CJTF-82 Theft prevalent during transition periods

Transcription

1

2 CJTF-82 Theft prevalent during transition periods BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan Property crimes tend to spike during transition periods such as deployments and redeployments. Servicemembers and civilians have reported theft of property throughout Afghanistan since Combined Joint Task Force-82 deployed to the country and assumed responsibility for eastern Afghanistan. Generally, primary targets are personal property, specifically small electronic items such as laptop computers, digital cameras and MP3/DVD players. Cash and other easily concealable valuables left unattended are also potential targets. Temporary living areas, transient tents, passenger terminals, gyms and places where servicemembers may leave their possessions unattended frequently become hot spots for theft. Eighty-six cases of personal property theft have been reported to CJTF-82 since May. Options available to employ a solid crime-prevention program for servicemembers and civilians departing theater include: providing a guard for the unit s designated portion of the transient living area and watching for suspicious people hanging out or transiting through these areas; briefing servicemembers on proper care and accountability of personal items and spot-checking living areas; and posting Operation Crime Watch posters around the unit area. Additionally, servicemembers should complete a high-dollar value item sheet listing all items in excess of $100 by type and serial number. The unit keeps a copy and gives one to the servicemember. In the event a theft does occur, the servicemember can include this document in a claim packet under certain circumstances. While these steps may help deter theft, they may not eliminate it. Any servicemember or civilian employee who becomes a victim should report the crime to the closest military police immediately. Personnel can help deter crime by making smart choices and remaining vigilant at all times. Navy GSA detailing process improves IA assignments GREAT LAKES, Ill. The Global War on Terror support assignment detailing system is offering a better balance between personnel requirements, GWOT and improving stability for Sailors and their families. Just this last week, we finally realized the outlines of the GSA detailing and GWOT support-assignments process. It is how we have brought the individual augmentation process into the mainstream of the detailing process, said Vice Adm. John Harvey Jr., commander, Naval Personnel Command. We have put predictability and stability into the process for our Sailors and their families. NAVADMIN 002/08, Individual Augmentation Manpower Management Business Rules, and NAVADMIN 003/08, GSA Detailing Business Rules, released this week, capture the feedback Navy leaders received when asking Sailors and commands how to create a better system for IA assignments. Harvey said more than 700 Sailors have negotiated IA assignments under the GSA detailing process since it was introduced in June 2007, and that number will grow over the next two years to encompass the entire IA process. The GSA detailing concept allows Sailors to negotiate for an IA tour when it fits their needs. Eventually, it will replace the need to pull Sailors from other assignments mid-tour to fill an IA. GSA Sailors receive administrative permanent-change-ofstation orders to San Diego or Norfolk and temporary duty orders for all training and movement, including to the Navy Mobilization Processing Site. PCS orders allow for moving dependents to fleet concentration areas with large support services and infrastructure. If dependents choose to remain in their current location, they retain military housing and basic-allowance-for-housing entitlements for that location. In addition to improving the detailing process, the Navy has also implemented several other provisions for those who complete an IA tour. We have put incredible flexibility into the exam process, Harvey said. If it is the right circumstances where the Sailor can prepare and take the exam, then we will give it to them. If that Sailor is engaged in operations on the ground that do not permit us to give him or her the exam, it won t adversely affect that Sailor. Additionally, advancement points are now awarded for successful IA duty accomplished. Selection boards are given precepts, which guide them and provide weight to the IA experience for both officers and enlisted on active and reserve selection boards. Recognizing that this IA mission is extremely important and it will be with us for a while, we are taking the steps to bring it into the mainstream of how we do business and that will be better for the Sailor; it will be better for their command and it will be a lot better for their family, Harvey said. In addition to billets in Iraq and Afghanistan, GSA detailing will also cover assignments to the Horn of Africa, Kuwait, Bahrain, Germany, South America, Cuba, Kosovo, the Philippines, and stateside in Tampa, Fla., and Arlington, Va. GSA billets are currently available on Career Management System-Interactive Detailing, the program enlisted Sailors use to apply for orders. The Web address is navy.mil. Billets are listed under the category code 90GS. Officers can contact their detailer directly for information on GSA billets. I think we have a good package in these two NAVADMINS and our focus now is on execution, Harvey said. What we want to do now is to hear from the Sailors, hear from their commands, work with the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy and the master chief community and seek feedback and determine what else we need to do to improve. 2 Freedom Watch Magazine

3 Freedom Watch Staff Commander Air Force Lt. Col. Thomas Davis Superintendent Air Force Master Sgt. Collen McGee Print NCOIC Air Force Staff Sgt. Ian Carrier Editor Air Force Staff Sgt. Marc Nickens Staff Writer Senior Airman Stephen Ocenosak Staff Writer Senior Airman Rob Joswiak Freedom Watch 4 5 A smart start Feb. 4, 2008 Afghan students prepare for future through education Battling the elements and violence Able Company Paratroopers bring hope to Pech Valley Visit the CJTF-82 Web site at Freedom Watch is a weekly publication of Combined Joint Task Force-82. CJTF-82 Commander Army Maj. Gen. David M. Rodriguez RC East Public Affairs Officer Army Lt. Col. David A. Accetta Freedom Watch, a Department of Defense publication, is published each Monday by the American Forces Network Afghanistan Print Section, Bldg. 415, Room 205 at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Printed circulation is 5,000 copies per week. In accordance with DoD Instruction , this DoD newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. military overseas. Contents of the Freedom Watch are not necessarily the official view of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government or the Department of Defense. Deadline for submissions is noon local each Friday. All submissions are subject to editing by the AFN-A Print Section. We can be reached at DSN Changing of the guard in Salerno Task Force No Mercy takes over from Task Force Deserthawk Winter warmth Ghazni PRT delivers medical care and clothes Working toghether ANA Thunder Corps work with premier trainers Here we come Afghan Commandos make presence known in Tag Ab Valley Chow time Soldier cooks up morale in Nawa COVER: 1st Lt. Kareem F. Hernandez, a New York resident and also 2nd Platoon Leader in Able Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), talks on the radio while village elders and a Afghan National Policeman walk down the mountain during a patrol to Omar in Kunar Province Afghanistan Jan. 11. Photo by Army Sgt. Brandon Aird Freedom Watch Magazine 3

4 Afghan students prepare for future through education; school supplies Story by Spc. Gregory Argentieri 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan The future of Afghanistan lays in the hearts and minds of its children. Task Force Saber Paratroopers act as a continuing liaison for a school partnership program between American and Afghan schools in Kunar and Nuristan Provinces. The partnership links children and schools in Afghanistan with children and schools primarily in the U.S., Italy and Germany to provide Afghan children with pens, pencils, paper, chalk, notebooks and pen-pals. The 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment Paratroopers provide updates to partner schools on the progress of the Afghan children through pictures and letters. Being in the U.S., it is hard to visualize the lack of resources they have here, said Army Capt. Jay VanDenbos, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1-91 Cav. Ninety percent of the schools are open-air schools, which sometimes is just a tarp and a dirt floor. They ll have a rock that they use as a chalk board, and kids sit underneath the tarp and learn. Most of the kids want to learn. They yearn for knowledge. Anytime anyone goes on patrols, the kids are screaming to give me pen, give me pen. They don t have anything they can use to learn, added VanDenbos. The partnership program is important because the Afghans don t have money, said Army Staff Sgt. Larry Gormley, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1-91 Cav. An American school sending them paper, pens and pencils is helping to educate the Afghan people, and educated people are not the kind of people that strap a bomb to themselves to try to blow somebody up. The benefit of the partnership between the schools goes both ways. For the American kids, it gives them a little bit of cultural awareness of the rest of the world, said Gormley. I think the mission is great; kids are getting school Afghan students in Naray hold up school supplies received through the school-partnership program. According to Army Capt. Jay VanDenbos, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, roughly 47 percent of the region s population are school-age kids under the age of 15. Photo: Army Capt. Jay Vandenbos supplies, and it s improving their level of education. The Afghan teachers who have seen their facilities destroyed over the years, are firmly behind the program and appreciate the benefits of it. Coalition forces are always giving school supplies to the students and I support the Coalition forces for helping the children, said Pacha Gul Aulfat, an Afghan schoolteacher. It makes me really angry that we do not have school buildings, but Coalition forces are building schools for us. Most of the past generations are uneducated, but my plan for the future is to teach. I will provide the students of the next generation with an education, said Aulfat. Now is a time for education, and all of our attention must be given to education. Ultimately, all of the effort put into the program is for children like 10-year-old Ibrahim, who lives nearby and is spending his winter-break learning English from a cook at Forward Operating Base Naray. Ibrahim says he likes school and has very good teachers. He only attended school for one year, but proudly says that he passed his year-end exams and will advance to the next level when school resumes. Whenever I get an education in the future, I would like to become a doctor or engineer, said Ibrahim. Whenever I grow-up and I become older and older, I would like to serve my country. I love my people, and this is my mission, to complete my education and serve the people of my own country. The school partnership program began May To participate in the school-to-school partnership program, write to: Naray School Partnership, HHT 1-91 Cav., 173rd ABCT, TF Saber, FOB Naray, APO, AE Freedom Watch Magazine

5 Able Company battles elements, violence Paratroopers bring hope, stability to Pech Valley Story and photo by Army Sgt. Brandon Aird 173rd Airborne Brigade Comabat Team Public Affairs KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - The sound of water dripping through the roof was a constant reminder of the weather outside at Forward Operating Base Able Main. A stray cat seeking shelter was making noise as it curled up in the loose roof insulation, enjoying the warmth of the rising heat. Two Paratroopers frantically ran around covered from the waist-up in mud, unsuccessfully trying to divert a small pond of water that had risen and streamed into their building. Water seeped through sandbags and ran inside. Three days of rain turned the FOB into a field of puddles. Once the puddles were contained and their gear was safe, the Paratroopers went back to work. Through the flooding, the Paratroopers never stopped patrolling the new Pech Road in Kunar Province. Night and day, through rain and snow, they patroled the $7.5 million Pech Road to bring security to an area known for violence. The Soldiers make up Able Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), also known as The Rock. Even though Able Company is an infantry company, the company commander stresses their main focus is taking care of the villages in and around the Pech River Valley. We re responsible for over a hundred villages, explained Army Capt. Louis Frketic, Able Company commander. Able Company works side-by-side with the Afghan National Police and Afghan National Army to help bring security and development to the area. We ve put a tremendous amount of effort into connecting with the people, Frketic explained. One of the key ways Able Company is accomplishing that task is through humanitarian aid missions and assisting the Kunar Provincial Reconstruction Team as they build infrastructure and construct government facilities in the province. We literally do one to five humanitarian aid missions a day between our platoons or facilitating the [Kunar PRT], said Frketic. We ve done at least 500 since we got here. It s astronomical. We ve given out building supplies, food, Qurans, prayer rugs, clothing pretty much the entire spectrum of HA. One of the biggest projects in the area was the construction of the Pech Road, which over the last eight months, opened up the area to new opportunities. An Afghan National Policeman looks off into the distance during a patrol with 2nd Platoon, Able Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), near the town of Omar in Kunar Province. Taliban extremists don t want the region to prosper under the new government. Arriving in May 2007, Able Company engaged in more than 150 firefights with Taliban, al- Qaida and other anti-coalition militants. Although the violence did not allow international aid agencies to operate consistently in the Pech Valley, it has not stopped Able Company or the Kunar PRT from offering humanitarian aid or continuing the development of self help projects, according to Frketic. Able Company launches these efforts out of FOBs Able Main, Honaker-Miracle and Michigan all on the Pech Road. The three bases are strategically placed, enabling Able Company to engage more villages and cover a larger area. FOB Michigan is the home of 2nd Platoon and they are on the front line of these efforts on a daily basis. Normally, on any given day we have two patrols, said Army 1st Lt. Kareem Hernandez, 2nd Platoon leader. In the morning, we usually go check on our elders to make sure they re doing alright and see if they need anything. Hernandez and the ANP have good working relationship with the village elders and area populace. After three days of rain and six inches of snow, 2nd Plt. and a squad of ANP walked 45 minutes to visit the village of Omar. The patrol was held so Hernandez, ANP and the village elders could discuss future projects and security in the area. While the patrol was intended for business, the rapport built in the meeting allowed for some humor. Two weeks ago we were in South Omar and some guy started shooting at us from a house, explained Hernandez to the village elders. Halfway through the firefight, the house he was in caught on fire from a rocket. The guy actually set his weapon outside against a tree and started throwing buckets of water on the house. The village elders laughed when Hernandez told him the story saying, The people up in South Omar are crazy. After the meeting, village elders walked Hernandez down the mountain and promised to visit him soon at FOB Michigan. During the walk, the sun finally poked its head through the clouds and the snow started to thaw, emulating the relationships between Soldiers and villagers. Freedom Watch Magazine 5

6 No Mercy takes reigns in Salerno Story and photo by Spc. Nathan W. Hutchison 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan A transfer of authority ceremony was held here to welcome Task Force No Mercy, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, and show appreciation to Task Force Deserthawk, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, for its year of service. The outgoing command team was Lt. Col. Donald Kwan and Command Sgt. Major Patrick Powers. The incoming command team is Lt. Col. John Scott and Command Sgt. Maj. Lebert Beharie. I would like to commend Lt. Col. Donald Kwan and Command Sgt. Maj. Powers and the entire Task Force Deserthawk team on a phenomenal deployment, with 3,069 missions, over 16,000 flight hours and countless scheduled maintenance services, said Army Col. Martin Schweitzer, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division commander. [Their] commitment to excellence and willingness to follow through to the end is perhaps best exemplified by the CH-47 Chinook helicopter 400- hour phase, currently ongoing. A mere 12 months ago, this capability did not exist. The 400-hour phase is a series of Army Lt. Col. John Scott and Command Sgt. Maj. Lebert Beharie, Task Force No Mercy, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, uncase the colors at a transfer of authority ceremony at Forward Operating Base Salerno. maintenance requirements on Chinook helicopters implemented by 82nd CAB for every 400 hours of flight time. Schweitzer further applauded the service provided by TF Deserthawk and welcomed TF No Mercy with visions of promise. Lt. Col. Scott, Command Sgt. Maj. Beharie and the Task Force No Mercy team, I know you are ready to accept any mission and defeat the enemy, Schweitzer said. I am honored to be in the presence of great Soldiers who continue to sacrifice for the welfare of our nation as we continue to serve in this time of uncertainty and war. Before deploying, TF No Mercy took part in training at Fort Bliss, Texas and Fort Carson, Colo. Schweitzer said he is looking forward to TF No Mercy and the 4th BCT, TF Fury working together. ANSF, Coalition forces stop attacks in Helmand Province Courtesy of Combined Joint Task Force - 82 Public Affairs BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan Afghan National Security Forces, advised by Coalition forces, stopped two potential insurgent attacks while conducting security patrols in Helmand Province. Near the village of Tambah in Narh-e Saraj District, a suspected insurgent was seen placing an improvised explosive device on a frequently-traveled roadway near the Helmand River. After observing the illegal activity and ensuring no civilians were in the immediate area, Afghan National Army soldiers called in Coalition aircraft to drop precision-guided munitions on the IED location. The secondary explosion, caused by the explosive material in the IED, confirmed the weapon s destruction, making the road safe for civilians traveling in the area. Just a few kilometers north of Tambah, near the village of Qadar Kalay, also in Narh-e Saraj District, credible intelligence indicated that a group of insurgent spotters occupying an enemy observation post were coordinating further attacks against ANSF and Coalition soldiers. Afghan National Army soldiers responded by calling in Coalition aircraft to eliminate the insurgent location. Tambah is a known center for insurgent activity. During a security patrol through the village, the combined force found several 105mm and 82mm shell casings, IED-making materials and a cache of drugs. Hiding weapons and drugs in civilian areas is a continuing tactic used by insurgents placing innocent civilians in danger, explained Army Maj. Chris Belcher, a Coalition spokesman. Helmand Province has been an insurgent stronghold for a while. In December, ANSF liberated the Musa Qaleh area, returning the village to Afghan citizens. While pockets of insurgent activity remain in the area, ANSF remain committed to removing this threat from the Helmand Province. 6 Freedom Watch Magazine

7 ANSF, Coalition forces destroy unexploded Soviet mine Courtesy of Combined Joint Task Force - 82 Public Affairs BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan Afghan National Security Forces, advised by Coalition forces, discovered and destroyed an unexploded anti-personnel mine located near an elementary school in Chamkani Village, Chamkani District, Paktya Province. Local construction workers discovered the land mine while digging an irrigation ditch in Chamkani. They immediately alerted the Afghan National Police to investigate. ANP and Coalition engineers came to the scene and cordoned off the area while alerting local citizens to the danger. The engineers identified the device as an old Soviet-era anti-personnel mine, buried about two feet below the surface. According to local residents, the area had been cleared at least five times since the Soviet withdrawal, explained Army Maj. Chris Belcher, a Coalition spokesman. Afghan National Security Forces continue to find anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, as well as improvised explosive devices all over Afghanistan, Belcher said. When the mines are discovered, ANSF removes them to make the area safer for Afghan citizens. The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is committed to protecting the Afghan people. A Coalition Soldier scans for unexploded ordnance after construction workers discovered an unexploded antipersonnel mine near an elementary school in Chamkani Village, Chamkani District, Paktya Province. Courtesy photo

8 Army Pvt. Shawn Testa, combat medic, 3rd Platoon, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, inspects an Afghan boy who complained of ear pain at a clinic in Nawa District, Ghazni Province. Courtesy photo Winter Warmth Ghazni PRT delivers medical care, clothes By Spc. Nathan W. Hutchison 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment FIREBASE NAWA, Afghanistan As seasons change in Afghanistan and the snow starts falling, assistance missions shift from development efforts to missions that focus on providing protection from winter s harsh conditions. The Afghan National Police and the Ghazni Provincial Reconstruction Team has provided medical care, as well as clothes, blankets and toys, to villages throughout the province. Nawa is one of the more remote districts in the Ghazni Province. With only one active clinic for about 40 villagers, the residents were reluctant to accept medical care from Coalition forces prior to this mission. The PRT before us came down and did medical outreaches like we are doing, but no one ever showed up except for a few ANP, said Navy Lt. Keith Hoekman, medical officer for Ghazni PRT. Recently, some of the village elders got together and requested we come down and provide some medical care. Radio messages informed the villagers that PRT medics would be available at the clinic, and approximately 100 people were waiting when the team arrived. Pvt. Shawn Testa, a combat medic with 3rd Platoon, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, said the ailments they treated ranged from minor colds to serious diseases. We saw different age groups, from infants to the elderly, and they seemed to feel comfortable with us, said Testa. We get the feeling of satisfaction because they really appreciated us being there to help. But satisfaction wasn t the only thing to be gained for a Soldier with less than a year in the Army and only two months in Afghanistan. I learned a lot about different medications and ailments, Testa said. It was good to see and help that many people who were actually sick. Hoekman explained that more women showed up to be treated than expected. We saw over 750 people during the four days, including more than 150 women, which is a huge number for this area, Hoekman said. For a typical medical engagement in Ghazni Province, only about five percent would be female, and almost all of them would be little girls. It is a huge indicator the people trust us and are willing to stand up against the Taliban s attempted control. Villagers in Small Nawa did not attend the initial event, either because of Taliban warnings or weather, but by the next day they eagerly sought medical aid from the team. 8 Freedom Watch Magazine

9 The only region that didn t make it the first two days was Small Nawa, the region where they had a lot of kidnappings and a pretty consistent enemy presence, said Army 1st Lt. Mordechai Sorkin, 3rd Platoon leader, Co. B, 2nd Bn., 508th PIR. The PRT guys still had supplies, so we took a trip, along with the ANP and the sub-governor, to a couple villages there. According to Sorkin the initial response was not positive, but soon the people crowded the improvised clinic for medical assistance. So many people turned out, added Sorkin. It was just another demonstration that the government is here to help them and the coalition forces are here to support the government. Hoekman said future medical programs are already being planned because of the large turn out and positive response during this mission. They are talking about this mission as a medical assessment to figure out what to do for more long-term medical solutions in this area, Sorkin said. I just hope next time [the PRT] comes longer so we can hit more areas. Hoekman said the mission s enormous success was not anticipated because of the low turnout in previous missions. I think it truly is a change in the tide of people s perception about their government and Coalition forces, and their willingness to stand up against the Taliban, Hoekman said. That is a significant breakthrough, so I see good things to come in Nawa district. A young girl eats a bag of cookies given to her by a U.S. Soldier at a clinic in Nawa District. Courtesy photo Weather conditions made it difficult for some villagers to travel to a medical clinic in Nawa District, so Coalition medics traveled to some of the more distant villages in the area. Courtesy photo

10 ANA Thunder Corps work with premier trainers Courtesy of Combined Joint Task Force - 82 Public Affairs FORWARD OPERATING BASE Lightning, Afghanistan The U.S. Army s premier trainers of the Joint Readiness Training Center have deployed outside of the United States for the first time to train another nation s forces. Every U.S. Army unit that deploys to Afghanistan or Iraq goes through the same training and now Afghan National Army and Coalition commanders acknowledge that the ANA 203rd Corps is ready for this next level of training. This is a tremendous recognition of the present capabilities and the potential of a premier team within the Afghan National Security Force. This investment in their development is an investment towards long-term security for Afghanistan, said Army Col. Martin Schweitzer, commander, 4th Brigade Combat Team, and 82nd Airborne Division. The 203rd Corps staff is in the lead here, planning and executing the last four major operations conducted in south eastern Afghanistan since late summer If they weren t ready for this next step in their development, we wouldn t have asked for Army Maj. Brian Sullivan, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division operations officer, looks on while Brig. Gen. Mir Sahab Gul, 203rd Thunder Corps of the Afghan National Army chief of staff, prepares for a command post exercise. Soldiers from the 203rd Thunder Corps of the Afghan National Army and members of the Afghan National Police held a joint planning exercise during a command post exercise at Forward Operating Base Thunder. The exercise was controlled by Soldiers from the Joint Readiness Training Center out of Fort Polk, La. Photos: Army Sgt. Matt Leary this. The 203rd Corps completed an intensive five-day command post exercise with staff from the JRTC and their Coalition partners of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne in south eastern Afghanistan to train and develop the skills of their staff officers and senior noncommissioned officers. This exercise included the subordinate ANA staff throughout eastern Afghanistan allowing the JRTC trainers to observe and mentor ANA staff at all levels. Although no ground troops were involved, the participants in the exercise used maps and computers to position units in order to attack the enemy and respond to an unexpected natural disaster on a simulated battlefield. While the exercise included planning and executing a full-scale operation and covered routine battle drills, the trainers threw in some surprises so the ANA staff had to quickly react and work through unexpected situations. Major General Abdul Khaliq, ANA 203rd Corps commander, was pleased with the exercise. This command post exercise training event, conducted with the United States Army Joint Readiness Training Center is the latest exercise to assess and improve the quality of the ANA corps staff and the ANP, he said. In 2007, we executed independent operations, and we are currently planning independent operations for I am grateful for the progress and increasing capabilities of the security forces of Afghanistan. I appreciate all efforts in improving Afghanistan, and the ANA, [Afghan National Police], and Afghan nation appreciate the support of the U.S. forces. Participants in the training event recognized the value in sending the JRTC staff to Afghanistan. JRTC is designed to train and improve the Soldiers and leaders of the U.S. Army. Bringing our staff to Afghanistan provides another step forward towards improving the capabilities and self-sufficiency of the Afghan National Security Forces and developing the future leaders of the ANA, said Air Force Maj. Robert Phillips, Public Affairs Officer, Joint Readiness Training Center. 10 Freedom Watch Magazine

11 Afghan Commandos make presence known Four day operation disrupts insurgents in Tag Ab Valley Courtesy of Combined Joint Task Force - 82 Public Affairs Afghan National Army Commandos from the 2nd Company, 205th Kandak, search a suspected insurgent hideout in Tag Ab Valley, Kapisa Province. An Afghan National Army Commando from the 2nd Company, 205th Kandak, conducts a Shura with village elders in Tag Ab Valley, Kapisa Province. The Commandos conducted a four-day operation to disrupt insurgent activities in the area. (Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Afghanistan. Photos: Army Staff Sgt. Corey Dennis BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan Afghan National Army Commandos from 2nd Company, 205th Kandak, advised by Coalition forces, conducted a four-day operation to disrupt insurgent activity in the volatile Tag Ab Valley of Kapisa Province. The Tag Ab Valley has is a stronghold where villagers live in fear of insurgents who support the Hizb-e-Islami-Gulbuddin terrorist organization. The goals of the operation were to deny insurgents support bases in Kapisa Province, demonstrate the capabilities of the newly formed commandos, having Afghan forces secure a foot-hold in the southern part of the valley and facilitate support operations establishing security checkpoints throughout the region. The 205th Commandos patrolled the Naghlu Reservoir to the village of Jangali disrupting insurgent activities in the center of the valley as the combined force moved north. Many suspected insurgents were observed fleeing to the north and east through the Chine Gar pass, but no enemy combatants were captured during the operation. This operation was a graduation exercise to provide confidence in the abilities of the newly-formed Commando Kandak. The company trained for nearly three months and focused on small-unit and special operations tactics, techniques and procedures. It s clear that our men were well prepared for this mission, said the 205th Commando Kandak sergeant major. The morale and the enthusiasm of the men were outstanding. The Soldiers and the NCOs all did their jobs very well. Commando operations differ from conventional Afghan National Army operations in the degree of risk, operational techniques employed, independence from friendly support and dependence on detailed operational intelligence, according to Army Maj. Chris Belcher, a Coalition spokesman. Commando operations will fill the security gap in remote high-threat locations where limited or no regular Afghan National Security Forces are available. Afghan Commandos are a rapidly deployable, highly mobile, light infantry unit that is organized and trained to conduct complex operations, said Belcher. These operations can be in coordination with, or in support of, other Afghan National Security Forces. The 205th Kandak performed their tasks extremely well during this operation in Tag Ab Valley, Belcher continued. They were able to validate their training and demonstrate their readiness to conduct future combat operations. We stressed combat logistics elements, the combat employment of the company and their leadership to maneuver those companies in enemy terrain. The Commandos did very well and met all our expectations. The Commandos accomplished their mission disrupting insurgent activity throughout Tag Ab Valley, according to Belcher. The Commandos are Afghanistan s premier military force, Belcher said. They are committed to removing insurgents from Afghanistan, protecting Afghan citizens from insurgent intimidation and criminal activity and supporting the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan s reconstruction and development programs to make life better for Afghan citizens. Freedom Watch Magazine 11

12 Soldier cooks up morale in Nawa Story by Spc. Nathan Hutchison 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment FIREBASE NAWA, Afghanistan - Soldiers deployed to the front lines are used to less extravagant food -- like Meals, Ready to Eat -- a high-energy, high-calorie meal with little emphasis on taste. Spc. Dairo Orozco, Company F, 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, is the cook for Paratroopers here, but his true skills are underscored by MREs and Unitized Group Ration meals. A [UGR] is just precooked stuff you put in boiling water for about 45 minutes to an hour and presto, said Orozco, a 25- year-old Queens, N.Y. native. You just set it and forget it. Orozco, called Roscoe by the Soldiers, stationed at the firebase, located in southern Ghazni, since November. I was selected to come out here to do the big Thanksgiving Day meal because the brigade commander and command sergeant major were coming out, Orozco said. I never got replaced, so I did the same for Christmas and just stuck around. Even though it s not hard to please a platoon of Paratroopers used to dining on MREs, Orozco has culinary arts in his blood. My father and uncle are chefs, Orozco explained. My father is the food production manager at Gate Gourmet, an airline catering company, and my uncle is an executive chef at Intercontinental Army 1st Lt. Mordechai D. Sorkin, 3rd Platoon leader, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division grabs a plate of buffalo chicken Jan. 14 at Firebase Nawa, Afghanistan. photo: Army Spc. Nathan W. Hutchison Hotels. While Orozco may not have the facilities to create a gourmet meal, the Soldiers at Nawa appreciated his efforts during the holidays. Christmas dinner was great, said Army 1st Lt. Mordechai D. Sorkin, 3rd Platoon leader, Company B, 2nd Bn., 508th PIR. He s pretty creative; makes due with minimal resources and makes some pretty good stuff. With UGR as the canvas for a culinary masterpiece, it s usually difficult for Orozco to constantly rise to the challenge. Pizza-baked spaghetti is the number one product right now, but not by choice, Orozco said. One of the better UGR meals is the buffalo chicken and lemon chicken, but most of our food stock consists of pizza bake. Pizza-bake spaghetti, a meal consisting of meat chunks, noodles and pizza sauce, tops the list of worst entrees according to Orozco, but he tries to make the meals as enjoyable as possible. Rosco puts a lot more effort into the food than just dropping it in the water, so we re not really eating the same thing every time, said Spc. Jermey A. Clark, 4th Plt., Co. B, 2nd Bn., 508th PIR. He s done the best he can with what we have. Luckily for the Paratroopers in Nawa, Orozco has enough knowledge about the local food and spices to make a meal from scratch. Probably about once a week he goes out to get local food and cook it up, Clark said. He s a real good cook, and I think it helps out a lot with the guys morale. Orozco said he originally joined the Army for culinary arts, but they dropped that Military Occupational Speciality and changed everyone to food operations specialists. The Army hasn t been exactly what I was expecting, but it has made me more mature, Orozco explained. I may not have learned much more about culinary arts than I already knew, but I know I ll make better decisions once I get out because of my training. 12 Freedom Watch Magazine

13 Freedom Watch Magazine 13

14 Photos From the Field Afghan students from the girls school in Narang District, Konar Province, line up to receive school and other supplies from the Narang District sub-governor. Photo: Army Sgt. Johnny Aragon Have a photo you d like to see in Freedom Watch Afghanistan? freedomwatch@swa.army.mil 14 Freedom Watch Magazine

15 A Soldier from Echo Battery, 2nd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery, 82nd Airborne Division, prepares to load a 155mm Howitzer at Forward Operating Base Clark to move it to New Sabari in support of Operation Matoon. Photo: Army Sgt. David Kobi Soldiers from 3rd Squad, B Company, Division Special Troop Battalion, Task Force Gladius, move along a wall into a village in pursuit of Taliban forces who shot at them with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms. Photo: Army Sgt. Johnny Aragon Freedom Watch Magazine 15

16

17