November 4, 2009 COB BASRA – Twenty of the Ar- my’s newest noncommissioned offi- cers were inducted into the time-hon- ored NCO Corps during an induction ceremony conducted by 17th Fires Brigade at Contingency Operating Base Basra recently. “Being a part of this ceremony was a proud experience for me,” said Sgt. Christopher P. Phillippi, Headquar- ters & Headquarters Battery, 17th Fires Brigade, Basrah Operations Center liaison. The Lacey, Wash. native said the ceremony was more meaningful be- cause of the presence of the 14th Iraqi Army Division. “I felt a sense of pride to be a part of a ceremony that gave the Iraqi Army’s NCOs a firsthand view at the pride, honor and tradition that we uphold as NCOs,” Phillippi said. “This is exactly what our purpose in Basrah is, to help them instill those same ideals and develop their legacy that their Soldiers will be very proud of for years to come.” Guest speaker Command Sgt. Maj. Wendell Jordan, 308th Brigade Sup- port Baalion, provided a speech designed to inspire, motivate and en- courage each of these new members to strive to exceed all expectations as the newest leaders of America’s Army. “If there is one thing I want you to take away from this speech here to- day, it’s that respect is something each of you must earn,” Jordan said. “Treat your Soldiers with respect and carry yourselves in a respectful and profes- sional manner and your Soldiers will follow you wherever you lead them.” By Spc. Maurice A. Galloway 17th Fires Bde. Click here to subscribe Twenty members of the of the 17th Fires Brigade confirm the oath of charge as they are inducted as newest members of the Corps of Noncommissioned officers during the 17th FB NCO induction ceremony at Contingency Operating Base Basra recently. Photo by Spc. Maurice A. Galloway INDUCTEES Page 3 NCO Corps welcomes new inductees
Transcript
November 4, 2009
COB BASRA – Twenty of the Ar-my’s newest noncommissioned offi-cers were inducted into the time-hon-ored NCO Corps during an induction ceremony conducted by 17th Fires Brigade at Contingency Operating Base Basra recently.
“Being a part of this ceremony was a proud experience for me,” said Sgt. Christopher P. Phillippi, Headquar-ters & Headquarters Battery, 17th Fires Brigade, Basrah Operations Center liaison.
The Lacey, Wash. native said the
ceremony was more meaningful be-cause of the presence of the 14th Iraqi Army Division.
“I felt a sense of pride to be a part of a ceremony that gave the Iraqi Army’s NCOs a fi rsthand view at the pride, honor and tradition that we uphold as NCOs,” Phillippi said. “This is exactly what our purpose in Basrah is, to help them instill those same ideals and develop their legacy that their Soldiers will be very proud of for years to come.”
designed to inspire, motivate and en-courage each of these new members to strive to exceed all expectations as the newest leaders of America’s Army.
“If there is one thing I want you to take away from this speech here to-day, it’s that respect is something each of you must earn,” Jordan said. “Treat your Soldiers with respect and carry yourselves in a respectful and profes-sional manner and your Soldiers will follow you wherever you lead them.”
By Spc. Maurice A. Galloway17th Fires Bde.
Click here to subscribe
Twenty members of the of the 17th Fires Brigade confi rm the oath of charge as they are inducted as newest members of the Corps of Noncommissioned offi cers during the 17th FB NCO induction ceremony at Contingency Operating Base Basra recently.
34th Inf. Div. PAO: Lt. Col. Kevin OlsonOIC, Command Information: Maj. Page BaldwinNCOIC, Command Information: 1st Sgt. Larry MearsNCOIC: Staff Sgt. Dave LankfordManaging Editor: Staff Sgt. Derek SmithGraphics Designer: Sgt. Eric JungelsLayout/Design: Spc. Stephanie CassinosStaff Writers: Pfc. J. Princeville Lawrence
172nd Brigade Combat Team
17th Fires Brigade
4th BCT, 1st Armored Division
28th Combat Aviation Brigade
343rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Media Queries please contact 34th Inf. Div. Public Affairs Offi ce at [email protected]
The Red Bull Report is an authorized publication for members of MND-S. Contents of The Red Bull Report are not necessarily offi cial views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, Department of the Army or the 34th Infantry Division. All editorial content of The Red Bull Report is prepared, edited provided and approved by the 34th Infantry Division Public Affairs Offi ce.
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Staff Sgt. Larry Saunders, a native of South Boston, Va., waits for Capt. Timothy Vandewalle, a native of Elburn, Ill., to lay his dominoes during a game recently in Camp Savage. Soldiers at Camp Savagehelp develop and equip the Iraqi Security Forces by day and build rapport with local Iraqis by night.
Photo by Pfc. J. Princeville Lawrence
Brothers and NASCAR drivers Ward and Jeff Burton are from South Boston and
prepared for their racing careers at South Boston Speedway.
Dominoes deliver kinship between Soldiers, Iraqis
COB BASRA – The game is dominoes on this autumnal night in Camp Savage. As Maj. Joan Carrick shuffl es the small spott ed tiles you can hear them tinkle as they skid around the card table. Across the table sits Carrick’s domi-noes partner, Staff Sgt. Larry Saunders. To her left and right sit her opponents for the night: Capt. Timothy Vandewalle on her right, and Denzel, an interpreter, on her left .
By day, the four members of Multi-national Security Transition Command-Iraq, help develop and equip the Iraqi Security Forces. But late at night, whenever they gather around the table and break out the bones, they have a chance to connect with their Iraqi coworkers over the friendly competition of an ancient game, a game where the loudest language spoken is the clickety-clack-clack of dominoes.
Dominoes is something of an Iraqi pastime, although less so among the younger generations, says Denzel, who has been playing for 30 years.
While many Americans tend to associate dominoes with “toppling” or “pizza,” in Iraq, and in many other countries in the world, the game is serious business. The game is oft en played in coff ee shops all over Iraq, from Mosul to Baghdad to Basrah. Hundreds of players from across the globe travelled to Russia for the World Domino Championship recently, and matches are oft en televised in Latin America.
Noncommissioned Offi cers from the 14th Iraqi Army Division were on hand to welcome their fellow NCOs from the 17th Fires Brigade during the 17th FB NCO induction ceremony at Contingency Operating Base Basra recently.
Photo by Spc. Maurice A. Galloway
Each inductee was handed a copy of the Army Noncom-missioned Officer Guide and a framed copy of the Charge of the NCO by the senior NCOs re-sponsible for providing rites of passage to the inductees.
The ceremony was held on the Morale, Welfare and Recre-ation stage in front of a crowd of friends, mentors and coworkers in att endance to show support for the inductees.
“I want to thank all of those who came out to support these young NCOs,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph E. Santos, 17th FB. “It’s be-cause of your support that they have come this far and it will be by your guidance that they’ll develop into strong and creditable leaders.
From Page 1INDUCTEES
For more of Spc. Galloway’s stories, visit: www.TheRedBulls.org/Galloway
Far from just a children’s game, dom-inoes is a game of skill requiring players to use the dominoes in their hand to cre-ate the most opportunities for yourself and eliminate possibilities for your op-ponents, while taking care not to unin-tentionally block their partner.
“This game is about two things: counting and guessing. Counting the dominoes on the table and guessing what your partner has,” said Denzel. “If you are doing well with this, you’re going to have something.”
Each player is involved in a race to match all of their tiles with those laid out, and by passing, they give the ad-vantage to their opponents. If a player lays down all their tiles fi rst, the value of every bone left in their opponents’ hands goes to the player and their part-ner, until one team scores 151 or higher.
Aft er the shuffl e, Carrick, a Bristow, Va., native and Saunders, a South Bos-ton, Va., native raced out to a huge lead against Vandewalle, an Elburn, Ill., na-tive and Denzel.
“Are you ready to hit the panic but-ton?” Saunders says.
“Not yet,” says Denzel. “Just a few big hands and we’re back.”
Carrick and Saunders had ample rea-son for worry. Their fi rst game of Iraqi dominoes ended in a huge comeback.
“We played Denzel and another in-terpreter,” said Carrick. “The fi rst couple hands were kind of rough, because I didn’t understand the rules. I was thinking
American dominoes, and once I fi gured it was counting dominoes and knowing there was only seven of every type, by the third hand we started winning, and we ended up wining the game overall.”
“It was a 118 to zero and we came back and won,” remembers Saunders.
Aft er a spirited comeback, Vande-walle and Denzel soon found them-selves on the brink of defeat.
“Can’t stop it,” Vandewalle says. “Either way they’ll go out.”
“That’s the life,” Denzel says. ”May-be we’ll have a lead tomorrow.”
The fi nal tile was laid, and then it was over. Watches were glanced at. It was late. Tomorrow the work of build-ing relationships with the Iraqi people will continue, but that’s it for tonight, and once again the table stands empty.
By playing these night games, the four are able to connect the dots on positive relationships between Ameri-cans and Iraqis, with each side learning from the other.
When she fi rst started playing Iraqi-style dominoes, she had trouble un-derstanding the rules, Carrick recalled. But, with help from Denzel, she was able to master and enjoy a game that is part of the Iraqi culture.
The next night, the four played a diff erent game, and this time Denzel was the student. It is a cycle repeated across Iraq during this stage of the war: growth through symbiosis, and sym-biosis through mutual respect.
“It makes me have a good relation-ship with the people I work with,” says Denzel. “We are living here like a big family.”
(Top right) Counterclockwise from right: Maj. Joan Carrick, a native of Bristow, Mass..; Capt. Timothy Vandewalle, a native of Elburn, Ill.; Staff Sgt. Larry Saunders, a native of South Boston, Va.; and Denzel, a local interpreter (not pictured), play dominoes recently in Camp Savage, Iraq. Carrick, Vandewalle and Saunders, members of of Multi-national Security Transition Command-Iraq, help develop and equip the Iraqi Security Forces by day and build rapport with local Iraqis by night. (Bottom left) Soldiers at Camp Savage, Iraq, help develop and equip the Iraqi Security Forces by day and build rapport with local Iraqis by night.
Photos by Pfc. J. Princeville Lawrence
From Page2DOMINOES
For more of Pfc. Lawrence’s stories, visit:www.TheRedBulls.org/Lawrence
The Red Bull Report November 4, 2009 Page 5
MNC-I commander jokes with Soldiers at COB Basra
Photo by Pfc. J. Princeville Lawrence
Lt. Gen. Charles Jacoby, Multi-National Corps-Iraq commanding general, laughs after awarding a coin to Maj. Hanz Lehrke, a native of Stacy, Minn., and a planner in the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division, Oct. 29 at Contingency Operating Base Basra. In addition to his normal duties, Lehrke took on the additional task of writing the daily orders for the division. “Finally, someone from Minnesota who can read and write,” joked Jacoby.
The Red Bull Report November 4, 2009 Page 6
For puzzle solutions visit: www.TheRedBulls.org/puzzlesolutions
Street Shoes Cannot Do the Job
- Wear the right kind of safety foot-wear. Ask your immediate supervisor for advice.
- Even if your job does not require special protective footwear, at least wear sturdy, well-fi tt ing shoes. Toe coverings should be impact-resistant, soles should be non-skid and heels should be low. Make sure shoes are fastened and keep them in good repair.
- For many kinds of jobs, safety-toed boots will be required. These have a metal insole to protect you if you step on a sharp object. They have reinforced toes to protect you from falling or roll-ing objects. The high top gives some protection to the ankles as well.
- If you work around electricity, you will need shoes made of non-conducting material such as rubber. There should be no metal used in this footwear, and you must be careful not to pick up nails or other metal objects in the soles.
- In certain job situations where static electricity is a hazard, you may be required to use footwear made of a conductive material. This is to prevent the build-up of a static charge, which could set off an explosion in a fl am-mable atmosphere or could damage electronic equipment.
- Shoes made of rubber or vinyl may be required in wet work conditions, and wooden soles may be used.
- Heat resistant soles, such as cork, may be needed for walking on hot sur-faces.
- If you work around chemicals, you will need footwear made of a particular type of material to match each chemi-cal hazard. Natural rubber or synthetic neoprenes are two of the possible types of footwear when you work around corrosive chemicals. If you choose the wrong type of material, the chemical can damage or leak through it.
-Use insulated footwear to protect against temperature extremes.
Follow these measures to avoid foot haz-ards at work:
- Stack and store materials safely so they cannot fall.
-Put tools and equipment away as soon as you are fi nished using them. Never leave tools or other heavy items on the edges of workbenches.
- Keep scrap and trash cleaned up, so you do not step on sharp objects.
- Follow instructions for safe storage and use of chemicals.
- Stay in pedestrian lanes to avoid in-plant vehicles.
For more about safety, visit:www.TheRedBulls.org/SafeandSound
Avoid the temptation to wear or-dinary shoes when safety footwear is called for. You might save yourself from a serious injury.
Sometimes it is tempting to wear an old worn-out pair of dress shoes or runners when do-ing some heavy, dirty job. Your reasoning might be the old shoes are headed for the trash bin anyway so why not get some wear out of them at work. Unfortunately, the practice of wear-ing old shoes instead of safety shoes can have very serious consequences. There are many hazards to your foot safety at work. Heavy items can fall on your feet, cylinders, wheels can roll over them, electricity, and harmful chemicals can contact your feet. It is important for you to choose and use the right Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for your feet.
Around the world in 34 secondsGENEVA - A rare tree frog found only in Panama could soon croak its last, as deforestation and infection push the species toward extinction, an environmental group said Oct. 3. The Rabb’s fringe-limbed tree frog is one of 1,895 amphibian species that could soon disappear in the wild, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Switzerland-based IUCN surveyed 47,677 animals and plants for this year’s “Red List” of endangered species and determined 17,291 are threat-
ened with extinction. More than one in fi ve of all known mammals, over a quarter of reptiles and 70 percent of plants are under threat. “These results are just the tip of the iceberg,” said Craig Hilton-Taylor, list manager. He said “many more millions” of species that have yet to be assessed could also be under serious threat.
CHICAGO - Nearly half of all U.S. children and 90 percent of black youngsters will be on food stamps at some point dur-ing childhood, and fallout from the current recession could push those numbers even higher, researchers say. The estimate comes from an analysis of 30 years of national data, and it bolsters other recent evidence on the pervasiveness of youngsters at economic risk. It suggests almost everyone knows a family who has received food stamps, or will, said lead author Mark
Rank, sociologist at Washington University in St. Louis. “Your neighbor may be using some of these programs, but it’s not the kind of thing people want to talk about,” Rank said. The analysis was released in the November issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. The authors say it’s a medical issue pediatricians need to be aware of because children on food stamps are at risk for malnu-trition and other ills.
PHILADELPHIA - Phillies fans were preparing for the worst. The New York Yankees were at it again, chipping away and threatening to take away the Phils’ World Series title right there at Citizens Bank Park. Desperate to hang on, somehow Chase Utley and the Phillies did. Derek Jeter grounded into a double play, Mark Teixeira struck out, and Philadelphia staved off the Yankees and elimination with an 8-6 win in Game 5 Oct. 2. Game 6 will be in New York with Andy Pett ite going on
short rest against the Phils’ Pedro Martinez. Utley hit two home runs to raise his Series total to a record-tying fi ve, Cliff Lee won again and Philadelphia cut its defi cit to 3-2. Utley hit a three-run homer in the fi rst inning off A.J. Burnett and added a solo shot in the sev-enth to join Reggie Jackson as the only players to hit fi ve home runs in a single World Series.
NEILSVILLE, Wis. - The call came into the 911 dispatcher: “I don’t want to hurt anybody. I’m drunk.” And with that, Mary Strey, 49, of Granton, reported herself as a drunken driver about three miles northeast of Neilsville in central Wisconsin. Clark County Sheriff ’s Chief Deputy Jim Backus said Oct. 2 that Strey’s call on Oct. 24 led deputies to cite her for misdemean-or drunken driving with a blood-alcohol level double the legal limit to drive. She makes her fi rst court appearance Dec. 10.
Backus said drunken drivers reporting themselves are rare. In the 911 call, Strey said she wanted to report a drunken driver and the dispatcher asked if she was behind the suspect vehicle. “I am them,” Strey said. She then followed the dispatcher’s advice to pull over and turn on her fl ashers, telling him she had been “drinking all night long.”
