Victory Times. Chaplains look to curb Army divorce trend

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1 Victory Times Vol. II, Issue 122 Telling the Camp Victory story Chaplains look to curb Army divorce trend Story by Sgt. Brian James Anderson MNC-I PAO Statistics compiled by the Defense Manpower Data Center showed divorces among officers tripled from fiscal year 2002 to Army-wide, divorces increased by 3,024 after Operation Iraqi Freedom began. The Army has developed many new programs to help combat the growing number of divorces. These new programs allow the chaplains to do their part by helping Soldiers and their families deal with the ever increasing stress that comes with constant deployments in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Chaplain (Maj.) Charles Herring, Religious Support, Special Troops Battalion, Multi-National Corps-Iraq, said many Soldiers will allow their problems to stew, avoiding them at all cost, figuring they will solve themselves at some point, maybe when they return home. That s like driving and seeing you re going to get in a wreck and not putting on the brakes, Herring said. It doesn t make sense. Herring said relationships can grow during deployments, it just takes effort. A big thing is communication. Not just calling and writing s, but writing letters, sending cards, knowing your spouse and responding to their needs. Herring said his wife knows he likes cards, so she sends them to him on a regular basis. Graph courtesy Army Public Affairs The Army has devoloped new programs to help curve the rise in divorce Army-wide. Herring, who has been married for 35 years, said many marriages that have problems during this time of war and deployments are because they are still in their first few years of marriage. They are still learning about one another. Many religious leaders have a marriage counseling program that lasts from six months to two years. During this time young couples can learn about one another. For those who did not take the opportunity to go through this process, Herring said there are programs out there they can get involved with now. V Corps chaplains are already planning for redeployment retreats and programs to help Soldiers and their families, Herring said. One program is based on The Five love Languages, by Gary Chapman. The book explains how to communicate with your spouse by expressing heartfelt In today s Victory Times: commitment to tomorrow. He said there are many books and programs out there to help Soldiers grow with their spouses and families; the important thing is to commit to strengthening the relationships now, so there will be a brighter future for them. Not only are there programs for Soldiers when they return home, but it is also mandatory for all personnel redeploying to attend the Reunion brief as part of their out-processing procedures. The reunion brief hits key points of the homecoming and reintegration process. It is not easy for everyone to reintegrate, there are challenges that have to be faced, Herring said. The most important things are to expect change, communicate effectively and honor and respect the others experiences, Herring continued. There will be changes, we have to honor and respect those changes and experiences our families have developed over the time we were separated. Servicemembers who would like additional guidance on effective communication, marital and family advice and the reintegration process can seek help from their chaplain or another one of the many programs or personnel the military has employed to help servicemembers across the globe. Page 2: Chaplain s Corner, Camp Victory Three- Day Forecast Page 3: This Week in Military History Page 4: Currahee Soldiers run daily operations in Dora Page 5: Camp Victory operating hours

2 Page 2 Victory Times By Grace By Chaplain Charles Herring MNC-I Chaplain Office For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8-9 I remember reading somewhere that the famous evangelist Billy Graham was driving when a State Trooper stopped him and informed him he had been speeding. Graham immediately admitted his guilt, but the Trooper gave him a ticket. When Graham appeared in traffic court, the judge asked, Guilty, or not guilty? Graham pleaded guilty, and the judge replied, That will be ten dollars a Chaplain s Corner dollar for every mile you went over the speed limit. When the judge recognized that it was Billy Graham standing before him, he said, You have violated the law. The fine must be paid, but I am going to pay it for you. The judge paid the fine to the clerk and then took the famous evangelist to supper. Later in his career, Graham said, That is how God treats repentant sinners! It is all summed up in just one word grace. During my devotion, I really came to a new understanding of grace after reading the story of Billy Graham. For me, grace is defined as God doing for me what I don t deserve and can t do for myself. On my own, there is nothing I can do to make myself acceptable to God. No matter how hard I try to live a good life, I am still a sinner in need of a way to God. Sending His Son Jesus Christ as a once and for all sacrifice for my sin, God provided that way. Just like the judge who paid Billy Graham s speeding ticket, God has paid the price for my sin, making it possible for me to have fellowship with Him. Saint Paul summed up this relationship between God and grace when he wrote, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Every time I roll my window down and hear the words, License and registration, please I will be reminded of grace. Camp Victory Three-day Forecast Sunday T-storms High: 84 F Low: 64 F Monday Partly cloudy High: 85 F Low: 64 F Tuesday Isolated T-storms High: 87 F Low: 67 F

3 Page 3 Victory Times This Week in Military History with Lt. Tom Lewis, Australian Forces November 1942, 64 years ago, the question of how to attack Axis-dominated Europe in World War II was answered. Operation Torch had begun. After the attacks on Pearl Harbor, the immediate strategic question for America was where to engage. The Pacific needed consolidation after the Japanese strike, especially if a successful fight back was to be considered. Consequently, American naval forces, joined by those of other Allied nations, carried out operations and gained success in clashes such as the Battles of the Coral Sea, and Midway; but the German and Italian forces rampaging across Europe with considerable success would have to be countered. Planning for the war had taken place in the United States as hostilities commenced in the mid-1930s across Europe, with both fascism and communism coming to the foreground. The British Foreign Secretary, Sir Edward Grey said, The lights are going out all over Europe. We shall not see them lit again in our lifetime. By September 1939, his country was at war, as was France, while several other nations, such as Poland, had already been invaded. Soon, more were falling to the German jackboot. The U.S. had war plans on the shelf, and the one that had foreseen the situation was named Rainbow 5. Under this strategy, America and its allies would follow a plan of Germany First, and so it came to be. But where should any U.S. lodgment be? The main continental area bordered by France in the west was considered too strongly held by the Germans. In any case the Allies, let down by more than a decade of defense cuts and reductions, did not have the logistics and firepower to mount such an operation. Eventually, after months of debate and analysis, French-occupied North Africa was the aim. It was hoped the local strengths of Vichy France French forces which were now operating under German rule would in fact dissolve or surrender, and a foothold in southern Europe could be attempted. A three-pronged combined British and American amphibious and airborne operation was planned for November 8, along the top of the African coast. Maj. Gen. George S. Patton, keen for a fight, led the western force, and a range of other distinguished and proven commanders, lead the other five joint naval and land sections. Operation Torch saw the first major airborne assault carried out by the United States, with aircraft flying from Britain to drop their troops. The Vichy forces, whose commanders had been largely contacted, where it was thought feasible, by covertly-carried communications, asking for a negotiated surrender, only fought in places. By the second day of operations, on November 9, they had largely given up. Although the German reaction saw the talented General Rommel coming in for a future fight, the operation was a success, and a new front had been opened up in the European war.

4 Page 4 Victory Times Currahee Soldiers run daily operations in Dora Story and photos by Spc. James P. Hunter MNC-I PAO Soldiers with the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment prepare to move into Al Dora, just as they have done since the start of Operation Together Forward. Troops with Company D seem at ease and relaxed with their task and mission at hand prior to moving out. They have become accustomed to their daily ope r a t i o n s and pass a r o u n d jokes before it s time to get going. A song blares in the truck prior to leaving the gates. A line from the song seems similar to what they may hear while operating in Al Dora. And I swear that I don t have a gun. No I don t have a gun. No I don t have a gun, insisted Nirvana s front man Kurt Cobain from their song Come as You Are. The Currahee Soldiers run daily operations in Al Dora, maintaining their presence and conducting block parties, searching homes for weapons and explosives due to continued sectarian violence in Baghdad. One of their main objectives is dismounting and interacting with local nationals in hopes to locate and eliminate those responsible for the sectarian violence and deaths of coalition troops within the muhallahs, said 1st Lt. Matt Blackwell, platoon leader, 4th platoon, Company D, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment. During Operation Together Forward, they swept across Dora, clearing all 4,284 homes, detaining 24 suspects, registering 339 weapons and confiscating 71. The operation was supposed to help limit and minimize the amount of sectarian violence in the area, all together lowering the number of local national deaths in Baghdad. In a press conference earlier in the month, Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, spokesman, Multi-National Force-Iraq, said the operation did not achieve the results expected. Within weeks of the operation ending, Blackwell said insurgents and local nationals were able to get back into the area with weapons and explosives. Though Coalition Forces ripped through each home in Baghdad, obtaining large amounts of weapons and explosives, the fear of dying is still high among the Iraqis. While conducting a search in Dora Oct. 23, the Currahee troops searched several homes and came across a number of individuals who still fear the neighborhoods they grew up in. In one particular home, an older local national spoke in fear to the Soldiers. She seemed very eager to give Pvt. 1st Class Brian Wakefield, medic, 4th platoon, Company D, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, climbs over a wall during a presence patrol in Al Dora neighborhood of Baghdad, Oct. 23. the Soldiers insight on the troubles in the neighborhood, noting she has always lived in danger. She said a baker and An Iraqi man talks with Staff Sgt. Jorge Rosal, platoon sergeant, 4th platoon, Company D, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, while the Currahee troops were on patrol in Al Dora, Oct. 23. They interact with Iraqi citizens daily, trying to gather information on the violence within the area. a carpenter who lived a few houses down from hers were killed a few days prior. The elderly woman said two or three people a day were losing their life to violence amongst Iraqi citizens. Though she knew of killings in the area, she said she was reluctant at first because she fears her own life. Most local nationals in the area are reluctant to come forward with information because they are fearful, said Staff Sgt. Jorge Rosal, platoon sergeant, 4th platoon, Co. D, 2nd Bn., 506th Inf. Reg. Dora is a predominately Sunni area and Shittes in the area are often targeted and threatened. Blackwell and his platoon believe the problems within Dora are from a small, organized group within the area. The Soldiers need the cooperation and information from the local nationals to help track these men down. Rosal said the Iraqis in Dora tend to never see anything going on in their neighborhood. One Iraqi man was convinced there were insurgents operating outside his home because he could hear footsteps outside. Being very straight-forward, the man informed the troops that if he did spot the men placing improvised explosive devices or anything detrimental in the restructuring of Iraq, he would inform Coalition troops but would not exactly say who was responsible; another sign of fear running through the streets of Baghdad. Operation Together Forward gave troops the opportunity to locate and confiscate unnecessary weapons in Baghdad, but the sake of security relies in the hands of the local nationals. When the Currahee troops are on the ground talking to the locals, they pass out cards so those who see any suspicious acts can call and inform coalition troops. It has proven to work, said Blackwell. On one occasion, they were responding to an IED and gave an Iraqi female a contact card. A week later we got a phone call about an IED and there was one there, he said. The people are scared. They are threatened by the people within and when they do help us they risk the chance of being killed. In order for their area to get better, they need to help us.

5 Page 5 Victory Times Oct. 26, 2006 Operating hours Coalition Cafe Breakfast 5:30-8:30 a.m. Lunch 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Dinner 5:30-8 p.m. Midnight Dining 11 p.m. - 1 a.m. Sports Oasis Breakfast 5:30-8:30 a.m. Lunch 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Dinner 5-9 p.m. Shopette Open 24 Hours Camp Liberty Post Exchange Everyday 8 a.m p.m. Fitness Center Open 24 Hours MNC-I STB Mailroom Monday - Sunday 9 a.m. - noon 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Golby Troop Medical Clinic Sick Call Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - noon Saturday & Sunday 9 a.m. - noon Dental Sick Call: Monday - Friday 7:30-10:30 a.m. Saturday 9-10:30 a.m. Mental Health Clinic: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m. - noon Post Deployment Health Briefings: Monday - Friday 1 p.m. Pharmacy: Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - noon, 1-4:30 p.m. Saturday & Sunday 7:30 a.m. - noon Legal Assistance/Claims Saturday - Thursday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Friday 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Personnel Service Support Centers Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. ID Cards Monday - Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Submit letters from home Is your loved one deployed in support of Multi-National Corps-Iraq? Would you like to write him or her a message in the Victory Times? Send messages, three to four lines of text to curtis.squires@iraq.centcom.mil. Ensure to include Soldiers name, rank, and unit. Victory Times welcomes columns, commentaries, articles and letters from our readers. Send submissions or comments to jason.baker@iraq.centcom.mil. We reserve the right to edit for security, accuracy, propriety, policy, clarity and space. New Location For Army National Guard Retention Office NOW LOCATED IN AREA 51 GO INTO AREA 51 PAST FUEL POINT TURN LEFT AT BUS STOP GO THROUGH FENCE ON LEFT SIDE OF MWR LOCATED DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM PBO TRAILER 51TR8 STOP BY AND CHECK OUT YOUR OPTIONS Sgt. 1 st Class JOHN GRAY, THEATER RETENTION NCO MNC-I Commanding General: Lt. Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli MNC-I Public Affairs Officer: Lt. Col. Michelle L. Martin-Hing MNC-I PA Sergeant Major: Sgt. Maj. Paul J. Stevenson MNC-I Command Info Chief: Sgt. 1st Class Laurence R. Lang MNC-I Production Chief: Staff Sgt. Jason B. Baker Layout/Design Chief: Spc. Curt Squires Victory Times Staff writers/ photographers: Sgt. Brian James Anderson, Spc. Curt Squires, Spc. James P. Hunter, Cpl. Jessica Kent, Spc. Sean Finch Victory Times is an authorized electronic publication for members of the Department of Defense. Contents of this electronic publication are not necessarily the official views of or endorsed by the U.S. Government or the Department of Defense. The editorial content of this publication is the responsibility of the Public Affairs Office of Multi-National Corps Iraq.