VOLUME 49, NUMBER 3

REBUILDING

Army Reserve Transformation

The 377th Theater Support Command

Around the Globe

➔
2 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

ON THE COVER

Maj. Joseph Charles Sasso of the 411th

Civil Affairs Battalion, an Army Reserve

unit from Danbury, Conn., directs

rebuilding efforts in Iraq. 

(PHOTO: SPEC. RYAN SMITH, 372ND MPAD)

INSIDE BACK COVER

The first of three Army Reserve Posters.

NEWS

Army One Source Provides 

Round-the-Clock Human Touch . . . . . 4

ACAP Expanding to Help 

Army Personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Chaplain Corp Helping Soldiers

Readjust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

SimMan Raises the Bar on 

Medical Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Gathering History as it Happens . . . . . 6

ARPERSCOM and DA PERSCOM

Merge and Integrate Web Sites . . . . . . 7

A New Look for the Army Reserve

Web Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

BACK COVER

Residents of Hillsdale line up to see

American soldiers as they arrive at the

site for a ribbon cutting ceremony for

the Hillsdale dispensary. Hillsdale is 

a camp for internally displaced persons

in Baghdad. 

(PHOTO: SPEC. RYAN SMITH, 372ND 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

9
Volume 49, Number 3 ★ 3

Volume 49, Number 3

Army Reserve Magazine online:

www.army.mil/usar

Helping with Food Distribution . . . . . 24

Restoring and Re-supplying 

Iraq’s Spinal Injury Center. . . . . . . . . 25

Introducing New EMS and 

Paramedic Training in Iraq . . . . . . . . . 26

Getting the Word Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

THE ROLE OF THE 

377TH THEATER SUPPORT

COMMAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

PEOPLE

Don’t Let Them Pull the 

U.N. Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Retention NCO Goes Beyond 

the Call of Duty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

NYPD Cop Raises Flag as Army 

Reserve Soldier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

AROUND THE GLOBE

Alaska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Nevada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

South Korea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

LETTER

Message from 

Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly, Chief, 

Army Reserve Command . . . . . . . . . . 46

ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS

Employers Step Up to the Plate . . . . . 8

Army Reserve Tops in Supply

Excellence Award Competition . . . . . . 8

Two Army Reserve Field Kitchens

Awarded Top Army Prize . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Eight Army Reserve 

Organizations Receive Deployment

Excellence Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

ARMY RESERVE 

TRANSFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

REBUILDING IRAQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Evaluating Reconstruction Efforts . . . 13

Training Local Police to Enforce the

Law, Not Brutality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Feeding the Troops and Dodging

Bullets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Assessing Women’s Rights in Iraq . . . 15

Providing Solace and Support to 

Iraqi Citizens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Assessing Hospitals in Baghdad . . . . . 16

Turning an Eyesore into a 

Cash Cow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Teaching Iraqi Canine Trainers 

in Baghdad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Paying Iraqi Ex-Military . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Making the Streets Safer . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Helping the Disabled. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Making Dogwood a Better Place 

for Iraqis and Soldiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Giving a Voice to the People . . . . . . . . 24

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.

30 37
ARMY ONE SOURCE

PROVIDES ROUND-THE-CLOCK

HUMAN TOUCH

N

ow you can get questions about the

Army answered 24 hours a day 

by a human, not a computergenerated voice. The service is called

“Army One Source,” and it went into

effect August 15, 2003.

Army One Source is a 24/7 toll-free 

telephone number designed to provide

information and referrals to Soldiers, 

as well as deployed civilians and their 

families. And it is now fully operational

for Army installations and Army

Reserve components worldwide.

From the United States, callers can 

dial (800) 464-8107. From outside the

United States, callers should dial the

appropriate access code to reach a U.S.

number and then (800) 464-81077. 

All eleven digits must be dialed.

Hearing-impaired callers should use

(800) 364-9188, while Spanish speakers

can dial (800) 832-9020.

“There are no phone trees or menus,

and the phones are answered by

people,” said Carla Cary, Advocacy

Program specialist at the U.S. Army

Community and Family Services

Center. “The overseas toll-free number

has an extra digit. That digit identifies

the call as toll-free. From countries

where toll-free calls are not available,

customers are able to call collect.”

Army One Source is staffed by 

consultants who hold master’s degrees

in social work or psychology. The 

consultants can talk about a variety 

of subjects, including parenting,

TRICARE, childcare, relocation,

finances, legal issues, elder education,

and everyday household matters. And,

while they won’t answer questions on

Army administrative and personnel

issues, they will direct callers to the 

proper place to get help with pay 

problems and career questions. They

also can provide callers information 

regarding programs closest to them 

geographically.

“This service supplements our existing

family programs. It does not replace any

programs,” explained Cary. “It is our

attempt to broaden our service delivery.”

The service also is available to the

immediate families of Soldiers. 

“The staff knows the Army, and they

know who is eligible to use Army 

services and receive benefits,” added

Cary. “If a parent calls and he or she 

is not eligible to use Army programs, 

the consultants will have information

regarding what may be available in 

the civilian community.”

The staff also will have bilingual

(Spanish, Korean and German) and

multicultural capabilities.

“The Army recognizes that deployments

are tough on everyone, and that homecoming is potentially the most difficult

phase of deployment,” said Cary. “This

service should provide a boost to Soldiers

as they integrate back into their home

communities, and to family morale.”

ACAP EXPANDING TO HELP 

ARMY PERSONNEL 

The Army Career and Alumni Program

(ACAP) has introduced several new initiatives focused on helping Soldiers and

civilians find jobs after they retire or

leave the Army. These initiatives are

intended primarily to help retirees,

demobilized Army Reserve Soldiers, 

and civilian employees affected by base

realignment programs.

One policy change allows Army retirees

and eligible family members to receive

lifetime job assistance. This change

extends ACAP services beyond the

normal 180 days following separation.

“The service is provided on a spaceavailable basis,” said James Hoffman,

ACAP director. “With a valid retired

identification card, retirees can continue

to receive employment assistance in

preparing a competitive resume, as well

as learning important job skills.”

In addition, ACAP is establishing a

Demobilization Resource Center to

receive telephone requests for assistance

from Army Reserve Component 

Soldiers and unit commanders during

the demobilization process.

All Soldiers who have completed at least

180 days of continuous active duty 

and who are being released from active 

duty are required to receive preparation

counseling and to complete the

Preparation Counseling Checklist, 

DD Form 2648.

The Center, which will be located at the

U.S. Army Personnel Command, will

respond to all inquiries pertaining 

to eligibility for transition benefits. 

It also will provide referrals to service

providers, such as the Departments 

of Labor and Veterans Affairs, as well 

as the Army Reserve’s and National

Guard’s transition assistance offices.

“Once the Resource Center makes

contact with the Army Reserve 

Component Soldier and determines 

4 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

NEWS

News Briefs

★

“This service should

provide a boost to 

Soldiers as they integrate

back into their home

communities, and to

family morale.”
that additional ACAP services or referrals are necessary, the Soldier will be

referred to the closest ACAP center for 

continued assistance for up to 180 days

after demobilization,” added Hoffman.

In addition, and in order to prepare for

the large numbers of Soldiers who are

expected to be demobilized and released

from active duty, ACAP is preparing to

reinforce the counselor field workforce

with additional staff at targeted ACAP

demobilization installations. These staff

additions will help ensure that ACAP

can meet the demand to provide

mandatory preparation counseling and

employment assistance to those who

request additional assistance prior to

being released from active duty. 

Installations conducting demobilization

processing where ACAP does not exist,

such as Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, will

have temporary satellite offices established to assist in the demobilization

process. At other demobilization 

locations, such as Fort Dix, New Jersey,

and Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico,

ACAP will provide temporary 

assistance by bringing in temporary

ACAP staff or training assigned staff 

to help with the processing.

“Civilians who are leaving the 

government workforce as a result of

realignment or commercial outsourcing

also are eligible to receive ACAP 

services,” said Hoffman.

Recently, ACAP added a workshop 

targeted at Army civilians who are

impacted by reductions in force, A76

studies or force realignment. Upon

request, ACAP staff will present the

comprehensive workshop to assist 

civilians with their return to the public

or private sectors.

For more information about ACAP 

and its services, visit the revised ACAP

home page at http://www.acap.army.mil.

CHAPLAIN CORPS HELPING

SOLDIERS READJUST 

Chaplains offices with all of the Army

Reserve’s Regional Readiness

Commands are sponsoring marriage

retreats for Army Reserve Soldiers

coming back from the current round 

of mobilizations. The retreats are part of

a new initiative to help Army Reserve

Soldiers deal with the issues they face

upon returning home.

“Before this, the Army never really had

a redeployment doctrine. We just gave

people their discharge papers and said

‘Go home.’ Now we have a program 

that addresses many of the realities our

Soldiers experience when they come

back,” said Chaplain (Maj.) Thomas

Eddy with the USARC Headquarters’

Chaplains Office.

The new doctrine — the Deployment

Cycle Support Concept Plan or 

DCS CONPLAN — was born in a

Department of the Army think tank of

which Eddy was a member. The plan

includes helping Soldiers deal with 

relationship, medical, employment 

and other issues related to their return.

However, the marriage retreat program

is the most visible portion of the plan.

“Our leaders, namely Lt. Gen. James

Helmly, have gotten behind the retreat

program and, most importantly, have

given us the resources to carry it out,”

said Chaplain (Col.) Douglas Lee, the

Army Reserve’s top chaplain.

Couples who take part in the weekend

marriage retreats pay only nominal

costs. Most of the expenses are picked

up by the Army Reserve.

The retreats are structured around a

marriage enhancement package called

the Prevention and Relationship

Enhancement Program, or PREP. It

focuses on getting couples to communicate and gives them workable methods

to help resolve issues that arise.

“It teaches couples how to communicate,

especially during times of conflict. We

show them some techniques designed 

to help them listen to each other and

resolve problems,” added Lee.

Currently, only 45 percent of Army

Reserve Soldiers are married. For the

other 55 percent who are unmarried,

programs are being developed to help

them cope as well. Chaplain (Lt. Col.)

Gerald Nelson of the 81st Regional

Readiness Command is adopting 

some of the principals from the PREP

program and modifying them to appeal

to single Soldiers.

While the chaplain corps hopes that 

Soldiers who want to take advantage 

of the resources will come willingly 

to their offices, they are relying on 

commanders and first sergeants in 

the field to spread the word that these

resources are available. In addition,

family members who feel they need 

help can contact their local family

support organization or the chain of

command, or call the Army One Source

hotline toll-free at 1-800-464-8107, for

assistance.

SIMMAN RAISES THE BAR

ON MEDICAL TRAINING

The 89th Regional Readiness

Command, headquartered in Wichita,

Kansas, has received a new addition to

its ranks. He’s called “SimMan.” And,

while he doesn’t sport a cape and red

tights, he is expected to bring his own

brand of superhuman powers to raising

the bar on 91W medical training. 

91W Healthcare Specialist is the new

military occupation specialty that

replaces the 91B Combat Medic and

91C Licensed Practical Nurse or

Vocational Nurse MOSs.

SimMan, which cost approximately

$30,000, was developed by Laerdal

Medical Corporation especially for 91W

training. He can breathe, and has a

pulse and blood pressure. In addition,

SimMan also can be programmed to

display different symptoms that 91W

trainees can react to.

Volume 49, Number 3 ★ 5

NEWS
NEWS

Effective October 2001, the Department

of Combat Medic Training 91W course

length was changed from 10 to 16 weeks

so that students could develop advanced

skills in combat medic and emergency

medical techniques.

“Now, 91Ws are Emergency Medical

Technician qualified and are expected 

to be re-certified according to National

Registry standards,” said Lt. Col. 

Beth Martinez, a sustainment training 

coordinator for the 91W transition.

“This is consistent with the Army’s

plan to convert all current medics 

to 91W.”

“The Active Army has until 2009, and

the Army Reserve components until

2008, to have the process completed.

SimMan will help with that transition,”

she added.

Because SimMan is computer-based, 

different scenarios can be programmed

into the 91W training. 

“The trainers can program different

symptoms into SimMan. This in turn

creates different reactions by the 91Ws,”

said Master Sgt. Steve Wadas, Senior

Medical NCO with the 4223rd U.S.

Army Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska.

“Those reactions are automatically

logged within the attached computer,

and can be printed out at any time for

the individual Soldiers to review and

evaluate.”

“Gone are the days when we would 

simulate the appropriate medical 

procedures. Now, Soldiers have the

ability to perform those tasks directly

on SimMan,” added Wadas.

If a Soldier does not perform a task 

properly, the computer automatically 

will adjust SimMan’s response. If the 

condition is serious enough, SimMan

could even code (stop breathing). The

Soldier then would have to react to 

that situation. 

According to Wadas, it is this ability 

of SimMan to react in a number of ways

that is elevating the level of training

for 91Ws.

“In a classroom situation, you can’t give

a human patient drugs, intubate them

or get them to respond to a variety of

treatments like you can with SimMan,”

said Wadas. “SimMan allows us to have

real-life, scenario-based training, which

should elevate Soldiers’ medical skills,

allowing them to be better prepared for

most all types of medical missions.”

“He’s the best EKG simulator I’ve ever

seen,” said 2nd Lt. Wesley McCullough,

a nurse with the 325th Field Hospital in

Independence, Missouri, who recently

attended a Train-the-Trainer class. 

“I know that SimMan was designed 

specifically for 91W. However, I think

he would be a good training tool for

other medical professions as well.”

GATHERING HISTORY 

AS IT HAPPENS

The gathering of documents, 

photographs and personal accounts

from mobilized units is critical to 

properly documenting the Army

Reserve’s contribution to the Global

War on Terrorism (GWOT). And now

gathering that information has never

been easier.

Currently, there are several ways to

gather historical information and send

it in to the Office of Army Reserve

History at the U.S. Army Reserve

Command headquarters at Fort

McPherson, Georgia. The newest way 

is via a site on the Army Knowledge

Online (AKO), which contains an 

autobiographical sheet that an individual Soldier can complete, as well as a

unit narrative sheet that mobilized unit

leaders can fill out. The completed 

documents should be sent via email to

GWOTHistory@usarc-emh2.army.mil.

1st Lt. Mark Wilkinson of the 21st General Hospital and 1st Lt. Lawton Hicks of the 325th Field Hospital heed the warning 

to “clear” as 2nd Lt. Wesley McCullough of the 325th Field Hospital tries to restart the heart of the 89th RRC’s new 

simulation mannequin.

6 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

PHOTO: UNKNOWN
NEWS

In addition to the documents obtained

from the AKO site, units can download

onto computer disks (CDs) everything

from unit rosters, photographs, and

even movies, and send that data to the

Office of Army Reserve History.

Another method of capturing data that

has been used successfully in the past 

is to detail a Soldier to go around with

a tabbed folder to unit members. The

tabs explain what documents the 

different sections can provide. As the

different sections receive the folder,

they can fill it with all relevant documents and CDs.

Photographs of particular interest

include those showing Soldiers performing their missions — everything from

operating computers, driving trucks 

and pumping fuel to conducting training classes. Units can facilitate the

process by offering to pay for double

prints of any photographs Soldiers take,

as well as by providing extra batteries 

to Soldiers with digital cameras. In

addition, units can even distribute 

disposable cameras to Soldiers and 

unit leaders to take pictures.

It is important to keep in mind that 

the contribution of the Army Reserve 

to the GWOT is extensive. And the

products that units collect now will help

accurately document that contribution

for future generations, as well as help

explain the role of the Army Reserve in

the national defense of the United States

to its various publics.

ARPERSCOM AND 

DA PERSCOM MERGE AND

INTEGRATE WEB SITES

In October 2003, the Army Reserve

Personnel Command (ARPERSCOM),

based in St. Louis, Missouri, and the

U.S. Total Army Personnel Command,

headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia,

were merged to form the U.S. Army

Human Resources Command (HRC).

The new command, integrating the 

two organizations, will act as a multicomponent field operating agency under

the Army’s deputy chief of staff for 

personnel, bringing together all human

resource management functions for the

Army and Army Reserve to better meet

the future needs of Army Soldiers and

civilians.

There have been no immediate changes

to ARPERSCOM’s structure under the

merger, and all existing services are

expected to continue uninterrupted

throughout the transformation. During

the next fiscal year, business processes

will be evaluated within the new

command to determine the future 

structure of HRC.

In addition, ARPERSCOM’s 

existing 2xCitizen Web site has 

become part of the new

HRC Web site,

https://www.hrc.army.mil.

All content and tools 

currently available on

2xCitizen and the portal,

My2xCitizen, will continue

to be made available to 

customers. This includes

secure access to Army

Reserve personnel record

information, board data

and retirement tools. The

new HRC Web site will act

as the central point for

Soldiers in both the Active

Army and the Army

Reserve to access their 

personnel data.

More information on the

Army’s human resources

transformation will 

be released as it becomes

available. To get the latest information,

visit https://www.hrc.army.mil.

A NEW LOOK FOR

THE ARMY RESERVE 

WEB SITE

The Army Reserve Web site

(http://www.army.mil/usar) went

public with a new look in November

2003, completing the first part of a

three-phase update project. The new

design provides relevant information 

in an easy-to-use format. 

The goal of Phase 1 was to establish a

new look and navigation for the site,

making it more user-friendly to all 

audiences, both inside and outside the

Army Reserve. Phases 2 and 3 will

provide information on regional and

subordinate commands and expand the

resources and information available to

Soldiers and Commanders. 

http://www.army.mil/usar

Volume 49, Number 3 ★ 7
NEWS

EMPLOYERS STEP UP 

TO THE PLATE

H

ome Depot, a multi-billion dollar

corporation headquartered in

Atlanta, Georgia, is doing more

than its share to support America’s

National Guardsmen and Army Reserve

Soldiers who have left their jobs to

answer the country’s call to arms. 

In July, Home Depot President and

Chief Executive Officer Bob Nardelli

signed a Statement of Support for the

National Guard and Reserve allowing all

Home Depot employees either mobilized

or on active duty to continue receiving

their full salary, health insurance and

retirement benefits for six months. For

Soldiers whose checks fall short of what

they were receiving as full-time employees of Home Depot, the company will

make up the difference in pay.

Home Depot also has launched another

new national initiative, called Project 

Homefront. This initiative is designed

to help military families repair and

maintain their homes while family

members are on active duty.

Home Depot joins Verizon Wireless,

Dell Computer, Cisco Systems, 

Goldman Sachs and more than 300

other companies that have signed statements of support.

ARMY RESERVE TOPS IN

SUPPLY EXCELLENCE AWARD

COMPETITION

Three European-based Army Reserve

units and three members of the 7th

Army Reserve Command (ARCOM)

were recognized for supply excellence in

the Army-wide 2003 Chief of Staff, Army

(CSA) Supply Excellence competition.

In the Army Reserve component 

category of competition, Headquarters,

7th ARCOM, Schwetzingen, Germany,

won the Table of Distribution and

Allowances (TDA) Upper category

(Large) level, with the Command’s 3747th

Multi-Functional Training Brigade,

Europe, in Grafenwoehr, receiving an

honorable mention in the same category.

Another subordinate unit of the 7th

ARCOM, the Southern European 

Task Force (Augmentation), Vicenza,

Italy, was runner-up in the TDA Small 

category, receiving recognition for the

third year in a row.

For the second time in as many years,

three 7th ARCOM individuals were 

recognized as “Best of the Best” winners

in the Army Reserve component 

competition. Chief Warrant Officer

Ronald L. Kissee, HQ, 7th ARCOM,

won the Property Book Officer

Competition; Master Sgt. Ricky

Hamrick, Southern European Task

Force (Augmentation) won the S 4

Noncommissioned Officer-in-Charge

category; and Staff Sgt. James Persinger,

Southern Eastern Task Force

(Augmentation) won the Unit 

Armorer category.

7th ARCOM units have won or placed

in the CSA’s Supply Excellence awards

program for the past five years. Created

in 1986, the competition was created to

enhance logistical readiness, command

supply discipline, and recognize group

and individual supply initiatives.

TWO ARMY RESERVE FIELD

KITCHENS AWARDED TOP 

ARMY PRIZE

It’s said that an army marches on its

stomach. If that is the case, then the

members of the Army Reserve’s 75th

Combat Support Hospital and 900th

Quartermaster Company literally should

be rolling through the trenches.

Recently, the 75th from Tuscaloosa,

Alabama, and the 900th from El Paso,

Texas, were named the best field kitchens

in the Army Reserve. Both were recipients of the Phillip A. Connelly Award,

the Army’s highest food service award,

during the Joint Services Excellence in

Food Service Awards.

According to Edward Siegler, a food

service specialist with the U.S. Army

Reserve Command, recent changes in

Army Reserve food service procedures

have limited Reserve units to competition in the field kitchen category. This

is the result of fewer meals being cooked

by Soldiers during drills. However, this

did not limit the amount of entrants in

this year’s competition.

“Surprisingly, although our units are

cooking less, we had more competitors

for this year’s award than in previous

years,” said Siegler.

Elsewhere

in the News

Bob Nardelli,

President and CEO of

Home Depot (left), and

Maj. Gen. Charles E.

Wilson, Deputy

Commanding General, 

U.S. Army Reserve

Command. 

PHOTO: UNKNOWN

8 ★ Army Reserve Magazine
And, while some units may be cooking

less, the 75th’s food section still cooks 

at every drill.

“We get a lot of practice,” said Sgt. 1st

Class James Spencer, section leader for

the 75th. “We didn’t even know we were

in the competition until somebody told

us. And, even after we found out, we

just kept doing the things we normally

do. Everyone in my section works hard.

They deserve the recognition.”

The competitors were judged based

upon a number of criteria, including

kitchen safety, cooking ability and

cleanliness.

“It’s scored sort of like figure skating. You

start with a perfect score, and then points

are deducted as deficiencies are found,”

added Siegler. “There is a lot of artistry

involved today in cooking Soldiers’

meals. And the Soldiers really appreciate

it when their cooks do a good job.”

EIGHT ARMY RESERVE

ORGANIZATIONS 

RECEIVE DEPLOYMENT

EXCELLENCE AWARD

The Army Chief of Staff has recognized

eight Army Reserve organizations with

Deployment Excellence Awards.

The 7th Army Reserve Command

(ARCOM) took top honors in the 

supporting unit category for the Army

Reserve. Second place went to the

4013th Garrison Support Unit from

Fort Polk, Louisiana.

“The 7th ARCOM in Heidelberg,

Germany, mobilized more than 70

percent of the command from five locations throughout Germany and Italy,”

said Maj. Gen. Claude V. Christianson,

Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4, in

his speech during the awards ceremony.

“The Command supported four contingency operations and two separate war

plans simultaneously.”

During its largest and most challenging

mobilization, the 7th ARCOM mobilized

troops for Operations Iraqi and Enduring

Freedom, supported peacekeeping missions in both Bosnia and Kosovo, and

assisted Europe-based Active Army and

stateside Army Reserve units deploying

to Southwest Asia.

“This award is a great testament to 

the teamwork and leadership of our

Noncommissioned Officers and the 

Soldiers on the ground, who are truly

deserving of this recognition,” said Brig.

Gen. Richard M. Tabor, Commander,

7th ARCOM. “Without their hard work

and dedication, and the commitment of

the ARCOM staff, we could not have

gotten through this challenging time.”

The award, which is presented annually,

recognizes deploying units, supporting

units and installations for outstanding

mission accomplishment that meets or

exceeds Army standards. 

DEPLOYMENT

EXCELLENCE AWARD

RECIPIENTS

SUPPORTING UNIT CATEGORY

★ First Place — 7th ARCOM,

Schwetzingen, Germany

★ Runner Up — 4013th Garrison 

Support Unit, 

Fort Polk, Louisiana

LARGE UNIT CATEGORY

★ First Place — 1190th Deployment 

Support Brigade, 

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

★ Runner Up — 418th Quartermaster

Battalion, 

Tucson, Arizona

SMALL UNIT CATEGORY

★ First Place — 805th Transportation

Detachment (Logistics Support Vessel), 

Tacoma, Washington

★ Runner Up — 419th Transportation

Company, 

Salt Lake City, Utah

INSTALLATION CATEGORY

★ First Place — Fort Dix, New Jersey

★ Runner Up — Fort McCoy, WisconsinPHOTO: LT. COL. JON DAHMS, 7TH ARCOM PAO

NEWS

Volume 49, Number 3 ★ 9

Sgt. Deyuma Baker (left) and Sgt. 1st Class James

Spencer from the 75th Combat Support Hospital from

Tuscaloosa, Ala., accept the Connelly Award, the Army’s

highest food service award.

PHOTO: EDWARD SIEGLER, U.S. ARMY RESERVE COMMAND

Members of the 7th ARCOM pose with representatives

from the Army staff after receiving the Deployment

Excellence Award.
10 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

Interview with BG Gary Profit

Deputy Chief, Army Reserve

November 2003

Office of the Chief, Army Reserve (OCAR): The Army Reserve is working on a number of

changes to its Human Resources policies and practices (see sidebar for a summary of

changes). Why are these changes being made?

BG Profit: The simple answer is that we must in order to remain ready and relevant, while

at the same time caring for Soldiers and their families. As we have said on many occasions, the world has changed, and so must the Army Reserve. We are part of an Army

at war for a Nation at war and are being called upon more and more often. We need to

be ready when that call comes — ready with Soldiers who are trained, available, and

accessible. At the same time, we need to make sure we’re doing everything possible to

support our Soldiers and their families. We’re working on dozens of initiatives that will

help us better organize, man, train, equip, mobilize, and deploy our Soldiers and units.

A number of them are being tested and rolled out now. Others are still in the planning

stages. These programs represent some of the first steps to move the Army Reserve from

the Current Force to the Future Force. 

OCAR: You mentioned the need to improve readiness. How will these changes help

Army Reserve readiness?

BG Profit: A large part of what we’re doing is reorganizing so unit Commanders can focus

on training Soldiers instead of doing paperwork. TTHS is a good example. If a Soldier

isn’t qualified in his duty MOS, he’ll be moved to TTHS where a trained personnel

manager will work with him to get him qualified. The Soldier will get better guidance

and more attention from these managers, and the Commander is free to focus on training the Soldiers available for deployment to higher levels of proficiency. 

Army Reserve 

TRANSFORMATION

Human Resource Initiatives
Another goal is to reserve unit slots for Soldiers who are qualified and available for

deployment. That will instantly increase readiness. TTHS helps with this and so does

the DEP. Instead of recruiting new Soldiers and assigning them to a unit before they go

to Basic Training, they’ll stay in the DEP and be the responsibility of the recruiter. 

This keeps slots in units open for qualified and available Soldiers and focuses the

Commander’s time on creating a unit that is 100% ready and available for deployment

at all times. 

The IA program is designed to solve a different readiness problem. More and more, the

Army needs just one or two people to augment an Active Component unit. Today, we

pull them from a TPU. This solves the Army’s need, but creates a hole in one of our

units and decreases that unit’s readiness. By setting up an Individual Augmentee

program, we can have a group of Soldiers in high-demand specialties who are trained

and ready to go when needed without hurting unit readiness. 

OCAR: When do the changes take effect?

BG Profit: It varies. We’re making changes as quickly as we can because the environment

demands it. The DEP and TTHS programs are being piloted in the 81st Regional

Readiness Command right now. The implementation is going as expected. We’re capturing lessons and learning from them to ensure we achieve the results we want. We’ll

be expanding to other RRCs by the beginning of next fiscal year. OPMS and RPSCs are

on schedule to be implemented later this fiscal year, and we’re working hard to roll out

the IA program in 2004 as well.

OCAR: What’s the impact on individual Soldiers?

BG Profit: Soldiers will benefit from these changes in many ways. First, they will receive

better attention to their needs, whether they’re in TTHS, DEP, IA or a TPU. The goal

is to develop programs that target Soldiers with different needs — whether they’re

brand new recruits in the DEP who need to get ready for Basic Training or experienced

Soldiers in the IA who want to volunteer for missions. Second, Soldiers will benefit

from an organization and leaders who are more focused on readiness and training.

Third, Soldiers will be better informed about their status and options with these new

programs. OPMS is a good example. Under OPMS, there’s more visibility about Officer

career paths, moving the Army Reserve from a force structure centric model to one

focused on manpower inventory management. 

OCAR: What’s next?

BG Profit: As I mentioned before, we’re working on dozens of initiatives and ideas to

achieve our goals of readiness and Soldier support. We’re constantly reviewing and evaluating proposals, and we keep the good ones and throw out the not so good ones. If it’s

a no-brainer, we move to implementation right away. If it’s more complex, we’ll pilot

the program in one part of the country to learn before doing. Then we can expand to

the rest of the organization. 

In our current situation, change is the only constant. I’m optimistic that we’re 

on the right path with these HR initiatives, and I expect more positive changes in 

the future.

Article submitted by the Office of the Chief, Army Reserve.

Summary of 

HR Initiatives

TTHS: Trainees, Transients, Holdees and

Students Account

Soldiers who are non-DMOSQ or non-deployable will be assigned to the TTHS account,

freeing up unit spaces for deployable Soldiers.

TTHS Managers at each Regional Readiness

Command will be responsible for working with

the Soldiers in the TTHS account to get them

trained and qualified. The target is to move

Soldiers out of the TTHS account and back to

units within 180 days.

OPMS: Officer Personnel Management System

The Army Reserve is adopting the Army’s life

cycle management tool for managing Officers’

careers. The number of generalist positions

will be reduced, and the number of Officer

slots in each field will be rationalized to create

a pyramid-shaped organizational structure. 

The promotion system will also be changed 

to ensure that everyone who is promoted has 

a slot.

RPSC: Regional Personnel Service Centers

Within HR Command in St. Louis, personnel

managers will form virtual PSCs aligned with

the Regional Readiness Commands. The

Regional PSCs will perform pro-active individualized professional development and career

progression management for Soldiers in their

regions. Personnel Management Officers and

NCOs will coordinate all aspects of a Soldier’s

lifecycle with the Army Reserve, including

education, training and moves. 

DEP: Delayed Entry Program

Non-prior service enlistees will no longer be

assigned to a unit when they sign a contract.

Instead, they will be placed in the DEP and

become part of the IRR. DEP Soldiers will not

attend or be paid for drills, and they will be

the responsibility of recruiters instead of commanders. When DEP Soldiers ship to Initial

Entry Training (IET), they will be removed from

the DEP and assigned to the TTHS account.

IA: Individual Augmentees

The Army Reserve is establishing an

“Augmentee Unit” of trained and ready volunteers who can be deployed as individuals when

needed by the Army or Army Reserve. IAs will

no longer be filling TPU spaces, so their

deployment will not affect TPU readiness. IAs

will continue to drill with their designated

units until their skill set is required. The mix

of MOSs for the IA program will be based

upon high demand specialties that are often

needed on an individual basis.

Volume 49, Number 3 ★ 11
O

peration Iraqi Freedom has succeeded in deposing Saddam

Hussein, but there’s much work to be done before the

mission can be considered a success. Helping rebuild Iraq, 

as well as winning the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people, remains

a major initiative of the Soldiers of the Army Reserve.

Members of the 411th Civil

Affairs Battalion, an Army

Reserve Unit from Danbury,

Conn., provide assistance for

reconstruction efforts in

Baghdad. 

Rebuilding IRAQ

■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■

12 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

PHOTO: SPEC. RYAN SMITH, 372ND MPAD
Volume 49, Number 3 ★ 13

Working with an interpreter, Sasso spoke with locals concerning everything from looting to water and electricity shortages.

“We serve as the nucleus for people who need solutions to

problems or simply need to sound off,” said Sasso. “The problems these Iraqis face are the result of years of oppression and

war. Every month, working with and through them, we make

significant strides.”

Mostly, we focus on a few important projects. The soccer fields

and swimming pools can wait for now. When people have clean

water to drink, gas and electricity, and can feel secure out in

the streets, then we can worry about the luxuries,” added Sasso.

TRAINING LOCAL POLICE TO ENFORCE

THE LAW, NOT BRUTALITY

When the 382nd Military Police Detachment, an Army Reserve

unit from San Diego, California, entered Baghdad, the Iraqi

police force showed real enthusiasm. So much enthusiasm, in

fact, that the MPs quickly became concerned. 

The first morning they visited the jailhouse, two prisoners were

behind bars. Later that evening, the cells were practically bursting

at the seams with prisoners. It was this kind of over-enthusiasm

that led to the courses in police training currently being conducted

by Soldiers of the 382nd for the Iraqi police.

EVALUATING RECONSTRUCTION EFFORTS

The 411th Civil Affairs Battalion, an Army Reserve unit from

Danbury, Connecticut, is working to provide positive results.

The unit’s Tactical Support Team 4 is focused upon operations

involving reconstruction and public safety — missions that

greatly legitimize America’s presence in Baghdad according to

the Commander of the team, Maj. Joseph Charles Sasso.

“Rebuilding infrastructure, and police and firefighting capabilities are the keys to success,” he said. “That’s why our job is to

continually assess and monitor the construction projects here.”

During routine missions, the Soldiers go to sites where 

construction is taking place, such as in Al Thawra, the neighborhood formerly known as Saddam City. Al Thawra is home

to nearly two million people and is the poorest community 

in Baghdad.

The infrastructure in Al Thawra, including power lines,

sewage pipes, water lines and roads, is in bad shape, either

because of poor initial workmanship or because of neglect

during Saddam Hussein’s regime. Working with local contractors, the 411th is trying to turn Al Thawra around.

One project concerns restoring pipelines in Al Thawra in an

area where raw sewage forms pools in the streets where children play. The unit has made a deal with a local contractor to

replace the worn-out pipes that are at the heart of the problem.

The contractor has promised to replace the lines according to

American quality standards.

Sasso and his team regularly check on these projects to ensure

that the work is moving forward smoothly. While assessing the

progress of a project and performing quality control checks,

the unit also has the opportunity to address other issues raised

by the local citizens.

Cpl. James Martinez with the 382nd Military Police Detachment, an Army Reserve Unit from

San Diego, Calif., lectures Iraqi police officers on the importance of human rights. 

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

Reconstruction efforts in Iraq. 

PHOTO: SPEC. RYAN SMITH, 372ND MPAD
14 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

FEEDING THE TROOPS AND DODGING BULLETS

In the Army, support jobs typically are considered to be less

intense and less dangerous than many of the other military occupations. However, try telling that to Staff Sgt. Sammie Hamm, Jr.

Hamm, a food preparations specialist with the 1014th

Quartermaster Company, an Army Reserve unit from Athens,

Georgia, and currently rations noncommissioned officer for the

541st Maintenance Battalion, has been in Iraq for several

months taking care of the troops located around Logbase Seitz,

near Baghdad International Airport. It is a job that literally has

had him in the line of fire.

“Being in a support MOS [military occupation specialty], you

always end up somewhere behind the front lines,” said Hamm.

“But there always is the possibility that you could become a

victim of random violence.”

“There have been many times when I’ve heard mortars being

fired. I just knew they were coming toward me. And the only

thing I could think to do was just run,” added Hamm.

And it’s a good thing that Hamm did run. Otherwise, the

injuries he sustained during one violent attack could have been

much worse. As it was, Hamm had to be medically evacuated 

to a nearby medical treatment facility where medics pulled

shrapnel out of multiple places on Hamm’s body, including his

chest, stomach and big toe.

“If Sam here is my friend and I raise the soles of my feet

toward him, should you arrest me?” asked the 382nd’s Cpl.

James Martinez, who is lecturing to a class of about 25 Iraqi

police officers.

By the grumbles emanating from the officers, Martinez senses

that the Iraqis aren’t quite sure.

“No? Why not? I’m not hurting him. It’s my right to be able to

express myself in a peaceful manner,” said Martinez as he tries

to help the Iraqis understand the rights of individuals.

The class is part of a three-week course designed to focus 

primarily on human rights — a concept that is both alien and

frightening to these people who have been oppressed for so

much of their lives.

According to Martinez, the former Iraqi mindset has been

hard to break. Iraqi police officers remain heavily influenced

by the former regime, which routinely discriminated against

its citizens on the basis of age, sex and economic status.

“We have to teach them equal rights for women and children as

well,” said Cpl. Kenneth A. Johnson, another instructor with

the 382nd.

To that end, the MPs have brought in a female sergeant to teach

a class.

“Every jaw hit the floor when they learned a female would be

teaching a class,” added Johnson. “But it was important to show

the Iraqi police officers that a female can do the job. That they

are strong, both mentally and physically.”

Another hurdle the MPs are having to overcome is the antiquated Iraqi justice system, which imposed procedures that

would be hard for any American to grasp. As an example, the

MPs recount how the old Iraqi police force would have to

consult with a judge and obtain a warrant before restraining

anyone in the streets who might be firing a weapon.

“It’s a big challenge re-educating the Iraqis to understand that

laws are meant to give police officers the flexibility to evaluate

situations on the spot, and to take appropriate actions before

going to a judge,” said Johnson. 

“Before the war, the regime distorted the laws and the Iraqis

upheld orders rather than human rights,” he added. “Now,

they are being taught to use the laws to protect the rights of

ordinary people.”

Staff Sgt. Sammie Hamm Jr., a food preparations specialist with the 1014th Quartermaster

Company, an Army Reserve Unit from Athens, Ga., goes through the daily routine of

checking inventory at Logbase Seitz, near Baghdad International Airport.

PHOTO: SPEC. CHAD D. WILKERSON, 372ND MPAD
Volume 49, Number 3 ★ 15

Kurdistan, which has been operating independently of the Iraqi

central government since 1991, historically has been much more

open-minded when it comes to women’s rights than the rest of

Iraq. Therefore, the Kurd women can offer valuable insights into

how the position of women in Iraq as a whole can be improved. 

The information Albuquerque has been collecting about

Kurdish women and their progress over the last decade is going

to help the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) outline a

program for women’s rights in Baghdad and the rest of Iraq.

“From talking to the women involved with the movement here,

it looks like they have come out of the darkness,” said

Albuquerque. “These women are very passionate about their

pursuits and already have accomplished a great deal.”

Albuquerque described the Kurdish women as modern and contemporary. They do not wear the traditional head wraps or black

robes seen throughout the south of Iraq. Rather, they can be seen

wearing blue jeans and T-shirts on the streets of Sulaimania and

Irbil — an indication of the Kurds’ desire to become more

Westernized.

“These women talk very freely with men, and most are very 

well-educated. Very few have been oppressed in the way most

Arab women have been,” added Albuquerque, who sees 

similarities between the Kurdish women and the American

women of the 1970s, who were very determined about elevating

their status in society.

Women’s organizations in Kurdistan hope to have an ongoing

relationship with coalition forces, which they anticipate will

help bring greater attention to their cause and set them on a

more equal track with the rest of the modern world.

“I did not even know my foot had been hit until I saw the

blood,” said Hamm.

Following the attack, Hamm’s commander called Hamm’s

family to make them aware of the situation and to reassure them

that Hamm’s injuries were not life-threatening. The attack,

however, made Hamm, a Purple Heart medal recipient, more

aware of his surroundings and more appreciative of his life.

“My injuries have healed and I will move on with my life, but

with a much more positive attitude,” he said. “This mission has

to go on.”

According to Hamm, his job is what keeps him going and it will

take more than shrapnel to keep him from doing it.

“I love my job. I love to cook and to see the smiles on the faces

of the Soldiers coming into my dining facility to get a nice cold

cup of lemonade,” added Hamm. “It’s one thing to feed MREs

(Meals Ready to Eat) to Soldiers three times a day. It’s another

to have them come indoors when it is really hot outside and give

them a full-fledged meal and something cold to drink. We let

them know we care.”

ASSESSING WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN IRAQ

One part of the reconstruction in Iraq that has drawn relatively

little attention is the issue of women’s rights. However, a team

of Army Reserve Soldiers is working with women leaders in

Kurdistan and the surrounding areas to determine how best to

elevate the standing of women in a country that historically has

treated them as little more than chattels.

Recently, members from the 352nd Civil Affairs Command, an

Army Reserve unit from Riverdale, Maryland, took a trip to

Kurdistan in northern Iraq. Part of their mission was to touch

base with political and community leaders to discuss women’s

rights in Iraq.

Women leaders in the community accompanied the team

during the four days they spent in Sulaimania to point out

instances of women’s suffering and detail how they were trying

to bring about change.

“We went to two women’s organizations during our time in

Kurdistan — the Women’s Training and Social Development

Center and a women’s media center,” said Sfc. Janis Albuquerque,

a civil affairs specialist with the 352nd, who acted as a liaison

between the women’s organizations and the U.S. military, and is

an advisor to the Ministry of Youth and Sport in Baghdad. “They

always like to see a female and to hear another women’s perspective. It’s also important for them to see that a woman can perform

the duties of a soldier, which is taboo in Iraq.”

Sfc. Janis Albuquerque, a member of the 352nd Civil Affairs Command, an Army Reserve

Unit from Riverdale, Md., poses with a Kurdish girl during a sports demonstration at a

youth sports facility in Kurdistan in Northern Iraq.

PHOTO: SPEC. CHAD D. WILKERSON, 372ND MPAD
deals with a variety of issues — everything from Iraqis seeking

compensation for damage to their cars or houses to people

seeking treatment for medical problems. Iraqis also bring in

information about weapon caches or individuals being sought

by coalition forces. And, sometimes, people will just wander in

seeking directions to various locations around Baghdad.

“There are ten Civil Military Operations Centers (CMOCs) in

Baghdad to refer people to,” said Luna Kamouna, an Iraqi interpreter working at the IAC. “Many of the issues people bring here

can be solved by Soldiers at those CMOCs, who are members of

tactical civil affairs units that specialize in handling neighborhood problems.”

One of the goals of the IAC is to prevent having people shuffled

from one agency to another. 

“Time is an important factor in solving these problems,” said

Capt. Cameron Sellers, a humanitarian flight operations officer

with the 352nd. “Our duty is to help other organizations by

making sure the right people get to the right places.”

Eventually, the members of the 352nd will transfer control for

these activities over to the Iraqis because they recognize the

importance of having Iraqi citizens help their own countrymen.

“Whatever the new Iraqi government looks like, the Iraqi people

must have an advocacy group. And it must be run by its own

people to create a greater sense of solidarity,” added Sellars. “This

Center will be the conduit for helping promote solidarity and the

humane treatment of Iraqi citizens by its new government.”

ASSESSING HOSPITALS 

IN BAGHDAD

Public health teams from the 354th Civil Affairs Brigade from

Riverdale, Maryland, and the 490th Civil Affairs Battalion from

Abilene, Texas, headed to the Al Thawra district in Baghdad

recently to assess the condition of local hospitals. The teams

“We want to cooperate with the U.S. military to promote the

rights of women,” said one Kurdish woman. “Women’s rights

and human rights go hand-in-hand.”

“Right now, the Kurds have a blank canvas,” said Albuquerque.

“The world is completely open to them. They already have

accomplished quite a lot with extremely limited resources, and I

expect the future will be bright for these Kurdish women.

Hopefully, the same will be true for the women in southern Iraq.”

PROVIDING SOLACE AND SUPPORT

TO IRAQI CITIZENS

An Iraqi man’s house was destroyed by a bomb during the war. It

killed his two daughters and his brother. His wife and sons were

injured and still require medical care. Unsure of where to go for

help, he goes to the Iraqi Assistance Center (IAC) at the Iraqi

Forum, formerly known as the Baghdad Convention Center.

The IAC is run by Soldiers from the 352nd Civil Affairs

Command, an Army Reserve unit from Riverdale, Maryland.

Originally designed to serve members of non-governmental

organizations working in Iraq, providing them with information about anything from security and road safety to

humanitarian assistance flights arriving at Baghdad

International Airport, the IAC now has assumed the additional

role of helping Iraqi citizens find the appropriate agency or

organization to provide them much needed assistance.

In many ways, the IAC has become an advocacy group for

Iraqis. Employing Iraqi civilians as interpreters, the Center

Staff Sgt. Albert Berlo, a Civil Affairs Specialist with the 352nd Civil Affairs Command, 

an Army Reserve unit from Riverdale, Md., assists members of non-governmental 

organizations at the Iraqi Assistance Center located in the Iraqi Forum in Baghdad.

Proud parents display their newborns at the Al Thawra Pediatric and Maternity Hospital 

in Baghdad.

PHOTO: SPEC. RYAN SMITH, 372ND MPAD

16 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

PHOTOS: SPEC. CHAD D. WILKERSON, 372ND MPAD
TURNING AN EYESORE 

INTO A CASH COW

Mention the word “detail” to a Soldier and he may cringe at the

thought of having to take on some disgusting job that no one

else wants to do. But not all details need to be laborious. Often,

they can result in a lot of good. Just ask Sfc. Gordon Pry and

Spec. David Hicks, psychological operations specialists with the

346th Psychological Operations Company, an Army Reserve

unit from Columbus, Ohio.

Recently, Pry and Hicks were assigned to supervise local Iraqis

as they removed 500-pound rolls of high-grade paper found in a

warehouse that the V Corps motor pool wanted relocated to

Camp Victory near Baghdad International Airport. During their

assignment, Pry and Hicks began their days having breakfast

with Iraqi locals, sharing food brought in by the Iraqis to the

work location in a U.S. compound. 

visited two pediatric and maternity hospitals, speaking with

hospital directors and questioning hospital personnel on conditions in the facilities and measures to improve their operation.

“A major part of solving the problem is identifying the

problem,” said Maj. John Padgett, chief of the public health

team for the 490th. “It takes time to identify the problems and,

once determined, how to address them.”

For now, the focus of the assessments is on how to restore 

reasonable health care standards in Baghdad.

“We are focusing our major efforts on four areas,” said 

Col. Mohamed S. Ibraheim of the 354th and public health 

coordinator for the Humanitarian Assistance Coordination

Center (HACC) in Baghdad. “The first is security, followed

by medical supplies and distribution, power availability, and

facility integrity.”

So far, the assessments have gone better than anticipated.

According to Ibraheim, the hospitals are providing a satisfactory

level of care to their patients, and the staff and patients are glad

to see coalition forces taking an interest in their community.

To date, 35 of the 36 major hospitals in Baghdad have been

assessed, and coalition forces have been able to elevate most of

those to a “green” level of effectiveness.

“We have some work to do yet,” added Ibraheim. “However,

every day, we are making great strides toward getting our

mission accomplished.”

Col. Mohamed Ibraheim (right), Public Health Team Chief for the 354th Civil Affairs

Brigade, an Army Reserve unit from Riverdale, Md., along with a local physician, 

look in on a premature newborn in an Al Thawra hospital incubator during assessments

being conducted on local area hospitals.

Volume 49, Number 3 ★ 17

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

Sfc. Gordon Pry, a Psychological Operations Specialist with the 346th Psychological

Operations Company, an Army Reserve unit from Columbus, Ohio, rides alongside an Iraqi

worker on a forklift being used to load 500-pound rolls of high-grade paper onto flatbed

trucks for transport to a central clearing area.

PHOTO: SPEC. ANTHONY K. REINOSO, 372ND MPAD
Now, those cells, sporting fresh coats of paint, are home to the

new Iraqi canine corps — the latest recruits in the battle on

terror. And Sgt. Emily Frasca, a police academy instructor with

the 382nd Military Police (MP) Battalion, an Army Reserve unit

from San Diego, California, is helping jumpstart the program.

Attached to the 18th MP Brigade in Iraq and part of Task Force

1st Armored Division, Frasca and the other Soldiers in her unit

were teaching classes at the police academy in Baghdad when

someone asked her to help with the canine unit. She jumped at

the opportunity.

“I love working with dogs,” said Frasca. “So, when they offered

me the chance to be the liaison for the trainers and to coordinate

with the 18th MP Brigade to get equipment for them, I saw an

opportunity to share what I know and what I’ve learned.”

The canine unit is progressing quickly. The Iraqi trainers are

learning new methods of training, and the dogs are multiplying.

One of the German shepherds recently gave birth to five pups.

But that wasn’t always the case.

Before the war, the canine unit was housed outside of Baghdad,

where the trainers received very little support. They lacked the

money to buy equipment and training manuals, and to have the

dogs vaccinated. Eventually they became ineffective.

“The trainers were cut off from all support,” added Frasca.

“They ended up inbreeding the dogs and using outdated

methods to train them. Ultimately, they spent considerable time

trying to train dogs that were not capable of becoming police

dogs, and their methods met with little success.”

After breakfast, the Iraqi locals would use two small forklifts to

load the rolls of paper onto several flatbed tractor-trailers for

transport. Eventually, the paper would be sold under contract

by Iraqis, who would then return a percentage of the sales

amount to the 346th. That money would be used by the 346th

to establish new businesses, and to provide supplies to and fund

restoration costs for local schools.

“Even though the Saddam Hussein regime had confiscated the

paper, it actually belongs to the Iraqi people. So, we’re just

giving it back to its rightful owners,” said Pry, who noted that

the removal of the paper also was providing temporary

employment for several members of the local population.

“We have a bunch of missions going on here,” added Pry. “We

have been using the printing press at the Al Iraq Al Yoom [a

local newspaper] to produce a newspaper and a back-to-school

magazine, which is designed to encourage children to go back

to school and get off the streets.”

The 346th also purchases more than 100,000 copies of the 

Al Iraq Al Yoom newspaper (a mostly Arabic paper) each week

to distribute throughout the country free of charge. Various

Army Reserve public affairs units in the area provide 

information, and news articles and photographs to the 346th

for use in the newspaper.

“There has been a dearth of information in Iraq for a long time.

And what little information was available came at high cost.

Locals told us that the Saddam Hussein regime charged

between 500 to 1,000 dinars per newspaper copy, and that most

Iraqis could not afford the cost. That was what prompted us to

start this newspaper campaign,” said Pry. “It’s very important

that we win over the hearts and minds of the people.”

So, according to Pry and Hicks, this detail has been far from laborious. Instead, it has become much more than the sum of its parts.

“The relationships we’ve developed in getting this project

underway have been friendly and heartwarming. Each

morning, the Iraqis break bread with us, sharing not only their

melon wedges but also a little bit of themselves,” said Hicks.

“This has been an important step forward in gaining trust

between our two countries.”

TEACHING IRAQI CANINE TRAINERS 

IN BAGHDAD

If you listen closely enough, you can hear the howls of several

small animals emanating from inside an old jailhouse just

behind a police station in downtown Baghdad. It’s as if the

animals are recalling the inhumane torture that once took

place behind the prison’s steel doors in rooms the size of walkin closets. 

An Iraqi canine trainer coaches Hawon, a German Shepherd police dog, as they search for

TNT hidden in the wheel well of a new Iraqi police car during a training exercise at a police

station in Baghdad.

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

18 ★ Army Reserve Magazine
Volume 49, Number 3 ★ 19

After the coalition forces became involved with the Baghdad

police force, it was decided to bring the canine unit back into

Baghdad. They cleaned out one of the old prison facilities and

transformed it into a kennel.

“When I saw this old torture camp, I saw the potential for a

kennel,” added Frasca. “So, we began work converting it into a

13-room kennel, adding an office in the back and a room for

trainers to stay overnight in order to protect the dogs.”

Aside from coaching the trainers on new methods of training,

Frasca also helps assess the animals. Based on her assessments,

the dogs are assigned specific job training, such as bomb

detection, attack or narcotics.

Frasca says the dogs also are learning a new language. Because

Frasca teaches in English, the Iraqi trainers bark English 

commands to their canines. This gives both the trainers and

their dogs a kind of coded language.

“Iraqi police officers are able to communicate with their dogs

without the Iraqi locals understanding,” said Frasca. “In some

situations, this can give them the upper hand.”

PAYING IRAQI EX-MILITARY

Hundreds of Iraqi ex-military lined up outside a warehouse in

downtown Baghdad in order to receive their long-awaited 

paychecks. U.S. Soldiers, with assistance from the Coalition

Provisional Authority, the U.S.-led interim administration of

Iraq, registered each of the former Iraqi soldiers who would be

paid prior to handing them the promised paychecks.

Lt. Col. Fareed Betros, the senior Middle East advisor for the

Ministry of National Security and Defense, and an Army

Reserve Soldier from Washington, D.C., designed and coordinated the plan to pay Iraq’s ex-military in seven different cities

throughout the country.

“We are paying a different rank every day. For example, today

we are paying captains,” said Betros. “No one is admitted

without an ID card, and we screen everyone for security.”

Iraqi veterans stand in line for security screening on their way to applying for and receiving

their military pay.

Iraqi ex-soldiers fill out personal information and security forms, including a statement 

dissolving any ties with the Baath Party, as they apply for their military pay.

PHOTOS THIS PAGE: SPEC. CHAD D. WILKERSON, 372ND MPAD
20 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

At the processing tent, each service member fills out a personal

information form. They also are required to sign a statement

promising no further affiliation with the former regime’s Baath

Party. They receive their pay, which comes from frozen Iraqi

government funds, after all of their paperwork has been thoroughly scrutinized.

“We have 40 desks where each soldier is paid according to his

rank,” said Betros. “We have paid more than 20,000 service

members in short order, and we are estimating between 77,000

and 100,000 people will be paid in Baghdad.”

“The unemployment rate in Baghdad remains high. We hope

that, by paying these ex-soldiers, some of them will be able to get

back on their feet under the new government administration.

There already are reports of fewer demonstrations and protests,”

said Lt. Col. Will G. Merrill, action officer with the 

Ministry of National Security and Defense, and an Army

Reserve Soldier from Fort Riley, Kansas.

“These soldiers did what we asked them to do. They threw

down their weapons and refused to fight for Saddam Hussein.

That saved a lot of lives on both sides of the fence,” added

Merrill. “They served honorably, and now their country has an

opportunity to take care of them.”

According to Betros, ex-service members in Saddam Hussein’s

regime who do not fall into the category of honorable service —

the Fedayeen Saddam, the Special Republican Guard, and

certain intelligence ministry personnel — are not being

included on the pay rosters. 

Both Betros and Merrill said they believe the military pay 

missions have been well received.

“I think the Iraqi people are starting to see that we are going to

honor our word, and give them a good start. We are going to fix

what is broken,” Merrill said.

MAKING THE STREETS SAFER

The 354th Civil Affairs Brigade, an Army Reserve unit from 

Riverdale, Maryland, is working to make Baghdad city streets a

safer place to travel. 

Lt. Col. Joe Wunderlich, transportation officer for the public

facilities team from the 354th, has been working with Mujahid

Shariff, director general for projects for the city of Baghdad, in

order to identify and repair the streets of Baghdad, a city of five

million people.

“The projects we have been working on were identified by 

the mayor of Baghdad as being key to the city’s overall 

transportation infrastructure,” said Wunderlich. “We are

Iraqi road workers lay down a few coats of paint on a downtown curb as part of Baghdad’s

road restoration efforts. 

PHOTOS THIS PAGE: SPEC. CHAD D. WILKERSON, 372ND MPAD

Lt. Col. Joe Wunderlich, a transportation officer with the 354th Civil Affairs Brigade, 

an Army Reserve unit from Riverdale, Md., discusses the progress of repair work to a city

median damaged by armored military vehicles in Baghdad City.
repairing or replacing hundreds of guardrails, traffic lights

and curb stands.”

Although some of the work Wunderlich and his team have been

overseeing was occasioned by damages sustained during the

conflict, many of the problems existed prior to the war.

“Along the road to Baquba, there was a one- to two-meter

falloff that we fixed for the safety of both the Iraqi people and

the coalition forces that use that highway,” added Wunderlich.

“Many of these kinds of problems are decades-old.”

In addition to making the streets safe for travel by the Iraqi

people and the coalition forces, the 354th also is attempting to

improve the “traffic-ability” in Baghdad. This is being done by

moving vendors to appropriate locations — out of the flow of

traffic — and by getting traffic control points up and running to

ensure people obey traffic laws.

“There is a comprehensive traffic study being done right now,”

said Wunderlich. “Although Baghdad has fallen prey to neglect,

I expect to see the city become a thriving, metropolitan, worldclass city in the years to come.”

HELPING THE DISABLED

During Saddam Hussein’s reign, the government turned a

blind eye toward its disabled citizens. The handicapped in

Iraq had no disability pay or accommodations, and no parking

spaces or ramps along the walkways. Now, all of that is changing as Iraqis are being given the freedom to express

themselves.

One group making its desires known is the Iraqi Handicapped

Society, whose goal is to pave the way for the disabled citizens

of Iraq. And, with the help of the members of the 354th Civil

Affairs Brigade, an Army Reserve unit from Riverdale,

Maryland, they are making great strides.

“We act as the center of gravity for these groups,” said Maj.

Vincent T. Cooper of the 354th, who acts as a liaison between

international relief organizations, the coalition forces, the

Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), and the Iraqi civilian

government. “Once an issue is raised, we more or less act as

the broker for getting a response.”

“We helped the Iraqi Handicapped Society become major

players by hooking them up with organizations that could

offer help,” he added. “So far, they are receiving support from

the U.S. Agency for International Development and other

non-governmental organizations that can provide such things

as food, medicine and shelter.”

Volume 49, Number 3 ★ 21

The Iraqi Handicapped Society is unique in that it was

formed by a handful of determined citizens working to get

relief for all handicapped Iraqis regardless of race, religion,

sex or age.

“We started this organization because we are handicapped and

because the former regime gave us no benefits,” said Moafak

Tawfek, Vice President of the Iraqi Handicapped Society. 

“We had to take care of ourselves.”

The Iraqi Handicapped Society has three primary functions.

First, they plan to lobby the new Iraqi government to establish

new comprehensive laws protecting the rights of the disabled

and bringing attention to their special needs.

Second, working with international and non-governmental

organizations, it plans to bring relief, such as medicine, food

and medical aids, such as wheel chairs and walking sticks, to

the country’s disabled.

Finally, the Society is working to put together job training for

the handicapped. They plan to send Iraqis to special schools

where they can learn a trade. From there, they want to open a

co-op shopping center, providing jobs for their membership.

“We want our organization to grow, and we need help from the

community,” said Mothana Obaida, President of the Iraqi

Handicapped Society. “We want to ensure greater freedom for

the disabled and share that freedom with Iraq.”

“We helped the 

Iraqi Handicapped Society 

become major players 

by hooking them up 

with organizations that 

could offer help.”

■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■

■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
Deployed since May, members of the 389th have been

working nonstop designing and erecting guard towers 

and other buildings throughout Forward Logistics Base

Dogwood — a support operations center located southwest

of Baghdad that has become home to more than 

4,000 Soldiers.

“We constantly are working on construction projects, 

improving both the living and working conditions for

Dogwood’s population,” said Spec. David Ferkingstad from

Whitewater, Wisconsin. “This is our second helicopter pad.”

“We are giving the Soldiers, as well as the Iraqi people here, a

better way of life. I also know we are doing the right thing by

helping the Iraqi people,” he added.

Spec. Natasha Holtgrewe from Swansea, Illinois, also

assigned to the 389th, agrees, although she says that the

extreme conditions often can turn up the heat on their 

frustration.

“These extreme temperatures [more than 110 degrees on many

days] make it difficult to work with concrete,” said Swansea. “It

creates cracks in our projects, and there is nothing we can do

about it. It’s frustrating because people are going to see our work.

They are going to know we did it, and we want things to be

perfect — without flaws. It’s what being in an engineering unit 

is all about.”

Although the 389th does not expect to receive much notice or

fanfare for their work, Sgt. Jared Sheridan, an electrician from

Decorah, said it was extremely rewarding to see other Soldiers

enjoying the fruits of their labors.

“It’s a great feeling when people

appreciate what you have accomplished,” he said. “The best part

about our job is improving the

quality of life for Soldiers and the

local Iraqi residents here.”

22 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

MAKING DOGWOOD A BETTER PLACE 

FOR IRAQIS AND SOLDIERS

Under extreme wind conditions and with sand flying about

relentlessly over the broad horizon, six engineers with B

Company, 389th Engineer Battalion, an Army Reserve unit

from Decorah, Iowa, are working diligently to transfer a

useless desert plot into a fully operational helicopter landing

pad for a nearby combat support field hospital.

Army Reserve Soldiers, Spec. David Ferkingstand from Whitewater Wisc., and Spec. Natasha

Holtgrewe from Swansea Ill., both assigned to B Company, 389th Engineer Battalion based

in Decorah, Iowa, work together to hammer a rod to secure the cement foundation for a 

helicopter landing pad at Forward Logistics Base Dogwood located southwest of Baghdad.

[Right] Army Reserve Sgt. Jared Sheridan,

assigned to B Company, 389th Engineer

Battalion, uses a level as part of the work to

build a helicopter landing pad at Forward

Logistics Base Dogwood.

[Left] An Army Reserve Soldier assigned to 

B Company, 389th Engineer Battalion, operates 

a grader to level the ground before building a

helicopter landing pad at Forward Logistics 

Base Dogwood.

PHOTOS THIS SPREAD: SGT. MARK BELL, 372ND MPAD

HELPING WITH FOOD DISTRIBUTION

In the early 1990s, after the first Gulf War ended, the Iraqi

food distribution system was started. With the arrival of the

World Food Program in 1996, which became involved to help

monitor the process, the system increased its efficiency,

feeding nearly 60 percent of Iraq’s population. The rest of the

Iraqi population did not need to participate in the program —

either because they were wealthy or because they were farmers

and grew their own food.

GIVING A VOICE TO THE PEOPLE

At a recent meeting of the Al Anbar branch of the Iraqi Media

Network (IMN), members of Iraq’s fourth estate (the media)

were on hand to decide who would play what role as the first

free press in Iraq is established. Army Reserve Soldiers 

with the 350th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment from

Indianapolis, Indiana, were in attendance to provide assistance,

both monetary and experience-based.

Staff Sgt. Douglas Salewsky of the 350th, who worked with the

military as well as members of the various non-governmental

organizations to coordinate most of the funding for the press in

the Al Anbar region, stressed the importance of having a truly

free press to the members of the IMN.

“You are part of a free press and, as a result, cannot allow your

work to be censored — either by internal or external agencies.

If you think that the coalition forces have done something

wrong, you need to report it. If you think there is something

that the people need to know, you need to report it. Your

responsibility is to ensure that the truth is reported accurately,”

he told the members of the IMN.

Many audience members were clearly pleased with what they

were hearing.

“I am thrilled by what I am hearing. Finally, we will have

control of our media,” said Majid Abdel Hameed, a member of

Al Anbar’s newly formed newspaper agency.

Prior to the war, most media agencies were turned into propaganda machines under the close supervision of the Saddam

Hussein regime. They were told what to report, how to report

it, and had very little creative or other input into television,

radio or print news. The formation of the Iraqi Free Press is

working to give a voice to the people of Iraq who have been

silenced for so long.

“We are doing a great job here. I just hope that they will be

allowed to continue with their work once we are gone,” added

Salewsky.

The meeting concluded after department heads were named,

and other titles and responsibilities were assigned. In the

coming months, the Al Anbar IMN branch will need to locate

additional funding and procure facilities, as well as experience all

of the growing pains associated with building a new organization

from scratch.

24 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

Soldiers with the 354th Civil Affairs Brigade, an Army Reserve unit from Riverdale, Md.,

and Iraqi warehouse managers assess food stocks.

Spec. Robert O. Martin, a Civil Affairs Specialist with the 354th Civil Affairs Brigade, helps

to unload a truck at a food distribution warehouse in Baghdad.

PHOTOS: SGT. MARK S. RICKERT, 372ND MPAD
Volume 49, Number 3 ★ 25

Recent combat operations, however, nearly derailed the system.

Conflicts disrupted the flow of food, money and imports

causing even more people than ever before to seek outside assistance for food. 

With nearly an entire country facing extreme hunger, the

Soldiers of the 354th Civil Affairs Brigade, an Army Reserve

unit from Riverdale, Maryland, stepped in to rebuild and

strengthen the system. Now, roughly 95 percent of the Iraqi

people are receiving food as a result of their efforts.

The role of the 354th has evolved over time. When they first

entered Baghdad, they made sure that everyone who needed

food received it. 

“What we did initially was to make sure the system was functioning properly,” said Chaplain (Lt. Col.) David Jones, a civil

affairs officer with the 354th. “We provided monitoring in the

same way that the World Food Program was providing that

service, but with a military point of view. We made sure every

single person got fed.”

Once the system was functioning properly, however, the 354th

turned their attention toward refining the system. Focus shifted

to civil affairs and pay problems.

“We no longer are worried about starving people,” said 1st Lt. A.

Heather Coyne, a civil affairs officer also with the 354th. “Now,

we are worried about the accountability of the Ministry of Trade

to the Iraqi citizens.”

According to Coyne, the former Iraqi regime had limited

involvement with food distribution, and the citizens were

unable to voice their complaints. Now, with the fall of the

Saddam Hussein regime, the Iraqi citizens want a voice and a

role in the process.

“The citizens have complaints, such as costs, transportation of

food, and lack of salaries,” added Coyne. “Those complaints

need to have a channel open to the government. Right now, we

are creating an advisory council so that people can place their

complaints before the Ministry of Trade.”

According to Jones, the Soldiers with the 354th hope to turn the

food distribution system over to the Ministry of Trade and the

World Food Program within the next few months.

“That’s where it belongs,” added Jones. “This should be an

Iraqi program, with the Iraqi people taking responsibility for

themselves and their own needs.”

RESTORING AND RE-SUPPLYING IRAQ’S 

SPINAL INJURY CENTER

One top priority for the members of the 422nd Civil Affairs

Battalion, an Army Reserve unit from Greensboro, North

Carolina, has been to restore and re-supply the Spinal Injury

Center building in Baghdad. Formerly run by Iraq’s Ministry 

of Defense, the Center previously was used primarily by Iraqi

military personnel to stockpile caches of uniforms, helmets

and gas masks. Now, it is being converted to handle emergencies and to provide long-term rehabilitation to the

approximate 70 Iraqi patients currently being housed in its

few wards sanitary enough to provide proper care.

Due to post-war looting and vandalism, a great deal of 

equipment was either stolen from the facility or destroyed.

More than half the Center is still covered with dust and debris.

And, according to Dr. Kaydar Al Chalaei, director of the

Center, while the facility has been operational for more than 20

years, no piece of equipment ever was allowed to be discarded,

sold or donated, creating an extremely dangerous environment

both outside and within. Junky, outdated equipment litters

almost every square inch of space, while most of the useful

equipment, such as computers, air conditioning units, wheelchairs, and beds have been removed.

“I am short of beds inside the wards. And the wards in use are

below sanitary standards,” said Chalaei. “While some wards are

sanitary, useless medical equipment occupies most of that space.

What this means is that patients are being confined to only a

handful of rooms and there is overcrowding.”

Capt. Stacey Simms, Special Functions team chief assigned to the 422nd Civil Affairs

Battalion, an Army Reserve Unit from Greensboro, N.C., and Dr. Kaydar al Chalaei, Director

of the Spinal Injury Center in Baghdad, discuss plans to renovate the facility.

PHOTO: SPEC. ANTHONY K. REINOSO, 372ND MPAD
involved. The purpose of this course is to train the people to

take medicine to the people when they need it, whether that be

to the home or out on the roadways.”

“Now the people are qualified to assess and treat an injured

person,” said Dr. Aurora Merovci, an emergency room doctor

from Kosovo who came to Baghdad to help teach the classes.

“This course enables students to offer immediate treatment and

to save lives.”

Labeled as a “First Responder Course,” the first phase of the

EMS training is a broad introduction to the EMS system.

During the two-week course, students learn first aid basics,

such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and physical

trauma and shock treatment.

To kick off the training courses, the Ministry of Health 

hand-selected 31 students from more than 100 applicants for the

EMS training courses. According to Kerstetter, the participants

were selected based on their educational backgrounds.

“Most of the students are

educated. Some are doctors,

while others are veterinarians and engineers,” said

Kerstetter. “All of them 

recognize that this is something new and beneficial 

for Iraq.”

“They are lacking an awful lot right now,” said Capt. Stacey

Simms, special functions team chief assigned to the 422nd and a

resident of Rochester, New York. “The pediatric ward is loaded

with old equipment, old files and rubbish.”

So far, the 422nd has managed to restore six wards. Once 

sanitized, Chalaei plans to use those wards to start a pediatric

spinal care unit, an intensive care unit, a rehabilitation clinic,

and a neurology clinic. The 422nd also is working on getting

lecture halls and classrooms repaired to allow the Center to

provide continuing training to its interns and resident doctors.

“One of our next priorities is to conduct a big clean-up project

that will improve the quality of life for the patients here,”

added Simms. “We plan to put in two separate requests — one

for permanent cleaners and one for a temporary crew. The temporary crew would be used for trash removal. No one should

have to endure conditions like this.”

INTRODUCING NEW EMS AND 

PARAMEDIC TRAINING IN IRAQ

In a recent ceremony at the Iraqi Forum building in Baghdad,

31 Iraqis selected by the Ministry of Health were awarded 

certificates for completing the first of three emergency medical

services (EMS) courses. Maj. John Kerstetter, an EMS medical

doctor with the 109th Medical Battalion, an Army Reserve unit

from Iowa City, Iowa, and the medical integration officer with

Coalition Joint Task Force 7 (CJTF-7), rallied the support of

CJTF-7 and the Ministry of Health to make these courses

available to the Iraqi people.

According to Kerstetter, creating a first response team in

Baghdad was critical because Iraq currently does not have an

efficient telecommunications system and, as a result, emergency

response times often can be extremely slow.

“In the old days, if a person were injured, an ambulance service

might pick them up and take them to a hospital,” said

Kerstetter. “However, there would be no first aid or treatment

Students demonstrate their EMS skills prior to their first phase EMS graduation ceremony

at the Iraqi Forum Building in Baghdad.

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

26 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

An Iraqi intern demonstrates how a prosthetic hand works at the Spinal Injury Center 

in Baghdad.

PHOTO: SPEC. ANTHONY K. REINOSO, 372ND MPAD

Dr. Aurora Mervoci, an EMS 

instructor, oversees student 

demonstrations during 

graduation ceremonies recently 

held in Baghdad.

PHOTO: SGT. MARK S. RICKERT, 372ND MPAD
Students who excelled in the First Responder Course will move

on to phase two, a five-week course focused on more advanced

techniques, clinical observation, administration of intravenous

medications, and evaluation of electrocardiograms. The third

and final course is the advanced pre-hospital support phase,

which will last six months. After successfully completing that

phase, the students will become certified paramedics.

The goal is to certify more than 400 students. Although they will

not have an immediate position within a hospital, the formal

training will offer them opportunities down the road.

“This is a brand new EMS system and a new kind of medical

care for Iraq,” added Kerstetter. “Eventually, jobs will be created

for all these people. There are no jobs now because this is all

brand new. However, when the opportunities present themselves, we want these people to be able to say, ‘Here I am. I am

qualified to work in your hospital.’ ”

GETTING THE WORD OUT

An Iraqi man in a neighborhood on the outskirts of southern

Baghdad swears that nobody in his community will cooperate

with coalition forces. He says the people are afraid that the 

Fedayeen (Saddam Hussein’s paramilitary force) will kill them

in the night if they do.

Staff Sgt. Ronald R. Calimlim, team chief for Tactical

Psychological Operation Team 1412, 301st Psychological

Operations Company, an Army Reserve unit from San Diego,

California, assures the man that the Soldiers of Task Force

Falcon are weeding out the former regime loyalists daily.

However, they need the Iraqi people’s help to identify those

responsible for attacks against its Soldiers and against the

people of Iraq.

On this particular day, Calimlim and the other members of 

the 301st are distributing flyers and conducting loudspeaker

operations in the southern part of Al Rashid, a district in

Baghdad. Calimlim and his team are attached to the 82nd

Airborne Division’s Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade

Combat Team, Task Force 1st Armored Division.

Using translators and loudspeakers to broadcast in 

neighborhoods and communities, as well as newsletters, 

stickers and leaflets, the psychological operation team is

working to help the Iraqi people understand the role of the

coalition and the new Iraqi government.

“Once the people see former regime loyalists being rooted out

at traffic control points, and daily search operations and

patrols, the people will feel safer and realize that the former

regime is gone forever,” said Calimlim. “Then the people will

be more forthcoming with information.”

Calimlim’s team currently is calling for citizens to help protect

coalition forces and Iraqi interests by providing information

leading to the capture of individuals suspected of using 

improvised explosive devices to attack soldiers. While the

majority of Iraqis are cooperating, some remain silent.

“For those people who are neutral about the coalition, we try

to encourage them to help us by letting them know what we’re

planning to do in the future,” said Capt. Brian J. Duckworth,

detachment commander for the 301st. “We tell those who do

not support us that we know the former regime will never

again play a significant role in the government here.

Therefore, if they want to be a part of the future of Iraq, they

need to get on board.”

According to Duckworth, the response has been very positive.

The Iraqi people are beginning to understand that there are

serious infrastructure problems in the country, and that the

country is in a lot worse shape than Saddam Hussein would

have had them believe.

“The whole idea behind psychological operations is to influence

the behavior of a target audience,” said Sgt. Jeremy Rouse, a

psychological operation specialist with the 301st. “We are

spreading coalition messages to people who, otherwise, would

be unaware of what is happening around them.”

In addition to the information campaign, the 301st provides

regular support to the infantry units during cordon and search

operations, patrols, and raids. The unit also has been used to

help quell demonstrations and protests by building a rapport

with civil leaders to help prevent possible violence, respond to

issues, and resolve conflicts. 

Volume 49, Number 3 ★ 27

Sgt. Raul Alvarez, Assistant Team Chief,

Tactical Psychological Team 1412, 301st

Psychological Operations Company, operates a loudspeaker system calling for the

people of Iraq to assist coalition forces in

apprehending former regime loyalists.

Staff. Sgt. Ronald Calimlim, Team Chief,

Tactical Psychological Team 1412, 301st

Psychological Operations Company, an

Army Reserve Unit from San Diego, Calif.,

distributes handbills to residents in a

local community in the Al Rashid District

of Baghdad.

PHOTOS: SGT. BRENT M. WILLIAMS, 49TH PUBLICAFFAIRS DETACHMENT (AIRBORNE), 82NDAIRBORNE DIVISION, TASK FORCE 1ST ARMOREDDIVISION
28 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

Maj. Gen. David E. Kratzer

Commanding General

377th Theater Support Command

April 2003

The Only Deployable Theater Support Command in the Army

The 377th Theater Support Command, with headquarters in New Orleans, Louisiana,

is one of the most complex organizations in the United States Army. 

While there are three theater support commands in the Army, the 377th is the only Army

Reserve theater support command and the only theater support command in the Army

that is deployable. The other active duty theater support commands are the 21st Theater

Support Command, which has been in Europe almost since WWII, and the 19th Theater

Support Command, which is in Korea. Neither of those commands is deployable.

The job of the 377th Theater Support Command is to deploy with the Third U.S. Army

under U.S. Central Command, and to provide all of the support services in Southwest

Asia for the Southwest Asian Theater. Currently, the 377th directly supports Lt. Gen.

McKiernan, the Commander of the Third Army, now CFLC (the Coalition Forces

Land Component).

The Role of the 377th 

THEATER SUPPORT

COMMAND
Volume 49, Number 3 ★ 29

While the 377th always has had a forward headquarters in Kuwait, today it is almost at

full command strength. It is a very large structure. Down Trace has eight general officer

commands and 13 O6 or colonel-level commands, which make up the theater support

command. In total numbers, there are slightly more than 11,000 Soldiers. Ultimately,

the command will be at close to 30,000 Soldiers in number.

The command’s headquarters is in Arifjan in Kuwait, but it has elements that are

spread throughout the country. And, some of its support elements are servicing other

areas throughout the theater under Gen. Frank’s command.

What is really interesting about the 377th is that it is an Army Reserve command, as

well a multi-functional command. That means we combine about one-third full-time

Soldiers and about two-thirds Army Reserve Soldiers. And today, instead of having our

forward command in Kuwait and our main command in New Orleans, the reverse is

true. Our main command is in Kuwait and our rear command is in New Orleans.

What Does a Theater Support Command Do?

Many people ask, “What does a theater support command do?” A theater support

command basically is responsible for putting together the entire structure for a city wherever one is needed. That means we supply everything from the fire and police departments

to the power company, medical services, personnel operations, and the banks. 

In addition, we also supply all of the transportation facilities and equipment, and report

and airport operations, as well as what is referred to as “logistics over the shore.” “Logistics

over the shore” means we offload all of the ships at sea, bringing in all of the equipment

needed by the “citizens” of our new city. It’s a unique operation that we do jointly with the

Army, the Navy and the Coast Guard, all working together with the Marines.

Out here in the desert, we have created a city in the sand and are responsible for a series

of base camps.

The Meaning of a Deployable Command

Now, when I speak of the 377th as a deployable command, what I mean is that we have

pre-positioned stocks forward. And all of those stocks have been downloaded from

ships that were floating around out there in the ocean. We bring them in through the

ports and move them to where they need to be.

We also move all of the people who arrive by air. We receive them and process them

quickly. Then, we move them onward to where they are going to live. Not only that, we

are responsible for where they live. So, all of their living conditions — sanitation and

food service, for example — are our responsibility as well.

We’ve come a long way from the days of Desert Storm when this thing called a “support

command” came into being under Gen. Pagonis. Of course, we’ve had certain advantages — advancements in technology and the benefits of lessons learned. However, I can

recall a point during Desert Storm when we had 33,000 containers stacked up in the

ports of Saudi Arabia.

No one knew what was in those containers. So, the Soldiers literally had to open each

container and stick their heads into each box to determine where to send them. This

A theater support command 

basically is responsible for putting

together the entire structure for a

city wherever one is needed.
30 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

took a long time and created a huge backlog for the onward movement piece of our

operation. At one point, we had 24,000 Soldiers in port waiting to move forward.

That is not happening today. If you went into port today, you might find 115 containers awaiting movement. That’s it. Yet this deployment, in sheer weight, rivals the

deployment of WWII.

So, the bottom line is that we are operating efficiently. We are moving so fast that we

have managed to clear the ports each day we have been here, as well as clear all of the

Soldiers who are coming through the airport each day.

A System of Precise Engineering

The operation at the airport really is quite amazing — and quite simple. You merely

walk off the airplane and scan your new ID that has a chip in it. The portable scanners

are hanging out of the windows of two vehicles located at the airport. So, however long

it takes you to walk by and scan your ID (like groceries at a supermarket), that’s how

long it takes you to process into the theater.

In addition, once the modern Soldier arrives and scans his or her card, all of his or her

records — medical records blood type, finance category, all of it — immediately is 

captured. There are no forms to fill out and none of the in-processing to do that Soldiers

who fought in earlier wars might remember. 

...the bottom line is that 

we are operating efficiently. 

We are moving so fast 

that we have managed 

to clear the ports each day...
Volume 49, Number 3 ★ 31

Then, it’s just on to a waiting bus and off to a reception tent where you receive a cup of

coffee and about a 10-minute briefing. As soon as your bags are downloaded, you and

your luggage are taken to your proper destination.

About two days before the ships arrive with your equipment, we bring you back in.

Once you’ve picked up your equipment, you are free to go back and set up your camp.

At that point, the NCOs can start getting their people organized and the unit can start

taking care of itself.

If a ship arrives with Humvees or trucks, we only will bring the drivers back to the port.

The equipment will be staged and in a line so that the Soldiers can fall in on it and

move directly to their camps, where they can start pulling maintenance or doing whatever else needs to be done with it.

The containers themselves each have an RF (radio frequency) tag on them similar to

the kind UPS uses. Using scanners, we know exactly what is in each container, as well

as to which unit each container belongs. There could be 1,000 different parts in the container. However, all of the parts will be listed and that information can be accessed

immediately.

All of this has allowed us to quickly pre-stage and move equipment. It is a system of

precise engineering that enables us to marry the right amounts of equipment to the

right people at the right destinations.

In the last few months alone, we have moved 150,000 people into this operation. We

have downloaded more than 100 ships. As a matter of fact, when the 101st Airborne

came in, we downloaded our 101st ship. That’s a tremendous feat — more than 100

ships in two months.

It is a system of precise engineering

that enables us to marry the right

amounts of equipment to the right

people at the right destinations.
32 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

... the real power comes from

working together and thinking

about what has to be done instead

of about who gets the credit 

or who does the work.

Tapping the Real Power That Comes from Working Together

The real heroes in all of this are the Soldiers — and not just the Army Reserve or active

Soldiers, or even the civilians or the contractors here. It’s the complete team that makes

up today’s modern military.

It’s the Soldiers working in close coordination with the Marine Corps. We have Soldiers

driving Marine Corps vehicles. We have contracts that were let by the Marines for the

host nation — truck assets they didn’t need for a couple of days so they gave them to

the Army.

All of this has caused a tremendous awakening — a realization that the real power

comes from working together and thinking about what has to be done instead of about

who gets the credit or who does the work. 

The Army Reserve Soldiers here represent about 60 percent of that force — maybe even

65 percent. I’ve met Army Reserve Soldiers here who left the Army quite a while ago

but, after the terrorist attack of 9/11, decided they wanted to do something for their

country. So, they rejoined.

I’ve met Vietnam veterans here who look like pretty old sergeants and who are wearing

the combat infantry soldier’s badge and patches from units that saw service over there.

They all tell you they are here to serve.

You have young Soldiers who have interrupted their college careers to serve. And you

have single parents who are here and have managed their lives and done all the things

necessary in order to be here. All of them know exactly why they are here.
Volume 49, Number 3 ★ 33

The Army Reserve Soldiers want to do this, and then they want to go home and get

on with their lives. But they are proud to be here. They tell me that every day. I really

think that says something about the strength of our country and the commitment 

of our people.

THE STRENGTH OF THE ARMY RESERVE

A big part of the strength of the Army Reserve is the civilian skills the Army Reserve

Soldiers bring with them to something like this. 

For example, we were setting up a huge distribution center here — similar to a huge

Wal-Mart distribution center — with shipping, receiving and central supply. We were

trying to do it very quickly and very efficiently.

One day, a young E4, a specialist, walked up to one of my colonels and said, “I wonder

if you would think about this. Last night I wrote a program and I think, if we follow

this program, we will be able to set up all of these containers out here and get everything in a line. We can have classes of supplies set up here, have shipping over there,

and have receiving over there.”

The colonel said, “That’s pretty good. Let me look at this.” And it was incredible.

When my colonel asked the E4 how he learned to do this, he said he had just graduated

from MIT and hoped to work in this field one day.

Imagine that. We have an MIT graduate wearing a rank that most Active component

guys would never think had that kind of job skill. And we have privates in the Army

Reserve who have PhDs, as well as all of the medical providers here as part of our

theater support command. There are doctors, nurses, veterinarians, and preventive

medical specialists, and they are all Army Reserve Soldiers. We simply could not do

without them.

In addition, we have just about all of the military police (MP) assets as well. And, interestingly enough, the military police seem to be Army Reserve Soldiers who are from

New York. 

We also have the 336th Finance Command, which will be responsible for an awesome

amount of money because they will be doing the banking business for the entire operation. We expect it will run into the billions of dollars, and we will need to do a

complete accounting when we are done.

Then there is the 335th Personnel Command. They are responsible for maintaining the

records for all of the personnel in this theater. And the 143rd Transportation Command

out of Orlando, Florida, is here taking care of all of the seaport operations and all of the

transportation assets within this theater.

From Anniston, Alabama, we have the 3rd Transportation Movement Control

Command. They are like traffic cops in that they keep all of the trucks and tanks and

other transportation equipment moving.

And we have the area support groups, which really are the building blocks of the theater

support command. We have one Active duty command, the 43rd from Ft. Carson,

Colorado, and one from North Carolina, the 171st. These are the people who provide

life support. They run the warehouses that keep track of all the supplies and equipment,

as well as run maintenance for everything.

A big part of the strength 

of the Army Reserve is the 

civilian skills the Army 

Reserve Soldiers bring with 

them to something like this. 
34 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

We’re here for one reason 

and one reason alone. 

To take care of that Soldier 

who is in that foxhole or 

on the front line.

Finally, there is the 49th Quartermaster Group from Ft. Lee, Virginia, which is an

Active component group — the only one the Army has — and also part of this

command. Their role is to provide the fuel and water. And the 7th Transportation

Group, the Army’s only Active duty transportation group, is working for the 143rd

Army Reserve Transportation Command here.

Challenging and Rewarding 

It really is a challenge to care for so many people within this environment. Let’s take

the issue of mail, for example.

We run the post office for this whole operation. The other day, we brought in more than

200,000 pounds of mail, and we processed it and moved it in one day. This is extremely

difficult because our customers keep moving. 

It would be the same if everyone back in the United States who had a post office box

decided to move their box every day just to see if the post office could find them. The

challenge is getting the mail to the Soldier wherever he or she is.

Then we have the fuel tanker trucks here — 5,000 to 7,500 gallon tanker trucks. We are

responsible for uploading the fuel and taking it down the road. In addition, we’ve had

to lay some fuel pipe.

Now, you might ask, “Given all of these challenges, why are you here?” Well, we’re here

for one reason and one reason alone. To take care of that Soldier who is in that foxhole

or on the front line. If you keep that goal in mind, everything else falls into place.

So, we’re doing everything we can to make the best quality of life for our military forces

out here. And most of the people around here are pretty amazed that we’ve managed to

build this kind of permanent facility here.

There’s a Burger King, a pizza operation, and a cappuccino operation here, as well as a

Chinese restaurant. And, of course, we’ve got the traditional facilities — Army mess

halls and tent living quarters. But along with that, we’ve also got a huge Armed Forces

Examining and Entrance Station (AFEES) operation going on so that Soldiers are able

to go in and buy comfort items. 

And, if you went to the forward camps in the northern part of Kuwait, you would find

that the Soldiers have showers, as well as an AFEES operation. They’re getting three

good, solid meals a day.

We have been preparing for a long time to do the best job we can to support the Third

Army and their role and mission. I have Soldiers here who literally have been working

with the Third Army for almost ten years now. So, I feel pretty comfortable that we

know what we are doing.

It’s a huge job, but it’s also very rewarding. Part of the wisdom of doing this job is

knowing what you don’t know. We work every day on the parts that are new, and a lot

of that has to do with technology. We’re trying to apply best business practices. So, we’re

trying to change the way we do business. And a lot of that has to do with Army transformation as laid out by the Chief.

We’re living it here. We have Marines and Soldiers working side by side. The Navy is

sitting about 20 feet from us right here. So, this is very much a joint endeavor.
Volume 49, Number 3 ★ 35

I think every Soldier here —

from the ones who have been here

a while to the newest arrivals —

believes it is a real challenge and

privilege to be here. 

We have not brought in all of the people the theater could support. But we’ve found

that, if we work intelligently, we can probably use a smaller force and be much more

powerful. So, that’s what this is really about.

I think every Soldier here — from the ones who have been here a while to the

newest arrivals — believes it is a real challenge and privilege to be here. It’s something we all take very seriously. And we try to be as professional as we possibly can

in our duties here.

I would defy anybody to look out today at this command center where there are about

400 people working and pick out the 250 to 300 Soldiers who are members of the Army

Reserve. We are the same. Within a week of arriving, I think everyone forgets who’s

who. I don’t think we even see who’s a Marine and who’s a Soldier any more. It’s really

a matter of seeing who has the information and who can make things work.

A lot of people ask, “Why Iraq and why now?” I think, when it’s over, the truth 

will come out and people will understand why we are here. And it’s both challenging

and rewarding.
36 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

DON’T LET THEM 

PULL THE U.N. OUT

A

s soon as he could pick himself 

up off the floor of his room and

remove the shard of glass embedded

in his right leg, 1st Sgt. William von

Zehle, serving with the Army Reserve’s

411th Civil Affairs Battalion from

Danbury, Connecticut, and working

with nongovernmental organizations in

Iraq, rushed toward the explosion. As

the 52-year old retired fire chief from

Wilton, Connecticut, surveyed the

rubble and carnage, a man in a blue

U.N. baseball cap approached saying,

“We have two people trapped! Sergio

and Gil are trapped!” The names meant

nothing to von Zehle, but he went to

help anyway.

Sergio was alive, conscious and in

excruciating pain. For the next three

hours, von Zehle worked to set him free.

He had no rope, bucket, flashlight or

any of the other equipment that could

be found on his fire truck back in

Connecticut. However, that did not

deter von Zehle.

As von Zehle worked, the two men

talked. At the time, von Zehle did not

realize he was listening to the last words

of the U.N. special representative, Sergio

Vieira de Mello. The following day,

when he learned who the man was, von

Zehle jotted down Vieira de Mello’s

words from memory.

In a later interview, von Zehle would 

not say what the two men talked about.

He said it was “personal.” But at a 

ceremony at Baghdad’s airport, where

the diplomat’s body was placed on 

an airplane to be returned to his native

Brazil, one of Vieira de Mello’s 

colleagues gave voice to one of the 

utterances that von Zehle had recorded.

“Don’t let them pull the U.N. out of 

Iraq. Don’t let them fail this mission,”

Benon V. Sevan, the head of Iraq’s U.S.-

administered oil-for-food program, quoted

Vieira de Mello as saying to von Zehle.

The Blast

Around 4:30 p.m. on August 19, 2003,

von Zehle was in his room at the

Civilian Military Operations Center, a

squat building about 100 yards from the

U.N.’s offices at the Canal Hotel. No one

was allowed out of the building without

protective gear, so von Zehle was putting

on his flak vest and beige, cloth-covered

helmet as he got ready to leave for a

meeting. Then he felt the blast.

The next thing he knew, von Zehle

said he was “lying across the room.”

The windows had been blown out and,

as he stood up, von Zehle found a

chunk of glass stuck in his right leg

and cuts on his right arm. Otherwise,

he was all right.

At first, von Zehle, who had worked

with Special Forces and taught classes

on counter-terrorism, said he thought 

a car bomb had hit the Military

Operations Center. However, as he

stepped outside, he saw the U.N. 

building on fire.

Vieira de Mello was in a meeting when

the bomb detonated directly below his

third floor office. He crashed through

two floors and came to rest on the

ground level, his legs pinned by rubble.

He was trapped in a small, dark space.

“There were body parts everywhere.

Dead and wounded,” said von Zehle.

“Quite a chaotic situation.”

When the man in the U.N. cap came 

for help, von Zehle followed him to 

the space where the two people were

trapped. As von Zehle peered in, he

could see Vieira de Mello, but could 

not reach him.

The Rescue Attempt

The main stairwell was intact, so von

Zehle climbed up and walked to the

corner of the third floor where the

bomb hit. He was looking for the sliver

of light that he knew would be cast by

the gap he had peered through at

ground level. And he found it.

Head first, von Zehle moved into a

hole in the wreckage and worked his

way downward, climbing over three

dead bodies on the way. As he made his

way to the ground floor, he spotted

Vieira de Mello.

“I asked his name,” von Zehle said. It

was not a name von Zehle recognized,

but the man acted as if he were in

charge. “Is everybody all right? How 

is everybody?” the man asked.

Von Zehle started to work, using 

anything that could substitute for the

equipment he was accustomed to using

back home in the States. A women’s

purse was filled with rubble and a 

piece of drapery used to haul it up,

again and again.

“Can you move your toes? Can you feel

your fingers? What day of the week is

it?” von Zehle asked Vieira de Mello,

while the diplomat asked about his

family and friends, wanting to know

how bad things were.

About three hours after the blast, Vieira

de Mello stopped talking. He was dead.

Fifteen minutes later, Gil (the second

man) was freed. He had cuts on his face,

and both legs were seriously injured,

but he was free.

“I honestly thought we would get them

both out,” said von Zehle. “If this had

happened in almost any other place, we

would have been able to get him out.”

At 8:00 p.m., von Zehle returned to his

room, bone tired. When he awoke the

next morning, he heard the news and

realized who Vieira de Mello was. He

remembered everything they talked

about and wrote it down.

In Wilton, where von Zehle served as

fire chief before retiring in 2001, the

town’s chief executive, Paul Hannah,

described him as “the sort of guy who

would get involved. When he went to 

a fire, he always was in the front.”

PEOPLE

People in Focus
RETENTION NCO GOES BEYOND

THE CALL OF DUTY

Standing only 4' 11" tall, Sfc. Tametra

Sherrod may be pint-sized, but she

towers over many when it comes to

going beyond the call of duty and

getting the job done as a retention

NCO for the 77th Regional Support

Command.

Pfc. Micah Rathbun was in a very difficult situation. He had lost his job and

had no place to call home. Homeless and

broke, he knew he was on a downward

spiral when he met Sherrod.

“I knew he was interested in getting

back into the service, and I wanted to

make that happen for him. However,

he lived like a nomad, moving from

place to place. So, I didn’t know where

to find him much of the time,” said

Sherrod. “Initially, I didn’t realize he

was homeless.”

Working with Rathbun’s mother, Susan,

Sherrod began tracking Rathbun’s

whereabouts, promising to contact

Susan as soon as she was able to locate

him. When Sherrod finally did find

Rathbun, Susan was lost for words.

“She spent hours and hours tracking

him down, picking him up, counseling

him, and making sure he was taken care

of,” said Susan. “Because he was homeless, she treated him very delicately. She

really was absolutely wonderful.”

Susan was so impressed with Sherrod’s

devotion to duty, she wrote to Sherrod’s

area manager, Master Sgt. Roberto

Ramos. That letter made its way to Lt.

Gen. James R. Helmly, Chief, U.S. Army

Reserve, who recognized Sherrod

during a Senior Leadership Seminar

held recently in Atlanta.

“When she first contacted me, I was

living in a shelter,” Rathbun recalled.

“With her help, I turned my life around.

I went from living in a shelter to

renting an apartment in only a few 

short months. She helped me get my 

life back on track again.”

“She is a great inspiration to me. I see

what she has done with her life and how

willing she is to do what it takes to help

people. She definitely is someone I

would like to emulate,” added Rathbun.

NYPD COP RAISES FLAG AS

ARMY RESERVE SOLDIER

Capt. Martin J. Steiger from Uniondale,

New York, has flown the New York

Police Department (NYPD) flag in six 

countries throughout his two-year

deployment for Operation Iraqi

Freedom. A member of the Army

Reserve’s 800th Military Police Brigade,

Steiger has been working as a liaison

officer for the Coalition Forces Land

Component Command Provost 

Marshal’s Office (CFLCC PMO) since

his activation in January of 2002.

Over the past two years, he has traveled

to Bagram, Kandahar, Afghanistan,

Pakistan, Uzbekhistan, Oman and

Kuwait. In each place, Steiger, a sergeant

with the NYPD narcotics division, has

raised and photographed the flag, which

is embroidered with the words, “NYPD

Gone but not forgotten, 9–11–01.”

“I’ll probably give the flag to the police

museum when I get back,” said Steiger,

who plans to rejoin the NYPD upon

his return. 

In March, Steiger was presented with

the Joint Services Achievement medal in

a ceremony held at Camp Arifjan. 

Volume 49, Number 3 ★ 37

PEOPLE

Sfc. Tametra Sherrod, Retention NCO for the 77th RSC,

counsels a Soldier.

PHOTO: MASTER SGT. ROBERTO RAMOS

Capt. Martin Steiger (left), along with fellow NYPD cops, Capt. Vincent Felix (middle) and Sgt. John Dandola (right), holds

the NYPD flag that has been raised in several countries during operation Iraqi Freedom. Embroidered on the flag are the

words, “NYPD GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN, 9–11–01.”

PHOTO: SPEC. RACHEL BRUNE, 800TH MP BRIGADE
ALASKA

Juneau

Anchorage

Fairbanks

Nome

Ketchikan

Metlakatla

DOING WELL BY DOING GOOD

D

oing well by doing good” is a phrase

that could be used to describe the

heavy construction combat engineers

of the Army Reserve’s 367th Engineer

Battalion. For the second time in three

years, the St. Cloud, Minnesota-based

367th participated in Operation Alaskan

Road, an ongoing project to connect

Alaska’s only Native American Reserve

to the outside world by way of something

the rest of America takes for granted —

a paved two-lane highway.

Where the Wind Dies Down

Settled by the Tsimpshia Indians 150

years ago, the village of Metlakatla is

nestled on the southern tip of Annette

Island near Ketchikan, Alaska, 700

miles north of Seattle, Washington. It is

an area dense with the thick woods and

craggy terrain of a largely virgin Arctic

rain forest. 

The town’s 1,500 residents can reach

Ketchikan by one of two methods — by

seaplane or by a weekly ferry. However,

while “Metlakatla” means “where the

wind dies down,” for nine months of

the year, 110 mile-an-hour winds make

both methods nearly impossible.

For decades, the Tsimpshia lobbied the

U.S. government for a road that would

connect them to a new ferry dock on

Annette Island’s northern tip, where the

winds were calmer and the trip to

Ketchikan could be made daily, yearround to amenities, such as stores, higher

education and specialized health care.

In 1996, the U.S. military responded,

matching a valuable training opportunity with a real-life need when they

introduced a joint service program called

“Innovative Readiness Training.” During

the four to five months that outdoor construction is feasible in that area of the

country, troops from across America have

been slowly carving out a roadway from

some of the nation’s most inhospitable

landscape, one summer at a time.

“We don’t get to train

with our heavy equipment very

often,” said Capt. Joel P. Fuerst, rotation

commander for the 367th and a computer programmer from Woodbury,

Minnesota, who brought 64 Soldiers,

augmented by a dozen members from

the Ladysmith, Wisconsin-based 

A Company of the 397th Engineer

Battalion, to work their dozers, graders

and steamrollers on the project. “So, it

kind of works out for everybody.”

You Just Dig and Dig

The Army Reserve

troops who participate in

Operation Alaskan Road

join a mix of Air Force,

Navy, Marine, and Army National

Guard “duration” troops, who serve the

length of the April to September construction season in capacities ranging

from military ferry pilot to public affairs

officer. A three-man team from the

Department of Transportation (DOT) is

the ultimate authority for the project. 

The work isn’t easy. First, there’s the

weather. Ketchikan gets more than 150

inches of rain each year, which may

explain its nickname as “America’s

AROUND THE GLOBE

Global News

“

Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Peter Alich, Saftey NCO for the St.

Cloud, Minn.-based 367th Engineer Battalion, keeps an

eye on his Soldiers during Operation Alaskan Road.

PHOTOS THIS SPREAD: SGT. FRANK N. PELLEGRINI, U.S. ARMY RESERVE PAO

38 ★ Army Reserve Magazine
AROUND THE GLOBE

Volume 49, Number 3 ★ 39

wettest city.” For the 367th members

participating in Operation Alaskan Road

this year, that translated into about nine

of 14 days spent working in the rain.

“The first three days here, we had

beautiful weather. However, because it

was dry, the dust was so thick you could

barely see a vehicle 100 meters in front

of you,” said 1st Sgt. Daniel Korbel of

the 367th. “Then it got back to raining,

back to mud.”

Then there is the terrain itself. When the

way to Metlakatla is not obstructed by

solid rock requiring regular blasting by

Navy Seabees, it is covered in the Arctic

rain forest’s own peculiar version of dirt

— layers of rotting vegetation and oozing

muck known as “muskeg,” which can

run as deep as 20 feet. A man can sink to

his thighs in the stuff, so it’s hardly an 

ideal surface for heavy machinery. And it

all has to be scraped away, ton by ton.

“You just dig and dig. A lot of the time

it’s boring work,” said DOT contractor

Greg Lunch. “And sometimes it gets

hairy trying to keep the treads from

slipping on this stuff. It’s tough on 

the equipment.”

Also hairy is the former logging road

used as an access and supply route,

which is nothing more than a pulsequickening hairpin turn into a one-way

ticket to the valley below. Two quarry

truck drivers with the 367th spent an

entire day bringing new rock to the site

before the road could even be deemed

safe for transport. The signs along the

route, declaring “Steep Grade,” “Slide

Area,” and “Sharp Curve,” say it all.

“The most common hazard we have

around here is just loose rock, which

can cause trips and falls,” said Staff Sgt.

Peter Alich, a warehouse manager from

Mankato, Minnesota. “Then you’ve got

water hazards, landslide-type stuff, and

working the excavators on slippery

ground, as well as the usual problems

with operating heavy equipment.”

Rolling with the Vibes

The role of the 367th during Operation

Alaskan Road basically is to man the

trucks and dozers that haul the rock and

dump it, and move the big pieces to the

bottom and the small pieces to the top.

Then they go over the whole thing with

a shivering mechanical beast called a

“Vibe Roller,” a steamroller-like

machine that flattens the rocky road

into something bordering on drivable. 

Army Reserve Pfc. Ashlee Ohlfs operates the vibe roller, a steamroller-like flattening

machine on the under-construction road to Metlakatla on Annette Island, Alaska. 

Army Reserve Staff Sgt. 1st Class Maurice Britts with the 367th Engineer Battalion 

operates an excavator on an Alaskan road during Operation Alaskan Road.
40 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

“It kind of feels like one big massage

chair,” said Pfc. Ashlee Ohlfs. “Except

it’s painful when you get off.”

Ohlfs is living proof that even a 

20-year old female, who measures in 

at barely five feet tall and needs help

reeling in a king salmon, can be a

heavy construction road builder. The

397th augmentee, who divides her time

between steamrolling, bulldozing and

rock hauling, counts her two weeks in

the wilderness as the highlight of her

military experience.

“I joined the Army Reserve for the

college money,” said the University of

Wisconsin LaCrosse student, who starts

school on the Monday she returns from

training. “But it’s become so much

more than that. Here, at the end of the

day, you feel pretty good about what

you’re doing. It’s hard to believe you

can be part of a program that has so

much real purpose.”

“It’s basically grunt work,” said Pfc.

Joshua Mistic, a Bemidji, Minnesota,

native enrolled in the University of

North Dakota’s physical therapy

program, as he emerged from clearing 

a culvert used to divert the water that

constantly trickles down the mountainside away from the road. “But it makes

you feel good. You’re getting trained and

meeting new people, and you can’t beat

the scenery.”

The goal this summer was to get to

Cowboy Creek, and the Army Reserve

has once again combined to meet this

objective.

“These Soldiers were definitely one 

of the better rotations,” said Army

National Guard Maj. Rob Foust, 

the operations officer for the 2003 

construction season. “They’re a mature

unit with a lot of experienced people.

They obviously know a lot of tricks

that you don’t pick up in the military,

and they’ve done very well.”

They’ve also done a lot of good.

AROUND THE GLOBE

Walk by one of southern Alaska’s looming

rock faces, and the crisp, cool water trickling

down the boulders into sparkling streams

below looks good enough to drink. Well,

almost. 

By the time the water makes its way down

the mountains into the streams, it has

become brown with dirt and muskeg, and

needs cleaning up. That was the job of two

Army Reserve Soldiers, Spec. Jeremy

Johnson, a diesel technician from

Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Pfc. Wyatt

Eisenbraun, a park ranger at Fort Abraham

Lincoln State Park in Mandan, North Dakota,

during Operation Alaskan Road. Both were in

Alaska with the 348th Quartermaster

Detachment, water purification specialists out

of Bismarck, North Dakota.

At their home stations, the Soldiers don’t

have much opportunity to work with the

Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Units

(ROWPUs) that help keep water safe for

drinking. However, in Alaska, they have the

chance to do it all — take the water right out

of the stream, purify it, drink it, and do all of

the maintenance on the ROWPU units. They

also get to deliver the water.

“We have a 20,000-gallon bladder here that

we fill from the machine, and we use that to

fill up the truck,” said Eisenbraun. “Then we

drive around and make sure the bladder at

base camp, as well as the water buffaloes

used out at the work site, are full.”

Sounds simple enough. However, the camp

goes through 7,000 gallons of clean water a

day. So, there always needs to be around

20,000 gallons on hand in case the unit

breaks down.

“Which is likely,” joked Johnson.

Operation Alaskan Road employs a vintage

1990 ROWPU, which clatters away in a

single-car, garage-sized shed on the banks of

one of Annette Island’s mountain streams.

And, while it doesn’t give the impression of

reliability, it has

been chugging out

clean water at the

rate of about 600

gallons an hour,

every hour, all

summer, without

incident.

“The machine is

self-testing. It’ll

shut itself off if

it’s not cleaning

the water right,”

added Johnson.

“But you need to

check the gauges

every two hours,

check the chlorine levels, and then go back

to the deliveries.”

Neither Soldier will claim that water purification is glamorous work. However, thanks to

Operation Alaskan Road, the way to run and

maintain a ROWPU in the middle of nowhere

has become crystal clear, so to speak, for

Johnson and Eisenbraun. And there’s little

doubt that water will be served.

Army Reserve Spec. Jeremy Johnson, a water purification 

specialist out of Bismarck, N.D., checks the gauges at the

Reserve Osmosis water purification system that keeps the base

camp for operation Alaskan Road supplied with the 7,000

gallons of potable water it consumes each day.

Water Will Be Served

PHOTO: SGT. FRANK N. PELLEGRINI, U.S. ARMY RESERVE PAO
Volume 49, Number 3 ★ 41

AROUND THE GLOBE

BLACK HAWK UP

After years of relying on other services’

rescue crews or its own combat teams to

extract downed aircrews, the Army is

training its own teams in the dangerous

and specialized area of Combat Search

and Rescue (CSAR) operations. And the

Army Reserve is flying point.

For two weeks every August, out in the

same Nevada desert where the Navy

trains its TOPGUN jet pilots, the Naval

Strike and Air Warfare Center at Naval

Air Station Fallon hosts “Desert

Rescue.” This is when CSAR specialists

from the Navy, Air Force and Marines

come together to conduct joint training

in the recovery of aircrew members shot

down in hostile environments.

In an unusual move, this year’s guest

list was expanded to include teams

from the 3rd Special Forces Group

from Fort Bragg, North Carolina —

and their personal Army Reserve aviators, the Clearwater, Florida-based

Charlie Company, 1st of the 159th

Aviation Battalion.

“This is a unique experience,” said

Capt. James H. Fitzgerald, III, Charlie

Company Commander. “We’re an Army

Reserve unit assigned directly to the

18th Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, and

we specialize in CSAR. What we bring

to the training is a certain skill set that

the other services have, but the Army

didn’t have until us.”

That skill set didn’t exist for the Army a

year ago — but then again, neither did

Charlie Company. The unit was organized

in Clearwater last September after Congressional legislation brought Black Hawk

helicopters back to the Army Reserve for

the first time since 1996. And Fitzgerald’s

unit became the proud stewards of eight

new UH-60s, right off the assembly 

line of the Sikorsky plant in Stratford,

Connecticut. Another unit, Delta Company,

158th Aviation Battalion, formed last

winter in Victorville, California.

According to Fitzgerald, recruiting for

the team wasn’t a problem.

“When word got

around that we had

Black Hawks, they

were lining up to join,”

he said laughing.

Charlie Company was

born as Alpha

Company of the 158th

Aviation Battalion, a

resurrection of the legendary Huey-flying

A/158 Assault Helicopter

Battalion, “Ghost Riders,”

that had distinguished itself in

Vietnam. According to Fitzgerald,

his unit appropriated the call sign with

the enthusiastic permission of A/158th

veterans until the Active Component

asked them to work for them.

“It was an incredible honor. I guess we

did everything well,” said Fitzgerald.

“Now we’re among the first aviation

units to be organized and fielded within

a year, and a ‘multi-compo’ [multiple

component] aviation unit to boot. We

send guys to Fort Bragg to train with

the 18th, and they send their folks to

train with us.”

One of the active duty aircrew members

that came out to join C Company for

Desert Rescue was impressed by what

he saw.

“They

don’t

mess around

and that’s good

because, wherever

we go, they’ll be

coming with us,” said

Spec. Michael Muskalla. “I’ve

never worked with a Reserve unit

before and I didn’t know what to expect.

An Army Reserve Black Hawk crew with the Clearwater,

Fla.-based Charlie Company, 1st of the 159th Aviation

Battalion lands to take on a Special Forces rescue team

during a combat search and rescue exercise at Naval Air

Station Fallon in Fallon, Nev.

PHOTO: SGT. FRANK N. PELLEGRINI, U.S. ARMY RESERVE PAO

Carson City

Las Vegas

Reno Fallon

NEVADA
42 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

But they’ve certainly dispelled all of my

doubts. Any time my colonel wants to

send me to Clearwater, I’ll be happy to go.”

Charlie Company joined 15 other units

from the Navy, Marines, Air Force and

Coast Guard for Desert Rescue, learning

to conduct hazardous desert rescues in

each other’s languages.

“We’re trying to standardize our techniques and bring them into line with

the other services. They’ve been doing

this kind of work a lot longer than the

Army and, since we’re going to be

working together, we want to make sure

that we’re all on the same page,” said

pilot CW4 Seth Johansen.

The training came to its climax on

August 13 at a mock embassy compound nestled among the plywood and

camouflage-netted buildings of NAS

Fallon’s Military Operational Urban

Training (MOUT) site, better known as

“Combat Town.”

With Navy Lt. Jason Young playing a

seriously wounded pilot, Fitzgerald’s

crew was radioed to conduct rescue

operations while enemy patrols, played

convincingly by National Guard soldiers out of Fallon assigned to the 221st

Armored Cavalry Regiment, raged

through Combat Town’s narrow streets

trying to hunt Young down. The two

Army Reserve Black Hawks landed just

outside the embassy compound, dropping off Special Forces team members.

They then went airborne again to

provide cover for the rescue teams.

The rescue troops rushed the compound, clearing it building-by-building

until they found Young and radioed up

to the Black Hawks for their ride out.

Within moments, Charlie Company’s

two brand new Black Hawks were

getting duty again, tilting to near-vertical before touching down and opening

their doors for the Special Forces team

and their precious cargo. The “Ghost

Riders” had gotten everyone out alive.

AROUND THE GLOBE

A Special Forces team inserted on the ground by Army Reserve aviators rushes the gate of a mock embassy compound in “Combat Town” during a CSR exercise.

Two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters flown by Army Reserve aviators take off with their special forces passengers after 

completing a CSR exercise.

PHOTOS THIS SPREAD: SGT. FRANK N. PELLEGRINI, U.S. ARMY RESERVE PAO
Volume 49, Number 3 ★ 43

AROUND THE GLOBE

“The Army’s getting it together,” said

Woody Muller, observing the exercises

with the Department of Defense’s Joint

Personnel Recovery Agency. “By

sending these guys out here, they’re

getting themselves up to speed with the

rest of the services.”

For a brand new unit, the Army Reserve

aviators of Charlie Company, 1st of the

159th Aviation Battalion, are well on

their way to living up to the heralded

reputation of the “Ghost Riders.” But,

according to Fitzgerald, they still have a

lot to learn.

“We’re getting there,” he said. “But we

still have to work through some things,

which is all part of being a new unit

with a new mission, and learning from

organizations like the Navy.”

“We make training a top priority. Every

weekend drill, we’re out flying a

mission, sharpening our skills,”

Fitzgerald added. “These guys make it

easy for me. They have a tremendous

amount of pride in what they do, and

we all want to make sure that, if we get

the call, we’ll be ready.”

A crew chief with the Army Reserve aviators of the

Clearwater, Fla.-based Charlie Company, 1st of the 159th

Aviation Battalion mans his door-gunner seat on the way

to a night landing exercise.
ARMY RESERVE SOLDIERS 

FROM WISCONSIN 

MOVE AMMO IN KOREA

Compared to her role in the Army

Reserve, Spec. April Trace would say

that her civilian job as a pastry chef is a

piece of cake.

“There really is no comparison. If I

don’t do something right in the kitchen,

I can throw it out and start all over

again. However, with this, you don’t get

a second chance,” said Trace, referring

to her job loading artillery shells onto a

ship in a Korean port.

Trace and 21 other members of the 826th

Ordnance Company located in Madison,

Wisconsin, recently completed three

weeks of annual training in Pusan,

Korea. Their mission was to work with

South Korean soldiers to inventory and

move 155mm artillery rounds that

needed to be rotated out of the Army’s

largest ammunition stockpile.

All of the 826th Soldiers assigned to the

mission were trained in the Army’s

Military Occupation Skill (MOS) 55B,

ammunition handler.

“We have all been school-trained,” said

Staff. Sgt. Scott Plehn. “But we have to

practice.”

And the group practices a lot.

Unit members spent most of their time

counting and recounting thousands of

the large shells that were bundled

together in palletized groups. 

“We inventory them. Then the Koreans

inventory them. Then the boat crew

inventories them. If we all agree on the

number, the load goes on the ship. But,

if there is a discrepancy, we all have to

count them again,” added Plehn.

44 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

AROUND THE GLOBE

Sea of Japan

(East Sea)

Yellow

Sea

Korea Strait

Western Channel

Cheju Haehyop

Naktong

Kum

Namhan

Puk'an

Imjin

Cheju

Kwangju

Pusan

Chollanam

Kyongsangnam

Taegu Chollabuk

Taejon

Ch'Ungch

'Ongnam

Kyongsangbuk

Ch'Ungch'Ongbuk

Seoul Kyonggi Kangwon Inch'On

DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S

REPUBLIC OF KOREA

(NORTH KOREA)

REPUBLIC OF KOREA

(SOUTH KOREA)

Pusan

Seoul

Sgt. Armando Quintero (right) directs Staff Sgt. Scott

Plehn to move a pallet of artillery shells during training at

a South Korean port. Both are with the 826th Ordnance

Company.
In addition to inventorying ammunition, the members of the 826th also

made sure the shells were properly

packaged and marked for shipment.

“We mark the loads so that everyone

knows what kind of ammo they are

dealing with,” said Spec. Robert

Sutalski of Parkford, Illinois, as he

stuck some bright orange placards on

the pallets.

Plehn said the shells were very stable

because they were being shipped

without the fuses needed for detonation. 

“But we are still dealing with live

ammo, so there always is the potential

for danger,” he said.

Another one of the challenges facing

the members of the 826th was dealing

with the varying opinions concerning

safety measures. 

“While U.S. Army procedures call for

as few people as possible to work with

the ammunition in a confined space,

such as the cargo hold of a ship, the

Koreans like to use a lot of people so

the work goes faster,” said Plehn. “We

had to make some adjustments with

them to get the job done and still keep

everybody safe.”

The mission was the first time Pfc. Lee

Johnson, an emergency medical technician student from Madison, Wisconsin,

got to work in his Army occupation.

“In 55B school, they told us that we are

the ‘backbone of the Army.’ Now I 

know what they meant. If we don’t do

our jobs well, the people on the front

lines won’t be able to fight,” he said.

“We all just want to do a good job.”

Volume 49, Number 3 ★ 45

Spec. Robert Sutalski (right) and Spec. April Trace of the

Army Reserve’s 826th Ordnance Company from Madison,

Wis., affix labels to a shipment of artillery shells during

PHOTOS THIS SPREAD: SGT. FRANK N. PELLEGRINI, U.S. ARMY RESERVE PAO

training at a South Korean port.

AROUND THE GLOBE
46 ★ Army Reserve Magazine
The Army Reserve Poster Series was developed to reinforce internal Army Reserve strategic themes through visually oriented

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

STANDARD

US POSTAGE 

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Capitol Heights, MD

Permit #1237

Editor

U.S. Army Reserve Command, Public Affairs

1401 Deshler Street SW

Fort McPherson, GA 30330

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