Vol. 3, No. 20 Baghdad, Iraq May 20, 2005 ‘Matador’ ends,...

Baghdad, Iraq May 20, 2005Vol. 3, No. 20

Platelet donors saving lives at86th CSH Page 11

Services explain realignment,closure changes Page 2

Twin battle captains servingtogether in Iraq Page 15

Inside

2/14 digs for munitions, Page 9

WASHINGTON — Operation Matador is over, Marine officials in Iraqannounced May 14.

The seven-day operation concentrated on cities near the Syrian border.Pentagon officials said many foreign fighters allied with terrorist master-mind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi slip across the porous Syrian-Iraqi border.The operation concentrated on the Euphrates River cities of Karabilah,Ramana and Ubaydi, a Marine statement said.

Nine Marines assigned to Regimental Combat Team 2 died in the oper-ation. Forty more were wounded. The statement said the joint serviceteam’s Marines, Soldiers and Sailors “killed more than 125 terrorists,wounding many others and detaining 39 terrorists of intelligence value.”

Coalition officials were concerned about the region even before fight-ing in Fallujah in November. The area — part of Iraq’s Anbar province— is laced with smuggling routes that go back generations. Tribal loyal-ties extend on both sides of the border, and families often control smug-gling “territory” and charge for services, said Pentagon officials.

Marine officials said terrorists use the area as a staging ground forattacks against Iraqi and Coalition targets in Ramadi, Fallujah, Baghdadand Mosul.

The operation began May 7, and Marines killed about 70 terrorists inthe first 24-hour period. “Operation Matador confirmed existing intelli-gence assessments focused on this region north of the Euphrates River,including knowledge of numerous cave complexes in the nearby escarp-ment,” the Marine statement said.

The Marines will continue to monitor the area, officials said. Servicemembers discovered numerous weapons caches containing machineguns, mortar rounds and rocket materials in towns along the Syrian bor-der. “Six vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices and material usedfor making other improvised explosive devices were also found,” thestatement said.

“Regimental Combat Team 2 started and ended this operation asplanned, accomplished its mission and secured all objectives,” said Maj.Gen. Richard A. Huck, 2nd Marine Division commander, quoted in thestatement. “Coalition and Iraqi security forces will return again to thisarea in the future.”

In the northern part of Iraq, Soldiers of 1st Brigade, 25th InfantryDivision’s Stryker Brigade Combat Team seized a large weapons cacheMay 12. Soldiers found the weapons during a cordon-and-search opera-tion southwest of Qayyarah. The cache included 16 rocket-propelledgrenade rounds, a mortar round, one case of fuses, two bags of charges,one pound of C4 explosives and a case of ammunition. (Compiled fromMulti-National Force - Iraq news releases.)

By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press Service

A Black Hawk crew chief, or gunner, keeps a constant lookout for any hostile action from theIraqi landscape below as the helicopter flies near the billowing smoke from an oil well that hadbeen set afire by terrorists. Helicopter travel is an expedient means of transportation for serv-ice members in Operation Iraqi Freedom. A gunner on each side of a Black Hawk remains readyto return fire to help ensure the crew and passengers’ safety throughout the flight.

Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Birthisel

‘Matador’ends, Marinesmonitor area

WASHINGTON — The services have used thebase realignment and closure process to realignactive duty and reserve forces to better face thethreats of the 21st century, Pentagon officials saidMay 13.

Each service worked closely with the otherservices and new joint cross-service groups tomake sure the process produced a basing struc-ture that will support the forces needed today.

On the active duty side, the Army has used theprocess to place brigade combat teams and torelocate units returning from being based over-

seas. The service also has used the process toimprove joint training and basing. For example,the 7th Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, N.C.,will move to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Armyofficials said this move will improve joint train-ing and joint operations.

The Army BRAC recommendations call forthree brigade combat teams to return from over-seas and move to Fort Bliss, Texas. Support unitswill return from overseas duty and be based atFort Bragg; Fort Carson, Colo.; Fort Knox, Ky.;and Fort Riley, Kan. The plan also calls for abrigade to return from Korea to Fort Carson.

On the reserve component side, the Army willclose 176 Army Reserve centers nationwide andbuild 125 new “multicomponent” armed forces

reserve centers. “We’re proposing to close someof our smaller 211 Army National Guard facili-ties and relocate their tenants and units into thesenew 125 armed forces reserve centers,” said Gen.Richard Cody, Army vice chief of staff, during aPentagon news conference.

Cody said the changes will help the Armytransform the Army National Guard into brigadecombat teams like those in the active component,and restructure the Army Reserve into the com-bat-support and combat-service-support struc-ture that mirrors the active component. Therestructuring fully embraces the Title 31 respon-sibilities that the governors and state adjutantgenerals have for homeland security and home-land defense, Cody said.

Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, chief of theNational Guard Bureau, said the changes shouldmake the Guard more responsive. “At the end ofthe day, the Army National Guard will be a moreready, reliable and accessible force, and we’ll beable to leverage the joint capabilities of both theArmy and the Air National Guard so that thegovernors can protect their citizenry here athome better than they can now,” he said. Thechanges, he added, will allow the states and terri-tories to “do a better job providing Army and AirGuard units to the Army and Air Force, to thecombatant commanders overseas.”

Blum clarified a statement attributed to him

CAMP VICTORY, BAGHDAD, Iraq — When it comes to ill-ness prevention, children typically have parent-types looking aftertheir well-being. Some of these parental figures keep giving thistype of nurturing even as their children become adults.Unfortunately, most troops deployed to Iraq don’t have the luxuryof having Mommy nearby to kiss their boo-boos away, or helpthem through a stomachache, or treat a bug bite. Luckily, troops inIraq do have people looking out for their health — like guardiansin disguise. They are the preventive medicine personnel who oper-ate from various detachments and teams throughout the country.

“In a nutshell, our mission is to take care of U.S. and Coalitionforces’ health by assessing health threats, recommending appro-priate controls to lessen the threat and continuously monitoring tosee if what we are doing is working,” said Lt. Col. Steve Horosko,Force Health Protection Chief, Multi-National Corps – Iraq sur-

geon’s office. “There are five, 12-15 person detachmentsor units in Iraq that operate in various forward operatingbases. We have about 100 or so FOBs and campsthroughout the country, and our standard is that a PMteam visits each FOB or base camp once a month.”Horosko said these teams normally consist of two or threeenlisted Army PM specialists or Navy technicians, andpossibly even an environmental science officer.

These teams have their work cut out for them and stayextremely busy, said Horosko. One of the many tasksthey conduct is checking both bottled and bulk potablewater. Horosko explained the water used in dining facili-ties and in most cases in our showers is potable water thathas been purified by water purification units operated byKBR. However, some water, like that from faucets inexisting hard-structured buildings, probably comes fromthe Iraqi municipal water system, which isn’t potable byU.S. standards. The PM teams also monitor waste man-agement, both solid and liquid, and also air quality. Theymake sure when something is burned, it is not harmful tothe troops. Additionally, the teams check dining facilitiesto make sure standards are maintained.

“Most of the DFACs are run by KBR, and if a teamshould find something wrong, KBR usually gets right onit, and they fix it very quickly,” said Horosko. “Most of the DFACsin-country are maintained at very high standards.”

Perhaps one of the biggest tasks PM detachments have is pre-venting diseases such as leishmaniasis and malaria from becominga problem by continuously monitoring the number of sand fliesand mosquitoes in U.S. and Coalition areas, and taking steps tocontrol them, Horosko said. KBR conducts most of the pest con-trol activities in larger FOBs, but the PM detachments or unitshave this responsibility in smaller FOBs where KBR does notfunction.

“Most of the samples we get come from 2nd Brigade CombatTeam, 10th Mountain Division’s preventive medicine team locat-ed here at Camp Victory,” said Spc. Kimberly A. Cupery, preven-tive medicine specialist with the 12th Medical Det. Cupery and her

coworkers conduct preliminary testing on mosquitoes and sandflies to determine their sex.

“First we determine the sex of the mosquito or sand fly,” shesaid. “Males are of no medical importance because only femalesbite and can carry disease. We actually don’t have the means to testfor leishmaniasis and malaria in-theater, so we send samples to theU.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicinein Maryland, or the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

Although testing sand flies and mosquitoes for disease-causingorganisms is not conducted in-country, the preventive medicineunits collect a variety of insect samples for different reasons.

“We collect sand fly and mosquito adults and mosquito larvae todetermine how many of these biting insects are around, and also to

Editor...................................Staff Sgt. Brett B. McMillan

Assistant Editor....................................Sgt. Misha King

Staff.......................................Staff Sgt. Timothy B. Lawn

Staff..............................................Sgt. W. Watson Martin

Staff............................................Pfc. Ferdinand Thomas

MNF-I Commanding GeneralGen. George Casey

MNF-I PAOCol. Robert A. Potter

Command Information ChiefMaj. Patricia C. Anderson

Command Information NCOICMaster Sgt. Michele R. Hammonds

The Scimitar is an authorized publication for members of the Department of Defense. Contents of this paper are not necessarily the official viewsof or endorsed by the U.S. Government or Department of Defense. The editorial content of this publication is the responsibility of the PublicAffairs Office of the Multi-National Force - Iraq. Stars and Stripes newspaper is not affiliated with MNF-I and acts only as a distributing sourcefor the Scimitar. Questions and comments should be directed to the editor at [email protected].

Scimitar welcomes columns, commen-taries, articles and letters from readers.

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We reserve the right to editfor propriety, clarity and space.

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ScimitarPage 2 May 20, 2005

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Preventive medicine: Guardians of troops’ healthStory and photos by Sgt. Misha KingScimitar Assistant Editor

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See PREVENTIVE, Page 4

Spc. Greg Helminski, a preventive medicine specialist with the12th Med. Det. at Camp Victory, Iraq, treats a building’s perime-ter with a pesticide-filled backpack sprayer, focusing on wallsand trees, which are daytime resting sites for adult mosquitoes.

[email protected]

By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press Service

Services explain realignment, closure changes

Capt. Ira Heimler, 12th Medical Detachment execu-tive officer, checks a trap for mosquitoes, whichwill be screened and a percentage sent away fortesting to determine if they are carrying disease.

See BRAC, Page 5

ScimitarMay 20, 2005 Page 3

ScimitScimitar Pulsear Pulse

“It is important to acknowledge wehave Armed Forces. What is askedof us is more than what is asked ofthe average citizen.”

Army Col. Paul WoernerMulti-National Force – Iraq

“I think it is important to recognizethe people who are out there fightingto keep America safe and free.”

Air Force 1st Lt. Rebecca GarciaStrategic Communications

“I think we need to honor the ArmedForces as an institution because ofeverything they have meant to ourcountry since its birth and through-out history.”

Air Force Lt. Col. Myron MajorsJoint Area Support Group –Central

“I think a lot of people who are partof the Armed Forces make great sac-rifices for our country, which trans-lates into a great sacrifice for safetyand security for all of us.”

Patricia BergstresserDepartment of State

“It sheds more light on the brightersides of serving in the military.”

Army Sgt. Andrew Hill1st Battalion, 58th Aviation

“It not only commemorates the serv-ice of military members today, butinsinuates great service and sacri-fices of all Armed Forces membersof the past.”

Army Maj. Richard MoonMulti-National Force – Iraq

“The liberties people enjoy are takenfor granted from time to time.Armed Forces Day is set aside tolook back at the achievements of themilitary.”

Jonathan ZenoArmy & Air Force Exchange Service

Why do you think it is important tohave Armed Forces Day?

PERSPECTIVES

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARRIOR, Iraq— During a recent trip to Task Force 1/148 FieldArtillery’s eastern area of operations (AO ScorpionEast), I had the opportunity to visit the city of Halabja.Halabja was the site of the single most deadly attackon the Kurdish people during the Al Anfal campaignconducted by Saddam’s army during the eight-yearIraq-Iran War. During Al Anfal an estimated 50 to100,000 Kurdish people were murdered. Hundreds ofthousands of others were forced to flee from theirhomelands to the nearby mountains or neighboringcountries.

Halabja, a town of about 50,000 people at the timeof the attack, sits at the base of a majestic mountainrange in northeastern Iraq about nine miles from theIranian border. The mountain range rises to heightsapproaching 10,000 feet and forms the border betweenIraq and Iran, of which over 500 kilometers are withinAO Scorpion. The town itself sits in a rich agricultural area,and other than the architecture of the buildings, resemblesmany of the small farming communities in Idaho, as do themountains in the distance. Today the city is busy and bustling,but the effects and the aftermath of the attack are evidenteverywhere.

The actual attack on Halabja occurred late in the afternoonon March 16, 1988. In the initial phase of the attack,Saddam’s army used only conventional bombs and artillery.The Iraqi officers knew the Kurdish citizens would seek shel-ter in the basements and caverns beneath their homes andbusinesses. After this initial phase, while the local peoplewere still sheltered beneath ground level, Saddam’s forcesunleashed the chemical weapons, which included both air-dropped and artillery-delivered munitions. Saddam’s officersknew full well the chemical gases were heavier than air andonce released would settle to the lowest level, exactly wherethe Kurdish people had sought shelter. The munitions deliv-ered on that day were varied, but included the blister agentmustard, as well as the nerve agents sarin, tubun and VX. In afew short minutes, approximately 5,000 people perished —about 75 percent of them women and children, according tomany analysts. Death came quickly, but not quickly enoughto prevent the agony and pain these people suffered in theirlast moments. That pain and agony is apparent in the picturesand paintings in the HalabjaMonument, built as a testament tothe victims and the survivors.

The attack had no strategic impor-tance in the war against Iran, norwas it a result of collateral damage.Rather, it was part of a large-scaledeliberate campaign against theKurdish inhabitants of the region ini-tiated by Saddam’s regime. Al Anfal,which translated from the Koranmeans “The Spoils of War” or“booty,” lasted nearly 10 years andended with the United States’ inva-sion in 1990 during OperationDesert Storm after the liberation ofKuwait. The purpose of the cam-paign was to kill the Kurds or forcethem from their homes in NorthernIraq. The motive: ethnic cleansing ormore simply, in this particular regionof Iraq — oil. The campaign wasdirected primarily at males of “fight-

ing age.” Saddam’s intent was not only to take the oil-richlands in northern Iraq, but to eliminate any future attempt bythe Kurds to reclaim those lands. No evidence exits to suggestAl Anfal would have ended if Desert Storm had not occurred.

The effects of the attack remain obvious today. Many peo-ple show the horrible scars of the blister agents. The waterand the food supplies show high levels of contaminants. Thepeople of Halabja today suffer from respiratory diseases andcertain forms of cancer at a rate that is four times as high asthe rates in surrounding areas not involved in the attack.Young children contract leukemia and lymphoma at alarming-ly high rates. Emotional scars, though not visible to me onsuch a short visit, surely remain as well.

The people built the Halabja Memorial Monument on theoutskirts of the city to remind the world of the terrible eventsthat took place there 17 years ago. The monument was com-pleted in 2001. Halabja Hall contains graphic photos, paint-ings and sculptures depicting the tragic events that occurredthat day. The names of all of the people who perished thereare engraved on plates on the walls in another hall calledHalabja Heart. Three other halls in the monument house moreexhibits of the tragedy, as well as a 240-seat auditoriumwhere visitors can watch video presentations about Halabja’shistory and the attack itself. The victims of the mass-murderare buried in a cemetery adjacent to the monument in gravesmarked with identical white headstones.

I will never forget my visit toHalabja. It was a very emotional expe-rience to say the least. We, not only ascitizens, but as Soldiers too often takefor granted the freedoms and libertieswe enjoy in the United States. After all,isn’t that why we are here — to helpthe Iraqi people build a society and acountry based upon liberty and justice?The effects and the aftermath of thisruthless attack left the city and the peo-ple of Halabja permanently scarred; theeffects and the aftermath are evidenteverywhere. Although I saw despair, Isaw the hope of these amazing peopleas well. I saw the tragedy and I saw thetriumph of their resiliency. I saw theirtears, but more often, I saw their laugh-ter and their joy of life. Let’s help thembuild a country that is based upon therights and freedoms of the many, notthe tyrannical greed and madness of thedictatorial few.

By Command Sgt. Maj. William GreenTask Force 1/148 Field Artillery

Photos courtesy of Command Sgt. Maj. William GreenCommand Sgt. Maj. William Green, Task Force 1/148 FieldArtillery, poses at the Halabja cemetery, which is adjacent tothe memorial monument commemorating the chemical attackby Saddam Hussein in March 1988 on the citizens of Halabja.

Memorial visit highlights resultsof tyranny, hope of freedom

The Halabja Memorial Monument inHalabja, Iraq.


check the effectiveness of our pesti-cides,” said Capt. Ira Heimler, executiveofficer for 12th Medical Det. “We applylarvicides to mosquito larva sites, suchas ponds and edges of lakes, to helpkeep the mosquito numbers down,therefore reducing the threat of disease.”

“By applying pesticides on areaswhere sand flies and mosquitoes liketo rest during the day, like buildingwalls, around sand bags and trees, wecan keep the numbers down wheretroops are,” added Staff Sgt. CharlesOsborne, PM specialist, 12th MedicalDet. “Treating for these pests withchemical pesticides, encouragingtroops to use DEET skin repellent andtreat their uniforms with permethrin,and modifying the pests’ habitat helpsprotect our forces from biting mosqui-toes and sand flies.”

And keeping these pests in control isimportant to everyone and is importantto the overall mission.

“One of the most important things ismaking sure commanders know whatthe health risks are,” Horosko said. “InDesert Storm, we didn’t do such agood job of monitoring the environ-mental threats facing our forces, butwe’re doing a much better job now.PM units have much better equipment,and the PM mission is getting moresupport from commanders than in thepast. Our PM specialists, environmen-tal science officers and entomologistsare better trained and also have a sig-nificant reach-back capability throughDoD labs in the U.S.

“As a result, we are able to accom-plish so much more now than we wereable to just 15 years ago. We’re con-stantly monitoring the water, soil, air,conducting DFAC inspections, con-trolling disease-causing insects andletting the commanders know what the

threat is and what to do about it. Wemake sure water, food, where you live,and the air you breathe are good to go,and if it’s not, we make recommenda-tions of what they need to do about it.”

These checks and balances canmake a real difference in troops’ well-being and the overall mission success.Not to mention, parents back homewould be happy to know their lovedones are being looked after byguardians in disguise.

“When I get calls about troops con-cerned about their water or breathingin some smoke and are coughing, Ican put the right team on it. If there’sa problem with something beingdumped on the side of the road some-where, I know whom to energize toget that problem fixed. It’s good to beable to accomplish things and tomake things happen — and it feelsreally good to be able to make a dif-ference in the day-to-day existence ofour forces.”

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SUMMERALL, BAYJI, Iraq— “The Scorpion” is what Capt. Hussein Ali Suleman, command-er of Company C, 201st Battalion of the Iraqi Army calls himself— a nickname that illustrates what he and Task Force DragoonCommander Lt. Col. Philip Logan are using to defeat insurgentshere — precision strikes.

“The mark of a professional Soldier is precision strikes,” Logansaid. “You eliminate the threat without endangering the lives ofinnocent civilians around you.”

“That sums up [Hussein’s] vision for operations,” said Sgt. 1stClass Richard McGovern, Company A, 1st Battalion, 111thInfantry, which is part of Task Force Dragoon. “A scorpion is asmall animal that wields a lot of power. When it uses its power, itdoes so with precision and effectiveness.”

That precision is borne out in the continuous, intelligence-drivenoperations — patrols, raids, cordon and search missions, observa-tion posts and traffic control points — which the Soldiers of TaskForce Dragoon and C Co., 201st Bn., Iraqi Army, execute. Thesemissions recently paid off in the defeat of wanted Iraqi terroristNabil Badriyah Al Nasiri, who surrendered to the 201st Iraqi ArmyBattalion May 2, and the May 4 capture of 22 insurgents suspectedof launching rockets at Coalition forces here.

“Intelligence drives maneuver” is a saying repeated at all levelsof command, Logan said, and one that Task Force Dragoon fol-lows.

“Sometimes you have to fight for intelligence,” Logan said.“You have to conduct patrols, searches and raids aggressively. Youhave to do that while fighting off [improvised explosive device]attacks and indirect fire attacks.”

This “homegrown intel,” as Logan called it, was compiled withintelligence from other sources and enabled Task Force Dragoonand the Iraqi Soldiers to target and capture Badriyah’s bodyguardsin a series of raids in Bayji. This denied Badriyah the ability tomaneuver and led to his surrender, Logan said.

“Power is nothing without wisdom,” Hussein said. “If I use mypower wisely, I will be able to do good things and draw good mento our cause.”

“It goes back to shaping the battlefield that accounts for our suc-cesses this week,” Logan said.

For the Soldiers, this means a high operations tempo.“We’ve got Soldiers out 24 hours a day, doing mounted recon-

naissance, dismounted and mounted patrols, convoy logistic patrolsfor vehicle parts and supplies, counter-IED ambushes and counter-sniper ambushes,” said Logan. “It’s an enormous undertaking.”

Unlike the precision strikes of Task Force Dragoon, insurgentattacks do not discriminate. Iraqis are suffering the brunt of IEDs’destructive power and collateral damage, he said.

“People are beginning to realize that anti-Iraqi forces are killingIraqis,” Logan said.

Task Force Dragoon faced a different threat before the Iraqi elec-tions, Logan said, consisting of roadside bombs, suicide car bomb-ings, direct fire, indirect fire and “sustained, persistent contact withthe enemy.” In the weeks leading up to the election, Logan said, hewas “prepared for Bayji to become Stalingrad on the Tigris.”

“In the days and weeks following the election, we saw a markedchange in community leaders,” he said. “They realized there is anew government, and that they wouldn’t have a voice if they did-n’t participate.”

In addition to engaging the enemy, Task Force Dragoon and CCo. are engaging the citizens of Iraq with civil affairs operationsdesigned to help Iraqis get back on their feet, and repair the area’sdamaged infrastructure.

Task Force Dragoon leaders also meet with area religious, polit-ical, government, and tribal leaders regularly and listen to theirneeds, and try to balance those needs with projects which will helpIraqis get back on their feet.

But, Logan conceded, the fight goes on.“When you capture someone like Nabil Badriyah, you’ve got

about five minutes to celebrate,” Logan said. “Then you’ve got toget out there and start patrolling and fighting for intelligenceagain.”

Precision strikes pay offBy Staff Sgt. Raymond Drumsta42nd Infantry Division

Preventivefrom Page 2

FORWARD OPERATING BASE DANGER, Tikrit, Iraq— Pressure from Iraqi Army and Task Force Liberty unitsoperating near Bayji led wanted Iraqi terrorist Nabil BadriyahAl Nasiri to surrender, said Capt. Hussein Ali Suleman,Company C commander with the 201st Iraqi Army Battalion.

Badriyah, who is from Bayji, surrendered to the 201st IraqiArmy Battalion in Tikrit May 2. He is suspected of being a ter-rorist cell leader responsible for recent vehicle-borne impro-vised explosive device attacks against Iraqi police, and otherterrorist activities designed to undermine stability in andaround Bayji, Tikrit and Samarra.

Badriyah reportedly admitted that he felt compelled to givehimself up because of pressure from Iraqi Army and TaskForce Liberty units.

Badriyah “found himself in a tight circle,” Husseinexplained, because of the intense, intelligence-driven manhuntfor him by C Co., 201st IA Bn. and Task Force Dragoon. TaskForce Dragoon is part of Task Force Liberty’s 1st BrigadeCombat Team, operating in the northern part of Salah Ad DinProvince since January.

“We’ve been hunting for him since we got here,” said Lt.Col. Philip Logan, Task Force Dragoon commander. “It start-ed to turn for us when we conducted a series of raids in Bayjiand picked up some of his bodyguards.”

Task Force Dragoon and C Co., 201st IA Bn., had been“closing the noose” on Badriyah, Logan said, and the arrest ofhis bodyguards and breakup of area terrorist cells had“reduced his ability to maneuver.”

Hussein likened the manhunt, which included a series ofraids on Badriyah’s sanctuaries and arrest of his other associ-ates, as a “stranglehold” on Badriyah.

“What led up to that [surrender] was very hard work byIraqi Army and American Soldiers to put the pieces of the puz-zle together,” Logan said. He added that Badriyah’s uncondi-tional surrender sends a message that the Iraqi Army andCoalition forces do not negotiate with terrorists.

Both Hussein and Logan said aggressive patrolling andimplementing traffic control points by their units also playeda part in Badriyah’s surrender.

Task Force Dragoon and C Co., 201st operate near Bayji

from FOB Summerall. TF Dragoon’s sector, which includesBayji, is 7,000 square kilometers, Logan said – larger than thestate of Delaware, and the biggest sector in Task ForceLiberty’s area of operations.

“We’re a motorized infantry task force made up primarilyof Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers,” Logan said.

In addition to conducting missions, C Co., 201st IA Bn., isreceiving continuous training from TF Dragoon Soldiers.

“Tactically they’re operating at a platoon level,” Logansaid. “They are able to work with my platoons on operationssuch as traffic control points, dismounted and mountedpatrols, raids and cordons and searches.”

Iraqi Soldiers will be conducting company-level operationsby summer, Logan predicted.

“When they begin to work at company level, they’ll havetheir own sector they’ll be responsible for,” he said.

“I believe my Soldiers to be brave and strong,” Husseinsaid. “They are not afraid of dying. We are ready to take onany mission.” Badriyah was transported to a Coalition forcesdetention facility. Their hunt for other terrorists continues,Hussein added.

“Everywhere we go, we will capture terrorists,” he said.“When I took command, I told my Soldiers, ‘If I don’t catchBadriyah, I am a loser.’ This is my war. I will win.”

WANTED terrorist leadersurrenders to Iraqi ArmyStory and photo by Staff Sgt. Raymond Drumsta42nd Infantry Division

A Soldier from B Co., 2nd Bn., 7th Inf., patrols thestreets of Bayji. Task Force Dragoon units’ patrolsand operations led to Nabil Badriyah’s surrender.


that seemed to suggest he agreed with the notion that governorsshould challenge DoD’s right to close National Guard bases. “AllI said was governors ought to be interested and involved in whathappens to their guardsmen,” he said following the news confer-ence. “The governors are the commanders of those troops.”

Although the impact of the BRAC recommendations has beenrelatively light for the Marine Corps, officials are calling it a pos-itive step in terms of reducing excess infrastructure and improvingoperational efficiencies.

One of the most significant changes involves centralizing itsreserve elements and their associated management functions.According to Maj. Nat Fahy, a spokesman for HeadquartersMarine Corps, the recommendations call for consolidating theMarine Forces Reserve headquarters and the Marine CorpsReserve Support Command Element of Mobilization Commandin Missouri to Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans.

In addition to centralizing management of reserve elements andtheir associated management functions, this move will enhancejoint-service interoperability, Fahy said.

Another recommendation involves consolidating correctionalcapabilities at Naval Support Activity Northwest Annex inChesapeake, Va., and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif.

In addition, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., will host allinvestigative headquarters, Fahy said.

Navy officials said the BRAC process attempts to set the infra-structure for the next 20 years. Navy officials said the BRAC rec-ommendations go hand in hand with other major Navy transfor-mation initiatives under way, including the Human CapitalStrategy Plan, Sea Enterprise and Fleet Response Plan.

“A major part of this BRAC has been to [evaluate] excesses, tryand look forward in years in terms of the programs that we’lldeliver, the type of ships and submarines that we’ll have in thefleet, and to try and match the infrastructure with a considerationfor surge with that future naval force,” Adm. Bob Willard, vicechief of naval operations, said May 13.

Willard stressed that across the range of Navy installations - theports, the submarine bases, the industrial infrastructure - militaryvalue was “foremost in our consideration, and trying to get the sizeright of these installations relative to the fleet.”

Lt. Christine Ventresca, a Navy spokeswoman, said the recom-mendations, once implemented within the Navy, will save morethan $1.5 billion a year.

Officials said the recommendations will make the Air Forcemore capable, efficient and effective while helping transform theAir Force to better meet future threats.

According to Air Force spokeswoman Shirley Curry, closingand realigning bases will consolidate aircraft and operations intolarger squadrons, optimizing critical resources.

By 2011, all F-16 and A-10 squadrons will have 18 or 24 air-craft, and C-130 and KC-135 squadrons will have 12 or 16 air-craft, officials said.

The recommendations also help balance airpower within the AirForce’s active duty, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guardcomponents, strengthening the Air Force’s overall warfightingcapability, she said.

The BRAC recommendations affect 115 installations and facil-ities and involve closing 12. Officials said they end flying opera-tions at 28 installations and reduce excess airfield infrastructure by37 percent and excess building and facility infrastructure by 79percent.

(Donna Miles of American Forces Press Service collaborated onthis article.)

BRACfrom Page 2

BAGHDAD, Iraq — We have all heard the saying, “… teach aman to fish and he’ll feed himself forever.”

Based upon its current reconstruction mission in Iraq, the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region Division, has updated thataxiom to read, “… and if you train and enable an Iraqi engineer tointern with your experienced staff, he or she can become a promi-nent contributor to Iraq’s reconstruction.”

The Corps works in cooperation with theIraqi Ministry of Municipalities and PublicWorks to build capacity to design, supervise,and maintain Iraq’s infrastructure over thelong term. To make this goal a reality, theGRD has entered into an agreement whereinpromising MMPW engineers from across thecountry attend a six-day training course inBaghdad to familiarize themselves with corpsstandard construction practices. During thatinitial period, in addition to formal classroominstruction, the interns also garner hands-onexperience at construction sites in theInternational Zone.

“The intern program is an important step inhelping Iraq and the U.S. governments betterunderstand how we both manage constructionand to identify the best business practices ofeach,” said James Dalton, GRD Director ofBusiness Management.

The program trainees attend classesdesigned to prepare them for the unique reconstruction programunderway in Iraq — a program focused on rebuilding war-relateddamage, shoring up an infrastructure ignored for over threedecades by the previous regime, and ongoing attacks by a deter-mined insurgency. Applicants require backgrounds in the disci-plines of electrical, civil, mechanical, fire protection, and structur-

al engineering, as well as architecture, in order to qualify forinternships with the program.

As part of their preparation, interns attend classes such as “Whatis Construction Quality Management,” “Contractor andGovernment Responsibilities,” “Theory of Project Planning,” and“Project Construction,” to name a few.

Interns report to a corps field office immediately following theirclassroom training. They team up with their corps sponsor andbegin individual, on-the-job training by shadowing and assisting

corps engineers and project managers. Oncethey complete the internship program, theIraqi engineers return to their respectiveMMPW positions.

The initial group of interns consisted of onefemale and seven male engineers. Althoughthey did not wish to reveal their names due tosecurity concerns, they were anxious to givetheir opinions of the program.

“It means a lot to us. We are not used to tak-ing courses such as this,” said one intern. “It’suseful to us. Some information was new to usas well as some procedures.”

Another intern responded, “Although ourengineering methods are basically the same,the [corps] quality management is much high-er than ours.”

According to Dalton, the GRD expectsboth the United States and Iraq to benefit fromthe six-month intern program well into thefuture.

“As we award more contracts to Iraqi firms,the information sharing facilitated by the MMPW Intern Programwill greatly assist GRD in better administration of these contracts.And participants in the program will experience valuable on-the-job training by spending time at our district offices,” Dalton said.

The interns also speculated on what their participation in thisprogram will mean to them in the future.

By Denise CalabriaU.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Army Corps of Engineers’ GulfRegion welcomes Iraqi interns

BAGHDAD, Iraq — “If you put yourself in the terrorists’shoes and think of what they’d need and how to carry out a spe-cific task, stopping them from doing those acts becomes easi-er,” said Maj. John Michael Wells.

With that in mind, 256th Brigade Combat Team intelligencesection Soldiers discuss the motivations behind terrorist acts ina meeting known as “The Murder Board.”

“In some cases you have to think like a terrorist to understandone,” said Wells, the intelligence officer of Headquarters andHeadquarters Company, 256th BCT.

As service members throughout Operation Iraqi Freedomwitness the dangers of daily operations in Iraq, the MurderBoards aim to help them better understand and combat the anti-Coalition forces attacking them.

Wells, a New Orleans native, said analysts meet weekly in anopen forum, bringing their ideas to the table to explore what canbe done to aid troops who encounter the enemy.

“Intel personnel don’t normally have to face a [vehicle-borneimprovised explosive device] or go on a raid, so we have to geta good picture or a story told from the reports,” said Sgt.Andrew Hyde, HHC, 256th BCT. “We then try to figure out thenext line of the story. Once we figure out what is going to hap-pen next, we make recommendations to the commander onhow to combat the enemy.”

The forum analyzes topics from fuel extortions, the Iraqielection, emerging terrorist cells and various other issues thatdirectly impact the 256th BCT area of operations, and the over-all stability of Iraq.

“Sometimes a problem will arise when everyone’s divided,and that’s where the job becomes a challenge, because you haveto argue your point and find the grounds on which everyoneagrees to come to a compromise,” Hyde said.

The Lafayette, La., native found when the Soldiers are in dis-agreement, problems are then exposed. “It’s not a bad thingwhen you don’t agree; that’s when gaps are identified in theunit’s intelligence gathering. Soldiers can then fix the gaps inthe theory and find the best way to present their findingsthrough the chain,” he said.

The theory wrangling among intel Soldiers is also where theboard gets its name. “The ideas you bring are being ‘murdered’because as soon as the topic is up for discussion, Soldiers areshooting it down with their own opinions,” Wells said. “As longas they can back it up, anything is fair game.”

Intelligence analysts, by nature, like to argue, Wells said.“The Murder Board” gives them an opportunity to argue theirideas while making sure they have thought through the detailsand checked their facts.

“You know going in that all your points will be challenged,so you have to be prepared,” he said.

Spc. Joshua Schuttloffel, from Lennox, S.D., an intelligenceanalyst with the 256th, said participating in this type of meetingis a valuable asset to the brigade and important to build uponSoldiers’ teamwork. “You’re encouraging thought amongst allSoldiers from the top down,” he said. “They see the topic andthen predict how and what the enemy may do.”

Although it can be challenging for them at times, intelSoldiers of the 256th BCT are motivated and ready for the chal-lenges that sway the daily affairs of the brigade.

“It’s exciting to know that your thoughts can influence thewhole brigade, if you can run them through the gauntlet of yourfellow analysts and they become part of the final assessment,”Hyde said.

Whatever the outcome, Soldiers of the 256th intel sectionknow their work will shape brigade operations and will hope-fully help to better prepare Soldiers who go out every day onthe streets of Baghdad.

“As long as we are here, we will continue to work hard tostay one step ahead of the insurgents,” Wells said.

Murdering ideas tosave Soldiers’ livesBy Spc. Ricardo Branch3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

Command Sgt Maj. JorgeGutierrez addresses Iraqiengineers taking part in theGRD Intern Program.

Courtesy photo

Rice visits Iraq, calls on government to movequicklyWASHINGTON — Terrorists continued to attack innocent Iraqisas Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice paid a surprise visit to thecountry Sunday. Attacks in Baghdad and Baqubah killed a num-ber of people, according to news reports. Iraqi officials also foundat least 34 men killed execution style in Baghdad’s Sadr Cityneighborhood and in the town of Latifiyah, south of the capital.

Rice met with Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jafaari andDeputy Prime Minister Ahmed Chalabi. It was her first visit to Iraqsince becoming secretary of state.

Associated Press quoted Rice as saying, “The insurgency is veryviolent, but you defeat insurgencies not just militarily. You defeatthem by having a political alternative that is strong. The Iraqis ...are now going to have to intensify their efforts to demonstrate thatin fact the political process is the answer for the Iraqi people.”

Rice urged the Iraqi government leaders to move quickly asthey write a constitution to set up a permanent government for thenation. She said the Iraqi people are growing impatient withdelays.

In Baghdad, Iraqi children led Task Force Baghdad Soldiers toa weapons cache. The children led the troopers to three rocket-pro-pelled grenades and 10 fuses. An explosives ordnance disposalteam was called to the site and safely detonated the munitions.

“The majority of Iraqis do not support the insurgency,” said Lt.Col. Clifford Kent, a Task Force Baghdad spokesman. “MostIraqis want to give the new Iraqi government a chance to work,and that’s why they’re turning in these terrorists and theirweapons.”

In combat operations conducted May 14, Iraqi Soldiers capturedseven terror suspects in eastern Baghdad. The Iraqi Soldiers seizeda computer, small arms, a protective mask and cell phone parts thatcould be used to remotely detonate bombs. All seven suspectswere taken into custody for questioning.

In southern Baghdad, U.S. Soldiers conducted a series of earlymorning raids Baghdad and captured three specifically targetedterror suspects. The suspects are believed to have planned and car-ried out a number of terrorist attacks in the area. The Soldiers alsofound several AK-47 assault rifles, pistols and cellular phones dur-ing the raid. The three suspects were taken into custody for ques-tioning.

Later in the day, Task Force Baghdad Soldiers working in south-

eastern Baghdad found another weapons cache containing sevenartillery shells and a rocket-propelled grenade. In Mosul, StrykerBrigade Combat Team Soldiers detained 21 suspected terrorists.Soldiers detained 10 suspects in western Mosul, five in southeast-ern Mosul and six near the town of Sinjar. (Compiled by AmericanForces Press Service from Multi-National Force - Iraq newsreleases and news reports.)

Airmen allowed to show service colors whiletravelingWASHINGTON — A new Air Force policy gives Airmen thechoice to show their colors when traveling to and from deploy-ment locations.

Airmen traveling to and from the U.S. Central Command AirForces’ area of responsibility have been, until recently, required towear civilian clothing on flights in and out of the area.

Under a new policy, Airmen now have the option to wear theirdesert combat uniform on those flights. The policy change cameafter suggestions to both the chief of staff and chief master ser-geant of the Air Force, said Senior Master Sgt. Dana Athnos, theAir Force’s uniform board superintendent.

“This started with queries to Air Force senior [leaders] as theytoured the AOR,” Athnos said. “This was about pride. Other serv-ices were coming home in uniform and experiencing tremendoussupport along the way from the American public. Our Airmenwere in civilian clothes, and people didn’t readily recognize themas Air Force personnel. They simply want the country to knowthey are proud of their service, too.”

The new policy allows Airmen to wear their uniforms whentraveling inside the United States to their port of departure, so longas they fly aboard a U.S.-based airline. Airmen may also wear theiruniforms when traveling to the AOR if they are flying on a mili-tary or chartered commercial aircraft. The same rules apply whenAirmen come home.

One concern for policy makers is that Airmen remember to con-duct themselves as true Air Force professionals. Athnos saidAirmen are reminded that their uniforms must always be clean andserviceable; they must be in compliance with dress and appear-ance instructions and always conduct themselves in a mannerbefitting the Air Force.


NEWS IN BRIEF

Continued on next page

INTERNATIONAL ZONE, BAGHDAD, Iraq — Seniormilitary personnel and civilian employees attended a culturalawareness class to teach them about Iraqi society at thePresidential Palace May 14.

National Iraqi Assistance Center instructors sponsored andtaught the class to gather support in their efforts to implementthe class as required training for all new arrivals of Coalitionforces, contract and civilian workers serving in Iraq.

“One of our goals is to get the senior leadership of theCoalition to say that before anyone sets foot into the coun-try that they go through some sort of cultural awarenesstraining so they understand this society,” said Lt. Col.Richard D. Welch, program manager and assistant chief ofstaff G5, 1st Cavalry Division. He gave a class on culturetraining. Welch, an Ohio native, and his eight instructors allof Iraqi descent, led discussions on Iraqi culture, history,religion, women and children issues, and dos and don’ts ofthe culture.

Mahdi (last name withheld for security), an instructor,spoke to the group about dos and don’ts. The fifth year med-ical student from Baghdad University said he originally start-ed teaching the class to give back to his Iraqi people.

“It’s important for my people when they are treated in thecorrect way with respect,” said Mahdi, who speaks Arabic,English, French and Persian.

Linda Akroush, a translator with Multi-National Force -Iraq, Ministry of Defense/Ministry of Interior, support officesat in on the culture awareness class to learn more about theIraqi culture and customs. Akroush, who has worked inBaghdad for two years, planned to put the knowledge shereceived from the class to use the next time she has thechance to interact with local Iraqis.

“By understanding their culture and being respectful toIraqis … we can work together to show the Iraqi people wecare and are here to help them and we will succeed,” she said.“That is why I am here.”

Trying to understand the 5,000-year-old Iraqi culture in aneffort to provide assistance to Iraqis can be a daunting task toCoalition forces. Sometimes people from older countriesbecome offended when Americans advise them on ways tolive, said Welch addressing the class.

“We need to recognize there are many good things that havebeen learned here and applied here over the last 5,000 years,”Welch said. “By building relationships, we can share with thepeople the good things of our culture and try to model the val-ues and the things we think are important in our culture andsociety and help every aspect of the Iraq culture and movetoward modernity.”

Eager to stay abreast with the Iraqi culture and customssince her arrival to Baghdad three months ago, U.S. ArmyCol. Sylvia Moran, MNF-I MOD/MOI, Middle East foreignarea officer, also took part in the culture awareness class. Overthe course of her 29-year military career Moran, who is anative of Illinois, has studied the Arabic and Islamic cultures.

“I have not studied Iraq or Iraqi culture by actually beinghere,” Moran said. “I only read about Iraq in books, andbooks just can’t teach you what you need to know. I wantedto find out more about Iraq.”

Moran knows she views the Iraq culture from anAmerican’s perspective.

“Our approach with the Iraqi military is very American,but by understanding an Iraqi approach it will help to haveclear communications and training between the two of us,”she said.

Understanding the culture and customs is only part of it —Iraqi people want to know the Coalition forces care, Welchsaid.

“People don’t care how much you know until they knowhow much you care,” he said. Your words then and yourdialect with them are much more than just noise.”

Coalition receives culturalawareness training

CAMP TIGERLAND, Iraq —Soldiers of the 256th Brigade CombatTeam ensured farmers of the greaterBaghdad area will be able to boosttheir agricultural developmentimmensely with farm equipment toinclude an equipment sign-off event atthe Al Radwaniyah Provincial CivilMilitary OperationsCenter May 2.

The 256th BCTsigned over 37 tractors,16 water pumps, and56 five-horsepowergenerators to theMinistry of Agricultureto pass down to farmersin need of equipment.

The equipment, orig-inally purchased underthe old regime, lay dor-mant in a Sadr Citywarehouse for the pastthree years. Upon find-ing the equipment,

Soldiers transported it to a secure areafor repairs and eventual distribution tothe farmers.

Present to receive the farmingequipment was Saub Hussien, a repre-sentative of the Iraqi Ministry ofAgriculture, who said the equipmentbeing signed over will be put to gooduse for the Iraqi people.

“This is all part of Operation AmberWaves, which was initiated during 1stCavalry Division’s time,” Basilica

said. “The 256th BCT is out here toassist the local farmers with improvingtheir farming.”

“It’s really been a three-fold missionhowever, as we’ve already givenseeds, fertilizer and now equipment,”he said. “This will help promote andimprove the chances for Iraqis to feedthemselves.”

Approximately 100 local farmersand members of the United Farmers ofIraq witnessed the transfer.

Amber Waves: Ensuring agricultural success

Thirty-seven tractors, 16 water pumps and 56, five-horsepower generatorswere signed over to the Ministry of Agriculture May 2.

By Spc. Ricardo Branch3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

Master Sgt. Michele R. HammondsCommand Information NCOIC

Some Airmen might want to wear their uniforms when travelingto a deployed location but are afraid of drawing unnecessary atten-tion to themselves.

Sergeant Athnos said U.S. airports have plenty of security, andthat the Air Force has historically allowed or even required Airmento be in uniform when aboard aircraft.

“Besides, if you were in civilian clothes, you would still haveyour web gear and your mobility bags with you, and you are stillhanging around the [United Services Organization],” she said. “It’snot a secret that you are in the military.”

Also, part of the policy is a requirement that Airmen carry achange of civilian clothes with them if they choose to wear a uni-form, and a clean uniform if they choose to wear civilian clothes.That kind of preparedness allows Airmen to adjust their appear-ance should the situation demand it. (Staff Sgt. C. Todd Lopez, AirForce Print News)

Radio connects families to front linesDALLAS — The Army & Air Force Exchange Service recentlyintroduced its Patriot Family Connection program to help connectdeployed military members with their loved ones back home.

The new program offers family members, friends of deployed

service members and AAFES associates a chance to record theirgreetings, words of support and thanks. Messages can be record-ed 24 hours a day, free of charge, and are forwarded to AmericanForces Network Radio, which is heard at locations overseasincluding those in Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.

“Recording the messages is just one small element of a largerAAFES Patriot Family marketing program that includes numer-ous initiatives,” said Mike Westphal, senior vice president ofAAFES’ Marketing Directorate. “It started with the PatriotFamily Tree in December. Now, we have the Patriot FamilyConnection and ‘We All Have a Hand in Securing Our Freedom’hand trace banners we’ll be sending downrange. Soon we’ll besending dozens of banners downrange for deployed troops to sign— then those banners will tour each AAFES region.” The PatriotFamily Connection is one of several initiatives AAFES is using tohelp bridge the distance between the home front and the frontlines. This new program has already yielded messages fromAmericans expressing their support for troops serving down-range.

Doug Ford from Denton, N.C., called in his greeting, “I want tosend all the best wishes to the troops. God bless y’all and thanky’all for everything you do.” Another greeting, recorded by Jean

Helen from Columbus, Ga., said, “I want to tell all the troopseverywhere we’re with your families back here supporting themwhile you’re overseas. We love all you guys. Thank you for whatyou’re doing, and we appreciate your families and their braverywhile they’re waiting on you.”

Anyone can record a message by calling 1-800-713-1302 andfollowing the prompts. For more information, log on towww.AAFES.com and click on the Patriot Family link.


Worship and Prayer Schedule for the International Zone

Sunday9:30 a.m. — Choir Rehearsal10 a.m. — Catholic Mass (3rd BTC)10:30 a.m. — General ChristianNoon — Episcopal/Lutheran/Anglican2 p.m. — Latter Day Saints4 p.m. — Catholic Confession4:30 p.m. — Catholic Mass6 p.m. — Contemporary Protestant

Monday-FridayNoon — Catholic Mass (Mon.-Thurs.)Noon — Catholic Communion Service (Tues.)5:30 p.m. — Catholic Mass (Fri. at Camp Steel Dragon)6 p.m. — Jewish Shabbat Services (Fri.)7:30 p.m. — Prayer Service (Tue.)8 p.m. — Bible Study (Thurs. at Senior Advisors Conf. Rm.)8:30 p.m. — Bible Study (Wed. at Ambassadors Conf. Rm.)

Saturday11:30 a.m. — Catholic Mass (Camp Headhunter)12:30 p.m. — Buddhist Worship4 p.m. — Catholic Confession4:30 p.m. — Catholic Mass

Daily Islamic PrayerFor more information, call DSN 318-239-8659.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Surprise visit

U.S. Secretary of State (Dr.) Condoleezza Rice and Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jafaari addressmembers of the press about the improvements and new plans for deployed service members andthe Iraqi people at the Iraqi Government building in the International Zone of Baghdad, Iraq. Ricemade a surprise visit to service members and civilians in Iraq Sunday. The one-day trip was Rice'sfirst visit to Iraq as the nation’s top diplomat.

Photo by Pfc. Ferdinand Thomas

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Listen in May to win an EarRadio courtesyof www.americasupportsyou.mil.


AR RAMADI, Iraq — A young Iraqi boy in the city herehas Cpl. Michael L. Godfrey to thank for saving him from alife-threatening illness.

The 21-year-old noncommissioned officer with 5th CivilAffairs Group, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, spear-headed efforts to have the toddler admitted into a local hospi-tal and treated for a severe urinary tractinfection.

Godfrey was conducting a routine patrolthrough a neighborhood when he discov-ered the ailing child.

“I was going through finding out thebasic needs of the people living there andwhat might be done to improve their stan-dard of living,” said the Mount Zion, Md.,native. “I gave a kid a Band-Aid for a blis-ter he had on his hand, and soon I wasswarmed by other kids wanting some.There wasn’t anything wrong with them,though, they just wanted to have Band-Aids, too.”

A few minutes after he issued the adhesive bandage, anelderly lady approached him carrying a young boy.

“She held him up to me so I could see him,” Godfrey said.“He had an open wound that covered his whole penis. Therewas pus and blood in places where it shouldn’t be. I’m nodoctor, but I could tell right away he needed medical atten-tion.”

According to Godfrey, the boy looked as though he was ina lot of pain.

“His body was limp, andhe looked spaced out,” hesaid. “It seemed like he’dbeen hurting so longthat he was used to it.”

At the time,Godfrey couldn’t do

anything for the childexcept feel sorry for him.When Godfrey returned

to his base, CampHurricane Point, he told

Maj. Benjamin B.Busch, Team 1 leader,

Detachment 3, 5thCAG, what he

saw.

Busch could tell the boy was in danger from what Godfreytold him. He sent a corpsman to do an assessment on theboy’s health.

“The corpsman determined the infection was very severeand, if left untreated, it could enter his kidneys and causethem to fail,” said Busch, a College Park, Md., native.

The boy’s family couldn’t take him to the hospital fortreatment because they didn’t have enough money, Godfreysaid.

“They are very poor and come from a poor neighborhood,”he said. “They don’t even have enoughmoney for a taxi there.”

After learning the severity of the boy’scondition, Busch coordinated a missionfor 5th CAG and Company W with theinfantry battalion that would enable themto get the boy to the hospital and receivemedical attention.

“There is something pure and neces-sary about the rescue of an innocent childthat answers to our best intentions here,”Busch said.

Their operation, however, wasn’t assimple as picking him up at his house and making the shorttrip to the hospital.

The six Marines with 5th CAG created a diversion in aneffort to keep local residents from intruding and to protectthe privacy of the family, said Godfrey.

Marines with W Co. secured the neighborhood while theMarines with 5th CAG split up into teams of two.

Sgt. Hector Martinez Jr., and Gunnery Sgt. Wayne B.McClam handed out soccer balls, dolls, clothes and wrist-watches to children in the street. Minutes after the gift givingbegan, the area was bustling with smiling and laughing chil-dren.

Meanwhile, Busch, Godfrey and Ricky Wissam, theirtranslator, went to the boy’s house and explained to his moth-er the reason for their surprise visit.

“We told her we’re here to give her money to pay for a taxito take the boy to the hospital,” Godfrey said. “We told her towait for a while after we leave to do so, though. It won’t looksuspicious that way.”

Prior to the mission,Busch arranged for adoctor at the

hospital to treat the boy when he arrived. Wissam wrote the doctor’s name on a piece of paper and

gave it to the mother so she would know who to seek out.She was also given enough money to pay for return visitswhile her son undergoes treatment.

“It rejuvenates our connection to the Iraqi people throughunbiased compassion, and I feel this kind of act is essentialduring ongoing combat operations in this complicated city,”Busch said. “Cpl. Godfrey built that connection today as aMarine, as an American and as an individual.”

The Marine’s act of kindness brought a smile to the moth-er’s face and tears to her eyes. Godfrey was also touched.

“I’ve never saved a life before,” he said. “It feels great. Iguess God put us together for that reason. So he could live.”

Story and photos by Cpl. Tom Sloan2nd Marine Division Public Affairs

“There is somethingpure and necessary

about the rescue of aninnocent child thatanswers to our best

intentions here.”

Maj. Benjamin Busch

Sgt. Hector Martinez Jr., noncommissioned officerwith 5th Civil Affairs Group, 1st Battalion, 5th MarineRegiment, hands an Iraqi boy a soccer ball on an ArRamadi street from the back of a Humvee.

Cpl. Michael L. Godfrey (left), with 5th Civil Affairs Group, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, provides security at a house here while Maj. Benjamin B. Busch (sec-ond from right), a 5th CAG team leader and Ricky Wissam, a translator, speak to the mother of an Iraqi boy who has a severe urinary tract infection. Godfrey, ofMount Zion, Md., was conducting a routine CAG patrol through a neighborhood when he discovered the ailing child. Marines with 5th CAG coordinated for the boyto be taken to a local hospital to receive medical aid for his illness. If left untreated, the infection could have entered his kidneys and caused them to fail.

Marine saves Iraqi boy from possible death


BAGHDAD, Iraq — “Life is a garden: dig it,” a Soldiersays, quoting the movie “Joe Dirt” before he begins to moveearth with a rusted shovel.

When not conducting raids or other combat operations,Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 10thMountain Division, treat the town of Abu Ghraib like a gianttreasure hunt as theyleave no stone unturnedin the search forweapons caches.

First Lt. Joshua Betty,a platoon leader fromCollege Station, Texas,said digging for poten-tial weapons is a dailyroutine for him and hisSoldiers. Entire patrolsare often dedicated to searching large areas for buried ammu-nition.

“We’re denying the enemy the ability to operate,” Bettysaid. “It’s become a big part of our operations. It’s reallystarting to pay off.”

The cache hunters aren’t alone combing a beach for buriedtreasure, however. Soldiers from Company B, 27th Engineer

Battalion from Fort Bragg,N.C., assist 2/14 InfantrySoldiers with mine detec-tors. The engineers scourfields, roads and yards look-ing for the tone that indi-cates metal, said Pfc.Samuel L. Goll, a Morris,Okla., native with the 27thEngineers.

“Whenever we get one,we work them like a horse,”said Staff Sgt. Thomas E.Larkin, a Carthage, N.Y.,resident with 2/14 Infantry.

“They’re always outthere,” Betty said. “They doa really good job. They findlots of stuff for us.”

The combination of dig-ging and detecting has paiddividends, Betty said.Since mid-November, 2/14 Infantry has unearthed morethan 90 caches in the Abu Ghraib district. Many Soldierscan now spot a potential cache by glancing at oddly col-ored grass or soft dirt surrounded by hard earth. Keen eyesduring expeditions aid them all over the town, includingbackyards and gardens. One time the Soldiers found a

large cache buried in anIraqi’s front yard.

“We found like 60 mortarrounds,” Goll said.

Soldiers from 2/14 Infantryoften search the outsides ofIraqis’ houses, Betty said.Instead of barging in, however,they ask for permission tosearch the grounds. The majori-ty of Iraqis are receptive to theSoldiers’ search.

“They’re very inviting forthe most part,” Betty said.

Part of their willingness tohelp may reflect on Abu Ghraibresidents’ desire to be rid ofinsurgent activity, Larkin said.Sometimes Iraqis will evenlead 2/14 Infantry Soldiers tocaches.

“They’re getting sick of it,too,” Larkin said. “They don’twant it in their backyard.”

Several Soldiers said theyfeel they are improving the sit-uation in Iraq by uncoveringcaches. They do admit, howev-er, that there are far moremunitions yet to be discovered.

“We feel like we’re making adent, but this country has thou-sands of weapons,” Larkinsaid. “We do our best to findevery one.”

Goll said he feels frustratedwhen he returns from a patrolwithout finding any munitions.

But Betty said he and otherSoldiers still go out every dayhoping to take the insurgencydown one cache at a time.“Even if we found one cache amonth, that’s one less piece ofordnance, one less mortarround that can be used to shootat us.”

2/14 Infantry hunts for weapons in Abu GhraibStory and photos by Spc. Matthew McLaughlin10th Mountain Division Public Affairs

Spc. Robert Fairfax, a Wilmington, N.C. native with the 27th Engineer Bn., FortBragg, N.C., walks through a field of scrap metal while on patrol. Soldiers from2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division use Soldiers fromthe 27th Engineers to search for caches and other weapons made of metal.

Soldiers from 2nd Bn., 14th Inf. Regt., 10th Mountain Division prepare to roll overwhat remains of a car to search underneath it. Insurgents often bury caches inareas they believe Soldiers will not look.

Staff Sgt. Russell Odonnell, a native of Bradford,R.I., with 2nd Bn., 14th Inf. Regt., inspects a bagof coins buried in a garden. Soldiers use metaldetectors to find caches, which often turn upsuprising results.

Sgt. Ruben Paredes, a Roosevelt, N.Y., residentwith 2nd Bn., 14th Inf. Regt., digs after an engi-neer detects metal in Abu Ghraib. Soldiers from2/14 Infantry often spend hours digging for hid-den weapons.

“We’re denying theenemy the ability

to operate.”

1st Lt. Joshua Betty

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Three Coalition ambassadors visitedthe city of Fallujah Thursday to see new construction projectsunder way and reparations.

Unal Cevikoz, Ambassador for the Republic of Turkey,Margriet Struijf, Charge d’Affairs for the Kingdom of theNetherlands, and Peter WaterWorth, Political Counselor forthe United Kingdom, briefly gathered at the U.S. Embassy inBaghdad where they were greeted by U.S. Political-MilitaryCounselor Ambassador, Ronald E. Neumann, andAmbassador Bill Taylor, Director of Iraq ReconstructionManagement Office.

The British, Turkish and Netherlands ambassadors went ona trip to Fallujah, a city reduced to rubble during OperationPhantom Fury last November, now coming alive with post-war reconstruction.

“The goal we laid out for the mission was for the Coalitionpartners to see what they are spending their money on,” saidCol. Thomas J. Sellars, United States Joint Forces Command.“We wanted the Coalition ambassadors to see firsthand theprogress being made and to capitalize on the synergy createdby Coalition reconstruction efforts.”

At Camp Fallujah they were greeted by Marine Maj. Gen.

Stephen Johnson and his staff for an overview on Fallujah’sprogress. Johnson is commanding general of II MarineExpeditionary Force and of Multi-National Force – West.

“Fallujah is a model we hope other Iraqi cities follow,”Johnson said.

Traveling from Camp Fallajuah to the Civil MilitaryOperations Center, the delegates had the opportunity toglimpse the resurrection of a city. Though evidence of thebattle of Fallujah were everywhere, people had returned,shops were open and streets bustled with life.

At the CMOC the ambassadors were greeted by Iraqiand Marine security and reconstruction experts. The mis-sion of the CMOC is governance, economics and recon-struction, said Marine Lt. Col. Jim Haldeman, CMOCDirector. Halderman briefed the ambassadors on progressin Fallujah.

“Groundwork has been laid for a $14 million hospital,”he said. “More than 14 health care facilities have openedand are servicing residents in the Fallujah area.”

In addition to health care facilities, Mohammad Hady, anIraqi engineer from the ministry of municipalities andKamal Abdul Salam, stressed the importance of reparationspayments. Emergency fund compensation payouts for dam-age valued at 20 percent of individual losses are being paidevery day.

“The children go to school safely. The people are veryhappy for all our efforts,” Amal said.

The positive results of assistance funding were dis-cussed during the briefing the ambassadors received. The


Story and photo by Staff Sgt. Timothy B. LawnScimitar Staff

CAMP TAQQADUM, Iraq — There are many necessarycomponents the Army must apply to ensure proficient and suc-cessful force protection. Observation posts are one such compo-nent, and at Camp Taqqadum, they are controlled by a group ofSoldiers from the Texas National Guard.

Camp Taqqadum is located approximately 45 miles west ofBaghdad and serves as both a military base camp and an airstrip to transport troops and supplies.

“We have responsibility for the entire perimeter’s security,”said Capt. Wesley Bryan, commander, Headquarters andHeadquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 112th ArmoredRegiment, from Fort Worth, Texas. “If these observation postsweren’t here the effects would be devastating. They are our firstline of defense.”

The observation posts are essentially a string of points on theperimeter of the camp positioned in a way so guards can keepconstant watch over every inch of the perimeter, said 1st Lt.Chester Harbert, support platoon leader, HHC, 2nd Bn., 112thArmored Regt..

“We run on a shift rotation with at least two people in eachpost to provide security and scan for any intelligence informa-tion they might be able to gather … and call in any suspiciousactivity,” Harbert said.

The observation posts are critical in the coordination betweenquick reactionary forces, external patrols and internal securityof the camp, Bryan said.

Soldiers in the observation posts also let the patrols outsidethe perimeter know what is going on. They have a better viewof the surrounding area and can see anything happening thatmay interfere with the operations of the base or a patrol,Harbert said.

“On a daily basis, the Soldiers at the posts have to deal withissues like sheep herders getting too close to the fence line andlocal nationals trying to cross the wire. Sometimes they dealwith calling in indirect fire to the surrounding area,” Harbertsaid. “They call in the fire so the counter-battery can triangulateits origin and respond.”

“Their job is to provide an early warning,” Bryan said. “Ifthe Soldiers see anything suspicious, they call it in to our tacti-cal operations center, which in turn allows us to coordinate themovements of other platoons inside the base to wherever they

need to go to address the situation.”As one observation post is reporting what they are see-

ing, the TOC will call another observation post, Bryansaid. If the second observation post is seeing the samething as the first, the TOC knows something is going onout there and will make adjustments to what forces aresent where.

“The intelligence sent up by the observation postseffects how we maneuver our platoons,” Bryan said.“Intelligence and security have equal roles in the obser-vation posts, because we take what they see and build thebig picture of what is going on out there.

“Without the observation posts out there on the frontline providing the intelligence reports to the tactical oper-ations center, we would basically be sending our Soldiersout into the darkness when they go on convoys orpatrols,” Bryan said.

Soldiers running the observation posts are very dedi-cated to their jobs, Bryan said. It takes a lot of self-disci-pline to sit up there for hours on end, seven days a week,365 days a year, and keep a close watch on anything thatmight happen. “They are extremely disciplined, hard-working and do an outstanding job.

“The mental drain is tough on the Soldiers, and I reallyhave to commend them because it is difficult to stay strictlyfocused for as many hours as they have to,” Bryan said. “Thereisn’t a lot to see out there, but the Soldiers have to maintaintheir mental focus because all it takes is one of the enemy get-ting inside the wire with the wrong type of equipment to createhavoc on a base like Camp Taqqadum.

“We do various things to help keep the morale up,” he said.“We have a Morale, Welfare and Recreation tent, but a lot ofthe Soldiers like to go work out at the gym because we put a lotof emphasis on physical training.”

The Soldiers are here for 12 months, and there is no reasonwhy they shouldn’t be in the best shape of their life when theygo back, he said. The observation post Soldiers’ shifts are set upso when they come off of duty they have time to work out, andthere are also some intramural sports, cookouts and movienights put together by the battalion so the Soldiers can relax ontheir down time.

“Ours is a 12-month tour, and these Soldiers will spend thevast majority of their time manning the observation posts, sowe try to switch them out to give them something different,”Harbert said. “It is very crucial to have every asset available

when focusing on the strength of the force behind the observa-tion posts.”

“We have recently received enough augmentees to where wecan switch the Soldiers out and give them different tasks otherthan manning the observation posts. This acts as sort of a breakfrom the strain of the job,” Harbert said. “The Soldiers aredoing a fine job, and they can’t be praised enough.”

“The Soldiers up there are still human, they are like all of us,they have good days and they have bad days,” Bryan said. “Alot of their emotions come from news they might have gottenfrom back home while talking to their family the day before.

“Sometimes they may come to work upset, but as a wholethey are very motivated,” Bryan continued. “They know whatthey are doing here is important, and that is part of our job asleadership to communicate to them how important their job isand how it ties into the big picture.

“If they aren’t there, who is going to provide that early warn-ing? We have sensors that we use, but they can go down,”Bryan said. “These guys are the human element that we haveout there on the front line, telling us what is going on. Theyunderstand this, and that’s why when it is time to go to workthey put everything else aside and go do it.”

Texas Soldiers provide first line of defense in IraqStory and photo by Pfc. Matthew CliftonMulti-National Corps - Iraq Public Affairs

Ambassadors visit Fallujah, tour reconstruction sites

Soldiers from Headquarters and HeadquartersCompany, 2nd Battalion, 112th Armored Regiment, FortWorth, Texas, look out from an observation post over asaltwater lake bordering Spring Lake LogisticalSupport Area, Camp Taqqadum, Iraq.

Ambassador Bill Taylor, Director of IraqReconstruction Management Office, left, discussesthe trip to Fallujah with Kingdom of the NetherlandsCharge d’Affairs, Margriet Struijf, Republic of TurkeyAmbassador, Unal Cevikoz, and United KingdomPolitical Counselor, and Peter WaterWorth at theU.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

See FALLUJAH, Page 11


INTERNATIONAL ZONE, BAGHDAD, Iraq — Inside asmall annex behind the 86th Combat Support Hospital, labo-ratory staff makes history and saves lives daily. The CSH isthe first – and only – hospital in a combat zone to extractlife-saving platelets from donors’ blood.

The blood donor lab uses apheresis (ay-fur-EE-sis), a tech-nique to separate one component from a donor’s blood andreturn the remainder to the patient. The CSH needs platelets,which form clots.

“Platelets stop the patient from bleeding,” said Maj.Donald Robinson, a trauma surgeon at the CSH. Platelets arealso needed for chemotherapy patients.

Sgt. Vernon Malaer, noncommissioned officer in charge ofthe blood donor lab, explained, “In trauma patients, the sur-geon will close up the big holes, but the little holes continu-ally bleed without platelets.”

Unlike other components or whole blood, platelets cannotbe refrigerated or frozen, so the CSH’s supply must be pro-duced locally, Malaer said. Although the hospital may con-duct a whole blood drive during an emergency, most wholeblood used in Iraq is shipped from the states, he said.

After a whole blood donation, a donor cannot give bloodor components for 56 days, but after platelet donation, onecan give either platelets or whole blood again in as few asfour days, although CSH personnel recommend waiting twoweeks. Only about 10 percent of a donor’s platelets areextracted with apheresis, and the body quickly replenishesthem in a healthy individual.

During apheresis, a donor’s whole blood is extracted into a

machine. During each 10 to 15 minute cycle, the blood ismixed with an anti-coagulant, run through a centrifuge toseparate components, and then the blood, minus the platelets,flows back into the same arm. First-time donors go through amaximum of seven cycles, which are gradually increased forrepeat donors. However, a donor is connected to the machinefor no longer than 120 minutes.

“There is no blood type in platelets, so it doesn’t matterwho the donor and recipient are,” said Malaer, “except forchildren ages 10 and younger.”

“Our goal of a platelet draw is to extract the equivalentamount of platelets as in six units of whole blood, or ‘a six-pack.’” said Malaer. Aside from the lack of waste, anotherbenefit for the “six-pack” recipient is that he or she is onlyexposed to illness or infection from a single donor, not six.

Because platelets cannot be refrigerated, the biggest prob-lem for recipients is a bacteria infection. The chance of con-tracting HIV from a platelet transfusion is less than one inone million, Malaer said, but because all parts of the machinethat contact the blood are disposable and replaced for eachpatient, there is absolutely no risk of infectious disease forthe donor.

The main concern, due to the short shelf life of platelets, isnot to draw platelets that won’t be used within five days.

“Less than one percent of the platelets we’ve drawn haveexpired,” said Malaer. “Unfortunately, they are getting used,”he added wryly.

However, not everyone can be a platelet donor. Malaerestimated that half of all military personnel cannot donatewhole blood or platelets because of the “mad cow” deferralfor those who lived in Europe for more than six monthsbetween 1980 and 1996. However, during emergencies, thepathologist or attending physician can waive that deferral. A

body piercing or tattoo within the last yearalso creates a deferral.

Side effects from donating are rare; themost common is a tingling around the lips,usually caused by a calcium deficiencycombined with the anti-coagulant. Theeffect is temporary and remedied by chew-ing on calcium-based antacid tablets, butMalaer observed many patients like theeffect, and that smokers usually light upimmediately after donating (against hisadvice) to enhance the “buzz.”

Malaer, a native of Gonzales, Texas, esti-mated that donors are equally split betweenembassy staff, civilians and the hospitalstaff. Almost all donors become repeatdonors. Initially most donors worked at theCSH, but now Malaer prefers to keep themin reserve, so if there is an emergency, hewill have a ready supply of donors.

Sgt. 1st Class Steve Pinette, assigned tothe Multi-National Force - Iraq commandgroup, made his first platelet donation onMay 11. “From visiting patients at the hos-pital with Command Sgt. Major (Jeffrey)

Mellinger, I know [platelet donation] is very important,” hesaid.

Maj. Christine Edwards, who works at the CSH, donatesregularly and is somewhat of a legend due to her highplatelet count. “We are all here to make a difference insome way; I get a real high knowing that I can give some-thing to someone that will save their life,” she said.

“Most of the time I don’t know who the gift is going to;once I had the opportunity to run my own platelets up tothe operating room in an emergency. I didn’t realize theplatelets were mine until I was handing them over to theOR staff — the patient made it. The gift to that patient waslife, the cost to me was nothing but a few hours of my timeand a needle stick — it is definitely worth it.”

Prospective donors can walk in to the lab, but Malaersuggested they contact him ahead of time to ensure that adonor bed will be available. He can be reached via e-mailat [email protected] or through the hospital’s labat DSN 239-7621.

86th CSH saves lives with platelet donationsBy Maj. Patricia C. AndersonCommand Information Officer

Photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Dave AhlschwedeSgt. Vernon Malaer, donor center noncommissioned officer incharge with the 86th Combat Support Hospital, collects platelets,Jan. 30. Over 500 Soldiers with the 86th CSH are deployed toBaghdad, Iraq. The 86th CSH is the first unit in combat to collectplatelets from Soldiers using a technique called apheresis.

same scenes of battle-damaged store-fronts and streets now have bustlingmarkets, fruit stands and even dressshops.

The Ambassadors were impressedabout learning the election results forFallujah, a predominantly Sunni city.It’s estimated that 40 percent of eligiblepeople voted.

“The city is in the process of electing apermanent city council,” Halderman said.

At the end of the CMOC presenta-

tion the ambassadors and Marinesshook hands and congratulationswere offered on a job well done.They proceeded back to CampFallujah for a brief visit at an IraqiArmy training camp.

East Fallujah Iraqi Army camp ismanaged by the Iraqi 7th Brigade.Johnson told the ambassadors thecamp provides medical support, andfood and is a forward operating basefor operations in Fallujah.

The ambassadors received greet-ings and a brief from the Iraqi Armystaff on troop strength, training andmorale. “They are doing a great

job,” said Johnson.Afterwards, the Coalition ambassa-

dors returned to Baghdad. WaterWorthsummed up his experiences of the trip.

“No one could fail to be impressedwith the professional commitmentthat General Johnson and his pas-sionate CMOC team have brought tothe reconstruction of Fallujah,” saidWaterWorth. “But even more impres-sive was their dedication to puttingIraqis first and to building MNF-Irelations with the local people. Thewarmth shown to ‘Hondo’ by hisIraqi counterparts spoke volumes forwhat they have achieved already.”

“You want to do what with my blood?” I askedincredulously after the first time someone at ablood bank in Virginia explained apheresis to me. Evenafter a detailed explanation and seeing the disposable kitused to make the apheresis machine sterile for each user, Icouldn’t shake the heebie-jeebies of having my blood runthrough a machine that had processed someone else’sblood. So each time donor center personnel asked if I’dconsider, I told them, thanks, but no thanks, I’ll continueto donate whole blood.

But here in Iraq that isn’t an option, and when I thinkabout the lives of fellow service members who could besaved through my donations – service members, who,unlike me, were getting shot at, exposed to roadsidebombs and worse on a regular basis. Suddenly my case ofthe heebie-jeebies seemed extremely trivial and selfish.

So this past week I finally made my way down to theblood bank at the 86th Combat Support Hospital anddonated a bag of platelets. Sgt. Vernon Malaer, the non-commissioned officer in charge of the blood bank, wasextremely patient in answering my questions and soothingmy fears. He propped me up in a hospital bed with plentyof pillows and hooked me up with a portable DVD playerand DVD of my choosing to help me pass the time. Theprocedure went so smoothly that I even caught myself nod-ding off during the return phase of a couple of the cycles,and before I knew it, Malaer turned off the machine and letme know I was done. He also told me I had a good plateletcount and cycle time, so I make a good donor.

I have no idea who received my platelets or how he orshe is doing. Maybe it was a Marine wounded inOperation Matador, a Soldier injured by an improvisedexplosive device or an Iraqi child battling leukemia. I justknow I’ll be back to donate again and I feel really sillyfor waiting so long to donate in the first place.

Major’s experiencesas first-time plateletdonor in combat labBy Maj. Patricia C. AndersonCommand Information Officer

Fallujahfrom Page 10

PREVENTPREVENTITIT


THINEEYAH, Iraq — Armed withschool supplies and multivitamins, 3rdInfantry Division Soldiers sponsored amedical civil affairs project at Al NassirSchool in Thineeyah, Iraq recently.

The team from 2nd Battalion, 156thInfantry Regiment, 256th BrigadeCombat Team, provided basic medicalassistance to children and adults as partof the ongoing effort by Multi-NationalForces to help rebuild Iraq.

Once the patients were seen by thephysician or physician assistant, theyreceived various gifts or a care packagecontaining toys for the children and den-tal hygiene products and toiletries.School supplies and treats were freelygiven out to the delight of young Iraqichildren; additionally, several pairs of

shoes were given along with apparel. If a patient had a diagnosis that was

beyond the scope of the physicians, thefamilies were educated via the inter-preters on the importance of the abnor-mality and stressed the importance ofseeking an Iraqi physician.

“Multivitamins and medicines weredispensed to combat epilepsy, congenital

abnormalities, and movement disorders inthe elderly and post-traumatic palsies.The predominant health problems diag-nosed included dermatological, gastroin-testinal and upper respiratory ailments,”said Lt. Col. Joseph Dore, the 256th BCTsurgeon.

Once the MEDCAP in Thineeyah con-cluded, the team traveled to a remote

nomadic settlement where thedoctors treated several patientswith the principal of “tailgatemedicine” ranging from commoncold ailments to redressing thebandages of a broken arm.

The remainder of care pack-ages, clothing and school suppliesfrom Al Nassir School were hand-ed out.

Once care was complete at thesettlement, the team was onceagain on the move to a new fami-ly of nomads herding sheep. Thefamily was very healthy and onlyrequired basic medical attention.

Task Force Baghdad medics bring care to remote villageStory and photo by Sgt. Thomas Benoit256th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs

Spc. April Clark, C Co., 199th ForwardSupport Battalion, 256th Brigade CombatTeam, checks the vitals of a patientbefore the physician arrives during amedical civil affairs project held at AlNassir school in Thineeyah, Iraq.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq —Traditionally, the title “doctor” is bestowed on those whohave earned an advanced degree, whether it is medical orphilosophy; either way, the term is used as a measure ofrespect.

In much the same way, medics in the military are affection-ately known as “doc” because of the respect they are shownby their fellow troops. Medics assigned to Company C,703rd Forward Support Battalion are no different.

Capt. Matt Farishon,

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