VOLUME 49, NUMBER 4

THE FUTURE OF THE ARMY RESERVE

Army Reserve Transformation

Update on Operation Iraqi Freedom

Training for the War on Terrorism

➔
2 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

ON THE COVER

Chief Warrant Officer Daniel Benke, 

a Chinook pilot with A Company, 

5/159 Aviation, an Army Reserve unit

from Ft. Lewis, Wash., checks one of 

the rotors atop his CH-47 Chinook 

helicopter on the ground in Iraq. 

(PHOTO: SGT. 1ST CLASS KELLY C. LUSTER, PUBLIC

AFFAIRS NCO, 354TH MPAD) 

NEWS

Mobilized Army Reserve Officers Now

Competitive for Promotion . . . . . . . . . . 4

Army Reserve Soldiers Receive

Unlimited Commissary Benefits . . . . . . 4

Enhanced TRICARE Coverage for

Army Reserve Soldiers and their

Families. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Defense Eligibility Enrollment

Reporting System (DEERS). . . . . . . . . . 5

Restricted Mail Policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Redirecting Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Tips for Avoiding Job Conflicts. . . . . . . 7

BACK COVER

Army Reserve Soldiers from the 487th

Engineer Detachment, Garden City,

Kan. The 487th is made up of Soldiers

from three separate Army Reserve units

now serving in support of Operation

Iraqi Freedom. 

(PHOTO: SGT. 1ST CLASS KELLY C. LUSTER, 

PUBLIC AFFAIRS NCO, 354TH MPAD)

★

Army Reserve Magazine

is an authorized Department of

the Army publication, published

quarterly by the Chief, U.S. Army

Reserve, ATTN: DAAR-ZXP, 2400

Army Pentagon, Washington, DC

20310-2400 in accordance with

Section 10210, Title 10, USC. 

The Secretary of Defense has

determined that the publication

of this periodical is necessary 

in the transaction of public 

business as required by law. 

Use of funds for printing this

publication was approved 

by the Secretary of the Army 

on September 2, 1986, 

IAW provisions of AR 25–30. 

Opinions expressed herein 

do not necessarily reflect those 

of the Department of the Army 

or the Chief, Army Reserve, nor

should they be construed as 

official policy or directive in

nature. Local reproduction of all 

materials is approved, except for

copyrighted articles or photos.

MAGAZINE

ARMY RESERVE

Since 1954.

Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly

CHIEF, ARMY RESERVE

CSM Michele Jones

COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR OF THE 

ARMY RESERVE

Col. Geoff Jones

DIRECTOR, U.S. ARMY RESERVE

PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Editorial Services

MANNING, SELVAGE & LEE

Design Services

THE MADISON DESIGN GROUP

6 9
Volume 49, Number 4 ★ 3

Volume 49, Number 4

Army Reserve Magazine online:

www.army.mil/usar

PEOPLE

A Man for All Seasons . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Helping Make a Difference . . . . . . . . . 37

AROUND THE GLOBE

Army Reserve Soldiers Train 

Afghan National Army . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Gun-Truck Alley Provides Convoy

Security Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

LETTER

Message from the Chief, 

Army Reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

INSIDE BACK COVER

The second of three Army Reserve

Posters.

ARMY RESERVE 

TRANSFORMATION

Excerpted Remarks of Lt. Gen. 

Helmly Before the ROA . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Lt. Gen. Helmly Addresses Soldiers 

in Afghanistan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

UPDATE ON OPERATION 

IRAQI FREEDOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Helping Saddam Lose Face . . . . . . . . . 17

Having a Bear of a Time. . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Training Iraqi Police at 

Weapons Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Renovating Two Primary Schools . . . . 20

Delivering Supplies 

to Car Bombing Victims . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Making Friends Through the

Newspaper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Going Back to School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Introducing Health Care 

Management to the New Iraq . . . . . . . 23

Moving Passengers Through 

Area 51 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Delivering the Goods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

SCENES FROM OPERATION 

IRAQI FREEDOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

TRAINING FOR THE WAR ON 

TERRORISM: A Profile of the 

78th Div. (Training Support) . . . 32

78th Division History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

The Miracle at Remagen. . . . . . . . . . . . 35

SUBMISSIONS • Army Reserve Magazine invites articles, story ideas, photographs and other material of interest to members

of the U.S. Army Reserve. Manuscripts and other correspondence for the editor should be addressed to Commander, U.S. 

Army Reserve Command, Attn: Public Affairs (ARM), 1401 Deshler Street, SW, Fort McPherson, GA 30330-2000, telephone 

(404) 464-8500 or dsn 367-8500. All email submissions should go to usarmag@usarc-emh2.army.mil. All articles must be

submitted electronically or on disk or CD. Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs will not be returned. Query by letter.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS • Do not write the magazine. TPU Soldiers should notify their Unit Administrator or Unit Clerk. Members

of the IRR and IMA should contact their Personnel Management Team at ARPERSCOM, 1 Reserve Way, St. Louis, MO 

63132-5200. AGRs should contact their PMO/PMNCO. Paid subscribers should forward their address change to the

Superintendent of Documents, Attn: Mail List Branch SSOM, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Special

military distribution recipients may write the editor directly.

SUBSCRIPTIONS • Army Reserve Magazine is distributed free of charge to members of the United States Army Reserve.

Circulation is approximately 450,000. Paid subscriptions are available for $14.00 per year domestic, $19.60 foreign. 

Single copy price is $5.50 domestic, $7.70 foreign. Mail a personal check or money order payable to the Superintendent

of Documents to: New Orders, Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954, or fax your

order to (202) 512-2233. Visa and MasterCard are accepted.

20 28 34
MOBILIZED ARMY RESERVE

OFFICERS NOW COMPETITIVE

FOR PROMOTION

I

n a memorandum dated December

17, 2003, signed by Assistant

Secretary of the Army for Manpower

and Army Reserve Affairs Reginald J.

Brown, mobilized Army Reserve officers

can now be promoted immediately

instead of waiting until they come home.

This new policy applies to all Reserve

Component commissioned officers on

the reserve-active status list who are

mobilized and who are on an approved

mandatory selection board list. It does

not apply to mobilized officers selected

for promotion by a position vacancy

board or to non-mobilized Reserve

Component officers. Also, because

current regulations allow for promotion

of officers in the Judge Advocate

General’s Corps, Chaplain’s Corps,

Medical Corps and Dental Corps

without regard to holding a position 

of higher grade, this policy does not

apply to these specialty branches. 

Previously, with the exception of a few

select branch officers, Army Reserve

Component officers who were selected

for promotion had to wait until a slot

opened up in the next higher grade

before they could “pin on” that higher

grade. Under this policy, officers who

had been selected by a promotion board

and not mobilized had the advantage

because they could seek, apply for and

take higher-grade positions soon after

being selected for the promotion.

Under the new policy, however, Army

Reserve personnel managers may now

project mobilized officers who have been

selected for promotion into higher-grade

vacancies in units near their home 

stations and then authorize those officers

to pin on their new ranks while serving

in their current positions. According to

one of the officials who helped formulate

the new policy, the new policy is all 

about equity and leveling the playing

field for all Reserve Component officers.

The new policy also allows for

deployed officers who are projected

against a current higher-grade vacancy

to be able to get paid for that higher

grade while deployed. In addition,

those officers will have up to six

months (or 180 days) after being demobilized to take the new position or to

find and take a position of equal rank.

Those who do not take the new position

or find a position of equal rank will be

transferred into the Individual Ready

Reserve at the higher grade.

For questions regarding this new policy,

Troop Program Unit (TPU) Soldiers

should contact their peacetime chain 

of command and work any issues

through their supporting Regional

Readiness Command G1. AGR, IMA

and IRR Soldiers should contact their

personnel management officer (PMO)

at HRC-St. Louis.

ARMY RESERVE SOLDIERS

RECEIVE UNLIMITED 

COMMISSARY BENEFITS

Effective immediately under H.R. 1588,

the National Defense Authorization 

Act for Fiscal Year 2004, the following

Army Reserve members and their

dependents are permitted unlimited

access to commissary stores:

★ Members of the Ready Reserve (which

includes members of the Selected

Reserve and Individual Ready

Reserve) and members of the Retired

Reserve who possess a Uniformed

Services Identification Card

★ Former members eligible for retired

pay at age 60 but who have not yet

attained the age of 60 and who possess

a Department of Defense Civilian

Identification Card 

★ Dependents of the members

described above who have a

Uniformed Services Identification

Card or who have a distinct identification card used as an authorization 

card for benefits and privileges

administered by the Uniformed

Services

According to Patrick Nixon, deputy

director of the Defense Commissary

Agency, “Instructions have gone out to

all continental U.S. stores informing

them that Army Reserve Soldiers now

have unlimited shopping and telling

store managers how to welcome

members of the Army Reserve to the

full use of the commissary benefit.” 

Previously, Army Reserve members

were authorized only 24 commissary

shopping days per calendar year. Now,

Army Reserve members no longer will

have to present a Commissary Privilege

Card when they shop. For more information about the Defense Commissary

Agency, see their Web site at

http://www.commissaries.com.

ENHANCED TRICARE COVERAGE

FOR ARMY RESERVE SOLDIERS

AND THEIR FAMILIES

Also effective immediately under the

National Defense Authorization Act for

Fiscal Year 2004, Army Reserve Soldiers

and their families will have improved

access to DOD health care benefits,

including:

★ The ability to receive immediate

medical and dental screening and care

for selected Army Reserve Soldiers

assigned to a unit that has been

alerted or notified of mobilization

4 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

NEWS

News Briefs “Instructions have gone

out to all continental

U.S. stores informing

them that Army Reserve

Soldiers now have

unlimited shopping...”
★ TRICARE enrollment on a cost-share

basis for non-mobilized Army Reserve

Soldiers and their families where the

service member is unemployed or his

or her employer does not offer health

insurance

★ TRICARE coverage for mobilized

Army Reserve Soldiers and their 

families to begin up to 90 days prior to

the start of the Army Reserve Soldier’s

active duty. Previously, such coverage

began only when the active duty period

commenced.

★ Extension of Soldiers’ and their families’

eligibility for transitional medical care

to 180 days following the Soldiers’

separation from active duty. Previously,

the limit was 60 to 120 days depending

upon the Soldier’s years of service.

Further, the Comptroller General has

been tasked with evaluating the needs of

Army Reserve Soldiers and their families

for acquiring and keeping coverage for

health care benefits.

For more information, go to the

TRICARE Web site,

http://tricare.osd.mil/reserve/index.cfm,

or call your TRICARE regional office:

Northeast 1-888-999-5195

Mid-Atlantic 1-800-931-9501

Southeast 1-800-444-5445

Gulf South 1-800-444-5445

Southwest 1-800-406-2832

Central 1-888-874-9378

Southern California 1-800-242-6788

Golden Gate 1-800-242-6788

Northwest 1-800-404-2042

Alaska 1-800-242-6788

Hawaii 1-800-242-6788

DEFENSE ELIGIBILITY 

ENROLLMENT REPORTING

SYSTEM (DEERS)

Due to an extension of Army Reserve

Soldiers on active duty in support of

Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring

Freedom, the Army estimates as many

as 55,000 Soldiers will need new identification cards while still in the theater 

of operations. Limited access to system

connectivity in these countries and a

widely dispersed population that needs

replacement ID cards make it necessary

to expedite issuance of these cards,

which convey benefits and privileges, 

as well as act as the Soldiers’ Geneva

Conventions Card.

In addition to the mobilized Soldiers

affected by this problem, there are an

estimated 95,000 family members who

will require new ID cards and their 

eligibility for services and access to

facilities to be updated in the Defense

Enrollment Eligibility Reporting

System (DEERS).

In order to update DEERS, a Soldier’s

tour end-date must be updated in the

component personnel information

system. Updating this information

depends upon what type of extension

the Soldier falls under:

★ Reserve Component Soldiers on their

first or second year of mobilization

fall under 10 USC 12302 (24-month

partial mobilization). Extension

orders, once approved, are forwarded

from the Army G-3 to various Army

agencies to include Army Human

Resources Command (AHRC) —

Alexandria, Virginia

★ Soldiers extended beyond the twoyear partial mobilization authority

are strictly voluntary and fall under

10 USC 12301(d). Once the individual

extension is approved by the

Secretary of the Army, the Army 

G-3 forwards it to the AHRC — 

St. Louis, Missouri

Once the new date is posted to DEERS,

Soldiers and family members can get a

new ID card at any DOD ID card

issuance facility. Family members do

not need the signature of the sponsor in

order to get a new card as long as eligibility can be confirmed in the DEERS

system. Family members can locate the

nearest ID card issuing facility at the

RAPIDS Site Locator Web page,

http://www.dmdc.osd.mil/rsl.

If DEERS fails to reflect the extension,

family members can call the Reserve

Component Personnel Services Support

Division (RC PSSD) for assistance at

(703) 325-0083 or 325-1644 between the

hours of 0800 and 2000 EST, Monday

through Friday. For other DEERS

issues, family members can call the

DEERS/RAPIDS Project Office at 

(703) 325-2595 between the hours of

0800 and 1700 EST, Monday through

Friday.

Volume 49, Number 4 ★ 5

NEWS

In order to update DEERS, 

a Soldier’s tour end-date must be updated in the 

component personnel information system.

Once the new date is

posted to DEERS,

Soldiers and family

members can get a new

ID card at any DOD

ID card issuance facility.
NEWS

RESTRICTED MAIL POLICY

According to Col. Donald Kennedy,

commander of 3rd Personnel Command,

military and civilian personnel continue

to place restricted items capable of

destroying life and property into 

packages mailed home from Iraq.

Consequences for sending restricted

items can be severe, depending upon

what was sent and whether damage was

caused. This can include Uniform Code

of Military Justice action that could 

permanently damage a military career

and result in fines, a reduction in grade,

or even imprisonment.

All parcels undergo an inspection by a

mail clerk at the camp post office before

being accepted for mailing. Postal

patrons also must complete customs

forms and declarations pertaining to the

contents of parcels being mailed. In

addition, parcels are subject to x-raying

at several points en route to their destinations.

According to U.S. Central Command,

U.S. Postal Service and Department of

Defense policies, “any article, composition, or material is non-mailable if it can

kill or injure another, or injure the mail

or other property.” Harmful matter

includes, but is not limited to, poisons,

poisonous animals, diseases, germs,

explosives, flammables, infernal

machines, chemicals, and other items

that may ignite or explode.

Certain “war trophies,” defined as

“enemy weapons, ammunition, 

explosives or items of equipment,” also

are non-mailable. This includes live

rounds, pistols, machine guns, weapons

magazines, and anti-personnel mines.

War trophies that clearly pose no health

risk, such as flags, uniforms, photos,

and medals that were captured or

found abandoned and do not dishonor

the dead or result in improper or

illegal conduct can be mailed according

to CENTCOM policy.

Cigarette lighters, aerosol cans, sand

and/or soil from outside the United

States, and pork products also are

common examples of non-mailable

items listed by CENTCOM. Others

include bayonets, knives, sharp objects,

and U.S. military equipment, including

duffel/sea bags and rucksacks.

In addition, batteries now are discouraged

from being sent. Last summer, several

fires were thought to have been caused

by batteries that exploded spontaneously

in pallets of packages

exposed to ambient 

temperatures of up to 

140 degrees. Alcohol and

pornography also are

prohibited in the mail as

they are illegal to possess 

in many countries in CENTCOM’s area

of responsibility.

“If a Soldier has something that he or

she is not sure is mailable, the Soldier

should ask the clerk inspecting the

packages at the APO (Army Post

Office),” said Lt. Col. Robert Howard,

director of Postal Operations for 3rd

PERSCOM. “It’s also a good idea to let

folks back home know which items are

prohibited. The risk of injury or worse

is the same whether it’s inbound or 

outbound mail.”

REDIRECTING MAIL

3rd Personnel Command, which

manages postal operations in theater,

has issued mail guidance procedures to

be followed by Soldiers, mail clerks and

commanders to ensure that mail is 

properly channeled.

All redeploying Soldiers must complete

and return two change of address cards

(DA Form 3955), which can be obtained

from unit mail clerks or through their

S1 shops. One card should be given to

the servicing mail clerk, while the other

should go to the servicing Army Post

Office (APO).

Soldiers also should notify all correspondents — family, friends, financial

institutions, periodical mailers, etc. —

to stop sending mail into theater at least

15 days (and preferably 30 days) prior 

to the Soldiers’ projected move date

when units move from base camps to

Alcohol is a non-mailable item since it is illegal to possess

in many countries in CENTCOM’s area of responsibility.

Weapons and ammunition, such as

these items seized by the military

police during customs inspections,

are examples of non-mailable “war

trophies.”

6 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

“[A]ny article, composition, or material is 

non-mailable if it can kill or injure another, 

or injure the mail or other property.”

PHOTO: UNKNOWN

PHOTO: UNKNOWN
NEWS

redeployment sites. Soldiers will not be

able to receive mail at the deployment

sites. However, postal services will be

available to Soldiers to send mail.

Unit commanders should inform 

rear home station mail rooms to stop

forwarding mail to the theater APO for

deploying Soldiers and, instead, should

hold mail until the Soldiers arrive

home. Unit mail clerks in theater will

provide the supporting theater APO

with the unit’s forwarding home

address. If mail clerks receive mail for

Soldiers already redeployed, they will

forward it to the address on the

Soldiers’ change of address cards.

Mail will be forwarded for 60 days by

either the APO or a forward mail clerk.

After 60 days, the mail either will be

returned to the sender or disposed of 

in accordance with the DOD Postal

Manual.

Soldiers should mark parcels and

letters containing non-valuable items

“MPS” when mailing such items from

theater before redeploying. However,

it is important to keep in mind that

there is no reimbursement for lost or

damaged items marked “MPS.” When

mailing items of value, Soldiers

should insure the items and/or use

registered mail.

The maximum size and weight for

mailing is 70 pounds, and 138 inches 

in combined length and girth. When

mailing to an APO address, do not

include the country name, such as

Germany or Italy.

For additional questions on mail

policy, Soldiers may contact any of 

the following:

★ Their unit mail clerk

★ Their servicing APO

★ The 3rd PERSCOM, Postal

Operations Directorate, DSN: 

318-825-1208 

A Soldier at the Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Army Post Office,

run by 3rd Personnel Command down-trace units, helps a

customer with a package. 

Volume 49, Number 4 ★ 7

PHOTO: STAFF SGT. NATE ORME, 3RD PERSCOM PAO

All redeploying Soldiers

must complete and return

two change of address

cards (DA Form 3955),

which can be obtained

from unit mail clerks or

through their S1 shops.

TIPS FOR AVOIDING

JOB CONFLICTS

Here is some information you should know and

a summary of advice from Employer Support for

the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) on how to keep

the boss on your side. For more information,

visit the ESGR Web site at http://www.esgr.com.

★ Talk to your boss. No matter what your 

military assignment or specialty, tell your employer

about it.

★ Federal law. The more you, your boss, and 

your personnel office know about the federal laws

and legal precedents that spell out Army Reserve 

reemployment rights, rules and obligations 

protected by the laws, the less chance there is 

for misunderstanding. The details of USERRA,

which provides that an employer must give you

time off to perform military service and reemploy

you following the service with status, seniority 

and rate of pay as though you never left, can be

found at the ESGR Web site.

★ Schedules. Let your boss know as early as 

possible when you will be absent from work. 

When schedule changes occur, notify the employer

as soon as you know about them.

★ Scheduling. If you miss work while you perform

military service, your employer is not obligated to

reschedule you to make up the time lost. However,

if employees who miss work for nonmilitary reasons

are afforded opportunities to make up the time

lost, you must be treated in the same manner.

Further, you cannot be required to find a replacement worker for the shift(s) you will miss as a

condition of being given the time off by your

employer to perform military service.

★ Vacation and Accruals. Federal law allows

you the option to use earned vacation while 

performing military service, but you cannot be

required to do so. Further, your employer is not

required to provide for vacation accrual while you

are absent from work performing military service

unless accrual is permitted for employees on 

nonmilitary leaves of absence of similar length.

★ Pay. Although some private and many government

employers provide full or partial civilian pay to

employees absent on military duty — usually for a

limited period of time — the law requires only an

unpaid leave of absence.

★ Reward the Boss for Supporting Your

Service. The DOD will send your boss — 

through a unit commander — a personally 

prepared certificate of appreciation if you just

apply for it. In addition, each ESGR Committee

(one in each state, the District of Columbia, 

Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands) 

presents plaques to their six most supportive

employers each year. Applications can be obtained

from your unit ESGR representative, any member

of your ESGR Committee, the ESGR Web site, or

by calling ESGR directly at 1-800-336-4590.
8 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

Excerpted Remarks of Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly, Chief, Army Reserve,

Before The Reserve Officers Association (ROA)

January 17, 2004

L

et me begin, if I may, with a simple reminder. We meet during

a time of war. And, just as all wars in the past have been 

different, this war also is different. For many Americans, 

that fact can be difficult to grasp because the nature of war has a way

of insulating us from the dangers and severities of war. This becomes

even truer as we move further from the events of September 11.

However, the fact remains that our Army is at war for a nation at war.

And it is a grave moment in our history.

So when we deal with issues such as recruitment, retention, training, the role and

mission of the Army Reserve and whether they are ready or not, and how we can

improve that readiness, we have a solemn responsibility to remember that our primary

concern is with the security of our nation. It is an irrevocable responsibility that we, as

officers, must accept and that we confirmed when we took our oaths of commission.

Further, we don’t exist to be in reserve. We exist to serve. And we need to change our

institutional processes and policies to ensure that our organization continues to serve

our nation. We need to change from a force in reserve to an inactive duty force that is

called to active duty. Not frequently and not forever, and not simply as a substitute for

active component Soldiers, but rather as a complement to their tremendous skills in

service to our nation.

Army Reserve 

TRANSFORMATION
Volume 49, Number 4 ★ 9

We are all part of a joint team. And the sum of our parts always will be much greater

than our individual parts. That’s the power we bring to the battlefield today. And the

Army Reserve is an integral part of that.

Now, the facts are that, throughout much of our existence, we have set certain expectations

for ourselves. Originally, one of those expectations was that we were a force in reserve,

we probably would not be called and, if we were called, it would not be for that long.

However, that is not the nature of the world we live in today. And one of the things we

have got to start dealing with is the world as it is and not as we would like it to be.

Starting back in 1996, we began mobilizing Soldiers in the Army Reserve at the rate 

of about 9,300 per year. We did not feel enough stress to make fundamental changes 

in how we organized the force, manned the force, trained the force, or prepared it for

operational missions. Then September 11th arrived and everything changed. 

Now it is not enough to talk about our technical skills, and how we do technical 

training. Instead, we need to focus on learning to perform our technical skills within an

environment of close combat that is lethal, dangerous and volatile, and promises to

remain that way. We need to recognize that there are no secure areas. We are fighting an

enemy who wishes to kill Americans, and the only way we prevent that is by killing or

capturing them.

MOBILIZATION

Mobilization is two things — a physical process and a legal status. The physical process

is under our control, and it is our responsibility as members and leaders within the

Army Reserve to prepare for any legal change in status. It is our President’s and our

superior’s decision when to bring us to duty. 

It is our responsibility not only to mobilize our forces, but to accomplish our mission.

That means that, prior to any status change, we need to prepare ourselves by training,

equipping, manning, sustaining and leading our force in a changed manner.

“...the fact remains that 

our Army is at war for 

a nation at war.”

“...we need to focus on 

learning to perform our 

technical skills within an 

environment of close combat

that is lethal, dangerous and

volatile, and promises to

remain that way.”
10 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

Mobilization was designed to produce

mass over time. However, in the past, we

were over-structured and under-manned.

We intend to lower that force structure

drastically. We’ve already announced

units that will be inactivated in fiscal

years 2004 and 2005, and we are going to

speed up those inactivations scheduled

for 2006. We will inactivate units and

general officers in commands as we

streamline the force, and reclassify and

retrain Soldiers. We will not offer early

retirement and early outs.

We will organize all of our units at full

authorization. And we will man them

with trained and ready Soldiers at

between 90–100% fill by establishing an

individuals account called a Transients,

Trainees, Holdees and Students (TTHS)

account. Via the TTHS account, you may stay physically in the same organization, but

we will account for you whether you are in school or at a training base. And we will

refill your slot. It is not our intent to offer early retirement and early outs. The 

challenge will be to figure out what to do when Soldiers come back trained.

IMPLICATIONS FOR RESERVE COMPONENTS

To make the force more professionally capable, I have in mind to provide such things

as advanced civil schooling for civil affairs Soldiers, creating stronger ties between 

civilian occupations and the reserve status of civil affairs Soldiers.

In fact, our most professionally-qualified civil affairs Soldiers are those who have 

responsible positions in civilian life that help equip them mentally for the challenges we

face. That experience also enables them to be more effective when they deal with

rebuilding a society or a governmental apparatus that provides life support services to its

populous. This includes judges, attorneys, physicians, sanitation experts, transportation

experts, etc. We plan to more closely tie their military skills to their civilian skills.

With respect to pay and entitlements, currently we do not have the discrete entitlement

and pay categories to unite Reserve service. For example, we are unable to pay our 

skill-rich physicians force medical specialty pay unless they stay on active duty for more

than 139 days. However, we try to keep our physicians on active duty for only 90 days

in deference to their civilian private practices. My belief is that we should be able to pay

our Soldiers, when their skill criteria are the same as an active duty Soldiers’, the same

special duty pay.

Linguists are another example. A Reserve linguist must pass the same test as an active

duty Soldier. However, the Reserve linguist only gets language proficiency pay on the

day he or she was on active duty to take the test. And it is the same with our aviator

force — our parachutists. We do not provide them duty pay, but simply to maintain

their skill-rich proficiency so that when we call them they will be ready.

We also need to find a balance with regard to notifications. Generally, the notification

process provides 15 to 30 days. However, what does that mean where there is no

warning order? We need to improve our mission readiness.

“To make the force more 

professionally capable, 

I have in mind to provide 

such things as advanced civil

schooling for civil affairs

Soldiers, creating stronger 

ties between civilian 

occupations and the reserve

status of civil affairs Soldiers.”

“My belief is that we should be

able to pay our Soldiers, 

when their skill criteria are the

same as an active duty Soldiers’,

the same special duty pay.”
Volume 49, Number 4 ★ 11

We also need to more closely align the capabilities within the Reserve Component with

the tasks to be performed. In combat, the lowest common denominator is the battalion

task force. So, we need to have combat capability at the battalion level.

Further, we are going to reorganize the Army Reserve into Army Reserve

Expeditionary Packages (AREPs). There will be ten AREPs, with units spending six

months in each AREP. Simply put, the intent will be to have some units in AREP one.

Those units would be on a 96–120 hour alert status. We would tell Soldiers before their

unit enters that alert status that they will be the first to go for homeland defense and

other emergency missions. After a six- to nine-month period in this AREP, Soldiers

would return for refitting, retraining and individual schooling.

If you are in AREP one, you will have a three-week annual training period that 

will start with an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise (EDRE). Then you will

move straight to an operational environment — either in CONUS or OCONUS —

depending upon the mission of the unit. And you will be stressed because you will be

the first to be called up.

Does that mean that, if you are not in AREP one, you will not be used? Not necessarily, but the likelihood decreases the further you are from AREP one. That is how we

intend to measure use of our force. It also means that personnel needs to change the way

they look at people. They need to move from a “unit-based” way of thinking to an

“inventory-based” way of thinking.

“Further, we are going to 

reorganize the Army Reserve

into Army Reserve

Expeditionary Packages

(AREPs)... with units 

spending six months 

in each AREP.”

Volume 49, Number 4 ★ 13

We are, in fact, heading toward being a complementary, as opposed to a supplementary,

force. We plan to institutionalize predictable leader development growth through

developmental assignments, as well as professional military education. What that

means is that, in the future, for courses of six months or more in duration, schooling

will be conducted outside the unit. Soldiers will not be required to hold down a position inside the unit while they are being schooled. And they will receive training pay.

This should help keep the focus more intently upon the training and education, preparing Soldiers for unit assignments where they can focus on the Soldiers subordinate to

them as leaders.

We also intend to restructure around core capabilities, as opposed to the entire broad

range of combat support and combat service support. No longer will we worry about

echelons above division and echelons above corps. We will develop true professionals,

technically rich, competent and skilled in each of those capabilities.

And we will restructure our command and control. We will move from the current 

ten Regional Readiness Commands (RRCs) to seven RRCs, their designations and 

locations to be announced in the future. We also will be standing up a separate Army

Reserve Medical Command instead of commanding our medical units through various

diverse field commands. The medical brigades and their subordinate combat support

hospitals will be brought under the Army Reserve Medical Command (ARMEDCOM)

so that we will have a single integrated command and control structure led by an Army

Reserve Major General physician.

We already have established the Military Intelligence (MI) readiness command, uniting

all of our MI units. The MI readiness command established today is provisionary, and

we plan to move it in the future to Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, where it will be co-located with

the Army Intelligence and Security Command.

“We are, in fact, heading 

toward being a complementary, 

as opposed to a 

supplementary, force.”
14 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

The Army Civil Affairs and

Psychological Operations Command

under the daily command of the

Army Special Operations Command

will remain, while we integrate an

Army Reserve training support

command at Ft. McCoy, which will

bring together all of our various

training disciplines.

Essentially, our aviation structure

will remain as it is, based predominantly on cargo helicopter Chinook,

fixed wing, two attack battalions

with AH64 Alfa model Apaches,

which are proving to be as capable 

as the long bow Apaches in the contemporary operating environment,

and two tremendously successful

general support Black Hawk units.

If you look at the Army Reserve

Command’s training guidance for

this year, you will see a marked

departure from the past. It is focused intently on the Soldier Creed and the warrior

ethos, and with conducting skill-rich technical training within a contemporary operating environment, which is volatile, hostile, dangerous and unpredictable.

CONCLUSION

The fact is that we must adapt to tomorrow. We will have some challenges this year 

and next year with regard to the budget. This is a costly war, and the material, people, 

operating tempo and supplies we consume do not come cheap. However, if there are

budget cuts, we will take those, we will weather them, and we will improve. 

We must begin resetting our course now. There is no time-out for readiness. When our

units and Soldiers return from being mobilized, we will give them a 90-day break. They

will not be required to attend training, individual or collective, for a 90-day period. We

will put their equipment back into the maintenance pipeline and reprioritize. But after

90 days, it will be back to training — getting ourselves reset for the next operation or

the next war. 

There is no time-out for readiness. There is only time to prepare ourselves for when our

nation calls. I guess that’s why Time magazine selected us as person of the year — the

Soldiers, sailors, airmen, marine and coast guardsmen, active Guard and Reserve, all

serving our nation proudly and loyally around the world. 

“We must begin resetting 

our course now. 

There is no time-out 

for readiness.”
Volume 49, Number 4 ★ 15

A

t the end of December, Chief of the

Army Reserve Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly

addressed Soldiers at a Town Hall

Meeting at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan,

to discuss recent and upcoming changes in

the mission of the Army Reserve.

The Army Reserve’s commander since 2002,

Helmly expressed his appreciation for the

Soldiers of the Army Reserve.

“We honor your service,” said Helmly.

“Soldiers, not equipment, are the foundation

and the centerpiece of the Army.”

During his face-to-face meeting with the

troops, Helmly expressed concern for Soldier

readiness and spoke about ways to better

accomplish the Army Reserve mission.

According to Helmly, improving the mobilization process for Army Reserve Soldiers is one

of his main goals.

“The current mobilization process is too 

cumbersome and should be streamlined to be

more efficient,” said Helmly. “Units are too

worried about getting ready for mobilization

and not about the mission itself. I don’t want

Soldiers to worry about mobilization. I want

them to be ready to accomplish the mission.”

The increase in operational-tempo for the

Army Reserve has exposed shortages in some

Military Occupational Specialties (MOSs). For

example, Helmly noted that there currently 

is a shortage of Soldiers trained in military

police skills. To counter this problem, the

Army Reserve is starting new units and, in

some cases, converting existing units to

relieve some of the stress on military police

units that have faced heavy deployment over

the last two years. Helmly believes this 

strategy should lead to fewer back-to-back

deployments for all Reserve-force Soldiers.

Equipment shortages also have been a

problem for Army Reserve units. Helmly 

said Soldiers in both Afghanistan and Iraq

are being deployed with either outdated

equipment or equipment inappropriate to

fulfill their missions. To rectify this problem,

Helmly said Army Reserve units’ Modified

Tables of Organization and Equipment 

(MTOEs) are being adapted to include M-4

Carbine assault weapons and other essential

equipment to increase and improve mission

capabilities.

Helmly also said that production of ballistic

plates for the individual body armor vest has

been increased to meet demand. All forces

on the ground are expected to be supplied

with these plates by early 2004.

According to Helmly, mission readiness also

relies on the ability to retain quality, qualified

Soldiers. Each year, approximately 46,000

enlisted Soldiers who leave active duty are

eligible for service in the Army Reserve or

Army National Guard. Of that number, about

one-third or an estimated 18,000 Soldiers

actually transfer to the Army Reserve or 

Army National Guard. Currently, there are no

incentives in place to entice these Soldiers to

join either component.

Retirement benefits for Army Reserve

Soldiers also are in the process of being

changed according to Helmly. Among the

changes being proposed is lowering the

minimum qualifying age for retirement 

benefits from 60 to 55 in order to entice

more Soldiers to stay in the service for up 

to 30 years. It is hoped that this change

would result in improved unit readiness 

and increased retention of experienced 

senior leaders.

Helmly is continuing to meet with key 

officials in Washington to address these 

and other issues on behalf of Army 

Reserve Soldiers.

LT. GEN. HELMLY ADDRESSES SOLDIERS 

IN AFGHANISTAN

Chief of the Army Reserve Lt. Gen. James R.

Helmly addresses Soldiers at a Town Hall Meeting

PHOTO: Sgt. Alex Delgado, 211th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

in December during a visit to Bagram Air Field.

***

“Soldiers, not equipment, 

are the foundation and the 

centerpiece of the Army.”

***

***

Retirement benefits for Army

Reserve Soldiers also are in the

process of being changed.

***

***

“I don’t want Soldiers 

to worry about mobilization. 

I want them to be ready 

to accomplish the mission.”

***
A

ccording to Air Force

Gen. Richard B. Myers,

Army Reserve Soldiers

are doing exactly what they

were designed to do, and

America is grateful for their

service. Speaking recently

before the Reserve Officers

Association Mid-Winter

Conference, Myers noted that

Army Reserve Soldiers have

become so seamlessly integrated into the total force that it is 

virtually impossible to tell an Army Reserve Soldier from an 

active service member. Equally important, he noted that

America needs its Army Reserve Soldiers if this country is to

win the war on terror.

Update on Operation

IRAQI FREEDOM

16 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

Residents of Hillsdale line up to see American Soldiers as

they arrive at the site of a ribbon cutting ceremony for the

Hillsdale dispensary. Hillsdale is a camp for internally 

displaced persons in Baghdad.

PHOTO: SPC. RYAN SMITH, 372ND MPAD
Volume 49, Number 4 ★ 17

HELPING SADDAM LOSE FACE

Until recently, most Iraqis were forced to carry a reminder of

Saddam Hussein in their pockets. A picture of his face appeared

on all printed Iraqi money. However, all of that has changed now

that the Central Bank of Iraq has issued a “new” dinar.

According to Capt. Mark St. Laurent, brigade action officer for

the Iraqi currency exchange program and a civil affairs officer

with the 354th Civil Affairs Brigade, an Army Reserve unit from

Riverdale, Maryland, the introduction of the new dinar is a 

significant step in Iraq’s move away from the former regime.

“Replacing the Saddam dinar signals the end of the old regime.

No longer will he be viewed as an everyday figure,” said St.

Laurent. “It also helps reinforce the legitimacy of the new 

government and the Central Bank’s control of the economy.”

Consistent with the

shift toward a new

government in Iraq

run by the Iraqi

people, coalition forces are playing only a minor role in the 

currency exchange program. They are providing security only

when needed at exchange sites to protect the safety of the 

citizens and to ensure the proper distribution of the money.

The new dinar, which is printed on higher quality paper and

contains several security devices, such as a watermark, embedded security strip and textured ink, will unify the currency

across Iraq. People can exchange their old Saddam dinars for the

new ones at a one-to-one rate. However, the former national

dinar, known as the “Swiss dinar,” which is used mainly in the

north of Iraq, is worth 150 new dinars.

“This is good for the people of Iraq,” said Dr.

Mohamed Jasim, who recently exchanged his

money at the Adamihya Commercial Bank of

Iraq. “It is a symbol of moving forward.”

In discussing how seamlessly the Army Reserve has integrated

into the total force, Myers cited an account by a member of a

mixed Army Reserve and active duty C-17 Globemaster III crew

after a harrowing experience in Iraq. After taking off from

Baghdad International Airport, one of the plane’s engines was

hit by a surface-to-air missile, forcing an emergency landing.

According to the pilot of the plane, the lives of all of the people

on that plane were saved because of the high level of coordination and communication between all members of the total force.

“I never forget that our Army Reserve Soldiers are a treasure

and an important advantage to this great country,” said Myers,

noting that Army Reserve Soldiers remain absolutely essential

to Operation Iraq Freedom.

“Reserve service has a long history in America, and today is no

different,” he continued. “In times of need, when our country

needs them the most, Army Reserve Soldiers lock arms to form

an unbreakable, unbeatable team — dedicated to defending the

liberties we all cherish and to supporting the people who are

struggling to enjoy that same freedom.”

Here are some of their stories.

Tellers at the Adamihya Commercial Bank of Iraq exchange old Iraqi currency 

for new dinars.

PHOTOS THIS PAGE: SPC. RYAN SMITH, 372ND MPAD

“Replacing the Saddam dinar

signals the end of the old regime.”

Iraqis line up at the Adamihya Commercial Bank of Iraq to

exchange their old dinars bearing Saddam’s likeness. 
18 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

Gants, who was head surgeon on the project, was assisted by Spc.

Erin McLoughlin, a veterinary technician with the 72nd

Medical Detachment, and Lt. Col. Jose Lozada, a veterinarian

with the 352nd Civil Affairs Command.

Operating on-site in Sadir’s enclosure at the Zoo, the team prepared the bear for surgery. After anesthesia was administered,

McLoughlin and one of the Zoo’s Iraqi staff members shaved

the fur surrounding the site of the tumor. Gant then made the

necessary incisions to remove the tumor whole.

The real challenge, however, began after the malignant mass was

removed. The blood vessels that were cut in order to extract the

tumor were filling the wound with blood. And, in the time that

it took to stop the bleeding,

the tranquilizer began to wear 

off. Consequently, the team

had to move extremely

quickly to suture the incision,

clean up and get out of 

the cage. Fortunately for the

team, they were able to exit

the enclosure before Sadir

regained full consciousness.

According to Lozada, the

main motivation behind the U.S. Army’s involvement at the

Zoo is to train local staff and veterinarians to assume full 

responsibility for the facilities once the Soldiers are gone.

“The veterinarians in Iraq are victims of professional isolation.

In addition, they have been sorely neglected like most other

resources in this nation,” said Lozada. “Our hope is that, by

involving Zoo staff members and veterinarians in surgical 

procedures and vaccination processes, they quickly will regain

control over this invaluable facility and its inhabitants.”

TRAINING IRAQI POLICE AT WEAPONS RANGE

Iraqi police officers had a chance to hone their skills recently

on a live-fire weapons range with the help of Soldiers from the

382nd Military Police Detachment, an Army Reserve unit

from San Diego, California, assigned to the 18th Military

Police Brigade. The weapons training was part of a three-week

course called the “Iraqi Police Integration Program,” designed to

teach existing Iraqi police officers basic weapons fundamentals

and tactics.

“The training will make them more effective as police 

officers,” said Cpl. Kenneth Johnson, a military policeman

with the 382nd and the weapons range noncommissioned

officer in charge of the training. “Many of them have never

even fired a weapon.”

HAVING A BEAR OF A TIME

Although most Army Reserve Soldiers in Iraq carry assault

rifles or machines guns, a tranquilizer gun has become the

weapon of choice for several members of the 352nd Civil Affairs

Command, an Army Reserve unit from Riverdale, Maryland, as

they work to bring about major overhauls of the Baghdad Zoo,

also known as the Zawra Zoo. Sadir, a 32 year old female brown

bear at the Zoo, already has benefited greatly from the presence

of these Soldiers. Recently, they surgically removed a cancerous

tumor from her abdomen.

“The tumor was becoming infected, so we had to anesthetize

her with a dart gun before making some incisions and 

removing the diseased tissue,” said Col. Mark Gants, CJTF-7

veterinarian. “There were a few blood vessels in there that we

had to tie off in order to get the bleeding stopped before

closing her up again.”

Col. Mark Gants (left), CJTF-7 veterinarian, and Spc. Erin McLoughlin, a veterinary technician from the 72nd Medical Detachment, operate on Sadir, a 32 year old brown bear at the

Baghdad Zoo. 

PHOTO: SPC. CHAD D. WILKERSON, 372ND MPAD

...the main motivation

behind the U.S. Army’s

involvement at the Zoo is

to train local staff and

veterinarians to assume

full responsibility for the

facilities once the Soldiers

are gone.
Volume 49, Number 4 ★ 19

According to Johnson, the training consisted of two days 

of classroom training on the safe use of weapons, as well as

four days of actual training on the weapons range. On the

final day of training, the police officers received their

weapons qualification.

“They were taught the basics of shooting a firearm, as well as

how to put rounds down range and pray they hit the target,”

added Johnson.

According to police captain Sammad Al Hayani, Iraqi police

rarely practiced with a weapon in the past.

“There were no shooting and no

good pistols before,” he said.

Basics of marksmanship included

such fundamentals as breath control,

sight alignment, and the proper way to squeeze the trigger. On

the range, the Iraqi police participated in target shooting from

three distances, with the longest distance being 15 meters using

Glock 19 Series pistols.

“The police officers really had no idea of the weapons’ 

capabilities, and they had no confidence in their own abilities,”

said Johnson. “It is good to see them gain more confidence. 

I expect they will become a more valuable asset as their weapons

skills increase.”

Iraqi police rarely

practiced with a

weapon in the past.

PHOTOS THIS PAGE: CPL. TODD PRUDEN, 372ND MPAD

Cpl. Ernesto Pinedo, a military policeman with the 382nd Military Police Detachment,

observes as Iraqi policemen conduct weapons training at a firing range in Baghdad. 

Spc. Walter Smith, a military policeman with the 382nd Military Police Detachment, assists

an Iraqi policeman with cleaning his weapon at a firing range in Baghdad. 
and equipment had been stolen, and even the doors and

windows, as well as all light fixtures, wiring and switches, were

removed and taken elsewhere. All that was left were the walls

and the roofs. So the schools were unusable until the Army

Reserve arrived.

“My team coordinated the project from start to finish. We conducted the initial assessments defining the scope of work, found

contractors to help with cost estimates, prepared the funding

proposals and got the funding approved, and contracted with

local construction companies to do the work,” said Thompson.

“We also did quality control inspections every couple of days

and paid the contractors for their work,” he added.

In both cases, the work included masonry, grounds maintenance,

windows and glass replacement, interior finishing, and 

plumbing and electricity.

The commander of the 490th Civil Affairs Battalion, Lt. Col.

Donna Hinton, cut the ribbon at the grand opening of the Ruqia

School, stating: “This is a happy day for everyone. The children

are happy to have a good school to go to, the school staff are

extremely appreciative, and the Soldiers are satisfied that they

have accomplished a great work.”

RENOVATING TWO PRIMARY SCHOOLS

School children in grades 1 through 6 recently returned to two

newly renovated primary schools in the Abu Ghraib area of

western Baghdad. A team from the 490th Civil Affairs

Battalion, an Army Reserve unit from Abilene, Texas, managed

the renovations and repairs at the two schools, Ruqia Primary

School and al-Fayda Primary School.

Capt. Thane Thompson, a team chief for the 490th who hails

from Monterey, California, was the officer in charge of the

project. 

“The coalition is doing a lot of positive restoration work, and

the vast majority of Iraqis that we deal with are extremely 

appreciative,” said Thompson.

More than $80,000 was spent on the repairs and renovations 

at the two schools. The Ruqia school project cost $34,000, 

while the al-Fayda school project cost $46,000. The funding 

was provided by the 354th Civil Affairs Brigade, an Army

Reserve unit based in Riverdale, Maryland, and came from 

the Commanders’

Emergency Relief

Funds.

Immediately following the main combat

phase of the war,

both schools were

completely looted.

All of the furniture

20 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

Schoolgirls at the Ruqia Primary School in the Abu Ghraib area of Baghdad gather around

to show their appreciation for their newly renovated school in Baghdad.

PHOTOS THIS PAGE: AIR FORCE TECH SGT. JOHN HOUGHTON, COMBAT CAMERA

Capt. Thane Thompson (left), a team chief with the 490th Civil Affairs Battalion and the

officer in charge of the school renovation project, meets with the headmaster of the Ruqia

Primary School (in white).
MAKING FRIENDS THROUGH THE NEWSPAPER

The 361st Psychological Operations Company (Tactical), an

Army Reserve unit from Bothell, Washington, has come up with

an invaluable tool for creating public awareness of safety

hazards, as well as for disseminating information on what U.S.

and coalition forces are doing in Iraq. Known as “Baghdad

Now,” the newspaper is published monthly and distributed free

to more than approximately 70,000 Iraqi nationals.

“The paper discusses how we are interacting with the Iraqi 

government during this transitional period and, together, how

we are improving life in Baghdad,” said Staff. Sgt. Richard K.

Wilson, team chief with the 361st. “More importantly, it allows

the people to know what’s going on so they can better see how

we are making a difference.”

According to Wilson, handing out the newspapers also allows

the Soldiers to keep their fingers on the pulse of the 

community.

DELIVERING SUPPLIES TO CAR BOMBING VICTIMS

Much needed help was delivered to innocent victims of a recent

terrorist attack in Baghdad. Members of the 422nd Civil Affairs

Battalion, an Army Reserve unit from Greensboro, North

Carolina, coordinated with the Iraqi Ministry of Labor and

Social Services to deliver food, blankets and clothing to 

residents left homeless following a car bombing attack on the Al

Shaab police station in the Al Adhamiya area of Baghdad.

According to Maj. Jack Nales, a civil affairs officer with the

422nd, four homes, two shops and the police station were

damaged and deemed unsuitable for habitation as a result of the

car bombing. Seven families were left homeless, while others

experienced looting that seriously reduced the amount of their

supplies. The homeless families now reside in an abandoned

neighborhood advisory council building located behind the

former police station.

“We have seven families that are homeless as a result of the

attack,” said Capt. Chuck Tinney, a civil affairs officer with the

422nd. “All they have left is pretty much the clothes on their

backs. They just happened to be in the wrong place at the 

wrong time.”

According to Tinney, his unit would continue to try to provide

as much help as necessary to allow the families to get back on

their feet.

“This is an ongoing project,” added Tinney. “They still need

mattresses, stoves and refrigerators, as well as other support.”

Tinney said the non-governmental organization, Premiere

Emergence, plans to assess the damage and to rebuild the homes

that were destroyed.

“Thankfully, no lives were lost,” said Spc. Walter Christopher, 

a civil affairs specialist with the 422nd. “When we are able to

help people, it

makes us feel

good. This is the

good part of our

job.”

Volume 49, Number 4 ★ 21

Spc. Walter Christopher, a civil affairs specialist with 

the 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion, talks to a young Iraqi

boy at the rubble encircling the Al Shaab police station 

in Baghdad. 

Sgt. Cornell W. Yell, part of the security detail with Headquarters and Headquarters

Company, 237th Support Battalion, 1st Armored Division, helps distribute “Baghdad Now.” 

PHOTO: SGT. MARK S. RICKERT, 372ND MPAD 

PHOTO: CPL. TODD PRUDEN, 372ND MPAD
GOING BACK TO SCHOOL

For many school-age children in Baghdad, school has been out

since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom. However, for

Iraqi children who used to attend the Darweesh school in the

western Abu Ghraib province of Baghdad, school is now back in

session thanks to the efforts of the Soldiers of the 414th Civil

Affairs Battalion, an Army Reserve unit from Utica, New York.

Recently, more than 500 children lined up along the sides of the

Darweesh school courtyard to welcome the members of the

414th during a ribbon cutting ceremony designed to mark the

official reopening of the school.

Both Spc. Maynard Ainken, the 414th Darweesh school team

leader who maintained oversight during the schools’ renovation,

and Sgt. Louis Polsinelli, a team leader with the 414th who also

was a member of the team that helped orchestrate the school’s

restoration, were among the Soldiers honored during the

opening celebration.

“Any time you give these people something, their defenses come

down. It’s human nature,” added Wilson. “We gain instant

access to them and their feelings by giving them something.

They then are more ready to

help us spread the messages

expressed in the newspaper.”

By showing the Iraqi people

how the coalition forces are

helping to improve life in

Baghdad, the psychological operations team hopes to increase

positive attitudes toward the coalition and put an end to 

anti-coalition aggression.

Through face-to-face encounters, the psychological operations

team also is forming ties with community leaders, such as 

religious leaders, medical practitioners and professors, who are

helping to spread a more positive message.

“It is extremely important that we gain the support of these key

communicators. So far, we’ve built strong, solid relations within

the community,” said Wilson. “More and more, we are finding

that they are coming forward to speak on our behalf.”

Staff Sgt. Richard K. Wilson, team chief with the 361st Psychological Operations Company

(Tactical), and Sgt. Cornell W. Yell (left), part of the security detail with Headquarters and

Headquarters Company, distribute “Baghdad Now.” 

PHOTO: SGT. MARK S. RICKERT, 372ND MPAD 

22 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

“Any time you give 

these people something,

their defenses come

down. It’s human nature.”

A crowd of more than 500 Iraqi elementary school students show their appreciation to Army

Reserve Soldiers who helped restore their school in Darweesh.

PHOTO: SPC. CHAD D. WILKERSON, 372ND MPAD
Volume 49, Number 4 ★ 23

“When we first started driving through the area, people often

would throw rocks at us,” said Polsinelli. “Now, however, after

having opened a few schools and demonstrating some real

progress, people want to come up and talk to us. They want to

interact with us. I think our work has had a tremendous impact

on the attitudes of the Iraqi people.”

According to Col. Vincent Taylor, commander of the 354th Civil

Affairs Brigade, an Army Reserve unit from Riverdale,

Maryland, it’s teams like the 414th that make the reconstruction efforts possible.

“However, doing assessments, making funding proposals, 

contacting contractors, taking bids, and overseeing progress on

renovation and construction efforts are not the only tasks under

the purview of civil affairs teams like the 414th,” said Taylor.

“They also must act as liaisons with the Iraqi people, bridging

any cultural and social gaps that stand in the way of progress.”

“When a civil affairs team like the 414th accomplishes 

something like they have accomplished here at Darweesh, they

are not only refurbishing a school structure. They are building

bridges to the future of Iraq,” added Taylor.

“The hearts and minds involved in this project are infinitely

more important than the school buildings themselves,” said

Ainken. “Every child at this school will remember coalition 

Soldiers being here and helping them with their schools. They

will remember that American Soldiers were here when they

raised their flag on opening day.”

INTRODUCING HEALTH CARE MANAGEMENT 

TO THE NEW IRAQ

Recently, a physicians’ leadership workshop was held for local

Iraqi doctors and other health care professionals at the Iraqi

Forum in Baghdad. Led by Capt. Caroline Pogge, a civil affairs

officer with the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion, an Army Reserve

unit from Danbury, Connecticut, 28 students, including

doctors, pharmacists and representatives from the Iraqi

Ministry of Health were in attendance.

The intent of the workshop was to give Iraqi physicians a basic

course in health care management — a topic that rarely has

been emphasized in the country’s health care education according to Pogge, an Army Reserve Soldier who works as a hospital

administrator in Sayre, Pennsylvania, in her civilian life.

“What we’ve found here is that many of the physicians in

charge of Iraq’s clinics or hospitals have little or no basic 

management skills,” said Pogge. “This is something we are

trying to correct with the local physicians in communities

around Baghdad.”

Previously, Pogge had met several of the doctors attending the

workshop. Many came from clinics and hospitals in eastern

Baghdad where the 411th works in the 2nd Armored Cavalry

Regiment’s area of operations.

The course was based on one that Pogge took at the University

of Kentucky as part of her training in the United States. 

An eight-day crash course, it is broken into several courses 

on leadership, decision making, human resources, resource 

allocation, and project management, all of which emphasize

group work, case studies and hands on learning.

According to Pogge, working on problems in groups is probably

one of the most important parts of the course.

“Management doesn’t have to be autocratic,” said Pogge, who

hopes Iraq’s Ministry of Health will adopt the course for use in

the future with more physicians throughout Iraq. “It often is

helpful to consult with your staff and to bring them into the

process. This is one of things we are trying to teach the health

care professionals attending this course.”

According to Pogge, the experience has been extremely rewarding.

“It’s exciting to go home with a sense of accomplishment — a

sense of having helped the local medical community make a

smoother transition,” said Pogge. “That’s what civil affairs in

the military is all about — accomplishment.”

Students at Darweesh school in the western Abu Ghraib province of Baghdad raise the 

Iraqi flag while Soldiers from the 414th Civil Affairs Battalion stand respectfully during a

ceremony marking the school’s grand reopening.

PHOTO: SGT. MAJ. ARLINDO ALMEIDA, 354TH CIVIL AFFAIRS COMMAND
24 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

and water here. Soldiers should have their last hot meal at their

departing camps.”

To keep operations as efficient as possible, plans call for using

only a single type of tactical aircraft. All of the planes will be

configured to carry the same number of passengers, as well as

two baggage pellets.

The terminal is anticipated to ease some of the congestion at the

military APO (airport point of debarkation) in Kuwait. Most

travel through the new terminal will be work-related, meaning

rest and recuperative travel will not be processed through the

terminal. And the terminal will service

four airfields — Baghdad International

Airport, Balad, Mosul, and al Asad.

A small permanent party of Army

Soldiers will be stationed at the terminal, dubbed “Area 51” 

after the locale in Nevada that UFO fantasists theorize is an

extraterrestrial stomping ground.

MOVING PASSENGERS THROUGH AREA 51

The Army has begun operations at a new air passenger 

terminal in Kuwait, with the goal of transporting hundreds of

Soldiers daily to destinations within the Operation Iraqi

Freedom theater.

“Soldiers will be traveling by intra-theater

airplane into and out of Iraq,” said Maj.

Vivian Gaz, officer in charge of the 319th

Movement Control Team, an Army

Reserve unit from Dover, Delaware,

responsible for operations at the terminal.

The terminal is composed of several tents, which are being used

as passenger holding areas, and a parking lot and turn-around

area for buses dropping off and picking up passengers.

“The plan is for Soldiers to be here only about three hours

tops,” added Gaz. “We will have MREs (Meals Ready to Eat)

Maj. Vivian Gaz discusses her unit’s operations with the oversight commander 

of the 377th Theater Support Command, Brig. Gen. Michael Diamond, 

at “Area 51”in Kuwait.

PHOTO: STAFF. SGT. NATE ORME, 3RD PERSONNEL COMMAND PAO

“The plan is for Soldiers to be here

only about three hours tops.”
DELIVERING THE GOODS

The 358th Civil Affairs Team A (CAT-A), an Army Reserve

Unit from Norristown, Pennsylvania, provides direct support to

the Multi-National Division–South East (MND-SE) while

assigned to Combined Joint Task Force 7 (CJTF-7) in support

of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The CAT-A is headquartered in

Samawah, Iraq, and coordinates humanitarian assistance 

activities in close coordination with the Coalition Provisional

Authority (CPA), U.S. Agency for International Development

(USAID), and the Iraq and Kuwait Humanitarian Operations

Center (HOC).

The responsibilities of the CAT-A include providing 

civil military staff augmentation and civil affairs planning and

assessment support to maneuver commanders; providing 

linguistic, regional and cultural expertise to support commanders;

identifying and facilitating foreign nation support; minimizing

civilian interference with military operations; conducting area

studies and assessments in support of civil military operations;

and conducting inter-agency liaison and operations when

directed. Some projects the team is involved in include the

Rumaytha Sewage Project, Kamidia Medical Supplies Project,

the Cleaner and Brighter Iraq Project, and the Rumaytha Girl’s

Primary School Dental Class Project.

The Rumaytha Sewage Project initially involved installation of

gravity drainage, which included installing sewage pipes and

manholes, and connecting the pipes to a sump pit. Also

installed were a sump pump, pressure line, and electrical backup generation system. The project resulted in availability of

cleaner drinking water, better sewage disposal, and an improved

quality of life for the people of Rumaytha.

“I love this country, and I love helping these people,” said 

Sgt. 1st Class Thomas D. Bucci, the 358th CAT-A’s noncommissioned officer in charge and supervisor of the Rumaytha

Sewage Project, who is proficient in the local language.

Sgt. Scott Bambu, a civil affairs specialist assigned to the 358th

CAT-A also is proud of his contributions in Iraq. He served as

project coordinator for the Kamidia Medical Supplies Project,

which was designed to help replenish medical supplies, 

equipment and medications in and around the Muthanna

Governate. According to Bambu, the Kamidia Medical Supplies

Facility has played a vital role in supplying essential items 

to those medical

facilities and 

hospitals most in

need.

Volume 49, Number 4 ★ 25

“I am delighted to be in a position to make a difference,” 

said Bambu.

The Cleaner and Brighter Iraq Project was designed to 

temporarily employ up to 100,000 Iraqi citizens to clean up 11

communities throughout the Muthanna Governate, including

the cities of Samawah, Khider, Ramaytha, and Salman. Maj.

Kelly Thrasher, 358th CAT-A team leader, managed the project,

working with the Iraqi Ministry of Public Works to assist them

in achieving their employment and community clean up goals.

“This project has been very popular with the Iraqis because it

employs so many people,” said Thrasher. “It’s great to see the

Iraqi people helping themselves.”

The Rumaytha Girl’s Primary School Dental Class Project

involved the issuance of 700 toothbrushes and tubes of 

toothpaste provided by the 358th CAT-A, followed by training

in proper dental care.

Col. Robert P. Stall, commander of the 358th Civil Affairs

Brigade, recently visited his Samawah CAT-A stating, 

“The Samawah

CAT-A is one of 

the finest special

operations teams I

have operating in

Iraq. Every one of

my Soldiers is coordinating, supervising and managing several

humanitarian assistance project simultaneously. I’m proud of

the great work they are doing in helping the Iraqi people in

service to our country.” 

“The Samawah CAT-A is one of the

finest special operations teams 

I have operating in Iraq.”

Col. Robert P. Stall (front left) meets with Dr. Mobeen ali Mussa (front right), Director of the Sumawah Women and 

Children’s Pediatric Hospital, as Sgt. Scott Bambu, 358th CAT-A medical project coordinator for Samawah, 

and Hayden Lafta, a Coalition Iraqi interpretor look on.

Sgt. 1st Class Thomas D. Bucci (right) talks with Rumaytha town leaders during 

construction of their sewage project as Col. Robert P. Stall, 358th Civil Affairs Brigade

Commander, looks on. 

PHOTOS THIS PAGE: MAJ. PHILIP A. GOVIA, 358TH CIVIL AFFAIRS BRIGADE
26 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

OPERAT

IRAQI F

Scenes from

[Left] Spc. Guillermo Martinez, cargo 

specialist, 149th Transportation Company,

Puerto Rico, guides cables being lowered from

a crane on board the U.S.N.S. Bob Hope. 

The cables are then attached to equipment

such as Humvees, five-ton trucks, and various

other pieces of military equipment being loaded.

PHOTOS THIS SPREAD: SGT. 1ST CLASS KELLY C. LUSTER, ARMY RESERVE PAO

Sgt. Maj. Emery Thompson,

377th Training Support Element,

New Orleans, La., acting

command sergeant major for Camp

Arifjan, speaks with Soldiers who

are overseeing cleaning operations

at a wash rack.
ION 

REEDOM

Sgt. Benjamin Leal, safety NCO, 887th

Quartermaster Company, Corpus Christi, 

Texas, conducts preventive maintenance 

service and checks on one of many pressure 

washers used to clean military equipment 

before it is loaded for deployment back to the 

United States. 
28

★ Army Reserve Magazine

Spc. Sherry Ranck (left) and Spc. Sara Prioleau,

nuclear biological chemical specialists, 413th Chemical

Company, Florence, S.C., check identification and stand

guard in front of the Joint Operations Command Center

located near Baghdad.

PHOTO: SGT. 1ST CLASS KELLY C. LUSTER, ARMY RESERVE PAO

[Right] Capt. Darryl M. Butler, a facility engineer 

with the 354th Civil Affairs Brigade, Riverdale, Md.,

inspects a new Modified Protection for un-Armored

Humvees kit (MPAH) before it is lowered 

onto a Humvee. Butler, the kit’s designer, 

personally oversees the installation of each kit.

PHOTO: SPC. CHAD D. WILKERSON, 372ND MPAD

Maj. Henry C. Norcom, a

civil affairs officer with the

354th Civil Affairs Brigade,

Riverdale, Md., assumes a

defensive posture behind 

his Humvee during 

training in Baghdad.

PHOTO: SGT. MARK S. RICKERT, 372ND MPAD
Volume 49, Number 4 ★ 29

A Soldier from the 321st Ordnance

Battalion, Charleston, W. Va., 

prepares UXO for demolition at 

the Udairi Range in Kuwait.

Soldiers from the 321st Ordnance Battalion, Charleston, 

W. Va., unload soon-to-be demolished UXO at the Udairi 

Range in Kuwait.

PHOTOS THIS PAGE: STAFF SGT. NATE ORME, PUBLIC AFFAIRS NCO, 3RD PERSONNEL COMMAND
30 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

[Above] Maj. Eric Murray, a team chief for the 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion,

Greensboro, N.C., hands out toys and school supplies to children at the Al

Shamookh Village for Disabled Veterans.

Capt. Mark St. Laurent, executive

officer, Headquarters and Headquarters

Company, 354th Civil Affairs Brigade,

Riverdale, Md., unrolls a fire hose on 

a fire truck used by Iraqi firefighters 

in Baghdad.

PHOTO: SPC. CHAD D. WILKERSON, 372ND MPAD PHOTO: SPC. CHAD D. WILKERSON, 372ND MPAD

[Left] Capt. Richard Cote, operations officer with the 

422nd Civil Affairs Battalion, Greensboro, N.C., 

makes some friends at the Al Shamookh Village for 

Disabled Veterans.

PHOTO: SPC. RYAN SMITH, 372ND MPAD
Volume 49, Number 4 ★ 31

PHOTO: SGT. CHRISTOPHER STANIS, 1ST ARMORED DIVISION PAO PHOTO: SPC. RYAN SMITH, 372ND MPAD

Spc. Marie Vedder, a civil affairs 

specialist with the 411th Civil Affairs

Brigade, Danbury, Conn., 

holds a girl who lives at Hillsdale, 

a camp for internally displaced persons 

in Baghdad.

Capt. Randall Cartmill, commander of

the 1210th Psychological Operations

Detachment, 315th PSYOPS Company, 

Upland, Calif., passes out a variety of

handbills during Operation Bulldog

Speak Up, a dismounted, door-to-door

campaign to disseminate products 

requesting information leading to the

arrest of anti-coalition forces in Baghdad.
32 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

TRAINING FOR 

THE WAR ON TERRORISM:

A PROFILE OF THE 78TH DIVISION (TRAINING SUPPORT)

The 78th is one of only five Training

Support Divisions in the entire United

States Army. Headquartered in Edison,

New Jersey, it also has subordinate 

units in the States of Rhode 

Island, Massachusetts, Virginia, North

Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and

New York. In addition, it is responsible

for training support of priority Army

Reserve and National Guard Soldiers in

14 northeastern states.

As a tri-component unit, comprised of

Active component, Reserve and National

Guard Soldiers, the 78th provides 

training support, assistance and 

evaluation as directed by the First Army

for Army Reserve and National Guard

units during pre- and post-mobilization.

Additional duties include providing

mobilization training teams, and 

mobilization and military support to

civil authorities.

AN IMPORTANT PART 

OF TODAY’S ARMY

During the past two years, the 78th has

mobilized more than 800 of its own

Army Reserve Soldiers, the majority of

whom are Observer Controller-Trainers

(OC-Ts). Their role has been to mobilize,

train and validate Soldiers. In fact, since

9/11, the 78th has conducted simulation

exercises, mobilization training, and

training assessments for more than

50,000 troops.

S

ince the War on Terrorism began, this country has 

experienced the largest mobilization of Active, Reserve 

and National Guard Soldiers in its history. It is the role of

CONUS-based support units like the 78th Division (Training

Support) to train and equip these Soldiers to be successful on 

the battlefield.

A Soldier scores his buddy's target while at the M249

Squad Assault Weapon zero range at Fort Bragg, N.C.

PHOTO: MAJ. MATT LEONARD, 78TH DIVISION
78th DIVISION HISTORY

August 1917 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Activated as an Infantry Division for WWI 

CAMPAIGN CREDITS: the Saint Mihiel, the Meuse-Argonne and Lorraine (1918)

June 1921. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reconstituted into the U.S. Army’s Organized Reserves

August 1942 . . . . . . . . . . . . Reactivated for active service in WWII 

CAMPAIGN CREDITS: the Rhineland, the Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe 

PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATIONS: Siegfried Line, Roer and Rhine Rivers, Schwammenauel Dam,

and Remagen Bridge

November 1946. . . . . . . . . . Reactivated as an Infantry Division in the Organized Reserves

May 1959 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reorganized as a Training Division

1990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mobilized for Desert Shield/Desert Storm 

UNITS MOBILIZED: 910th Transportation Company, 348th Military Police Detachment, 1018th

Reception Battalion, 1st and 3rd Battalions of the 310th Regiment, 3rd Battalion of the 309th

Regiment, and the 2nd Brigade Headquarters

October 1993 . . . . . . . . . . . Reorganized as an Exercise Division

October 1999 . . . . . . . . . . . Reorganized as a Training Support Division

October 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . Mobilized for the War on Terrorism 

UNITS MOBILIZED: Every Soldier within the 78th to support Operations Enduring Freedom,

Noble Eagle and Iraqi Freedom

Volume 49, Number 4 ★ 33

Capt. Francis Park, 1st Battalion's OC/T teach chief, Armor Training Team, discusses issues with Sgt. Larry Horn, personnel sergeant, HHC, 30th eSB.

PHOTO: SGT. 1ST CLASS TIM BARNES, 78TH DIVISION
34

★ Army Reserve Magazine

One of their main tasks for the current

mobilization has been performing what

is called “collective training.” This

involves running an entire unit through

a 72- to 96-hour field exercise. Referred

to as a “mission readiness exercise”

(MRE), it represents the culmination of

pre-deployment training. Before being

validated for deployment, each unit

must successfully complete the MRE by

performing its mission to standard in a

realistic wartime environment.

Currently, the 78th is conducting 

operations at U.S. Army Mobilization

Stations at Fort Dix, New Jersey; Fort

Drum, New York; Fort Bragg, North

Carolina; Fort Meade, Maryland; Fort

Eustis, Virginia; Fort Lee, Virginia;

and the Aberdeen Providing Grounds 

in Maryland.

Sgt. 1st Class Erik Talken, Mobilization Assistance Team

trainer, 2nd Brigade, Fort Drum, N.Y., gives a refresher

lesson to Soldiers qualifying on the MK19, a 40mm

machine gun at Fort Dix, N.J.

A makeshift position is assumed while plotting land 

navigation points during a challenge sponsored by the

78th Division.

PHOTO: SGT. HAROLD HUNT, 5TH BRIGADE

PHOTO: SGT. FELICITY REID, 78TH DIVISION
At each of these installations, the 78th

runs Mobilization Assistance Team operations (MAT-OPS). These MAT-OPS

track each unit’s progress throughout the

mobilization process.

When a unit is alerted for mobilization,

MAT-OPS assigns a Unit Assistor (UA)

to that unit. The UA is responsible for

getting the entire unit through the mobilization process — from the day the alert

order is issued to the departure of the

unit at the port of debarkation. The UA

completely monitors the unit’s readiness,

Soldier by Soldier, ensuring that every

Soldier receives all of his or her prescribed inoculations, equipment and

training. Together, the UAs and OC-Ts

make sure that no Soldier or unit gets

onto an aircraft without having the

proper training and equipment necessary

to be successful on the battlefield.

Aside from mobilization, the 78th also

prepares units for missions like Kosovo

and Bosnia, and trains Soldiers for the

protection of key United States facilities,

such as Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Additionally, the 78th conducts Training

Assessment Module Evaluations yearround to help commanders gauge their

units’ readiness. Considering the current

level of military activity around the world,

the 78th has proven itself an important

player in today’s Army, as well as the

Army of the future. 

Volume 49, Number 4 ★ 35

THE MIRACLE AT

REMAGEN

During World War II, the 78th Division’s 1st Battalion,

310th Infantry Regiment earned the Presidential Unit Citation for 

its role in the capture of the Ludendorff Bridge in Remagen, Germany.

The 1st of the 310th Infantry, attached at the time to the 9th Armored

Division, participated in the surprise attack that captured the bridge on

March 7th, 1945, following two unsuccessful attempts by the

Wehrmacht to destroy it.

By capturing the bridge, the U.S. Army was able to cross the Rhine in

its final push against the Third Reich. This conquest has come to be

recorded in the history books as the “Miracle at Remagen.”

General Dwight D. Eisenhower has been quoted as saying the 

bridge was “worth its weight in gold,” while Prime Minister Winston

Churchill spoke of a “lucky break.” All historians agree that the capture

of the bridge at Remagen helped to shorten the war.

PHOTO: UNKNOWN

Soldiers of the 115th MP company rehearse riot control

measures at Fort Drum, N.Y.

Crossing Remagen Bridge from tunnel. 

PHOTO: COL. RICHARD FINK, 78TH DIVISION
36 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

People in focus

A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS

A

fter spending the holidays in

Kuwait in 2002, Brig. Gen. Jack

Stultz was looking forward to a

relaxed holiday season at home in 2003

with his family, which now includes 

a new granddaughter. The forward 

commander of the 143rd Transportation

Command, an Army Reserve unit from

Orlando, Florida, was slated to end his

deployment in October to return to his

family and to his civilian life in sales

and distribution with Procter and

Gamble. 

However, his plans took a detour 

when Lt. Gen. David D. McKiernan,

commanding general for the Combined

Forces Land Component Command

(CFLCC), asked him to remain in

theater and accept even greater 

responsibility as director of distribution

and movements for the area of operation

stretching from Afghanistan through

Iraq and Kuwait and down to the Horn

of Africa. The decision was not an easy

one for Stultz.

“When Gen. McKiernan sat me down

and said he really needed me to stay,

and asked if he could count on me, 

I went through a range of emotions,” 

said Stultz. “First, I thought about my

family and what I was missing by being

away from them. Then I thought about

my civilian job.”

“At the same time, however, I thought,

‘We’re still at war.’ Ultimately, I realized

it was my duty to the Soldiers who are

out there depending on us to make sure

they are getting what they need that led

me take on this new challenge,” added

Stultz, who played linebacker in college

and graduated with a degree in history.

McKiernan tasked the Dillon, South

Carolina, native with responsibility 

for getting cargo, troops and equipment

shipped into and out of the theater

because the sustainment and rotation of

forces depends heavily upon the Army’s

ability to successfully manage the

complex logistics occasioned by a

theater of war.

“Brig. Gen. Stultz’s leadership and 

operational experience over the past

year in Operation Iraqi Freedom,

orchestrating CFLCC surface 

movements and intra-theater 

distribution, made him a natural 

choice to be our Director of

Distribution,” said McKiernan.

According to Stultz, there are a lot 

of parallels between what he is doing

overseas and what he does in his civilian

job with Procter and Gamble.

“The key is to be as efficient as possible.

What is the fastest way we can distribute

our products from the plant to the store

shelf to the customer?” said Stultz. 

“We do the same thing in the military.

What we’re doing now is to see how we

can deliver supplies and cargo from the

depots in the United States all the way

to the foxhole as quickly as possible,

and where we can bypass stops in 

the system.”

The main difference, however, is that,

while stores awaiting delivery do not

move, Soldiers on the battlefield 

constantly are changing locations,

which complicates the mission 

considerably. It also prevents use of the

civilian strategy known as “just in time

delivery,” where the product arrives 

at the store just prior to the customer

needing it.

“You never would want to risk a

Soldier’s life because of just in time

delivery,” added Stultz. “In a civilian

world, if a case of toilet paper doesn’t 

get to a store, you might have an upset

customer. However, there are other

choices he can make.”

“If we don’t get the bullets to a Soldier

in the foxhole, he doesn’t have an 

alternative. And we just can’t take that

risk. So, it’s not just in time delivery.

The military has to have just enough 

at the right time,” he added.

Stultz has first-hand experience in the

complexity of distribution and the need

to get supplies to the frontlines because

he was there.

“We crossed into Iraq on the second 

day of the ground war, and moved

forward to Tallil Airbase near An

Nasiriyah, establishing the first 

operating air base logistics base in 

Iraq during the war,” said Stultz 

referring to an area where some of the

war’s fiercest fighting took place.

“We immediately began flying C-130

aircraft, A-10 attack aircraft, and 

conducting special operations out of

Tallil in support of the 3rd Infantry

Division and 1st MEF (Marine

Expeditionary Force),” he added.

From Tallil, Stultz and his small group

of Soldiers moved forward to Baghdad,

where they established the first rail

PEOPLE

Brig. Gen. Jack Stultz, forward commander of the 143rd

Transportation Command, an Army Reserve unit from

Orlando, Fla., in the cockpit of a C-130 during Operation

Iraqi Freedom.

PHOTO: BRIG. GEN. JACK STULTZ

“Ultimately, I realized 

it was my duty to the

Soldiers who are out

there depending on us 

to make sure they are

getting what they need

that led me to take on 

this new challenge.”
operations. The experience, which

Stultz calls his most memorable of the

war, has led him to believe joint operations are the way military operations

must be done in the future.

“We’re going to be working, as we did

in the war, where we had Fifth Corp.

and 1st MEF working hand-in-hand as

the fighting force up there, and we were

supporting both forces simultaneously,”

said Stultz. “We’ve got to figure out how

we get a common system going to

support all joint forces simultaneously,

so we can determine the most efficient

way of getting our troops what 

they need.”

It is this commitment to getting

Soldiers what they need that has kept

Stultz overseas. 

“When I was weighing my decision, 

the thing that stuck in my mind was 

the heroic efforts I saw from the young

transporters, young infantrymen, young

Marines, young medics, and others 

on the battlefield. A bunch of young

Americans that, regardless of the danger

and threat, were doing everything it

took to do their jobs and make 

everyone successful,” said Stultz.

“In the end, I had to admit that I’m

more valuable here on the ground right

now than I think I would be at home,

even though I miss my family terribly,”

added Stultz. “My wife, the real hero

through this whole thing, isn’t happy

about my staying. However, she said, ‘I

know you wouldn’t do it if they didn’t

need you and you didn’t think you

needed to be there.’”

HELPING MAKE A DIFFERENCE

He’s opened the canals that supply

water to farmers across southern

Baghdad, provided a medical clinic to

an isolated community, and given new

schoolbooks to young Iraqi children.

Perhaps more importantly, however, 

he’s giving his Soldiers the chance to

make a difference for the Iraqi people.

He is Col. John Huntley, and he is 

commander of the 414th Civil Affairs

Battalion, an Army Reserve unit from

Utica, New York.

A 21-year Army veteran and a New York

state veterinarian, Huntley says that

Iraq probably is the best place in the

world today to make a difference. And

he credits his small unit of 17 Soldiers

with helping make that difference.

According to Huntley, civil affairs

Soldiers in Iraq, whose primary focus 

is on restoring civil administration,

provide the critical bridge between civil

and military operations.

“Our role is to try to restore and rebuild

in Iraq everything one would associate

with the normal function of a municipal

government,” said Huntley. “These are

the structures that will carry the Iraqis

into the future, creating a new country

capable of interacting with the international community.”

Huntley also views education as one of

the biggest contributions his Soldiers

are making to the Iraqi people. 

“It gives you a fresh perspective on life,

and is one of the few things that keeps

you engaged on a daily basis,” added

Huntley discussing

educating the Iraqi

people. “As you get

older, it allows you to

keep learning, and that

keeps you from getting

stale. Every day becomes

an adventure as you

learn something new.”

According to Huntley, 

restoring schools also

helps demonstrate to

the Iraqi people the

goal of the coalition

forces to improve the

quality of life for all

Iraqis. However,

Huntley realizes that

change won’t happen

overnight.

“The American people

need to realize that we

are not here for the short-term. 

It’s a long-term effort,” said Huntley.

“The successes teams like mine are

demonstrating today will generate

popular support tomorrow. And, 

ultimately, it is that popular support

that will lead to an end to these 

hostilities.”

Huntley says his Soldiers are the

driving force behind his success as 

a battalion commander.

“I couldn’t do it without my Soldiers,”

added Huntley. “It amazes me what 

they have been able to accomplish in

such a short period of time. Everyone

has really stepped up to the plate, 

giving their all to make these 

projects successful.

“If you talk to any one of them, you 

will find that they enjoy working with

the people here. And they are proud 

of what they have done. I think this 

is definitely something they will be 

proud of for the rest of their lives.” 

PEOPLE

Col. John Huntley, commander of the 414th Civil Affairs

Battalion, an Army Reserve unit from Utica, N.Y., and

Sheik Saad Abid Kadahiu rotate the floodgate handle

releasing water into the agricultural communities 

southwest of Baghdad.

PHOTO: SGT. MARK BELL, 372 MPAD

Volume 49, Number 4 ★ 37
ARMY RESERVE SOLDIERS

TRAIN AFGHAN 

NATIONAL ARMY

R

ecently, more than 

thirty Soldiers with the 75th

Division (Training Support), an

Active component/Reserve component

training support division headquartered in Houston, Texas, volunteered

to deploy to Afghanistan for an

initial six-month deployment 

to train the Afghan National

Army (ANA) in support of

Operation Enduring Freedom. 

Usually, members of the 75th 

serve as Observer Controllers/Trainers 

who train and mobilize Army Reserve

and National Guard Soldiers in the

Southwestern and Midwestern parts 

of the United States. However,

because of the current strains

imposed upon the active Army by the

continuing hostilities in Iraq, members

of the 75th were asked to deploy to

Afghanistan to provide their support.

Still a dangerous place even two years

after the fall of the Taliban and the

escape of Osama bin Laden, Afghanistan

remains plagued by attacks against

coalition Soldiers and Afghan civilians.

For most of the 75th’s Soldiers, this

would be their first overseas deployment

in a combat zone.

Upon their arrival, members of the 

75th were separated into jobs that best

fit their specialties, including finance,

light infantry, and installation operations.

“When we first arrived here, we helped

the 10th Mountain set up finance 

operations at Camp Phoenix,” said 

Maj. Isaac Johnson, who was placed in

charge of the finance section that paid

the U.S. Soldiers, the ANA, and the

coalition forces. 

According to him, he and Staff Sgt.

Karmen San Nicolas made it more 

convenient for the Soldiers by enabling

them to receive their pay at Camp

Phoenix rather than Kabul or Bagram,

both of which were more than an hour’s

drive away.

Maj. Tim Snyder, a member of the

Division’s 2nd Brigade, was the 

Senior Team Combat advisor for the 

3rd Brigade Training Team (BTT). 

He explained that his BTT received

several hundred ANA soldiers who had 

graduated from the Kabul Military

Training Center, the equivalent of the

U.S. Army’s basic training. 

“We trained them in advanced infantry

tactics, and how to function as a battalion

to perform combat and stabilization

operations,” said Snyder.

At home, Snyder was in a unique 

position because, as an Observer/

Controller with the 75th, he trained 

U.S. Soldiers in what to do in combat.

However, he never accompanied them

into combat. As a combat advisor for

the ANA, he trained the Afghan military

in combat situations, as well as went

along with them on combat missions.

Typical missions included cache raids,

road checkpoints, and patrols.

Capt. Craig Hickerson volunteered 

to deploy to Afghanistan because, “I

wanted to do my part for the war against

terrorism. I wanted to make sure the

people of Afghanistan were safe and 

not mistreated.”

AROUND THE GLOBE

Global News

38 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

“Upon their arrival,

members of the 75th 

were separated into 

jobs that best fit their 

specialties, including

finance, light infantry, 

and installation 

operations.”

TURKMENISTAN

TAJIKISTAN

PAKISTAN

UZBEKISTAN

IRAN

AFGHANI S TAN

GhazniKandaharBaghlanHeratGalalabad - - -

- Kabul
AROUND THE GLOBE

Volume 49, Number 4 ★ 39

Hickerson was assigned to a firebase

with Afghani and U.S. Special Forces

Soldiers. His job was to train the

Afghani soldiers on light infantry

tactics and patrolling so that they would

be better prepared to fight the Taliban 

and Al Qaeda. For his actions in

Afghanistan, Hickerson was awarded

the Combat Infantryman Badge and 

the Bronze Star.

Capt. David Poland also felt a responsibility to do something more for the war

against terrorism. In Afghanistan, he

served as a mentor to an Afghan Rifle

Company Commander, helping him

learn organizational skills by teaching

accountability procedures, training

planning, and combat preparation.

All of the members of the 75th said

their experiences in Afghanistan would

make them better Observers/Controllers

when training or mobilizing U.S.

Soldiers in the future.

“Being an Observer/Controller in a

combat zone gives me better credibility

when training an Army Reserve unit 

on such mission essential task lists as

convey operations,” said Poland. “Now,

when Soldiers question me on how I

know what I know, I can tell them 

this was how it was done in combat 

in Afghanistan.”

Capt. David Poland (center) and Capt. Craig Hickerson (far right) present goods to Afghani orphans. 

PHOTOS THIS PAGE: MAJ. WAYNE MAROTTO, 75TH DIV PAO

[Right] Maj. Tim Snyder speaks to a soldier of the 

Afghan National Army.

[Bottom] Capt. Craig Hickerson with Afghan orphans.

Hickerson, laden with goods collected by his church back

in the States, regularly visited orphanges during his 

deployment to Afghan.
40 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

GUN-TRUCK ALLEY PROVIDES

CONVOY SECURITY TRAINING

During a two-day training session 

conducted in the mountains of central

Pennsylvania, members of the 630th

Transportation Company and the

1004th Quartermaster Company, two

99th Regional Readiness Command

units recently mobilized in support of

Operation Iraqi Freedom, learned 

some colorful truths regarding convey

security. Called “Gun-Truck Alley”

and designed by Soldiers attached 

to the Command’s Operations and

Intelligence Section, the exercise was

aimed at teaching the participants,

whose activities overseas most likely

will include convoy operations, how to

respond more effectively to potential

ambush situations.

For the exercise, more than 200 Soldiers

and 50 tractor trailers and HUMVEEs

from both units were transported to the

site to give the training more realism

and to help emphasize training 

concepts. In addition, each Soldier was

issued a functioning paintball weapon

and enough ammo to either defend or

attack a multi-vehicle military convoy. 

Under the direction of Sgt. Maj. Robert

Metz, the non-commissioned officer in

charge of the training, the units broke

into teams. And, as Metz outlined and

demonstrated techniques for combat

assault team ambushes and convoy dismounted defensive tactics, each Soldier

was given the opportunity to serve both

as the attacker and the intended victim.

“People get excited and panic. And

then, BANG! Do you know what that’s

called? That’s called collateral damage,

and it’s unacceptable. Do you understand?” Metz yelled at the trainees, who

stared out from the hard plastic safety

protection of their paintball shields.

The actual site of “Gun-Truck Alley” 

was an abandoned stretch of the old

Pennsylvania Turnpike — perfect for

conducting the logistical training since

part of the exercise covered vehicle operations, as well as over-the-road driving,

both of which are extremely difficult 

to replicate in a classroom situation.

As the first convoy prepared to 

move through its initial line of 

departure, OPFOR (opposing forces)

were pre-positioned along the route 

to provide special challenges for the

Soldiers getting ready to enter 

“Gun-Truck Alley.”

“In this scenario, we had standard

‘daisy-chain’ with four charges and a

partial roadblock to channel the 

convoy into a kill zone for maximum

effectiveness,” said Master Sgt. David

Leister, one of the trainers. “We also

had an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade)

and both high and low positioned 

fire teams.”

AROUND THE GLOBE

PENNSYLVANIA

Harrisburg

Philadelphia

Pittsburgh

Allentown

Erie

Altoona

Bethlehem

Lancaster

Reading

Scranton

Wilkes-Barre

Breezewood

PHOTOS THIS SPREAD: JACK GORDON, CHIEF OF INFORMATION, PUBLIC AFFAIRS, HQ, 99TH RRC
Volume 49, Number 4 ★ 41

AROUND THE GLOBE

According to Leister, other realistic 

scenarios simulated for the Soldiers

include IEDs (improvised explosive

device), as well as other command or

electrically charged detonated mines

and smoke. With each convoy, the

OPFOR varied its ambush location 

and approach to better hone Soldiers’

reconnaissance skills throughout 

the route.

Lt. Col. Charles O’Neill, Senior

Intelligence Officer, Operations and

Intelligence Section, created the 

scenarios from up-to-date intelligence

data gathered from reports detailing

actual ambushes in Iraq. The team also

designed scenarios based upon AARs

(after-action reviews) and lessons

learned from the 99th and 220th

Military Policy Brigade (still serving 

in Iraq), as well as from III Corps.

In addition, three of the trainers, 

Maj. Jodie Snider, Sgt. 1st Class Brian

Borowski and Sgt. 1st Class Christopher

Uphold all recently returned from duty

in Iraq, bringing first-hand experience

to the exercise.

“The paintball allows you to actually 

see what’s happening — in living

color,” said Spc. Joshua Speights,

1004th Quartermaster Company,

Greensburg, Pennsylvania. “Getting

hit is actually getting hit. It’s definitely

an eye-opener. I’m embarrassed to

admit that I was hit twice.”

After each convoy arrived at the end

point, several AARs were conducted —

one by each of the convoy and ambush

cells and then collectively with input

from everyone, including the trainers.

Then it was off to another scenario with

“veterans” from each side now serving

in opposing capacities. With each 

consecutive exercise, the bar was raised

and the vehicles became more liberally

sprinkled with shades of yellow and

pink indicating successful strikes.

“You can see what kind of hits you’re

taking on your vehicles, right?” Maj.

Jodie Snider asked a group who had 

just completed the course. “Right now,

it’s paint. But you guys are headed to

Baghdad, and there it will be lead. This

should be a wake-up call for those of

you who don’t have your heads in the

game yet.”

“If your forward progress is not arrested

— if you are not halted — never stop 

to look at anything,” interjected Metz. 

“When you stop, the vehicle behind you

stops. Then the one behind it stops. Do

you understand? You’re like fish in a

barrel. And what do we do to fish in 

a barrel?”

“SHOOT THEM!” responded a chorus

of Soldiers.

During the exercise, Soldiers also 

were taught the importance of communications throughout a convoy. This was

particularly critical since many enemy

strategies involve cutting off the rear

end of a convoy, and killing trailing

vehicle drivers and occupants using 

hit-and-run tactics.

Other lessons learned included the

importance of establishing rally points,

maintaining proper vehicle intervals

during movement, avoiding vehicle

channeling and entrapment, responding

to contact, planning for and conducting

medical evacuation, calling for fire

support, and establishing defensive

vehicle patterns if an extended 

ambush occurs.

According to Pfc. Antoinette Jones,

“Gun-Truck Alley” also showed Soldiers

how to rely on their instincts.

“You learn to walk the walk. To keep

your eyes and ears open at all times.

And to be ready,” she said. 

“Do you know what

that’s called? That’s

called collateral damage,

and it’s unacceptable.”
42 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

Message from the Chief, Army Reserve

I am writing to you all today because I have been receiving numerous emails and letters from spouses and family members 

regarding the current mobilization policies and their effect on our Soldiers and their families. I have been doing my best to answer

every one of those communications in a timely fashion. The information I have been including in those responses really applies to

every Soldier and family member, so I will share it with you all.

Our Soldiers have been mobilized under a provision in law known as Partial Mobilization Authority. That authority allows the

President to mobilize up to one million members of the Ready Reserve for up to two years. The two years may be served in 

increments or as a single two-year period. 

Shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Department of Defense implemented a policy that mobilization would not exceed

one year. Initially, this was sufficient to support operations underway in Afghanistan, the Philippines and the Horn of Africa 

as the total number of Soldiers required was relatively low. As we prepared for operations in Iraq, this same policy of restricting 

mobilization for a one-year period was retained. I personally argued for a change to lengthen it to not less than 18 months to better

meet the demands of the Army and the Nation. Nevertheless, the one-year policy was retained and, with it, expectations by Soldiers

and their families that they would spend less than a year in Afghanistan, Kuwait and Iraq.

Now, it is commonly understood that our military successes in Iraq, while impressive, were not an accurate sign of force size or 

the length of time required to establish a functional government and society. Thus, the Army had to establish a policy of leaving

forces on the ground longer for continuity of mission. What evolved was a one-year “boots on the ground” policy, which means

serving 12 months in Afghanistan, Kuwait and Iraq, not 12 months total mobilization time. To complete pre-mobilization and 

post-mobilization tasks, Soldiers must be prepared for up to 18 months of total mobilization.

I am very conscious of the effects of mobilization on our Soldiers. We are working hard to restructure our force and to revise the 

procedures by which we use the force to provide greater predictability of mobilization. Our goal is not to mobilize a unit longer than

12–15 months within a five- to six-year window. 

Further, we are working hard to keep the unit and Soldier, whenever mobilized, on active duty only for the length of time absolutely

required. We now manage by individual Soldier, as well as unit, to ensure that we do not inadvertently extend or 

remobilize a Soldier when another Soldier is available who has not been mobilized.

We are an Army at war for a Nation at war. As Soldiers, we and our families sacrifice. I am committed to reducing and lessening that

sacrifice as much as practical consistent with mission requirements. The Congress and our superiors also are very conscious of the

sacrifices of our Reserve members and their families and have enacted numerous additional entitlements and benefits designed to

lessen the hardships of mobilization and to recognize the sacrifices. However, there will remain sacrifice by all of us who serve and

by our families. That is the nature of life in general and of life as a Soldier especially. 

Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly

Chief, Army Reserve

Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command
The Army Reserve Poster Series was developed to reinforce internal Army Reserve strategic themes through visually-oriented

communications. This poster is the second in a series of three. The themes are War Fighting Readiness, People Centric and Transformation.
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