Vigilance keeps

Soldiers sharp

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador —

The fight in Fallujah, Iraq, is progressing well and will end in success,

with Fallujah no longer offering a safe

haven for extremists and terrorists,

Defense Secretary Donald H.

Rumsfeld told reporters traveling here

with him Nov. 11. 

The secretary offered no specific

timetable for coalition and Iraqi troops

to assume full control of Fallujah, but

he left little doubt that they are well on

their way to reaching that objective. 

“They have started, they are well

along in that task, and they will finish

it successfully,” he said. 

Rumsfeld said he has “no doubt”

that some terrorists may have left

Fallujah before the offensive,

Operation Al Jajr, was launched. “But

we also know that there are a number

of others — hundreds — who didn’t,

and they have been killed,” he said.

“Others have been captured.” 

The interim Iraqi government recognized that it had no choice but to

ask the coalition to commit its forces

to the Fallujah offensive, Rumsfeld

said. 

“The government of Iraq understands that it is not acceptable to have

a safe haven within their country

where people oppose the government

and attack innocent Iraqis and try to

destabilize their government,” he said. 

WASHINGTON — The United States

and Great Britain will continue to work

together to bring stability and democracy to

Iraq and fight the global war on terror, the

leaders of both countries said at the White

House Nov. 12. 

President Bush and British Prime Minister

Tony Blair held a news conference after

meeting to discuss the war on terror and

other issues. 

In citing progress in the war on terror, the

leaders noted that Hamid Karzai became

Afghanistan’s first elected president last

month. 

“The Taliban and the terrorists did everything they could to intimidate the long-suffering people of that country,” Bush said.

“Yet men and women lined up at the polls,

some of them waiting for hours, to have

their first taste of democracy. The success of

Afghanistan’s election is a standing rebuke

to cynicism and extremism and a testimony

to the power of liberty and hope. The people

of the United States and Great Britain can be

proud of the role we have played in aiding

the rise of a free nation, and in so doing,

making our countries more secure.” 

Blair said Karzai’s election was “a magnificent tribute, not just to the courage of the

Afghan people, but actually also to the

power of democracy.” 

The prime minister reaffirmed Great

Britain’s commitment in Iraq.

“We have to complete our mission in Iraq,

make sure that Iraq is a stable and a democratic country,” he said, “and I have no

doubt at all that whatever the difficulties the

terrorists and insurgents, supporters of

Saddam Hussein may pose for us, that we

will overcome those difficulties — ourselves, the multinational force together with

the Iraqi government — and ensure that Iraq

can be that democratic, stable state that the

vast majority of Iraqis I know will want to

see.” 

Bush warned that as Iraq’s January election draws closer, insurgents will become

more desperate. But he joined Blair in promising a free and stable Iraq

“The United States and Great Britain have

shown our determination to help Iraqis

achieve their liberty and to defend the security of the world,” he said. “We will continue to stand with our friends, and we will finish the job.” 

The president conceded that it hasn’t been

and won’t be easy.

“It’s difficult, particularly in a society like

Iraq because the terrorists understand the

stakes of freedom, and they’re willing to kill

people in brutal fashion to stop it,” he said.

“And I believe we have a duty and an obligation to work to make sure democracy

takes hold. It’s a duty to our own country.

It’s a duty to generations of Americans and

the children of Great Britain to help secure

the peace by promoting democratic societies.” 

Blair said that though the bonds are strong

between the United States and Great Britain,

that’s not why the two countries are working

together.

“We’re not fighting the war against terrorism because we are an ally of the United

States; we are an ally of the United States

because we believe in fighting this war

against terrorism,” he said. 

“America’s alliance with Great Britain has

never been stronger,” Bush said, “and we’re

working closely every day to spread that

freedom that leads to peace.” 

Vol. 2, No. 47 Baghdad, Iraq Nov. 19, 2004

SCIMITAR

Fallujah patrols

Marines take to the streets

Page 8

Rumsfeld: Coalition, Iraqis

succeeding in Fallujah

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service 

Bush, Blair reaffirm commitment

to international war on terror

By John D. Banusiewicz

American Forces Press Service 

AFN changes changes

More live coverage

coming in December

Page 12 Page 6

Sgt. Ariel King, a welder with

Company B, 25th Brigade

Support Battalion, 1st

Brigade, 25th Infantry

Division (Stryker Brigade

Combat Team), uses an

acetylene torch to form a new

antenna brace for a tactical

vehicle in the brigade’s

Forward Maintenance

Company shop at Forward

Operating Base Marez.

Spc. Aaron Ritter

Makin’

sparks
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Mesopotamians erected

a massive ziggurat in what is now the town of

Aqar Quf, west of Baghdad, in 1400 B.C.

This 150-foot pyramidal structure was built as

a temple for the ancient civilization to worship

their gods, who, they believed, brought growth

and prosperity to the land. 

Thousands of years later, the ziggurat serves

as a distribution center for local farmers to pick

up donated bags of seed to help make their lands

bountiful and prosperous.

More than184 tons of wheat seed was distributed Oct. 27 to more than 350 local farmers

through the Aqar Quf Nahia, which is an area

rural neighborhood council, similar to county

governments in the United States. 

Maj. Carrie Acree, a 443rd Civil Affairs

Battalion team leader, said that rather than using

military boundaries to distribute the seed, multinational forces used Iraqi boundaries for distribution.

“Rather than distribute the seed through the

military, we had the Nahia distribute the seed,”

Acree said. “We want to legitimize the Iraqi

government and let the Iraqi people know their

government is working for them.”

Aqar Quf Nahia officials determined that the

amount of seed distributed to each farmer would

be based on the number donoums, or area of

land equivalent to 24.7 acres, each farmer has.

Acree said it was gratifying to see the nahia and

local farmers work together.

“The nahia worked together as a team and

worked well with the Iraqi farmers,” she said.

“They were fair in their distribution. It was nice

to see the large turnout, which means the nahia

called everybody they could and not just their

friends to come out and receive the seed.” 

Acree said the Aqar Quf area has not had a

multinational force civil-affairs team helping to

improve their way of life until now. She said the

area is due to receive thousands

of dollars in civil-affairs projects in the near future.

“Most of area is rural and

agriculture driven, and we will

be trying to get some of those

areas potable water,” she said.

“Most villages do not have

potable water, water to their villages or a centralized watertreatment facility. We currently

have four water-treatment facilities in the works for the area.”

Mesopotamia, which means

“land between the rivers,” once

prospered and thrived on agriculture. Multinational force

civil-affairs efforts in the area

are aimed at assisting the area

prosper once again. 

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Commanders in Iraq

now have a one-stop resource to help them

coordinate their communications and information needs.

The Multi-National Force-Iraq Office of

the Deputy Chief of Staff for

Communications Information Systems established the CIS Coordination Center-Iraq at

the Al Faw Palace on Camp Victory South

here.

“In a nutshell, the CCC-I provides the onestop for coordinating communications and

information capability,” said Air Force Col.

Jimmy Quin, the CCC-I director.

Authorized service interruptions, network

outages, hazard conditions, computer-security issues, requests for services and network

operations regarding a commander’s criticalinformation requirements will be coordinated and processed through the CCC-I.

“CCC-I is about getting the right information to the right decision-maker at the right

time,” said Air Force Maj. Phuong Tran, the

CCC-I network operations chief. “By tracking, reporting and disseminating all authorized service interruptions, we are an information-coordination and information-assurance center.”

CCC-I would work to provide communication visibility of the network and to

become a conduit between the U.S. Central

Command’s Theater Communication

Control Center in Bahrain and subordinate

network control centers, Tran explained.

“The CCC-I has established a networkmonitoring center to provide in-theater commanders a real-time presentation of their network status,” Tran said.

Doing that requires around-the-clock

staffing.

Quin commands a situational-wareness

and status-reporting network-operations

campaign along with troops working a

miniature joint operation center 24 hours a

day, seven days a week.

CCC-I watch teams include members of

all services, some key coalition members and

liaison officers from all major subordinate

forces as well as communications engineers,

information-assurance officers and network

managers, all working together to support

tens of thousands of troops at more than 100

base camps across Iraq, explained Quin.

“The guys on the operation floor are the

pulse of the [CCC-I] network. They are the

heart of the operation,” said Marine Lt. Col.

Paul Ziegenfuss, the CCC-I deputy director.

CCC-I is the operational network center

for the MNF–I DCS CIS and is responsible

for Iraqi theater network operations, reporting to the TCCC.

Subordinate network control centers in

Iraq will report to the CCC-I or provide dual

reporting to the CCC-I and TCCC.

The name and functions of the CCC-I are

modeled after the recently published U.S.

Strategic Command Joint Concept of

Operations for Global Information Grid

Network Operations.

“We are what’s called an ‘enabler,’” said

Ziegenfuss. “We enable our U.S. and coalition units to command and control. We don’t

command. We don’t control. We provide the

linkages of command and control.”

The CCC-I aims to sustain the line of current network operations; to work with communication engineers to improve networkoperations integration and to create an

“interoperable network” for all U.S. and

coalition partners; and to provide information assurance by protecting the networks

and by making sure things such as virus

infections and firewalls are taken care of,

explained Ziegenfuss. 

“If there’s an outage of the network, then

we want to know where, and we want to

know why,” he said. “If you are behind a

phone, then we want to assure clear communication access to whoever is on the other

end of that line.”

Quin said that he is optimistic about the

important role the CCC-I plays in Operation

Iraqi Freedom.

“The CCC-I is a tremendous step toward

establishing an appropriate network operations C2 structure for Iraq,” he said.

Page 2 Scimitar Nov. 19, 2004

MNF-I establishes commanders’ resource

Story by Spc. Jonathan Montgomery

Multi-National Corps-Iraq 

Public Affairs 

A local man signs for his share of seed at the seed distribution event located at the ziggurat near Aqar Quf,

west of Baghdad, Iraq, Oct. 27. 

Seeds sprout successful

future for area farmers

Story and photo by Pfc. Brian Schroeder

10th Mountain Division Public Affairs

Sgt. Kai Uwe Bauer, of Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment,

701ST Main Support Battalion checks a five-ton truck at the tirechange station of the 701st MSB Truck Rodeo conducted Oct. 22 at

Forward Operating Base Speicher, Iraq. 

Photo courtesy of 701st Main Support Battalion

Truck-driving rodeo
WASHINGTON — The Army’s new Disabled Soldier

Support System initiative is moving forward with plans to

develop a database of severely injured Soldiers and hire

caseworkers to help them navigate the system.

Army leadership announced the initiative, referred to as

DS3, in April and since then, has secured nearly $5 million

to finance the effort to support Soldiers and their family

members from the time of injury, through the recovery

process and as they transition into civilian life or return to

active duty.

The database now includes

232 Soldiers out of roughly

880 who are classified as

severely injured since Sept.

11, 2001, said Col. Robert

Woods Jr., the director of the

human resources policy directorate, in a Nov. 10 meeting

with news reporters who

cover the Pentagon.

Most of those Soldiers are

in the capital area and are

being assisted by the DS3

staff at Walter Reed Army

Medical Center. Interviews

are being conducted to hire 47

caseworkers, who will work

with up to 30 Soldiers each,

Woods said. He said he

expects the caseworkers to be

on board by January. 

The intent is to have DS3

offices staffed with caseworkers in other medical facilities

throughout the Army, he

added.

DS3 doesn’t create any new

processes, procedures or services for Soldiers, but instead

acts as an advocate to make sure the Soldier and family

members are well educated about what they’ll be going

through, know their available options and to be a resource

for solving any problems they encounter.

“First and foremost, our intent is to maintain the dignity of

the Soldier and their family members throughout the

process,” Woods said.

Caseworkers will typically wait until 30 days after a

Soldier returns from theater before meeting with them.

That’s about the time they are ready to absorb information,

Woods said.

The program staff works closely with agencies like the

Veterans Administration, the Army Career and Alumni

Program,and civilian corporations in helping Soldiers who

are medically retired establish a new life outside of the military.

Sgt. Michael Cain, who arrived at Walter Reed in August

of 2003, gives DS3 high praise. Cain was a truck driver with

the 4th Infantry Division when a land mine exploded under

the vehicle he was in during a resupply mission in Tikrit,

Iraq. His right leg was amputated below the knee, his jaw

was broken and he suffered nerve damage in his left leg,

among other wounds.

DS3 staff helped arrange for his wife, parents and sister to

stay at the Fisher House on the Walter Reed campus while

he was recovering, Cain said.

Program staff will maintain contact with Soldiers for up to

five years but will continue to assist beyond that if called

upon, Woods said. A call center has been established to give

Soldiers a link to the program, as well.

DS3 can be reached at 1-800-833-6622. More information

about the program is also available at the DS3 Web site:

www.ArmyDS3.org.

WASHINGTON —

Unmanned aerial vehicles are

earning star status in the war on

terrorism. They are becoming the

most-requested capability among

combatant commanders in

Southwest Asia and use has

increased fourfold in that theater

during the last year alone, said the

deputy director of the Pentagon’s

UAV planning task force.

Dyke Weatherington said UAVs

are topping combatant commanders’ wish lists. During the past year

alone, UAVs’ numbers in Iraq have

jumped from fewer than 100 to

more than 400.

“We’ve seen a huge growth in

the total numbers of UAVs in the

theater, with most of that growth in

the area of small UAVs,” he said.

“There’s a lot of capability over

there today, and, frankly, the

warfighter is asking for more.”

What makes UAVs so valuable,

Weatherington said, is their ability

to provide eyes in the sky for

extended periods of time, beaming

real-time images to the ground.

“In the global war on terror, persistence is vitally important,” he

said. “It’s important to deny the

enemy sanctuary. And constant

surveillance in his backyard, so to

speak, prevents him the opportunity to mass assets and forces.”

In the event the enemy does this,

UAVs offer an additional capability beyond their traditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance role, Weatherington said.

Now they are demonstrating a

strike capability as well.

The RQ/MQ-1 Predator UAV,

which earned its stripes flying

reconnaissance missions in

Bosnia, showcased the strike capability in Southwest Asia. The

Predator is credited with taking out

one of al-Qaida’s top lieutenants in

Afghanistan with a Hellfire missile

and has since been used widely for

offensive operations in Iraq.

Although the Predator was not

initially designed as a strike platform, Weatherington said its ability to provide continual surveillance and respond quickly to onthe-ground threats makes it a valuable asset in the war on terror.

“A UAV with a strike capability

can take action very early in that

cycle (of enemy activity),” he said,

“and in many cases, eliminate the

threat entirely.”

Even unarmed, the Predator and

other UAVs can identify targets so

other strike platforms, such as AC130 Spectre gunships, can engage

them more quickly and effectively,

Weatherington said.

But the Predator is not the only

UAV proving its value in

Southwest Asia. Weatherington

said the variety of UAV systems in

the military inventory ensures that

the technology is adaptable to the

widest range of missions.

In all, the military now has more

than a dozen UAV systems in its

inventory and is at work on several new ones, including the Joint

Unmanned Combat Aerial System

that will incorporate direct-strike

capabilities and a rotary wing.

On the more-immediate horizon

is the high-altitude, super-sophisticated Global Hawk being developed for the Air Force to conduct

long-term surveillance. At the

other end of the spectrum is the

Marine Corps’ hand-launched

Dragon Eye system that gives

squad- or company-level leaders a

snapshot of their operating area.

Small enough to break down into

pieces that fit in a backpack, it is

already in use in Iraq. 

The Raven, another small, handheld system in use by the Army, is

the most common UAV in Iraq,

Weatherington said, with about

250 Ravens providing real-time,

up-to-date, over-the-horizon views

of trouble spots. It packs into a

transit case that fits into the back

of a Humvee.

Another rising star is the

Shadow tactical UAV, proving its

value in Iraq during improvisedexplosive-device sweeps and

reconnaissance missions.

Weatherington said six Shadow

systems in Southwest Asia “are

flying almost continuously.”

Weatherington, whose office

coordinates all military UAV initiatives and programs, said there is

no single, one-size-fits-all formula

for them. Different systems are

more readily adaptable to different

missions, providing capabilities

from the squad or company level

to the division or corps level to the

theater level.

“It’s the integration of all those

capabilities that makes them

advantageous,” he said. “The integration of those systems is what

provides very persistence surveillance capabilities.”

In Iraq, UAVs provide situational awareness for troops guarding

garrisons and high-value targets,

support mobile troops during

scouting missions, and they watch

over convoy movements,

Weatherington said.

“They’re a real advantage,” he

said. “If a convoy is going down

the road and sees something up

ahead that looks unusual, (it) can

literally stop, put one of these

things together and launch it, fly

[it] down the road and see what’s

down there — without endangering the convoy.”

Weatherington said these small

UAVs extend the capabilities of

ground forces involved in protecting strategic locations. 

“You can have a detachment

there for protection, but they can’t

always service the entire area,” he

said. “So with one of these small

UAVs, you can extend their eyes

and ears to a much larger area and

have a very rapid response if they

detect a potential threat.”

Meanwhile, UAVs provide highaltitude surveillance with “robust

capabilities” at the theater level.

Weatherington said as many as five

Predator systems — all operated

from within the United States — 

UAVs gain starring role in terror war

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

Sgt. Michael Cain heads for the finish line of the second Hope & Possibility 5

Miler through New York City’s Central Park. Cain was with the 4th Infantry

Division in Iraq when he lost his right leg after his vehicle hit an improvised

explosive device last year. DS3 staff helped arrange for his wife, parents and sister to stay at the Fisher House on Walter Reed Army Medical Center campus

while he was recovering at the hospital.

DS3 program on track to assist severely injured Soldiers

Story and photo by Sgt. Lorie Jewell

Army News Service

Nov. 19, 2004 Scimitar Page 3

See UAV, Page 10
Drinking by young people

According to medical research, the period of

heaviest drinking in the U.S. is between 18

and 23 years old. One-fifth of these young

adults can be medically diagnosed as alcohol

abusers or as dependent on alcohol. Drinking

ranks as the fourth leading cause of death for

this group and causes more

deaths than use of all other

drugs combined. General

Order Number 1 prohibits use

of alcohol by American military personnel while in Iraq

or Kuwait. Nevertheless, misuse of alcohol by personnel

on R&R or upon their return

to noncombat theater installations or civilian life can be a

severe problem for them,

their peers and the command. 

Much concern has been

currently focused on “binge

drinking” — for males having

at least five drinks on a single

occasion and for females at

least four drinks. Fully 40 percent of 21 and 22 year olds engage in this pattern of alcohol use. Although rates of alcohol

abuse and dependence tend to be lower in the

armed forces than in comparable civilian populations, the most recent DoD health-risk survey

indicated a growing problem with occasional

heavy drinking among military personnel. 

Causes of heavy drinking

Many factors promote alcohol problems.

These include genetics (one half of alcoholics

have at least one parent who is alcoholic) and

personality traits such as impulsivity, sensation

seeking, having positive beliefs about alcohol’s

effects and lack of social conformity. Cultural

factors, to include peer and parental influence

and the values placed on drinking by society,

also make a big difference. In the United

States, the earlier that one begins drinking or

getting intoxicated, the higher the risk of longterm alcohol problems. 

Risks of heavy drinking

Some alcohol-related dangers, such as liver

disease and certain other physical problems,

occur only with long-term, heavy drinking.

Nevertheless, simply drinking too much alcohol occasionally can also have dire effects.

Humans can break down the alcohol in a single standard drink (i.e. a 12-ounce beer, 5

ounces of wine or a shot and half of hard

liquor) in about two hours. At a blood-alcohol

level of .08 (about four drinks consumed

closely together by the average male or three

drinks by the average female), the risk of

being in a fatal car crash are three times as

high as if the person were not drinking.

Alcohol is involved in one third of the suicides

and traffic fatalities in the U.S., and half of the

victims of murder have been

drinking. Risks of drowning,

fire injury or death, falling

and other violent behaviors,

like sexual assault, are also

increased due to the influence

of alcohol.

Women who drink during

their pregnancy run the risk of

having a baby with fetal alcohol syndrome, a condition

marked by mental retardation,

problems with growth and

unusual physical appearance.

Even at fairly low levels of

drinking, concentration, alertness, judgment, reaction time,

coordination and skill in performing complex tasks or

newly learned behaviors are impaired. 

What are alcohol problems? 

Health-care professionals look at two types

of alcohol problems: hazardous drinking and

harmful drinking.

Hazardous drinking refers to using more

alcohol than is healthy. Although moderate

alcohol use seems to have some health benefits,

especially in reducing risk of heart disease,

drinking beyond that amount can lead to a variety of medical, social and psychological problems. In the U.S., the recommended limits for

safe drinking for males are four or fewer drinks

per day and not more than fourteen drinks per

week. For females, the limits are not more than

two drinks per day or seven per week. For

those who operate heavy machinery and for

older people, the recommended limits for

drinking are somewhat lower. For women who

are pregnant and for people who have been

dependent on alcohol in the past, not drinking

alcohol at all is probably the safest way. 

There are two kinds of harmful drinking —

alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. These

are medical diagnoses that refer to the effects

that drinking has on a person. Alcohol abuse

involves having a problem in one’s life that

has been caused by drinking. Alcohol dependence refers to having at least three symptoms

in the past year, such as needing more alcohol

to get a “high” than was needed in the past,

having problems controlling one’s drinking

and suffering physical withdrawal problems if

alcohol is not available. About 4 percent of the

adults in the U.S. are alcohol dependent. 

A short survey, such as the Alcohol Use

Disorders Identification Test (see sidebar) can

help determine if a person has problems with

drinking.

Treatment for alcohol problems

Alcohol treatment often is successful. As

with smoking, however, some people require

more than one attempt before treatment works

fully. More than 350 scientific studies have

now been done to find which types of treatment have the strongest evidence for success.

Three medications have now been approved

by the FDA for treating alcohol problems.

These are antabuse, naltrexone and acamprosate. Each works in a different way, and

they can often be used together. Medications

are generally not used by themselves but are

combined with verbal and behavior therapies

that help the person learn new skills to avoid

or cut down on drinking and replace it with

safer enjoyments. Many people with alcohol

problems also find that Alcoholics Anonymous

is helpful to them. AA meetings can be found

almost anywhere, are free of charge, involve

recovering alcoholics who share their own

experiences and advice and encourage a positive lifestyle as a means of remaining sober.

Giving up or cutting down on alcohol use is

not easy. It requires some work and, often,

temporary discomfort. If a service member has

a problem with alcohol, getting it taken care is

worth the effort in order to improve health and

physical performance, relationships with family and friends, work performance and satisfaction in life. Sadly, some people with alcohol

problems are at first too embarrassed to get

help. Alcohol problems are like most other

types of human problems. They should be

overcome and the person should move on with

life. Resources in Iraq include medical and

mental-health services, including combat stress

units. Chaplains can also help play a vital role

since there is often a spiritual aspect to recovery. Some AA groups also exist in country.

Individuals who have had earlier difficulties

with alcohol, but now have overcome them,

often seem to be happier and better human

beings than if they had not had the problem in

the first place. 

Editor’s note: 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.

Editor in Chief

Staff Sgt. Christopher Land

Managing Editor

Sgt. Brian Stockhoff

Staff

Sgt. Clinton Firstbrook

MNF-I Commanding General

Gen. George Casey

MNF-I PAO

Col. Jerry Renne

Command

Information Chief

Maj. Patrick A. Swan 

The 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 MNF-I and acts only as a distributing source for the Scimitar.

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

PERSPECTIVES

Guest Column

Lt. Col. John Allen

Alcohol problems in young adults

Page 4 Scimitar Nov. 19, 2004

ALCOHOL QUESTIONAIRE

Circle your answer to each of the 10

questions. 

1. How often do you have a drink containing alcohol?

(0) Never

(1)Monthly or less 

(2) Two to four times a month

(3) Two or three times a week

(4) Four or more times a week

2. How many drinks containing alcohol

do you have on a typical day when you are

drinking?

(0) 1 or 2

(1) 3 or 4

(2) 5 or 6

(3) 7 to 9

(4) 10 or more

3. How often do you have six or more

drinks on one occasion?

(0) Never

(1) Less than monthly

(2) Monthly

(3) Weekly

(4) Daily or almost daily

4. How often during the past year have

you found that you were not able to stop

drinking once you had started?

(0) Never

(1) Less than monthly

(2) Monthly

(3) Weekly

(4) Daily or almost daily

5. How often during the past year have

you failed to do what was normally expected of you because of drinking?

(0) Never

(1) Less than monthly

(2) Monthly

(3) Weekly

(4) Daily or almost daily

6. How often during the past year have

you needed a first drink in the morning to

get yourself going after a heavy drinking

session?

(0) Never

(1) Less than monthly

(2) Monthly

(3) Weekly

(4) Daily or almost daily

7. How often during the past year have

you had a feeling of guilt or remorse after

drinking?

(0) Never

(1) Less than monthly

(2) Monthly

(3) Weekly

(4) Daily or almost daily

8. How often during the past year have

you been unable to remember what happened the night before because you had

been drinking?

(0) Never

(1) Less than monthly

(2) Monthly

(3) Weekly

(4) Daily or almost daily

9. Have you or has someone else been

injured as a result of your drinking?

(0) No

(2) Yes, but not in the past year

(4) Yes, during the past year

10. Has a relative or friend or a doctor or

other health worker been concerned about

your drinking or suggested you cut down?

(0) No

(2) Yes, but not in the past year

(4) Yes, during the past year

When you have finished circling your

answers, add up the numbers for the 10

questions. Scores of 8 or greater for males

and 6 or more for females may suggest an

alcohol problem that should be evaluated by

a mental health professional.

©World Health Organization

www.who.int
TIKRIT, Iraq — Task Force 1-18 teamed up

with the 1st Infantry Division’s rock band at the

Al-Alam Primary School near Tikrit to entertain

and equip local students. 

Playing “unplugged,” the band entertained a

group of more than 100 students. Several local

leaders attended the performance, including AlAlam’s mayor.

The plan was the idea of Sgt. 1st Class

Kruczek, the 1ID Band first sergeant. 

Strapped for cash, local schools can offer little

in the way of traditional extra-circular activities.

Music programs are virtually nonexistent.

Kruczek linked up with Task Force 1-18 to

implement the plan in Tikrit. 

Following the performance, TF 1-18, the band

and representatives from 201st Iraqi National

Guard battalion and Tikrit Police handed out

school supplies to the students. The giveaway

was part of a series of school supply handouts

during Ramadan. More than 2000 students

received book bags, notebooks, pens, pencils and

crayons from the Vanguards. 

The program was extremely well received by

the students and local leaders.

“The kids loved it” said Task Force 1-18’s

Civil Affairs Team Chief Staff Sgt. John

Imperato. He added that “they were on their feet

dancing and clapping the whole time. There were

smiles everywhere”. The 1ID Band and TF 1-18

have planned future ensemble performances

entertain and educate local youth.

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq is a country in

desperate need of help. From oil fields to

electrical stations to water and sewage

plants, Iraq needs trained professionals to

build its future.

For its future, Iraq must begin training

young people now who will fill the ranks of

the professionals it needs. To do that, it must

have adequate schools. As a result of

decades of wars, sanctions and under-funding, thousands of school facilities lack the

basics necessary to provide children with a

decent education. A vast majority of Iraq’s

schools are in shambles and many of the

existing schools run two to three shifts just

to accommodate the number of students.

A recent report released by the Iraq

Ministry of Education emphasizes the need

for rebuilding the educational infrastructure.

One third of all primary schools in the

country lack a water supply and nearly 50

percent do without restrooms or washrooms,

according to the report. Additionally, there

are not enough desks, chairs or classrooms.

The majority of schools need some form of

restoration because of crumbling walls, bullet holes, broken windows and leaking roofs.

The Iraq Education Survey was carried

out by the Iraqi government in January and

February of 2004 and covered every educational institution in the country. In all, the

survey covered over 20,000 schools and

institutes. It revealed that of the 4.3 million

children registered in Iraq’s primary

schools, 2.4 million are boys and 1.9 million

are girls, similar to pre-war ratios. The

enrollment of girls was lower than boys in

every grade and in every governorate.

An estimated 60 percent of Iraq’s population is now illiterate, and at least 25 percent

of primary school-age children do not go to

school, according to World Bank statistics.

It is estimated that half of children do not go

on to secondary school. In rural areas, the

numbers are even higher. Up to half of girls

never attend school, according to the

Ministry of Education. 

To help alleviate the crisis, the U.S. Army

Corps of Engineers, along with Iraqi and

multinational-force officials, is investing

$16.4 million to renovate more than 300

schools across the country.

The average cost for renovating a school

is $50,000, said Jackie Purrington, the project manager. “We received the mission [in

late October], and we anticipate having all

the renovations underway by the end of the

year,” she said.

“Everyone realizes that 300 schools won’t

solve the problem, but it’s a start and there

are other organizations and initiatives that

are also addressing the lack of schools and

equipment. This only the beginning,” said

Ross Adkins, a Corps of Engineers

spokesman.

“Until now, the major subordinate commands have been doing what they could

with limited resources, but now we’re moving into the reconstruction phase,” said

Purrington. Additionally, “all the work will

be performed by local contractors.”

The renovation of the schools will create

hundreds of jobs and will thereby improve

the quality of life, she said.

While the renovations carry a hefty price

tag, “it’s the right thing to do,” said Michael

Stanka, a project manager for schools in the

southern region.

By Pat Jones

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 

Gulf Region Division, Baghdad, Iraq

TF Vanguard, 1 ID Rock Band

entertain and equip students

Submitted by Task Force Vanguard

Iraq in desperate need of schools 

Nov. 19, 2004 Scimitar Page 5

Service members are encouraged to 

submit stories and photographs to the

Scimitar. Email your submissions to 

cpiccmdinfo@baghdadforum.com

Spc. David Worley of the 449th Postal Company seals up a box

after inspecting it at Camp Liberty’s Spc. Francis M. Vega Post

Office Nov. 8. Soldiers sending mail home for the holidays will

have to do so soon, because there are deadlines for mailing to

and from home. Some military post offices will extend their hours

starting mid-November to accommodate Soldiers sending mail

home for the holidays. Beat the holiday rush. Send your packages as early as possible

Spc. Marie Whitney

Holiday mailing deadlines:

Parcel post packages — Nov. 13

Space-available mail — Nov. 27

Military parcel post — Dec. 4

Priority packages and letters — Dec. 6 

Iraq’s future is trained young people

becoming tomorrow’s professionals

Information, Resources,

and Referrals for

Concerns About:

— Mental Health/Combat

Stress (Homefront and

relationship issues,

depression, suicidal

thoughts, etc) 

— Sexual Assault-

(Includes Medical, Mental

health, Legal, and

Chaplain Services). 

www.help4soldiers.com

OR CALL*

Northern Iraq — DNVT 302-553-9525

Central Iraq — DNVT 302-558-5546

Southern Iraq — DNVT 318-833-1322

*Note: All calls are kept confidential and callers may remain anonymous
FORWARD OPERATING BASE REMAGAN,

Iraq — Task Force Danger

personnel here delivered 63

new police cars to civilian

law enforcement agencies

from throughout Northcentral Iraq Nov. 8.

Some of the fully

equipped police cars came

from a Japanese donation.

Others were purchased

with money from the Iraqi

Ministry of the Interior,

said Capt. Joseph T. Pierce,

the supply officer for the

2nd Brigade Combat Team,

1st Infantry Division.

A small group of

Soldiers from the 2nd BCT

spent the morning preparing the vehicles for the

Iraqi police officers’ trips

back to their respective stations. After the long trip to

this isolated desert country,

many of the cars had to be

jump started and needed

their tires inflated.

Pierce and his Soldiers

were glad to help out the

young Iraqi lawmen with

whom they share a common bond. They face the

same threats as they do

their work on the streets of

Iraq.

“This is another step forward in the Iraqi security

forces being able to perform essential services to

the Iraqi people,” Pierce

said. “It will further

decrease their dependence

on coalition forces.”

MARCH AIR FORCE BASE,

Calif. — American Forces

Network viewers with a taste for

news can look forward to “supersized” servings of live news coverage with top-rated cable network

news programs on the side starting

Dec. 5.

“We’re replacing taped and

repeated programs with more live

news on AFN News,” said AFN

Broadcast Center Executive

Director Jeff White. “This means

when breaking news occurs, for the

most part the broadcast center

won’t have to interrupt the AFN

News schedule because we’ll

already be in live programming and

the source of those shows will handle the breaking news.”

The new AFN News schedule

will include the top four programs

from the Fox News Channel, the

nation’s leading cable-news network. New to the schedule are live

broadcasts of “Studio B with

Sheppard Smith” and “Your World

with Neil Cavuto,” replacing the

seasonal “CNN Inside Politics,”

which will return with the next

political season. And, there will be

better balance on AFN News in the

amount of FNC available to the

European and Asian prime time

audiences. 

AFN News Director Air Force

Master Sergeant Jim DeMoss

explained how improving the news

schedule will affect the MondayFriday line up.

“On weekdays, we’re adding live

cable-network news to AFN News,

in the form of Fox News Channel’s

‘FOX and Friends,’ for the primetime audience in Japan and Korea.

To free up the programming real

estate necessary to do that, we’re

moving ABC’s ‘Good Morning

America’ from AFN News to AFN

Prime Pacific, replacing the tapedelayed NBC ‘Today Show.’ GMA

is steadily increasing its ratings and

is now nipping at Today’s heels,”

said DeMoss.

Base cable viewers and audience

members with AFN decoders will

continue to see “Today” live on

AFN Prime Atlantic. 

“We’re also adding ‘CNN Live

Today’ and CNN’s live ‘American

Morning’ for the late-afternoon

audience in Europe and the early

prime-time audience in Iraq,” said

DeMoss. “’CNN Live Today’ will

replace the west-coast feed of

CBS’ ‘The Early Show.’ The kids’

news program ‘Channel One’

moves to AFN Family.”

According to DeMoss, “The

NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” will

shift to an earlier time slot to allow

viewers to see all the major network news programs in sequence.

“NBC Nightly News” will be followed immediately by “ABC

World News Tonight,” “CBS

Evening News” and “The

NewsHour.” “Countdown from

Keith Olbermann” will still be seen

on AFN Prime Pacific’s late-night

talk-show block. 

The weekends will also see significant change. As the result of

audience feedback, AFN News will

add of more live business and news

shows on Saturdays. 

“On Sundays, we’re moving

‘Meet the Press’ an hour earlier to

make room for Fox News Sunday

with Chris Wallace,’” said DeMoss.

“In response to audience requests,

we’re restoring Paula Zahn to the

lineup, with live broadcasts of

CNN’s ‘People in the News with

Paula Zahn.’ We’re also replacing a

repeat of ‘60 Minutes’ with the live

‘CNN Sunday Night.’”

“When we’re live, we’re serving

our audience best,” said White.

“When we supersize the schedule

in December, no matter where you

are in the world, as you’re getting

up or going to bed, we’ll be live on

AFN News.”

The Defense Media Center,

located on March Air Reserve Base

near Riverside, California, distributes stateside radio and television

news, entertainment and sports

programming, along with

Department of Defense (DoD)

information messages, via satellite

to approximately 800,000 DoD

military and civilian employees,

and their families, stationed overseas in 177 countries and U.S. territories, and aboard more than 180

U.S. Navy ships at sea. Their

American Forces Network TV

services include AFN Prime (i.e.

AFN Prime Atlantic, AFN Prime

Pacific and AFN Prime Korea),

AFN News, AFN Sports, AFN

Spectrum, AFN Family, AFN

Movie, Pentagon Channel and the

AFN Program Guide. AFN Radio

services include seven music channels, two sports/talk channels,

three news/information channels

and NPR worldwide. For more

information, visit

http://www.afrts.osd.mil. View

AFN radio and TV schedules at

http://myafn.dodmedia.osd.mil.

December changes ‘supersize’ AFN News

Submitted by the Defense

Media Center

TF Danger delivers 

new police cars

By Sgt. 1st Class 

Chuck Joseph 

196th Mobile Public 

Affairs Detachment

Page 6 Scimitar Nov. 19, 2004

Civil affairs battalion

aids Samarra schools

SAMARRA, Iraq — The 411th

Civil Affairs out of Danbury, Conn., is

at work identifying schools here in

need of rebuilding and supply. 

During October and November,

civil affairs teams have assessed 26

Samarra schools, identifying 16 in

need of aid. 

The unit has hired Iraqi civilian

contractors to begin work on 10 new

school-playground projects.

“Hiring from the local population is

a win-win situation for civil affairs

and the city of Samarra. It boosts the

local economy by increasing jobs and

cash flow within the community,” said

Maj. Robert Smithers, the Bravo

Company commander and the head of

civil affairs operations in Samarra.

Along with the new school facility

improvements, the 411th is also initiating a new indentification-card program for faculty and other school

employees. 

“Samarra was a challenging operation, and I am glad I was there with

the 411th,” said Spc. Matthew

Robbins, a White Plains, N.Y. resident

and member of the 411th. “I felt well

equipped for success, with the latest

special-operations communications

equipment, my 9mm pistol and brand

new M-4 rifle with advanced optical

scope, night vision goggles, body

armor, and new armored Humvees.

Our intense preparation came in to

play during this mission, and served

us well.”

Submitted by 411th Civil Affairs

Additions, schedule shifts offer

balance, more live coverage
BAGHDAD, Iraq — When

special forces Soldiers returned to

the U.S. from their deployment to

Afghanistan following the initial

phase of Operation Enduring

Freedom, there was a surprisingly

high level of violent crimes.

Statistics on murders, suicides

and domestic violence involving

the recently deployed Soldiers saw

an unpredicted rise at that time. 

Lt. Col. David Moran, the division chaplain for the 1st Cavalry

Division, said incidents like that

are caused by Soldiers not being

“untrained” prior to redeploying

from a combat zone. 

“Over here, when [the Soldiers]

are out on patrols, and someone

pushes, they push back. It’s part of

being assertive,” Moran said. “But

when they go back to the States,

and someone like a family member

pushes, then we may still push

back.”

Because of this, redeploying

Soldiers must undergo training

similar to the training the received

prior to and upon arrival in theater,

Moran said. He said Soldiers had

to train up and get accustomed to

the environment, rules and the

mindset used in a combat zone,

and after a year of living with all

of that, they will have to do the

opposite. 

He said Soldiers need to

“untrain” themselves in order to fit

in back home.

The chaplain said making the

transition from a combat zone to

home isn’t easy for everyone. That

is why the chaplain’s brief, along

with Soldiers keeping an eye on

their buddies, is an important part

of the redeployment process.

Severe issues, like murder and

suicides, may happen in just a

small amount of redeploying

Soldiers, Moran said. More commonly, some Soldiers can experience milder problems, like disagreements with family and

friends or problems sleeping. 

“I went to Korea last year, and

that was the first time my wife and

I had been separated since we got

married,” said Staff Sgt. Jason

Rankin, a medic with the division’s Headquarters Company.

“When I got home, I tried to just

take over running the house. That

caused some issues between my

wife and [me].”

Moran said that Soldiers in a

combat zone are trained to think

and react in specific manners to

keep themselves alive. But that

same state of mind doesn’t apply

stateside, and can often cause

issues with family, friends and colleagues.

This is where the chaplain’s

briefing, which will take place 30

days prior to redeployment, comes

in. The briefings will be given at a

brigade level, and are similar to

the ones Soldiers are given prior to

going on environmental morale

leave, with just a few extra sections added, like stress management and dealing with changes. 

There will also be classes for

families when Soldiers arrive

home.

“I plan on going to the classes

with my wife,” said Warrant

Officer Eugene Gardner, who

works in the division’s automation

section. “It just gets you in the

right state of mind to look out for

any problems that might come

up.”

The chaplain’s briefing “is all

about the Army caring about

Soldiers and wanting to prevent 

Iraq in Brief

El Salvadoran Forces initiate humanitarian projects 

AL-HILLAH, Iraq — The El Salvadoran Battalion to Camp Charlie

here they visited communities in its area of responsibility to assess

problems and coordinate assistance with the local authorities regarding

infrastructure problems.

The El Salvadoran Battalion, a member of the Multi-National

Division Central-South, focused on projects to be executed in the scope

of reconstruction of infrastructure and humanitarian assistance in different communities of the Babil province. These include the cities and

villages of Al-Ibrahimiya, Al-Madhathiya, Al-Hashimiyah, Ashimiya,

Al-Qasim, At-Taliyah, Al- Kilf and Ash-Shumali. 

With the development of these projects, 128,000 Iraqis in these areas

will obtain some benefits. The selected priorities are oriented to furnishing of schools and health centers, improvement of roads, installation of water pumps, water treatment, repairing old water systems, construction of a steel-girder bridge and improvement of the living conditions of Iraqi forces in the province of Babil to successfully continue in

their performance of conducting stability and security operations there.

The projects are being developed with Commander Emergency

Response Program funds amounting to a total of $ 1,175,078. El

Salvadoran Battalion started these projects in October and they are slated to be completed in December. 

Mosul stable, Stryker Battalion rejoins brigade

MOSUL, Iraq — Iraqi Security Forces and multinational forces

from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat

Team) continued operations in Mosul Nov. 14 as Soldiers from 1st

Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment returned from Fallujah after successfully completing their mission there.

The situation in Mosul remains relatively calm, with only isolated

attacks occurring in the city.

Al Naynawa Primary School students receive supplies 

KIRKUK PROVINCE, Iraq — Task Force Danger Soldiers from

Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry, distributed school supplies

to the children at Al Naynawa Primary School here.

Multinational forces donated the supplies.

Marines, Seabees fix insurgent handiwork In Lutafiyah

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq — U.S. Marines

and Navy Seabees repaired a a key bridge south of Baghdad Nov. 13

after repeated insurgent attacks left it all but untrafficable to thousands

of commuters.

Elements of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit spent 12 hours fixing the bridge’s twin spans running north and south through Lutafiyah,

about 20 miles south of the capital.

Militants have struck the bridge with numerous improvised explosive

devices in recent months. The latest attacks came on Nov. 3, when a

fatal blow buckled and caved the southbound span, and on Nov. 11,

when a car bomb left a third gaping crater in the northbound span.

The Nov. 13 repairs opened up traffic in both directions, restoring

both lanes on the northbound side and one on the southbound side.

Al Washash Water Treatment Plant work complete

AL WASHASH, Iraq — Headquarters and Headquarters Company,

264th Engineer Group and Shujaa Company Contractors completed the

construction of a Commander’s Emergency Repair Program project to

install an adequate water treatment plant for Al Washash Village recently.

This project, which started in September, provides water for a village of 100 homes and 300 people. The total cost of this project was

$95,000. 

Before this project was completed, there was no running water and

the people of this village had to haul all of their water up from the Tigris

River on donkeys. 

New patrol cars delivered to Ash Sharqat Police 

ASH SHARQAT, Iraq — Soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division’s

Task Force 1-7 received five new patrol vehicles from the Salah Ad Din

provincial police department for delivery to the Ash Sharqat Iraqi

National Police Nov. 9.

The vehicles provide additional mobility to the Ash Sharqat ING to

continue improving security in and around the city.

Chaplains offer help 

to returning troops

By Spc. Marie Whitney

122nd Mobile Public 

Affairs Detachment

TIKRIT, Iraq — Task Force 1-18 with the 201st

Battalion Iraqi National Guard and Iraqi Police conducted a series of deliberate operations in late October

and early November to defeat insurgents in Tikrit and

surrounding villages during Ramadan.

These operations resulted in the capture of 30 insurgents, more than 60 weapons and materials used to

make improvised explosive devices.

The first part of Task Force 1-18’s operations were

large-scale house-search missions. Operations

Mandarin Squeeze, Tangerine Pinch and Mustang Flex

allowed the Vanguards to search all of the houses in

villages Umkashafa, Abu Toma and much of northern

Tikrit. The purpose of the operation was threefold:

deny insurgents sanctuary, promote the Tikrit Job

Corps program and assess essential services. 

The searches appeared to be generally well

received. said “We do not mind letting the Americans

into our homes,” said local resident Mohammed

Jassim Al-Tikrit. “It shows that they are making a real

effort to create a peaceful Tikrit”. 

In total, more than 900 homes were searched as part

of the three separate operations, with more than 200

job cards handed out. The job cards allow the recipient to participate in the Tikrit Job Corps, giving them

a general-labor job for six months.

The second part of Task Force 1-18’s operations

were raids based on intelligence received both during

the large searches and from tips received from both

the Iraqi National Guard and Iraqi Police. These raids

targeted the financiers, weapons dealers and insurgents funded by Mohammed Al-Hadoshi, Saddam

Hussein’s personal secretary, who remains at large.

Capt. Mahmood Al-Jabouri, an Iraqi National Guard

leader hinted at the success of the raids.“I believe that

we have done serious damage to the insurgents,” he

said.

The cooperation displayed between the Iraqi

National Guard, Iraqi Police and Task Force 1-18

results from several months of training and coaching,

according to Task Force 1-18 Targeting Officer Capt.

Mark Wanish. 

“We have been continually training the ING and IPs

to be able to conduct joint operations and share intelligence. With every new successful operation the

Iraqi Security Forces gain faith in us and their ability

to secure their own cities.” Wanish adds that “as the

police and ING are more successful they also gain the

support of the people which helps us get more information on the insurgents.”

Task Force 1-18 Infantry conducts

Operation Ramadan Roundup

Submitted by Task Force 1-18 Infantry

Nov. 19, 2004 Scimitar Page 7

See CHAPLAINS, Page 10
FALLUJAH, Iraq — Despite the heavy support from

Marine Corps aircraft, artillery and tanks, Marines with

Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, are finding

door charges, sledgehammers and mule kicks to be some of the

most effective weapons when gaining entry into buildings here.

Marines returned to Fallujah at the request of the Interim

Iraqi Government to assist Iraqi security forces in eliminating

anti-Iraqi force sanctuaries here. The IIG is looking forward to

restoring a legitimate government in the city.

Marines explore every option available to maneuver through

the narrow, uncertain streets of Fallujah. Whether it’s a lance

corporal’s leaping kick through a steel door or an entire squad

of Marines jumping rooftops with more than 100 pounds of

gear on their backs, the Marines stop at nothing to wipe out the

insurgency that has overrun Fallujah.

Their persistence in the meticulous clearing of Fallujah

houses and buildings has delivered captured enemy combatants, weapons caches and valuable information on the Fallujah

insurgents, many of whom have fled the dangerous city.

Urban environments like Fallujah are some of the most dangerous places military operations can be conducted. The

Marines have come across apartments laced with improvised

explosive devices. The also received AK-47 and rocket-propelled-grenade fire from mosques, cemeteries and overrun

apartment complexes.

Page 8 Scimitar Nov. 19, 2004

Marines patrol

Fallujah streets

Story and photos by Sgt. Luis R. Agostini

1st Marine Division Public Affairs

A Marine with Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine

Regiment, kicks in a door in Fallujah, Iraq, Nov. 10.

A Marine with Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, aims in on antiIraqi forces from inside a building in Fallujah, Iraq, Nov. 9. At the request of the

Interim Iraqi Government, multi-national forces in Iraq along with Iraqi security

forces began Operation Phantom Fury to eliminate AIF sanctuaries in Fallujah

and allow the IIG to restore a legitimate government to the city. 

Marines with Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine

Regiment, rest inside a building in Fallujah, Iraq, Nov. 9.

Above: A Marine with Company I, 3rd

Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, takes cover

from a car explosion in Fallujah, Iraq, Nov. 9.

Below: Marines with Company I, 3rd Battalion,

5th Marine Regiment, climb to a rooftop in

Fallujah, Iraq, Nov. 9. 

Marines with Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, enter the streets of

Fallujah, Iraq, through a hole they created Nov. 9. 
AL ASAD, Iraq — Since Alfred

A. Cunningham first flew in 1912,

the tradition of Marine aviation has

had a singular, versatile focus: supporting the Marine on the ground.

As U.S. Marines make their

assault through the narrow streets of

Fallujah against anti-Iraqi forces

and terrorists, the physical and mental demands of Marine pilots flying

overhead are proving no less

intense. 

Whether flying convoy escorts,

close-air support or aerial reconnaissance in conjunction with the

Litening Pod, Marine AV-8B

Harrier pilots soar through a unique

trial by fire.

“You have to always keep your

guard up (in the air) during these

sorties, because in an instant there

could be troops in contact with the

enemy and need immediate attack,”

said Capt. Ryan P. Hough, a pilot

with Marine Attack Squadron 542,

whose squadron is near the end of

its six-month deployment to Iraq in

support of Operation Iraqi Freedom

II. “As a single-seat pilot in the

Harrier, you are always juggling

many tasks — radar, navigation, the

Litening Pod and communications

— all at one time, and you are

expected to do these tasks perfectly.”

Harrier pilots deal with many

issues every day in a rapidly changing battlefield.

“We spend lots of time mission

planning and tracking the friendly

movements and the targets that are

being struck,” explained Capt.

Charles W. Delpizzo, a pilot with

VMA-542. “We fly with the same

maps that the forward air controllers

have in their hands so we can easily

be talked onto a target using landmarks or street names. It is imperative that the pilots know everything

they can about the fight on the

ground. There are also many other

restrictions to include airspace,

other aircraft, no-fire areas, collateral damage and (communications). If

the FAC is having trouble talking to

division, then we may not get

approval to strike that target. The

pilots that are here have trained for

years for this very thing back home

and are doing very well here in

Iraq.”

For Marine pilots like Hough and

Delpizzo, flying over Iraqi battlefields like Fallujah have proved to

be tests of courage, bravery and

skill.

“Fallujah has been particularly

challenging because of the congested airspace,” added Hough, who

graduated from the U.S. Naval

Academy in 2000. “You have to be

able to find the specific target in a

dense urban environment, close to

Marines, with only a short time that

you are allotted in order to enter the

target area that you are sharing with

other aircraft.”

Echoing countless other Marine

aviators, Hough attributed the success of his squadron to the enlisted

Marines who maintain the AV-8B

Harrier.

“All of this is possible because of

the hard work and dedication of our

maintenance Marines,” Hough said.

“They have worked tirelessly, seven

days a week, twelve hours a day, for

six months.”

Nearing the end of his first

deployment, the Bainbridge Island,

Wash., native said the amazing

teamwork and dedication he has

seen by the enlisted Marines has

been “eye watering.”

“We have flown over the skies of

Iraq for six months, and in that time,

we have fulfilled joint tactical attack

requests for every kind of ground

unit,” recounted Hough. “The tasks

were varied, including convoy

escorts at night, supporting recon

teams during raids and providing

on-call close-air support for the

troops on the ground. Even though

there were many sorties where no

ordnance was expended, we were

still able to use our Litening Pod to

give reconnaissance.”

Designed almost with Marines in

mind, the Harrier’s systems and

flexibility help pilots to increase

response time when supporting

troops on the ground.

“We have a digital (close-air support) page, which allows us to enter

data into our system without having

to write it down,” said Delpizzo.

“The aircraft then tells you things

like time and speed required to time

on target, graphically depicts your

route on the moving map, designates the target in the heads-up display and even shows you where the

‘friendlies’ are located in relation to

that designation. All of this was

designed with a Night Systems

mindset and makes providing

(close-air support) at night a bit easier.”

Working as a “super squadron,”

VMA-542 and other detachments

within the Harrier community have

operated as a team from the Al Asad

flight line: VMA-214, VMA-211

with the 31st Marine Expeditionary

Unit and VMA-311 currently en

route to join the fight.

Soon to leave 3rd Marine Aircraft

Wing forces at Al Asad, VMA-542

will return home to Marine Corps

Air Station Yuma, Ariz., knowing

they were there when and where it

mattered most for their fellow

Marines in battle.

“It has been a great honor to fly in

support of OIF II,” said Hough.

Nov. 19, 2004 Scimitar Page 9

Story and photos by 

Cpl. Paul Leicht

3rd Marine Aircraft 

Wing Public Affairs

With a pair of Laser Maverick missiles in the foreground, an AV8B Harrier with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 542 taxis for

take off at Al Asad, Iraq, Nov. 11. Harrier pilots are using precision-guided ordnance to avoid collateral damage and support

Marines on the ground in Fallujah, Iraq. 

An AV-8B Harrier pilot with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing refuels his aircraft from an aerial refueling drogue before returning to support Marines fighting on the ground in Fallujah, Iraq, Nov. 9.

Harrier pilots deal with many tasks in the air over the dense urban environment and are required

to do them perfectly.

Marine Harrier pilots fly into history

A Marine flight-line mechanic works on an AV-8B Harrier at Al Asad, Iraq, Nov. 9. Harrier pilots

have attributed their success to the hard work and long hours put in by enlisted mechanics,

keeping their aircraft in the fight. 
continually monitor the sky over Iraq and

Afghanistan, sometimes simultaneously.

He said UAVs can do what people cannot,

or ideally, should not have to. They are able to

operate at long ranges and do not tire or lose

concentration as a human would over extended periods, particularly when operating in

dangerous, high-stress environments.

They are less expensive to operate than

manned aircraft. For example, operating a

Predator costs “about a quarter of what it costs

to operate an F-16 (Fighting Falcon) — and it

stays up 10 times as long,” Weatherington

said.

But perhaps most importantly, they can

conduct highly risky missions without risking

human lives. 

“It affords combatant commanders flexibility in using an asset to conduct a mission that

they may not choose to risk a human [or]

manned platform to do,” Weatherington said.

In the long term, Weatherington said he

expects to see UAVs and other unmanned systems replace more manned systems, particularly for high-risk or high-threat missions. 

But despite their contributions,

Weatherington said that UAVs “aren’t a

panacea.”

“They can’t do everything for everybody,

and we shouldn’t try to make them do everything for everybody,” he said.

Air-to-air combat, for example, is probably

best left to the highly skilled pilots trained to

operate in what Weatherington called “a

highly dynamic environment.” 

Similarly, tanker and airlift missions are

probably most appropriate for manned aircraft, although Weatherington said the services are eyeing the possibility of “optional manning” for these aircraft.

In the meantime, Weatherington said UAVs

have become “an extremely valuable asset, in

terms of their endurance; their intelligence;

surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities;

their flexibility; and their cost. They’ve

proven their worth and continue to be a very

effective tool for combatant commanders

fighting the global war on terror.”

UAV Continued from Page Three

that kind of violence,” Moran said. “About

trying to find ways to help Soldiers go back to

America safely with those that they’re living

with and the community.”

Rankin said he learned from his deployment to Korea that Soldiers returning home

can’t expect to take control of everything,

especially Soldiers with spouses who have

been home during the deployment.

“I’ve realized that was a mistake since

then,” said the Odessa, Texas, native. “When

I go home this time, I’m going to just ease

into things. I’m going to let her tell me what

needs to be done.”

For Gardner, who has been deployed several times to places like Korea, Germany,

Sarajevo, Croatia and now Iraq, keeping up

communication with his family during

deployments has been the most important part

of preventing any issues from coming up.

“I find strength in knowing that I have good

family support back home,” said Gardner, of

Sterling Heights, Mich. “The key for me has

been communicating with them, keeping in

touch with what I have back home through email, phone calls and video teleconference

calls.”

Redeployment briefings are an Army-wide

practice, but Moran said that results have not

been as good as they could be. He said that

some units try to dump loads of information

on the Soldiers in an attempt to prevent postdeployment issues. 

But Moran said he doesn’t believe that is

the way to get to the Soldiers. He said that

people typically only remember 30 percent of

a spoken conversation. And when those people are Soldiers who have been in a combat

zone for a year and are ready to go home, they

hear even less. And that is where Moran said

that previous pre-redeployment training went

wrong.

“They focused on knowledge,” he said.

“And in spite of all of that, there have been

problems with (driving under the influence),

murders, suicides and domestic violence. That

is why we are not focusing on the knowledge,

because, actually, Soldiers already know this

stuff.”

Moran said that the best way to go about

preventing post-deployment issues is just to

make the Soldiers aware that the issues can

happen. If and when they do, Moran said the

buddy system is a big help.

“[The briefing] is really a chance for the

command to say, ‘Take a look around. Who in

here is at risk? Who is going to be there for

them? How are you going to help them?’” he

said. “We don’t really know who is at risk.

Any one of [our Soldiers] could be at risk. So

it’s a challenge to look out for each other and

help.”

Moran noted that the vast majority of the

Soldiers will not have serious post-deployment issues, but the briefing is a time to look

around and find the few who need help. 

“It really is a challenge and needs to be

taken seriously by leaders and Soldiers alike,”

said Moran. “That’s part of being a caring

human being.” 

CHAPLAINS Continued from Page Seven

Page 10 Scimitar Nov. 19, 2004

A team of Soldiers vies for first place in the five-ton truck pull Nov. 12

in celebration of Veterans Day. Teams of Soldiers from the 1st Infantry

Division competed in three-on-three basketball, seven-on-seven football, volleyball, tug-o-war, the five-ton truck pull and a litter-carry relay

race for the Commander’s Cup trophy. The Delta Company, 701st

Main Support Battalion “Delta Dawgs” won the team competition. 

Sgt. 1st Class Nancy McMillan

Power of teamwork
MOSUL, Iraq — With thick rain clouds

looming over northern Iraq and random heat

lightning crackling in the night sky, a company of infantrymen prepares to walk onto the

streets of Mosul, grab suspected terrorists and

call it a night. 

The leaders of Company A, 3rd Battalion,

21st Infantry Regiment spent the previous 12

hours planning for this joint operation that featured the best soldiers of the 101st Iraqi

National Guard Battalion. The raid, on a local

market suspected to be a terrorist haven,

would be Company A’s second major operation in the short month they have been in Iraq,

but the Soldiers were prepared for whatever

challenges lay ahead.

“Are we up on comms, ammo and NVGs?”

said Sgt. Rommel Fafanan, a team leader with

2nd Platoon, Company A, 3-21, as he ran

through his precombat inspection with his

Soldiers. “Alright, load up and let’s go.” 

As they climb inside the Stryker, the

Soldiers joke and talk about far-off future

plans. 

“We should definitely go to Seattle when we

get back,” one Soldier said.

But when the vehicles leave the gate, the

Soldiers’ mood shifts. They are quiet and

focused, and the air sentries are scanning for

suicide bombers, roadside bombs and ambushes. Company A Soldiers had already endured

six roadside bombs, detained

30 suspected terrorists

and been involved in

several fire fights,

including a twohour skirmish

in downtown

Mosul. 

“We have

definitely

become

combat

veterans in

a short

period,”

said Capt.

Robert

Lackey, the

commander of

Company A. “Our

Soldiers are ready for

anything when we leave

that gate.”

On this chilly November night,

the storm clouds are active. Large beads of

rain splash across the air sentries’ shoulders.

The paths leading to the objective are surrounded by large water puddles. With nearly

every step, the Soldiers splash themselves and

their buddy. Their uniforms, equipment and

boots are soaked. However, it doesn’t matter

to these infantrymen.

“We’re infantry,” said Spc. Michael

Sullivan. “We can handle the rain.”

They can handle terrorists, too. When

Company A reaches its target

area, the Stryker ramps

drop and the Soldiers

quickly move into

position, cordoning off the market square.

Company A

Soldiers

secure a

thick woodline that

borders the

marketplace

and block off

all entrances,

leaving the

anti-Iraqi forces

no place to run.

Spc. Jonathan Mair

said their goal is to

catch anybody who runs

away from ING soldiers, who

are searching and conducting identification checks on more than 50 suspects. 

“Get down and don’t move,” an Iraqi soldier

said to a suspected terrorist identified in the

market. 

The suspected terrorists obey the orders and

none attempt to flee the area. The ING and

Company A troops detain 19, including an

individual on the multinational forces’ most

wanted list. 

“Every time we work with (the ING), they

get better and better,” Lackey said. “It’s great

conducting these types of operations with Iraqi

security forces and seeing them get motivated

to do the job. We have built a great relationship

with the 101st, and they continue to impress

me. And I just can’t say enough for the job my

Soldiers have done. We have become subject

matter experts of Mosul. Our situational

awareness gets better every time we leave the

gate.”

Soldier reflection

After the Soldiers processed the detainees

and begin to head back to their headquarters,

Forward Operating Base Freedom, they reflect

on the job well done, their short time in Iraq

and their families.

“That mission went by a lot quicker than the

last one,” Fafanan said. “When we take a terrorist off the streets, that’s one less thing I have

to worry about for my family. That’s why I’m

here – for my family.”

A veteran with the 3rd Infantry Division

during the initial ground war in 2003, Sgt.

Clayton Allison said the 3-21 Soldiers “know

what they’re doing. We are fighting a different

war than when I was originally here, but we all

work together to accomplish the mission.”

“When we first got to Iraq, the size of Mosul

and attitude of the Iraqis are what surprised me

the most,” said Mair. “It’s such a large city and

the people want us here, despite what we saw

from the media a couple months ago. The most

satisfying thing is when we patrol the streets

and kids wave at us. That let’s us know that

we’re not hated by the people and what we’re

doing is not a waste of time.”

Nov. 19, 2004 Scimitar Page 11

Ready, proficient Soldiers face challenges

Story and photo by 

Staff Sgt. Fred Minnick

139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Soldiers of the 1st Brigade Combat

Team “Ironhorse” are working non-stop to clear improvised

explosive devices that obstruct a planned $360 million of

U.S.-funded infrastructure projects in the area as a part of

the 1st Cavalry Division’s efforts to secure unstable Sadr

City neighborhoods here.

In an effort to make the streets safer for both Soldiers and

civilians, the 766th Ordnance Company (Explosive

Ordnance Disposal), an Army unit from Patrick Air Force

Base, Fla., and the 20th Engineer Battalion have been working together to reduce the IED threat in eastern Baghdad.

Although some insurgent cells that had operated in the

area removed IEDs as outlined in a recent agreement with

the Iraqi government, the devices continue to be found by

military patrols and Iraqi security forces, with hundreds

potentially hidden beneath the asphalt.

“Some of the locals in the area did report that the day

before [people in trucks] had gone in and removed some of

the IEDs,” said Capt. Marc Distefano, the commander of

Company A, 20th Engineers during an IED disposal mission. “Still, there are some IEDs that are too dangerous for

civilians to remove.”

An October Iraqi-government-run weapons-buyback program gave insurgent groups in Sadr City the opportunity to

disarm. Hundreds of explosives, mines and artillery shells

used to make IEDs were recovered, which the 766th then

disposed of at a safe location. Although the program was

largely successful, IEDs that have already been planted still

remain a threat.

Making the job of finding IEDs a little bit easier, local residents regularly tell 1st BCT patrols of explosives that have

been installed near their homes. Such intelligence, combined with other sources, is then compiled into a list of

potential targets for the 766th and the 20th to neutralize during daily missions.

“It’s promising to see that people realize we’re here to

help,” Distefano said. 

Improvements to the living conditions of other areas of

Baghdad have often correlated with a decrease in insurgent

activity, officials said, making clearing IEDs in Sadr City an

essential step toward stability in the region.

Story and photos by Spc. Jan Critchfield

122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

A Soldier with the 766th Ordnance Company

(Explosive Ordnance Disposal) remotely detonates a

potential improvised explosive device in eastern

Baghdad while Soldiers of the 20th Engineer Battalion,

1st Brigade Combat Team, secure the area.

1st Brigade Combat Team

clearing Sadr City of explosives

A Soldier of the 766th Ordnance Company

(Explosive Ordnance Disposal) helps deploy a robot

carrying an explosive charge used to destroy a

potential improvised explosive device during an IED

disposal mission in eastern Baghdad, Iraq. 
TIKRIT, Iraq — Neither

rain, sun or sandstorm keeps

these Soldiers from performing

their vital mission.

The 23 man Supply Platoon

of 323rd Maintenance

Company, 167th Corps Support

Group have adapted from their

original mission of running a

forward distribution point to

running the division distribution

center located on Forward

Operating Base Speicher here.

The DDC is the hub of the

supply network for all of northern Iraq, feeding supplies out to

brigade combat teams located

around Mosul, Iraq.

Daily convoys of anywhere

up to 20 trucks with 40 foot

trailers come to the DDC yard

to drop off supplies falling into

the categories of Class 2, 3, 4,

7, 8 and 9. 

The trucks pull into the

offloading lane where a team of

Soldiers use forklifts to unload

the supplies into a staging area. 

Another team from the 323rd

Maintenance Company checks

the pallets to see if they need to

be opened because supplies

may be going to more than one

place or if it is a “pure pallet,”

meaning that everything on that

pallet is going to the same

place.

Pallets that need to be broken

down are opened at the “break

point,” where the supplies are

separated onto different pallets

and marked according to the

final destination. \All pallets are

placed into the matching “ane,

with its destination marked

clearly.

Each lane represents a FDP

that supports anywhere from 50

to 250 military units. The DDC

was initially responsible for

eight FDPs. Now the number

has been reduced to seven since

the Stryker Brigade opened its

own lane. 

“Our mission is to make sure

that all the supplies get to the

units that need them,” said Sgt.

1st Class Karen M. Sage, the

noncommissioned officer in

charge of the DDC. 

This includes shipments that

have been mis-shipped. That

was the hardest thing, Sage

said. “We would have pallets

come in and have no clue where

the unit was at, so we would

track them down to get them

what they needed.” 

The Supply Platoon now has

entered a new adjustment in

their deployment, training the

KBR workers who will be taking over the yard.

CAMP TAJI, Iraq — It’s 5

a.m. on a brisk October

morning.The sun has yet to penetrate the darkness. Backlit by vehicle lights, silhouettes maneuver

between the lines of trucks in front

of the command post. 

Sgt. 1st Class Curtis Rohrscheib

walks among his troopers as they

attach their weapon systems to

their gun-trucks, making final

preparations for a raid on the village of Hussinaia. 

“Studies have shown that

between months six and nine of a

one-year deployment, you begin to

see higher levels of stress, more

cases of depression and more accidents caused by lack of paying

attention,” explained 1st Lt. James

Tczap, of the 785th Medical

Company(Combat Stress Control).

For eights months, they’ve run

missions. The day and the time

may change, but the basic operation rarely does. A cordon and

search today, a traffic control point

tomorrow. Soldiers know the

drill; it’s second nature. 

Repetition breeds familiarity and

with familiarity lurks the danger of

relaxing one’s guard. With a commitment that flows through the

ranks, Bowie Brigade Soldiers of

Troop E, 151st Cavalry, 3rd

Battalion, 153rd Infantry Regiment

work around the clock to defeat

their greatest enemy: complacency. 

“There’s no such thing as a routine mission,” Rohrscheib, a resident of West Helena, Ark.,

reminds his troops. “Everybody,

turn on your ‘A-game’ before we

go outside that wire.”

As a platoon sergeant, it’s

Rohrscheib’s job to ensure that his

Soldiers are always on the alert,

that they’ve been briefed on the

mission ahead and that they know

exactly what it is they are expected to do.

“The best way to ensure

Soldiers don’t get lax is to give

them as much information about

the mission as possible,” he said,

while reviewing a map of the day’s

route. “Make them repeat it back

to you to make sure they’ve got it,

and then review by performing

drills, usually the night prior.”

The scene repeats itself down

the line in this company-sized

operation. Platoon sergeants checking and double-checking their

Soldiers. Soldiers checking each

other. The youngest private among

them knows what is expected. 

Capt. Derald Neugebauer, the

troop commander, walks out of his

hooch. His tall, solid frame cuts a

swath as he makes his way to his

vehicle. Troopers greet him as he

passes.

“The noncommissioned officers

in this troop are really good at

making sure everyone is paying

attention, always on the alert, but

just to keep them on their toes,”

he said, “I’ll have quick spot

inspections as we line up, just that

little extra to make sure.”

Inspections and the passing of

information are just some of the

leadership tools E Troop uses to

make sure constant vigilance is

maintained. Rotating through different tasks assigned to the company works to change a Soldier’s

routine, too, giving them something new to focus on.

“Rotating shifts really helps

break up the monotony of things,”

said Spc. Patrick Montes of

Glastonbury, Conn., who is

attached to Troop E. “You may do

guard duty for one month, get on

[a quick-reaction force] for a little

while and then move on to doing

the normal, everyday missions at

the company level for a bit. It

helps. It breaks it all up so you’re

never doing one thing for too

long.”

Neugebauer added that rotating

through different tasks also helps

to ensure that his men get plenty

of rest. 

“When a person gets tired, it’s

just natural that they won’t be

focusing at 100 percent, so you do

those things that are going to

allow Soldiers down time.

Rotating my men to different tasks

helps that,” Neugebauer said. He

also noted that working with the

Iraqi National Guard has played a

part in giving his “joes “ some

much-needed time off.

“Now that we’ve been working

more closely with the ING, that

too has helped me, as a commander, be able to get more of my guys

downtime,” he said. “As the ING

augment our force, I have more

opportunities to keep some platoons back from a mission. Of

course, it all depends on the mission.”

Whether its precombat inspections or rotating troops through

different tasks, Troop E is committed to beating complacency, but as

one trooper commented, sometimes staying alert is a much more

personal affair.

“I think to myself every time

before going outside the wire, this

is one more mission closer to

home,” said Spc. Elvin Rodgers.

“And I will get home.”

Page 12 Scimitar Nov. 19, 2004

Vigilance combats complacency

Story and photo by 

Cpl. Benjamin Cossel

122nd Mobile Public 

Affairs Detachment

Spc. Phillip J. Esteves, a Soldier with 323rd Maintenance Company, uses

his body weight for leverage while tightening the cargo strap across a

pallet at Forward Operating Base Speicher’s Division Distribution Center. 

Division distribution center

gets the goods out

Sgt. 1st Class Curtis Rohrscheid (right), a platoon sergeant

from West Helena, Ark., with Troop E, 151st Cavalry, attached to

3rd Battalion, 153rd Infantry, 39th Brigade Combat Team,

ensures that each of his troopers knows all the details of the

mission ahead. “The best way to ensure Soldiers don’t get lax,”

he said, “is to give them as much information about the mission

as possible.”

Story and photo by 

Sgt. Roland G. Walters 

196th Mobile Public 

Affairs Detachment
BALAD, Iraq — A Soldier is a

Soldier, and war knows no gender

bias when it comes to those on the

ground or in the air supporting

Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“People end up noticing [females]

more,” said Spc. Jenna Hill, the

flight crew chief for Company C, 1st

Battalion, 244th Aviation at logistics

Support Area Anaconda here. “[We]

have to really know [our] job a little

bit better and know how to present

ourselves.”

Three Soldiers from the 1st Bn.,

244th Avn. are changing the way aviation units view female pilots and

crew chiefs one mission at a time.

“[Females] have to prove themselves a lot more than a man does,”

said Chief Warrant Officer Michelle

Murphy, a UH-60 Black Hawk pilot

with Company A.

Murphy is no stranger to having to

prove herself in male-dominated

careers. She began piloting 12 years

ago, and at home in Baton Rouge,

La., she is a police officer.

“When a female first comes to a

unit, she has to prove herself. There

are a lot of questions and concerns

[about abilities]. Once she has

proved herself, she’s accepted as a

peer.” Murphy said. “It’s not that bad

now. I don’t think there’s anybody

that wouldn’t want to fly with any of

us.”

Chief Warrant Officer Wayne

Griffin, a UH-60 Black Hawk pilot

with Co. A, said Murphy is a good

pilot and he is comfortable flying

with her.

Despite the feeling of having to

demonstrate their abilities more

often, the female aviators face the

same dangers as male pilots.

“As far as flying, other than the

threat itself of the war environment

that we’re all in, we also have [power

and telephone] wires we have to be

aware of [when flying], engine problems and other types of maintenance

problems and the aircraft itself,”

Murphy said about problems all

pilots face here.

This means having to put in additional maintenance hours to ensure

the aircraft’s safety.

“We don’t get to walk away from

the aircraft at the end of the day,”

Hill said. “Everybody over here stays

mission focused. If that means we

have to stay out here several hours

after the flights are over, that is what

has to happen.”

Their dedication to doing the job

well is a fulfilling feeling, they said.

“It’s a good source of pride whenever you look back at the previous

day or week and say, ‘I am really

tired, but the mission has gone forward and has been successful,’” Hill

said.

The work schedule is long and

requires an attention to detail, but

they said they enjoy their jobs and

think they have the best jobs in the

Army.

“I try to have a good time in everything I’m doing,” said 1st Lt. Paige

Shoun, a UH-60 Black Hawk pilot

with Co. A. “It’s hard to have a bad

flight. Even if I have a bad flight, it’s

still better than not flying.”

Shoun said she thinks female

pilots and their contributions as role

models are not just for women, but

their examples can benefit anyone.

“I think [it shows] anyone who

wants to fly that they can do it,”

Shoun said. “If there is something

they ever thought about doing, [they

ought] to give it a shot.”

Aviation units are on the forefront

of combat, flying in and out of dangerous situations each day. Those

who face the dangers are no longer

just men. They include women as

well, as these pilots prove every day.

Nov. 19, 2004 Scimitar Page 13

Soaring into danger

Story and photo by 

Pfc. Abel Trevino 

28th Public Affairs Detachment

1st Lt. Paige Shoun, of Company A, 1st Battalion, 244th

Aviation, adjusts her night-vision goggles in the UH-60

Black Hawk she is piloting with Chief Warrant Officer

Michelle Murphy, also of Co. A, 1st Bn., 244th Avn.

BALAD, Iraq — The seven Soldiers of

Catfish Air at Logistics Support Area Anaconda

here organize space-available helicopter flights

for about 6,000 people a month.

The flights travel all around the Iraqi theater

and save millions of dollars a month by maximizing the helicopter space, said Staff Sgt.

Norman L. Carey, of the 185th Aviation

Brigade “Catfish” and the noncommissioned

officer in charge of Catfish Air. The 185th

Aviation Brigade is a National Guard unit from

Mississippi. The unit nickname comes from a

leading Mississippi export.

Organized space-available flights weren’t

available in March when Carey and one other

Soldier started scheduling people. The service

came about to maximize space on flights in theater. Eight months later, the service has grown

to be an essential part of operations on LSA

Anaconda. 

Before, those wishing to travel had to put in

an air-mission request form, which would take

48 to 72 hours to be approved, or they would

have to convoy. Space-A allows people to travel with about 24-hours notice.

“Without this service, we can’t do business,”

said frequent flier Jeff Soule, who works as

what he calls a combat travel agent here. Soule

said he does about 75 percent of his traveling

through space-A. “They’re good. They’ll actually take care of you,” he said.

The Soldiers will start training KBR employees to take over the operation this month, and

Carey will stay on to supervise in December.

KBR will have a large job to take over,

according to Carey.

“Space-A has really outgrown itself,” Carey

said.

The Soldiers have a difficult time keeping

up, they said, almost constantly taking phone

calls and dealing with the steady stream of

walk-in customers.

The work is hard, but the Soldiers know they

help operations run smoothly and help keep

people safe by keeping them off of dangerous

convoys.

“The way I look at it, we’re saving lives,”

said Spc. Joshua F. Sligh.

Staff Sgt. Norman L. Carey, noncommissioned officer in charge of Catfish Air,

helps a customer. Carey is one of seven Soldiers who schedule the hundreds of

space-available helicopter flights that leave LSA Anaconda each month. 

Catfish Air will hook you up with a flight

Story and photo by 

Spc. Steven J. Schneider

28th Public Affairs Detachment

The place to access the latest MNF-I/MNC-I news 

and information is online. Check out 

www.mnf-iraq.com to stay informed.
BAGHDAD, Iraq — If it isn’t one

thing, it’s another — and usually it’s

another.

Her enthusiasm is only exceeded by

her drive to do a first-rate job.

Spc. Nicole Bellows, of

Headquarters Company, Division

Support Command, 1st Cavalry

Division, is noted for her multiple

roles as a supply specialist, an armorer,

a mail clerk and for always having a

smile on her face.

Bellows, a native of Euclare, Wis., is

currently serving in support of

Operation Iraqi Freedom and has

drawn the attention of many of her fellow Soldiers for her attitude and work

ethic.

“The part I caught on to was every

time I went to collect my mail, she

was always right on top of everything,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jeryl

Graves, an Equal Opportunity Advisor

for DISCOM. “I mean, here you would

have a very long line of Soldiers waiting to collect their mail at the end of

the day and all she would do is look at

there name tag and hand them their

mail, and she was always smiling,” 

“Deep inside, I think I have a really

bad attitude because people do things

that really make me mad and I want to

yell at them but I know that’s not the

right thing to do, so I always try to

keep things uplifted and a smile on my

face,” said Bellows. “It’s just something that runs through my blood,” 

However, Bellows’ job doesn’t start

and stop with the mailroom, according

to Graves.

“When this unit first deployed in

March she was only a private first

class and on many occasions had to

run the supply room in the absence of

the supply sergeant. And, as armorer,

she is responsible for the repair and

accountability of the weapons. That

alone is a pretty big job,” Graves said.

.In addition to her regular duties,

Bellows volunteered for a very special

mission.

“I work at mortuary affairs,”

Bellows explained. “Working in mortuary affairs is an extension of what I

plan to do when I get out, which is to

get a degree in mortuary science. So

they let me do hands-on training here.”

Her workday is from 8 a.m. to 8

p.m., though she claims that on a good

day she might finish about 7, except

when she is at the mortuary until 2

a.m.

“Working all four jobs takes a lot.

Fortunately the supply, arms and mail

rooms are all right here. So mail call is

set for certain hours, then I have to

make special hours for weapons repair

and maintenance, and supply issues are

handled in between,” Bellows said.

“When it comes to mortuary affairs,

however, if I get a call for help, then I

drop whatever I’m doing and go

because no matter what, they always

need help.”

In her free time, Bellows takes classes online to further her education in

mortuary science. This, she states, is in

contrast to what she might be doing

back home — riding her 650 Honda

Shadow.

“I chose mortuary science because I

want to help people, but not like in a

hospital, more in the last stage of their

life and getting them ready to go,” she

said.

To pay for college and reach her

future goal, Bellows decided to join

the Army when she was 17.

“I’ve always wanted to work in mortuary science since I was 15 or 16

years old when I first saw the movie

‘My Girl.’ It really influenced me,”

Bellows explained. “If I had known

that the Army had a specialty like this

when I first came in, then that’s what I

would be doing now.”

“I wanted to go to college, and I

think that what drives me is that I feel I

need to prove something to my family

and myself,” Bellows added. “I don’t

really take any time out for myself here

because I want to stay focused on what

I’m doing and my future.”

Page 14 Scimitar Nov. 19, 2004

A Soldier’s smile makes the mission

Story and photo by 

Sgt. Dan Purcell

122nd Mobile Public 

Affairs Detachment

Spc. Nicole Bellows, a supply specialist with

Headquarters Company, Division Support Command,

replaces the barrel of a crew-served M-240 Bravo

machine gun. Bellows serves as the unit’s armorer,

mail clerk and supply specialist. 

TIKRIT, Iraq — Light gleaming off their bodies,

they went on stage.

The contestants struck their poses with confidence

and conducted their routines without hesitation.

The crowd went wild.

Sgt. 1st Class Woody B. Carter, a Soldier with the

67th Combat Support Hospital, hoped that this would

happen when he organized Forward Operating Base

Speicher’s first body building competition, held at the

post gym Oct. 30. 

His love for body building is just one of the reasons

he decided to plan a body building competition.

“I got bit by the bug, so now I am hoping that these

Soldiers got bit and that it will create a ripple effect to

promote natural body building,” he said.

Even in his imagination he couldn’t have foreseen

the turnout and support the Soldiers and civilians

showed for each other.

“After seeing how the crowd reacted, I felt like a

father out there watching his kids out there on the ball

field,” Carter said.

Carter’s “kids” were 15 athletes who competed during the morning prejudging and evening finals for gift

certificates provided by the Army and Air Force

Exchange Service and for a trophy.

Contestants who placed first, second or third also

received a yearlong subscription to Muscle Fitness

magazine and protein supplement, compliments of

Chief Warrant Officer Roy L. Rucker, a Soldier with

121st Signal Battalion and a Pro Lab athlete.

“You have some Soldiers that are aspiring body

builders, but they never had the venue to expose that,”

said Rucker, a judge for the competition and avid body

builder himself.

The five judges, many of whom were competition

body builders and power lifters, graded the contestants

by looking for total body symmetry, confidence in posing, stamina/endurance and attitude.

“It was nerve racking because it’s my first competition,” said Sgt. Ada L. Millby, a native of Dayton,

Ohio, and a Soldier with the 216th Engineer Battalion.

Although she said she was worried that someone

would laugh or question her presence on the stage,

Millby is already contemplating her entry in the next

competition that will be held at FOB Danger in

December. 

Out of the 15 contestants, only three had prior competition experience.

Sgt. Krystal D. Barnes, a Soldier with Headquarters

and Headquarters Company, DISCOM was one of

those three. “First I was a runner, then I wanted to take

my fitness to another level, so that’s when I started

body building,” she said. 

Although Barnes won overall female body builder

and also first in her 5 feet 2 inch and under class, she

said that there is always room for improvement.

The event, which took four months of planning, was

designed to improve morale and promote body building awareness to a cheering crowd of more than 350

people. 

“Being around all this stuff inspires me to do better.

I’ve always wanted to be more tone and more muscular than what I am,” said Pfc. Amanda Stettner, a

Soldier with Headquarters and Headquarters

Company, DISCOM.

FOB Speicher Soldiers enjoy body-building competition

By Sgt. Roland G. Walters

196th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Sgt. Dale Fontenelle, a Soldier with 283rd Transportation

Company, holds a pose during Forward Operating Base Speicher’s

first body building competition held on Oct. 30. Fontenelle went

on to win first place in the 5 feet 7 inches and under class. 

Sgt. 1st Class Nancy McMillan
BAGHDAD, Iraq — The troops

crammed into the back of the Bradley

fighting vehicle, shoulder to shoulder.

As the hatch closed, shutting out the

light of mid-day, their faces held a mixture of anticipation and nervousness. The

Bradley started moving and Spc. Matt

Nichols made the sign of the cross. 

“Do you always do that?” Staff Sgt.

Justin Mallery yelled over the noise of the

Bradley.

“Always. Always,” Nicholson mouthed. 

The troops were heading to a relatively

quiet area of Baghdad’s Haifa Street,

where they would be on a reconnaissance

mission, scoping out the neighborhood for

any insurgent activity. 

“We’re just observing today,” Mallery

said. “We hope if they see us out here, it

will disrupt whatever they’re doing in sector. We like going on missions like this.

It’s nice to do these missions because it’s

a break from the norm.” 

The 1st Cavalry Division Soldiers of

Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 9th

Cavalry Regiment are more than used to a

little action. They routinely patrol the

volatile Haifa Street. Mallery said nearly

every one of his Soldiers has received a

Purple Heart. 

The Bradley pulled up to a building.

This particular building had been the target of many attacks and was vacant

except for a few Iraqi workers, who were

repairing damage from the last attack. The

Bradley’s hatch opened, and the Soldiers

ran inside the building, looking from

room to room, climbing floor after floor

before finally settling on the roof as a suitable vantage point. 

“Keep your heads on swivel,” Mallery

said. “They’re shooting from all over

today.” 

The Soldiers set up hasty firing positions using old metal bookshelves that had

seen better days. Small-arms fire echoed

in the distance. 

“Keep your heads down,” Mallery

ordered. “They could just be trying to get

our heads up.” 

The Soldiers remained intent on their

sectors, scanning for sniper pockets or

anything out of the ordinary. Mallery said

even a slight disruption in traffic around

the area could mean an attack was imminent. 

The Soldiers are aware of the danger,

and even though it is a less volatile area

of Haifa Street, it is far from safe. 

“This is one of the quieter areas of

Haifa Street,” Mallery said. “It’s normal

for us to only take one or two grenades on

a mission out here. It’s a shock if it doesn’t happen.” 

The long, drawn-out whistle of a mortar

is heard nearby. The Soldiers freeze in

place.

“Get down. Get down,” Mallery

shouted. 

The Soldiers crouched close to the

walls of the roof and tucked their chins to

their chests. 

Boom!

The mortar impacted the center of the

roof about 15 feet from the troops. 

“Stay down,” Mallery yelled. 

The Soldiers stayed crouched, expecting another mortar round to follow. 

After it was apparent that a second mortar was not going to impact, the Soldiers

scrambled to their feet and rushed toward

the stairwell, hugging the walls and staying low. 

“They had eyes on us,” Mallery said.

“They knew we were here. They even had

time to aim.” 

The Soldiers rushed down the stairs and

rested against a safe piece of wall. Smallarms fire erupted closer this time. The

Soldiers joined the rest of their group to

provide security throughout the building.

No one was wounded in the attack. 

Pfc. William Jones, who had only been

in Iraq for two weeks, was standing right

where the mortar hit only moments before

the impact. 

“I wouldn’t still be here if you didn’t

tell me to move,” he said to Mallery. “At

least it was only one.” 

The Soldiers maintained security of the

building, waiting for signs of an ambush

or a secondary mortar attack. Mallery

radioed down to the waiting Bradleys as

the Soldiers prepared to evacuate the

building.

Maintaining security was vital. They

were not sure if there were snipers in the

area waiting for the kill or if they would

face another mortar attack. Shots rang

from nearby, and the Soldiers rushed from

the building and climbed into the

Bradleys. 

The hatch closed behind the troops, and

they sighed with relief, finally able to

catch their breath.

The Bradley roared away, and Nichols

made the sign of the cross. His prayer had

worked again, and the troops smiled,

ready to be home after a “quiet” mission. 

Nov. 19, 2004 Scimitar Page 15

Soldiers face mortar attack on ‘quiet’ mission

Story and photos by 

Sgt. Christina Rockhill

1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

Staff Sgt. Justin Mallery, of Company C, 1st

Battalion, 9th Cavalry Regiment, calls for extra

security after a 60 mm mortar impacted the roof

where his Soldiers were standing moments before.

Pfc. William Jones (front) and Staff Sgt. Justin Mallery, of Company C, 1st

Battalion, 9th Cavalry Regiment, check out the surrounding area of Haifa Street,

in Baghdad, Iraq, during a reconnancance mission. Jones and Mallery are standing where a 60-mm mortar hit later during the mission.

Two Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 9th Cavalry Regiment, scan the surrounding area from the rooftop of a building on Haifa Street, in Baghdad, Iraq. The building

they used offers a great view but is frequently targeted by insurgents. 

Sgt. Brian Haiku, of Company C, 1st Battalion, 9th Cavalry Regiment, scans his

sector during a reconnaissance mission on Haifa Street in Baghdad, Iraq. Haiku

and his fellow Soldiers were attacked with a mortar on the rooftop, but no one

was injured in the attack. 
AD DIWANIYAH, Iraq —

Along the outskirts of Forward

Operating Base Echo, Iraq, near the

front entrance, there is a tract of land

filled with crumbling buildings made

of brick and mortar. Dogs yap constantly and sheep graze along the

grassless, trash-littered land, which

is crisscrossed with narrow dirt trails

leading to homes that most people

would never consider habitable.

The inside of those houses are

filled with buzzing flies and maybe

one or two small pieces of furniture.

Cardboard covers the dusty floors

and thin pallets show evidence of

where people sleep. Grimy little

urchins run happily through the trash

and around the piles of rotting hay

that separate one family living space

from another.

Ever eager to be good hosts, the

Iraqis graciously show the Marines

the inside of their homes, which

were close to 10 degrees cooler than

the simmering, humid heat outside

their doors. The weather, however, is

turning and in a few weeks will be

numbingly cold.

Hundreds of resident’s of this

community, or “Rubble Town” as

the Marines have taken to calling it,

turned out to receive blankets handed out by Marines, Sailors and

Soldiers of the 11th Marine

Expeditionary Unit (Special

Operations Capable) here Nov. 5.

According to Capt. Susan Bird,

the operations officer for Marine

Expeditionary Unit Service Support

Group 11, 11th MEU (SOC), after

they had gone out to talk to the

locals and hand out food and water

several weeks ago, they received a

thank you note at FOB Echo’s front

gate. It was written by the self

appointed Rubble Town leaders

thanking the Marines for the food

and water and asking for blankets.

“They told us that blankets were

what their community needed more

than anything,” said Bird. “We got

with the civil affairs detachment to

see if we could get a contract to purchase some blankets.”

Soldiers from Detachment 1,

Company C, 451st Civil Affairs

Battalion, attached to the 11th MEU,

contracted a local vendor and purchased 333 large, thick blankets.

“The community leader himself

sent a letter to the base asking for

blankets for the people living right

outside the front gate of the base,”

said Army Maj. Christopher M.

Wooten, a civil affairs team chief.

“They asked specifically for that, so

we went ahead and requested funding and purchased the blankets.” 

In an effort to stimulate the local

economy, which directly benefits

Diwaniyah families, the blankets

were contracted to a local businessman in order to develop and keep

the wealth in the area.

On the day the blankets were

passed out, the Marines, Sailors and

Soldiers drove several hundred yards

from the front gate of the base to a

corner of the Rubble Town community. As they established security,

rolled out concertina wire and created entry- and exit-control points,

Marines handed out 20 soccer balls

and candy to the children to keep

them entertained as the others

worked.

According to Bird, every individual who came to the site had to bring

proof showing the number of people

in their family before they got any

blankets. 

“When we went to recon the site,

we passed the word to the (residents)

that if they had a voucher (or identification) showing how many people

are in their family ...or if a community leader would vouch for them,

then they’d be able to get a blanket

for everyone in their family,” Bird

explained. “Our goal was to make

sure everyone who lives in Rubble

Town has a blanket.”

Lance Cpl. Robert C. Wetzel,

MSSG-11’s unofficial translator and

a motor transport operator with

Transportation Support Detachment,

MSSG-11, 11th MEU (SOC), said

the fact that coalition forces were

there trying to help improve the living conditions definitely brought the

Iraqis’ spirits up.

“They were happy that we were

there, and they’re seeing a different

side of the Marines they don’t normally see,” Wetzel said. “I think it’s

very important that they know that

we’re friends and we’re here to help

them.”

According to Wetzel, this mission

made him feel better about being in

Iraq. It gave him a deeper sense of

purpose because many of the local

people don’t have many of the

things they need, he said.

“It personally made me feel really

good to be able to help in this

(humanitarian-assistance) mission,”

Wetzel said. “We’re out here to help

these people, doing everything we

can to bring up their standard of living. I love being able to do stuff like

this because it helps build a relationship with the people.”

Bird said she could see on their

faces that this is something that they

really needed and appreciated, especially with the cooler weather and

the rain coming.

“It was very nice to get the blankets,” said Ali Kasm Sarhan, a resident of Rubble Town and head of a

household of seven. “It will be cold

soon, and my children will not be

cold at night.”

Page 16 Scimitar Nov. 19, 2004

Blankets warm up 

Rubble Town residents

Story and photos by 

Gunnery Sgt. Chago Zapata

11th Marine Expeditionary Unit

Public Affairs

A resident of “Rubble Town” carries a stack of blankets on her

head in Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq, Nov. 5. 

Above: Sergeant Fernando Lozano, a training noncommissioned

officer with Marine Expeditionary Unit Service Support Group,

11th MEU (Special Operations Capable), hands out blankets to a

resident of “Rubble Town” in Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq, Nov. 5.

Below: Army Capt. Lori B. Sweeney, a doctor of internal medicine

with the 601st Area Support Medical Company, augmenting the

11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable),

examines a resident of “Rubble Town” who’s having medical

problems in Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq, Nov. 5.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Tarren C. Windham, a corpsman with

Medical Detachment, Marine Expeditionary Unit Service

Support Group 11, 11th MEU (Special Operations Capable),

kicks the ball around with a young resident of “Rubble Town” in

Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq, Nov. 5.