BAGHDAD, Iraq — Eighthundred forty-three Iraqi army

officers graduated June 17

from the Jordan Armed Forces

Military Academy in Zarqa,

Jordan, as part of the Coalition

Military Assistance Training

Team’s ongoing effort to train

and equip Iraq’s armed forces.

The graduation marks the

second class of Iraqi army officers to complete instruction at

the school and the completion

of officer training for the Iraqi

army’s three programmed divisions.

The graduation also marks

the culmination of three six-toeight week courses at the

school that included a course

for company and platoon leaders, one for brigade and battalion staff officers and one for

brigade and battalion commanders.

Iraqi officer and enlisted initial-entry training will now

almost entirely be conducted

by Iraqi army trainers trained

in the courses.

“This marks the completion

of training the Iraqi army officer leadership for three divisions,” said the Coalition

Military Assistance Training

Team chief of staff, U.S. Army

Col. James R. Mulvenna.

“Graduates will form the last

four full brigades from the

brigade commander and staff

down to platoon commanders.”

In addition to teaching officers the leadership principles 

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A U.S. military judge heard pretrial motions here Monday in two prisoner-abuse cases.

Government attorneys and attorneys for defendants Sgt.

Javal S. Davis and Spc. Charles A. Graner Jr. presented

motions in the hearings. Pre-trial motions in the case

against Staff Sgt. Ivan L. Frederick II were postponed

until July 23 after Frederick’s lawyer did not appear.

The judge, Col. James Pohl, denied a defense motion

for a new Article 32 hearing after finding that the investigations conducted substantially complied with the Rules

for Courts Martial, said military spokesperson Col. Jill

Morgenthaler in a statement after the hearings. 

Defense attorneys raised several discovery issues that

were resolved by the government agreeing to the requests,

Morgenthaler said, and the judge granted defense requests

that an investigator be assigned to each defense team.

Pohl ruled that defendants will have access to various

witnesses in the chain of command, and the government

agreed to defense requests for the employment files of

certain civilian contractors and adverse administrative

actions against the chain of command.

The judge denied change-of-venue requests “at this

time,” Morgenthaler said, but he ordered the U.S. government to preserve the detention facility at Abu Ghraib as a

crime scene, an action requested by the defense teams. 

The judge granted a government request for a court

order to all potential panel members to avoid any media

coverage on the cases, Morgenthaler said, and set a deadline for additional motions to be filed by July 31.

Vol. 2, No. 26 Baghdad, Iraq June 25, 2004

Inside this week ...

Good gear, strong faith keeps

Marine in fight

A Marine’s protective vest and smallarms protective inserts do their job

Page 7

Caring cavalry 

2-7 Cav brings medical relief

to Al-Tarmia

Page 8

SCIMITAR

COALITION

A Sailor watches an E-2C Hawkeye assigned to the

"Bluetails" of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron

121 fly from USS George Washington June 16. The

Norfolk, Va.-based aircraft carrier and embarked Carrier

Air Wing 7 are on a regularly scheduled deployment in

support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Joan Kretschmer

Up and away

Judge hears pre-trial motions in abuse cases

By Staff Sgt. Christopher Land

Coalition Scimitar

WASHINGTON — Specially trained Iraqi

troops will soon deploy into Baghdad to go after

city-dwelling insurgents, a senior U.S. military

officer told a House panel June 17. 

An element of the Iraqi Army, the Iraq

Intervention Force, is “trained and equipped for

urban counterinsurgency operations,” Army Lt.

Gen. David Petraeus, the chief of the Office of

Security Transition in Iraq, noted in testimony

before the House Armed Services Committee. 

The task force, Petraeus explained from

Baghdad via video teleconference, has been in

training for months. 

The first task force battalion, the general

noted, will be available by the end of June upon

completion of its training and will then be

deployed into Baghdad. 

More IIF elements, he added, will finish their

training by the end of July. 

U.S. and coalition advisers “will do all we

can,” Petraeus vowed, to prepare IIF troops for

success. 

The task force’s vehicles are receiving supplemental armor, “just as we harden coalition vehicles,” Petraeus pointed out, as well as special

mounts for machine guns. 

Iraqi interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi and

Defense Minister Hazem Shaalan, Petraeus

noted, directed that the first-available IIF unit be

deployed into southeast Baghdad at the end of

this month. 

However, the general said, the new Iraqi counterinsurgency troops will get some coaching

when they first take up their duties in Baghdad. 

“We will, in fact, do a crawl-walk-run

approach with them when they enter their area

of responsibility,” Petraeus noted.

Iraqi troops patrol Baghdad

By Gerry J. Gilmore

American Forces Press Service 

Coalition concludes Iraqi

army officer training

Submitted by the Office

of Security Transition

See OFFICER, Page 10
MOSUL, Iraq — The Mosul Police

Department received much needed equipment

June 14 that will better prepare them to protect its citizens from crime and to continue

the rebuilding of Iraq’s infrastructure.

The equipment, which totaled nearly

$180,000, was funded by the Commanders

Emergency Response Program, as part of the

Office of Security Cooperation. The Mosul

police were provided with 70 computers, 35

photography kits, 24 police vehicles and protective vests and helmets.

“Without this necessary equipment, the

police would be a less effective fighting

force, as well as create an environment that is

unsafe for our officers,” said Investigator

Thaier Mustafa, the chief of staff, who has

served as a police officer for 14 years.

“Now, we will be even more prepared to do

our job come June 30.”

The equipment will be distributed throughout the police stations in Ninevah Province,

some of which are nearly 480 kilometers

from Mosul.

“In order to enable the police to do their

job effectively and efficiently, the police have

to get automated,” said Capt. Adam

Cronkhite, the Multinational Brigade-North

deputy provost marshal. “This equipment will

help streamline paperwork, the payroll system and day-to-day operations for the

police.”

Mustafa said the new computer systems are

important to the success of the police because

they will improve the department’s ability to

coordinate with other stations by electronically relaying formation on criminal activity or

creating a criminal database. 

“By getting this equipment, I hope the success of the Mosul Police Department will set

an example for police agencies throughout

Iraq,” he said.

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Twentyfive Iraqi Police Service officers

began a joint FBI and Drug

Enforcement Administration

criminal-intelligence course June

13, at the Adnon Palace training

facility in the Green Zone.

The students are assigned to

the intelligence unit of the

Ministry of Interior.

“The training is being conducted to build additional capacity within the Iraqi Police

Service to effectively carry out

their law-enforcement duties in

Iraq,” said Richard Miller, the

Civilian Police Assistance

Training Team director of training and standards.

“The students, themselves, are

very interested in the chance to

learn from some of the best lawenforcement instructors in the

world,” said Miller.

Criminal-intelligence training

typically consists of instruction

in the forms of organized crime,

political corruption, terrorism

and includes information on file

handling, data collection, analysis techniques, intelligencesource and data evaluation and

intelligence information sharing.

Other areas of instruction normally cover cash scams and

money-laundering crimes. 

The 10-day course is the first

of four that will be offered over

the next two months. In the

future, classes will include officer students from cities outside

the Baghdad area.

The course, a product of

CPATT, a division of the Office

of Security Transition tasked with

building, training and equipping

the Iraqi civil-security forces, is

the result of an agreement with a

number of U.S. federal lawenforcement agencies to conduct

similar courses in the country.

Courses will focus on a variety of

specialized training areas.

The special instruction is

intended to increase the overall

skills of the IPS in their continued effort to provide security in

Iraq and advance the overall

quality of law enforcement in

the country.

MOSUL, Iraq — Soldiers

from the 416th Civil Affairs

Battalion’s higher-education

team are working to improve

security around Mosul’s

schools. The team handed out

$10,000 worth of security

equipment, such as body armor,

megaphones, flashlights, reflective vests and metal detectors to

the security guards from Mosul

University June 9.

The 416th, an Army Reserve

unit based in Norristown, Penn.,

arrived in northern Iraq in

February and is working with

the Iraqi people to improve living conditions in the local area.

Maj. Wayne Bowen, the higher-education team chief, recommended the project for funding

through the Commander’s

Emergency Response Program

in response to requests he got

from the security guards. 

“So far the campus has been

less violent than other universities in the country,” said Bowen.

“But terrorists have tried to get

onto the campus, and there have

been a few drive-by shootings

outside the university.”

To protect the guards, Bowen

ordered body-armor vests for

the guards who work at the

gates of the university. The

guards will also be able to

search people who come

through the gates more effectively with the new metal detectors. The megaphones will be

used to control riots and demonstrations on campus. During the

night shifts, the flashlights and

reflective vests will allow the

guards to operate more safely.

There are approximately 300

guards at the university of

almost 30,000 students. The

university has three campuses

and other satellite facilities

throughout the Mosul area.

After giving the equipment to

the guards, the civil affairs

Soldiers trained them on how to

effectively and safely use it. 

“This equipment will give

the guards a greater sense of

confidence in what they do and

more tools to perform their job

to the best of their ability,”

said Bowen.

Page 2 Coalition Scimitar June 25, 2004

Mosul U. gets security equipment

Story and photo by 

Spc. Blair Larson

139th Mobile Public 

Affairs Detachment

Maj. Wayne Bowen, the higher-education team chief with the 416th Civil Affairs Battalion,

shows a new metal detector they will be using to Mosul University security guards.

A Mosul police officer unpacks some

of the equipment that will be distributed to police departments throughout

the Ninevah Province.

Police better equipped

to serve Mosul citizens

Story and photo by 

Sgt. Joseph Sanchez

Task Force Olympia Public Affairs

FBI, DEA train

Iraqi police 

By Sgt. Jared Zabaldo 

Office of Security Transition

Public Affairs 
WASHINGTON — With the transfer

of sovereignty imminent, the future of a

free Iraq is coming into view, President

Bush told a worldwide military audience

and service members assembled at

MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., June 16.

U.S. Central Command and U.S.

Special Operations Command have their

headquarters at MacDill.

A satellite television hook-up enabled

the president to make his remarks directly to service members assembled in

hangars at Bagram Air Base,

Afghanistan, and Baghdad International

Airport, Iraq. The Pentagon Channel and

American Forces Radio and Television

Service carried his address worldwide to

wherever U.S. military people serve.

“A turning point will come two weeks

from today,” the president said. “On June

30, governing authority will be transferred

to a fully sovereign interim government.

The Coalition Provisional Authority will

cease to exist. An American embassy will

open in Baghdad.”

In the meantime, Bush said, the Iraqi

people are stepping up to bring democracy to their country.

“Iraq’s new leaders are rising to their

responsibilities. Together with our coalition and the United Nations, they are

working to prepare the way for national

elections by next January,” the president

said. “In July, Iraqis from every part of

the country will gather for a national conference that will choose an interim national council to advise and support Prime

Minister (Ayad) Allawi and his cabinet.”

Acknowledging that the U.N. Security

Council voted unanimously to endorse the

Iraqi interim government and the plan for

Iraq’s political transition, Bush cited the

“steady progress” the Iraqi people have

made. He vowed not to let insurgents and

foreign fighters derail the process. 

“We will not let thugs and killers stand

in the way of a free and democratic

Iraq,” the president promised.

With more than 200,000 Iraqis serving

in or training for the country’s new security forces, Bush said the United States is

leading the international effort to train

new forces for Iraq. Experience has

shown, he said, that Iraqi soldiers naturally want to take their orders from Iraqi

officers, and the coalition is working to

build and strengthen the Iraqi chain of

command. 

“So we’re helping

to prepare a new generation of Iraqi military commanders who

will lead the security

forces of a free and

sovereign Iraq,” the

president said.

Iraqi forces captured a key lieutenant

of fugitive terrorist Abu Musab alZarqawi, repelled attacks on Mosul government buildings and are being greeted

warmly by their fellow citizens as they

patrol in Najaf, the president said.

“See, these brave Iraqis are stepping

up. They are setting an example for their

fellow citizens. They are staying in the

fight, taking the battle to the terrorists

and Saddam holdouts,” the president

said. “They are securing a future of liberty and opportunity for their children and

their grandchildren. And when the history of modern Iraq is written, the people

of Iraq will know their freedom was

finally secured by the courage and by the

determination of Iraqi patriots.”

More violence can be expected in Iraq,

Bush said. 

“As the interim government assumes

authority and Iraqi security forces defend

their country, our coalition will play a

supporting role,” he said. “And this is an

essential part of our strategy for success.” 

The people responsible for the violence, he said, are friends of neither the

coalition nor the Iraqi people.

“Terrorists who attack a self-governing

Iraq are showing us and the Iraqis who

they really are,” Bush said. “They’re not

fighting foreign forces; they’re fighting

the Iraqi people. They’re not just enemies of America; they are

enemies of democracy and

hope. They are enemies of

a peaceful future in Iraq.”

Iraq’s prime minister

said the week before the

president’s address that

anyone involved in these

attacks is a traitor to the

cause of Iraq’s freedom and the freedom

of its people, the president said.

“The prime minister and I share the

same resolve. The traitors will be defeated,” Bush said. “Their greatest fear is an

Iraqi government of, by and for the Iraqi

people. And no matter what the terrorists

plan — no matter what they attempt — a

democratic, free Iraq is on the way.”

The United States also is helping

Iraqis rebuild their country’s infrastructure, the president said, pointing to the

successful rebuilding of Germany from

the rubble of World War II despite

many difficulties.

“We overcame many obstacles

because we knew that the only hope for

a secure America was a peaceful and

democratic Europe,” he said. “And

because we persevered, because we had

faith in our values, because we were

strong in the face of adversity, Germany

became the stable, successful, great

nation that it is today.”

Bush listed a litany of successes in

Iraq, and again vowed that terrorists

would not derail continued progress. 

“The terrorists will fail. They will fail

because the Iraqi people will not accept a

return to tyranny. The terrorists will fail

because the resolve of America and our

allies will not be shaken. And the terrorists

will fail because courageous men and

women like you are standing in their way,”

he told his worldwide military audience.

The president cited the difficulty of the

mission and the work that lies ahead, and

he expressed gratitude to service members

and their families for their sacrifices.

“Many of you have faced long deployments — sometimes longer than you

expected. You miss your families; your

families miss you. Some of you have lost

comrades, good men and women you

will never forget, and America will never

forget them either,” Bush said.

“You’re sacrificing greatly for our

country, and our country has needed that

sacrifice,” he said. “By standing for the

cause of freedom, you are making the

world more peaceful. By fighting terrorists abroad, you are making the

American people more secure here at

home. And by acting in the best traditions of duty and honor, you are making

our country and your commander in

chief incredibly proud.”

June 25, 2004 Coalition Scimitar Page 3

Bush addresses military worldwide

By John D. Banusiewicz

American Forces Press Service

Iraq

bound

A CH-53E Super

Stallion helicopter from

the 24th Marine

Expeditionary Unit

lands on the flight deck

of the USS Kearsarge

June 10 as the MEU

begins its flow of troops

to Iraq.

The Marines are with

Marine Medium

Helicopter Squadron

263, the Aviation

Combat Element of the

24th MEU.

The rest of the unit will

meet these Marines and

their equipment in Iraq

in July.

Photo by Lance Cpl. Sarah A. Beavers 

Register and request your 2004

General Election ballot now. 

Make your vote count!

See your unit Voting Assistance

Officer for more information.

“The Iraqi people are

stepping up to bring

democracy to their

country.”

— President Bush
Page 4 Coalition Scimitar June 25, 2004

I got a call recently from the

security forces deployment manager at Air Education and Training

Command, a person I’ve become

well acquainted with during my

brief tenure as a squadron commander. 

He asked me if my unit could

“step up to the plate” and support

yet another out-of-cycle deployment tasking. 

Such is life in today’s operational

Air Force. Many Airmen in my unit

have deployed four or five times,

and that is just during their first

term of enlistment. These deployments take their toll on

individuals, their families

and the people at home

station who work twice

the hours just to keep

things going in their

absence.

All these factors beg

the question we all ask

ourselves at one point or

another: Is the grass greener on the

other side?

Three years ago, I received a flier

from a very reputable recruiting

firm. The company specializes in

placing military officers with four

to 10 years of service into top-tier

corporate jobs across the country. I

had received these fliers before and

always tossed them in the trash, but

this time I hung onto one because I

was starting to get burned out. 

I had recently returned from a

remote assignment only to be

rewarded with a 14-hour-a-day, sixday-a-week job with no relief in

sight. My wife and I were expecting our first child and were entertaining thoughts of permanently

moving closer to home. With all

this in mind, I called the number on

the flier. 

After attending the company's

initial presentation, I interviewed

and was accepted as a candidate for

the corporate placement program.

Shortly thereafter, I informed my

commander of my intention to separate from active duty. 

My military background significantly enhanced my value to corporate America. I'll never forget what

one potential employer said to me

during an interview. He asked me,

“Do you know why we like to hire

military people?” In my infinite

wisdom, I rattled off several

impressive, detailed responses.

None were what he was looking

for. He simply stated, “Because

they show up for work on time.” 

Never before or since has anyone

so completely encapsulated the

high caliber of military people with

such a brief yet powerful comment. 

Soon after the interview, I

accepted a great offer to work for

one of America’s largest companies. The base salary was significantly higher than my military pay,

the medical plan and stock options

were first rate, and the location

was just a couple hours from

home. 

After a month or so, I realized I

was doing a lot less work than I

ever did in the military. The job

was everything I dreamed of. But

surprisingly, I dreaded going to

work every day. 

Why, you ask? I found I missed

the camaraderie. I missed the smell

of jet fuel. I missed the Air Force

song. I missed putting on the uniform. I missed being around people

who come together when their

backs are against the wall and make

extraordinary things happen. 

But most important, I missed

being a part of something larger

than myself. I missed being part of

the world’s greatest air and space

force and prayed desperately for

the opportunity to return.

As an improving economy

enhances the job market and the

war on terror gets tougher, you, like

me, might find yourself contemplating the merits of life outside the military. 

When you do, remember

this: You'll never be associated with a finer group of people, nor will you answer a

more noble calling than the

one to serve your country and

protect our way of life. 

The intense job satisfaction that comes from such an honorable pursuit is something I didn't

truly appreciate until I stepped

away from the military.

Fortunately, the Air Force welcomed me back with open arms. 

Just five months after separating,

I returned to active duty with a

renewed passion for my profession

that the bigger paycheck, great

location and fantastic benefits

could never spark during my brief

stint in corporate America. 

For me, the grass is definitely

greener on this side of the fence,

and this is where I intend to stay for

a very long time.

Commentary by 

Capt. Shannon Smith 

PERSPECTIVES

You'll never be associated with a

finer group of people, nor will you

answer a more noble calling than the

one to serve your country and protect

our way of life.

My grass is greener

MNF - I Commanding

General

Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez

MNF - I PAO

Col. Jill E. Morgenthaler

Command Information

Chief

Capt. Adam W. Hackel

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

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

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

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

Coalition Scimitar welcomes units

to submit their own Unsung Heros.

Photos and short summaries of

accomplishments should be sent to

cpiccmdinfo@baghdadforum.com

The Coalition Scimitar can also 

be viewed on the web at

http://www.mnf-iraq.com/coalitionnews/publications.htm

The reports of detainee abuse by American

Soldiers in Iraq are deeply troubling. Those who

have not upheld the high standards of our Armed

Forces must be held accountable. With honor, the

men and women of our Armed Forces must maintain our focus to secure a stable and free Iraq and

to win the global war on terrorism. 

We ask that each of you remember who we are

and what we represent. We are Americans, and our

actions must uphold the values of our country and

the highest standards of professionalism and

ethics. Our military code of conduct requires it, our

nation demands it, and the world expects it. Our

culture of accountability and responsibility will

accept nothing less.

As you serve around the world, stand tall. Be

proud of what you are doing to make the world a

better place. Your nation is grateful for your unwavering professionalism, selfless service, courage,

and sacrifice. 

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and I

are enormously proud to serve with you.

A message from Secretary of Defense

Donald H. Rumsfeld 

To America's

service members

DoD photo

Editor in Chief

Staff Sgt. Christopher Land

Managing Editor

Sgt. Brian Stockhoff

Staff

Spc. Jeffrey Hillery 

Marine Cpl. Craig Stowell

Smith is the commander of the

14th Security Services Company at

Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.
BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Iraqi Air

Force purchased its first two aircraft

in Jordan June 10 as part of an infrastructure security plan to provide surveillance capability to the growing

Iraqi armed forces and civil-security

forces being trained and equipped in

the country.

The two Australian-manufactured

SB7L-360 Seeker reconnaissance aircraft represent the initial acquisition

of a tentative force of 16 identical

aerial-observation and surveillance

aircraft specifically intended to assist

in the protection of electric and oil

assets and border and coastal security.

Delivery is scheduled for mid-July

in Basrah.

“This purchase represents a significant leap forward in the Iraqi's ability

to surgically find and respond to sabotage on infrastructure,” said the

Office of Security Transition's, air

reconnaissance plans officer, Marine

Capt. Jeremy DeMott. “These aircraft represent the rebirth of an air

force that will fly in cooperation with

Coalition forces for the first time in

almost two decades.”

Iraqi air force pilots will negotiate

some basic training on the aircraft

with special attention directed to sensors and reporting skills and, on

deployment, will communicate suspicious activity to the responsible Iraqi

and Coalition forces on the ground.

Seeker aircraft are fitted with highresolution surveillance systems providing live observation feedback as

well as digital-video-recording hardware and other reconnaissance technology.

The Iraqi Air Force currently

stands at nearly 150 personnel with

most still in training. Plans are to

grow the force to 500 by December.

The Jordanian government has tendered a gift of 16 helicopters and two

C-130 aircraft to augment the force,

pending acceptance by the OST.

June 25, 2004 Coalition Scimitar Page 5

TIKRIT, Iraq — The Iraqi Civil Defense

Corps' newly opened North Central Regional

Training Center graduated its first class June 10. 

Members of the 1st Infantry Division, local dignitaries and other guests were on hand for the

ICDC Primary Leadership Development Course

graduation ceremony. 

After the graduation, the facility was dedicated

with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The new facility

will also host basic training for ICDC soldiers. 

Maj. Gen. John R.S. Batiste, the commander of

the 1st ID and Task Force Danger, and Brig. Gen.

Abdul Kadar, the deputy chief of staff of the

ICDC, were guest speakers at the event. During his

remarks, Batiste congratulated the graduates and

thanked them for their service.

“The road to a peaceful and secure Iraq may take

some time, but your commitment to law and order

and to peace and freedom will make a significant

difference in our journey towards this goal,”

Batiste said to the graduates.

Twenty-four of the 231 graduates were recognized as honor graduates and were presented certificates. 

The coursework consisted of physical training,

leadership classes, basic soldiering skills, drill and

ceremony and human-rights training. 

The 13th COSCOM civil affairs staff supervises the construction contract for a clinic in AlAnwar village near LSA Anaconda and actually awarded the contract for the much needed clinic June 11th. The villagers were so excited they began working before the groundbreaking ceremony was completed. Since arriving in January, 13th COSCOM has spent

more than $1.5 million to rebuild facilities and infrastructure.

By Sgt. 1st Class Chuck Joseph

196th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

1st ID opens 

training center By Sgt. Jared Zabaldo

Office of Security Transition

The Iraqi Air Force purchased two SB7L-360 Seekers, like the one

above in Jordanian livery, as its first aircraft.

Iraqi Air Force acquires first aircraft

Photo by Staff Sgt. David E. Gillespie

BALAD, Iraq — Soldiers

and local village leaders joined

together June 14 in a groundbreaking ceremony for a new

medical clinic near Logistics

Support Area Anaconda here.

Leaders of the 118th Medical

Battalion and the 13th Corp

Support Command Civil

Affairs Office joined the sheik

and the mayor of Al-Anwar village in a ceremonial groundbreaking for the much needed

clinic. 

The 13th COSCOM civil

affairs staff is supervising the

construction contract for the

clinic, which they awarded

June 11. The villagers were so

excited about their new clinic

that they immediately began

work without waiting for the

groundbreaking ceremony.

“I was very surprised to see

the progress being made today.

This was supposed to be the

initial groundbreaking, but they

already have the first three or

four layers of brick on there,”

said Lt. Col. Robert Cody, the

118th Med. Bn. commander

“They are very anxious to get

this clinic built. The contractor

said he was only supposed to

hire 12 workers, but to get it

done quicker and put more

money into the community, he

hired 27. All of them are from

the village, and there dozens

more just pitching in,” he

added.

The village children even

pitched in carrying bricks and

water to the worksite.

The clinic will be stocked

with donated supplies and

equipment and will be used as

a permanent facility for future

medical civil assistance projects, known as MEDCAPS. 

The 118th’s role in the project is to sponsor the clinic and

solicit donations for equipment

and supplies. Their work has

already paid off as a hospital in

Washington recently donated a

truckload of supplies. 

“This clinic will be a tremendous help. A lot of these people

need simple things like vitamins, shampoo and just items

to treat skin irritations,” said

Sgt. Tanya Williams, a soldier

from the 118th.

Since its arrival in January,

the 13th COSCOM has spent

more than $1.5 million to

rebuild the facilities and infrastructure of the villages surrounding LSA Anaconda.

By Capt. Cathy Wilkinson

13th Corps 

Support Command

Soldiers break ground for new clinic

Photo provided by Seabird Aviation Jordan
Page 6 Coalition Scimitar June 25, 2004

FALLUJAH, Iraq — Marines from

Camp Lejeune, N.C., ventured into

Fallujah for the first time in more than

a month - without a single shot fired.

The patrol into the city June 14 -

conducted by the Marines of 2nd

Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment,

attached to the 1st Marine Division -

had Marines on edge. The city was

turned over to the authority of the

Fallujah Brigade after fighting ended in

April and, since then, Marine presence

was scaled back significantly. One

patrol ventured into the city in May

without incident.

“It was a tough mission and had the

potential to get real ugly real quick,”

said Lt. Col. Giles Kyser, the battalion

commander from Dumfries, Va., to his

Marines. “For the rest of your life,

you'll be able to say you stuck your

head in the lion's mouth and came out

without a scratch.”

Kyser said there was no group of

Marines with whom he would have rather

carried out the mission.

Marines from 2nd Light Armored

Reconnaissance Battalion, also a Camp

Lejeune-based unit, escorted the patrol

into the maze of city streets. The same

streets, just two months ago, were littered with the debris of combat.

Marines carved out portions of the city,

pushing back terrorist forces before Iraqi

leaders called for a cease-fire agreement

with Coalition commanders.

The city is still tense. Marines warned

each other before the patrol to be ready

for anything.

“One of two things will happen,” said

Lance Cpl. Jeremiah M. Doub, a 20-yearold from Winston-Salem, N.C. “Either

it'll be a smooth ride or all hell is going to

break loose.”

For the Marines involved, it was thorny

mission. They had to think on their feet

when they were forced to limit themselves in personnel and vehicles by their

Iraqi Civil Defense Corps escort.

“We didn't have that many vehicles at

all for this mission. It was just a reinforced squad of Marines. That was it,”

said Lance Cpl. Steven B. Knetchel, a

rifleman with 2nd Battalion's Company G. 

The 24-year-old from Woodinville,

Wash., said he was fine with a smaller,

more agile force. Behind the squad was

a small army of Marine forces ready to

help their comrades should the mission

turn sour. 

“We had fixed- and rotary-wing air support, artillery and a large quick-reaction

force waiting just outside the city in case

anything happened,” he added. “We were

all pretty comfortable with that.”

They found that Iraqi police and soldiers turned out in full force to ensure

that the patrol wasn't tampered with as

they passed the sand-filled barriers into

the city.

“There were ICDC and police lining the

streets like it was a parade,” Knetchel

said. The numbers of ICDC easily tripled

the number of Marines. Still, Marines didn't let their guard down.

“It was a very open city,” Knechtel

said of the maze of streets through

Fallujah. “That's good because we

could see a long way, but it was bad

because there were a lot of spots for the

enemy to hide.”

The Marines took up defensive positions around a key building where

Marine and Iraqi leaders met to talk

about plans for the future. They kept

their vigil aware of the danger in the city.

“We were keeping watch over the

place, and we saw some things that made

us nervous,” said Sgt. Lucas B. Hodges, a

23-year-old sniper from Chicago. “We

saw some vehicles pull up to the crowds

of people. They had weapons inside, but

no one used any of them.”

The lack of gunfire surprised all the

Marines in the city.

“I can't believe not one shot was

fired the whole time,” Kretchel said.

The Marines were prepared for a battle reminiscent of Mogadishu. They

readied themselves for that possibility

by going through dozens of rehearsal

drills prior to the mission to prepare for

any scenario.

“To me, the only thing that mattered

was the guy next to me,” Knetchel said.

“The squad did their job by bringing

everyone back alive and in one piece. It

couldn't have gone any better.”

Marines from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, based out of Camp

Lejeune, N.C., recently conducted a patrol in the city of Fallujah. It marked

the first time in more than a month that Marines patrolled Fallujah’s streets.

The patrol went off without a shot being fired.

Story and photo by

Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes

1st Marine Division Public Affairs

2-2 Marines patrol Fallujah streets

Spc. Jeremy Howard, C

Company of 2/227th

Assault Helicopter

Battalion, 4th Brigade

Combat Team, 1st Cavalry

Division keeps a watchful

eye on the ground below

during a routine flight

escorting troopers from

Camp Cooke.

Photo by Cpl. Benjamin Cossel

Watching

over

troopers
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Groundbreaking for the

renovation of an Al Sadiya sewing facility took

place June 8 in the Al Rasheed district of Baghdad. 

The 45-day renovation will cost $499,500.

The sewing factory employed 995 Iraqi women

before it was closed over a year ago after Operation

Iraqi Freedom I, said Capt. Michael Levy, the civil

affairs officer for 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery

Regiment, 5th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry

Division.

The featured speaker of the groundbreaking ceremony was the Sadiya Neighborhood Advisory

Council Chairman Hassan Alwan Hussein. Through

an interpreter, he commended the 5th BCT for its

help with the community. 

The plan to renovate the sewing facility was

spearheaded by Spc. Raina Burton of Company A,

489th Civil Affairs Battalion, who is the director of

women's projects for 5th BCT.

“The sewing-company manager heard from

someone that I handle women's issues, and she just

came to me,” Burton said. “She just went to the

front gate and asked for me.”

While most civil affairs projects are brought up

by the NAC, this project began when Kadum came

to the gate at Camp Ferrin-Huggins. The project

has actually been in the making since March,

Burton said.

Over the 45 days of renovation, the building’s

ruined electrical circuits and plumbing will be

repaired, and many of the broken walls and windows will be replaced, Burton said. 

The facility will also be equipped with new

sewing equipment and a starting supply of fabric to

work with, she said. 

In its prewar state, the sewing facility manufactured uniforms for the Iraqi Army. The plan for its

production is to make rugs and clothing. The items

will be sold in a marketplace outside the facility,

which will also be built with the project budget,

Burton said.

“There were a lot of people that seemed excited

about the new sewing shop,” said Staff Sgt.

Fernando Muniz of Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 82nd

Field Artillery Regiment, attached to 1-21 FA.

“That's always a positive because it shows that you

are working hand in hand for the goal to give them

a better life.”

June 25, 2004 Coalition Scimitar Page 7

Iraq in Brief

Iraqi citizen's tip leads Soldiers to weapons

cache

KIFRI, Iraq — Acting on information from an Iraqi citizen, Task Force Danger Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 252nd

Armor Regiment found a weapons cache near here around 9

a.m. May 28. 

The cache contained a machine gun, a mortar tube, nearly

3,000 rounds of assault-rifle and machinegun ammunition, 12

rocket-propelled grenades and 23 mortar rounds. 

The cache was moved to a military holding area for

destruction.

Soldiers team up with Iraqis for clean water

BALAD, Iraq — The U.S. Army and local citizens will

team up to improve irrigation and water quality by cleaning

up a local canal network here over the next month. 

Soldiers from the 13th Corps Support Command civil affairs

section and the 512th Engineers here supervised the award of

the U.S.-funded, $90,000 contract and will monitor the project

that could provide work for up to 500 nearby villagers. 

Village leaders here cite water for irrigation and drinking as

their number-one need. 

Workers advised by U.S. Army engineers will clear brush

and debris from the canal, making the irrigation system more

efficient and improving the quality of crops.

Cleaning the canal is one of a series of initiatives designed

to improve local quality of life by providing both jobs and

much needed improvements. 

13th COSCOM civil affairs soldiers are also working on

improving the quality of water by funding the construction of

wells and a water treatment facility.

Power, potable water now available to hospital

CAMP MITTICA, Iraq — The Italian Task Force recently

spent $19,000 and worked several hours to upgrade a power

generator and water-purification system at an Iraqi hospital in

Suq Ash Shuyukh, southeast of Nassiriya.

Italian officials said the power generator hadn't worked in

several years due to mechanical problems and a lack of spare

parts. The hospital's water-purification system worked but

only produced about 400 liters of water per hour -- far below

the hospital's requirements. 

Italian engineers fixed the generator and the water-purification system, which now provides up to 8,000 liters of potable

water per hour. The system is backed up by a 10,000-liter

reserve tank.

Italian officials said they undertook the project as a way to

help improve the Iraqis' quality of life. 

Marines, Soldiers break ground on clinic

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq — Marines and Soldiers broke

ground June 16 on a new medical clinic in the Abu Fleis district of Khalidiyah. 

The $40,000 clinic will be a cooperative effort between

local Iraqi leaders and Coalition forces. Another $7,500 will

go toward furnishings. The clinic is slated for completion

Aug. 24 and will serve nearly 4,000 Iraqis.

1st Cav and ICDC capture weapons cache

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Soldiers from the 1st Cavalry

Division and members of the 306th Iraqi Civil Defense Corps

captured a weapons cache hidden in an Islamic cultural center

in Sadr City here June 14. 

The joint operation netted more than 200 pounds of plastic

explosives, thousands of rounds of ammunition, numerous

rocket-propelled grenades, grenade launchers, light anti-tank

weapons and several new heavy machine guns.

CAMP COMBAT OUTPOST, Iraq — There's

no question Lance Cpl. Richard C. Guillenavila

earned the nickname “Bulletproof.”

While he was standing guard at the Government

Center of Ramadi June 13, the 19-year-old from

Company G, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment

was shot right above his bellybutton by an enemy

sniper.

But not even a bullet could stop the Jacksonville,

Fla., Marine. The small-arms protective insert

inside his protective vest stopped the 7.62 mm.

The ceramic plate is capable of stopping smallarms fire and fragmentation from weapons such as

improvised explosive devices and mortar rounds.

Guillenavila said the extra weight from his front

and back plates never bothered him. 

Little did he know they would one day save his

life.

The day had started out like any other. Every

three days, Guillenavila's squad assumes duty on

the roof of the government center, which is an

attractive target for terrorist attacks.

“I was providing overwatch, looking for improvised explosive devices and things like that when

the next thing I knew, I was suddenly knocked to

the ground,” Guillenavila explained.

It took him less than a second to realize what

happened.

“It felt like someone punched me in my stomach

really hard,” said Guillenavila.

As soon as he caught his breath, the Marine

Story and photo by 

Cpl. Paula M. Fitzgerald

1st Marine Division Public Affairs

Marine’s new ‘lucky charm’

Lance Cpl. Richsrd C. Guillenavila displays what is left of a 7.62 mm round that

hit his SAPI plate June 13.

Story and photo by Pfc. Al Barrus

122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

See SAPI, page 10

Sewing factory renovation underway

Capt. Michael Levy, the 1-21 Field Artillery

civil affairs officer, checks out the new

sewing equipment at the groundbreaking

of the Al Sadiya sewing facility.
Page 8 Coalition Scimitar June 25, 2004

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi orphans from

the Al-Rashid District in Baghdad received

a donation of humanitarian-aid packages

and a generator from the 478th Civil

Affairs Battalion, which is attached to the

1st Brigade Combat Team of the 1st

Cavalry Division.

The orphanage, located just outside the

walls of Camp War Eagle, is home to 26

boys and girls between the ages of five and

18. The orphanage was a juvenile-detention

center before the war, but it was abandoned

when the war began. 

After the war, the Al-Hawsa organization,

a fundamentalist Shi’a group, opened the

orphanage and still provides some funding

to it. The building is sparsely furnished, has

broken windows and lacks electricity.

“Basically, there were some people who

gathered up the orphans and then turned the

detention center into an orphanage,” Maj.

Joel Hagy, the team leader for 478th Civil

Affairs, said.

The orphanage was not an official project

for the team. The team, also known as Team

Strike, would occasionally drop by the

orphanage to see how the orphans were

doing and to drop off packages. 

“This time, in addition to the packages,

we had found a generator and we offered to

give it to them,” Hagy said. “We give them

what we can, but it's nothing official.”

The Soldiers found the generator, but they

had no way of delivering it. 

“We figured they could make it a community effort and find a way of getting the generator out to the orphanage, and this might

help bring the community closer together,”

said Spc. Ariel Rodriguez of the 478th.

In addition to the generator, the civil

affairs Soldiers gave the children 20 bags of

humanitarian relief good. The bags included

a variety of items such as rice, tea, clothes,

crayons and candy for the children.

“A lot of these kids don't get what normal

Iraqis get because they don't have identification cards as a result of not having any parents,” Hagy said. “They are kids who have

fallen through the cracks.”

The team wants to continue to support the

orphanage in the future, team members said.

“As a team, we all pulled together to help

this orphanage, and we will definitely be

going back out there to check up on them,”

Rodriguez said. 

Story and photo by 

Sgt. Dan Purcell

122nd Mobile Public 

Affairs Detachment

An Iraqi orphan helps unload humanitarian relief packages donated

by the 478th Civil Affairs Battalion, which is known as Team Strike.

AL-TARMIA, Iraq — The rural farming village of Al-Tarmia is far removed

from the busy streets of Baghdad where

medical attention is no further than a car

ride away to the local hospital. 

In a continuing effort to foster goodwill

with the communities within their area of

operations, commanders of 2nd Battalion,

7th Cavalry Regiment, attached to 39th

Brigade Combat Team, identified AlTarmia's need for medical services and

brought relief to the area. 

Working with Soldiers of the Iraqi Army

and the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, troopers of 2-7 Cav., performed a medical capabilities project June 9.

“A MEDCAP is an opportunity for

Coalition forces to provide basic medical

services free of charge to an area,” said

2nd Lt. Greg Shipper, the unit public

affairs representative with 2-7 Cav. “In

the past, we've set up MEDCAPs in villages that are supportive of the Coalition.

As more and more areas support the

Coalition, we've begun using them in

areas that aren't necessarily pro-Coalition

as a means to sway public opinion, to

show Iraqi citizens the more positive

actions of Coalition Soldiers.”

Arriving early in the day to cordon off a

security perimeter, troopers quickly

stretched razor wire across an open field.

Members of the ICDC and Soldiers from

the 345th Tactical Psychological

Operations Team drove through the town,

announcing the availability of medical

assistance. Within a few minutes, lines

formed outside the medical facility,

stretching back as far as the eye could see.

Iraqi citizens, initially standing off in distance, eyes glaring, now stood laughing,

waiting to visit a medical professional.

“This is really a great opportunity to

meet the Iraqi people in a way that's completely nonconfrontational,” said Spc.

Clint McCollough, a medic with

Headquarters Company, 2-7 Cav. “I mean,

it's pretty hot out here today, and here we

are setting up shop and taking care of as

many of their ailments as we can.”

Applying lotion to chicken pox, removing decayed teeth and treating minor skin

irritations, the medical personnel also provided patients with medicine to take with

them, continuing the relief even after the

exercise was complete. With only basic

capabilities at hand, some citizens with

more major medical needs were referred

to free clinics or other medical facilities in

the surrounding area.

“As much as we would like to,”

McCollough said, “we aren't able to treat

the more serious problems. We just don't

have the setup for it.”

While primarily a 2-7 Cav. mission,

doctors and dentists from the entire

39th BCT as well as the 27th Main

Support Battalion worked to bring

relief to the village.

“I'm so glad we were able to come out

here today and help out,” said Col. Jim

Orsini, the 39th's brigade dental officer.

“Being able to interact with locals and

help them out is such a good feeling.”

Wary of cultural sensitivities, a special

tent for women was set up. It was staffed

entirely by women medics, headed by 1st

Lt. Robin Lowery, a physician's assistant

with the 39th Support Battalion.

Serving as many people as possible, the

exercise was brought to a conclusion only

after all medical supplies had run out. The

mission ran six hours.

“We haven't seen American Soldiers

very much in Al-Tarmia,” said one AlTarmia resident, speaking through a

translator. “To see them here today,

doing what they are doing, is a good

thing. We are a poor village without

much access to medical treatment. This,

here today, is a good thing.”

Soldiers’ visit brightens

Baghdad orphanage

2-7 Cav brings medical relief to Al-Tarmia

Story and photo by 

Cpl. Benjamin Cossel

122nd Mobile Public 

Affairs Detachment

Working with a translator to better understand the troubles a little girl is

having with her teeth, Col. Jim Orsini, the brigade dental officer with the

39th Support Battalion, 39th Brigade Combat Team, prepares to examine

the young patient. 
June 25, 2004 Coalition Scimitar Page 9

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The

farmers that help supply

Baghdad with food are more

efficient thanks to Soldiers from

the 1st Cavalry Division.

For centuries, the banks of the

Tigris River were known as part

of a fertile crescent of agricultural activity. Along the river

today, the Karb Degla area of Al

Rashid is known as the premier

food-production area of

Baghdad. Farmers from this

agricultural center still rely on

water from the Tigris to grow

their crops. They also rely on

modern technology.

To help the farmers in this

region of Al Rashid, the 1st

Battalion, 8th Cavalry

Regiment, 5th Brigade Combat

Team presented them with four

brand-new tractors and implements June 9 and 10. With input

from the neighborhood council

advisors in the area, the

“Mustangs” came up with a plan

that will allow farmers to produce more crops - and at a lower

cost than before.

“This is for the Iraqi farmers,” Lt. Col. Jay Allen, the 1-8

Cav. battalion commander, said

as he presented two of the tractors to Karb Degla area leaders.

“It is not to be used for influence, but to be used for work.”

The plan calls for the neighborhood advisory council to rent

the tractors to farmers for a third

of what they now pay to rental

contractors. The farmer now

pays $3 an hour for a tractor, but

he will pay only $1 to the NAC.

The proceeds the NAC collects

are not for profit, and will pay

for equipment operating costs.

“Right now, the council can

help the farmers,” Hussein

Abdullah Hami Ajubora, the

chairman for the Karb Degla

council, said through an interpreter. “We are going to charge

them 50 percent of the regular

price of the private contractors.

We want to help the people, so

they are satisfied.”

Improving the economy of the

region is essential for security in

the area, according to Ajubora.

The Mustangs, who have come

under attack there in the past,

consider the area dangerous. By

working with the people and

helping them attain a better

quality of life, the Mustangs are

sowing the seeds of friendship

with Iraqi farmers, according to

Sgt. 1st Class Leo Harviel, a

scout platoon sergeant with 1-8

Cav. Headquarters Company. 

“It shows solidarity for the

area and the Coalition working

hand in hand with the people,”

Harviel said. “Friendship develops, and [it] shows that we are

here for them and the betterment

of Iraq”

As Harviel and his scouts

handed out candy and T-shirts to

local Iraqis during the day, they

could see the farmers harvesting

their crops. Date palms, fruits,

vegetables and grains from this

area are destined for the

Baghdad markets every day of

the growing season. 

The plan to provide tractors

and farm equipment will augment other Mustang projects to

help farmers in the area, Harviel

said. Irrigation ditches are being

cleaned, and pumping stations

are being repaired. This work is

providing jobs for the people of

Karb Degla and is bringing

progress to area. 

“A lot of the farming done out

there is done by shovels and

hand tools,” Harviel said. “The

tractors that we gave out to them

will speed up agricultural profits

and bring them into the 21st

century.”

Story and photo by 

Spc. Andy Miller

122nd Mobile Public 

Affairs Detachment

Capt. Rex Blair, the 1-8 Cav. Headquarters Company commander, talks with a member of the neighborhood advisory council of the Karb Degla area of Al Rashid in

Baghdad. The 1-8 Cav. presented brand-new farm equipment to the area June 9. 

An Iraqi from the Karb Degla area of Baghdad's Al Rashid

district inspects a brand-new tractor presented to the

neighborhood advisory council by the 1-8 Cav. June 9.

The Karb Degla area is considered the premier food-production area of Baghdad. 

Cav helps Baghdad food production

BALAD, Iraq — The bride arrived in

an armored humvee and the groom was

more than eight thousand miles away for a

wedding held partially at a Coalition base

near Baghdad June 12.

Staff Sgt. Shadow Evans of Company

A, 118th Medical Battalion, Middleboro,

Mass. and Sgt. Richard Everton of 42nd

Division Artillery, Mashpee, Mass, were

engaged and expected to be married by

proxy with Evans participating by telephone from Iraq and her fiance and her

parents standing in at the Durango, Colo.,

courthouse. Colorado allows marriages

by proxy.

“Oh, my goodness,” exclaimed Evans as

she was greeted by a large-screen image of

her fiance and other members of her family. The video link was a surprise arranged

by Maj. Rich Durost, the system administrator for the Freedom Calls Foundation

facility, after he overheard someone discussing the original plans.

Video teleconferencing equipment

donated to the Army by the Freedom Calls

Foundation allowed the wedding to take

place live with Judge Martha Minot performing the ceremony from a Durango.

Freedom Calls (http://www.freedomcalls.org) is a private, nonprofit organization formed solely to donate video and

phone equipment to the Army for constructing Freedom Calls facilities in deployed

locations. Service members and deployed

civilians are provided high-speed Internet,

voice over Internet protocol phone calls and

videoconferencing capability at no charge.

The foundation also coordinates events like

graduations and other special family occasions, often arranging for the use of equipment or providing technical expertise on the

distant end.

Military officials were very exited about

the event but pointed out that weddings by

proxy are not for everyone. Each state has

its own laws that govern marriage and

Soldiers should consult their chaplain or

legal-assistance office far in advance of

making any plans.

By Maj. Rich Spiegel

13th Corps Support Command

Photo by Maj. Rich Durost

Staff Sgt. Shadow Evans of Company A, 118th Medical Battalion

talks to her new husband, Sgt. Richard Everton of 42nd Division

Artillery, Mashpee, Mass. Thanks to help from the Freedom Calls

Foundation, the couple was able to wed by proxy in Durango,

Colo., which allows such marriages.

Cybernuptials join Soldiers
Page 10 Coalition Scimitar June 25, 2004

OFFICER

Continued from Page One

The 81st Regional Readinesst Command is the largest Army Reserve command in the United

States. Located in Birmingham, Ala., the 81st RRC is the headquarters for Army Reserve forces

in eight Southeastern states. The 81st RRC provides command and control for more than 30,000

Soldiers and direct-support services and products to more than 42,000. More than

270 troop program units are assigned to the 81st RRC across Alabama,

Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky, North Carolina, South

Carolina and Tennessee. 

The history of the U.S. Army 81st RRC began August 25, 1917,

when the 81st Infantry Division was organized at Camp (now

Fort) Jackson, S.C. It adopted the name Wildcat Division from

Wildcat Creek, which flowed through the reservation. Legend

also has it that the troops found a snarling wildcat on the banks

of this creek. 

The 81st Division began a practice unheard of in those days.

A distinguishing shoulder patch, a black wildcat on an olive

drab circle, appeared on the 81st Infantry Division uniforms,

causing other units to protest loudly. The matter reached the

attention of General John J. Pershing, who approved the Wildcat

trademark. Moreover, he suggested that other Army divisions

adopt distinctive patches. 

Those same World War I Wildcats distinguished themselves in the

fighting in France, participating in the occupation of the St. Die sector and

the offense at Meuse-Argonne. 

Following World War I, the Wildcat Division was deactivated. After the start of World War

II, the 81st was activated in June 1942 at Fort Rucker, Ala., and was committed for nearly a year

in Pacific campaigns. Later, it was part of the Army of Occupation of Japan. On January 20,

1946, the division was inactivated. 

The 81st was reactivated as a Reserve division on November 10, 1947, in Atlanta. It was considered for recall to active duty during the Korean War but was not activated. In December 1965,

the division was again inactivated. 

Two years later, in December 1967, the headquarters of the 81st U.S. Army

Reserve Command was established. 

In May, 1968, the Wildcat patch appeared in combat once again as three

reserve units were mobilized and deployed to Vietnam for a year. 

In August 1990, 81st ARCOM units were some of the first Reserve

units to be called up in support of Operations Desert Shield and

Desert Storm. Fifty-two units and 5,902 soldiers from the 81st

served as an integral part of Army resources, most of them serving

in the Middle East. 

When Hurricane Andrew roared through and devastated South

Florida on August 24, 1992, the 81st provided engineer support for

clearing areas, medical support, public-affairs coverage, legal-counseling services and other humanitarian assistance. 

In January 1993, volunteers from numerous units again answered

the call of duty and provided support to Operation Restore Hope in

Somalia. Additionally, in March 1994, members of the 81st’s 421st

Quartermaster Company prepared and rigged humanitarian relief items in

Rhein Mein, Germany, for airdrops into Bosnia-Herzegovina. 

In April 1995, as part of the restructuring of the Army Reserve, the 81st was officially reorganized as the U.S. Army 81st Regional Support Command. The full reorganization

process was completed Sept. 30, 1996. The shoulder sleeve insignia was reassigned to the 81st

on Apr. 16, 1996. 

Wildcats

and traits in a volunteer

force, the school runs leaders through the military’s

role in a democratic society, international law, the

law of armed conflict, unittraining development,

training strategies, roles

and development of noncommissioned officers,

problem solving, staffing

principles, physical fitness

and weapons training.

Early on, Jordan, as a

member of the coalition,

offered to conduct the

training in Jordan to ease

logistical, cultural and language concerns.

“Rebuilding the Iraqi

army required a modular

approach to training given

the quantity of personnel

who needed to be cycled

through,” said British

Army Col. Kim Smith, a

liaison officer with the

Office of Security

Transition in Amman,

Jordan. 

“The initial focus was on

the leadership,” Smith said,

“and the technical and tactical training of junior personnel was centered on

Kurkush and other bases in

Iraq, but Jordan was seen

as having the optimum

location.”

Smith credited the

Jordanians with much of

the success of the endeavor.

“The Jordanians put massive effort and many of

their own resources behind

the project and were a

major factor in its tremendous success,” he said.

“The successful graduation

of female officers has been

a particular triumph.”

Following graduation,

officers will take a brief

period of leave before linking up with Iraqi army

NCOs to begin preparations for recruit reception

at training bases scattered

throughout Iraq as the

country completes the Iraqi

army’s initial 27-battalion

force generation plan in the

coming months.

Other officers will be

assigned to the Iraqi armed

forces’ joint headquarters,

the Iraqi Military Academy

and the Iraqi Training

Battalion.

CMATT, the military arm

of the Office of Security

Transition, will continue to

oversee training and equipping the Iraqi armed forces.

called out for help. His close friend, Lance Cpl.

Eric S. Hamilton, remembered the scene.

“I was standing watch on the northeast side of

the building and Guillenavila was on the southeast

side,” Hamilton, of Brockport, N.Y., said. “I was

talking with the corpsman andour platoon commander when we heard the shot.”

Only a few seconds elapsed between the time the

shot rang out and Guillenavila, also known as

Cuban B, called for medical attention.

“At first, all I could think was, ‘Damn, Cuban

B’s been shot,’” added 18-year-old Hamilton. “But

I knew somehow that he was going to be alright.”

Hamilton isn’t quite sure why or how he knew

Guillenavila would be fine; he “just knew it would

be OK.”

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Erik O. Cordaway,

a hospital corpsman with Company G, wasn’t as

optimistic as he checked over Guillenavila.

“I was expecting the worst,” 21-year-old

Cordaway said. “I thought the bullet went right

through his SAPI plate, but it hit two inches from

the bottom.”

When the corpsman gave Guillenavila the good

news, the Marine didn’t hesitate to get back behind

his weapon. He ignored the intense pain in his

stomach to return to his post.

“I got back up and was trying to aim in on whoever shot me,” explained Guillenavila, who has

already seen his fair share of firefights.

Marines from the squad rushed to the area to find

the shooter, but the sniper had already fled away

from the scene.

“We were very disappointed not to find the guy

who shot Guillenavila,” Hamilton said. “There isn’t

anything we’d like more than to find guys who

shoot at Marines.”

Still, Guillenavila doesn’t dwell on the events of

June 13, but he is glad to be alive. He suffered no

injuries from the impact, and the pain ceased shortly after he was shot.

He credits the SAPI plate for saving his life,

but believes also that he was not supposed to die

that day.

“God was definitely looking out for me,” said

Guillenavila, who hopes to one day become the

sergeant major of the Marine Corps. “It wasn’t my

time to go. I need to be here continuing the fight.”

When he returned to the camp here, Guillenavila

and some of the Marines from his squad dug the

bullet out of the plate. They found it in three pieces

inside the plate’s layers.

All three pieces are now in a plastic bag inside

Guillenavila’s pocket.

“It’s my newest lucky charm,” he said.

SAPI Continued from Page Seven

Lance Cpl. Richard C. Guillenavila shows

the spot where a bullet struck his protective plate June 13.
June 25, 2004 Coalition Scimitar Page 11

CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq

— Dire situations inspire ingenious solutions.

That rings true today for

inventive Marines in Iraq

who’ve used little more than

their creativity to adapt to everchanging enemy tactics and

endure on dangerous Iraqi

roads.

Troops across Iraq, including

several here from the 1st Force

Service Support Group, use the

resources they have available,

and in true Marine fashion, figure out ways to make themselves faster and safer on the

battlefield.

While amply protected thanks

to Marine Corps System

Command’s recent push that has

already outfitted the Marine

Corps’ more than 3,000-strong

vehicle fleet in Iraq with armor,

some Marines are building upon

that foundation.

BLOCKING BULLETS

Combining armored panels

used to reinforce vehicle doors

with scrap metal from a nearby

junkyard, Sgt. Phillip G. Zacher,

a vehicle maintenance chief for

3rd Battalion, 24th Marine

Regiment here designed and

welded a shield to protect the

sides and rear of a Marine manning a machine gun mounted on

top of a high-mobility, multipurpose wheeled vehicle.

So impressed were Zacher’s

commanders, they asked him to

perform the same seven-hour

procedure on 20 more humvees.

The Marines’ fronts are

already protected by an armored

plate built onto the gun mounts,

part of the set of vehicle armor

upgrades fielded by Marine

Corps Systems Command in

Quantico, Va. 

However, the Marines wanted

more.

The “extra-hardened” vehicle

has been involved in one firefight since Zacher installed the

turret. Though the truck didn’t

get hit by enemy fire, the gunner later told Zacher that he felt

a lot safer with the 360-degree

protection.

Zacher’s love for modifying

vehicles began at 13 years old

when he converted an old car

into a dragster. That initial project sparked an interest in creating things out of metal, and

welding became his favorite

hobby. He spent his summers

inventing and building contraptions with friends.

This kind of ingenuity is what

troops need in Iraq to combat

enemy attacks, he said.

“So much stuff changes. It

has to be adapted to on a daily

basis,” he said.

The shield could benefit the

entire Marine Corps, said

Zacher. With only a few modifications to the design, it could be

outfitted for almost any vehicle.

It’s not only Marines who

have taken an interest in this

invention. Army soldiers here

have taken pictures of the armor

so their welders could try to

reproduce it.

TO THE TEST

While troops on the ground in

Iraq have jury-rigged their vehicles, the Marine Corps is busy

providing them with more protection so they won’t have to. It

goes two steps further by testing

it for survivability and creating

a uniform solution.

MarCorSysCom, which

develops, tests and fields gear

for Marines, has sent a second

wave of armor upgrades specifically in response to insurgents’

roadside attacks with improvised explosives, small-arms

and rocket-propelled grenades,

said Maj. James R. Franks, 36,

one of the command’s liaisons

in the Middle East.

The Marine Corps version is

already on its way to Iraq, said

Franks.

The armor provided by the

Marine Corps is guaranteed to

be safer, said Chief Warrant

Officer 4 David D. Carter, 47,

the I MEF’s motor transportation maintenance officer.

“Everything Systems

Command provides to the MEF

has been tested,” said Carter, a

native of Edmond, Okla.

Even so, said Franks,

Marines’ expedient inventions

are acceptable while waiting for

more official armor.

“In the rush to get armor, a lot

of units moved on their initiative, and you can’t blame

them,” said Franks. “It’s better

than nothing, but Marines need

to be wary of making these so

permanent they can’t remove

them.” 

In the end, though, the entire

Marine Corps reaps the fruits of

ideas of Marines under fire and

the people who can turn quick

fixes into standard-issue gear.

Story and photo by 

Lance Cpl. Samuel 

Bard Valliere

1st Marine Division 

Public Affairs

Creative ideas

harvested to

outfit Marines

Sgt. Phillip G. Zacher stands June 14 beside a humvee equipped with a turret shield he

designed and welded at Camp Taqaddum, Iraq. Zacher, a vehicle maintenance chief for

3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, drew from his personal welding experience to create something that would help protect turret gunners from explosives and enemy fire.

The barrier is one of several inventions Marines are coming up with to respond to enemy

attacks in Iraq. The Marine Corps is currently fielding officially tested versions of the turret shield to outfit Marine vehicles in Iraq. 

Marines use ingenuity to adapt

and overcome by adding extra

protection to their vehcles

Medics keep on top

of their game

Staff Sgt. Richard Litchfield, a medic with the 1st

Cavalry Division's Headquarters and

Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 12th

Cavalry Regiment, demonstrates how to immobilize a Soldier's broken leg during training at

Camp War Eagle in Baghdad. Litchfield and his

fellow Task Force Lancer medics polish and

improve their skills weekly in an advanced firstaid training program. 

Photo by Sgt. Dan Purcell
Page 12 Coalition Scimitar June 25, 2004

TAJI, Iraq — In an effort to enhance

the quality of life for Coalition forces,

contractors and other Muslims who have

access to Camp Cooke, the 4th Brigade

Combat Team and 39th BCT, in partnership with local citizens, opened the newly

renovated Masjid Al-Mu’Mineen, or

“Mosque of the Believers” June 17. 

“The mosque is the central focus of the

Arab community,” said Maj. Rashid

Muhammad, 4th BCT’s brigade chaplain.

“It is where Muslims go to socialize,

enhance their spiritual growth and education and celebrate Ramadan, among other

things.”

The first remodeled mosque on a U.S.

military forward operating base, the project took three months and more than

$50,000 to complete. 

“We replaced everything,” said

Command Sgt. Maj. Donald Sanders, the

command sergeant major of 4th BCT.

“We put in all new light fixtures, carpeting and curtains. The garden was a mess,

so we replaced the sod and planted bushes. We also repaired all the plumbing and

cleaned all the tile work.”

Acting as translator for the local Iraqi

laborers working on the renovation was

Pfc. Bashar Aburubia, a flight-operations

specialist with 2nd Battalion, 227th

Regiment, 4th BCT.

“I worked with them for seven days, 16

hours a day,” Aburubia said. “I emphasized the importance of this project to

them. I wanted to motivate them to do

their best work.”

Born in Libya, Aburubia has been a naturalized U.S. citizen since the age of 12

and calls Houston home. 

“I am a practicing Muslim in my

beliefs,” he said. “I am very happy to be

from the U.S. It is an excellent home for a

Muslim — full of opportunity.”

Sgt. Mohammad Adam, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the promotions section for the 138th Personnel

Services Battalion, 4th BCT, was assigned

the task of calling the faithful to prayer

during the ceremony.

“Before the mosque was finished, we

were sharing the chapel,” said Adam, a

native of Ghana, West Africa. “Although

we did not mind that, it is nice to have our

own place of worship.”

The first Muslim chaplain in the Army

and resident imam, Muhammad presided

over the historic prayer session. 

“Being an imam is a whole-life experience,” said the Buffalo, N.Y., native. “It is

everything I believe.”

Muhammad studied for 31 years to

become an imam. Born into the Baptist

faith, he practiced this faith dutifully until

he heeded the words of the prophet. 

“Allah called me to Islam,” the chaplain

said.

The opening ceremony of the mosque

held particular significance for Pfc.

William Stanley, a legal specialist with

Headquarters Company, 4th BCT. He

assisted with the day’s preparation.

“The most important aspect for people

to see is that we are not only taking care

of their infrastructure, we are also helping

with the cultural aspect of their lives,”

said the 26-year-old Phoenix native. “This

is a great opportunity to show them that

we are aware of their culture and their

religion and the importance it plays. This

project is one of many quality-of-life

projects the Army has done here. People

are seeing the Army give back to the Iraqi

community.”

‘Mosque of the Believers’ opens

By Sgt. Merrion LaSonde

122nd Mobile Public 

Affairs Detachment

Ahmed Flaahi (left), an Iraqi soldier, and Sgt. Muhammad Adam review

their prayers for presentation during the opening ceremony of the Masjid

Al-Mu’Mineen or “Mosque of the Believers” at Camp Cooke June 17.

Photo by Cpl. Benjamin Cossel

CAMP WAR EAGLE, Iraq — Studying for a promotion board under the best of circumstances takes a lot

of hard work. 

In a combat environment it can be even more difficult. 

For the first time during Operation Iraqi Freedom II,

Task Force Lancers, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry

Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry

Division, conducted a field promotion board for 20

Soldiers June 7.

Sitting before a board composed of the board president, Command Sgt. Maj. Fernando Rodriguez of 2-5

Cav. and five first sergeants representing all the units of

the task force and about 120 years of experience, the

Soldiers were required to display a broad range of knowledge.

“I think this board was a whole lot different than back

in the States.

Back in the States, the board is very formal. You have

to wear your class As and you have more opportunity for

failure,” Sgt. Jason Freeman of Company B, 1st

Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment said. “Here you still

have to know the information, but the board is more

keyed down because they understand what we’re going

through and that we don’t have the time to study as much

or as in-depth due to mission requirements. 90 percent of

the board members are wearing combat patches, so they

understand our triumphs and pitfalls.”

Prior to starting the board proceedings, Rodriguez

briefed the Soldiers on the process and reminded them of

the importance of maintaining their military bearing at all

times.

“The promotion board gives us a snapshot of who you

are. Maybe your first sergeant knows you, but everyone

else is seeing you for the first time. Nothing is going to

give you points. You are going to start with the maximum

of 150, so everything you do to lose points is on you,”

Rodriguez said.

In addition to those attending the board, each of the

Soldier was accompanied by a unit sponsor.

“As a sponsor, you are responsible for backing up your

Soldiers going before the board. In the old days, if the

Soldier didn’t have an answer, then the sponsor had to

answer the question. But now, the sponsor just represents

the Soldier by recommending him to the board,” said

Staff Sgt. Anthony Hunter of Company B, 1-12 Cav. “I

also helped prepare my Soldiers by going over possible

questions and answers, then we conducted a pre-board so

they could work on their military bearing. My Soldiers

did excellent. Out of 150 points, Sergeant Freeman

scored 147.”

The board lasted all day. In the morning hours, priority was given to the sergeants and those with missionrelated responsibilities. By the end of the day all 20

Soldiers had passed.

“This was my first field board. I was nervous, but only

from wanting the promotion so bad,” Sgt. Joshua

Roundtree of Company C, 2-5 Cav. said. “I studied for

about two weeks before the board, but out here it’s really hard to study. It’s hard to stay focused when you have

to stop and go out on a mission, then come back and

study some more. It’s not always something you want,

but it’s something you have to do.”

Lancers conduct first field 

promotion board with success

Story and photo by Sgt. Dan Purcell

122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Spc. Samuel Burton of Company A, 115 Forward

Support Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, signs

for his promotion packet as Spc. Raymond

Richardson looks on.
June 25, 2004 Coalition Scimitar Page 13

Born and raised in Havana, Pfc.

Eldis N. Lima, a petroleum supply specialist with the 424th

Quartermaster Company here,

has served in the armies of two

countries. 

“I grew up with my mother and

two sisters in a small village near

Havana in a very humble home,”

said Lima, who is with a U.S.

Army Reserve unit from Long

Island, N.Y.

But 15 years ago, the Cuban

government expected him to join

the communist party upon reaching age 18, and he refused.

“So after that, they denied me

employment, benefits – stuff like

that. Once you have a different

view of the political and social

climate, they close doors on you.

So as I grew up I decided I wanted more respect than that,” Lima

said.

He, his wife and children left

Cuba in 2003 and moved to Long

Island in search of that respect

and more political and social freedoms than Cuba could offer them.

His mother and sisters “didn’t

want me to leave, but now they

understand why I did it,” he said. 

Prior to serving in the Cuban

army as an infantryman, the 33-

year-old father of two had attended an industrial design institute

and earned his associate’s degree

in graphic design. 

He was stationed in Ceiba del

Agua, Havana, and served three

years before moving to Long

Island.

Upon settling into life in the

United States, Lima took a job as

a graphic designer and enlisted in

the U.S. Army Reserve.

He said his time spent in the

Cuban army prepared him for

service in the U.S. Army by

teaching him military discipline.

“He’s had a hard time getting

used to the American way of life,

but, overall, I think it’s been a

good journey for him,” said Capt.

Louisa R. Bargeron, the 424th

commander. “He’s an excellent

Soldier, one of those Soldiers

who’s very smart. I often use him

for his technical skills. His computer skills are awesome.”

Lima credits his decision to

enlist to both his desire to answer

the call of duty and his quest for

benefits for his family.

He attended Basic Combat

Training at Fort Jackson, S.C., in

April 2003, and Advanced

Individual Training at Fort Lee,

Va., in September 2003.

“In the Cuban army, the soldiers don’t have an idea what

they’re fighting for. We have that

in the American army. I like it

because you have a sense of purpose. If you stay long enough,

you can make it a career,” Lima

said.

Initially, however, his family

wasn’t as sure about his decision

as he was.

“At the beginning, my wife

was a little bit scared because she

knew I might be sent to war, but

now she’s pretty confident. She

supports me 100 percent,” Lima

said.

Being a husband and father, it

wasn’t easy for Lima to leave

upon hearing that he was being

deployed.

“It was hard to leave them.

They are two boys, and they were

always with me,” he said. “Well,

since I joined the Army I knew

they were getting ready to deploy

troops, so it didn’t catch me by

surprise, especially since I joined

in March and that’s when the war

started,” he said.

On post, he works in the unit’s

personnel-processing center

because civilian contractors have

undertaken the normal responsibilities of petroleum supply specialists. He is an invaluable asset

to the PPC, said Bargeron. 

In his spare time, Lima enjoys

drawing, painting, working on his

laptop, taking pictures with his

digital camera, reading, and playing dominoes with his fellow

Soldiers.

Upon his return stateside, Lima

is receiving an expedited appointment for his naturalization . 

“This will be a great thing for

him, because he’s eager to be naturalized,” Bargeron said.

Upon redeployment, Lima has

many goals for his family’s

future.

“I would like to stay in the

Army, raise my family and hopefully help my family in Cuba,”

Lima said. “I would also like to

go back to college.” 

Lima seems to have led a life

thus far that most privates have

not. With redeployment and naturalization in his future, he said he

feels he has much to look forward

to in his future.

Cuba native excels

as U.S. Soldier

Story and photo by 

Pfc. Leah R. Burton

28th Public 

Affairs Detachment

Pfc. Eldis N. Lima, a Cuba native and petroleum supply

specialist with the 424th Quartermaster Company out of

Long Island, N.Y., fills out a report in his office at the unit’s

personnel-processing center at Logistical Support Area

Anaconda May 11.

MOSUL, Iraq — Clouds of dust surround the multivehicle team of cavalry scouts as they make their daily

patrol around the perimeter of Forward Operating Base

Regular here. 

The patrol is a security measure that FOB Regular, located at the former Saddam Airfield, southwest of Mosul, is

taking against rocket and mortar attacks.

Soldiers on the base, home to the 3rd Squadron, 17th

Cavalry Regiment and the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry

Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker

Brigade Combat Team) have experienced intermittent

rocket and mortar fire over the last few months.

“This base is located in a completely flat area,” said

Capt. Andrew Visser, the civil-military operations officer

for 3-17th. “When looking at the base, the only landmark

that can be identified is the water tower, and that is what

they seem to be aiming at.”

To decrease the number of attacks and increase FOB

security, the Task Force Olympia scout platoon of

Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Squadron, 17th

Cavalry Regiment, 10th Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain

Division began daily patrols along the perimeter of FOB

Regular. 

“We started doing these patrols about four weeks ago and

have only had one rocket attack since,” said Sgt. 1st. Class

David Bowman, the platoon sergeant for the scout platoon. 

The scouts, whose main mission is to provide route

reconnaissance and ground support for air reconnaissance,

also conduct counter-mortar missions and function as an

early warning security system for the infantry. 

“When we are out, we are looking for anything suspicious, anything that wasn’t there the day before,” said Pfc.

Greg Molleur, a member of the scout platoon from

Watertown, Conn. “We pass the same villages every day, so

hopefully the residents will understand that we are a friendly force and not a force to be feared.”

The Soldiers encounter locals everyday, from kids waving frantically to women waving cautiously from their

doorways. 

Coalition forces are making it their priority to assist these

Iraqi citizens in creating a safer living environment through

the transfer of sovereignty. 

“We are here trying to help, and hopefully they can

understand that,” said Spc. Christopher Dodd of Walden,

Colo., a driver in the Scout Platoon, from Walden, Colo.

Lt. Col. Reginald Mason, the 3rd Squadron commander,

is confident in the capabilities of the scout platoon to

increase the security of FOB Regular. 

“They understand that we are building a trusting relationship with the villages that surround this FOB, which

will ultimately help in our own security, when those residents feel they can come to us when they see something

unusual in their area,” said Mason.

Vehicles with the Task Force Olympia scout platoon travel the perimeter of Forward Operating

Base Regular during a daily security patrol.

Story and photo by Spc. Gretel Sharpee

139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Base security increased with daily patrols
Page 14 Coalition Scimitar June 25, 2004

AL ASAD, Iraq — When getting promoted, it’s always nice to

have a loved one or a mentor pin

on the new rank.

Unfortunately, it can be a little

difficult to find that special person

when you are deployed to the

other side of the world.

Although deployed in support

of Operation Iraqi Freedom,

recently promoted 1st Lt. Catalina

Kesler, the executive officer for

Alpha Surgical Company, 1st

Force Service Support Group,

didn’t have to look too far to find

such a person.

Her brother, Cpl. Fabian

Estrada, a personnel clerk with

Marine Medium Helicopter

Squadron 161, Marine Aircraft

Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft

Wing, is deployed to Al

Taqqadum, Iraq.

“We left to come here at about

the same time,” said 27-year-old

Kesler. 

Kesler said she wanted her

brother to pin on her new rank

insignia but wasn’t sure if he

would be able to make the trip

here. Word about Kesler’s

upcoming promotion spread,

and both commands worked

quickly to unite the 21 year old

with his sister.

“My sergeant major and (commanding officer) told me I should

come down here,” said Estrada. “I

think it’s great. How many people

get to promote a family member

in Iraq?”

Although a Marine can choose

anyone to pin on the new rank,

traditionally someone of a higher

rank does it. Kesler, however,

wanted her May 24 promotion to

be a memorable one.

“I have never seen someone of

a lesser grade pin someone of a

(higher) grade,” said Staff Sgt.

Miguel Martinez of Alpha

Surgical Co.

Martinez praised Kesler as professional, highly motivated and

eager to excel. He claimed that

she gained some of these qualities

through prior experience in the

Marine Corps.

“She really supports the enlisted Marines as she was prior enlisted herself,” said Martinez.

As a true “mustang”, or priorenlisted Marine, Kesler once held

the same rank that her brother

does now.

“I enlisted in 1995,” said

Kesler, “and in 1998, as a corporal, I applied for the (Marine

Corps Enlisted Commissioning

Education Program). One of the

reasons I joined the Marine Corps

was because I didn’t have enough

money for college.”

Kesler received her commission in 2002. She now hopes her

brother will follow in her footsteps.

“I was happy to give him my

last pair of second lieutenant bars

so he can wear them one day,”

said Kesler.

“I will definitely wear them,”

promised Estrada.

Kesler has led the way for her

brother in the past, as well.

“He was 12 when I was recruited,” said Kesler. “My recruiter

said he would be back in six years

for my brother.”

Kesler’s recruiter held true on

his word and returned to the siblings’ hometown of Calexico,

Calif., to put Estrada in the

Marine Corps alongside his sister.

Now the two are together again as

Marines with the same mission.

“We can truly say we are fighting this war together,” said Kesler.

Estrada’s in-country presence

has one crucial effect on his sister,

she concluded.

“We talk on the phone about

once every week or two,” Kesler

said jokingly. “He reminds me to

call my mom.”

Corporal pins sister in Iraq

Story and photo by 

Lance Cpl. Matthew 

T. Rainey

Marine Aircraft Group 13 

Cpl. Fabian Estrada, personnel clerk, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 161, Marine

Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, pins first lieutenant rank insignia on his sister, Catalina Kesler, the executive officer for Alpha Surgical Company, 1st Force Service

Support Group, during her promotion ceremony at Al Asad, Iraq, May 24. Estrada traveled from Al Taqqadum, Iraq, to take part in the ceremony. Both Marines are deployed in

support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. 

BALAD, Iraq — When two Soldiers

said their wedding vows, never did it

occur to them that they would find themselves in a combat zone in Iraq, doing

their part for their country in Operation

Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Victor Coronado from Weslaco,

Texas, and Spc. Luz Mejorado from

Sebastian, Texas, met when they joined

the same Army Reserve unit, the 961st

Quartermaster Company, a water-storageand-distribution unit in McAllen, Texas.

Victor Coronado is assigned to the

maintenance section as a mechanic. He

also is in charge of the tank and pump

unit that is mounted on a five-Ton vehicle and fuels all the company’s water

pumps and generators. 

Luz Coronado is assigned to the wateroperations section as a water-distribution

and storage specialist. Her responsibilities include all aspects of water storage

and distribution. This consists of setting

up and maintaining the equipment,

repairing leaks and tears on water bladders and hoses and many other duties.

The Coronados met in June 2003 and

soon knew they wanted to get married.

They planned their wedding for October. 

“We thought all our plans were ruined

when we found out we were being

deployed. We didn’t even get to go on a

honeymoon,” said Victor Coronado.

“But once we got over the shock, we

knew it would be a great challenge for

us. This was also our opportunity to do

our part for our country, and we are very

proud of this.”

There are many married couples in the

Army, but, unlike most, the Coronados

are fortunate to be serving together in the

same unit. 

“At first, we thought that we might be

separated because we didn’t know how

things would work out over here,” said

Luz Coronado. “We feel great that we are

able to see and talk with each other on a

daily basis.”

In the meantime, the Coronados continue to perform their duties with pride.

Their families back home are extremely

proud of them, they said. They look forward to the day when they can go home

and pick up where they left off. The first

thing they will do is go on a long-awaited honeymoon.

The Coronados spend a few minutes together before he has guard-tower

duty. They are spending their first year of marriage in Iraq.

Story and photo by 

1st Sgt. Frank Casares

961st Quartermaster Company

For better or worse

Newly weds spend their first year of 

marriage serving their country together in Iraq
June 25, 2004 Coalition Scimitar Page 15

Unsung Heroes 

Marching the extra mile across Iraq

Spc. Kearney

Multinational Brigade-North chaplains

Sgt. Lozano

Sgt. Juan Lozano Jr., a San Antonio native, is a

cannon crew gunner with 4th Battalion, 27th Field

Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team,

1st Armored Division. Lozano said he joined the

Army four years ago to serve his country and

make it safer.

He has also been working as an infantry

Soldier, as well.

“At first it was tough because we weren’t used

to infantry tactics,” he said. “But we honed our

skills and here we are still doing good.”

His supervisor, Staff Sgt. Nicholas A. Bright, a

section chief from Kinston, N.C., said Lozano is

dedicated to his job and mission accomplishment

as much as he is dedicated to his 5-year-old

daughter, Hailynn.

“He uses his experience to motivate younger

Soldiers, and, given the environment we’re in,

he’s been able to sustain that for more than 13

months,” Bright said.

Deployed Soldiers experience something that is best understood by the men

and women around them. Wherever Soldiers go, there is a chaplain looking after

them, ready to hold up their faith if it starts to fall, ready to guide them through

their personal struggles that are best understood by a chaplain who is a Soldier

himself, a Soldier of God and country. 

“Being able to be here with the Soldiers — facing the dangers and stresses

with them and providing a ministry of presence and encouragement — is what I

enjoy most about my job,” said Maj. Wayne Garcia, chaplain, assigned to the 3rd

Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) from Fort

Lewis, Wash.

Garcia is the Multinational Brigade-North chaplain, operating out of Camp

Freedom in Mosul along with chaplains Maj. Stephone Coleman of the 416th

Civil Affairs Battalion and Maj. Mark Thornton, of the 115th Signal Battalion.

“We, as chaplains, each have something to offer every Soldier we encounter,

but together we offer a diverse ministry for the very diverse Soldiers in our area

and their needs,” said Thornton.

Spc. Melton R. Kearney II is in the 30th

Military Police Platoon, Headquarters and

Headquarters Company, 30th Brigade

Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. He

transferred from the 1132nd Military Police

Company to participate in Operation Iraqi

Freedom.

Kearney was in an ROTC program at

Tarboro High School in Tarboro, N.C. and

continued in ROTC at North Carolina

Agricultural and Technical State University. 

He is recognized as being a very knowledgeable, motivated soldier with a positive

attitude. He was selected to serve on Brig.

Gen. Danny H. Hickman’s personal security

detachment team in Iraq. 

He said he plans to graduate with a degree

in criminal justice and finish training to

become a commissioned officer. 

CPA Palace Military Pay Office

Hours of Operation

Military pay inquires

Saturday - Thursday

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

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

Cashier

Everyday but Friday

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

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

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

located at the Joint Contracting Finance and Resource

Management Office near the 31st Combat Support Hospital.
Page 16 Coalition Scimitar June 25, 2004

CAMP AL ASAD, Iraq — Nearly 500 Marines

showed up to watch this camp’s first Friday Night Fights

boxing event June 11, the largest attendance of any base

event. 

Marines and Sailors watched as 28 amateur boxers

participated in 14 bouts in the event inside a ring donated by Marine Aircraft Group 16 in a large empty hanger.

“It took me about two weeks to get this thing started,”

said 1st Sgt. David P. Perry, the first sergeant for

Company L, 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment. “I

don’t think anyone here was disappointed.”

Perry, a former Golden Gloves boxer from Maryville,

Tenn., began thinking of the idea when he discovered

some of his Marines were sparring with each other on

concrete floors. He began training them and soon

acquired the necessary equipment to get the event going.

“I had to beg and borrow,” Perry said. “But I eventually got it up and going.”

The bouts were put through screenings before contenders stepped into the ring. Marines were given physicals and filled out experience cards to properly match

the fighters. To further prevent any major injuries, the

boxers wore full head and body gear and used 16-ounce

gloves instead of the regular 12-ounce gloves. An ambulance and full medical staff were on hand in case an

injury did occur.

“If anything this event is safer than the Marine Corps

Martial Arts Program,” said Navy Petty Officer Joe B.

McDaniel, a hospital corpsman with the battalion from

Fort Worth, Texas. “The only injuries you’ll see happen

is maybe a bloody nose and a few guys will get dazed,

but this is a very healthy stress release.”

Release it was, offering fighters and spectators a very

different way to spend their Friday night.

“I love boxing,” said 1st Lt. Edwin Pena, with 3rd

Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion from Bronx, N.Y. “I

would love to get in there, but it’s enlisted only. Marines

love mixing it up. A lot of them have built-up aggression. This is a very safe and effective way of letting it all

go. I give credit to all those Marines out there. It’s a real

gut check.”

Many of the fighters never before participated in an

organized fight such as this, according to Perry. He said

some just wanted to test themselves.

“It was great doing this,” said Pfc. Daniel Young Kim,

an avionics technician with MAG 16 from Simi Valley,

Calif., who won his light-middleweight match with a

second-round technical knockout. “There isn’t much to

do here. I love the competition, and, as you can see, the

crowd loves it. All the yelling and screaming, I was

afraid at first because of the unknown, but they kept me

focused.”

The sportsmanship prevailed as each fight ended

with the fighters embracing each other. 

“Everyone seemed very excited to be here,” McDaniel

said. “The sportsmanship was great... the crowd went

nuts. I think the event was more successful than even the

first sergeant could have imagined. Next week’s crowed

should be even bigger.”

“Everyone had a great time,” said Perry. “I think that

is what matters most.

“It seemed as though the ones who were training with

me did the best tonight,” Perry added. “I hope word gets

out and soon we’ll have many more fighters.”

“Tonight was great,” said McDaniel. “So far, it has

been the best escape from our current situation. It’s good

to have something else occupy your mind sometimes.”

Jarheads jar heads at boxing night

By Cpl. Macario P. Mora Jr.

1st Marine Division Public Affairs

Referee 1st Sgt. David P. Perry gives a standing eight count to Cpl.

Bryant Lewis, a 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment machine-gunner.

Referee 1st Sgt. David P. Perry, the first sergeant for 3rd Battalion, 24th

Marine Regiment's Company L from Maryville, Tenn., breaks the two fighters during a three-round bout. Perry, a former Golden Gloves boxer, is the

sponsor of the event. Nearly 500 Marines showed up to watch Camp Al

Asad's first Friday Night Fights boxing event June 11.

Photo by Sgt. Jose L. Garcia

Photo by Sgt. Jose L. Garcia

Photo by Sgt. Jose L. Garcia

Lance Cpl. Joseph T. Tardio from 3rd Radio Battalion jabs at Lance Cpl. Joshua L. Campbell, a

heavy-equipment mechanic with Combat Service Support Battalion 7, during a June 11 match.