Engineers continue to improve JSS Ur

Transcription

1 Multi-National Division Baghdad First Team...Team First Saturday, August 15, 2009 Engineers continue to improve JSS Ur By 2nd Lt. Danny Jackson 46th ECB (H), 225 Eng. Bde. BAGHDAD Soldiers of 2nd Platoon, A Company, 46th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy), 225th Engineer Brigade, have spent the last year completing upgrades and renovations to Joint Security Site Ur. In early August, Dirty Photo by 1st Lt. Kewanda Tate, 46th ECB (H), 225th Eng. Bde Cpl. Cory Pratt, A Company, 46th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy), a construction team member from Overland Park, Kan., lays out a wall during the expansion project at Joint Security Station Ur on the northern outskirts of Baghdad. Deuces engineers completed a dining facility with adjacent serving areas and additional eating areas that could be used as overflow facilities. The air-conditioned facility also doubles as meeting areas and conference space. In addition to the dining facility and kitchen, Soldiers are now building three supply buildings and a dry food storage building to meet the logistical requirements of troopers of 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment. When 2/5 CAV moved to JSS Ur in support of the June 30th Security Agreement, engineers worked to not only replace the necessities, but increase the sparse amenities offered on the remote security site. We had to leave everything behind at JSS Sadr City, even our desks, said 1st Sgt. Uhuru Salmon, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Bn., 5th Cav. Regt. It has been a definite plus to have them support us in pursuit of making this JSS a better place for the Soldiers in 2/5 Cav. In July, the engineers completed construction on the battalion tactical operations center, which included offices and a conference room. This is only the initial phase of construction, we will be at JSS Ur until our transfer of authority ceremony, said Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Wright, from Jacksonville, Fla. We have built a good working relationship with the Soldiers of 2/5 Cav. and we are committed to providing them with quality structures. Salmon agreed with that sentiment. It has been a great effort put forth by the 46th Engineers, stated Salmon. Their Soldiers are low maintenance in that they ask for very little Photo by 1st Lt. Kewanda Tate Spc. Jacob Moon, A Company, 46th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy), 225th Engineer Brigade, a carpentry and masonry specialist from Lauril, Mont., installs fascia board on the wall of an eating area at Joint Security Station Ur. and return a great deal. The engineers are doing fantastic work. Work space is a key to mission success, but the engineers are also committed to providing facilities to help Soldiers decompress. Currently, construction is underway for a new gym to help Soldiers stay in shape and alleviate stress in-between missions and a morale, welfare and recreation building. It is the second MWR building on the JSS, and gives Soldiers a way to stay in touch with families and friends back home by phone and computer. The majority of the facilities are expected to be up and running later this month

2 PAGE 2 August 15, 2009 Cavalry Soldiers earn gilded spurs By Sgt. Doug Roles 56th SBCT, PAO CAMP TAJI, Iraq Troopers with the 2nd Squadron, 104th Cavalry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, are leaving Iraq with new spurs jangling from their combat boots. In keeping with cavalry tradition, troop commanders conducted award ceremonies, here, at the Fiddler s Green rest area of the squadron s footprint. The area is the namesake of a poem about the final resting place of all cavalry Soldiers. When a Cav Soldier dies, he goes to a place called Fiddler s Green, 1st Lt. Duncan MacQueen, unit public affairs representative for the 2-104th said. It s a place for the spirits of Cav Soldiers. Maj. Guy Smith, information Old Hickory Soldiers maintain relationship By Sgt. Jon Soles MND-B PAO BAGHDAD Soldiers of the North Carolina National Guard are helping bring clean water to Iraqi citizens in the form of water filters, but it s the coordination that goes along with such a project that is fostering a good working relationship with the Iraqi Army. Soldiers of Company B, 1st Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team met with Iraqi Army officers near Forward Operating Base Mahmudiyah, here, Aug. 11, to discuss the placement of two solar-powered water filters. The Soldiers may be able to provide the water filters, but it s up to the Iraqis to decide who takes responsibility for them, said platoon leader, 1st Lt. Matthew Mason, of Garner, N.C. At the meeting with 1st Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Brigade, 17th Iraqi Army Division, officer for the 2-104th, explained that in peace time, troopers can earn their silver spurs through a challenging process known as a spur ride. It tests physical endurance and Soldier skills, including land navigation, rifle marksmanship and a road march. The spur ride is what s done in peace time to earn them, Smith said. It s usually pretty physically demanding. Troopers of the 2-104th have earned their gold combat spurs with months of sweat and courage. Presiding over spur ceremonies, troop commanders knight Soldiers with cavalry sabers, granting them the right to wear the spurs. Overall, commanders presented spurs to almost 800 troopers. it was decided that two sheikhs, one Sunni and one Shi a, would be in charge of the water filters. This helps support the Government of Iraq and they will be an impartial distributor of water, people who won t think of their own benefit, but of the greater good of the people, said Mason. It [the meeting] went really well; we got a lot accomplished. It was a simple meeting, but the coordination of the water filter project was just another building block in the relationship with the Iraqi Security Forces, said Mason, an infantry officer. Personally, I know we have a good working relationship and we share information and intelligence, Mason said. Like every relationship, it takes time and commitment. The IA knows the area and is receiving support from the local population, according to Mason. They re extremely proficient and know their area and they ve got a real lockdown on everything that goes on, Mason said. The people know they can trust the IA. The water filter project is in Photo by 1st Lt. Duncan MacQueen, 56th SBCT, PAO Lt. Col. Sean Reger (right), of Palmyra, Pa. commander of 2nd Squadron, 104th Cavalry, knights Maj. Lane Marshall, of Lebanon, Pa., the squadron s executive officer, Aug. 12. All who are assigned to cavalry [unit] for a combat tour receive gilded spurs, Smith explained. It s our entire squadron and then those who served with us. Photo by Sgt. Jon Soles, MND-B PAO 1st Lt. Matthew Mason (center) shares a light moment with Iraqi Army 1st Lt. Munther Hassan Mubarak during a key leader engagement meeting at an IA station near Forward Operating Base Mahmudiyah, here, Aug. 11. the works, but the overall relationship with the IA will continue to pay dividends on future peace and stability. You feel like you re accomplishing something, showing support for the IA, still showing that [U.S. forces] are present in rural areas, Mason said.

3 PAGE 3 August 15, 2009 Daughters of Iraq provide security By Spc. Ruth McClary 30th HBCT PAO YUSIFIYAH, Iraq Forty female members of the Daughters of Iraq security detail provided support to the Iraqi Army during the recent 12th Imam pilgrimage to Karbala. Hired by the 150th Armored Reconnaissance Squadron, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, the women reduced the threat of female suicide bombers during the pilgrimage, which started Aug. 1 and ended Aug. 10. Shiite Muslims take the annual pilgrimage to Karbala, 50 miles south of Baghdad, to commemorate the birth anniversary of the 12th Imam, Mohammed al-mahdi. The order came down from the brigade commander, Col. Gregory Lusk, to contract the Daughters of Iraq so that [women] could be searched to help reduce violent attempts during the pilgrimage, said Capt. Walter Hatfield, one of the squadron s DOI liaison officers. There were no incidents in our area of operations. The DOI was formed in October 2008 to provide an extra layer of security at military checkpoints. It is against Iraqi cultural norms for men to search women, so DOI security members play a vital role for Iraqi and U.S. forces. Most of the women are widows with children, and are the sole providers for their households; others have husbands who are unemployed or disabled. The work was important to the women, as they haven t been paid for a contract earlier this year. The squadron is working to get other short-term contracts for the women as a stopgap until the pay issues are resolved and are working with the Government in Iraq to get the DOI further contracts. This was one way to get money into the women hands while back pay issues are being worked, said Hatfield, a Charleston, W. Va. native. We made strides today in the right direction showing that we fulfilled our end of the bargain. The women were extremely elated to work those ten days and were proud to do their part as Iraqi citizens, keeping their communities safe from potential terrorists, he said. Receiving this money gives us a renewed hope that we will receive money that is owed to us, said Entasar Yosif Yakoub, the manager of the 56 DOI workers in the area. Capt. Hatfield has been very helpful, working with us to get a new contract and the payments that are due. Mark Chesnutt visits 225th Engineer Brigade Photos by Lt. Col. Pat Simon 225th Eng. Bde., PAO BAGHDAD Country music singer Mark Chesnutt signs autographs for Sgt. Brandon Madrigal, and Spc. Joshua Brister, both of Pineville,La. serving with the 225th Engineer Brigade, Aug Staff Sgts. Natalie and Bryan Wall, of Pineville, La., members of the 225th Engineer Brigade, pose for a photo with country music singer Mark Chesnutt. Lt. Col. Greg Parker, of Gonzales, La. proudly displays his guitar country music star Mark Chesnutt autographed during a meet and greet session with Soldiers of the 225th Engineer Brigade.

4 PAGE 4 August 15, 2009 On This Day In Military History 1812 Potawatomi Indians kill William Wells, an Indian captive turned Indian fighter. Born in Pennsylvania in 1770, Wells migrated with his family to Kentucky when he was nine years WELLS old. Five years later he was captured by Miami Indians and adopted into the family of the Wea village chief Gaviahatte. The young boy quickly adapted to Indian ways. He became a distinguished warrior and married the daughter of a prominent Miami war chief. For several years, Wells fought with the Miami against American soldiers attempting to push them off their land. In 1792, however, the army captured his wife and adopted mother. In exchange for their freedom, Wells agreed to join the American army as an interpreter. A reunion with a long lost brother helped reinforce the allegiance of Wells to the Americans, though his loyalties remained conflicted for the rest of his life. For several years, Wells was an invaluable scout and interpreter for the U.S. Army, helping the Americans defeat the hostile factions of the Miami and other tribes. MND-B Pic of the day! Photo by Sgt. Shejal Pulivarti, 1BCT PAO BAGHDAD Bakersfield, Calif. native, Spc. Muana Felisardo, a Bradley mechanic for A Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, replaces the oil hub on a humvee Aug. 11 Multi-National Division Baghdad Morale, Welfare & Recreation and 225th Engineer Brigade Famous Feats of Chuck Norris Did you know? Most people have heard the quote, I think, therefore I am. What most people don t know is that the quote continues,... afraid of Chuck Norris. AUGUST Join Us at Oasis Dining Facility Remembrance Room to Commemorate the Anniversary of Women s Right to Vote All day viewing of Iron Jawed Angels Cake cutting ceremony AUGUST Rally outside Oasis Dining Facility March to Division Chapel Inspirational message featuring BG Heidi V. Brown Deputy Commanding General for Sustainment MNC-I

5 PAGE 5 August 15, 2009 Quote For Today Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. Albert Einstein, Scientist, Theorist Iraq 3-Day Weather Report Today 114 F 86 F Tomorrow 114 F 87 F Monday 116 F 87 F Cav Round-Up radio newscast available MND-B PAO BAGHDAD The Cav Round- Up is a three-minute radio newscast from Baghdad covering military units and events across Multi-National Division Baghdad. Today s Cav Round-Up # 133 was produced by Sgt Erik Fardette, MND-B Public Affairs Office. The August 14 newscast includes the following two stories: TRIVIA TIME!! To whom did Mahatma Gandhi write for advice on diet and exercise? Last Issue s Answer: A bear, in 1962, parachuted to safety 1. U.S. soldiers instruct their Iraqi counterparts on aspects of route clearance. Instructors help the ISF develop the critical job skll of route clearance. The instructors incorporate many different small classes into one route clearance course. 2. Behind the Scenes Soldiers help provide safety. Electronic Warfare Officers ensure the duke systems are working properly and that it jams the right frequency prior to leaving base. The missions that go on behind the scene continue to provide safety for Soldiers out on patrol NIPR LINK: Cav Round-Up SIPR LINK: Cav Round-Up Check out more news at the 1st Cavalry Division s homepage: Trigger s Teasers The objective of the game is to fill all the blank squares in a game with the correct numbers. There are three very simple constraints to follow: Every row of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1 through 9. Every Sudoku game begins with a number of squares already filled in, and the difficulty of each game is largely a function of how many squares are filled in. The more squares that are known, the easier it is to figure out which numbers go in the open squares. As you fill in squares correctly, options for the remaining squares are narrowed and it becomes easier to fill them in. Yesterday s Answers Multi-National Division - Baghdad Public Affairs Office Commanding General: Maj. Gen. Daniel Bolger Public Affairs Officer: Lt. Col. Philip Smith Public Affairs Chief: Master Sgt. Nicholas Conner Editor: Staff Sgt. Peter Ford Staff Writers: Sgt. 1st Class Ron Burke Sgt. 1st Class Jon Cupp Sgt. 1st Class Joel Quebec Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell Sgt. Joshua Risner Sgt. Jon Soles Spc. Laura Johnson Spc. Phillip Adam Turner The Daily Charge is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. Army. Contents of The Daily Charge are not official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department of the Army, or the 1st Cavalry Division. The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of the Army, the 1st Cavalry, or The Daily Charge of the products and services advertised. All editorial content of The Daily Charge is prepared, edited, provided and approved by the Multi-National Division Baghdad Public Affairs Office. Do you have a story to share? The Daily Charge welcomes columns, commentaries, articles, letters and photos from readers. Submissions should be sent to the Public Affairs NCOIC nicholas.conner@mnd-b.army.mil and include author s name, rank, unit and contact information. The Daily Charge reserves the right to edit submissions selected for the paper. For further information on deadlines, questions, comments or a request to be on our distribution list, the Editor at howard.alperin@mnd-b.army.mil