison Chapel.

“It helps the time go by faster for me and it helps everybody out,” Forbes said regarding his efforts to improve the living conditions for Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen stationed on Bagram Airfield.

On large projects, Forbes receives help from fellow Soldiers serving in the 447th Military Police Company. Pfc. Donald Linhe and Spc. Aaron Starr help Forbes with the construction projects around the camp.

“Anything that will make it more comfortable for Soldiers out here,” said the native of Fairlawn, Ohio.

KABUL, Afghanistan - The Turkish armed forces donated more than $3 million (U.S.) in weapons and equipment to the Afghan National Army during a ceremony at Camp Dogan yesterday.

The donation included mortars, machine guns, sewing machines, boots and travel bags.

Lt. Gen. Baz Muhammed Javhari, ANA deputy minister for logistics affairs, thanked the Turkish Armed Forces for the donation and expressed his desire for the friendship between the two nations to continue.

Since 2003, Turkey has donated more than $71 million (U.S.) in weapons and equipment to the ANA. In addition, Turkish military personnel have trained more than 1,200 ANA soldiers, according to Col. Can Bolat, Turkish-Afghanistan Military Attache.

By Maj. Paul Greenberg

CAP DRAA TRAINING AREA, Morocco — U.S. service members taking part in African Lion 2010 wrapped up their training, June 9, in a final combined arms exercise with the Royal Moroccan army.

“African Lion in Morocco is very important for both the Marine Corps and the United States government. This is a strategic relationship with one of the United States’ oldest allies,” said Marine Corps Reserve Maj. Gordon Hilbun, assistant operations officer for Task Force African Lion. “This relationship maintains a strong collaborative training opportunity for both militaries and ensures that the Marine Corps maintains its expeditionary capabilities and mindset.

More than 1,000 Marines, sailors and U.S. Air and Army national guardsmen participated in African Lion this year, with the preponderance of troops coming from Marine Forces Reserve units throughout the United States.

This is the seventh year in a row that U.S. troops have come here for this exercise, which Marine Corps Forces Africa, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, has the lead on facilitating.

The final exercise was a culmination of more than four months of planning, mass logistical movements and detailed coordination between U.S. and Moroccan diplomatic and military leadership.

In the exercise scenario, several enemy mechanized units had intentionally crossed into Moroccan territory. A joint U.S. and Moroccan task force was formed to repulse the enemy with a combination of air and ground capabilities. These included helicopters, tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, mortars, combat engineers and mobile assault platoons.

After Moroccan Kornet guided missiles initiated the attack, combat engineers from 4th Combat Engineer Battalion in Roanoake, Va., used their Bangalore torpedoes to blast a hole through the breach.

“It was excellent,” said Cpl. John Saunders, a reserve Marine with 4th CEB who helped to emplace the 33 pounds of high explosives and secured the fuse igniter systems. “Our goal from the time we dismounted, emplaced the charge and withdrew was 90 seconds, and we beat it. When that bunker buster went off, it was incredible.”

The Moroccan army provided the air power with Gazelle helicopters strafing their targets with missiles.

U.S. and Moroccan tanks closed in, hammering old tank hulks with high-explosive rounds and machine gun fire.

The American M1A1 Abrams tanks came from Company F, 4th Tank Battalion headquartered at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

“It was a good show, and great practice maneuvering and firing as a platoon,” said platoon commander 2nd Lt. Peter Heiman, who is on his first deployment as an officer in the Marine Corps Reserve. “The Moroccan tankers seem to really know their stuff.”

Heiman explained that earlier in the week, he and his Marines had the chance to meet with the Moroccan tankers, climb inside their tanks and shoot their weapons.

“It was really great training,” said Heiman, “One of their sergeants had been on the same tank for 26 years. One thing I can say is that they’re really experienced.”

Cpl. Matthew Ross, a 23-year-old vehicle commander with 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion in Quantico, Va., also had the chance to work with Moroccan troops prior to and during the final exercise.

“My initial impression is that they are very professional,” said Ross, a five-year reserve Marine who is a senior at Georgetown University. “They know what they need to be doing at all times. There is no laissez faire leadership. They’re like us; mission oriented. They always knew what was going on.”

A linguistics major with a focus on Arabic and Dari languages, the exercise gave a Ross both a chance to exert his leadership as a first-time vehicle command and to practice Arabic with the Moroccan soldiers.

“There are a lot of things you can take away from the exercise,” said Ross. “It proves to the Marines that you can work with a foreign military force in a (military to military) exercise and see that they can have an equal level of professionalism. We can integrate with foreign militaries if the mission dictates. The Marines at the [non-commissioned officer] level have confidence that they can work successfully with a foreign military that speaks another language, and with a culture that is really different. There is a very specific commonality between them and our Marines: military professionalism.”

While the tanks were blasting away at their targets, Marine Corps mortarmen from Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment fired their 81 millimeter mortar rounds.

“This was a very positive experience overall,” said Sgt. Timothy Gena a reserve Marine mortars section leader with Weapons Company, who also had the chance to train with his Moroccan counterparts prior to the final exercise.

“They have the French and Spanish versions of the weapons [81 millimeter mortars], but it’s the same concept. What was amazing is that we were able to work with them without an interpreter, and these guys, [the Moroccans] were really good. This kind of thing is very important, especially for the junior Marines, who may not have done this before, or who might have had a negative experience in the past. It’s great to come here for [annual reserve training] and come away with a respect for the Moroccans. I think we had a mutual respect here.”

While the troops on the ground put the pincers on the notional enemy forces, the U.S. and Moroccan senior leadership sat together watching the fiery show from a vantage point on a hill nearby.

After the successful completion of the live-fire, Moroccan Gen. Abdul Al Aziz Benani, General of the Royal Moroccan Army Corps, spoke to the American delegation, which included Samuel L. Kaplan, the U.S. ambassador to Morocco, and Marine Corps Reserve Maj. Gen. James M. Croley, the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing commanding general.

“This is a beautiful thing, when you shoot and hit your target,” said Benani. “I want to tell you how satisfied we are, and I want to thank you for your work to make this exercise successful.”

Although this year’s African Lion has come to a close, U.S. and Moroccan planners are already looking at next year’s exercise, which is expected to bring even more Marine Forces Reserve units here and involve a broader range of U.S. and Moroccan troops.

“The evolution of this exercise would entail an amphibious offload and a larger training force to include expanding our current combined training relationship with Moroccan forces,” said Hilbun. “Marine Forces Africa is becoming a focus of effort for the Marine Corps. This exercise provides us with continued access to one of our key strategic partners in Africa as the United States continues to maintain a national focus on expanding our involvement on the African continent.”

KABUL, Afghanistan – The U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division assumed command of ISAF’s Regional Command-East during a transfer of authority ceremony at Bagram Airfield today.

The ceremony marked the official transition from Combined Joint Task Force-82 to Combined Joint Task Force-101, with the new unit assuming responsibility for ISAF operations 14 eastern provinces in Afghanistan.

Speaking at the ceremony, the commander of the ISAF Joint Command, Lt. Gen. David Rodriguez told members of the 82nd that as a result of their efforts, “Afghans today see before them the best chance for peace and prosperity that they have had in over three decades.”

Maj. Gen. John Campbell, commander of CJTF-101 and RC-E said, “Building upon past accomplishments, we will further combined action and unified action to help facilitate enduring Afghan solutions to Afghanistan’s challenges by, with and through our Afghan counterparts.”

The 82nd Airborne Division has been deployed to Afghanistan since June 2009 and is returning to its home base at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The 101st Airborne Division, deployed from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, will lead RC-E for approximately one year.

KABUL- ISAF has confirmed a Haqqani network commander, Fazil Subhan, known to facilitate foreign fighters, was killed along with multiple insurgents by Afghan and international forces in a two-day offensive in Khost province last week.

The Haqqani fighters were in fortified fighting positions in an area known for ambush attacks against international troops, southwest of Kowte Kheyl in the Shamul district.

The Afghan-international force also discovered and destroyed a building used to store ammunition, heavy weapons and explosive materials.

Despite enemy fire, no coalition forces were killed or injured during the operation.

Haqqani network commanders continually seek to establish strongholds in Khost province to disrupt local governance and facilitate the movement of fighters, explosives and weapons into the country.
They have ties to al-Qaida and the Taliban, and claimed responsibility, along with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan militants, for a deadly suicide attack against intelligence officers in Khost last December.

Afghan and international forces are currently working to eliminate insurgent threats and enable expanded governance and development in the area.

By Pfc. Michael Sword

AFGHANISTAN - Soldiers from 2nd Platoon, Troop C, 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, and their Afghan National Army and police counterparts visited the remote village of Kwajangur for the first time June 6.

The visit to the village, the largest and easternmost in the district, was intended to assess the area’s needs and talk with the village elder about a proposed road-improvement project. However, shortly after landing, the mission objective changed.

Upon hearing reports of insurgents moving through the village with weapons, the U.S. and Afghan Soldiers quickly conducted a patrol of the area.

Led by the ANA, they dispersed and began knocking on doors, questioning local villagers who were nearby and investigating a small storage building where an insurgent had been seen earlier.

Inside, the dark, dusty building, called a qulat, was filled with farming tools and hay. Searching further, they found a machine gun hidden in a blanket under the hay pile, evidence enough to continue the search. In another adjacent storage qulat, an AK-47 was found the same way, wrapped in a blanket and under a hay pile, with a box of ammunition and a magazine.

Troop C commander, U.S. Army Capt. Chris Shepherd of Houston, was happy with the quick and motivated response by the ANA and the ANP.

“They’ve always been the lead since we’ve been here,” said Shepherd. “When we had to shift into searching for weapons or personnel they’re pretty good.”

After the search concluded and the weapons were confiscated, the mission returned to its original objective. Shepherd met with the village elder in a field surrounded by villagers and kids who were anxious to hear what the American commander had to say. The focus of the discussion was a proposed road-improvement project that will run through Kwajangur to the Kherwar district center as well as getting the villagers to ensure local security for the workers on the project.

“Security has to come first and it has to come from villages actually taking responsibility for it, because we can’t be everywhere at once,” said Shepherd.

After some talking, the villagers and village elder finally agreed to provide local security for the project.

“The biggest success story was securing the agreement on the road,” said Shepherd.

With violence increasing in the area, the presence of armed insurgents was no surprise, but the success of the overall mission and the cooperation of the local villagers were unanticipated.

“A lot of towns have been threatened not to interact with any coalition force or government group,” said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Timothy Miller, of Dunkirk, Md., information operations officer for Troop C. “Some villages we go into are ghost towns and we have to knock on the door to actually talk to somebody.”

However, throughout the soldiers’ visit, the town was bustling with activity. Farmers tended their fields and villagers walked around, talking to the troops of the ANA and ANP.

Afghan Army Sgt. Sejad Atal, a squad sergeant for 2nd Company, 1st Kandak, 4th brigade, Afghan National Army, agreed with Shepherd and was happy with how the mission went and proud of how well his troops performed.

“I’m very happy that we got the weapons of people who are against the government,” he said. “The guys did a very good job.”

By 2nd Lt. Katherine Roling

AFGHANISTAN - The girls were among 60 other female students who were displaying signs of suffering from a possible aerial irritant. The other students, whose conditions were not as severe, were treated by the Ghazni Provincial Hospital.

“These two girls were in the worst condition out of the 60 who were affected,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Kari Miller, the 655th Forward Surgical Team chief nurse from Buhl, Idaho.

“Initially, they thought it was the water, but because it had to do with respiratory issues, they think it was something in the vents,” she said.

Symptoms included nausea, vomiting and unconsciousness for several girls.

An uncle, a cousin and the deputy governor of Ghazni province, Alhaj Allahyar, arrived with the girls at FOB Ghazni, concerned for their health.

All three men were convinced it was an insurgents’ attack, and the deputy governor was not surprised that the insurgents would do something like this.

“We understand the enemy, and we are not surprised by this,” said Allahyar.

The two girls, both in the 9th grade, were Helena and Soroya. Helena’s male cousin, Naim Ullah Ghazniwal, stood nearby while the medical staff administered initial treatment.

“They are killing our future,” Ghazniwal said about the insurgents.

He explained how some of the girls were unconscious, even on the road to the hospital. This was the first time in Ghazni City for this to happen, he said.

“I don’t know what the meaning of this war is,” he said. “We want peace in Afghanistan, but not with the Taliban.”

“Our beards are white from being so stressed out all these years.”

Soroya’s uncle, Ata Mohammed, was also at the clinic. He recalled how the girls’ situation worsened throughout the day.

“We took them from the hospital since they were released, but then we came back because they were having problems,” said Ata Mohammed.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. John Kang, 655th FST chief surgeon from Potomac, Md., spoke to the relatives about the girls’ condition.

He assured them it was unlikely they would need to be put on a ventilator.

“Fear may have made the symptoms worse,” Kang told the family members. “They got nervous and started to hyperventilate. It was probably a gas pumped into the school, but we don’t know for sure.”

Both Ghaznilwan and Mohammed were going to allow the girls to go back to school, despite the fact that insurgents may have poisoned the all-girls school.

“Of course we will let them go back to school,” said Ghaznilwan as Mohammed nodded in agreement. “No matter what happens.”

“The only solution for Afghanistan is to send everyone to school, men and women.”

The three men were able to see the girls in the clinic after they had calmed down. Medical staff from the 655th FST cautiously checked monitors and the patients every few minutes.

The staff was not certain if it was a gas attack.

“It could be a possible aerial agent, but we’re still not certain,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Sean Glasgow, 655th FST surgeon from San Antonio. “The fear of the attack may have amplified their symptoms.”

A water sample from the school’s well and blood samples from affected girls were provided earlier in the day. U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Turner, Ghazni Provincial Reconstruction Team medic from Decatur, Ga., had to wait for results.

“It will take at least 24 hours to see if the water was contaminated,” said Turner.

The 655th had already seen several trauma patients that day, but as a team they pulled through their weariness to assist the two girls.

“Despite the fact we had 13 traumas today, the team is still ready to see more patients,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Dwayne Baca, 655th FST medical service officer from Elmendorf, Alaska.

KABUL, Afghanistan – A one-week workshop entitled “Women and Journalism in Afghanistan” was held in Herat province last week.

Fifteen female Afghan reporters attended the course taught by Italian lecturers from the University of Cattolica in Milan. The workshop was held to further hone the journalists’ storytelling and technical skills, and culminated with a trip to downtown Herat where the reporters produced real stories featuring aspects of everyday life in downtown Herat city to include interviews with prominent Afghan women.

ISAF’s Herat Provincial Reconstruction Team, in partnership with the Italian embassy and Fondiaria SAI foundation members, promoted the workshop locally and supported it with a donation of digital cameras and computers.

Reports produced during the workshop will be published in “Women To Be,” an Internet magazine in English, available at http://www.fondazionefondiariasai.it/