IP, Pa. Guardsmen provide help in Taji

Transcription

1 Multi-National Division Baghdad First Team...Team First Tuesday, May 19, 2009 IP, Pa. Guardsmen provide help in Taji Photo by Capt. Maggie White, 56th SBCT PAO A Soldier stands guard as Iraqi women and children wait to receive food aid from the Iraqi National Police. By Capt. Maggie White 56th SBCT PAO, MND-B CAMP TAJI, Iraq Iraqi National Police, working with Pennsylvania National Guardsmen, distributed over five truckloads worth of food and household supplies to needy women in the Taji area, north of Baghdad, May 16. Women lined up with their children to receive food donated by the United Nations; made available to them at the Taji Council building. Many of them said they had lost husbands in the war and have been struggling to provide for their young children. 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team Soldiers discovered the food in a warehouse on Camp Taji when the unit took over operations last February. Civil affairs Soldiers and members of embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team 5, based out of Camp Taji, worked with the National Police to make the food available to distribute to needy women and children. This is UN relief food to give to the needy, such as the handicapped, widowed, orphaned, said Maj. James Fluck, civil affairs officer for the 56th SBCT. Iraqi women patiently lined up for several hours in order to receive their share of food and goods, which included rice, lentils, diapers, canned goods, and household cleaning supplies. Forty-five families received food, with enough left over for another fifty. Sosun al-ergaz, president An Iraqi woman gathers up food given to her by the National Police, May 16. of Services for Women and Children of the Taji area, inspected all of the food before distributing it to ensure that everything was in good condition. She gently called the women forward and took down their names as they piled everything into large sacks to carry home. I feel good about this, to help a lady whose husband has died get food for her family, al-ergaz said. Islam teaches us to help others, and it was the way I was brought up. Iraqi National Police worked with Taji officials to help coordinate the distribution at the city center. Capt. Maria Claus, a 56th SBCT Soldier who works with the Iraq Security Forces, said this operation set a good precedent Photo by Capt. Maggie White, 56th SBCT PAO for the people of Taji. The NP did a great job of working with the local nationals to get this food to the people who need it. Claus said, The people here see that they are working hard to take care of the Qada (area) and the people of Iraq. Maj. Fluck hopes that this project will be the first of many that help the citizens of Taji. He stressed that the role of the civil affairs Soldiers and eprt member is to help mentor the Iraqi officials to operate independent of coalition forces. We want to help the National Police with civil affairs and humanitarian aid training; it s a good partnership between us and them Fluck said.

2 PAGE 2 May 19, 2009 Wall removal marshals economic boost By 2nd Lt. Josh Risher 1BCT, 1CD PAO BAGHDAD The town of Boob al-sham s economy has seen a healthy change in the few weeks since Soldiers of 1st Garryowen Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division and Iraqi police from 2nd Battalion, 1st National Police Division, removed a series of large barrier walls from an industrial area near the Baghdad-Diyala highway in northeast Baghdad. Until recently, much of western Boob al-sham was not visible from the highway. Coalition forces erected a series of concrete walls along the road during the height of sectarian violence in 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 # 69 was produced by SGT Lisa Heise, MND-B Public Affairs Office. The May 18th newscast includes the following two stories: 1. Microgrants give small business owners in Iraq a chance at a new start The intent was to prevent terrorists from placing improvised explosive devices near the road. The barriers successfully hindered terrorist activities but unexpectedly proved to be troublesome to businesses located throughout the community. Decreased visibility caused by the wall not only gave the area a blighted appearance but made it difficult for the businesses to attract customers and receive goods needed for production. The newly re-established factory owners association played a pivotal role in the removal of the walls. Although thankful for the security improvements since the increased violence of 2007, the association approached Garryowen with the idea of removing the walls. The squadron moved swiftly after the request was formally made to meet the needs of the association and the community. Within a couple weeks the squadron hired local contractors to remove the barriers. Troopers from Apache Troop provided security at the site while crane operators, working for a local contractor, loaded the barriers onto flatbed trucks. The barriers were then transported to Hussaniyah as part of a project to strengthen security at a National Police checkpoint. The neighborhood looks better now, said Alla Ouday, son of a local business owner. Before it Our mission is to help Iraqi get back on their feet. By visiting neighborhoods, Soldiers help determine who might need some help. Local produce stands and local mechanics are examples of how the economy can get a boost by supporting the local businesses. Microgrants help the community by helping the business owners and also give them more independence. SGT Erik Fardette, Multi-National Division-Baghdad Public Affairs Office. 2. Improvement projects are full looked like a prison. The neighbors are much happier now. Increased visibility and the free flow of traffic have made big difference. Ouday estimates their sales have increased by at least fifty percent over the last month. They have been able to attract new customers. Jamal Abbas, owner of a metal shop, has a different reason for wanting the walls removed. It is also much easier for me to bring my delivery truck in and out, said Abbas. It may not seem like a lot was done in Boob al-sham, but the removal of the barriers has brought a needed economic boost to the community and improved its appearance at the same time. MPs assist, support IPs in day-to-day operations By Sgt. Joshua Risner MND-B PAO TAJI, Iraq U.S. military policemen with the 591st MP Company, 93rd MP Battalion, 8th MP Brigade, visited a police station in Saab al-bour, here, May 15, to assess the station and accompany the Iraqi Police while they handed out fliers. First, the MPs arrived at Joint Security Station Saab al-bour and split up into groups to assess different areas of the station, according to Pfc. Dustin Shuler, 591st MP Co. We break up and everybody has separate jobs, said Shuler, from Syracuse, N.Y. I check the health and welfare of the detainees and check the numbers to make sure they re accurate. This is a level one IP Station, so our work here is pretty easy, he said. A level four is the lowest level of readiness, so these guys are on the ball, which makes our job a lot easier there s less we have to do. With assessments and formalities concluded, the MPs and IPs walk out the gate to conduct a walking joint patrol. It is Friday, which is a weekly day of rest in the Muslim world, so the streets are relatively devoid of people, said Shuler. After a kilometer or two of walking, they stop and set up a hasty checkpoint. As vehicles come through, the IPs stop them long enough to hand out fliers and move them along. The fliers basically say that the IPs are here to help, said Shuler. It also tells the people how to get a hold of the IPs if they should need them. We re out here for the IPs to maintain a presence in the neighborhood, to show that they are here to help, said Spc. William Durner, from Huntingtown, Md., assigned to 591st MP Co. We want to make sure the little kids know they re safe. The mission progressed with no incident and the joint patrol returned to the Saab al-bour IP Station. The 591st MPs bade their brothers-in-arms farewell and headed back to Camp Taji, confident that the work they are doing is contributing to a safer future for the Iraqi people. steam ahead. Abu Ghraib has seen many improvements over the last year and the latest is a new Fire Station. Projects are substantial; including equipment and fire trucks. Coalition forces keep coming together for a better Iraqi future. To hear the Cav Round-Up, click on the following links: NIPR LINK: Cav Round-Up SIPR LINK: Cav Round-Up Check out more news at the 1st Cavalry Division s homepage:

3 PAGE 3 May 19, 2009 JSS Loyalty expands base for Iraqi counterparts Photos by Staff Sgt. James Selesnick, 982nd Combat Camera Co. Spc. Brian Melvin, of Santa Cruz, Calif., sits atop a concrete barrier after unhooking cables used to lift the barrier to a new position. Spc. Calob Backes, of Hayden, Colo., stands atop a concrete barrier preparing to hook cables to lift it to a new position. Spc. William Thomason, of Roanoke, Va., pauses for a photo moments before he hooks a concrete barrier. Paratroopers assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, guide a concrete barrier into position May 17 at Joint Security Station Loyalty, located in eastern Baghdad. Paratroopers are moving the concrete barriers in order to expand the Iraqi portion of the joint compound. The expansion of the base will allow more Iraqi Security Forces personnel to work out of the compound.

4 PAGE 4 May 19, 2009 On This Day In Military History A dozen days of fighting around Spotsylvania ends with a Confederate attack against the Union forces. The epic campaign between the Army of the Potomac, under the effective direction of Ulysses S. Grant, and Robert E. Lee s Army of Northern Virginia began at the beginning of May when Union forces crossed the Rapidan River. After a bloody two-day battle in the Wilderness forest, Grant moved his army further south toward Spotsylvania Court House. GRANT This move was a departure from the tactics of the previous three years in the eastern theater of the Civil War. Since 1861, the Army of the Potomac had been coming down to Virginia under different commanders only to be defeated by the Army of Northern Virginia, usually under Lee s direction, and had always returned northward. But Grant was different than the other Union generals. He knew that by this time Lee could not sustain constant combat. The numerical superiority of the Yankees would eventually wear Lee down. When Grant ordered his troops to move south, a surge of enthusiasm swept the Union veterans; they knew that in Grant they had an aggressive leader who would not allow the Confederates time to breathe. Nevertheless, the next stop proved to be more costly than the first. After the battle in the Wilderness, Grant and Lee waged a footrace for the strategic crossroads at Spotsylvania. The fighting continued sporadically for the next week as the Yankees tried to eject the Rebels from their breastworks. Finally, when the Confederates attacked on May 19, Grant prepared to pull out of Spotsylvania. Convinced he could never dislodge the Confederates from their positions, he elected to try to circumvent Lee s army to the south. The Army of the Potomac moved, leaving behind 18,000 casualties at Spotsylvania to the Confederates 12,000. In less than three weeks Grant had lost 33,000 men, with some of the worst fighting yet to come. Famous Feats of Chuck Norris Did you know? Chuck Norris can sneeze with his eyes open. Here s an invitation to play Wordplay! Find words inside of words. Today s word is: Comrade Proper nouns do not count, nor does the word shown. Words should be at least 5 letters long. Try to find 9 words. Good Luck! Iraq 3-Day Weather Report Last issue s wordplay: Victory trio, city, victor, ivory, riot Today 107 F 78 F Tomorrow 109 F 82 F Thursday 111 F 82 F

5 PAGE 5 May 19, 2009 Pvt. Murphy by Mark Baker Quote For Today I have never never advocated war except as a means of peace. Ulysses Grant, th President of the United States PEGASUS OASIS DFAC HOURS BREAKFAST 0530 TO 0830 LUNCH 1130 TO 1330 DINNER 1700 TO 2000 MIDNIGHT CHOW 2300 TO 0100 SUNDAY ONLY BRUNCH 0730 to 1330 DINNER 1700 to 2000 MIDNIGHT CHOW 2300 to 0100 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: Spc. Howard Alperin Staff Writers: Sgt. 1st Class Ron Burke Sgt. 1st Class Joel Quebec Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp Staff Sgt. Peter Ford 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 jon. soles@mnd-b.army.mil