DEFENSE DIGEST

ArmyCNO reminds commands about importance of IA family support

Navy

2 Oct. 1, 2007

Latest version of Army combat shirt debuts

WASHINGTON - In response to Soldier feedback, Program Executive Officer Soldier has designed the new Army combat shirt to be even more breatheable.

The flame-resistant ACS is in development for use under body armor. It is designed to replace two layers, the Army Combat Uniform jacket and moisture-wicking T-shirt, thus reducing bulk and heat stress.

“As providers of the world’s best equipment to the world’s best Soldiers, we collect and rely on Soldiers’ input and ideas to constantly improve all of our products,” said Army Brig. Gen. Mark Brown, Program Executive Officer Soldier. “All of our clothing and equipment is battle-proven and live-fire tested. Those labels can’t be earned in a laboratory.”

The ACS features a mock-turtleneck, long sleeves in the uni-versal camouflage pattern, flat seams that reduce bulk and chaf-ing and built-in anti-abrasion elbow pads.

The shirt is moisture-wicking, anti-microbial and odor-resis-tant.

The latest version of the shirt includes upgrades based on Soldier feedback collected since the shirt was first distributed in the spring for limited-user evaluations.

“Even though we developed the Army combat shirt to be lighter, more comfortable and breathable, we listened to Soldiers who tested it and said they wanted it to be even more breathable and comfortable,” said Army Maj. Clay Williamson, assistant product manager for clothing and individual equipment. “The fabric that made up the torso of the ACS was replaced with a fabric that provides breathability that is off the charts.”

However, to retain modesty, the original fabric was main-tained in the mid-chest area. Both fabrics have a four-way stretch.

Another change that increased breathability was replacing the elastic cuffs designed to keep out sand with adjustable cuffs similar to ACU jacket cuffs. The cuffs can be loosened for venti-lation or tightened to keep out sand and other debris. Changes were also made to the neck band.

Although the ACS was designed to be worn under the In-terceptor Body Armor, test participants noted the short breaks between patrols made it impractical to change into the ACU jacket. They wanted changes to the ACS that would identify them and their unit.

WASHINGTON - The chief of naval operations, Adm. Mike Mullen, used his weekly podcast to remind Navy commands about the importance of properly supporting individual-aug-mentee Sailors and their families.

“Too often, IA families are completely forgotten about by parent commands,” Mullen said in his Sept. 10 podcast, avail-able at www.navy.mil. “IA spouses have used the term ‘or-phans’ to describe themselves.”

“We’ve got about 10,000 individual augmentees throughout the Navy, individuals who have volunteered and/or are serving overseas, in some cases away from their spouses and their fam-ilies for a year,” Mullen continued. “I haven’t been happy with how we’ve supported either the members or the spouses.”

Mullen spoke of how the Navy took care of Sailors and their families after Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana and Mississippi, saying that the task force established then to as-sist Sailors and their families can have an impact on how the service takes care of IAs today.

“We had almost 88,000 of our Sailors and their families very significantly affected [after the hurricane],” Mullen ex-plained. “We set up a task force called Navy Family. That task force ran for about six months to assist our families, and had a tremendously positive impact.”

There were a number of very valuable lessons learned from that experience, Mullen said; chief among them was that com-mands must stay connected to family members on a routine basis.

“I equate family readiness to readiness to do our mission,” he said. “And we’ve got to keep focus on that. The second thing is that because we are so big, you need to set up a task force to go do something like this.”

Mullen pointed out the many institutional programs in place to help commands and families cope with IA deploy-ments, including those at fleet and family support centers and the Expeditionary Combat Readiness Command. He pointed out the ECRC hotline at 877-364-4302 and the fact that Navy Services Family Line has also produced an IA Family Hand-book, which is available online at the ECRC Web site www.ecrc.navy.mil.

“This is about readiness; it’s about retention; it’s about the kind of focus that we need to make sure we have for our fami-lies,” Mullen said.

For more news from the CNO, visit www.news.navy.mil/ local/cno/.

In response, hook and loop tape was added to the right sleeve to accommodate a name tape, rank and infrared flag. The left sleeve also sports hook and loop tape for a unit patch.

The ACS with the most recent improvements became avail-able in late September for follow-on user evaluations. The shirt is still a developmental garment and further fielding will be de-termined by the Department of the Army.

Contents

SMA pays visit to Soldiers, Sailors in theater 4

Air Force leader visits Qalat PRT 5

ANSF take reins in joint operation 6

New recycling project brings Afghan jobs 7

Operation Care: Providing for those without 8

Training with Apaches increases troops’ confidence 10

Embedded tactical trainers lead ANSF to solidarity 11

Army, Navy: sister services, brothers in arms 12

Doc handles blue, green, grey matters 13

Photos from the field 14

Freedom Watch StaffCommander

Air Force Maj. Elizabeth OrtizNCOIC

Tech. Sgt. Aaron CramPrint Chief

Air Force Staff Sgt. Daniel Bellis Editor

Air Force Staff Sgt. Sarah GregoryStaff Writer

Senior Airman Christine CollierVisit the CJTF-82 Web site at www.cjtf82.com

Freedom Watch is a weekly publication of Combined Joint Task Force-82.

CJTF-82 Commander Army Maj. Gen. David M. Rodriguez

RC East Public Affairs Officer Army Lt. Col. David A. Accetta

Freedom Watch, a Department of Defense publication, is published each Mon-day by the American Forces Network - Afghanistan Print Section at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Printed circulation is 5,000 copies per week.

In accordance with DoD Instruction 5120.4, this DoD newspaper is an au-thorized publication for members of the U.S. military overseas.

Contents of the Freedom Watch are not necessarily the official view of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government or the Department of Defense.

Deadline for submissions is noon local each Friday. All submissions are sub-ject to editing by the AFN-A Print Section, located in Bldg. 415, Room 205, Bagram Airfield. We can be reached at DSN 318-431-3338.

COVER: An Afghan girl peruses boxes of clothes, toys and school supplies in her village just outside Bagram Airfield. Operation Care, a Bagram-Airfield based, all-volunteer organization provided the donations. More on Operation Care: pg. 8. (Photo illustration: Air Force Staff Sgt. Daniel Bellis)

An Afghan National Army Soldier checks an area of recently disturbed soil, searching for possible hidden weapons or explosives during Operation Jam Morad in Ghazni Province.

Air Force Maj. (Dr.) Marshall Hayes (right) speaks with a Soldier in his office. As a doctor, Hayes is bound by confidentiality. “The only reason we would break con-fidentiality is if there’s a danger to themselves, danger to other people or danger to the mission,” he said.

Pg. 11

Pg. 13

3NEWSOct. 1, 2007

NEWS4 Oct. 1, 2007

SMA visitsSoldiers, Sailors in theater

Courtesy of Provincial Reconstruction Team Khowst

FORWARD OPERATING BASE CHAPMAN, Afghanistan – The Soldiers and Sailors of the Khowst Provincial

Reconstruction Team had a chance to speak with Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth Preston when he visited their FOB for an awards ceremony and promotion.

Preston presented four Soldiers with the Army Commenda-tion Medal and promoted one to staff sergeant.

“I think it’s good the [sergeant major] takes the time to come to places like this and give our Soldiers credit,” said Army 1st Sgt. Dino Kosio, the first sergeant for the Khowst PRT. “Even though it’s usually just a quick visit, it lets our guys know he cares about what they are doing over here.”

Army Sgt. Frederick Adams and Army Staff Sgts. Thomas Boyd, Kirtis Hoursch and Geoffrey Hunt, all squad leaders and infantrymen with the 158th Infantry Battalion attached to the Khowst PRT, were also presented ACMs. Adams was also pro-moted to staff sergeant by the sergeant major.

After handing out the medals, Preston took time to address all the Soldiers and Sailors of the PRT and talked in depth about what it means to serve your country.

“First of all, I want to thank the leadership for allowing me to come out here today,” Preston started. “It’s always good to be able to come out and present awards, as well as talk about issues you guys might be having.”

Preston asked everyone in the room who has had a parent serve in the military to raise their hands.

There was hardly a lowered hand in sight.

“This proves what I have known all along: the military has family ties,” Preston said. “Unfortunately, there are hundreds of thousands of Americans who have no idea what the military really is.”

Mentioning this, he asked a favor of the Soldiers and Sailors of the Khowst PRT.

“When you go home on [leave] or for the end of your deploy-ment, I want you to help tell the servicemember’s story,” he said. “We actually encourage our guys to travel in their uni-forms now, so when they sit next to a civilian on a plane, they can tell them what being a Soldier or a Sailor is all about.”

In closing, Preston reiterated how proud he is of all the ser-vicemembers of the PRT and said the American people are proud and have the Soldiers and Sailors in their thoughts and prayers.

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth Preston (left) greets Lt. Cmdr. David Adams, Khowst Provincial Reconstruction Team commander, before talking to the troops of the Khowst PRT at Forward Operating Base Chapman.

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth Preston (left) pres-ents an Army Commendation Medal to Army Staff Sgt. Geoffrey Hunt, a squad leader with the 158th Infantry Battalion at Forward Operating Base Chap-man. Hunt is attached to the Khowst Provincial Re-construction Team. (Photos: Army Sgt. Matthew Clifton)

Sky Soldiers

5NEWSOct. 1, 2007

By Air Force Capt. Bob EverdeenProvincial Reconstruction Team Qalat

QALAT, Afghanistan – Airmen and Soldiers assigned to the Qa-lat Provincial Reconstruction Team here received a visit from

the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing commander.Air Force Brig. Gen. Bill Hyatt, who is deployed to Bagram Air-

fi eld, is responsible for air and support operations at two bases and one operating location supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He fl ew via helicopter to Forward Operating Base Laghman to meet with the men and women assigned to the Qalat PRT. His primary goal was to interact with the Airmen assigned here on a one-year remote tour fi lling “in lieu of ” positions for the Army.

“You guys are doing a great job,” said Hyatt. “Every one of you here is serving a great nation, and on behalf of our country, I thank you for raising your right hand and swearing to support and defend The Constitution of the United States.”

During his brief visit, Hyatt was able to meet with troops, take a driving tour of Qalat and present awards to some of the top perform-ers assigned to the PRT. He also led a question-and-answer session about top concerns for Airmen, which included discussions about the new Airman Battle Uniform, or ABU; joint credit for people assigned to this combined Air Force and Army unit and future initiatives for the Air Force.

Before departing FOB Laghman, Hyatt reiterated his pride

Air Force leader in Afghanistan visits Qalat PRT

Air Force Brig. Gen. Bill Hyatt, the 455th Air Expedi-tionary Wing commander, meets Airmen with the Qalat Provincial Reconstruction Team to offer support and en-couragement. (Courtesy photo)

in the men and women serving here.“Less than one percent of the U.S. population is in the military,

serving his or her country,” he said. “Thank you for your service.”

By Army Capt. Vanessa Bowman 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – The Regional Command-South U.S.

National Command Element held a change of command ceremony between outgoing com-mander Army Col. Richard L. Stevens and in-coming commander Army Col. Pat Crowder.

Stevens has been the RC-South U.S. NCE Task Force Anzio commander since May 26, the silver anniversary of his military service.

“I can think of nothing more fi tting for me, personally, to remember that event a quarter century ago than by the absolute distinction and rare opportunity of commanding a unit directly engaged in winning the War on Terror,” said Ste-vens, upon taking command in the spring.

In his farewell, Stevens remarked on the honor that it has been to serve with the NCE at Kandahar.

“In these short four months at Kandahar, I came to know a team of dedicated Ameri-cans, steadfast Coalition partners and loyal Afghan friends that have enriched my life beyond description,” said Stevens. “I am so thankful for having had the opportunity to be part of Task Force Anzio.”

The NCE that Stevens passed on to Crowder is a “melting pot” of troops including Army, Navy and Air Force servicemembers. These servicemembers, as well as Stevens, were sent to KAF from multiple locations throughout the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. At KAF, they served as a bridging force between the previous Task Force Grizzly and the rota-tion that will be commanded by Crowder.

The connection with Anzio is personal for Stevens, who is returning to his command of the 36th Engineer Brigade in Regional Com-mand–East. TF Anzio’s name is taken from the World War II allied battle at Anzio, Italy, which included U.S. troops of the 82nd Airborne Divi-sion and the 36th Engineer Brigade. The NCE motto of “Stand and Fight” was adopted from the battle cry that motivated Soldiers who faced a daunting task in the historic Anzio battle.

“Stand and Fight” has served the diverse NCE in its role supporting the multi-national effort and Afghan people. As the bridging force, one of the primary missions of the NCE has been to work closely with the multi-national partners at KAF to complete the year-long transition of the installation from U.S. to NATO control. While doing this, they have also been able to continue the fi ght to help the Islamic Republic

of Afghanistan and the Afghan people. “We are committed to ‘stand and fi ght’

beside our Coalition partners, but more impor-tantly, beside the strong, brave and indepen-dent people of Afghanistan that are standing and fi ghting against the enemies of security and progress,” said Stevens when he took com-mand.

Crowder’s incoming remarks also expressed his intention to continue TF Anzio’s support of its multi-national partners and the mission in Afghanistan.

“The NCE is making a difference in Af-ghanistan with our Coalition partners,” said Crowder.

In closing, Crowder referenced the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as he spoke on making a difference to the future of innocent Afghans who wish to be free of the extremist enemies of peace and stability.

“When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men burn and bomb, good men must build and bind,” quoted Crowder. “When evil men shout words of hatred, good men must commit themselves to the glories of love. Where evil men would seek to perpetuate an unjust status quo, good men must bring a real order of justice.”

U.S. National Command Element (South) change of command held at Kandahar Airfi eld

NEWS6 Oct. 1, 2007

By Spc. Nathan W. Hutchison22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

GHAZNI PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Afghan National Security Forces

led Operation Jam Morad in Ghazni Prov-ince aiming to seek out weapons caches and Taliban supporters in the area.

The operation, named after one of the four villages involved, was sparked by in-telligence gathered by ANSF and Coalition forces.

“The [Afghan National Army] and Co-alition forces received intelligence that a lot of bad guys were camping out in this area,” said Army 1st Lt. Paul Lukehart, 3rd Platoon Leader, Company D, 2nd Bat-talion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regi-ment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. “The ANA came up with the idea they should go through and clear out this area and got the Coalition to operate in support.”

Members of the 82nd Abn. Div. set pe-rimeters around the villages while ANA and Afghan National Police secured the villages and searched the targeted areas.

“What we’re doing is acting as heavy guns and reinforcements; helping cordon off the area so the ANSF can search the areas of interest,” Lukehart said.

Lukehart said the missions allow Coali-tion forces to provide assistance when nec-essary, while giving ANSF valuable opera-tional experience and the opportunity to build a rapport with the villagers.

“This is something that is important to our mission over here because it reinforces and helps to establish and legitimize the ANP and ANA,” said Army 1st Lt. Brian Kitching, 2nd Plt. leader, Co. B, 2-508th PIR. “The local populace needs to be able to build that trust.”

Kitching said it’s easy to gain trust when operations have results like Opera-tion Jam Morad.

“We found 96 82mm mortar rounds, a couple of AK-47s, grenades, chest racks for personnel to carry magazines, at least five rocket-propelled grenades and some under-ground complexes,” Kitching said.

Five people were detained during the operation and information was gathered on militant leaders.

“Jam Morad has historically been a Taliban stronghold, a place to fall back to where they had a storage of weapons,” Kitching said. “ANSF questioned the detainees and the information gathered directly contributed to the mission’s suc-cess.”

With each mission, the ANA and ANP gain more experience as the main force in protecting their country from terrorist or-ganizations.

“For the most part the ANA are very proactive,” said Lukehart. “You see them out and about a lot doing operations and we try to integrate the ANSF into pretty much everything we do.”

Kitching said hard work by Coalition forces has brought the ANSF from a dream to a legitimate contributor to Afghanistan’s growth as a free society.

“Each operation gives the ANSF a lit-tle more experience so they can see what works and build on it,” Kitching said. “It’s a slow process and a gradual process, but I definitely see an improvement in the way they plan and execute missions and control their forces.”

ANSF take reins in joint operation

Dari/Pashtu phrase of the week

What is your name?

DariEsme shuma chist(Ess-may shoo-mah chest)

PashtuTasu num sa da(Tasoo noom suh dah)

Tribal tattoos are common among nomadic people. The Kuchi, a nomadic Afghan tribe, are very ornamental people who often wear blue, green and purple attire. Women in the tribe wear decorative beads and silver jewelry. Some people in the tribe have tattoos on their faces.

7NEWSOct. 1, 2007

New recycling project brings Afghan jobsBy Army Sgt. Timothy Dinneen

Combined Joint Task Force-82 Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – When a country such as Afghani-

stan has suffered through 30 years of war, recycling wouldn’t come to mind as a top priority. However, one Afghan company sees recycling as an opportunity to not only help Afghans through job creation but also help an environment ravaged by war.

Kuhan Dazh, an Afghan company, and the U.S. military began the first day of a business relationship Sept. 24 in which Afghans help reduce Bagram of recycla-ble trash and are provided new jobs that help the environment.

“I was interested in this opportunity because it will help the local economy by creating jobs and it helps the environ-ment,” said Aaron Fariad, general man-ager for Kuhan Dazh. “We are going to process materials to reuse and be sold to the local economy, hopefully reducing the prices of plastics, aluminums and other materials.”

Fariad was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, and moved to Toronto, Canada, when he was a child.

He returned to visit relatives and want-ed to do something to help his country when he saw the challenges it faced.

He was offered this project and said he didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to do some good.

The project originated when it was learned there was an Afghan company re-cycling materials at Kandahar, said Army Maj. Jennifer Caci, the Combined Joint Task Force-82 environmental science of-ficer.

“We put out a bid to offer the opportu-nity here and Aaron’s company responded the same day,” said Caci.

Although the project has started mod-estly with a four-man crew, Fariad said he is thankful the military presented the chance and thinks this will lead to more jobs in the area.

“We’re burning 35,000 plastic water bottles and 2,000 cans a day so we’re not putting those pollutants in the air by re-cycling,” said Clifford Trim, chief of ser-vices for Kellogg, Brown and Root. “It’s

putting more Afghans to work so it’s a great idea.”

The Bagram landfill goes through 2,000 meters of trash per day, measured in dumpster bodies, and reduces that trash to 90 meters of ash, according to Trim.

“There have been numerous entities [CJTF-82, KBR, Contingency Contracting Office, KD Ltd.] involved in getting this off the ground and I think everyone involved

should be very proud,” Caci said. “This is simply the right thing to do and it’s been a long time coming. I hope that we can ex-pand the effort to Jalalabad Airfield and Salerno before we leave here next year.”

“Work is work; we want to work with anyone,” said Mohammed Nasim Akabar, a Kuhan Dazh employee hired as a result of the new recycling project. “This helps Af-ghans with jobs.”

Kuhan Dazh employees sort through aluminum cans to recycle during the first day of operations. The agreement between the Afghan company and the U.S. military will promote new Afghan jobs while helping the environ-ment. (Photo: Army Sgt. Timothy Dinneen)

FEATURE8

OPERATIONCARE

Providing for those without

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Life in Afghanistan is rough. Malaria, poverty, starvation and war have plagued this

land seemingly interminably. Burning summers and baneful winters taunt the Afghan people, daring them to live another year. Clean drinking water is rare, doctors rarer. School is an option for few; a life of near-fruitless labor is definite for many. Americans, who as a nation struggle with an epidemic of obesity, might liken this to Hell.

Amid these harsh realities is a group of Bagram Airfield volunteers trying to make a difference: Operation Care. Since May 2006, military and civilian volunteers have worked to ease the plight of the Afghan people. They don’t provide medical care or education. They don’t dig

wells or build schools. Their work is simple, but necessary. Operation Care brings clothing, school and hygiene supplies and

even toys to areas that need them.“These people, there’s no job for them, there’s no future for them;

most of the villages don’t have water, nothing to eat, there’s nothing for them,” said Army Staff Sgt. Abdola Zooashkiyani, an Operation Care volunteer. “The winter here gets cold. We give them winter cloth-ing. A lot of them don’t have shoes. We give them shoes and things like this. Hopefully, we can help them with their supplies.”

Zooashkiyani brings a valuable skill to the project. He says he speaks “five or six” languages, Dari being among them. He was born

Story and photos by Air Force Staff Sgt. Daniel BellisAmerican Forces Network - Afghanistan

An Afghan girl in a displaced persons’ camp outside Bagram Airfield looks on as U.S. servicemembers distribute donations to her village. Girls like her benefit directly from Operation Care.

9FEATURE

in Iran, speaks Farsi and laughs a little when he says Dari is similar and he “just kind of picked it up along the way.”

His language abilities allow Operation Care leaders like Reuben Breaux to “talk” to village elders and determine what supplies a village can use. Breaux is a civilian and works for the 25th Signal Battalion. He’s been employed in Afghanistan since April 2006. He started as a helper with Operation Care and eventually moved up to vice president.

“It’s uplifting,” said Breaux. “You sit here on base, you do your job; it’s a drudge job and you go day to day. You work your ten-hour days and get one day off a week and you do something like this, and it’s just fulfilling to see that you were in that path: people donated, you put it together and people got it.”

The path Breaux speaks of starts in the United States. “We get stuff from Girl Scout troops, church groups, from Wiscon-

sin, Hawaii, Ohio, Texas, everywhere. People in the United States are so giving. It’s just great to see those donations come in and then be able to give them to the locals and to the people who really need them.”

Volunteers like Breaux sift and sort donations then repackage and transport them to villages, displaced persons’ camps and other areas.

The people aren’t the only folks in Afghanistan who reap the benefits of the program. Operation Care also provides for their U.S. brethren at forward-operating bases.

“They’re the ones who don’t have a PX,” said Breaux. “They don’t have all the necessary things that you would get from a base like [Bagram Airfield]. So we send out hygiene items, towels, blankets, whatever it takes.”

It takes time, generosity and vision. The volunteers are from all services: Army, Navy, Air Force and

Marines. This team, brought together to support operation Enduring Freedom, finds it in themselves to see past the insular world of Bagram Airfield. They know that in the land outside the gate, a well-stocked dining facility is replaced by a questionable water source and the unpredictability of the next meal. This winter, when they curl up in their climate-controlled quarters under blankets they can afford to buy, they’ll remember their role in providing necessities, providing care.

To learn more about Operation Care, contact Mr. Reuben Breaux at reuben.breaux@afghan.swa.army.mil.

OPERATIONCARE

APO AE 09354

Left: Army Staff Sgt. Ab-dola Zooashkiyani (right) speaks Dari with a vil-lage elder near Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Zooashkiyani volunteers his multilingual skill to Op-eration Care to facilitate communication between U.S. servicemembers and the Afghan people. Below: Army Sgt. Heather Slater takes a break from distributing donations to snap a photo of village elders. This is just one of many Operation Care dis-tribution trips. “We get tons and tons of stuff in. I can’t even begin to think of how many tons of stuff we get in,” said Reuben Breaux, Operation Care vice-president.

Donations can be sent to:

NEWS10 Oct. 1, 2007

By Army 2nd Lt. Eric WilliamsTask Force Corsair

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghan-istan – As ground troops trained

to repel an insurgent attack at Tarnak Farms Range in Kandahar Province, the call was made for AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter support. “Arrow 26” answered the call, arriving on sta-tion amidst simulated small-arms fire and smoke marking friendly positions.

Soldiers with 2nd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Bri-gade, 82nd Airborne Division, and the British Royal Air Force’s 51st Squad-ron trained together to enhance trooper confidence in utilizing Apache support in their battle rhythm.

“There is no doubt that the AH-64D helicopter is intimidating with its weapons system on the battlefield,” said Army Capt. Andrew Ruszkiewicz, fire-support officer. “This is true not only for enemy forces but also to the friendly forces not familiar in conducting close-combat attacks.”

The training covered how to properly talk to and control Apache support in combat situations, said Army Sgt. Mor-

Training with Apaches increases troops’ confidencegan Grant, fire-support non-commis-sioned officer.

During this training event, Ruszkie-wicz and Grant accompanied the 51st Sqdn. to the range to oversee and guide British Soldiers while they conducted the training mission.

During close-combat attacks, as-sault helicopters are called in to support ground forces, said Ruszkiewicz.

The 2-82nd AHB has the responsibil-ity of providing air support to various elements of Coalition forces on a day-to-day basis.

Some elements of Coalition forces have never implemented attack heli-copters into their battle rhythm before, which is why as new Coalition units ro-tate into RC-South, the task force fire support continually conducts ground-force training missions in the classroom and out on live-fire ranges, said Rusz-kiewicz.

Soldiers from the 51st Sqdn. conduct-ed this particular training mission, and, with the air support provided by “Arrow 26,” the troops’ confidence was enhanced in successfully executing close-combat situations in southern Afghanistan, said Ruszkiewicz.

An AH-64D Apache Longbow helicop-ter responds to an air-support request made by the Royal Air Force’s A Flight, 51st Squadron during a training mis-sion at Tarnak Farms Range near Kan-dahar Airfield, Afghanistan. (Courtesy photo)

Development, security work hand in handBy Army Sgt. Jim Wilt

Combined Joint Task Force-82 Public Affairs

TAG AB, Afghanistan – Afghan and Coalition officials held a rib-bon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the official start of construc-

tion of a new road here.The governor of Kapisa Province, Khoja Ghulam Ghous Abobaker,

along with local leaders, met with representatives from the Bagram Pro-vincial Reconstruction Team to ceremoniously start the $3.1-million project, which is expected to be completed by winter.

The road will stretch 62 kilometers (38.4 miles), according to Air Force Lt. Col. Bobby Robinson, the PRT commander.

The road will run from here to Mahmoode Raqi, the provincial capi-tal, and connect the three district centers of Tag Ab, Alasai, and Nijrab to the provincial capital, said Air Force Capt. Erick Saks, the Bagram PRT executive officer.

The road is one of several projects currently undertaken in an area where security had been nonexistent until a few months ago.

Following recent operations, security has improved to allow for devel-opment, Robinson said. With security improved, a door has been opened allowing contractors to begin projects in the area.

“There was a time when it was difficult even to come down here [due to the security situation,] now we are doing ribbon cuttings,” Saks said.

Schools, clinics, roads and government buildings are all projects the PRT hopes to complete, Robinson said.

The PRT is also working with the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture in an effort to improve the economy here and a project is under way to provide clean water to the people, Saks said.

Despite the improvements in security, which allow development, the area remains unstable.

Robinson believes with development comes security.“We think as the [Islamic Republic of Afghanistan] becomes

stronger, and IRoA shows it can take care of the people, security will improve in the area,” Robinson said.

The district sub-governor for Tag Ab, Mullavi Mussoud, believes the road will benefit the people here in many ways.

With a new road, Mussoud said he believes travel time will decrease allowing for better commerce, security and medical treatment.

Mussoud noted an increase in security since Coalition forces began operating in the area.

“We will continue to operate in this area to make it safe for the people,” Saks said.

As fall begins, the construction team will be racing against time in an effort to complete the road by winter. With plans of keeping a base in the area, Coalition forces will remain to continue helping the people here.

11NEWSOct. 1, 2007

By Spc. Nathan W. Hutchison 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

GHAZNI PROVINCE, Afghanistan- Although the brunt of American and Coalition forces are used to assisting Af-

ghan forces during many operations, the Afghan National Secu-rity Forces still require mentorship to help solidify the respect and acceptance of the Afghan people. That’s where trainers come in.

Embedded tactical trainers are Soldiers who train and coach Afghan National Army and Police in and out of operations.

“Our biggest job is showing ANSF what right looks like,” said

Embedded tactical trainers lead ANSF to solidarity Army Maj. Chris P. Guziec, district commander for the ANP ETT.

“We take what they think is right and mold it into something that is workable,” said Guziec. “This helps them better under-stand the steps to take and the reason for the changes.”

Guziec said this type of training requires flexibility for both groups, along with consideration for Afghanistan’s cultural and religious foundation.

“We are the ANP’s mentors, making sure they are being pro-fessional at their jobs and not exploiting their power,” said Army Capt. Jason Knueven, district team chief for the ANP ETT.

Knueven said he notices positive changes in each mission he oversees.

The most recent mission involved the ANA and ANP securing several villages and searching houses based on intelligence gath-ered by coalition forces and ANSF.

“They were being professional at their job,” Knueven said. “They weren’t going in and stirring up the houses. The people took it really well because the ANSF were doing it the right way.”

Even those working with the ANSF in operations and exer-cises see improvement in their proficiency.

“It’s a slow and gradual process, but I definitely see an im-provement in the way they plan and execute missions and con-trol their forces,” said Army 1st Lt. Brian Kitching, 2nd Platoon Leader, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.

“The local populace needs to be able to build that trust with its own military and police,” said Kitching. “ANA and ANP working to catch the bad guys will do that.”

Kitching said the ANSF has to do more than catch bad guys to earn the trust and respect of the Afghan people. Civilians need to know they can rely on their military and police to protect them.

“The good people want the bad people out too, but they have to trust the people searching their homes,” said Knueven. “Our presence helps ensure their guys are not tempted to do anything other than act professionally.”

An Afghan National Army soldier checks an area of recently disturbed soil searching for possible hidden weapons or explosives during Operation Jam Morad in Ghazni Province.

By Air Force Staff Sgt. Mike Andriacco

455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – An Airman deployed here from the

41st Electronic Combat Squadron at Da-vis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., recently reached a major milestone in her career.

Senior Airman Sarah McRae, electronic combat squadron airborne maintenance technician, achieved her 1,000 combat flight-hour mark during a mission here.

Airborne maintenance technicians keep the various electronic components of the EC-130H Compass Call aircraft working, said

Air Force Lt. Col. Richard Fojtik, command-er. The EC-130H Compass Call is a modified version of the C-130 Hercules and is used to disrupt enemy command-and-control com-munications. The unit’s critical mission helps stop violent extremists from attacking Afghan civilians and Coalition troops.

Reaching 1,000 combat flight-hours can take up to eight years with the normal de-ployment cycle, said Fojtik. McRae did it in a little more than two.

“Thanks to the hard work of folks like Sarah, we have recently managed to keep our EC-130H Compass Call aircraft airborne for 160 straight days. Over the last four years, we have sustained a 97-percent mission ca-pable rate,” he added.

To put it in perspective, the Air Force’s Air Combat Command minimum standard for MCR is 77 percent. Mission-capable rat-ings are determined by 100-hour blocks; the squadron’s rate means its aircraft were avail-able and mission ready for 97 out of every 100 hours.

According to Fojtik, McRae’s achieve-ment is representative of the spirit of ex-cellence that motivates the members of the unit.

“Sarah is everything an Airman should be ... smart, professional, dedicated, and she always has a smile on her face,” Fojtik said. “There is no shortage of opportunities for Sarah to reach additional combat-hour mile-stones.”

Bagram Airman reaches combat milestone

NEWS12 Oct. 1, 2007

Story and photo by Army Sgt. Matthew Clifton

22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

FORWARD OPERATING BASE CHAPMAN, Afghanistan – You only

have to say two words to invoke that feeling of rivalry that is oft-present between two of the largest armed services in the United States:

“Army-Navy.”Upon hearing those words, one’s mind

may be drawn toward collegiate athletics. Although there may be some slight truth in the rivalry, one unit here comprised not of Soldiers and Sailors, but servicemembers, has demonstrated how, when it comes down to it, the rivalry is just good-hearted fun.

That unit is the Khowst Provincial Re-construction Team.

Made up of uniformed personnel from both services, the Khowst PRT plays a key role in the development of Khowst Prov-ince by funding and contracting projects like the building of schools, roads and hospitals.

This mission is a huge task and one that would not be possible without the complete and total teamwork of all its members, both Army and Navy.

“This is the first time I’ve ever been in a joint environment,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Jeffrey Caffey, master at arms, Khowst PRT. “I’ve never experienced the ‘Army thing’ before and, at first, it was a total culture shock.”

The “culture shock” was best exempli-fied by his pre-deployment training at Fort Bragg, N.C.

“I think the biggest thing for the Navy guys was the ruck marches we went on,” said Army Staff Sgt. Michael Sheets, civil affairs noncommissioned officer-in-charge, Khowst PRT. “I think it was difficult for the [Navy] guys, not because they couldn’t handle it, but because they were so used to being on a ship.

“It was fun teaching the guys about marching formations, what way to point their weapon and things like that,” Sheets continued. “They were completely coopera-tive the whole time and I don’t think I’ve ever seen any one group of guys more eager and willing to learn.”

Caffey laughed at the recollection of the ruck marches, mentioning that, although he “walked” a lot during his Navy basic

training, he had never before donned full “battle-rattle” and walked for miles in formation.

“It was definitely different,” Caffey add-ed. “Some of our guys had a tough time, but I think some of the Army guys also had to get used to having a Navy commander.”

None of the Soldiers in the unit had ever worked on a ship and both Caffey and Sheets agreed the Navy “slang” used by the commander was something the Soldiers had to get used to.

“There is an enormous amount of service-specific slang the commander uses in his speeches,” Sheets said jokingly. “He always says something about ‘fair winds.’”

Caffey was quick to add “fair winds” means everything is going fine, like “smooth sailing.”

“The Army just says ‘hooah’ for every-thing,” Sheets retorted.

All in all, the unit spent three months training at Fort Bragg and after being in the Army for more than four years, this was Sheet’s first experience with the Navy.

“The tact shown by these guys dur-ing training can not be matched,” he said. “Our commander is one of the smartest guys I know.”

Sheets referred to the way their com-mander, understanding he needed expe-rienced leaders, made Sheets and other combat veterans “team leaders” during their training time.

Before they realized it, their training had

ended and they were in Afghanistan doing exactly what they had trained for. By that time, there was no longer any distinction between the Army and the Navy. They were just “the team.”

Caffey and Sheets see their daily life as vastly productive. Working at the district center in Tani, a small district in Khowst, they literally live among the Afghan people, helping to rebuild the area through funding and reconstruction projects.

“We work with the local government officials and police officers to ensure the continued stability of the district,” Caffey said. “They are an all-around good group and I feel proud that they are doing what’s best for their citizens.”

Straddling the halfway mark of their deployment, the lines of “Army and Navy” have gone from blurred to nonexistent.

“I don’t even see a difference anymore, it’s just one big team,” Caffey said.

Neither Caffey nor Sheets had ever worked in a joint environment before and that they, along with their entire unit, bonded so instantly and permanently says something about how trivial and “elemen-tary” any type of rivalry really is.

“I’m completely shocked at how every-one left their egos at the door and came together to be the best possible unit,” Sheets said. “We have a good government to work with in this province, and because we work so well as a team, I feel good about the future of our district.”

Army Staff Sgt. Kirtis Hoursch (right), Khowst Provincial Reconstruction Team squad leader, inspects a Soldier and a Sailor prior to heading out on a mission at Forward Operating Base Chapman, Afghanistan.

Army, Navy: sister services, brothers in arms

13NEWSOct. 1, 2007

FORWARD OPERATING BASE ORGUN-E, Afghanistan – On this tight-knit base near the Pakistani border is a man who

fights a different kind of war. He battles demons, fears and other unseen enemies—none of them his own.

A psychiatrist, Air Force Maj. (Dr) Marshall Hayes is the only “shrink” for every servicemember in Afghanistan east and slightly south of Bagram Airfield.

“I go by shrink,” said Hayes with his signature welcoming grin. “I’ve been called much worse.”

Being a mental healthcare provider in the Air Force usually means seeing patients in a hospital or clinic, a controlled and well-established environment. Here, his office is a metal storage shed. No leather couch, no potted plants, no receptionist waiting outside. He sees pa-tients where and when he can. Sometimes it’s in the chapel, other times outdoors, wherever there’s privacy. Now that he’s crossed into the way of the Army, the rules have changed, slightly.

“We get the whole rustic Army life. We visit places that don’t have the amenities that we in the Air Force just take for granted. I think it makes us more approachable. They see that we’re out here doing the same thing, living-wise,” said Hayes.

“We have to show a measure of humility because we’re guests out here. Even though we have a function to perform, people are very suspicious of not only another branch, but of mental health in gen-eral.”

A visit to the “shrink” can carry a stigma; servicemembers think it will affect their career. And Hayes agrees.

“There’re no consequences to their career other than they don’t get in more trouble.”

The “trouble” he speaks of comes when someone is seemingly in-explicably irritable, more prone to arguments or is acting out in other ways that precipitate disciplinary action. These could be symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

“When Soliders are involved in traumatic incidents, whether that’s troops in contact [with the enemy], IED explosions, situa-tions where Soldiers lose close friends or other kinds of tragedies that happen in war, knowing that they are able to come to us and

talk to us kind of ‘off the record’ is one of the benefits the combat stress team offers.”

Hayes extends what he calls “free passes.” That’s three to five visits that go undocumented, just a chance to talk.

“A lot of what we do is simply give them a place to help problem solve, help understand why they’re feeling the way they are.”

He says he finds a lot of servicemembers share the same stressors, usually relational: family problems, sickness back home, marital is-sues, things that may seem bigger in a place like Afghanistan espe-cially at a FOB.

“I think the intensity of activity out here is far different than back at the larger bases. We have guys who are going out on mis-sions daily, and having someone that they can get support from and still stay in the fight is an important part of the combat stress mis-sion.

“I really feel like what we’re doing is important and significant. It’s just a far different feel than being home in a clinic in a very sterile environment. We get out here; we get dirty and we’re able to address things that maybe that Soldier wouldn’t have come forward with in different circumstances. It’s a pretty great feeling.”

Air Force Maj. (Dr.) Marshall Hayes (right) speaks with a Soldier in his office. As a doctor, Hayes is bound by confidentiality. “The only reason we would break confi-dentiality is if there’s a danger to themselves, danger to other people or danger to the mission,” he said.

Doc handles blue, green, grey matters

Hayes works in a multi-service, uncon-ventional environment. Sometimes, meeting with a patient in an office is impractical or just not preferred. “It’s been a great experience. It makes me appreciate what I have in the Air Force, but it also helps me understand what the front-line war-fighters are going through. And that’ll be something in-valuable for me and hopefully for my patients in the future,” said Hayes of his experience during his unique deploy-ment. “It’s been great being welcomed into the family out here.” (Photos: Air Force Staff Sgt. Daniel Bellis)

Courtesy of Combined Joint Task Force-82 Public Affairs

PHOTOS14 Oct. 1, 2007

Top: A Soldier from Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 508th Para-chute Infantry Regiment, uses a biometrics system to take a picture of a local resident’s iris. The biometrics system is cur-rently being used throughout Afghanistan. (Photo: Army Staff Sgt. Justin Hollely)Left: Army Sgt. Claude Benson, Khowst Provincial Reconstruc-tion Team Security Force member, talks to an Afghan boy dur-ing a routine stop on a convoy mission in the Khowst Province. (Photo: Senior Airman Christine Collier)Above: Afghanistan National Security Forces guard a valley out-side the town of Barla in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan, as part of a blocking position while Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, cordon a nearby complex cave system. (Photo: Army Staff Sgt. Justin Hollely)

15PHOTOSOct. 1, 2007

Above: A Soldier from Delta Company, 2nd Bat-talion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, over-looks the village of Barla, Afghanistan, from a block-ing position during a mis-sion focused on ridding the area of anti-Coalition forces. (Photo: Army Staff Sgt. Justin Hollely)Upper right: A resident from the village of Barla, Afghanistan, listens to questions as part of the identity-recording pro-cess for a biometrics sys-tem. (Photo: Army Staff Sgt. Justin Hollely)Back cover: An Afghan boy looks on as volunteers from Operation Care bring donations to his village. Operation Care is an all-volunteer program that collects and distributes donations to FOBs and the Afghan people. (Photo: Air Force Staff Sgt. Daniel Bellis)

Photos from the field

Above: A group of Afghan children gather to greet servicemembers stopping at their town in Khowst Province during a quality-assurance inspection on a nearby dam. (Photo: Senior Airman Christine Collier)