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WASHINGTON — Officials are counting the votes inIraq’s historic constitutional referendum, and people areasking whether the people of Iraq have accepted or reject-ed their new constitution.
But to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and U.S.Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad, the results of
Saturday’s referendum are less important than the fact thatIraq had a highly successful and relatively peaceful elec-tion in which the Sunnis participated in very large num-bers.
“Whatever happens with the referendum ... the Iraqi peo-ple clearly are taking advantage of the political process tomake their views known, and that’s bad news for the ter-rorists,” Rice told Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday.
Appearing on ABC News’ This Week with GeorgeStephanopoulos, Khalilzad agreed: “If the constitution
passes,” he said, “there is a path for additional changes. Ifthe constitution does not pass — because of the oppositionfrom the Sunni voters — it would show that their partici-pation in the process did, indeed, make a difference.
“Either way, there will be additional opportunities forchange — for a political way forward for Iraq.”
Khalilzad also appeared on CNN’s Late Edition withWolf Blitzer; Rice on NBC News’ Meet the Press with Tim
By Petty Officer 3rd Class John R. GuardianoAmerican Forces Press Service
‘Buffalo’ roams Baghdad, Page 5
Baghdad, Iraq October 21, 2005Vol. 3, No. 40
Rice, Khalilzad: Iraqis win, no matter referendum results
See REFERENDUM, Page 2
Marines deliver more than the ‘goods’ Page 4
What can be done to preserve the environment? Page 3
Camp Taji marathon parallels well-known Chicago race Page 8
Inside
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Robert R. AtteburyAn Iraqi man stands with his son as he shows his ink-stained finger after voting in Kharma, Iraq, Oct. 15 during the Iraqi referendum election.
Russert. Both officials agreed that theprimacy of the political process — andordinary Iraqis’ embrace of thatprocess in yesterday’s referendum —is a death blow to the terrorists whoare killing scores of innocent Iraqis.
“The Iraqi people are casting theirlot with the political process,” Ricetold Russert. “That will sap the energyfrom this insurgency, because aninsurgency cannot ultimately survivewithout a political base.”
Khalilzad said success lies in “con-tinuous Sunni participation in thepolitical process” and continued isola-tion and defeat of the terrorists.“That’s the recipe, the plan if you’dlike, for success,” he said. “I think weare making good progress. Yesterdaywas a good indication that ourapproach to the Sunnis is producingresults.”
Rice said that analysis of the voting
is now underway, but that preliminaryfindings suggest that as many as a mil-lion more people voted this time thanin January. “The numbers in the Sunniareas are very high,” she said. “TheSunnis turned out in very large num-bers. That means they’re casting theirlot now with the democratic process.”
Rice and Khalilzad acknowledgedthe dramatically-reduced level of vio-lence and attributed this to excellentpreparation and work by Iraq’sSecurity Forces.
“The Iraqi [Security] Forces per-formed very well in protecting theelection process,” Rice said. They’re“growing in stature in the eyes of thepeople of Iraq.”
Saturday’s referendum, Khalilzadadded, shows “that violence is not theway to deal with problems. [It shows]that violence is a dead-end street.”
For that reason, Rice said, terroristsand terrorist sympathizers in Iraq arefew in number. They do not in anyway constitute a majority of the popu-lation. “Indeed, some of them,” she
observed, “are foreigners like thosewho work for [Abu Musab al]Zarqawi.”
Rice said many of these foreign ter-rorists and jihadists are coming to Iraqthrough Syria — and they are not sim-ply sneaking across, unobserved, fromthe Syrian-Iraq border.
“In many cases,” Rice said, “they[foreign terrorists] are coming [toIraq] through Damascus Airport ...[Syrian] territory,” she said, “is beingused to kill innocent Iraqis — inno-cent men, women and children —because suicide bombers are comingthrough there.”
The Syrian government, “is permit-ting the use of Syrian territory for ter-rorists to cross Syrian territory. Shesaid the United States and Iraq willaddress this issue “in a multilateralfashion ... [to] get the Syrian regime tochange its behavior.”
As for the formal results of yester-day’s referendum, Khalilzad said “wewill know late tomorrow... [but] yes-terday was a great day for Iraq.”
Editor.....................................................Sgt. Misha King
Assistant Editor.......................Spc. Ferdinand Thomas
Staff.......................................Staff Sgt. Timothy B. Lawn
The Scimitar is an authorized publication for members of theDepartment of Defense. Contents are not necessarily the officialviews of or endorsed by the U.S. Government or DoD. The editori-al content is the responsibility of the Public Affairs Office of theMulti-National Force - Iraq. Stars and Stripes newspaper is notaffiliated with MNF-I and acts only as a distributing source for theScimitar. Questions and comments should be directed to the editorat [email protected].
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We reserve the right to editfor propriety, clarity and space.
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publications_theater.htm
ScimitarPage 2 October 21, 2005
MNF-I Commanding GeneralGen. George W. Casey Jr.
MNF-I PAOCol. Dewey G. Ford
Combined Press Information CenterDirectorLt. Col. Steven A. [email protected]
Command Information ChiefMaj. Patricia C. [email protected]
Command Information NCOICMaster Sgt. Michele R. [email protected]
Identity theft a problem fordeployed service members
Service members on active duty who are deployed awayfrom their normal duty station can place an “active duty alert”on their credit reports to help reduce the threat of identity theft.An active duty alert stays on a credit report for one year, unlessthe service member requests a renewal for a longer time.
If a business sees the alert on a credit report, it must verifyyour identity before issuing credit, so it could delay openingnew accounts, if you want or need to do so. You will also beremoved from the credit reporting companies’ marketing listfor pre-screened credit card offers for two years unless you askto be added before then.
To request an alert, contact any one of the three consumerreporting agencies, and it must share that alert with the othertwo:
Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN ; www.experian.com; P.O.Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013
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For more information, log on to the Federal TradeCommission’s Web site at http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/.
By Maj. Patricia C. AndersonCommand Information ChiefWASHINGTON — The millions of Iraqis who voted in their
country’s landmark Oct. 15 constitutional referendum have dealt acatastrophic blow to the worldwide al Qaeda terrorist network,which would like to subjugate them and the entire Middle East to ajihadist, terrorist tyranny, President Bush said Saturday in his week-ly radio address.
“By casting their ballots,” Bush said, “the Iraqi people deal asevere blow to the terrorists and send a clear message to the world:Iraqis will decide the future of their country through peaceful elec-tions, not violent insurgency. ...
“The terrorists,” he added, “understand that the act of voting is arejection of them and their distorted vision of Islam. Simply bycoming out to vote, the Iraqi people have shown that they want tolive in freedom, and they will not accept a return to tyranny and ter-ror.”
Bush said a recently intercepted terrorist letter shows that Iraqipolitical progress is stymieing al Qaeda’s quest for a “totalitarianempire that denies political and religious freedom.
“These terrorists are driven by an ideology that exploits Islam toserve a violent political vision,” he said. But with each step that theIraqi people take on the march toward democracy, “al Qaeda’svision for the region becomes more remote.”
The intercepted terrorist letter was written from al Qaeda’s num-ber two leader, Ayman al Zawahiri, to his chief deputy in Iraq, AbuMusab al Zarqawi. Zawahiri describes Iraq precisely as “the placefor the greatest battle” of our day, Bush said.
“The jihad in Iraq requires several incremental goals,” Zawahiriwrote. “Expel the Americans from Iraq. ... Establish an Islamicauthority ... to spread its power in Iraq ... [and] extend the jihadwave” to nearby, neighboring countries.
Bush said “this letter shows that al Qaeda intends to make Iraq aterrorist haven and a staging ground for attacks against othernations, including the United States.”
However, he added, “the letter makes equally clear that the ter-rorists have a problem: Their campaign of murder and mayhem isturning the [Iraqi] people against them.”
Indeed, “many of your [Zarqawi’s] Muslim admirers amongstthe common folk are wondering about your attacks on the Shia,”Zawahiri says.
“Even al Qaeda,” Bush noted, “recognizes that with every ran-dom bombing and every funeral of a child, the Muslim world seesthe terrorists for what they really are: murderers at war with theIraqi people.”
According to the president, the terrorists hope to break America’swill and force the United States to retreat from Iraq. That is why, hesaid, Zawahiri’s letter “points to Vietnam as a model ... Al Qaedabelieves that Americans can be made to run again.”
Bush said, the terrorists “are gravely mistaken. America will notrun, and we will not forget our responsibilities.” The President saidwith pride that the United States brought down Saddam Hussein’smurderous regime, while supporting Iraq’s march toward democra-cy, free and fair elections.
A free Iraq “will be an ally in the war on terror, and a partner forpeace and moderation in the Muslim world.” Bush said. This, inturn, will make America’s children and grandchildren safer andmore secure, he added.
Referendumfrom Page 1
Iraqi voting strikes blow for freedom, Bush saysBy Petty Officer 3rd Class John R. GuardianoAmerican Forces Press Service
U.S. Navy Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Alan D. Monyelle
An Iraqi Solider proudly displays his stamp aftervoting on the draft constitution in the country'snational referendum, Tall Afar, Iraq, Oct. 15.
ScimitarOctober 21, 2005 Page 3
PERSPECTIVES
Ask someone what the scariest movie he or she has everseen, and you’ll probably get responses like
“Poltergeist,” “The Exorcist,” “Nightmare on Elm Street,”“Friday the 13th” and “Halloween.” When I was a kid, nodoubt Michael Myers had a lot to do with my nightmares. Thatwas then. Now, I’d have to say the scariest movie I’ve everseen is “The Day After Tomorrow.” No, there weren’t any“boom-boom” men running around killing people, nor werethere zombies or possessed Catholics seeking redemption. Butthe idea of the Northern Hemisphere going through an unfore-seen Ice Age is much scarier than any Jason flick I’ve seen.Why? Because it’s more realistic.
Sure, “The Day After Tomorrow” is a Hollywood hit thatgrossed more than $143 million over the three-day weekend itwas released last Memorial Day. But the movie’s plot is basedon natural disasters that could actually happen, as opposed toupheavals caused by some fictional goon.
In the movie, snowstorms blanketed New Delhi, tornadoesdestroyed Los Angeles, baseball-sized hail bombarded Tokyo,and a massive tidal wave engulfed New York — all results ofabrupt climate shifts caused by extreme global warming. Soundsreally far-fetched, right? Not exactly.
According to the National Climatic Data Center’s Web site,“the paleoclimate record shows rapid and dramatic changes inclimate have occurred in the past on global and regional scales.”And according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’sWeb site, which attributes the National Academy of Sciences,“the earth’s surface temperature has risen about one degreeFahrenheit in the past century, with accelerated warming duringthe past two decades. There is new and stronger evidence thatmost of the warming over the last 50 years is attributable tohuman activities.”
Some impacts of global warming are already happening, suchas ocean heat content increases and snow covering and ice extentdecreases, which threaten to flood islands and coastal regionsworldwide, according to the National Environmental Trust’s Website. Furthermore, future predicted impacts include increasedfloods, increased spread of infections diseases, degraded waterquality and abrupt climate changes. I’m not a scientist by anystretch, but these predictions sound like they’ve started comingtrue over the past few years and getting worse: the tsunami lastyear, the countless hurricanes hitting the U.S., the Gulf Coast in
particular, monstrous fires caused by extended droughts and thebird flu epidemic that started in Asia and has already made itsway to Romania. According to U.S. Health and Human ServicesSecretary Michael Leavitt, the likelihood of a human flu pan-demic is very high. And let’s not forget the devastating earth-quake that shook Pakistan, India and Afghanistan just recently;although I didn’t feel the aftereffects physically here in Iraq, Ifelt them emotionally; yet another 40,000 dead from a naturaldisaster. It seems like every day you turn on the television,there’s a new tragedy somewhere in the world.
So what does this mean for you and me? What can we do tohelp preserve our earth so our future generations have cleanwater to drink, clean oxygen to breathe and “clean” food to eat?
Just like any movement in history, it has to start somewhere.Progress takes time. And like the slogan about the lottery, “Youhave to be in it to win it.” The same principles apply here: it allstarts with the individual.
According to www.earth911.org, only about 50 percent of alu-minum cans produced are recycled, and 54 billion cans wererecycled last year. This saved energy equivalent to 15 millionbarrels of crude oil — America’s entire gas consumption for oneday. Did you know that recycling one aluminum can savesenough energy to burn a 100-watt bulb for almost four hours orrun your television for three hours?
There are endless other ways to help preserve our environ-ment, such as recycling glass and paper, using water efficiently(fixing a leaky faucet can save hundreds of gallons of wastedwater) and cutting down on power usage, just to name a few. Ididn’t realize how much I took clean water for granted until Icame to Iraq and saw how scarce it is. Furthermore, weAmericans like to drive big, gas-guzzling vehicles; not only isthis costly to our wallets, it’s even costlier to our environment.As I cited above, we use about 15 million barrels of crude oil aday. If we invested in more fuel-efficient cars, made more use ofpublic transportation and car pools, we could make a significantdifference in preserving our precious world.
Yes, earth will eventually cease to exist once our sun burns outmillions of years from now, but if we don’t invest in homeimprovement, so to speak, it will deteriorate beyond repair a lotsooner than that. Maybe colonizing the moon isn’t such a stretchafter all.
One giant leap for mankind starts with our own two feet.Although they may look like baby steps in what seems like anendless road march, they’re steps nonetheless. Millions of babysteps will surely add up to giant leaps for mankind.
By Sgt. Misha KingScimitar Editor
One giant leap for mankind starts with our own two feet
An Iraqi child holdsa Meal Ready-to-Eat given to him byU.S. Soldiers inMosul, Iraq.U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. James L. Harper Jr.
MREfor
me?
If you could do one thing to improve the world, what would it be?
If you could one place for the rest ofyour life, where would it be and why?
ScimitScimitar Pulsear Pulse
“We need to work on recycling inthird-world countries.”
Mudhefar Al-JaburIraq Reconstruction ManagementOffice
“Concentrate on improving the airand water quality.”
Army Maj. Larry ChinneryMulti-National Force - Iraq
“Watch what we throw away.”
Army Spc. Lance Hagan151st Field Artillery
“Pick up after yourself.”
Army Col. Sylvia MoranSpecial Operations
“Stop dumping hazardous waste.”
Army Spc. Thomas Balestrieri3153rd Finance Battalion
“Mandatory recycling programs.”
Army Capt. Jennifer Powell212th Field Artillery Brigade
“Imposing an environmental luxurytax on SUVs.”
Army Capt. Yolanda SchillingerJoint Area Support Group - Central
What do you think can be done to helppreserve the earth’s environment?
Scimitar October 21, 2005Page 4
Logistics Marines deliver more than ‘the goods’
CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq — “Mountup!” said a Marine at the front of the con-voy.
The Marines hopped into their vehiclesand began their long haul on the road, deliv-ering supplies to Marines throughout Iraq.
These Marines did not see the inside oftheir tents until their mission was com-plete — a task that had no definitive time-line. These “Road Warriors” are theMarine Corps’ source of life-sustainingsupplies in Iraq. They run the convoys ofCombat Logistics Regiment 25, 2nd ForceService Support Group (Forward).
The amount of uncertainty theseMarines face on the road ahead of them is
something to which they have becomeaccustomed, said Pfc. Juan Delacruz, amotor transportation operator withCLR/25 and San Diego native.
These Marines never know what maystrike their path, whether it is an impro-vised explosive device, mechanicalproblems or civilian vehicles trying toenter their convoy.
“The convoys are a lot more danger-ous out here because we are a big tar-get,” said 1st Lt. Ramiro DeAnda, aconvoy commander with CLR/25. “Allyou can really do is react.”
Even though they experience theunexpected, a lot of planning goes intothe convoying process. It took CLR/25six to seven months of training andplanning that completely revolvedaround convoy opera-tions to prepare for theirdeployment to Iraq
DeAnda admits themajority of trainingtakes place on the road.
“It is kind of like ‘on-the-job’ training,” the ElPaso, Texas, nativeexplained. “You canprepare all you want,but once you are reallydoing it, that is whenyou really get the hangof it.”
On the road, it is thesplit-second changes
that make the difference in the safety ofthe convoy.
“It’s like playing chess all night,” saidDeAnda. “I am alwaysthinking three movesahead and at the sametime worrying aboutwhat I’m doing rightnow.”
The danger also culmi-nates with the stress ofbeing on the road forextremely long periodsof time. Some of theseMarines are on the roadfor extended periods oftime, traveling from for-ward operating base toforward operating basedelivering supplies to
each command, said Cpl. Brandon G.Laws, a motor transportation operatorwith CLR/25 and Houston native.
“Without motor [transportation], theFOBs wouldn’t get hooked up with food,water, supplies and Marines,” Laws said.“I believe it’s an important part of theMarine Corps.”
The junior Marines are the ones whomake up the majority of the drivers andgunners on the convoys and are compli-mented by their superiors for how wellthey operate under these conditions.
Most of these Marines have been to Iraqmultiple times and know their job insideand out, said Laws.
“They are doing an outstanding job,”DeAnda said. “They are motivated andnever complain. They do their job to thebest of their ability.”
Story and photos by Lance Cpl. Wayne Edmiston2nd Force Service Support Group
Cpl. Jeysson W. Ramos mounts his M-249 squad automatic weapon to providesecurity for his convoy. Ramos is a field radio operator with CLR/25.
A Marine prepares his M2 .50-calibermachine gun before pulling out on convoy.
Proud to serve:Proud to serve: Michigan Marine continues family’s military service tradition
AL ASAD, Iraq — Military servicehas been a family tradition ever sinceCpl. Mickey Lovy’s grandfather immi-grated to the United States fromHungary. His grandfather served in theU.S. Army during World War II, and hisfather was a U.S. Army doctor duringthe Vietnam War.
Lovy, the supply noncommissionedofficer in the logistics department ofMarine Wing Support Group 27, pickeda different service, but he is keeping thetradition alive.
Lovy, a graduate of Holly High Schoolin his hometown Holly, Mich., joined theU.S. Marine Corps in September 2002.“After high school I worked odd jobsuntil I realized I needed a change andwent full blast into it,” he said. “I decid-ed to go for the real deal and join theMarine Corps.”
As the unit’s supply NCO, his dutiesinclude ordering supplies for thesquadrons in the group, dispersing thesupplies and staying in contact with sup-ply representatives in the squadrons hereand at Al Taqaddum to let them knowtheir supplies are on the way or alreadyhere.
“I make sure that supplies thesquadrons order from the United Statesget to them in a timely manner,” he said.“I also check the reports that state whatgear the squadrons have, so I can figureout what they need. My job is to checkthe reports for inconsistencies and makesure they get the gear they rate.”
Lovy orders everything from insectrepellent to shields for gunner stationson the Humvees that units in the groupuse for convoy operations throughout theAl Anbar province. Though he served inOkinawa, Japan, for a year until March2004 before reporting to MWSG-27 inMarine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point,N.C., this is his first deployment in sup-
port of real-world operations.“I joined the Marine Corps to make
my family proud,” he said. “I wanted mylife to go in a different positive direc-tion, and I knew the Marine Corps wasthe most extreme change I could do forthe better.”
Lovy said out of his parents’ sevenoffspring, he is the youngest and only tojoin the military. He said that his father,who left the Army’s 101st AirborneDivision (Air Assault) as a captain afterserving in Vietnam, is proud of himregardless of having joined a differentservice.
“The Marine Corps is not only associat-ed with being an elite military service, it’salso associated with values, honor and alevel of discipline the other branches don’treally offer,” he said. “The Corps has donenothing but better me. It helped me keepmy good attributes and added and built onthem. The leadership and mentors I’ve runinto in the Corps have definitely made itworth it.”
Story and photo by Sgt. Juan Vara2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Cpl. Mickey Lovy, supply noncommis-sioned officer in the logistics departmentof Marine Wing Support Group 27, pre-pares a supply requisition.
Cpl. Brandon G. Laws pro-vides security for a convoyout on the road.
Scimitar Page 5October 21, 2005
CAMP LIBERTY, BAGHDAD — Most combat units inIraq know all too well the threat posed by improvised explo-sive devices and take direct measures to avoid contact withsuch deadly adversaries, but with the help of the Buffalo, oneplatoon is actively engaging the IED threat.
“The Buffalo is a South African armored personnel carrierdesigned with anti-land mind capabilities,” said 2nd Lt. BrianJames Duncan, platoon leader, 2nd Platoon, Company C,612th Engineer Battalion, Ohio Army National Guard. “InSouth Africa, they have huge problems with land mines on dirtroads.”
The Buffalos are designed for navigation on rough or “diffi-cult to negotiate” terrain and are very similar to Bradley fight-ing vehicles with the exception of a few components and abili-ties. Since the Buffalo is designed for land mines, it is alsouseful for IEDs, Duncan said.
One of the most significant features on the Buffalo is aretractable steel arm used for moving obstructions from roads.
“We put a large retractable arm on the Buffalo that is used tointerrogate and identify possible IEDs,” Duncan said. “This is
not a capability we have had before, so we use that piece ofequipment to our full advantage.”
The arm is a similar to that of a bulldozer’s — a little small-er, but just as durable. The end of the arm is double-sided. Oneside has a forked tool that is used to move objects from theroad, and the other has a single spike used to poke and prodsuspicious-looking items, Duncan said.
IEDs can be disguised as normal-looking garbage on thestreet or street side. A tire, cardboard box or burlap sack are allthings that could be possible IEDs. After those items havebeen inspected by the Buffalo and presumed“clear,” the Buffalo’s armwill move them to the sideof the road or position themin such a way that otherpatrols can see they poseno threat, Duncansaid.
“If there is nothreat, we clearthe object anddrive on,” saidDuncan. “But, ifwe can confirm thepresence of an IED,we call explosive ordnance disposal. They come andeliminate the threat.”
The Buffalo’s arm is maneuvered by a remote control locat-ed inside the body of the vehicle.
“The controls are designed to be easily operated,” said Spc.Kenneth Edmonson, radio operator, 2nd Plt. “After workingwith the controls for just a few minutes, I easily got the hangof it.”
“The Buffalo’s arm has a 16-foot reach, which contributes toa lowered risk of damage in the event of an IED detonating,”Duncan said. “Everything about the Buffalo is designed to pro-tect against explosions.”
The body of the Buffalo has a distinct V-shape, whichallows for a minimal risk of damage if an IED should go off.The body sits high off of the ground, also providing significantprotection.
“Thanks to the design of the hull along with the armoredcapabilities of the Buffalo, all insurgent attempts to damagethis vehicle have been unsuccessful,” Duncan continued.
“The Buffalo is a vital asset to our mission because of all theIEDs we have encountered.” Duncan said. “Even though wehave casualties that result from small arms fire, the majority ofinjuries and even deaths come from IEDs.”
IEDs can be used against any unit in the field, even the oneswho are equipped to search out and identify them, Duncanadded.
“We have had about six IEDs go off on us, and two or threeof them even were as close as three feet away from theBuffalo,” Duncan said. “Thanks to the design and abilities
of the Buffalo’s armor, there were nocasualties, and the only damage
done was a busted tire.”If those Soldiers had been in
any other vehicle they couldhave possibly been killed,Duncan continued.
“If we didn’t have the Buffaloor that type of armored equip-
ment we wouldn’t find asmany IEDs, and a lot of the
stuff we move off of theroad, in turn is not mistaken
by other units as IEDs,” Duncanexplained.
It is also important to minimize the numberof times EOD has to respond to false positives. There
are only so many EOD Soldiers available, and if theyhave to respond to 30 calls a day and only six of them areactual IEDs, a lot of time is wasted, Duncan said.
“We have the ability to confirm what is and is not an IED,”Duncan continued. “Therefore we can make sure EOD is inthe right place at the right time.”
There are quite a few “Iron Claw” units in Baghdad, whosearch the major and secondary military supply routes withtheir own Buffalos.
“Could you still find the IEDs without the Buffalo? Yes,”Duncan said. “But these vehicles keep Soldiers out of harm’sway, and most importantly, the Buffalo keeps Soldiers fromgetting killed.”
“We have never had a Soldier killed or wounded inside aBuffalo,” Duncan continued. “The biggest problem we haveever had is replacing a tire, and that’s a lot easier than replac-ing a Soldier.”
Story and photos by Pfc. Matthew CliftonMulti-National Corps - Iraq Public Affairs
Sgt. Willy Sobczak, combat engineer, 2nd Plt., C Co.,612th Eng. Bn., Ohio Army National Guard, uses aremote control to maneuver the retractable arm onthe Buffalo armored personnel carrier.
Big ‘buffalo’ roams, guards military supply routes
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. — Ina culture where women traditionally stay homeand men take care of business, two female offi-cers from Robins AFB found that some cus-toms are changing.
The two women from Robins’ 78th SecurityForces Squadron are part of an Air Force mili-tary training team helping train Iraqi noncom-missioned officers.
Maj. Michelle Stringer and 1st Lt. SarahParris work at Camp Ur, about 180 milessoutheast of Baghdad, right outside the city ofTallil. The camp, which is just more than a yearold, has a name straight out of antiquity. Ur isthe birthplace of the biblical patriarchAbraham. Its ziggurat, or temple tower, isamong the country’s best preserved.
The contrast of the old and the new is notlost on the two officers. Neither is their role asinstructors.
“It’s very interesting,” said Stringer, who isfrom Woodbridge, Va. “In spite of the departurefrom the roles of women in their culture, theIraqis seem eager to listen and learn.”
Still, the major said she is very conscious ofhow Iraqi men regard women, especially whenit is time to make decisions. She is careful notto forget traditions.
“I always have a male sergeant major ‘make’the decision because I don’t want the Soldiersto suffer any backlash or shame because theytook orders from a woman — or worse —were corrected by a woman,” she said.
While making sure not to offend, the womenstill have an important mission to accomplish.Officially, they are in Iraq to train, coach,advise and mentor Iraqi Soldiers. But in prac-tice, they have become much more — cheer-leaders, morale boosters and troubleshooters.
“There were 700 of them and four of us,”Stringer said. That makes for what shedescribed as an “interesting and intensely chal-lenging assignment.” The 700 Soldiers fromthe first two groups they trained are now opera-tional.
Some of the trainees served in the militaryunder the Saddam Hussein regime, where non-commissioned officers had little authority.
“We’re showing them they can take charge— they can make things happen,” Stringer said.
But the major said the students do not thinkabout tomorrow and the challenges it might
bring. To overcome that, the instructors donot tell students how to solve problems.
“We give them a bunch of options and ask‘which would work best for you?’ It’s all partof getting them to think for themselves,” shesaid.
“Because in their old military, they could-n’t make decisions,” she said. “Officers led;they followed.”
While they might be making strides intraining, introducing the concept of democra-cy — and getting the Soldiers to make deci-sions — has not been easy.
“This is unlike anything I have ever donebefore,” Stringer said. “We’re trying to intro-duce democracy here, and that will requirethe ability to make decisions.”
To help the students make the transitionfrom followers to leaders, the instructorsmust be sensitive to ordeals the students hadto go through. They already know what theyare supposed to do, the major said.
“These guys are pumped,” Stringer said.“They’re excited — ready to get to work. Wegive them a speech telling them how impor-tant their job is. In a sense, we stroke theiregos and work on keeping them interested inthe work.”
By Chrissy Zdrakas78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
U.S. Air Force photoMaj. Michelle Stringer (left) and 1st Lt.Sarah Parris train Iraqi troops at thisaustere camp. Both are deployed herefrom the 78th Security Forces Squadron,Robins Air Force Base, Ga.
American female officers take on task of training Iraqi Soldiers
ScimitarOctober 21, 2005 Page 6
Iwas born and raised inRacine, Wisc., and am an avid
Green Bay Packers fan. If you cutme, I bleed Packer green and gold.As a Wisconsin native, I hate hotweather. So, when I receivedorders to move out to Iraq, I was abit concerned. Although excitedabout this opportunity, I realizedthat I’d be coming to a region ofthe world that was famous forheat; I hate heat. Arabic is theregional language; I don’t speakArabic. I was deploying as anindividual replacement comingfrom Fort Carson, Colo., which iswhere my family and many of myfriends reside; none of my familymembers or friends are in Iraq.
Needless to say, I was a bit con-cerned about what the next 12months had in store for me. I’vebeen here for a month now, andthings are looking up. I’m gettingused to the heat. I’m learningArabic. And I’ve met a number ofgreat people who I’m workingwith and developing friendships.One day I began to think aboutEXACTLY where I was: Iraq, akaMesopotamia. Hmmm … Ithought. The Bible has a lot to sayabout this region of the world. Asa matter of fact, I reflected, many
important biblicalevents took place inand around thisregion, which is oneof the most impor-tant geographicallocations throughoutbiblical history:
*Adam and Evein the Garden ofEden were locat-ed to the southbetween the Tigris andEuphrates rivers.*Noah lived in the area, and it ishere that he built the Ark.*Job was from the area aroundUz.*Abraham was from Ur. Godcalled him out of Ur and ledhim and his family to thePromised Land (Canaan;Israel).*Assyrians from Nineveh con-quered the northern kingdom ofIsrael.*Chaldeans from Babylon con-quered the southern kingdom ofJudah and exiled the Hebrewsto Babylon.*The Tower of Babel was builtby Nebuchadnezzar nearBabylon.*God commanded Jonah topreach repentance to the inhabi-tants of Nineveh. He did, butonly after spending some timein the belly of a really big fish!This is really great, I thought!
Not only are we in the center of
biblical history,but we are alsomaking history atthe same time. SoGod really doeswork all thingsout for our good(Romans 8). Afterthinking about allof these things,God reminded me(again) that He
has a purpose for our lives. Hisgreat promise in Jeremiah 29:11gives great comfort. Here hedeclares, “’For I know the plans Ihave for you,’ declares the Lord,‘plans to prosper you and not toharm you, plans to give you hopeand a future.’”
So we have hope and can becomforted by that wonderful bib-lical truth that God loves each oneof us in good times as well as badtimes. He has a very special planfor our lives and loves us so muchthat He desires a personal rela-tionship with us through faith inChrist (John 3:16).
Even though I’ve only beenhere for a short time, I’m nolonger the “new guy,” and I’mexcited about the next 11 months.I’m excited to see how God worksin and around us. I’m excitedabout new friends and how all ofus together will be a part of mak-ing history smack dab in the cen-ter of a land that has been so cen-tral to biblical history!
By Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Guy E. GladMulti-National Force - Iraq Strategic Operations
CHAPLAIN’S TALK
Chaplain Glad
Observations of a “New Guy”
NEWS IN BRIEF
Coalition kills 70 terrorists near RamadiCAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq —
Coalition Forces continued counter-terrorism operationsin areas of Al Anbar Province Oct. 16, killing an esti-mated 70 terrorists in separate actions.
Coalition Forces conducted an air strike against agroup of terrorists attempting to emplace an improvisedexplosive device east of Ramadi.
While conducting a combat air patrol, crewmembersfrom an F-15 observed 20 men arrive in four vehicles atthe crater site of a previously-detonated IED which hadkilled five U.S. and two Iraqi Soldiers Oct. 15. The ter-rorists were in the process of emplacing another IED inthe same spot when the F-15 engaged them with a pre-cision-guided bomb, resulting in the death of terroristson the ground.
At approximately 7:30 p.m., a UH-1N Huey and AH-1W Cobra helicopter team on patrol north of Ramadihad been observing a group of military age males gath-ered at a suspected terrorist safe house. After realizingtheir position had been compromised, the terrorists fledthe scene and engaged the Cobra with small arms fire.The Cobra returned fire with 20-mm munitions, result-ing in the death of an estimated 10 terrorists. At approx-imately 7:50 p.m., a team of FA-18s resumed observa-
tion at the suspected safe house where they found anadditional 35-40 terrorists loading their vehicles withweapons and driving to another location to unload theweapons. The FA-18 targeted the terrorists with a preci-sion-guided bomb, killing terrorists on the ground. Thecombined strikes resulted in approximately 50 terroristskilled.
The strikes took place in the Abu Faraj region, northof Ramadi, where a large number of indirect fire andIED attacks against civilians, Iraqi infrastructure, IraqiSecurity Forces and Coalition Forces have originated.
At approximately 8:00 p.m., Coalition Forces guard-ing the Government Center in Ramadi were attacked bya small-arms fire attack from multiple locations withinan adjacent building. After requesting air support to neu-tralize the increasing volume of fire, an FA-18 engagedthe target with a Maverick missile at approximately 8:50p.m. When the small arms fire continued, Coalitionforces engaged the targets with two shoulder mountedmultipurpose assault weapons, resulting in the cessationof all movement from within the structure. An estimatedone to three terrorists were killed in the strike.
All the attacks were timed and executed in a mannerto reduce the possibility of collateral damage. Therewere no reports of Coalition or civilian casualties.
Coalition Corner... highlighting countries serving with MNF-Iraq
Georgialocal name: Sak’art’velo
Georgia is located in Southwest Asia, although it has also beendescribed as part of Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. It
borders the Black Sea, Turkey and Russia, and it is slightly smaller thanSouth Carolina. Georgian is the official language for the 4.7 millionpeople living here, although Russian, Armenian, and Azeri are also spo-ken in various areas. The Georgian currency system is the Lari.
Georgia has a very rich history dating back over 3,000 years ago tothe ancient kingdoms of Colchis and Kartli-Iberia. Many of its cities areendowed with castles, churches and fortresses from the medieval times.The capital, Tbilisi, is home to the ancient Narikala fortess, which is thePersian name for “inaccessible fortress,” was built in the fourth centuryand stood up to long centuries of invasion. The SvetitskhoveliCathedral, built in the 11th century, and the Jvari church, built in thesixth century, are both located in Mtskheta, which was the ancientGeorgian capital. The Bagrati Cathedral and the Gelati Cloister, two ofGeorgia’s most important architectural monuments, boast their splendorin the city of Kutaisi and are great examples of stone carvings andmural paintings. Although 80 percent of the country is covered bymountains, it has beautiful semi-tropical beaches lined with palm andeucalyptus trees along the Black Sea coast that rival beaches in Eurasia.
One cannot say he or she has experienced this country until he or shehas tried at least a few of Georgia’s many flavorful traditional dishesand wines. A mixture of meat, cheese, greens and spices are the ingredi-ents to the delicious dumplings called khinkali. Pkahi, spinach leavesmixed with various spices; shashlik, lamb shish kebab; andchurchkhela, a sweet walnut dessert cut into rolls, are just a few moresaliva-inducing typical Georgian foods. Wine is also a major Georgiantradition and history. Archaeologists and historians have found grapestones and vessels over 7,000 years old, making Georgia the believedhomeland of wine. Millenniums of experience and about 500 types ofgrapevines make Georgia home to some of the world’s most renownedwines.
When asked what he misses most about his country, Georgian ArmyLt. George Dumbadze said, “I miss Georgian cuisine and especially thewine. But most of all, I miss attending Orthodox services.”
Georgia — yet another piece of the Multi-National Force - Iraq puz-zle dedicated to rebuilding Iraq.
References: www.cia.gov, www.lonelyplanet.com, www.gws.ge.,www.suite101.com, http://travelgeorgia.gol.ge, www.gcof.org,, www.vir-tualtourist.com, www.great-adventures.com.Coalition Corner is compiled by Sgt. Misha King, assistant editor, [email protected].
SScciimmiittaarr SSllaappssttiicckkScimitarPage 7 October 21, 2005
SScciimmiittaarr SSllaappssttiicckk
Art by Maj. James D. Crabtree
Art and comic submissions are welcome! Please send to the Scimitar for consideration at:
Worship and Prayer Schedule for the International ZoneAll services at the Community Center Chapel unless otherwise noted For more information, call DSN 318-239-8659
Sunday9 a.m. — IZ Gospel Service (PCO annexclassroom)9:30 a.m. — Choir Rehearsal10 a.m. — Catholic Mass (Camp Prosperity)10:30 a.m. — General Christian WorshipNoon — Episcopal/Lutheran/Anglican2 p.m. — Latter Day Saints4 p.m. — Catholic Confession4:30 p.m. — Catholic Mass
Monday-ThursdayNoon — Catholic Mass (Mon.-Thurs.)6 p.m. — Catholic Adult Eductaion (Tue.)8 p.m. — Bible Study (Mon.-Thurs.)
Friday9 a.m. — Catholic Choir Rehearsal11 a.m. — Bible StudyNoon — Catholic Communion Service5:30 p.m. — Catholic Mass (FOB Steel Dragon)
6 p.m. — Jewish Shabbat Services 8 p.m. — Orthodox Fellowship8 p.m. — Women’s Fellowship (ChapelClassroom)
Saturday9 a.m. — 7th Day Adventist School (CSH)9 a.m. — 7th Day Adventist Service (CSH)10 a.m. — Catholic Mass (CSH)12:30 p.m. — Buddhist Prayer4 p.m. — Catholic Confession
4:30 p.m. — Catholic Mass6 p.m. — Choir Practice6:30 p.m. — Community Center ServiceRehearsal8 p.m. — Alpha Course
Daily Islamic PrayerSee schedules posted at prayer locations.
Art by Staff Sgt. Timothy B. Lawn
Guidons, Guidons, Guidons …Net Call for all Norwich University graduates inthe AOR! Please contact: Lt. Col. Basheer Ilyas
(NU ’88) or Maj. Tom Simons (NU ’92) at DSN 318-822-2160/2280 or
MINIATURE COASTERS!!
CAMP TAJI, Iraq — Hours after theChicago Marathon was over, more than 100people could still be seen running by the dimglow of green chemical lights that paved theirway as they competed in the Camp TajiMarathon here Oct. 9.
The Camp Taji Marathon, held in conjunctionwith the 28th LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon,added 114 entries to the total of over 40,000runners who committed themselves to running26.2 miles.
Soldiers and civilians took a break from theircombat roles and jobs to meet the challenge ofrunning a marathon in the still of the nightdown gravel and pothole-filled roads. The racebegan at 10 p.m. with the sound of an explosionfrom a controlled detonation that had runnersmaking four laps around a 10-kilometer trackthat wound through the streets of Camp Taji,north of Baghdad.
1st Sgt. Roger Nickel, a leader assigned toHeadquarters and Headquarters Company, 4thBattalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment (AssaultHelicopter), came up with the idea of hosting amarathon to help build morale and give Soldiersand civilians the opportunity to compete.
“The marathon included people as far awayas Kuwait, some foreign Soldiers, a lieutenantcolonel from the Australian Army, Air Forcepersonnel and a lot of people from Baghdad,”said Nickel.
This was Nickel’s 13th marathon and his firstattempt at organizing one. After helping the46th Corps Support Group set up a half
marathon at the start of the deployment in Iraq,Nickel and seven other Soldiers trained and dida marathon in August.
“It was really hot, and we didn’t want to openit up to a lot of people; it was like a trial run tosee how we wanted to do things,” Nickel said.A lot of the preparation leading up to this eventcame from Nickel’s participation in a triathlonin Balad, which prompted him to organize andset up a triathlon for the Soldiers on Camp Taji.“I used the Sgt. Audie Murphy Club, and weput together the triathlon. It was very successfuland went very, very well,” Nickel said. “Theculmination of everything was this event, andwhen it started, we figured we would havesomewhere around 40 people. Overall, we hadabout 114 start, which exceeded anything any-body expected.”
As with any competition, some came for themental and physical challenge, and others camefor personal reasons that went far beyond theboundaries of the military base. Nickel, aSaginaw, Mich., native, said a lot of his motiva-tion came from his wife Sara and four kids:Garrett, Kyleigh, Devyn and McKenzie. He ranthis marathon in remembrance of five fellowSoldiers killed in Somalia and a fellow runnerthat died here in an attack in September.
Heather Ann Simas, an office managementspecialist at the U.S. Embassy, recalls hearingabout the event at the Army Ten-Miler inBaghdad. “I went to run the ten-miler and thiscrazy guy jumped up and said, ‘Hey, we’re run-ning a marathon next weekend,’ and so I said,‘Sign me up, I’ll be there!’”
Participating in her tenth marathon, Simas, aState Department employee who callsSpringfield, Mo., home, has been working thelast several years overseas and likes to meet
new challenges. “Well, I’ve climbedKilimanjaro — I climbed it because itwas there; I needed to tackle it. I runmarathons because I love to run for onething, and it’s just that it’s a tough dis-tance, and I like to be able to win …that competitive edge.”
Running in his first marathon, 45-year-old Sgt. First Class KennethHopkins, Headquarters SupplyCompany, 603rd Aviation SupportBattalion, said his motivation was just tosee if he could do it. “I really wanted tosee if I could do it; finishing it was mygoal, not to win it … and that’s myachievement, too! The time is unimpor-tant; it was just the finishing.” Hopkinsrecalled how he felt during the race.“When you start, you’re all pumped up.Hey, I’m going to finish it. Midway, lit-tle doubts start creeping into your head,
but after the third [lap], you know you’re goingto make it! There is no turning back.”
Because of security concerns, theevent was not announced untilalmost the last minute, which gavemost of the runners little or no timeto train for the marathon.
Capt. Matthew S. Smith, 2ndBattalion, 2nd Brigade, 9thDivision Iraqi Army MilitaryTransition Team, who finishedfirst place overall with a time of3:09:37, said he was busy runningmissions and did not get the timeto run as much as he wanted.
“I was able to get in two longruns with two other MiTT teamadvisors and kind of winged itfrom there.” The Woodbridge,Va., Soldier worked the day ofthe event and then was still ableto come out and finish themarathon at just past 1:00 a.m.“One of the biggest obstacles wasrunning at night. I didn’t knowhow my body was going toreact after a long day at work,”he said.
Simas said she had onlyabout a week’s notice, but withher averaging 40 to 45 miles aweek, she was ready for the challenge of therun.
Track conditions and having to run at nightproved to be one of the obstacles runners had toovercome. “I wanted a 3:50:00,” Simas said,
“but I wasn’t going to complain — it was somereally rugged terrain out there, a lot of graveland a lot of broken spots. This is one of thetoughest ones I’ve ever run because of the ter-
rain, but it was pretty neat.”One runner, 1st Sgt. James Smith, HHC,
Avn. Bde., said he was running his fourthand final lap when a MEDEVAC helicoptercame down and sandblasted him as he ranpast the airfield.
While people were still running at CampTaji, two Soldiers and a couple of familymembers were surely nursing theirwounds from the Chicago Marathon.Capt. Lori Ankabrandt, HHC, Avn. Bde.,
finished in 4 hours and 9 minutes, andCapt. Kyle Carone, 46th CSG finished in
3 hours and 59 minutes. Nickel’s 64-year-old dad, John, completed his third
marathon in 4 hours, 28minutes and 28 sec-onds, with his auntMary coming in just
three seconds ahead to com-plete her first marathon.
As the roads cleared ofrunners, many of them wereproud and happy with theway things turned out. “Itwas great thanks to the[people of the] Avn. Bde.,
who put on the event. Thanks to the LaSalleBank and everyone back in Chicago and all ofthe support at Taji,” said Capt. Smith. “All ofthe water stations … a fantastic race … youcouldn’t ask for more.”
ScimitarOctober 21, 2005 Page 8
Story and photos by Staff Sgt. Tad Browning3rd Infantry DivisionAviation Brigade Public Affairs
Camp Taji, Chicago marathons boost morale, competition
Participants take off running at the start of theCamp Taji Marathon, which was held in con-junction with a Chicago-based race.
Participants take their first few strides at the start of the Camp Taji Marathon.
Capt. Matthew Smith, 2ndBn., 2nd Bde., 9th IraqiArmy MiTT, checks histime after finishing first inthe Camp Taji Marathon.
