Vol. 2, No. 25 Baghdad, Iraq June 18, 2004

Inside this week ...

ICDC’s ‘Fallujah battalion’ nabs

tons of weapons

Iraqi soldiers take weapons and explosives off the street

Page 6

‘Deperado’ knows how to move

1st Cavalry Soldier teaches martial arts

and Latin dance to fellow troopers

Page 10

Freedom of the press

Iraqi journalists explore a new freedom

Page 11

‘Headhunters’ sweat it out on

Baghdad streets

Task Force 1-9 Soldiers patrol the capitol

Page 12

SCIMITAR

COALITION

Lance Cpl. John

Boyd of C

Company, 1st

Royal Highland

Fusiliers fires his

general-purpose

machine gun on

the range. The

GPMG, or “Gimpy”

as it is more commonly known by

British troops, has

been in service for

30 years and is

still being used as

Britain’s primary

machine gun.

Photo submitted by Press Information Centre Basrah

British soldiers take aim

Sgt. 1st Class

Jeff Myhre of

the U.S. Army’s

Program

Executive

Office models

the Army’s

newest uniform. The

“Army combat

uniform” will

replace the

desert camouflage uniform

and both versions of the

battle dress

uniform. The

ACU debuted at

the Army birthday celebration

at the Pentagon

Monday. See

story and photos on page 16.

Iraqi Coastal

Defense Force 

at the helm

UMM QASR, Iraq — The

rebuilding of Iraq took another

step forward as the Iraqi

Coastal Defense Force took

control of its assets in the naval

base here Saturday.

The handover marks a step in

the training of the ICDF away

from basic skills and toward

operational training with the

ultimate goal of the ICDC conducting live operations in the

northern gulf.

Formed in January, the ICDF

has been training under the

guidance of a combined team of

British, American, Australian

and Dutch naval personnel.

“I would describe this as only

the end of the first chapter,”

said Royal Navy Capt. John

Murphie, the director of the

Coalition Military Assistance

Training Team responsible for

training the ICDF. “The relationship between the ICDF and

training team now changes, but

the commitment remains to get

the ICDF to its full operating

capability and secure Iraq’s seaward border.”

The day marked the handover

of five fast-patrol boats, 10

rigid-hull inflatable boats and

the facilities at the naval base

to Iraqi control.

“This base, its assets and personnel are physical proof of the

successful rebuilding efforts

that are taking place in Iraq,”

said a spokesman for the ICDF.

The ICDF’s role is to conduct

policing operations on the Iraqi

coastline and territorial waters

out to 12 nautical miles to

counter terrorism, smuggling,

piracy and other unlawful activities. The force will also perform limited search-and-rescue

operations.

Submitted by Multinational

Division Southeast Public

Information Centre

New combat clothes

U.S. Army photo
AL HADITHA, Iraq — For the first

time in more than a decade, all six turbines

at the Haditha Dam are fully operational

thanks to the US Army Corps of Engineers

Gulf Region Division.

June 3 marked the first time since 1990

that all six turbines were fully operational

generating 660 megawatts of electricity

with some of the power being added to the

national Iraqi power grid through newly

established transmission lines.

“We are working at the max discharge,”

said Hasan Yhya Hasan, the dam manager. “This year is special. For the first time

(since 1990), we have six turbines operational.”

Construction of the dam began in 1986.

It is the second-largest hydroelectric dam

in Iraq. The dam’s water source flows

through Turkey and Syria. In accordance

with the Ministry of Water guidelines, the

dam pumps out 600 cubic meters of water

a day, which are used for both irrigation

and electricity, said Hasan.

Under the former regime, the dam was

only able to put out 190 megawatts, which

was all the local area could handle as they

were the only area receiving power from

the dam, said Hasan. 

With new transmission lines in place,

the dam now adds around 400 megawatts

to the national power grid in addition to

supplying the local area, said Hasan.

Each turbine is capable of producing a

maximum of 110 MW. Some of the turbines had cracked runner blades that needed to be replaced to operate them.

The dam has also been good for the

local community employing 295 local

Iraqis, said Hasan, who was born 52 years

ago where the Haditha dam now stands.

Projects like this not only help stabilize

Iraq’s future, they also

provide jobs and learning

opportunities for the Iraqi

people, according to

Army Lt. Col. Stephen

Jeselink, the Gulf

Region’s central district

deputy commander.

“They are gaining not

just economic benefits,

— (they) are also learning

to manage full systems on

their own,” said Jeselink.

Working side by side

with the Coalition also

gives the Iraqis a chance

to learn new management

skills, said Jeselink.

Essential supplies

move 

south

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The 2004 presidential and congressional elections are fast approaching and the time for

service members to register to vote is now. 

Military personnel should see their unit voting assistance officer as soon as possible.

“A voting assistance officer’s primary goal is to assist

Soldiers in registering to vote,” said Capt. Allison

Morgan, the senior VAO for the 1st Armored Division.

Unit VAOs can provide Federal Post Card Applications,

which are needed to register to vote and to receive an

absentee ballot.

Each state has different requirements, so filling out a

FPCA can be confusing, said Morgan. A VAO is there to

answer any questions and provide the address to the local

election office where service member’s FPCA needs to be

mailed.

That address depends on where a warfighter calls home.

“Soldiers must vote in the congressional district of their

home of record, not where they are currently stationed,”

Morgan said.

Although slow mail and shortages of FPCAs have

caused problems for overseas military members in the

past, the Department of Defense and the U.S. Postal

Service have arranged a program that should eliminate

these obstacles, said Charles S. Abell, the principal deputy

undersecretary of Defense for personnel and readiness.

“We’re going to move the ballots more quickly and

more efficiently,” Abell said during a recent press conference in Washington, D.C. “We are really focused on how

does that guy in the remotest section of Afghanistan and

Iraq get his ballot and get it in and counted.” 

Abell said the ballots will be placed in specially colored

containers signifying the need for priority handling. The

Postal Service also plans to track the amount of absentee

ballots that are sent out and received.

Morgan encourages all servicemembers to take the time

to see their VAO and fill out the FPCA.

“Soldiers might find it inconvenient, but our vote

counts,” said Morgan. “Soldiers’ lives are impacted greatly by politics, and the military population as a whole is a

large voice. Take the time to be heard.”

Page 2 Coalition Scimitar June 18, 2004

It’s your future; vote for it

Story and photo by Sgt. Shauna McRoberts

1st Armored Division Public Affairs Office

A 1st Armored Division Soldier

signs his Federal Post Card

Application. An FPCA is required

to register to vote and to receive

an absentee ballot.

Story and photo by 

Spc. Gretel Sharpee

139th Mobile Public 

Affairs Detachment

Trucks line up for miles waiting to

cross the border between Iraq and

Turkey at Habur Gate.

MOSUL, Iraq — More than 1,000

trucks carry mission-essential supplies

through Habur Gate on the Turkey-Iraq border each day for the Coalition forces operating from northern Iraq all the way down to

Baghdad. 

The trucks move food, water, fuel and

other supplies from ports in Turkey and

other locations in Europe.

Vehicles carrying supplies for the

Coalition forces are differentiated from the

thousands of others that cross the border

daily. Those carrying cargo for the Coalition

are moved aside throughout the day to be

escorted south by security elements the following morning. 

The job of sorting the trucks and identifying what essential supplies are crossing the

border is accomplished by the 874th

Movement Regulating Detachment, an

Army Reserve unit from Staten Island, N.Y. 

“We stage the trucks for the movement

south to ensure their security and ensure the

arrival of essential supplies to the Coalition

forces throughout northern Iraq,” said

Detachment Commander Maj. Michael

Butler, who is from Staten Island. “We

expedite the process that might otherwise

take days.”

Trucks line up on either side of the border

waiting to cross, sometimes for days.

Drivers live in their trucks during the days

or weeks that it takes to move these items

from their origin to their destination.

Sgt. Rui Wu, a member of the 874th,

works in the border holding area keeping

track of the trucks waiting to go south. He

says that while his job might not seem like

much, it affects all of the Soldiers in the distribution area. 

“If a convoy of ours is attacked on either

side – Iraq or Turkey – supplies will be late,

and if there isn’t proper planning, someone

will have to do without something they

would have otherwise needed,” said Wu.

The Coalition forces, Iraqi Civil Defense

Corps and contracted security companies

provide the security for convoys traveling

south. Such large numbers of trucks present

many challenges for the security elements.

“The biggest problem we have is communication between the drivers. If they see

something or have a problem with their

vehicle, it is hard for the convoy escorts to

find out right away,” said Butler. “But once

the convoys move south, we trust that their

security escorts will ensure a safe arrival,

despite the challenges, and the troops will

get what they need.”

Coalition forces then use the supplies to

aid in providing security and stability for the

citizens of Iraq and Coalition forces.

Watts up

Story and photo by 

Marine Cpl. Craig M. Stowell

Coalition Scimitar

Thanks to the efforts of both the U.S. Army

Corps of Engineers and the Iraqi people, the

Haditha Dam now has all six turbines operational. The dam has also been added to the

national Iraqi power grid.
June 18, 2004 Coalition Scimitar Page 3

Army changes Stop Loss/Stop Movement

WASHINGTON — Activeduty Soldiers nearing the end

of their service contracts may

not be getting out of the Army

as soon as they might have

expected.

Army officials announced

June 1 the latest Active Army

Stop Loss/Stop Movement

Program for active Army units

preparing for deployment overseas in support of Operation

Iraqi Freedom and Operation

Enduring Freedom. Policies in

place for reserve-component

Soldiers have not changed.

The changes in the active

Army program synchronize the

process of units being notified

of deployments with the stoploss actions, according to Lt.

Col. Franklin Childress, the

public affairs officer with the

Army’s personnel section. The

previous process required a

separate action to request the

initiation of stop loss after the

unit received official deployment notification.

The Active Army Stop

Loss/Stop Movement Program

will be effective 90 days prior

to the earliest arrival date, or

EAD, specified in the deployment order, according to

Childress. Soldiers will remain

affected by stop loss/stop

movement under the program

up to 90 days after they redeploy to their home station.

The additional days following redeployment, according to

Childress, are to take care of

the Soldiers. The time will be

used to allow for any medical

or dental needs to be taken care

of as well as any other out processing that needs to be completed. 

“The focus is on Soldiers

taking care of Soldiers,” said

Childress. Soldiers who have

completed all of their out processing needs can get approval

from their command to be

released in less than 90 days.

The new program does allow

for some separations of

Soldiers. The following activeArmy soldiers are normally not

subject to stop loss:

— Soldiers eligible for

mandatory retirement

— Soldiers eligible for disability retirement, separation

for physical disability or other

physical conditions

— Soldiers pending separation for the convenience of the

government such as surviving

sons and daughters, parenthood

or pregnancy

— Soldiers pending separation because of dependency or

hardship

— Soldiers whose quality of

service warrants separation

— Soldiers in violation of

the Army’s homosexual conduct policy

— Soldiers pending separation who are conscientious

objectors

— Soldiers who do not meet

military personnel security program standards

The focus of Army deployments is on trained and ready

units, not individuals, Army

personnel officials said. They

explained that losses caused by

separation, retirements and

reassignments have the potential to adversely impact training, cohesion and stability in

deploying units.

Without a stop loss/stop

movement program, an Army

division-sized unit may require

the reassignment of more than

4,000 Soldiers from other units

to achieve a complete reset of

the division and ensure a

deployable strength of 100 percent, officials said. They said

this unmanaged turbulence

would preclude the delivery to

the warfight of units that have

an enhanced combat effectiveness based on stability and having trained together for long

periods of time.

By Karla L. Gonzalez

Army News Service 

Editor in Chief

Sgt. Christopher Land

Managing Editor

Sgt. Brian Stockhoff

Staff

Spc. Jeffrey Hillery 

Marine Cpl. Craig

Stowell

MNF - I Commanding

General

Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez

MNF - I PAO

Col. Jill E. Morgenthaler

Command Information

Chief

Capt. Adam W. Hackel

Coalition Scimitar is an authorized publication for members of the Department of Defense. Contents of this paper

are not necessarily the official views of or endorsed by the U.S. Government or Department of Defense. The editorial content of this publication is the responsibility of the Public Affairs Office of the Multi-National Force -

Iraq. Stars and Stripes newspaper is not affiliated with MNFI and acts only as a distributing source for Coalition

Scimitar. Questions and comments should be directed to the editor at cpiccmdinfo@baghdadforum.com.

Coalition Scimitar welcomes units

to submit their own Unsung Heros.

Photos and short summaries of

accomplishments should be sent to

cpiccmdinfo@baghdadforum.com

The Coalition Scimitar can also 

be viewed on the web at

http://www.cjtf7.com/coalitionnews/publications.htm

TRRx Program resolving initial concerns

Tricare’s new retail pharmacy program, TRRx, began

nationwide operations with St. Louis-based Express Scripts

Inc. June 1st.

Within hours, problems arose for all ESI customer

accounts, including Tricare beneficiaries. Efforts by ESI, private-sector consultants, and Tricare experts resulted in

restoration of commercial customer business and improvements for Tricare beneficiaries.

System improvements continue daily, and until all system

errors and “time-outs” within the communications infrastructure are resolved, the Tricare Management Activity will

provide updates on its website on a 72-hour basis.

“Our primary concern is that our beneficiaries receive the

prescriptions they require,” said William Winkenwerder Jr.,

a doctor and the assistant secretary of defense for health

affairs. “To that end, we continue to support efforts to resolve

the problems. We apologize to our beneficiaries and the

53,000 pharmacies across the United States who have experienced the difficulties associated with these processing

problems. Many people, from the network pharmacy staffs

to the management of the pharmacy chains to ESI’s staff and

consultants as well

as our own Tricare

staff, have actively

engaged in sorting

out the difficulties

and implemented

solutions to meet

the needs of our

beneficiaries. This dedicated effort continues.”

Tricare and ESI officials said that they expect that as initial prescription submission throughput improves, the program will stabilize and reach a steady and continuing pace.

On June 7 and 8, more than 180,000 claims were processed

and paid each day. That exceeds the standard of 125,000

Tricare claims usually processed and paid on Mondays and

Tuesdays. Nevertheless, higher-than-normal rates of claims

rejection continue and problems exist in some areas. The ESI

provider-relations team is working with individual pharmacies and pharmacy chains to resolve both systems problems

and the particular problems experienced by those pharmacies, ESI officials said.

“We fully recognize that this situation has been difficult

for beneficiaries and pharmacies,” said Barrett Toan, Express

Scripts’ chairman and chief executive. “We apologize to

those who have been inconvenienced and commit to rapidly

resolving the problems.”

This new Tricare pharmacy program introduces a standard, national approach to retail pharmacy use that offers

Tricare beneficiaries the same benefit wherever they may be

in the United States and its territories; it is a fully portable

benefit. Beneficiaries who experience difficulty with their

prescriptions during this initial period may contact the

Tricare Retail Pharmacy Customer Service Center at (866)

363-8779. For those who purchased their medications at

full price, they may file a paper claim (DD Form 2642, available on the Tricare Website: http://www.tricare.osd.mil/ ) to:

Express Scripts

PO Box 66518

St. Louis, Mo. 63166-6518

Express Scripts Inc. is one of the largest pharmacy benefit

management companies in North America, providing pharmacy benefit management services to more than 50 million

members through facilities in 13 states and Canada.

Express Scripts serves thousands of client groups, including

managed care organizations, insurance carriers, third-party

administrators, employers and union-sponsored benefit

plans. Express Scripts Inc. has the ability to process in

excess of one million claims daily.

Story courtesy of DoD Website

http://www.dod.mil
Each year, 30 to 40 percent of adults

in the U.S. will have problems sleeping.

One third of them suffer the more severe

condition of “chronic” insomnia, meaning that they have problems falling

asleep or staying asleep at least three

nights a week. Sleep problems are especially common and troublesome for

service members in combat situations

and I would estimate that around 20 to

25 percent of the soldiers seen in combat stress clinics are

bothered by sleep difficulties. 

Some physical problems can cause sleep

difficulties. An example

of this is a very serious

condition called sleep

apnea which involves

stopping breathing frequently while asleep. If

the self-help and behavioral techniques

described below do not

work to take care of a

sleep problem or if it has

lasted a month or so or

is impairing daytime

activities, medical attention should be sought to find out if there

are possible physical reasons. 

Insomnia drains one’s energy, causes

irritability and unhappiness and reduces

concentration for and performance of

complex tasks. It also leads to incoordination and memory losses as well as

reducing driving skill. Sometimes

insomnia is directly related to combat

stress, but more frequently it comes

from depression, anger with one’s situation, worries about issues at home and

loneliness for friends and family—problems that military personnel assigned

overseas must often cope with.

Conditions such as irregular work shifts,

lack of exercise and frequent loud noise

from mortars, rockets, aircraft, generators and heavy machinery at night also cause

it to be difficult to get

to sleep, stay asleep or

enjoy good quality,

restful sleep. 

Service members

themselves and professional mental and medical health professionals can help resolve

sleep problems.

What can soldiers

do to improve their

sleep? There are many

practical aids for sleeping. Examples of these

are presented in the

accompanying sidebar.

Additionally, a strategy called “sleep

restriction” may help in falling to sleep

faster and having good quality sleep. In

this procedure, the person computes the

average amount of time in bed that is

actually spent in sleep and then goes to

bed so late that only this much time is

allowed prior to the

normal time of getting

up. The least amount

of time in bed should

not be less than five

hours. Slowly, the

time in bed is

increased by going to

bed earlier in 20-

minute increments,

adding to the time

only when he or she is

still able to fall asleep

within 10 to15 minutes. The goal is that

85 to 90 percent of the

time spent in bed is

actually spent sleeping.

Maintaining a personal sleep diary is

also a good idea.

Every morning, the

person completes a

chart showing the time

for going to bed the

night before, the time

for waking up and the

total amount of time

actually sleeping. It is

also important to jot

down the personal

stressful events, sleep

environmental conditions and self-help

sleeping aids (such as those indicated in

the sidebar) that may have affected the

night’s sleep. Information recorded in

the diary can help the person see how

changes in sleep-related activities are

influencing sleep. Diary information is

also useful if the service member goes

to a medical or behavioral health professional for assistance with sleep. Finally,

the person can monitor progress made

across time by reviewing past and current entries in the sleep diary.

What type of procedures do mental-health services offer to help with

sleep? Mental health professionals can

help service members understand their

sleep difficulties and can provide additional practical recommendations. Most

commonly, they train the individual on

various types of relaxation therapy that

can relieve worries and tension that

might be getting in the way of restful

sleep. Of all of the behavioral techniques to bring about and maintain

sleep, relaxation therapies have been

studied the most thoroughly and appear

to be the most effective. Often, these

therapies are combined with other

strategies, including, in some instances,

short-term use of sleep medications. 

What about use of sleep medications? Prescribed sleep drugs work

immediately, whereas it takes some time

for the behavioral techniques to have an

effect. The effect of the medications,

however, ends as soon as one quits taking them. The behavioral means of dealing with sleep problems can assist for

the rest of a person’s life. Various medications may also have harmful side

effects, such as physical and psychological dependence, need for dose increase

over time and adverse reactions when

combined with alcohol and other psychoactive drugs. Finally, some medications cause a “rebound effect” in that,

when they are stopped, the person may

have more serious problems sleeping.

Nevertheless, if a sleep problem cannot

be treated effectively with behavioral

techniques, prescribed medications for

some period of time is probably a good

idea. 

How effective are the behavioral

techniques for improving sleep? A

recent review of scientific studies of

behavioral treatments for sleep disorders showed that 70 percent to 80 percent of patients benefitted. On average,

they increased their sleep time by

around 30 minutes and reported better

sleep quality. The effects of the treatment lasted at least six months after they

completed treatment.

Guest Column

Lt. Col. John P. Allen

Page 4 Coalition Scimitar June 18, 2004

Sleeping well while in Iraq

Tips on getting a good night’s sleep

- Avoid naps during the day

- Use the bed only for sleeping.

- Avoid stimulants like nicotine and caffeine late 

at night or if you do wake up during the night.

- Don’t eat a heavy meal or engage in vigorous

exercise for a few hours before going to bed.

Exercising earlier in the day, however, may make

it easier to sleep at night.

- Take a hot shower an hour and a half before

going to bed.

- Make sure that your bed is as comfortable as

possible and that your sleep environment is good

— dark, quiet and cool.

- Each day, try to go to bed and get up at the

same time. Avoid sleeping in on days off.

- Develop some consistent bedtime rituals like

reading a book for a few minutes when you go to

bed. 

- Minimize external stimuli like noise and light

while trying to sleep.

- If the alarm clock distracts you, move it away

from the bed.

- If you don’t fall asleep within 20 minutes of

the time you go to bed, get up and do some

other activity until you feel tired and then try

again to fall asleep. Also, if you wake up during

the night and haven’t gotten to sleep again for 15

or 20 minutes, get up and do some other activity

until you feel tired and then try again to fall

asleep. It is important that you associate the bed

with sleeping rather than worrying, tossing and

turning.

Lt. Col. John P. Allen is an Army

Reserve officer assigned to the

785th Medical Company ( Combat

Stress Control). He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology and

recently retired from the National

Institutes of Health.

PERSPECTIVES

Declare

war on

accidents

Commentary by Bob Van Elsberg

Life may be unfair, but death isn’t. A fatal

accident is an equal-opportunity killer. It

doesn’t care whether you’re behind the wheel

of a Humvee or a Honda; it will take you

wherever it can.

I know. I have seen death many times during my 33 years in and around the military.

Back in 1974, I waved goodbye on a Friday

afternoon to a couple of friends as they left to

go canoeing in Washington state. Within 24

hours, they were both dead —victims of

alcohol and the “I-am-bulletproof” syndrome

that led both of them to shun life jackets.

The year before, I saw a pretty young

woman dying on the road next to her car.

There was nothing I could do to help her.

There’s an old saying that goes, “Die young

and leave a good-lookin’ corpse.” But believe

me, there is nothing attractive in watching

someone die. 

Early in 2002 I interviewed the widow of

an Air Force sergeant who’d gotten on the

road drunk and hit a concrete barrier at 79

mph. Unbelted, he’d gone into the windshield and was declared brain dead the following day. He had a lot of bravado in his

attitude about life. As I interviewed his

widow, I sat there helplessly as she broke

down in tears. They’d gotten married and

bought a house barely two months before he

died. When he ignored years of warnings

against drinking and driving, he never

thought about what it would do to the person

who loved him most.

The problem with accidental death is that

there’s no 20-20 hindsight for those involved.

There’s no going back and doing things differently because of lessons learned. There is

only one destination and death gives no

paroles.

That’s why declaring war on accidents is

important, even as we fight this Global War

on Terrorism. It hurts just as much to bury a

loved one who died in an accident as one who

died on the battlefield. Maybe, in reality, it

hurts more. Death in combat is at least for a

purpose. Death from an accident does little

except to provide a sad example. 

Boston, Baltimore, Baghdad — it doesn’t

matter where you are, you’re on the front

lines of this war. Your best piece of protective

armor is risk management. Taking the time to

identify risks, assess their severity, develop a

plan to protect yourself, and then follow that

plan can make you a victor in this war.

Ignoring the risks and hoping in luck to get

you through can quickly make you a victim. 

Victor or victim — it’s your choice. 

Van Elsberg is managing editor of the

U.S. Army Safety Center magazine,

Countermeasure. Contact him at

robert.vanelsberg@safetycenter.army.mil
June 18, 2004 Coalition Scimitar Page 5

AL RASHID, Iraq — They

arrived by truck, secured the area

and quickly moved into position. 

They were there to complete a

cordon-and-search operation

planned by Soldiers from 1st

Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment

of the 1st Cavalry Division, the

“First Team”. 

The soldiers on the ground

weren’t all American, though.

Most of them were Iraqi.

To help prepare them for this

kind of real-world mission, the

1-7 Cav. Soldiers trained with

Iraqi Civil Defense Corps soldiers from the 304th ICDC

Battalion for months. 

Capt. Martin Wohlgemuth, a

fire-support officer with 1-7

Cav., has been involved with

training ICDC Bravo and

Charlie companies since he

arrived in Baghdad three months

ago. After watching them

progress on mission essentialtask list skills and certification,

he decided they were ready to

test their skills in a combat environment. 

On May 27, under the guidance of 1-7 Cav. troops, ICDC

Bravo Company conducted a

cordon-and-search mission in

the Al Sowaib area of Al Rashid.

It was the first company-wide

ICDC combat operation in the

First Team’s area of operations. 

According to Wohlgemuth, the

ICDC Soldiers did exactly what

they were trained to do.

“We had a team that went in

and cleared the building, another

team that went in and searched,

and they did exactly that,”

Wohlgemuth said. We found

plenty of weapons with ammunition. I couldn’t have asked for

anything more. They exceeded

everybody’s expectations.”

For ICDC instructor Staff Sgt.

Faletoa Sea, a fire-support noncommissioned officer with 1-7

Cav., it was a feeling of accomplishment to watch the ICDC

soldiers perform successfully in

a real-world operation, he said. 

“Even though they’re not 100

percent, I was very pleased with

their performance,” Sea said.

“We need to make sure they can

do the job, so when we leave, it

can be a better place for the citizens of Iraq.”

When the 1-7 Cav. Soldiers

took control of the ICDC training program, the plan was to get

the new Iraqi Soldiers prepared

to conduct operations on their

own by mid July. Ultimately, the

expectation is that the ICDC,

along with other Iraqi security

forces, will replace the need for a

Coalition security presence in

Baghdad. 

“I think the ICDC represents

our ideals because most of Iraqi

people want to help their country,” ICDC Sgt. Maj. Hassan

Abdul Kadum, the ICDC 40th

brigade sergeant major, said. “I

think my country depends on us.

We must lead our country, so we

must fight.”

When ICDC Bravo Co. went

into the fight together for the

first time, they knew they were

being evaluated by the 1-7

Soldiers on the ground with

them. They were there to use

their training, and that’s what

they did, said Lt. Jason Dudley,

an ICDC trainer with 1-7

Cavalry. 

Inside the building, the ICDC

squad leader competently

responded to situations that are

typically only seen in higherlevel training situations, Dudley

said. 

“That’s the level of proactivity

that [noncommissioned officers]

need to have at the critical

moment, and that was what

impressed me,” Dudley said.

“That was when I realized we

don’t need to spoon feed these

guys anymore.”

After months of training, battle drills and METL certification,

the ICDC soldiers had achieved

a standard acceptable to the First

Team. When the moment came,

the ICDC came up with a victory. Along with a performance

that pleased their 1-7 trainers,

the ICDC Soldiers successfully

seized several illegal sniper

weapons with ammunition along

with a quantity of counterfeit

money. 

Story and photo by 

Spc. Andy Miller

122nd Mobile Public 

Affairs Detachment

ICDC, First Team

take to the streets

A Soldier with the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment of

the 1st Cavalry Division works with an Iraqi Civil Defense

Corp Soldier from Bravo Co., 304th ICDC Battalion. The

American and Iraqi Soldiers worked together to search

buildings during a cordon-and-search operation in the Al

Rashid district of Baghdad.

MOSUL, Iraq — The roar of a 737

jet flying overhead is not often heard in

northern Iraq. 

Soon, however, that sound may signify the promise of a boost in the economy of this war-torn region.

Hawler Airport in Irbil, Iraq, is undergoing remodeling and reconstruction to

make it possible to host commercial

international flights. 

“We hope to become a category-two

airport, which is the smallest level of

international airports,” said Azam

Hamarash, the project manager for the

airport.

Local contractors are resurfacing the

runways and taxiways to make them

suitable for more traffic and bigger aircraft. A communications tower is also

being built to assist in weather detection

and ground communications. The terminal will be remodeled to hold more passengers.

“Right now, we host one or two flights

a day from nongovernmental organizations such as the United Nations and the

International Red Cross, and some cargo

flights for the Coalition forces in the

area,” said Sarok Noraldin, the airport

manager. “Our goal is to expand our

service to one day accommodate the

people in northern Iraq with international commercial flights.”

There are only two other international

airports in Iraq, one in Baghdad and one

in Basra. Anyone from northern Iraq

who needs to fly outside of the country

has to drive at least six hours.

“This airport will be a convenience for

the people here and will allow them to

fly out of a relatively safer area than in

the south,” said Hamarash.

The airport is already providing for

the security of the passengers who fly

into and out of the area. There is a tworing outer security perimeter with guards

from the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps.

Members of the ICDC also provide

security for the planes as they taxi in

from the runway and for passengers

inside the airport terminal. All baggage

is screened and checked before it is

loaded or unloaded from the plane. The

airport has also banned weapons in the

terminal building.

The improvements at the airport will

also bring jobs to the local area.

Contractors are hired to do the remodeling, and new staff will be hired to work

at the airport when the improvements

are complete. 

The potential for cargo planes carrying import and export items will also

bring money into the local economy,

said Noraldin. 

“This airport will be a bridge between

Iraq and the rest of the world,” said

Noraldin.

By opening the door to international

trade, Iraq can reap the benefits of participating in the world’s economy.

Local contractors work to resurface the taxiway of Hawler International

Airport. The resurfacing is part of a project to make the airport suitable

for commercial international flights.

Story and photo by 

Spc. Blair Larson

139th Mobile Public 

Affairs Detachment

Airport connects northern Iraq to the world
Page 6 Coalition Scimitar June 18, 2004

TAJI MILITARY TRAINING

BASE, Iraq — Two companies from the

Iraqi National Task Force’s 2nd Battalion

here netted more than six tons and seven

truckloads of cached weapons on the outskirts of Al Tarmiya in a previously unreported four-day operation in May. 

The May 20 mission came only weeks

after widespread reports criticized the

unit for its role in an early April operation north of Baghdad where battalion

soldiers were alleged to have turned and

ran on their American partners before

heading into a planned operation in

Fallujah – a report disputed by the actual

participants in the engagement.

The find, consisting of nine sites in a

roughly four kilometer-square area of

dense triple-canopy palms located just off

an improved dirt and gravel road, is

being reported as the largest single-operation haul in many months as the INTF

and Coalition forces continue the attempt

to bring security and safety to the citizens

of Iraq.

“In just a hundred-yard area, we found

countless weapons,” said Coalition

Military Assistance Training Team member Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Andrew R.

Garcia, a 2nd Battalion advisor support

team member working with the force as

an operational mentor.

“The enemy was marking trails by

burning marks on the ground, and it came

to a point where you could just take a

metal detector and

start digging things

up everywhere,”

Garcia said.

The find consisted of terrorist and

insurgent warfare

materiel that

included – in addition to mountains

of small arms and

ammunition –

Russian-made rockets, SA-7 surfaceto-air missiles,

rocket-propelled

grenades, Sagger

missiles, TNT, RDX-type explosives,

hand grenades, mortars, machineguns,

sniper rifles, artillery shells, machinegun

ammunition, plastique-type explosive

materials, TOW missiles, launch tubes,

fuses, maps and various demolition and

improvised explosive device materials

and triggering and detonation components. The rocket haul alone netted nearly

270 rounds, and the find included 13 55-

gallon barrels of an RDX-type explosive

material similar to TNT.

“The soldiers were beside themselves.

They were very excited, ” said an Iraqi

army 2nd Battalion company commander

involved in the operation who is also a

veteran of the early April Fallujah operation. “There were weapons everywhere,

and we knew that these were the

weapons that had killed many people in

towns like Karbala, Najaf and Fallujah.”

The find caps a rocky period from a

perception standpoint for the battalion –

the INTF’s sole fully trained, tested and

completely operational battalion – after

reports in April characterized the unit’s

functional capability as insufficient to

support Coalition efforts to bring peace

and stability to the country as the nation

prepares for the June 30 transition. 

The INTF currently consists of three

other battalions conducting additional

training and will add another 23 battalions in the coming months.

“It shows to everybody who had

doubts about how well the Iraqi army

would perform in the face of an adverse

situation,” said CMATT 2nd Battalion

Senior Advisor, Marine Corps Maj.

David E. Lane II, an AST team member

who, along with Garcia, is especially

familiar with the unit’s operational readiness.

“After Fallujah, they come back and do

the training – work harder than they’ve

ever worked before – and still have the

confidence to go out and accomplish missions that they’ve been assigned,” Lane

said. “And the fact that Coalition forces

actually use them and they’re actually a

part of the Coalition demonstrates that

they play a vital role in the security of

this country.”

The U.S. Marine Corps CMATT AST

team that accompanies the 2nd Battalion

soldiers on all missions – a ten-man team

of Marine volunteers from various

stations throughout

the U.S. – is a part

of the Office of

Security Transition

specifically tasked

with training and

equipping the Iraqi

armed forces. The

small unit has been

with the battalion

since early March

and has seen the

force come a long

way. 

“When you look at all the munitions

and weapons that were found, you realize

that there’s going to be lives saved in

direct correlation with the amount of

weapons that were found and the type

that were found,” Lane said. “The result

is you have a reduced number of attacks.

So lives saved. Equipment saved. And it

definitely puts the enemy in a tougher situation.”

That fact is not lost on the Iraqis.

“These weapons and munitions might

have destroyed many buildings in Iraq

and killed many people,” the INTF company commander said. “Many Iraqis and

many babies and children,” he added.

“You know these soldiers are ready

now. Fallujah just clarified our situation.

Now when they ask us to go on missions

to capture bad guys or terrorists, the soldiers are very enthusiastic at any time. 

“Anytime they want us to clear Iraq of

bad guys, we’ll go,” the officer said. “In

Basrah, Mosul, Baghdad — anywhere.”

Story and photo by 

Sgt. Jared Zabaldo

Office of Security Transition 

Public Affairs

‘Fallujah battalion’ nabs tons of weapons

A soldier with the Iraqi National Task Force’s 2nd Batatlion guards part of

a weapons cache that totaled more than six tons.

“The enemy was marking

trails by burning marks on

the ground, and it came to a

point where you could just

take a metal detector and

start digging things up

everywhere.”

Marine Corps Staff Sgt. 

Andrew R. Garcia

Iraqi National Task

Force nets weapons

cache including 270

rockets and 13 55-

gallon drums of

explosive material

GENERAL ORDER

NO. 1:
June 18, 2004 Coalition Scimitar Page 7

Iraq in Brief

Italians Furnish Iraqis With Oil Tankers 

AN NASIRIYAH, Iraq — The Italian Joint Task Force gave

two oil tankers to the director of the oil refinery in An Nasiriyah

June 1, in an effort to help Iraqis with oil distribution.

The two tankers will be mainly used to refuel gas stations in

the area. It is hoped the addition of tankers will increase distribution and help relieve long lines at gas stations.

The Task Force plans to provide two more oil tankers to An

Nasiriyah in the near future.

Soldiers, Iraqis fix faulty sewage facilities

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Over the next 12 to 18 months, the 5th

Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division plans to help

the people of Al Rashid solve their sewage problems.

At a ground-breaking ceremony to replace a faulty sewage

pumping station in Al Rashid May 26, Maj. Gen. Peter Chiarelli,

the 1st Cavalry Division commander, explained the plan for

overhauling the district’s neglected sewage system.

With $40 million from the Coalition Provisional Authority

approved for the project, Iraqi contractors will do most of the

work with oversight from the 5th BCT and an American contractor

Capt. Matthew McCulley, the Company B commander, 8th

Engineer Battalion, explained that Al Rashid’s sewage problem

is largely a result of the district’s trash problem.

McCulley said “the biggest problem is just the trash getting

into the system and people throwing trash in the manholes, causing the system to block up and backlog.” 

To fix the broken system, 5th BCT is working on projects to

solve the area’s lack of trash-collection facilities.

The 5th BCT will contract local Iraqi companies to clean manholes, fix broken lines and get substations running at 100 percent

capacity.

In addition to fixing the existing system, the plan calls for

building new lines to areas that never had sewer service. In these

areas, raw sewage currently runs from homes into open canals

that run through the center of town. 

Marines jump start Iraqi police literacy program

AL ANBAR PROVINCE, Iraq — Civil affairs representatives with the 1st Marine Division signed a contract to purchase

textbooks for 500 students to initiate a new literacy program for

Iraqi police.

The Iraqi Police Literacy Program will be conducted in two

phases, with the first phase including 500 students. The program

will eventually include up to 2,000 students.

The training program will ensure Iraqi police in the Al Anbar

Province can read to at least at a 6th grade level.

Diyala Province gets new ambulances

TIKRIT, Iraq — Members of the Iraqi Ministry of Health participated in a dedication ceremony of five new ambulances for

the Diyala Province June 6.

The Public Health Team, comprised of soldiers from the

Division Surgeon’s office and the 415th Civil Affairs Battalion,

chose several provinces to receive the new vehicles after an

assessment of medical needs throughout the area.

Soldiers donate computers to Baghdad schools

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Soldiers of 4th Platoon, Troop C, 1st

Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 5th Brigade Combat Team,

donated 22 desktop computers to the Al Furat Neighborhood

Advisory Council for area schools June 5.

The computers are part of a project to enhance the schools of

Baghdad’s Al Furat neighborhood with technology and other

school supplies. A total of eight schools will receive computers.

Six of the schools are in Al Furat and two others are in Al

Schweb, a nearby neighborhood.

Military police Soldiers from

the 1st Infantry Division have

been handed a central role in

the release of prisoners from

Abu Ghraib. 

They are providing security

for the convoy of buses from

the prison to three cities within

the 1st ID’s area of operations. 

The first mission in the ongoing cycle came on May 13-14.

Members of the 1st Military

Police Company, 1st ID, provided security for a planned convoy of ex-prisoners from Abu

Ghraib to Tikrit, Kirkuk and

Ba’qubah. The second release

came May 21, with prisoners

being released in the same

cities.

While it is a happy time,

there’s always a chance of emotions boiling over. That’s where

a calm, professional demeanor

comes into play.

“That situation was potentially volatile,” said Capt. Tommy

G. Kerr, the commander of the

1st MP Co. “It was a situation I

was capable of controlling with

the abilities I had on the

ground, to an extent. It could

have turned into a much worse

situation than it was. It was a

challenge to maintain security.”

But maintain it they did, part

of an overall success, Kerr said.

“I would attribute the success

of the mission to the recon we

conducted one and two days

prior,” he said. “That set the

conditions for a successful mission. I feel like we had done the

mission analysis, we pushed out

the warning order, had done the

planning, map recon and recons

of the sites. 

“We established communication with the brigades as far as

the sectors we would be traveling through,” he said. “So we

were well prepared for the mission, and we continued to communicate to everyone.”

There were several factors to

consider throughout the mission. 

“There are a lot of different

challenges,” Kerr said. “You are

dealing with a populace you

can’t speak with. We rely on

hand and arm signals. In addition to that, you have to deal

with enemy sniper and RPGs.”

While the mission went well,

it’s only the first step, Kerr

noted. 

“The mission to release Iraqi

citizens from Abu Ghraib is

going to be an ongoing mission,” he said. “Several

detainees are going to be

released. It is a mission we will

continue to support. It is a very

important mission for us.”

And he also keeps sight of

the larger picture. “I know that,

eventually, we will leave Iraq a

better place,” he said. 

By Sgt. W. Wayne Marlow

and Sgt. Kent Taylor

1st Infantry Division 

Public Affairs

MPs provide security

for detainee release

Ahmad Khartoum greets

his father, Abdul, following

the elder's release from

Abu Ghraib prison. About

100 prisoners were bussed

from the prison to Tikrit to

be reunited with their

friends and family.

BALAD, Iraq — A gift presentation June 3

at the 13th Corps Support Command here represented more than a present. 

It represented the hope for peace in Iraq.

Piecing for Peace, a grass-roots effort started

by Marilyn Follansbee, hand made four quilts

and sent them to Iraq to be given to Iraqi

women. Piecing for Peace was started when

Follansbee’s son, Maj. Joe Follansbee, a civil

affairs officer, wanted to give a gift to his interpreter’s wife to thank the family for their

efforts to bring peace and stability to Iraq.

Follansbee thought that a quilt would be the

perfect gift to send to a woman she had never

met, and the gift of a quilt moved the interpreter’s wife to tears. 

Follansbee told her quilters guild about the

experience and Piecing for Peace was created.

The project received so much exposure that

Follansbee received more quilts than she could

mail to her son before he redeployed home. She

has been searching for a new contact to send

quilts to in Iraq for the past few months and

found Maj. Kristi Hilton, the 13th COSCOM

educational services officer, in late May.

Hilton received the quilts from Follansbee

and made the presentation to four local citizens

employed by the 13th COSCOM. The men

accepted the quilts on behalf of their wives. 

“It is good. It shows us the kindness and generosity of Americans. That there is someone

overseas thinking about us Iraqis,” said one

man. 

“We appreciate their work, and the Soldiers

appreciate our work here. We face a lot of

problems, but our work is easier because of

these gifts, and I want to say thank you,” said

another recipient.

By Capt. Catherine T. Wilkinson

13th Corps Support Command 

Public Affairs

Quilters piece for peace

U.S. quilters guild gives

handmade gifts of kindness and generosity to

women in Iraq
Page 8 Coalition Scimitar June 18, 2004

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Reading, writing

and arithmetic got easier for students at

Al-Eilaf High School in Baghdad May

29 with help from the Coalition

Provisional Authority and Soldiers from

the 1st Cavalry Division’s 3rd Brigade

Combat Team.

The all-girls school located in the

Green Zone received nearly $23,000

worth of supplies to help its students

study in a more comfortable, up-to-date

learning environment. 

“This is something very good for the

students,” said Abeer Saeed Rashid, the

school’s physical-education teacher. “We

were suffering. In the ex-regime, schools

were supplied with nothing for 25 years.”

Rashid has worked at the school for

seven years and assists its headmistress

with administrative work. He said that

whenever Saddam Hussein was asked

about educational supplies, he would

laugh and say, “What will you do with

this?” Or, “No, no, no, we do not have

the money. We do not have anyone to

supply us.”

After 13 years of international sanctions and a rash of post-war looting, AlEilaf High School, like most Iraqi

schools, was left in disrepair. Many

lacked even the simplest of teaching

aids.

All that changed when four large

trucks loaded with everything from computers to dumpsters pulled into the

school’s parking lot. Many of the young

women attending classes at the school

gathered at its entranceway. They were

staring, pointing and giggling as workers

carried in the new equipment.

A few of the students, like Samara

Howard and her friend Mawj offered a

helping hand with the encouragement of

some of the teachers and Soldiers.

“I am very happy for the help we are

getting from the Coalition forces,” said

14-year-old Howard. “And I’m very

happy for all of

this for our

school.”

Besides computers, the school

was supplied

with furniture, a

refrigerator, televisions and nearly a thousand

square feet of

new carpeting.

Funding for this

project was

arranged through the Neighborhood

Advisory Council and the Coalition

Provisional Authority. 

Capt. Alexander Rasmussen, the civil

affairs officer for the 3rd Battalion, 8th

Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat

Team, 1st Cavalry Division, served as a

liaison to the contractors. 

“Rasmussen actually did a lot of leg

work as far as talking with the contractors and getting the funding,” said Capt.

Henry Alvarez, the commander of

Company B, 3-8 Cavalry. “We just got

with the school and asked them, ‘What

do you need?” 

According to Alvarez, bidding, purchase and delivery of the school’s new

equipment took more than a month and a

half.

“We don’t know

how to use the

computers,” said

Rashid. “Of

course, we have

the minds to, but

we don’t have the

machines, so this

is something very

good.” 

Like in many

schools in the

United States, the

school year for an

Iraqi student is nine months long and

lasts from mid-September through June.

Their school week, though, is much different. Students attend classes six days a

week — from Saturday to Thursday.

Friday is a day off to observe the Muslim

holy day.

Story and photo by 

Sgt. John Queen

3rd Brigade Combat Team 

Public Affairs

Girls’ school receives assistance

Samara Howard (right) and her

friend Mawj carry a new computer

monitor into Al-Eilaf High School in

Baghdad. Besides computer

equipment, the school also

received other supplies from

Company B, 3rd Battalion, 8th

Cavalry Regiment. 

1-7 Cav. builds playground,

increases quality of life for Al

Aamel residents

Maj. Nathan Hines, the executive officer of the 1st Squadron, 7th

Regiment Cavalry of the 1st Cavalry Division, passes out Frisbees

to school children at a playground that was built with the help of

the division’s 5th Brigade Combat Team. The Al Aamel playground

was built near two schools and will include working restrooms and

a coffee shop. In an effort to increase the quality of life for the residents of Al Aamel, the 1-7 Cav. facilitates projects requested by

the neighborhood advisory council.

Photo by Spc. Andy Miller

“This is something very good

for the students. We were suffering. In the ex-regime, schools

were supplied with nothing for

25 years.”

Abeer Saeed Rashid,

physical-education teacher
June 18, 2004 Coalition Scimitar Page 9

CAMP RAMADI, Iraq —

Newly minted Iraqi commandos

are ready to work with Marines in

Iraq against enemy forces thanks

to a little help from American

Soldiers.

Army Staff Sgts. Richard A.

Dycus and Jack C. Harlan spent

the better part of their military

careers transforming “18-year-old

American kids” into disciplined

fighters.

Now they are in Iraq helping to

improve the country’s fledgling

Iraqi Civil Defense Corps.

Harlan, Dycus and 18 fellow

drill sergeants, who are here from

Fort Knox, Ky., supporting the

Army’s 1st Brigade Combat

Team, 1st Infantry Division

recently finished training Iraq’s

first commando company, which

belongs to the 60th ICDC

Brigade.

The 1st Brigade Combat Team

is on duty in Iraq with the 1st

Marine Division.

Now, Harlan and Dycus are

preparing the company for realworld missions. The new commandos will soon be working side

by side against the enemy with

Marines and Soldiers.

According to Dycus, the company was developed to expand the

ICDC’s capabilities.

“Commandos are elite ICDC

soldiers who have completed the

first two phases of training,” said

27-year-old Dycus. “The company was formed to handle more

aggressive, offensive-type missions.”

The ICDC was created after the

fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime

to maintain Iraq’s internal security. Most missions include manning checkpoints, convoy security

and patrols.

“We handle very special and

hard missions,” said Iraqi Maj.

Durayd Khaldon Affat, the commando company commander.

“Anything the other ICDC units

can’t handle, we do it.”

Commandos are trained to conduct raids, ambushes and other

operations in an urban environment — skills the average ICDC

soldier does not yet possess.

But becoming a commando

proved to be more difficult than

many of the ICDC soldiers originally thought.

Dycus and Harlan, who have

nearly 20 years of Army experience between them, began the 24-

day training cycle with 114 ICDC

soldiers but only graduated 41

commandos.

“We had to drop a lot of the

guys during the assessment phase

of the course,” explained Dycus,

of Nashville, Tenn. “They just

couldn’t handle the mental and

physical challenges we placed on

them.”

The course was broken up into

several phases. The first four days

were designed to weed out those

who wouldn’t be able to live up to

Commando expectations.

“The students were working on

about four hours of interrupted

sleep per night,” said Harlan, a 27-

year-old from Abingdon, Ill. “We

tested them mentally and physically.”

During the next phases, the

remaining 41 ICDC soldiers,

ranging from 16 to 60 years old,

learned first aid, individual-movement techniques, hand-to-hand

combat, squad-level tactics,

advanced rifle marksmanship and

platoon-movement tactics.

The drill sergeants used some

of the same training techniques

for the commandos as they use to

train American soldiers. 

Some of their tactics didn’t

have quite the same effect.

“Most of them didn’t understand English,” Harlan said.

“When we yelled at them, nine

times out of ten they would just

stand there and say, ‘Yes.’”

Through the use of interpreters

and hand gestures, the drill sergeants were able to get around the

language barrier.

Following the 24-day training

course, the ICDC soldiers were

dubbed commandos and given

maroon berets to signify their elite

status.

Maroon berets indicated Iraqi

Republican Guard soldiers during

Hussein’s rule.

Unlike Republican Guard soldiers, the commandos are interested in protecting a democratic Iraq.

“Many of the guys who join the

ICDC are interested in the paycheck,” Dycus explained. “The

Commandos are very disciplined

and want to fight insurgents who

are against democracy. These

guys are the best of the ICDC.”

Affat said he and his men owe

their future success to Harlan and

Dycus.

“The drill sergeants gave us all

the information we need and all

the training to start doing real missions,” he said. “After all this

training, I know for sure we are

definitely ready for the real

thing.”

Story and photo by 

Cpl. Paula M. Fitzgerald 

1st Marine Division 

Public Affairs

IRAQI COMMANDOS 

A commando with the 60th Iraqi Civil Defense Corps high crawls to the next obstacle during training at Camp Ramadi in 1st Marine Division's Area of Responsibility. 

Army Staff Sgt. Richard A. Dycus, a drill sergeant with the

Army's 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division,

assigned to the 1st Marine Division in Iraq, gives an Iraqi

Civil Defense Corps commando pointers who was low

crawling on the obstacle course.

Iraqi Civil Defense Corps commandos fight each other

during hand-to-hand combat training at Camp Ramadi, a

base within 1st Marine Division's zone. 

Army training improves ICDC elite forces

Commandos with the 60th Iraqi Civil Defense Corps

manuever through the obstacle course at Camp Ramadi.
Page 10 Coalition Scimitar June 18, 2004

CAMP COOKE, Iraq — In

the 1995 movie "Desperado,"

Antonio Banderas plays El

Mariachi, a gun-wielding, fistthrowing, guitar-playing hero

jumping to life from the pages of

a Hollywood script. 

Staff Sgt. Luis Cintron may be

a real-life El Mariachi. 

Not content with the two black

belts he holds or the ability to

dance masterfully three styles of

Latin dance, Cintron has brought

his passions to the Soldiers of

Camp Cooke. With a schedule of

events that encompasses the

entire week, the Task Force

Lighting Attack, 1st Battalion,

25th Aviation Regiment

"Desperados," 4th Brigade

Combat Team, 1st Cavalry

Division Soldier teaches martial

arts, Latin dancing and music.

"I taught these classes while

back in Hawaii," the 30-year-old

Loraine, Ohio native said.

"When we were getting ready to

deploy, many of my students

asked if I was going to be teaching in Iraq. At first I didn't think

I would. As more and more people asked me, I decided to go for

it, so I packed up my stuff and

brought it over."

Mondays, Wednesdays, and

Fridays Cintron teaches the

basics of Ala-Kai Sho-To-Kan

and Gus Park style martial arts.

He holds sixth level black belts

in both. For two hours, beginning in the evening, the Camp

Cooke gymnasium is filled with

the loud "Kia!" as students perfect their lessons on the tall

rounded punching bags. 

"Martial arts is a great stress

reliever," Cintron said. "We all

know how much tension can

build in a person being in the

environment we are in. Being

able to let that out in a positive

manner is just so much more

constructive."

If the three days of training

per week are not enough for

some Soldiers, Cintron offers

private lessons on Saturdays.

"I'm a certified instructor for

both of the styles I teach," the

power plant mechanic section

sergeant said. "Many of the

Soldiers take advantage of that

fact to get certified in one of the

forms. Private lessons really

help that along. In fact, a dedicated student could earn their

black belt over the length of our

year-long deployment."

On the soft side of Cintron's

instructions, a peek through the

door of KBR Theater,shows

more than 30 Soldiers actively

engaged in salsa, merengue and

bachata dancing classes.

"Soldiers can really cut loose

here," a grinning Cintron said

through fast, heavy breaths.

"The main thing is to have fun.

Maybe learn some great dancing

moves to impress your friends

when you get home. But mostly

just have fun."

The laughter and smiles filling

the room gave proof the classes

were fun.

"The whole goal of everything

I do is to provide a place where

soldiers can just forget where

they are for at least a few hours

a day," he said. "We're so

enmeshed in all of this that we

have to be able to just disconnect

sometimes."

The friendly atmosphere of

the theater combined with the

jovial sounds of Soldiers make it

easy for them to forget they are

in a combat zone.

A person partaking in the

classes might give themselves a

break at least once a week, but

Cintron looks at his "down day"

as another day to teach.

"I play the drums, and I teach

others to play them as well," he

said. "As we started up with the

music classes, more people started showing up with their own

instruments and it sort of grew

into a teaching jam session."

Cintron laughed as a Soldier

suggested that he would be a

valuable asset to a nightclub, as

he could provide the security,

band and dancers.

"I must admit, though, that

there are some selfish motivations to me teaching all this,"

Cintron said. "It helps me to

take my mind off of where I

am. I really miss my best friend

and roommate back in Hawaii,

and this sort of helps me get

through it."

Story and photos by 

Cpl. Benjamin Cossel

122nd Mobile Public 

Affairs Detachment

'Desperado' knows how to move

Staff Sgt. Louis Cintron and Pfc. Yahira Ulloa, both of

Task Force Lightning Attack, 1-25 Avn., 4th Brigade

Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division dance Salsa at the

KBR theater on Camp Cooke.

Staff Sgt. Luis Cintron demonstrates a jumping maneuver with a sword during a class on weapons as part of

his Monday, Wednesday and Friday training sessions at

the Camp Cooke gymnasium. Cintron is a Soldier with

the 1st Cavalry Division.

Staff Sgt. Luis Cintron demonstrates a takedown maneuver to students. He offers martial arts classes to troopers of Camp Cooke. "It's a great form of PT," Cintron said.

"And it's a great way to get a little bit of stress out." 

Real-life El Mariachi passes on skills to troopers
June 18, 2004 Coalition Scimitar Page 11

MOSUL, Iraq — Iraqi journalists are

discovering freedom of the press. 

Television reporters from the Iraq

Media Network were embedded with soldiers of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps in

the central Iraqi city of Qayarrah. 

"This is the first time we have worked

so closely with Iraqi military," said

Mariwan Tahir, a reporter for the IMN

Irbil bureau, who embedded with the

102nd Battalion of the ICDC. "It was a

great moment for journalists in Iraq."

During the Saddam Hussein regime,

journalists were not allowed to question

the government or military. Journalists

who worked for Saddam's state-run television station may have covered military

operations, but they only reported viewpoints approved by the regime. According

to the reporters of the Saddam era, a free

press was just a dream, and the price of

objective journalism was death.

"We are now able to provide the Iraqi

people an objective voice, something

we've never been able to do," said

Abdulyaliq Jawdut, a reporter for the

IMN Irbil bureau, who was embedded

with the 102nd Battalion of ICDC.

"While working with the ICDC, we were

able to freely interview commanders and

soldiers to tell a story that has never been

accurately told in Iraq." 

The reporters lived with the ICDC soldiers, documenting everything from the

soldiers' meals to weapons training to

marching. According to Lt. Col. Joseph

Piek, the public affairs officer for Task

Force Olympia, the command-and-control element of northern Iraq, it is imperative that the Iraqi media cover military

operations to get the information to the

public.

"The people of Iraq are only familiar

with a state-run press, and a free press is

exciting for both the people and the journalists who are now free to write the

news as they see it," said Piek, who

works with the Iraqi media on a daily

basis. "There are definitely some growing pains. Many of the journalists and

editors still feel they should be tied to the

government, but teaching them to break

those ties and become an independent

entity in Iraq is very important to Iraq's

future."

IMN is currently funded by the

Coalition Provisional Authority but still

has control of reporting content. IMN will

remain under supervision of the Coalition

until sovereignty is transferred to the new

government on July 1. IMN boasts 30 television and radio transmitters, three

broadcast studios and 12 bureaus around

Iraq, making it the only Iraqi-run television station. Its competition is based in

bordering countries that have an agenda,

according to IMN officials.

"Television networks like Al Jazeera

serve up propaganda to make the terrorists look good," Jawdut said. "It's important to me that we broadcast respectable,

worthy news that is unbiased. We are

showing the Iraqi people we can do this

by covering issues like the ICDC battalion in Qayarrah."

For Jawdut, working with Iraq's military was a dream come true. 

"For the first time in my career, I am

able to do my job," he said. "I can tell a

story and not worry about the consequences from the government."

Mariwan Tahir, a reporter for the Iraq Media Network, shoots digital

video of soldiers from the 102nd Battalion of the Iraqi Civil Defense

Corps. Tahir embedded with the battalion and was one of the first Iraqi

reporters to objectively cover Iraq military operations.

Iraqi journalists enjoy free press

Lt. Col. David M. Wargo, the assistant chief of staff for intelligence, 3rd Marine

Aircraft Wing and 46-year-old Pittsburgh native, is being submerged into the baptismal waters at Al Asad, Iraq, May 30 by Lt. Mike E. Michener, a chaplain with

Marine Wing Support Squadron 273, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Air

Wing. Two chaplains baptized five servicemembers outdoors in a water bladder

during the event.

Story and photo by 

Sgt. Fred Minnick 

139th Mobile Public 

Affairs Detachment

Staff Sgt. Michael C. Greenfield, a motor transportation maintenance chief with Marine Wing Support

Squadron 273, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd

Marine Aircraft Wing, is being brought out of the

waters of baptism in Al Asad, Iraq, May 30 by Lt. Mike

E. Michener, a chaplain with MWSS-273.

Service members get baptized

Photos by Marine Sgt. J.L. Zimmer III
Page 12 Coalition Scimitar June 18, 2004

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Grab your body armor,

lock and load your weapon and jump in the back of

a Bradley fighting vehicle. Join the men of

Forward Operating Base Headhunter on one of

their regular - and dangerous - foot patrols through

the streets of central Baghdad.

Engaging the citizens of Baghdad in conversation and scanning every rooftop for threatening silhouettes, Soldiers of Task Force 1-9 "Headhunters"

are on the prowl for insurgents who, hiding among

the populace, wait in ambush for Coalition forces.

“If we get hit in an area and don't go back there,

that isn't the message that we want to send people.

We need to be back there the next day to let people

know we're going to be there for them,” said 1st Lt.

Fred Saxton of C Company, 1st Battalion, 9th

Cavalry Regiment.

It is this attitude of caring and dedication that the

Soldiers of Task Force 1-9 believe will produce the

most powerful weapon they can wield in the fight

against terrorism - a feeling of hope in the lives of

the Iraqi people.

Following leads and collecting evidence much

like a police officer, the engineers, infantrymen

and scouts of Task Force 1/9 have had to be

“Semper Gumby” - always flexible- with their new

tasks.

Learning and applying new tasks in a field environment is not an easy feat, but the Headhunters

have clearly adapted well, and it shows in their

professionalism and calm in the field.

“The morale of the guys is high, but the patrols

are rough. It's very hot out there, and it's very time

consuming. Some of the guys get frustrated

because it's very repetitious, doing patrol after

patrol after patrol,” said Sgt. 1st Class Henry

Gadsden, the platoon sergeant for 2nd Platoon, A

Company, 8th Engineers attached to C Company,

1-9 Cav.

“It's important for the Iraqi people to see that

[we're in the streets with them] to help them out

and keep them safe,” added 2nd Lt. William

Richardson, the platoon leader for the engineers'

2nd Platoon.

Another task for the Headhunters is getting

weapons off the streets, making Baghdad a safer

place for Baghdad residents and Coalition forces.

“We find caches occasionally with [rocket-propelled grenades], mortars, hand grenades, C4. We

found a couple of mortar tubes,” said Capt. Jack

Crabtree, commander of Headquarters Company,

1-9 Cav.

“It is important to get weapons off the street, so

we can protect the population and ourselves,”

Crabtree said.

“Things in my area have been going very well,”

he added. “The people in my area seem to appreciate what the United States has been doing for them.

They've actually asked us to increase the number

of patrols we do because it makes them feel safer.”

In situations where the new Iraqi police would

be far outgunned, Iraqi Civil Defense Corps troops

accompany the Headhunters on their patrols.

ICDC soldiers have been training for the challenge. They have become proficient in a wide array

of tasks and tactics, including vehicle searches,

urban warfare and squad tactics. 

The ICDC soldiers are getting hands-on experience that will serve them when US forces leave

Baghdad by accompanying Headhunter patrols on

a regular basis. They often take the lead on vehicle

searches.

Drenched in sweat upon return from patrols conducted during hot Baghdad nights, the Soldiers of

Task Force 1-9 take a few hours of down time to

catch some sleep and take care of personal business and hygiene before the next patrol.

Story and photos by Spc. Jan Critchfield

122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

'Headhunters' sweat it

out on Baghdad streets

A Headhunter Soldier speaks with team members over a

backpack-sized radio, which adds several pounds to the

gear that he wears for nearly 10 hours a day while on

patrol.

1st Cavalry troopers search a home during a raid conducted while they were on patrol in Central Baghdad. The

raid produced one AK-47.

1st Lt. Fred Saxton of 2nd Platoon, C Company, 1-9 Cavalry speaks with a

Baghdad resident through an interpreter while on patrol in Central

Baghdad.

A Soldier from Task Force 1-9's engineer company chows down on

a piece of cake given to him after being invited into the home of a

Baghdad resident who wished to speak with the Headhunters about

security and renovation issues in the area.
June 18, 2004 Coalition Scimitar Page 13

BALAD, Iraq — You can fight without

bullets and you can live days without food,

but you cannot live long without water.

Ensuring that Soldiers don't have to is the

mission for the 961st Quartermaster

Company (Water Support) from McAllen,

Texas now serving in Iraq.

The 961st deployed in December 2003

and after a short stay at Fort Hood, Texas,

they made their way to Kuwait. After

receiving more training in Kuwait, they proceeded to their final destination in Iraq in

mid-February. They are currently serving at

Logistical Support Area Anaconda, north of

Baghdad.

“We are responsible for storing and distributing the water to all of the facilities here

at LSA Anaconda,” said the company commander, Capt. Juan Garces of Donna, Texas.

“We provide water to all the dining facilities, laundry facility, shower points, ice

house, concrete plant, indoor swimming

pool and very soon, the outdoor pool.”

Garces said, “Everywhere water is needed, we provide it. We get our water from

two sources; the Tigris River and water

wells within the base.”

Sgt. 1st Class Felix Rios, a full-time

Soldier stationed in McAllen, Texas, is the

noncommissioned officer in charge of water

operations and has overall responsibility.

“Water operations is a 24/7, 365-days-ayear operation,” said Rios. “There are miles

of water hoses throughout the base, and we

have to check for leaks and tears. If a water

hose or a water bladder bursts in the middle

of the night, we get our team and fix it no

matter how long it takes.”

Rios has to keep an inventory of parts,

water pumps, hose, fittings and everything

needed to keep this operation going. He also

has to do the same for the water operations

of four other forward operating bases.

Staff Sgt. Chukwuma Mbahotu, of Dallas

is one of the four team leaders. 

“Every one on this team fully understands

how important our mission is,” he said.

"Water is a necessity, and you can not do

much without it. Our satisfaction comes

from what we do and from the knowledge

that Soldiers enjoy a stress relieving shower

or have a decent meal at the dining facility.

Simply put, we love what we do."

In addition to LSA Anaconda, the 961st

has Soldiers at other sites in and around

Baghdad at various forward operating

bases.

“These FOBs are smaller and require

less equipment and personnel, but they

have the same operation that we have

here,” said Garces. 

As most other units deployed to Iraq,

besides conducting their regular mission,

the Soldiers are tasked with additional

duties. The Soldier of the 961st have been

providing convoy escort, force protection

and training the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps

Garces has this to offer units that will be

deploying to Iraq, “Versatility is the key,”

Garces said. “I feel very proud of our

troops; they have been exceeding the standards daily, being true ‘Tough Ombres.’”

Story and photo by 

1st Sgt. Frank Casares

961st Quartermaster Company 

(Water Support)

‘Water Dawgs’ keep steady flow in Iraq

Staff`Sgt. Chukwuma Mbahotu and Spc. David Gomez operate the complex network of hoses and gate-valves that

control the flow of water to various supply points and distribution outlets on Logistics Support Area Anaconda.

Pfc. Nicholas J. Hardy with

Marine Aircraft Group 16 from

Hartselle, Ala., waits at one of

Camp Al Asad's three bus

stops. The bus system was

started to help transport

Marines to and from several

points through out the Marine

Corps' largest Iraqi base. 

Photo by Marine Cpl. Macario P. Mora Jr.

Leatherneck

shuttle
Page 14 Coalition Scimitar June 18, 2004

AL DAURA, Iraq —

Electricity runs the infrastructure

of Baghdad, the industry of the

economy and the lights in the

homes. 

But lately the flow has been

sporadic, and it's a problem the

1st Cavalry Division's 5th

Brigade Combat Team is working to fix.

To bring an uninterrupted supply of electricity to Baghdad, it is

essential that the Al Daura power

plant here returns to full operational capacity. Its four main

generators have been inoperable

for months so its old and damaged turbines can be repaired by

German and Russian contractors.

While the repairs will eventually put enough power for all the

residents of Baghdad back into

the grid, Soldiers from the 1st

Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment

are doing their part to ensure that

the plant remains secure from

outside threats.

Sgt. 1st Class Alvin Alejandro,

the platoon sergeant for 1st

"Red" Platoon of Company B,

calls this plant one of the crown

jewels of the Al Rashid area of

Baghdad. He said he thinks getting the power back on will not

only help the Iraqis get their

lives back together, but will

change the way they perceive

Coalition forces in their neighborhoods.

"If we could give them full

electricity right now, 24 hours a

day, there will be a 100 percent

change in the whole sector,"

Alejandro said. "If we can get

this thing running and maintain it

running, it will be a big plus for

us and the Army overall."

While work is being done to

restore the plant's power generating capacity, the "Red Team" is

providing security to the site

with help from Iraqi security

forces of the Iraqi Electric Power

Security Service and Facility

Protection Service. 

In the past, contractors have

left the site after feeling threatened by insurgent activity.

Having the Red Team Soldiers

standing by gives them the confidence they need to do their job,

Alejandro said.

"All of the agencies have their

doubts about security, and if we

don't get involved with it and

talk to them, they don't feel comfortable," Alejandro said. "And if

they don't feel comfortable,

they're not working."

To make sure they feel secure,

Alejandro's platoon provides

daily and nightly site security,

and has been working to train the

EPSS and FPS to improve their

security tactics. Working with

the Iraqi security forces has

improved their skills and lessened some of the intimidation

they initially felt about the

American Soldiers, said Lt.

Donald Owens, the Red platoon

leader.

"Its gotten a lot better since

we've been here," Owens said.

"The people here -- they trust us.

We've established relationships

with the people in the power

plant and all the companies that

work here."

This relationship makes cooperation possible between the

multinational group working

together to bring power back to

the people of Baghdad. Recently,

contractors have achieved a

small victory in getting one of

the turbines back into part-time

operation. The flow of electricity

in some sections of Al Rashid

has improved from a rate of two

hours on, four hours off to a rate

of three hours on, three hours off.

Contractors at the site hope to

steadily increase this rate until

the supply is continuous and

uninterrupted.

"The Coalition force brought

their help to fix the security and

bring the power plant back to

normal and I hope we will do

that together," said Bashir K.

Omair, the power plant manager.

5th BCT helps turn on the lights

Story and photo by 

Spc. Andy Miller

122nd Mobile Public 

Affairs Detachment

Spc. Michael Garcia, a gunner with the 1st Cavalry’s1st

Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment rides to a security checkpoint at the Al Daura power plant in the Al Rashid district

of Baghdad. Garcia's platoon works with the Iraqi Electric

Power Security Service and Facility Protection Service to

provide security for the plant. Contractors are currently

working to return the plant to full operational capacity. 

Spc. Luke Davis of 2nd Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 9th Cavalry

Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team adjusts the tracks on his team's

Bradley Fighting Vehicle one hot Baghdad afternoon. Temperatures in the

Iraqi capital routinely break the 100-degree mark in the summer.

Photo by Spc. Jan Critchfield

They're noisy winged insects that pull off one of the neatest

tricks in nature. And if you’ve lived in the eastern United

States, you may be familiar with them.

This year’s cicadas came from eggs planted long ago in tree

branches. Tiny, six-legged nymphs hatched out of the eggs,

fell to the ground and burrowed down into the soil while

Ronald Regan was still president. Once underground, they

settled down on the tree roots and began to feed. They

stayed down there, nice and snug, sucking sap for 17 years.

Periodical cicadas are North America's longest-lived

insects. 

Cicadas

Fun Facts Trackin’
June 18, 2004 Coalition Scimitar Page 15

Unsung Heroes 

Marching the extra mile across Iraq

Spc. Crockwell

Spc. Page Capt. Utzinger

Maj. Schirle

Maj. David Schirle is an 81st Brigade Combat Team

surgeon, and the only Army podiatrist in theater. He lives

in Seattle with his wife and four children. 

Schirle enlisted in the Army in 1970. He has served the

Army in many capacities over the years, working as a

medic in mechanized infantry, special forces, artillery,

armor, and cavalry units. 

He says the best part of his job is being able to provide

quality care for Soldiers who might otherwise be overlooked. 

According to Schirle, podiatry problems can affect a

Soldier's entire outlook. “When your feet hurt, you hurt

all over. If the dogs are barking at you, you just feel lousy,”

he says.

In addition to treating patients, Schirle devotes as much

time as he can to training younger, less experienced

medics working with him. 

Spc. Jonathan Page is a medic with the 1st cavalry’s 1st

Battalion, 9th Cavalry Regiment.

While on patrol, his platoon received orders to assist a

group of 153rd Infantry Soldiers and Iraqi Civil Defense

Corps engaged by insurgent forces who required immediate medical evacuation. 

After Page’s platoon secured the site, explosions erupted just across the street from Page's position. The explosions were followed by small-arms fire.

ASoldier stumbled out of an alleyway toward the direction of the explosion, and Page and a medic rushed to treat

his wounds before putting him onto a Humvee.

Page’s platoon leader, 1st Lt. Fred Saxton, called for the

medic's assistance in treating those still in the kill zone.

Taking several trips into and out of the kill zone, Page

acted without hesitation and placed himself in the line of

fire numerous times while evacuating two casualties until

he had to be evacuated due to exhaustion.

Capt. Kenneth Utzinger from Odessa, Texas, is

the 81st Brigade Combat Team physical therapist.

He combines comedy with therapy as he relieves

his patients’pain. He volunteered to join the brigade

in Iraq. 

“The last time I was serious, I joined the Army,

so I’ll never be serious again,” he jokes.

Six mornings a week, Utzinger works at the

troop medial clinic. Unlike most of the TMC's medical staff, Utzinger does not have a set schedule. 

“I stay here until all the patients are gone,” he

said.

Prior to the deployment, he was the chief executive officer of a new business. He said when he and

his business partners started out, he warned them he

would deploy if he ever got the chance. 

“I knew how much it would cost me, but I volunteered anyway,” Utzinger said, shrugging his

shoulders. “Some things are more important than

money.”

Spc. Jessica A. Crockwell, an Office of Security

Transition support Soldier in the personnel shop,

has been in Baghdad for three months. 

The two-year Army veteran from St. Louis is 20

years old and on loan from the 63rd Signal

Battalion Headquarters Company out of Fort

Gordon, Ga. She has six months left in her tour of

Iraq. 

“She pretty much does it all,” said Marine Corps

Maj. Timothy Fitzpatrick, Office of Security

Transition personnel head of recruiting. "She can be

depended on to do the mission." 

“It's great to be part of building a new democracy,” said Crockwell.

CPA Palace Military Pay Office

Hours of Operation

Military pay inquires

Saturday - Thursday

9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Cashier

Everyday but Friday

9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Located in the basement at the rear of the CPA palace. Also

located at the Joint Contracting Finance and Resource

Management Office near the 31st Combat Support Hospital
Page 16 Coalition Scimitar June 18, 2004

WASHINGTON — The Army will be

fielding a new combat uniform designed by

NCOs and tested by Stryker Brigade Soldiers

in Iraq since October. 

On the Army's 229th birthday Monday,

senior leadership introduced the Army combat uniform during a Pentagon cake-cutting

ceremony. Soldiers were on display, suitedup

in the wrinkle-free uniform with a digitized

camouflage pattern. 

Three prototype versions of the ACU were

developed, and more than 10,000 uniforms

have been produced and dragged through the

sand in Iraq and at Army training centers.

Even more are on American production lines

to be issued by April 2005 to Soldiers in

deploying units. Fielding to the total Army

should be complete by December 2007, said

officials from the Program Executive Office,

known as PEO Soldier.

There were 18 changes made to the uniform, including removing the color black and

adapting the digital print from the Marine

Corps uniform to meet the needs of the Army,

said Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Myhre, the Clothing

and Individual Equipment noncommissioned

officer in charge. 

Black is no longer useful on the uniform

because it is not a color commonly found in

nature. The drawback to black is that its color

immediately catches the

eye, he

added. 

“The color scheme in the ACU capitalizes

on the environments that we operate in,”

Myhre said. “The current colors on the ACU

are green-woodland, grey-urban environments and sand brown-desert. The pattern is

not a 100-percent solution in every environment, but a good solution across the board.” 

“This isn't about a cosmetic redesign of

the uniform,” said Col. John Norwood, the

project manager for Clothing and

Individual Equipment. “It's a functionality

change of the uniform that will improve the

ability of Soldiers to execute their combat

mission.”

Every change was made for a reason. The

bottom pockets on the jacket were removed

and placed on the shoulder sleeves so Soldiers

can have access to them while wearing body

armor. The pockets were also tilted forward so

that they are easily accessible. Buttons were

replaced with zippers that open from the top

and bottom to provide comfort while wearing

armor.

Patches and tabs are affixed to the uniform

with hook-and-loop fasteners to give the

wearer more flexibility and to save the

Soldier money, Myhre said. Soldiers can

take the nametapes and patches off their uniforms before laundering, which will add to

the lifecycle of the patches. Also the cost to

get patches sewn on will be eliminated, he

added.

The ACU will consist of a jacket, trousers,

moisture wicking t-shirt and brown combat

boots. It will replace both versions of the battle dress uniform and the desert camouflage

uniform. The black beret will be the normal

headgear for the ACU, but there is a matching

patrol cap to be worn at the commander's discretion. At $88 per uniform — about $30

more than the BDU — Soldiers will eventually reap gains in money and time by not having to take uniforms to the cleaners or shine

boots.

The life of the ACU began in January

2003 when PEO Soldier teamed

with Myhre, Master Sgt. Alex

Samoba and Staff Sgt. Matt

Goodine - from the

1st Stryker

Brigade, Fort

Lewis, Wash. 

The team

looked at a

number of

uniforms

and took the

best part of

each uniform and

combined it

into one.

They built

their first prototype and

delivered 25

uniforms to

Stryker squads at the

National Training

Center. After listening to

their comments, the team

went back to the lab and created prototype two.

Twenty-one uniforms were then delivered

to Stryker Soldiers at the Joint Training and

Readiness Center, Fort Polk, La. 

“We watched them as they entered and

cleared rooms, as they carried their rucksack

and all of the things they had to be able to do

in the uniform, and then we came up with prototype three,” Myhre said.

Two issues of the third version were given

to the Stryker Soldiers deploying to Iraq.

Three months ago, Myhre was among a team

that visited Iraq to get more feedback from

Soldiers.

“We would talk to Soldiers right after they

had completed a mission while the benefits of

the uniform were still fresh in their minds,” he

said. “We wanted to know, ‘How did the uniform help the mission?’” 

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth Preston is

one of the ACU's biggest supporters. He said

major command sergeants major had a

chance to see the uniform and give advice

toward the final version. 

“We have not made a major change to our

uniforms since the BDUs were introduced in

the early 1980s,” Preston said. “This new uniform performs well in multiple environments.

Its new pockets and color designs are a result

of feedback from Soldiers in combat. Every

modification made on the uniform was

designed with a specific purpose and not just

for the sake of change.” 

Uniform changes:

1. Mandarin collar that can be worn up or

down

2. Rank insignia affixed at center of chest

3. Hook-and-loop fasteners for wearing

unit patches, skill tabs and recognition devices

4. Zippered front closure

5. Elbow pouch for internal elbow-pad

inserts

6. Knee pouch for internal knee-pad inserts

7. Elastic leg cuff

8. Tilted chest pockets with hook-and-loop

closures

9. Three-slot pen pocket on forearm of left

sleeve

10. Hook-and-loop fastener sleeve cuff closure

11. Shoulder pockets with hook-and-loop

closures

12. Forward-tilted cargo pockets

13. Integrated blouse bellows for increased

upper-body mobility

14. Integrated friend-or-foe identification

square on both shoulder pocket flaps

15. Bellowed calf storage pockets on both

legs

16. Moisturewicking desert-tan

t-shirt

17. Patrol cap

with double thick

bill and internal

pocket

18. Improved

hot-weather desert

boot or temperateweather desert boot

The Army’s new combat uniform

By Sgt. 1st Class Marcia Triggs

Army News Service 

U.S.

Army

photos